BEN CARSON: WHY I INTEND TO STAY IN THE GOP PRESIDENTIAL RACE

By Ben Carson, M.D.

It seems like the only thing that’s guaranteed in this year’s election is the litany of punditry after every primary. This undiscussed industry has helped make politics more blood sport than democratic exercise.

It seems to get nastier at every turn, as campaign flacks dressed up as journalists line up to savage candidates whose campaigns they see as a threat to their preferred politician. Some have even gone so far as to question my faith, integrity or party loyalty because I won’t kowtow to their demands to step away from the primary process.

Is this what has become of politics in the world’s greatest democracy?

Whether establishment or outsider, conservative or moderate, a cottage industry has arisen around gaming and controlling the primary process. And that business is booming.


Unfortunately, these pundits have gotten too lost in the gladiatorial spectacle to see what truly matters: the will of “We the People” of America.

With every call to drop out, pundits and political operatives salivate over polling percentages -- as though the people they represent were commodities to be bought and bartered in the backrooms of D.C.’s exclusive political clubs. This mentality is driving voters away from the political system they have so long supported.

The commoditization of the electorate is precisely what drove me into this race. Hundreds of thousands of supporters drafted me to run, and hundreds of thousands more continue to push me onward. They do not belong to my campaign. On the contrary, my campaign is beholden to them. However, the gears that turn the political machine no longer recognize “We the People.” Instead they see a mass of voters to be prodded, lured or strong-armed into their camp.

Sadly, this juxtaposition of power isn’t just a product of election season, it’s the very nature of what our government has become, and what I intend to change. Career politicians are serving their special interests over the people who elected them, returning home often only to beg for money or votes.

I trust that the American people will soon wake-up and realize that leadership is not about how one speaks, but rather the life one leads.

My candidacy is about restoring the principles of self-government by running as a true citizen-statesman who is accountable to all and beholden to none.

A ballot cast for me is a vote for uniquely qualified and principled leadership; an innovative problem solver with sound judgment and solid plans for solving the myriad problems faced by American families and society; and a role model for future generations for whom the American dream needs to be restored.

I have run a campaign built around faith, integrity and common sense, because I believe that how we run this race is indicative of how we would run the country.

Despite what you may read in the media, millions of people have already stood up in agreement. This campaign has gained momentum, and I continue to be honored and humbled by the many people who put their faith in me.

On the day before the Super Tuesday contests -- so far only four states have had their say in this election and just five percent of delegates have been assigned -- I offer the people a different choice from the other candidates, one they deserve to be able to make for themselves, as they support the principles in which they really believe.

That is why I won’t listen as the pundits and politicians decree from on high. I refuse to play by Washington’s political rule book, or subjugate myself to the whims of the political class.

At times this decision has put me at a disadvantage, subjecting my supporters to underhanded tricks from other campaigns. No doubt my refusal to play the typical Washington games feeds into why so many D.C. pundits think I should leave the race.

Fortunately, it is not up to any pundit or political operative to pick our president. No matter how much they think they could do a better job than the American people, we know better, and they deserve better.

Our nation is best served when the people have free choice. If a reporter wants to change a person’s vote, they should give him or her a compelling reason, not take away their options.

It is a fundamentally undemocratic response to insinuate that people should be stripped of their choice “for the good of the party.” That’s why I’ve vowed to continue our campaign as long as we have revenue and support, until the people have decided.

It’s not vanity that drew me into this race. Like so many people across the country, my interest in this election comes from a deep concern over the future of our country.

It isn’t just the obvious problems that affect us all, such as education, our weak economy, our ballooning federal debt and our national security, including the expanding threat of ISIS. We must also be careful guardians of our liberty, fighting the influences of special interests and an entrenched political elite that believe they can decide elections for us.

The “Great Experiment” of American democracy has proven successful since our founding. Only “We the People” can ensure it continues to be so.

Many are starting to take a stand, refusing to allow the pundits and political class to continue to manipulate them, seeking instead to preserve life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all.

Ben Carson, M.D. is Professor Emeritus of Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins University and and a 2016 GOP presidential candidate. His policy plans are available at www.bencarson.com.


