Spiritual Deception in the Last Days

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The world is changing and time is running out.

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This is Renewed Mindsets where we confront biblical truth head-on no sugarcoating, no compromise.

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We expose false doctrine, reveal fulfilled prophecy and shine light on the demonic deception of these last days, but we also stand firm on the hope of Christ's return, the call to holiness and the urgency of true salvation.

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It's time to renew your mind, for the time is now.

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Let's go, boys.

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Hey, welcome to Renewed Mindsets where we're transforming our thinking to align with God's truth, especially as we live in the final stretch before Jesus returns.

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I'm Rick and I'm so glad you're here.

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Today's episode is urgent.

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We're talking about something that isn't just affecting the world.

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It's infecting the church the topic Deception and false teachings in these end times.

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Now, this isn't just theology.

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This is life or death, spiritually speaking.

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This is about who you listen to, who you follow and whether or not you're being led by truth or being led away from it.

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So get ready, get your Bible open and let's jump into what the Word of God says about deception in these last days.

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So let's just go ahead and start with the words of Jesus and, honestly, when the Son of God talks about the end times, you need to pay attention.

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Matthew 24, 4 and 5 says Don't let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name claiming I am the Messiah.

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They will deceive many.

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But Jesus didn't say few people will be misled, he said many.

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That word, many, should stop us in our tracks.

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That means the majority of people will be deceived.

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And here's the kicker they won't even know it's happening.

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Deception isn't loud and obvious.

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It doesn't announce itself.

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It's subtle.

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It sounds good.

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It doesn't announce itself.

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It's subtle, it sounds good.

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It uses pieces of truth.

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That's why it works.

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Jesus was warning us, not about people claiming to be the Messiah, but about false teachers, preachers who would come in my name, come in his name, people who would say they represent him but don't actually follow his word.

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And today we're seeing that warning come to life right before our eyes.

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Now here's what makes deception dangerous.

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It doesn't show up in red horns with a pitchfork.

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It walks in with a Bible and a smile.

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It sounds spiritual, it feels deep.

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It might even use the name of Jesus, but it doesn't submit to him.

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It twists his word to fit human desires.

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Let me give you some examples.

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The prosperity gospel says God's main goal is to make you rich and comfortable.

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That's not biblical.

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That's idolatry dressed up as faith, the progressive Christianity.

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It removes sin, repentance and the authority of scripture.

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It tells you that love means accepting everything, even what God has called evil.

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And then there's a rise of so-called Christian influencers, blending New Age ideas with scripture, talking about chakras, crystals, energy healing, and they call it Christian wellness.

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People, the enemy's goal has never changed.

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From the beginning in Eden, his strategy was to ask did God really say?

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And he's still using that same line today.

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Deception doesn't need to create new lies, it just needs to make you question the truth.

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Now let's jump to Paul's letter to Timothy.

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Now let's jump to Paul's letter to Timothy.

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Now, if this doesn't sound like 2025, I don't know what does.

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2 Timothy 4.3.

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For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching.

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They will follow their own desires and look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.

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This people is where we are right now.

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People aren't chasing truth anymore.

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They're chasing comfort.

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They wanted Jesus who makes them feel good, not one who calls them to pick up their cross.

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We have churches packed with people who've never been taught repentance, pastors who refuse to preach on hell, messages that sound more like TED Talks than the gospel.

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And we're not talking about atheists or cults here.

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We're talking about churches that once stood for truth, ministries that started well but compromised for popularity.

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Even entire denominations are being redefined to suit the world.

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For example, the United Methodist Church has split apart, and the reason is clear.

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Many believers are fed up with the push to normalize what God clearly calls sin.

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Since 2019, nearly 7,000 congregations that's about a quarter of all the United Methodist Churches in the the United States have walked away.

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They refuse to compromise on biblical truth just to please the culture.

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Now, at the heart of this divide is the church's increasing embrace of the LGBTQ ideology, including the ordination of openly gay clergy and the blessing of same-sex marriages.

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Traditional Christians are drawing the line and are joining or forming new denominations, like the Global Methodist Church, to stand firm in the faith once delivered to the saints.

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But let me say this as plainly as I can If your theology always agrees with culture, you're probably not hearing from God.

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Agrees with culture, you're probably not hearing from God.

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So let's take a deeper look at two major areas of deception salvation and the Holy Spirit.

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Now, first, there's the teaching of once saved, always saved.

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Now listen to me Salvation is a gift from God and His grace is powerful.

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But there is a dangerous version of this doctrine that says once you pray a prayer, you can live however you want and you're still good with God.

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That's not biblical.

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The Bible calls us to endure, to abide, to remain faithful.

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Jesus said in Matthew 24, 13,.

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But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

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Salvation isn't about a moment, it's about a life.

