Meditation Chip Brogden

October 26

Today's Message from Chip Brogden
"Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for Whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ" (Philippians 3:8).

If you claim to be a Christian but you do not perceive yourself becoming more and more centered on Christ then I wonder if you are really even saved at all - because you have missed the whole point of Christianity. For the Christian, Christ is increasing, Christ is becoming larger and larger, Christ is becoming the focus. It is quite simple to see who is, and who is not, living up to this standard.

The more spiritually mature a person is the more Christ-centered they cannot help but become. This is the unavoidable and inevitable consequence of becoming a Christian, a disciple of Jesus. This is how the Holy Spirit leads each and every true believer, and there are no exceptions to the rule. It is as predictable and certain as the sunrise following after the darkness of night. If the Son of God is not rising higher and higher and shining brighter and brighter in your heart then stop fooling yourself: you are still in the dark.

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October 25

Today's Message from Chip Brogden
"Now as [Paul] reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, 'Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you'" (Acts 24:25, NLT).

When the time is short we must make the most of every opportunity and waste nothing. Ordinarily if we speak the Word to someone and they send us away the best advice is to leave. Unfortunately, Paul was in prison and could not get away. Felix sent for him often but nothing ever changed. In this manner Paul witnessed to Felix for two years without any result whatsoever. Clearly this was a ruse of the enemy designed to frustrate the gifted apostle and sap his strength.

Paul the prisoner had no choice but to come when Felix called for him; we who are free ought to be careful lest we find ourselves spending all our time talking to a Felix when there is a Cornelius praying to hear us speak the very words that Felix takes for granted.

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October 24

Today's Message from Chip Brogden
"And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd" (John 10:16).

If God intends on having One Flock under One Shepherd then we know that nothing belongs to any individual. Frequently we hear men speak of "my people", "my flock", or "my church", as though they possessed something. Let us see instead that the undershepherd owns nothing, but is a steward over God's possession. The Scripture plainly says that we are the sheep of His pasture. Everything belongs to the Father, Who has committed all things into the care of His Son, the Good Shepherd. No undershepherd can claim anything or anyone as belonging to him personally. If we only realized this we would immediately begin treating the Lord's sheep with greater respect and humility. How can a man lord over something that doesn't belong to him? How can he abuse and mistreat what is not his?

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October 23

Today's Message from Chip Brogden
"Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them" (Acts 10:20, NKJV).

It was God Who told Cornelius to send for Peter. It was God Who told Peter to go to Cornelius. When God brought these two together, Peter had hardly begun to speak when the Spirit fell on those who were listening. It should be seen that the success of the mission to Cornelius? house had less to do with Peter?s ability to speak and more to do with the audience?s ability to hear. When we speak only to whom we are sent then we will see dramatic results.

Trying to speak to everyone in general and no one in particular is a colossal waste of time and demonstrates poor stewardship. We ought not to give ten coins to someone who can only handle five, and we ought not to give five coins to someone who cannot handle even one. It is clear that much time is wasted trying to convince, persuade, plead, argue, teach, and help people to whom God has not sent us. If we will wait for the Spirit of God we will save ourselves a lot of time, effort and energy. A worker who indiscriminately throws precious seed on rocky ground and gives pearls to pigs is not being a wise, faithful, and profitable servant.

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October 22

Today's Message from Chip Brogden
"So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed" (Acts 13:4a).

In the New Testament we do not find a pattern for how the church should evangelize the world, nor do we discover a plan for reaching the lost, or a method for planting churches. Those who focus all their attention on patterns, plans, and methods fail to realize that patterns, plans, and methods are all subject to change and depend upon time, culture, nationality, people, economy, gifts, personalities, and a myriad of other variables. There is a maxim that says, "Methods are many, but principles are few; methods will change, but principles never do."

So the key is not trying to imitate a New Testament pattern from two millenniums past, but practicing a New Testament principle that never changes. What is the principle? Simply this: they were completely governed by the Spirit; and since we, too, have the same Spirit, we likewise may be led of Him. Undoubtedly the Spirit may lead us to do some similar things, but our commonality is not in what is being done, but rather, Who is doing it. Either we are going to come up with a plan and do it ourselves or we are going to let the Spirit do it through us as He sees fit.