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Kathryn Kuhlman: The Radio Chapel Years
By Shane Philpott
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OHIO SCHOOL DISTRICTS SUSPEND STUDENT BIBLE CLUBS DUE TO ATHEIST GROUP COMPLAINT

BY MICHAEL GRYBOSKI

Bible study clubs at two schools in Ohio have been suspended following a complaint made by a Wisconsin-based atheist group.
The Columbus Dispatch reported Monday that two schools in Fairfield County have temporarily suspended their Bible clubs in response to a complaint letter sent by the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
"[FFRF] sent letters to four school districts regarding Bible studies held in eight high schools, junior high schools and middle schools before class or on lunch breaks," reported the Dispatch.




"Such groups violate protections of separation of church and state if they are led or regularly attended by local pastors, said Ryan Jayne, a legal fellow at the Wisconsin-based foundation."
Of special concern was the purported involvement of Faith Memorial Church of Lancaster, whose website temporarily listed the Bible clubs as places where their pastors speak.
Youth Pastor Aaron Green of Faith Memorial Church told The Christian Post that the pastors and the school administrators "have always had an extraordinarily great working relationship, one that has helped these groups to thrive and to be encouraged in a special way during the school day."
"I am not aware of any school administrator that is not supportive of these groups as well. However, most school districts have asked that youth leaders and volunteers to attend less often and only speak at the specific request of the students," said Green.
"Both youth leaders and schools are aware of the sensitive nature under which these things operate and need to be extra vigilant about rules governing separation of church and state."
Earlier this month the FFRF sent letters of complaint to officials at Lancaster City Schools, Bloom-Carroll Local School District, Fairfield Union Local Schools and Liberty Union-Thurston Local Schools.
In the letter sent to Lancaster City, FFRF called for an investigation into whether or not the Bible studies were being led by students rather than pastors.
"Public school districts must ensure that student religious groups are genuinely student-initiated and student-run, and that outside adults do not regularly participate in the clubs," read the letter.
"It is illegal for public schools to allow adults to lead religious instruction on school property during the school day. The Supreme Court ruled that a program that permitted religious instruction on school grounds violated the Establishment Clause."
The letter went on to state that if "FMC representatives have indeed been leading student Bible studies, those clubs are not bona fide student-initiated religious clubs and should be dissolved. ... Students would be free to re-establish the clubs, on their own initiative, in the future."

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/ohio-school-districts-suspend-student-bible-clubs-amid-atheists-complaints-158593/#kF3uac7jU0g2fuBh.99

Bible study clubs at two schools in Ohio have been suspended following a complaint made by a Wisconsin-based atheist group.
The Columbus Dispatch reported Monday that two schools in Fairfield County have temporarily suspended their Bible clubs in response to a complaint letter sent by the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
"[FFRF] sent letters to four school districts regarding Bible studies held in eight high schools, junior high schools and middle schools before class or on lunch breaks," reported the Dispatch.




"Such groups violate protections of separation of church and state if they are led or regularly attended by local pastors, said Ryan Jayne, a legal fellow at the Wisconsin-based foundation."
Of special concern was the purported involvement of Faith Memorial Church of Lancaster, whose website temporarily listed the Bible clubs as places where their pastors speak.
Youth Pastor Aaron Green of Faith Memorial Church told The Christian Post that the pastors and the school administrators "have always had an extraordinarily great working relationship, one that has helped these groups to thrive and to be encouraged in a special way during the school day."
"I am not aware of any school administrator that is not supportive of these groups as well. However, most school districts have asked that youth leaders and volunteers to attend less often and only speak at the specific request of the students," said Green.
"Both youth leaders and schools are aware of the sensitive nature under which these things operate and need to be extra vigilant about rules governing separation of church and state."
Earlier this month the FFRF sent letters of complaint to officials at Lancaster City Schools, Bloom-Carroll Local School District, Fairfield Union Local Schools and Liberty Union-Thurston Local Schools.
In the letter sent to Lancaster City, FFRF called for an investigation into whether or not the Bible studies were being led by students rather than pastors.
"Public school districts must ensure that student religious groups are genuinely student-initiated and student-run, and that outside adults do not regularly participate in the clubs," read the letter.
"It is illegal for public schools to allow adults to lead religious instruction on school property during the school day. The Supreme Court ruled that a program that permitted religious instruction on school grounds violated the Establishment Clause."
The letter went on to state that if "FMC representatives have indeed been leading student Bible studies, those clubs are not bona fide student-initiated religious clubs and should be dissolved. ... Students would be free to re-establish the clubs, on their own initiative, in the future."

