Category Archives: Testimony

February 28, 2023

Spiritual Coma

By altarofheaven

“I need you to…” her voice trembles with fear, afraid to offend, afraid of saying something selfish. She pauses, gulps, and continues, “I need you to fight.” Her eyes lock on with her friends and fill with tears threatening to burst at the next blink. The recipient of this exhortation lays still soaking in the plea of her beloved friend. She’s tired. She’s distressed and discouraged. She wants to let go. She sees no fruit of the labor and has believed the lies of the Devil. She’s beginning to lose hope, to lose faith. The words of her friend sting and begin to stir something deep inside. She feels like sleeping beauty after she touched the forbidden spindle. Her forbidden spindle was sin. Her perfectionist heart wants to give up and not believe God could save her from her thoughts and sin. But He does. God sends His people to minister to her. The very fruit she couldn’t see was now giving her manna to feast on. She wearily lifts her head feeling unworthy to look at the face of God after continual betrayal and yet her friend is there to lift her hands as God lifts her head. 

Her friend reminds her of the Gospel. 

Her friend reminds her of the lost in the world that needs to hear the gospel. 

Her friend reminds her of her purpose: To glorify God. 

Her friend reminds her how this purpose is fulfilled: through Christ alone. We empty ourselves to be filled by His Spirit. She reminds her, “He will complete what He began…”

I know of someone who was in a spiritual coma. She was spiritually sick. Her face is now where it should be…beholding God. 

Dear reader I was in a spiritual coma six years ago and thought it was over for me. I learned during that season God is the one that holds us fast. When we ‘let go’ we find that He never does. This experience helped me to understand what Peter must have felt when Jesus restored him after denying Him. I also remember the charge given to Peter, “…and once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Jesus also told Peter to, “Tend my lambs,” “Shepherd My Sheep” “Tend My sheep.”

My face is now beholding my God and Savior Jesus Christ. By His grace, today I strengthen my brethren in a gentle and compassionate way because I know I am beset with weaknesses. I am praying you behold God and walk out the good works He has prepared for you. Be steadfast.

“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be God, who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”  I Corinthians 15:56-58 

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May 8, 2016

Spiritual Investment

By altarofheaven

IMG_0639Someone once told me I was wasting my achievements of Bachelors and Masters degree by being a stay at home mom. They also said I went from riches to rags.

Yes, it may have looked that way when I chose to leave my $113k/yr job to stay home to be a full time wife and mother.

IMG_8801I’ve worked as a military officer leading over 100 troops with multi-million dollar contracts, I was involved in national security projects working at the pentagon, provided leadership for security of Air Force One at Andrews AFB, and served as a successful consultant and leadership/executive coach in the D.C. Area for three of the 15 executive departments of the U.S. Cabinet…and yet…the most challenging and rewarding calling to me is being a wife and mama.

I went from combat boots, to high heels, to bare feet. I say ‘bare feet’ because the calling of motherhood is on holy ground–I finally understood the importance of a mother.

The truth is I went from rags TO riches. I went from my filthy rags of my own self-sufficiency and dependency to God’s glorious riches!!

The world can’t appreciate the spiritual investment of what God is doing in and through us as mamas. Sometimes we doubt it too.

But stand firm in the convictions God has given you...

Happy Mother’s Day!

**Disclaimer** This is not written to invoke condemnation on moms that work outside the home.   A mother’s work is never done, and is always full time.IMG_7984

I remember what it’s like to be a full time mama serving in the military, knowing at any time I could be deployed. It’s not easy. 

I remember what it’s like to be a full time mama that works full time outside the home. It’s not easy.

I remember what it’s like to be a full time mama that stays home full time. It’s not easy.

I know what it’s like to be a full time mama that home schools. It’s not easy.

I know what it’s like to be a full time homeschooling mama with a part time job. It’s not easy.

The calling of every mother is sacred and holy.

This is the story of God’s grace in my life.

I just needed a season of purification to learn to put my priorities in place and I was exclusively working in the home, but recently have had a part time job, and next month I will be working in a director’s position for a Company where I get to encourage other mothers. This is the path and good works God has for me. Follow the convictions God has given YOU and be at peace.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Philippians 4:13

To read more about my conversion and the testimony of the grace of God in my life click here. 