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October 21

Today's Message from Chip Brogden
"Jesus replied, 'You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don't understand these things?'" (John 3:10).

When you read the Gospels two things become quite clear. First, Jesus is undeniably, unquestionably GOD IN THE FLESH, Wholly Other. Second, the more religious you are, the less likely it is that you will see, recognize, and appreciate Him for Who He really is.

Sinners, on the other hand, had little trouble recognizing Him. The Samaritan woman may have been a despised outsider to the Jew's system of religion but it only took her a few minutes to realize that she had found the Messiah. The Roman centurion, an unworthy Gentile, nevertheless knew where to go when his servant was sick, and Jesus said this man's faith was greater than anyone in Israel. The Syrophoenician woman had enough faith to ask Jesus for only a few crumbs from the table, and even though she was not technically not a Jew, Jesus gave her everything she asked for. Yes, Jesus was indeed a friend of sinners, publicans, tax collectors, and women caught in adultery.

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October 20

Today's Message from Chip Brogden
"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ" (Colossians 2:8).

How can we be spoiled? According to Paul we are spoiled "through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments (elements) of the world, and not after Christ." It matters not if the philosophy is good, right, morally excellent, and praiseworthy. It matters not how well intentioned, meaningful, or helpful the tradition is. It matters not how necessary we think the worldly element to be, or how important it is to society in general. If none of these things are "after Christ", that is, if they are not of Him, through Him, and unto Him, then they are worthless insofar as God's Purpose is concerned and must be discarded.

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October 19

Today's Message from Chip Brogden
"Rise, and stand upon your feet: for I have appeared unto you for this purpose..." (Acts 26:16a).

The Lord has a purpose for you, and a destiny for you to fulfill. But things will not always go the way you think they should. That is because the Lord calls you to something bigger than yourself, something beyond your ability, something you cannot originate or perpetuate without Him. It takes time. Noah walked with God for five hundred years and spent one hundred years building the ark. Abraham was one hundred years old before he finally saw God's promise come true. Moses spent forty years in Egypt, then forty years in the desert, before God sent him to Pharaoh. Jesus prepared thirty years for an earthly ministry of three and a half years.

Dear brother, dear sister: walk with God. Find Grace. Discover the One Thing. Focus on being, not doing. And when it IS time for you to do something you can be confident that your labor of love will be the work that God blesses.

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October 17

Today's Message from Chip Brogden
"And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as [Jesus] sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on His head" (Mark 14:3).

Perhaps you are in a lonely place because the Lord desires to use you to establish a place in the wilderness for Him. If the Lord has impressed His Need for such a place on your heart, then declare your heart a "Bethany" place and take this up between yourself and the Lord. Give the Lord some ground to build upon. Give Him His place. Do not look for multitudes of people. It is better to have one, two, or three gathered together as the Lord's Bethany than to have hundreds or thousands of people gathered together as something other than Bethany.

Is there anyone in all the world who can truly meet for the purpose of ministering to the Lord and "waste" themselves in worship, giving no thought to their own need, but laying down their lives wholly for the Lord's satisfaction? I pray something is stirring within someone to seriously consider this before the Lord. Many are called, but few are chosen.

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October 18

Today's Message from Chip Brogden
"Jesus led them out towards Bethany, lifted up His hands, and blessed them as He ascended up into heaven. The disciples worshipped Him, and returned to Jerusalem full of joy" (Luke 24:50-52).

Bethany has a heavenly savor. There is an ascendant spirit there which lifts us up to the heavenlies. If there is a failure in the Church today it is this: we live as natural, earth-bound, flesh-and-blood people who speak great things but do not live what we speak. There is no heavenly distinctiveness about us, little reality about us which suggests this other-worldliness of which we claim. We live as "mere men", religious men, even spiritual men, but not as citizens of heaven.

Nevertheless, I believe that as we prepare a place for the Lord this ascendant spirit will break forth upon us spontaneously. It is one thing for us to try to act heavenly, and it is quite another thing for us to enter into such communion and fellowship with the Heavenly Man that we simply begin to exude His heavenliness, as the priest in the Holy Place exuded the fragrance of the sweet incense. The Kingdom of Heaven is where Christ has the preeminence and fills all things: and if this is the case with us individually, or corporately, then it can be said of us that the Kingdom of Heaven has arrived.