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/ohio-school-districts-suspend-student-bible-clubs-amid-atheists-complaints-158593/#kF3uac7jU0g2fuBh.99
Bible study clubs at two schools in Ohio have been suspended following a complaint made by a Wisconsin-based atheist group.
The Columbus Dispatch reported Monday that two schools in Fairfield County have temporarily suspended their Bible clubs in response to a complaint letter sent by the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
"[FFRF] sent letters to four school districts regarding Bible studies held in eight high schools, junior high schools and middle schools before class or on lunch breaks," reported the Dispatch.




"Such groups violate protections of separation of church and state if they are led or regularly attended by local pastors, said Ryan Jayne, a legal fellow at the Wisconsin-based foundation."
Of special concern was the purported involvement of Faith Memorial Church of Lancaster, whose website temporarily listed the Bible clubs as places where their pastors speak.
Youth Pastor Aaron Green of Faith Memorial Church told The Christian Post that the pastors and the school administrators "have always had an extraordinarily great working relationship, one that has helped these groups to thrive and to be encouraged in a special way during the school day."
"I am not aware of any school administrator that is not supportive of these groups as well. However, most school districts have asked that youth leaders and volunteers to attend less often and only speak at the specific request of the students," said Green.
"Both youth leaders and schools are aware of the sensitive nature under which these things operate and need to be extra vigilant about rules governing separation of church and state."
Earlier this month the FFRF sent letters of complaint to officials at Lancaster City Schools, Bloom-Carroll Local School District, Fairfield Union Local Schools and Liberty Union-Thurston Local Schools.
In the letter sent to Lancaster City, FFRF called for an investigation into whether or not the Bible studies were being led by students rather than pastors.
"Public school districts must ensure that student religious groups are genuinely student-initiated and student-run, and that outside adults do not regularly participate in the clubs," read the letter.
"It is illegal for public schools to allow adults to lead religious instruction on school property during the school day. The Supreme Court ruled that a program that permitted religious instruction on school grounds violated the Establishment Clause."
The letter went on to state that if "FMC representatives have indeed been leading student Bible studies, those clubs are not bona fide student-initiated religious clubs and should be dissolved. ... Students would be free to re-establish the clubs, on their own initiative, in the future."

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/ohio-school-districts-suspend-student-bible-clubs-amid-atheists-complaints-158593/#S8kokAw9b1ssPLWo.99
Bible study clubs at two schools in Ohio have been suspended following a complaint made by a Wisconsin-based atheist group.

The Columbus Dispatch reported Monday that two schools in Fairfield County have temporarily suspended their Bible clubs in response to a complaint letter sent by the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

"FFRF sent letters to four school districts regarding Bible studies held in eight high schools, junior high schools and middle schools before class or on lunch breaks." reported the dispatch.

"Such groups violate protections of separation of church and state if they are led or regularly attended by local pastors,"  said Ryan Jayne, a legal fellow at the Wisconsin-based foundation.

Of special concern was the purported involvement of Faith Memorial Church of Lancaster whose website temporarily listed the Bible clubs as places where their pastors speak.

Youth Pastor Aaron Green of Faith Memorial Church told The Christian Post that the pastors and the school administrators "have always had an extraordinarily great working relationship, one that has helped these groups to thrive and to be encouraged in a special way during the school day."

"I am not aware of any school administrator that is not supportive of these groups as well.  However, most school districts have asked that youth leaders and volunteers to attend less often and only speak at the specific request of the students." said Green.