“I will extol You, my God, O King,
And I will bless Your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless You,
And I will praise Your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised,
And His greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall praise Your works to another,
And shall declare Your mighty acts.
Psalm 145:1-4

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February 13, 2016

{His}Story: Faith, Repentance, Joy…{Final Bite}

By altarofheaven

 

This post is the final part of ‘bite size’ portions of my testimony. If you would like to start from the beginning you can read:

Downsized. {A Bitesize Testimony} (Part 1); Building Facades & Chasing Mirages (Part 2); An Eternal Invitation (Part 3); A Christian Mary Poppins (Part 4); 

***

Seven years ago today God was pleased to reveal Himself to me through His Word–His Son Jesus Christ.

I had asked God:

‘What does Anna have that I don’t? I talk to you God. I want what she has with you!’

One month goes by and that’s when I ‘hear’ Him. It was not an audible voice. He spoke toimage my heart and He spoke through His Word….

He wakes me up at 2am on February 12, 2009 and I feel this prompting to get my Bible and journal and go to the guest room of our home. He speaks to my heart:

“Arcelia, you want to know what Anna has that you don’t? I want you to go through the Ten commandments and don’t move on to the next one until you perfected the first”

I didn’t even know where to find the Ten Commandments but looking in the concordance I find it in Exodus 20

“You shall have no other gods before Me…”

I respond.

I don’t have any other gods before you…then His Holy Spirit takes me to Deuteronomy 6:4-9

“Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

I tell God, “I do love You! I do love You with all my heart, soul and might and Anna is ‘diligently’ teaching my children Your word. She knows the Bible better than I do. Besides, this is the Old Testament anyway, what did Jesus say?”

Then I see what Jesus said about the greatest commandment in Matthew 22:37-40 as He quotes the Old Testament:

“ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

My heart drops…I say again, I DO love you God!! Then it was as if He spoke to my heart these words:

“Arcelia, you are passionate about your job, you are passionate about serving in the Church, you were passionate about the military, you were passionate about creative memories….what about Me?”

God through His Holy Spirit began to convict me of all of the idols in my life.

I see for the first time. I did have other gods.

But I wanted to love God with all my heart mind soul and strength but how? How can I ‘perfect’ that? I wept and cried out to God. I cried because I was frustrated, how can I love? What was love? I read 1 Corinthians 13.

I saw my inability to love God the way He was asking me. I saw my sinful state in contrast to His holiness and I wept. That’s when I began to understand the good news:

I can’t perfect anything.  That’s why Jesus died on the cross for our sins, He is the perfect sacrifice. He is the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. It is through Jesus Christ I have access to God the Father.

I was broken, my heart soft, repentant and ready to place my faith in Jesus Christ and receive the gift of salvation.

I sorrowfully cried because I finally understood! I understood I was a sinner, disobedient, unwilling and unable to obey God in my own strength. I asked for forgiveness for my sins and had a change of heart and saw my need for Jesus Christ. There and then I loved Him
as never before.

I didn’t get ‘it’ I got ‘Him’, His Holy Spirit and a new undivided heart devoted to God. Just as it is written in Ezekiel 11:19-20:

“And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.”

It was the beginning of my walk of faith with God.  I told God I am His and I would go anywhere He wanted me to go, do whatever He asked and I would talk to whoever He wanted me to talk to. It was more than just believing in Him, I told Him I would follow Him all the days of my life. I committed my life to Him. 

That was the day I breathed my last and began my life of surrender to God.

A life of a Christian is not perfect nor is it about DOING things for God but BEING in Christ.

A life of a Christian is not about religion but a reconciliation of relationships that begins with God through Jesus Christ and extends to others ( A reconciled Mom and daughter).

A life of a Christian is not without trials and tribulations but there is a blessed assurance and peace that comes from trusting and knowing God.

Eternal life is not about dying and living forever, rather eternal life is meant for NOW.  Jesus said, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”

The more you know Him the more you love Him.

***This is my testimony of how God chose to reveal Himself to me. It was a process, a drawing.

It’s not the same for everyone, and not everyone ‘knows’ the ‘exact date’ of their conversion. God is so personal and knows our hearts. The only thing that is the same for all is: repentance towards God, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

I realize it’s not how you BEGIN that counts…it’s how you end.  I know my salvation is not based on works, but in the finished works of Jesus Christ alone, however I want to run this race of faith well so that I may be found a faithful steward of everything God has given me, beginning with my faith and family.