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October 16

Today's Message from Chip Brogden
"And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as [Jesus] sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on His head" (Mark 14:3).

Perhaps you are in a lonely place because the Lord desires to use you to establish a place in the wilderness for Him. If the Lord has impressed His Need for such a place on your heart, then declare your heart a "Bethany" place and take this up between yourself and the Lord. Give the Lord some ground to build upon. Give Him His place. Do not look for multitudes of people. It is better to have one, two, or three gathered together as the Lord's Bethany than to have hundreds or thousands of people gathered together as something other than Bethany.

Is there anyone in all the world who can truly meet for the purpose of ministering to the Lord and "waste" themselves in worship, giving no thought to their own need, but laying down their lives wholly for the Lord's satisfaction? I pray something is stirring within someone to seriously consider this before the Lord. Many are called, but few are chosen.




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October 15

Today's Message from Chip Brogden
"They were astonished at His doctrine: for [Jesus] taught them as One that had authority, and not as the scribes" (Mark 1:22).

How much of what we hear being preached and peddled around the world in the Name of Jesus is but the regurgitations and ramblings of people who can only repeat what everyone else is saying? Where is the Revelation of Jesus Christ? Who is the man or the woman that refuses to confer with flesh and blood, but only speaks according to what they have seen and heard by revelation through the Spirit? Most teachers are teaching what was taught to them, and their teachers learned it from their teachers, and so on it goes until we no longer have Spirit-birthed revelation, we have third and fourth-generational head-knowledge, yesterday's manna and hand-me-down flesh and blood doctrines.

As one of my brothers puts it: there are many echoes in the land, but few voices. There is an ocean of difference between repeating what you have heard and speaking of what you have experienced! Is it any wonder that there is much learning, but no experiential knowledge of Truth? If we speak of ourselves then we can only impart knowledge. But, if we resolve to only speak by revelation, we can impart Life. Only revelation can change a person.

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October 14

Today's Message from Chip Brogden
"Have I been so long time with you, and yet have you not known Me?" (John 14:9ff).

It is quite possible that we have been "Christians" for many years and not known the Lord. I used to find that hard to believe but not anymore. I can truthfully say that I have been a "Christian" all my life, but I have only KNOWN the Lord a few years. Calling yourself a Christian these days is almost the same as calling yourself a Republican or Democrat. It has become more of a label for social convenience sake than a true testimony that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, dwelling within me.

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October 13

Today's Message from Chip Brogden
"And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" (Acts 22:6,7).

All it takes is a millisecond of time for the Revelation to strike you down. I recall when I first received the Revelation of Jesus Christ. I had had many religious and spiritual experiences up to that point, more than the average person. I had been a pastor and teacher for many years. I thought I really knew the Lord. But one day God revealed His Son IN me. I was sitting in the backyard reading the Word and without warning, in my heart of hearts, I "saw" (not with my eyes, but inwardly) Jesus seated at God's right hand, and I saw myself raised and seated with Him in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6).

That day was like walking out of one room and into another, closing the door behind me. I got a glimpse into another world. I finally knew what before I had only talked about. Though not as outwardly dramatic as Paul's experience, inwardly a massive earthquake had taken place and my foundations were ripped to shreds. It was the beginning of the end of my career as a preacher for Organized Religion. I saw the real Jesus and realized He was nothing like flesh and blood had said. Hallelujah!




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October 12

Today's Message from Chip Brogden
"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw" (Revelation 1:1,2).

The Book of Revelation itself is not primarily the revelation of what the end of the world will be like (although we do learn that), but the Revelation and Testimony of Jesus Christ. We are immediately confronted with a vision of Jesus Christ standing in the midst of the Ecclesia: it is quite different from the image of the suffering Messiah, despised and rejected of men. So, this is a further unveiling or revealing of the Lord Jesus and is genuinely prophetic.

The rest of the book, its symbols, and its meaning may be unclear, and we may disagree with the interpretations thereof, but the main gist of the book, the revealing of Jesus Christ as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, is beyond dispute.