"Both youth leaders and schools are aware of the sensitive nature under which these things operate and need to be extra vigilant about rules governing separation of church and state."

Earlier this month the FFRF sent letters of complaint to officials at Lancaster City Schools.  Bloom-Carroll Local School District, Fairfield Union Local Schools and Liberty Union Thurston Local Schools.

In the letter sent to Lancaster City, FFRF called for an investigation into whether or not the Bible studies were being led by students ranter than pastors.

"Public school districts must endure that student religious groups are genuinely student initiated and student-run, and that outside adults do not regularly participate in the clubs.

"It is illegal for public schools to allow adults to lead religious instruction on school property during the school day.  The Supreme Court ruled that a program that permitted religious instruction on school grounds violated the Establishment Clause."

The letter went on to state that if "FMC representatives have indeed been leading student Bible studies, those clubs are not bona fide student-initiated religious clubs and should be dissolved....Students would be free tore-establish the clubs, on their own initiative, in the future."

Bible study clubs at two schools in Ohio have been suspended following a complaint made by a Wisconsin-based atheist group.
The Columbus Dispatch reported Monday that two schools in Fairfield County have temporarily suspended their Bible clubs in response to a complaint letter sent by the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
"[FFRF] sent letters to four school districts regarding Bible studies held in eight high schools, junior high schools and middle schools before class or on lunch breaks," reported the Dispatch.




"Such groups violate protections of separation of church and state if they are led or regularly attended by local pastors, said Ryan Jayne, a legal fellow at the Wisconsin-based foundation."
Of special concern was the purported involvement of Faith Memorial Church of Lancaster, whose website temporarily listed the Bible clubs as places where their pastors speak.
Youth Pastor Aaron Green of Faith Memorial Church told The Christian Post that the pastors and the school administrators "have always had an extraordinarily great working relationship, one that has helped these groups to thrive and to be encouraged in a special way during the school day."
"I am not aware of any school administrator that is not supportive of these groups as well. However, most school districts have asked that youth leaders and volunteers to attend less often and only speak at the specific request of the students," said Green.
"Both youth leaders and schools are aware of the sensitive nature under which these things operate and need to be extra vigilant about rules governing separation of church and state."
Earlier this month the FFRF sent letters of complaint to officials at Lancaster City Schools, Bloom-Carroll Local School District, Fairfield Union Local Schools and Liberty Union-Thurston Local Schools.
In the letter sent to Lancaster City, FFRF called for an investigation into whether or not the Bible studies were being led by students rather than pastors.
"Public school districts must ensure that student religious groups are genuinely student-initiated and student-run, and that outside adults do not regularly participate in the clubs," read the letter.
"It is illegal for public schools to allow adults to lead religious instruction on school property during the school day. The Supreme Court ruled that a program that permitted religious instruction on school grounds violated the Establishment Clause."
The letter went on to state that if "FMC representatives have indeed been leading student Bible studies, those clubs are not bona fide student-initiated religious clubs and should be dissolved. ... Students would be free to re-establish the clubs, on their own initiative, in the future."

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/ohio-school-districts-suspend-student-bible-clubs-amid-atheists-complaints-158593/#acbr6BZA5ptEwuoc.9
Bible study clubs at two schools in Ohio have been suspended following a complaint made by a Wisconsin-based atheist group.
The Columbus Dispatch reported Monday that two schools in Fairfield County have temporarily suspended their Bible clubs in response to a complaint letter sent by the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
"[FFRF] sent letters to four school districts regarding Bible studies held in eight high schools, junior high schools and middle schools before class or on lunch breaks," reported the Dispatch.

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/ohio-school-districts-suspend-student-bible-clubs-amid-atheists-complaints-158593/#kF3uac7jU0g2fuBh

THANK YOU


Kathryn Kuhlman: The Radio Chapel Years
By Shane Philpott
Price: $10.38

OKLAHOMA DEMOCRAT STATE REP EMILY VIRGIN TARGETING CHRISTIAN BUSINESSES

By Onan Coca 

Democrats legislators in Oklahoma are tired of all this religious liberty talk, and they’re ready to fight against the 1st Amendment.