God is the same, yesterday, today and forever….May God reveal Himself to you today if you do not yet ‘know’ Him. I pray you say, “no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world.” John 4:42

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The family God entrusted me 2009 {three months after my conversion}

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The family God entrusted me (2015)

“Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad.
Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face continually.”  1 Chronicles 16:10-11

 

“This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior Jesus, all the day long…”

 

 

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February 12, 2016

A Christian ‘Mary Poppins’ {A Bitesize Testimony Part 4}

By altarofheaven

IMG_0146Her name is Anna.

Her eyes glowed with excitement behind her glasses and she overflowed with love when she shared with me how Jesus saved her. I didn’t even ask.

Every other sentence that came from her mouth was to share something about Jesus. How Jesus loves the little children. How His eye is upon her and He sees all things, even her innermost heart.

Since she was from Germany I asked if she would teach my kids German, to which she graciously said….

“Uh no, I don’t do that. I will teach your children their ABC’s and numbers but most importantly I will teach your children the Word of God.”

At the time I was indifferent, oblivious of the gift this woman was giving to our family. I told her that was fine with me, and I told her I had just started reading the Bible myself. It wasn’t her familiarity of the Bible that intimidated me, it was the WAY she talked about Jesus. As if she KNEW Him. As if she talked to GOD and as if He talked back! I was curious about her.

She began as our nanny the following week in January 2009.

Anna brought order and structure in our home and held me accountable, she was like a Christian ‘Mary Poppins.’  I’m ashamed to confess in the past I was the first mom to drop off my kids at daycare and I was the last one to pick them up. When Anna started with us, she told me she couldn’t come until 7 a.m. and I needed to be home by 4 p.m. Also, I noticed a change in the behavior of both my children, they were actually OBEYING.  There was a peace and calm in the household that never existed before.

Within the next few weeks I became very insecure about my relationship with God. Anna would come in the morning with her Bible in hand ready to share with me something God showed her. I didn’t understand. I asked her many questions and she showed me many things in the Bible–all of this in less than 20 minutes a day. I would go to work with God’s Word in my head and I would think about it all day. Finally it came to the point where I was jealous.

I was jealous for what she had with God. I asked God,

“What does Anna have that I don’t? I was baptized, made my first holy communion, I went Church, I studied the Bible, I was still listening to Christian music, I stopped drinking as much…why don’t I have what she has?”

It was February 12, 2009 when God answered that question…..

To be continued….

**This week I will be sharing ‘bite size’ portions of my testimony in honor of my 7 year spiritual birthday**

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February 11, 2016

An Eternal Invitation {A Bitesize Testimony Part 3}

By altarofheaven

In 2008 a brave soul walked our neighborhood and put an invitation to a ladies Bible Study on our mailbox. I was indifferent because I thought the invite was for stay at home moms imagein the afternoons. The insecurity I had as a mother coupled with the deep conviction for leaving my children for so many hours of the day made me jealous and look down on stay at home moms. Though I never said it outwardly I didn’t look highly on the calling of a mother.

When my husband told me the invitation included the evening, I decided to go. That night we were supposed to introduce ourselves. When it was my turn I unexpectedly wept in front of these strangers, sharing all my insecurities and burdens.

I did the ugly cry.

They did not judge, they did not say they understood. They just came alongside me and prayed for me. No one had ever prayed for me like that before. I wept more. I didn’t know what was going on with me. These stay at home moms loved me the coming weeks as we studied Philippians together.

During this time my husband were competing against each other on who could read the most books in one year. When I found out the Bible had 66 books I decided I would read the Bible. My husband did not want to lose, so he started to read the Bible too.

IMG_4281The ladies kept inviting us to Church. When they had their Harvest festival we went dressed as the Flintstones. Everyone was so loving, we decided to attend their services. Within a couple of weeks we joined a small group and started studying the book of Hebrews. Our small group was full of stay at home moms that homeschooled. I was curious and intimidated by them.

At the time we were studying about the sacrificial system of the Israelites. How every year at the day of atonement the High Priest would sacrifice an unblemished lamb to atone for the sins of the people. The High Priest was the only one that could go into the place of the Holy of Holies. I was 32 years old and I still didn’t know about any of this—at least I never remember learning about it. They told us how Jesus Christ was our High Priest and how He was the final sacrifice to atone for the sins of the world. I didn’t understand.