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October 11

Today's Message from Chip Brogden
"I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ" (Galatians 1:11,12).

Five words uttered by revelation are worth more than ten thousand words obtained through flesh and blood. Dear friend, do you really know the Lord? Is this knowledge based on revelation, or is it merely your idea, or what you've been taught by flesh and blood? Now is the time to examine your foundation and discover if you have been building on rock or on sand. We now know how it is possible for one to do many mighty works in Jesus' Name, yet not know the Lord: revelation is the difference between religious activity and true knowing.



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October 10

Today's Message from Chip Brogden
"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).

Moment by moment, hour by hour, we are being changed. This transfiguration is subtle, but powerful. How is it affected? How does God change us? When we put on the Lord Jesus then we become what we have put on. When we see the glory of the Son of God then we are changed thereby. We become what we have seen. When we see Him as He in fact is, when we behold His glory, we will be smitten to the ground. If what we have seen thus far of the Lord has not struck us dumb and blind then we have not yet touched upon His glory. Our vision is too small. May God illuminate our hearts and grant us further revelation into His Son, that we may be transfigured.



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October 9

Today's Message from Chip Brogden
"You know Him; for He dwells with you, and shall be in you" (John 14:18).

Just as Testimony follows Revelation, so Life follows Light. We simply know what to do because He Himself is doing it through us. If we have put on the Lord Jesus then we need not look to the past, or to the future. We need not look up to the heavens, or down upon the earth. We need not look outward at all, for the Kingdom of God is within us. The One Who said, "I am with you, but will be in you" has now taken up residence within all who believe.



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October 8

Today's Message from Chip Brogden
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is" (I John 3:2).

If we are abiding in Him then we will be as He is. If we have put on the Lord Jesus then we are being changed into His likeness, we are being made into His image, and we are in the process of being transfigured. After some time following the Lord we should not have to stop and ask ourselves, "What would Jesus do?" If we are being transfigured then that Light and that Life will respond spontaneously and effortlessly to any demand placed upon it.

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October 7

Today's Message from Chip Brogden
"Jesus was transfigured before them: His face shone like the sun, and His clothing was pure white, as white as light" (Matthew 17:2).

To be clothed with the Lord Jesus is to be transfigured. For too long we who claim a heavenly calling, a heavenly citizenship, and a heavenly birth have lived as earthly men. What light we have is hidden beneath a bushel; there is no glory that surrounds us. We are not talking about an outward display, or something fleshly, but a Light and a Life which demonstrates the presence of Christ. "In Him was Life - and the Life was the Light of men" (John 1:4).

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October 6

Today's Message from Chip Brogden
"It is the truth concerning Jesus that inspires all prophecy" (Revelation 19:10, Knox).

The whole purpose of prophetic speaking and writing is to bring further revelation of Jesus to the Church and to the world. We refer to this as the Testimony of Jesus. A majority of what is called "prophetic" today is merely eschatological, that is, inspired by the study of end time events, but not necessarily inspired by the Spirit to bring us into a further revealing of Jesus Christ. We do a disservice to the Church if we muddy the waters between that which is prophetic and that which is eschatological: for the Church is not established upon her understanding of end time events, but upon her revelation knowledge of Jesus Christ .

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October 5

Today's Message from Chip Brogden
"And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, 'Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.' So he went out and wept bitterly" (Matthew 26:75, NKJV).

Jesus was not surprised or disappointed when Peter failed. In like manner, He is not surprised or disappointed when you fail. Rather, He is waiting for you to fail so you will be reduced to Him. He has no illusions about you and He knows you through and through. He knows however much your spirit may be willing, your flesh is weak. Our weakness is not the trouble - the trouble is our unwillingness to acknowledge the weakness. Paul has no confidence in the flesh, so he can say, "I rejoice in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (II Corinthians 12:9b). But we do not rejoice in our weakness the way Paul does. We either refuse to admit it, or we hide it, or we try to improve upon it, or we try to make up for it by overcompensating in some other area. People will fight and argue with me on this point because they desperately want to salvage something for themselves. They have a fragile self-esteem and this kind of news is too painful too bear.