Democrat state Rep. Emily Virgin believes that Christian businesses should be forced to post a public notice that they will be discriminating against homosexuals, if those businesses are to be allowed to claim the right to refuse service based on religious beliefs.

That’s right, if you’re a Christian businessman in Oklahoma and you don’t believe that you should be forced to participate in a gay wedding, Democrats want to force your business to post a public scarlet letter detailing your “bigoted” beliefs!

Here’s what Oklahoma’s HB 1371 says:

“Any person not wanting to participate in any of the activities set forth in subsection A of this section based on sexual orientation, gender identity or race of either party to the marriage shall post notice of such refusal in a manner clearly visible to the public in all places of business, including websites. The notice may refer to the person’s religious beliefs, but shall state specifically which couples the business does not serve by referring to a refusal based upon sexual orientation, gender identity or race.”

Virgin introduced the measure in response to a bill that Oklahoma Republicans have pushed that would allow Christian owned businesses, to deny services that ran contrary to their religious beliefs. Oklahoma state senator Joseph Silk argues that laws protecting religious liberty have become necessary due in large part to the tremendous pressure being applied by fascist LGBT groups who are actively destroying the 1stAmendment. “The L.G.B.T. movement is the main thing, the primary thing that’s going to be challenging religious liberties and the freedom to live out religious convictions,” Silk told the New York Times.

Folks, this is a big deal.

The right to practice your faith as you see fit (as long as you aren’t infringing on the rights of others) is the cornerstone of our nation’s stability and health. Along with that, the right to choose who we do business with and when we do business is the very foundation of free market capitalism. The moment we allow the government (or some fascist group of rabid socialists) to force us to act against our religious beliefs, or force us to work as indentured servants at the beck and call of others… that is the moment that we have LOST our nation.

Rep. Virgin tries to provide cover for her bigoted, anti-Christian bill by adding in that it protects against racism as well, but does anyone really believe that this is still a problem in Oklahoma? It’s not. If there were businesses openly discriminating against people due to racism… they’d go out of business and that is how these things should be handled, not by government coercion but by local consumers refusing to spend their dollars.

The point is this: it’s not the government’s job to create equality. It’s the government’s job to protect liberty and when the government stops doing this, as in the case with Oklahoma’s Democrats, it is the duty of the citizens to overthrow that government. Think I’m being extreme? Then you should read what Thomas Jefferson had to say on the subject.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with inherent and inalienable rights; that among these, are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness." --Declaration of Independence as originally written by Thomas Jefferson, 1776.


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Kathryn Kuhlman: The Radio Chapel Years
By Shane Philpott
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WHAT CHRISTIAN YOUTH HAVE DISCOVERED: A SIGN OF HOW OBEDIENT THE NEXT GENERATION WANTS TO BE FOR CHRIST

By Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

“I get really comfortable with my life sometimes and I need events like this to shake things up.”

Five circles of metal fold-out chairs decorated a church lawn Wednesday as college students from around Oahu gathered to pray for the Decision America Tour. Nineteen-year-old Kealoha Braceros sat in one of them.

“I’m not very proactive,” the Leeward Community College student said about his involvement in politics, “but I want to be.”

Braceros, along with about 100 others, were part of a youth rally just down the street from Franklin Graham’s seventh Decision America stop at the Hawaii State Capitol in Honolulu.
View Photo Gallery

“I hope it sparks a desire for change in young people,” Braceros said moments before Franklin Graham took the stage. “We’re too passive. … We’re starting to stray away from God’s intended plan for us.”

About an hour before the prayer rally began, people started filling the Capitol lawn, seeking shade under enormous banyan trees, colorful umbrellas and wide-brimmed hats. To the left, brown and green mountains rose above the palm trees. Above, a baby blue sky with puffy white clouds. And around the Capitol itself, a crystal clear pool of water.

About 2,100 people gathered Wednesday for 
Franklin Graham’s seventh stop on the 
Decision America Tour
But the most beautiful sight, some attendees said, was the people themselves—believers from around the island, and other islands, gathered in one place to pray for their country.“Jesus Christ is here at the Capitol of Hawaii,” Franklin Graham said from the podium Wednesday.