Also during that season we were under great stress because we needed to find another daycare for our children. Our son was in seven different daycares under the age of 4!!! Part of this was his erratic behavior to bite and fight others because we never disciplined him. The other part was because I fought with the Directors because no one could do a ‘perfect’ job. I was at a loss of what to do. I asked our small group to pray for us and one of the ladies told me about a woman in the Church that was looking to Nanny for a family. I was uncomfortable about the thought of someone being alone in our home with our precious children but I ended up calling her for an interview….

To be continued….

**This week I will be sharing ‘bite size’ portions of my testimony in honor of my 7 year spiritual birthday which is this week!!**

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February 10, 2016

Building Facades & Chasing Mirages {Bitesize Testimony Part 2}

By altarofheaven

IMG_47612007 started to look like a prosperous and promising year. I licked my wounds of the sudden loss of my Air Force Career and pulled myself up from the bootstraps and tried to move on in my own strength.

One day my husband and I drove into a beautiful neighborhood. The houses were huge and expensive and the people looked happy. I decided that moment, buying a house in that neighborhood would make me happy. My husband was eager to please me and he agreed to buy it and we signed our lives into massive debt.

To us, we didn’t care because we were making a combined income of $243K year as young thirty year olds, with promises of more money. We bought anything we wanted, went on vacations to Hawaii, dinner in Florida.  We were building facades pretending everything was OK when inside we were miserable.  We were chasing mirages thinking we would find meaning in wealth and stuff. We were building our own kingdom.

We welcomed our third child Annaleigh in the summer and life looked great. That was until my husband began to share with me this feeling of emptiness, and discontentment with an overwhelmed heart. I kind of understood what he felt because I too felt empty. We had everything we wanted and yet something was missing. This discontentment and depression put a strain on our relationship.

Again, I went to God. I was angry with God. Why do we have this ‘problem’ when we were listening to Christian music and going to Church!! Why can’t we feel fulfilled?

Instead of waiting on God we went to Barnes and Noble to search the ‘Mental Health’ and ‘Self Help’ aisle to find the answers we were searching for. I was determined we ‘would get through this…’ After all, I majored in Psychology. We also sought help from the ‘professionals’ and went to a few sessions before we became desperate to go to a friend’s Pastor who listened to us, prayed for us and shared God’s Word with us. At the time I was frustrated and thought it was a waste of our time.

I didn’t understand the POWER of God’s Word.

To be continued….

**This week I will be sharing ‘bite size’ portions of my testimony in honor of my 7 year spiritual birthday which is this week!!!!!!***

Part 3

 

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February 9, 2016

Downsized. {A Bite Size Testimony}

By altarofheaven

Things you might have not known about our family…
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In 2006 I was pregnant with our second child and promoted to a Captain in the Air Force.

We were building our ‘dream home’ in North Carolina because I was assigned to a three year controlled tour to teach Air Force ROTC at Duke University. Everything seemed ‘perfect’ and was going ‘our way’ until…

In a span of a few weeks we experienced great losses in our family.  I was unexpectedly told I had to get out of the Air Force because they were downsizing.

This was a huge blow for me because I had planned to make the Air Force my lifetime career.  I was prior enlisted and the Air Force had paid for my education at The George Washington University to become an Officer, and now they were telling me I had to leave.

Not only did I lose my career, but we also lost the home and assignment in N. Carolina. The final loss was the hardest, I miscarried our much awaited baby.

During this season of my life I believed there was a God. In fact I ran to Him when all of this happened, but I still did not worship Him.

I was more interested in what God could do for me than to know Him.

The Air Force was my identity and when I got out of the Air Force I was lost. The Air Force was my god and direction. I started to fall into depression, eagerly looking for things and stuff to fill the void in my heart.
To be continued….

**This week I will be sharing ‘bite size’ portions of my testimony in honor of my 7 year spiritual birthday which is this week!!!**

*Part 2

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January 23, 2016

Groaning Grief

By altarofheaven

image

How do you react when you find out someone is going through a major trial like cancer?

There was a time when I would flippantly share Scripture like Romans 8:28. Though God’s Word is true, there’s also timing of our words as we are told in Ephesians 4:29:

“Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.”

Today I tend to react like Job’s friends first did:

“So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great.” Job 2:13

My husband’s step-sister Gina has cancer.

I have no words to speak to her, but I just weep and pray. Being sad and weeping is not a lack of faith, it’s just deep sorrow.

Jesus understands. When her brother died Mary said to Jesus,

“Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.” (John 11:32-33)

When Jesus saw where they laid Lazarus, He wept.