But I bring you good tidings of great joy, dear Christian friend! This failure of Self is the very key to living the Christian life. As painful as it is, the bitter tears of failure provide the water for nurturing the Precious Seed that is planted in your heart of hearts and making it grow. To despair of ourselves is the very key that opens the door to all the power, the victory, and fruitfulness in Christ that we seek. "I KNOW that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwells no good thing." I KNOW IT, Paul says. No good thing. I know that in me, in my flesh, in my Self, there is nothing. Apart from Him I am nothing. He is Everything. CHRIST IN ME is my only Hope. In one part of me, my flesh, dwells no good thing. In the other part of me Christ lives.



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October 3

Today's Message from Chip Brogden
"Put on the armor of light... put on the whole armor of God" (Romans 13:12b; Ephesians 6:11a).

May I frankly say that anyone trusting in "spiritual armor" as a thing in and of itself is going to fail miserably. Anyone relying upon a faith-formula or a spiritual warfare method is going to see both the formula and the method eventually meet with defeat. Why? Because God has not given us a formula or a method: He has given us His Son. He does not give us a ritual or ceremony to follow, He says, "Put on the Lord Jesus". Having the Lord Jesus, I have the Whole Armor of God. It is not necessary to ask for each piece of armor, or to confess anything, or to do anything. It is only necessary, having put on the Whole Armor of God, to "stand therefore". It is only necessary, having put on the Lord Jesus, to abide in Him.


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October 4

Today's Message from Chip Brogden
"But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof" (Romans 13:14).

God's Solution to the problem of sin, self, and satan is to have us put on the Lord Jesus. Only through Him can we "make no provision for the flesh", and only through Him can we "stand against the wiles of the devil". We dare not make it more complicated when the Lord has made it simple. To focus on our flesh and on our enemy is a huge waste of time. Instead, we must perceive just how glorious the Son of God is, and press deeply into Him. Do you have a method, or a Man? It is not about me, my flesh, or the devil - it is all about Christ, and as He is increased, none of these other things can do anything but be decreased.

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October 2

Today's Message from Chip Brogden
"Bring forth the best robe and put it on my son" (Luke 15:22ff).

To put on the Lord Jesus is to be clothed with the very best robe. This robe makes us look better than we really are. But when we are dressed with the best we begin to act differently. Our behavior and our conduct is the fruit of who we are, not the cause of what we are. Paul never gives us commandments for the sake of commandments. He gives us a lot of instruction regarding our conduct, but it is always based on who we are in Christ, not who we hope to be in ourselves. Having put on the Lord Jesus, we are enveloped with Him and His character replaces our character. His Life is received in exchange for our life. If we cooperate with the Life we will naturally find our behavior is changed.

But what of the elder son? "Son, you are ever with me, and all that I have is yours (Luke 15:31)." Hallelujah! There is no partiality with God, however much we may think God is being more fair or more generous to some brother or sister. Not so: the robe, the ring, and the shoes only represent the "all", the fullness of the Father, and "of His fullness we have all received (John 1:16a)". The Father says, "All that I have is yours!" Who can dare ask God for a single thing apart from the Son?
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October 1

Today's Message from Chip Brogden
"Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:12).

Many years after having first put on the Lord Jesus, Paul declares that he is still trying to apprehend the One Who has already apprehended him. The height, width, breadth, length, and depth of this New Man, this Heavenly Man, is quite beyond what we can measure apart from Spirit-revelation. We are more familiar with and have more confidence in the old man than we do in the New Man. By the grace of God, this has to change. When we truly see the New Man we transcend the old man. And this, in a nutshell, is how God accomplishes the work of decreasing us and increasing Christ.

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September 30

Today's Message from Chip Brogden
"I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world" (John 17:14).

When we are called to put on the New Man we are challenged with something radical, something which by reason of Who He is must result in an upsetting of the natural, earthly order of things. It is a major upheaval. Why? Because this New Man is Totally Other. This New Man is of Heaven. This New Man is Spirit. This New Man is foreign from this world. And when we put on THIS New Man, we are going to be at once set apart from the world and earmarked for something larger than we can fathom with our mind, something apart from flesh and blood, something we call "Spirit and Life".
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