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Faith without works is dead.

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Grace empowers us to obey, not to stay in sin.

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Then there's the denial of the Holy Spirit's power.

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There's a lot of churches, most churches out there, teach that the gifts of the Spirit ceased after the apostles.

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No more healings, no more tongues, no more miracles.

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But Scripture never says that.

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What it does say in Hebrews, chapter 13, verse 8, jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.

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Forever.

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People, if Jesus healed, then he heals now.

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If the Spirit moved, then he moves now.

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Even worse, some churches don't just deny the gifts, they dismiss the Holy Spirit altogether.

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They don't teach on him, they don't invite him in it's father, son and silence.

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But the early church didn't move without the Holy Spirit.

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They were led, filled, baptized and empowered by him.

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And if we want to stand in these end times, we must be too.

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You can't walk in victory without the power of the Holy Spirit.

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You can't live holy, discern deception or overcome temptation without him, and any gospel that removes the Spirit is a gospel that leaves you powerless.

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So how do we protect ourselves from deception?

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How do we make sure that we're walking in truth?

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Well, first you need to know the Word.

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You have to be in the Bible daily.

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You need to know the word.

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You have to be in the Bible daily, not just devotionals, not just podcasts, but the actual word, because if you don't know what God said, you won't recognize when somebody's twisting it.

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The next thing is to test every spirit.

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1 John 4, verse 1 says Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit.

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You must test them to see if the Spirit that they have comes from God.

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Just because somebody quotes Scripture doesn't mean they've submitted to God.

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Always check the fruit of the message.

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And speaking of fruit, look at the fruit.

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Jesus said you'll know a tree by its fruit.

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If a teacher or a preacher's message never leads to repentance, never brings glory to Jesus and never points to holiness.

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Something's off, and finally stay in godly community.

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Isolation is dangerous.

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We need spirit-filled brothers and sisters who can challenge us, correct us and help us to grow.

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Pride isolates.

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Humility surrounds itself with truth-tellers.

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Humility surrounds itself with truth-tellers.

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So you might be asking, rick, why are you so fired up about this?

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Because this isn't just about bad theology, this is about souls.

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Matthew 7, 21-23 says Not everyone who calls out to me, lord, lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven.

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I will reply I never knew you.

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Get away from me, you who break God's laws.

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Jesus said that, and that verse hits me every time.

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These are people who thought they were saved.

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They were active, they used his name, or you could say, they went to church on Sunday.

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They had an emotional experience when they were 16.

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They maybe even put some money in the plate, but they didn't know him and he didn't know them.

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They were deceived, and deception doesn't care.

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If you're sincere, you can be sincerely wrong.

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That's why this message is critical.

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This is not a time to play church.

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This is a time to anchor ourselves in truth, no matter the cost, because the return of Jesus is near and only the faithful will endure.

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So here's my challenge to you Don't let deception be your story.

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If you've been chasing personalities over Jesus, it's time to return to the Word.

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If you've followed messages that made you feel good but never made you change, it's time to repent or turn away and go the other direction.

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If you've allowed compromise in the name of culture, it's time to stand.

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Love is not love.

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You're loving them and yourself right to hell, where you will burn in the lake of fire for eternity, forever.

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Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any deception you've believed.

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Ask him to lead you into all truth.

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Let the word of God become your daily bread, not just something that you snack on when you feel like it, because in these last days, the greatest defense that we have is a renewed mind that's grounded in truth.

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Pray with me, father.

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God, I lift up every listener today, in a world full of noise and confusion.

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Give us clarity.

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Expose the lies that we've believed.

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Pull us out of deception and back into your truth.

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Make us lovers of your word.

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Give us discernment in this hour.

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Help us not to be swayed by man's opinion, but anchored in your voice.

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Keep us ready.

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In your voice, keep us ready, keep us holy, and let us be found faithful when you return In Jesus' precious name.

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Amen, grace and peace.

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My friends, that's all for today, but I'll be back with more unfiltered biblical truth and undeniable prophecy.

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The time to wake up is now.

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If today's episode challenged you, don't keep it to yourself.

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Tell someone, please.

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Text them a link.

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Share the truth while there's still time.

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Visit renewedmindsetscom to stay connected and to listen to past episodes, and check out our merch at RenewedMindsetsstore.

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Jesus is coming soon.

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Stay watchful, stay holy, stay renewed Until next week.

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I'm Rick.

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Be an encourager, not a discourager.

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I love you, see ya.

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The intro and outro music for the Renewed Mindsets podcast is Are you Ready?

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By Floodgate From the album Are you Ready?

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By Floodgate From the album Are you Ready?

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Copyright 2002, offbeat Ministries Incorporated.

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Floodgate can be found on Apple Music and iTunes.

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Music used with permission.