The other reaction I have to guard against is not doing anything at all for fear of offending. Do you ever struggle with that?

Right now we live in California and she lives in North Carolina, so the most practical things we can do is pray, donate what we can, and share this with you…

As you read her story you will see she is loved and knows it. You will see her faith in God is firm. But you will also see a mama’s aching heart for her sons and for her family.

Will you take a moment to read her story and prayerfully consider making a donation for this beautiful young mother of three children?

‘Help Gina Battle Colon Cancer’ https://dm2.gofund.me/pm398s8k

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January 3, 2016

{in}perfection

By altarofheaven

image

His shoulders slump and his head is down in defeat as he shares with me a repeated sin he committed. He looks frustrated, weary and condemned. I too am frustrated ready to pile on condemning words, until I felt a tinge of compassion fill my heart. I was reminded of the confessing cleansing conversation I had with a friend about my sins just minutes before.

By God’s grace, I knew it was most important to share with my son the spiritual heart of the matter, to tell him the truth about the Truth-Jesus Christ.

To be transparent and share my genuine compassion for his sin struggle because I struggle too. It was a holy opportunity to share the Gospel. To share the gift of forgiveness and mercy that comes through repentance towards God and faith in the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ. To share the freedom that comes by power of the resurrected Christ. To walk him to God’s throne of grace.
It was a chance to remind us we’re not perfect and we need a Savior. Any righteousness we have comes from Jesus Christ in us. We are to practice righteousness, press on to maturity, but only God will perfect us until the day of Christ Jesus.
I write this stone of memorial to remind myself, we must practice patience–with ourselves…and one another.

***

When I was a new Christian I was naive to think I would no longer make a mistake. I read  that I was a “new creation” and given a “new heart,”and though I “knew” I was not perfect, I made an expectation for myself that I should be perfect or I was a hypocrite.

This led me to great frustration and even condemnation because I couldn’t understand the continual struggle against sin I was dealing with, let alone the number of times I failed. What I see now is any holiness I have is CHRIST IN me. I have seen my flesh and it’s ugliness to the point I’ve doubted my own salvation! The redeeming part is that my flesh and sin remind me of my need for a Savior. This gives me compassion for those that struggle, beginning in my own family.

A fruitful life comes by a daily walk of abiding in the one who is perfection: Christ.

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Glorify God. Magnify Christ. Edify the brethen.

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November 12, 2015

Eternal Mission

By altarofheaven

One of the main reasons I joined the military was to be part of imagesomething bigger than myself. In June 1996 I saw the news report of the Khobar Tower bombing in Saudi Arabia where 19 servicemen were killed, and it evoked a restlessness in me to make a positive impact on this evil world. As an ambitious 20 year old I was afraid I would miss my calling in life and was mobilized to join the fight of defending our freedom.

Five months later I stepped off a bus the dawn before Thanksgiving enduring humiliation and lots of yelling, and I began to understand just a small amount of what it means to sacrifice. God used the military in so many ways to reveal how He had uniquely designed and equipped me. I LOVED being in the military…the structure, the camaraderie, the sense of purpose of being part of a mission that mattered.

I see now WHY I felt that restlessness of wanting to make an impact on this world…

I was made to be a soldier–a soldier of Christ. There is a real spiritual war going on and many casualties are dying without knowing they have access to God through Jesus Christ!

All those years in the military I knew about God but I didn’t have a saving relationship with Him as I do now. Today I KNOW God and I KNOW my purpose: to Know Him and Make Him Known by bringing glory to His name.

I am so thankful for all of the Christians I met in the military that were lights shining, ambassadors for Christ, serving alongside me, asking me to be reconciled to God through Christ. You know who you are. You not only served our Country, but were on a spiritual mission which made an eternal impact.

I am still a soldier. My allegiance is to the only One who holds all things together, the only One who sustains freedom—His name is Jesus Christ.

The last orders He gave His disciples were:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

And so I go forth and obey Him knowing it is God who is at work in imageme, “to will and act in order to fulfill HIS GOOD PURPOSE.”

By His strength and Word I begin in my own home, neighborhood, and City remembering how a soldier is supposed to behave:

“Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.” 2 Timothy 2:3-4

Will you join me in this ETERNAL MISSION?

*Thank you my fellow Veterans of the U.S. Military you are LOVED.

God HAS blessed America–He has forgiven the world of our sins because of the sacrifice of JESUS CHRIST.

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