“[Prayer] is why we’re not completely in the gutter,” 32-year-old Michael Lanza said. “That’s why God hasn’t turned His back on us yet.”

Lanza is working toward his degree in diplomacy and military studies from Hawaii Pacific University, and wants to get involved in politics. Prayer, he said, is a vital part of making wise political decisions. His prayer for America is that people will seek God again.

“It’s not going to be an overnight thing. It’s a generational thing,” he said, but “I think the stronger we are as a Christian people, the stronger we are as a nation.”

Nearby stood 28-year-old Bryce O’Reilly who serves as community impact coordinator for YWAM (Youth With a Mission) in Oahu. He’s originally from Vancouver, Canada, but considers Hawaii home.

“It’s a pivotal time for our nation and culture,” O’Reilly said. As Christians come together, especially on such a large scale, he said, “I just really believe that’s going to have a profound impact on America.”

And, in turn, on other nations influenced by our country, he said.

Later, as people joined hands at the Decision America prayer rally, they prayed for America, but also repented of their own sins.

“We’ve turned our back on you. Forgive us, Father,” Franklin Graham prayed.

Leiana Robinson stood in the crowd. She said her father attended the Billy Graham Crusade in Kauai in 1965 and still remembers it. Wednesday was a day for her to remember as she traveled from Ni’ihau, a couple islands over, to attend the rally and hear Franklin Graham speak.

“For him to come this far, it’s really encouraging,” she said. “America is in trouble. We need this.”

Franklin Graham also spent time encouraging people to live out their faith at the polls and vote for candidates who uphold biblical values.

“There’s a lot of talk about the national election,” Franklin Graham said, but added that local ones are just as important, if not more so.Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. of Kauai flew into Honolulu to be part of the tour.

Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. flew in from Kauai after helping organize a Decision America meeting months ago. Carvalho began a personal relationship with Christ in October through BGEA’s evangelistic website, PeaceWithGod.net, and has been growing in his faith ever since.

As mayor, he said, he’s on the front lines in the political sphere.

Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. of Kauai
“I believe that we continue to lead and inspire with spiritual guidance,” he said, speaking to the importance of prayer. “I think the message from Franklin Graham really gave us the hope that we need [for America]. … I think this will continue on and move people’s hearts.”

This year may be especially significant.

“I think more than any year, the outcome of this year’s election will determine the future of this country,” 27-year-old Kimiyo Brown said.

Brown attends the University of Hawaii where she works with Campus Crusade for Christ. A lot of college students don’t vote, she said, but she’s out to change that: “I want to encourage them that they can make a difference. Their vote does matter.”

It’s not just the youth who have been stirred to action, either.

Joey and Pua Vaovasa spread the word about the tour prior to the event and said their church, Joyful Community Church in Waimanalo, has taken steps to get more people engaged in prayer and politics.

Last year, the church helped register people to vote. This year, they started praying more for America.

Fellow church member John McCoy was inspired by Wednesday’s prayer rally turnout.

“If you didn’t know that Jesus is alive …” he said, trailing off as he looked around at the crowd.

“I didn’t know this many people in Hawaii believed in Jesus,” said Joey, a relatively new Christian.

“Jesus Christ is here at the Capitol of Hawaii,” 
Franklin Graham said from the podium Wednesday.
Before Franklin Graham left the stage, he encouraged people to start community prayer groups. Leeward Community Church of Pearl City wasted no time. Within minutes of the rally’s end, a large circle of church members formed under a tree, bowing their heads as one after another prayed fervently for America to be one nation under God again.

“We can’t let people do it for us,” Luana Rittmeister prayed. “Show us what we need to do to honor You.”

Before the rally, Braceros defined Decision America as coming together to affect change, a goal that doesn’t fade away once the tour moves onto the next city.

“Our bond as a group should grow stronger than ever,” he said. Then added, “It starts with me.”



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All for Jesus
By Franklin Graham
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