CCOG Sunday morning service. Bishop John Carter, Why The Cross Must Lead The Upper Room

Pentecost can stir up the best kind of hunger for God, but it can also tempt us to chase a feeling and forget the One the Spirit came to reveal. We celebrate Pentecost and a major church milestone while preaching a clear warning that still sounds urgent today: a Christless Pentecost is possible, even in a room full of Spirit-filled people.

We lean on voices from the Azusa Street era and David Wilkerson’s “Christless Pentecost” warning, then anchor everything in 1 Corinthians 2:1–5. Paul’s decision is simple and unsettling: no performance, no polish, no spiritual flexing, just Jesus Christ and him crucified. From there we talk straight about why you can’t skip Calvary on the way to the upper room, why holiness matters, and why the cross is still the only place our lives truly change.

Along the way we wrestle with freedom, deliverance, and healing through Scripture like John 8:36 and Isaiah 53:5, then land in Colossians 1:18–19 to put Christ back in his rightful place as the head of the church. The closing illustration brings it home: the focus is not the dove but the lamb and it still takes Jesus to loose the dove.

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Transcript

Welcome And Service Setup

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Welcome. You're listening to Cape Wood Church of God Sunday morning service on the 421 Show. Services pre-recorded live, edited at 55. Hey, go check out our website for more content and information. HOR421 Show dot Budsprout.

SPEAKER_02 1:34

Happy

Pentecost And A Church Anniversary

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birthday to the church. Today is the day we celebrate Pentecost. That blessed event that happened in the upper room. Caywood Church of God is celebrating a hundred years. The church globally is celebrating over 2,000. And if we can celebrate other religious holidays, then we must recognize Pentecost. I tell people all the time, if you cut me open, I'd probably bleed Holy Ghost. I've been in the was speaking in tongues and in the womb. I believe, Sister Serena, she jarred me just a little bit. And I either have a loose screw or it's just the Holy Ghost. My sister and I both, we cut teeth on pews where the Spirit of God ruled and reigned. I'm thankful for my heritage. And I'm thankful for Pentecost. Now, if we all in this room told the truth, and I hope we are truth tellers, we would say that when we hear the word Pentecost, which of the three Trinitarian heads do we think about? Anybody? When we hear the word Pentecost, do you think of Father, Son, or Holy Ghost? You think of Holy Ghost, don't you? So do I. So does everybody. But today I'm going to preach to you about Jesus. Because

Warning Against A Christless Pentecost

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I'm afraid if we're not careful, as Pentecostals, we'll lose focus on who this is really about. I love the Spirit of God. I love the Holy Ghost and a move of the Holy Ghost. Years ago, I read a manuscript and I listened to an old audio of an old-time preacher by the name of David Wilkerson. And he preached a message about the Christless Pentecost. And how that a lot of times we place the Holy Ghost in front of Jesus. And the Holy Ghost never came to take the light and to take the attention. Brother Wilkerson said something along these lines. I jotted down several of his quotes today, and I'll tell you when I did. He said, the following is a prophetic warning from Asusa Street 120 years ago, but when he was speaking, it was 75 years ago. But now it is 120 years ago. Concerning the dangers of a Christless Pentecost. Frank Bartleman was an eyewitness to the outpouring of the Holy Ghost in 1907 at Asusa Street in Los Angeles, California. He has been characterized as the reporter of the Asusa Street Revival. And during the outpouring, he wrote a tract warning of a Christless Pentecost. Here's what Frank Bartleman wrote, or shall I say, he warned. And I quote, we may not hold a doctrine or seek an experience except in Christ. Many are willing to seek power in order to perform miracles, draw attention and adoration of the people to themselves, thus robbing Christ of his glory and making a fair showing in the flesh. The greatest need would seem to be true followers of the meek and lowly Jesus. Religious enthusiasm easily goes to seed. The human spirit so predominates the show-off, the religious spirit. But we must stick to the scripture which Jesus. We don't need any show-offs or any religious spirits. Any work that exalts the Holy Ghost or the gifts above Jesus will finally end up in fanaticism. Whatever causes us to exalt and love Jesus is safe and well. The reverse will ruin everything. The Holy Ghost is a great light, but focused on Jesus always for his revealing. And finally, he said, We, where the Holy Ghost is actually in control, Jesus is proclaimed the head and the Holy Ghost his executive. So where the Spirit of God moves, Jesus is the head. Where the power of God falls, Jesus is the head. Where souls are saved and drawn by the Spirit, Jesus is still the soul saver. The Holy Ghost can draw you, but the Holy Ghost can't save you. Amen. The Holy Ghost, without Jesus, there is no Holy Ghost. Which leads me to my scripture today, my text.

Paul’s Simple Message Of The Cross

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1 Corinthians chapter number 2. You'll stand for the reading of the word.

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Verses 1 through 5. First of all, thank you, thank you for all visitors today. Make yourself at home. Make yourself at home. We're getting ready to dedicate three babies, and I've been, I've been, I've been studying the meanings of these three babies' names, and I had a fit in my office by myself. I can't imagine what I'm gonna do when me and mom and dad get up here together and we talk about the meanings of these names. And then we're going to baptize in her right behind me. We're gonna baptize some folks today. Amen. And they're gonna be there there's no there's no power in the water, there's no magic potion in the water, but we're gonna bury some old people. They're gonna raise to walk in newness of life today. And we've got and a lot of people's got a graduation to be at, so let's get going. How about that? First Corinthians chapter 2, verse number one through five. And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified. Let me, let me. What Paul is saying is I didn't try to impress you with polished speech and the latest philosophy. He said, I deliberately kept it plain and simple. First, Jesus and who he is, then Jesus and what he did. Listen to me. You might not shout today on Pentecost. I know you might have think he was coming to shout on Pentecost, but we're going to talk about Jesus and who he is and Jesus and what he did. Amen. He came, he died, he rose. And I got news for you, he's coming again. Amen. It's all about Jesus. Paul said, I can come to you with excellency of speech, impress you with my philosophy and the fact that I know big words and the meaning of big words. I didn't come with all of that at all. He said, I made it very simple. The scripture is has was written for it to be very simple for us to understand. And the only thing we need to focus on, Paul said, is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. But I will say this: we do need to know a lot of times the Greek and Hebrew meanings of words, because there's a lot of scripture taken out of context because we read it wrong. And we need to know what it says. He said, I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and in power. Verse 5, that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Paul said, We're not just going to talk about it. We're going to see it. Demonstration and power. We don't just talk about healing. I believe in healing. Anybody else? We don't just talk about it. We believe it. Amen. And I believe God is still in the miracle working business. Father, thank you for your word. Thank you for your people. I pray, Lord, that your words will go forth, dear God, and rest in the hearts, in the minds, and in the lives of all of us present. I pray, Lord, that we'll be a learned day, dear God, and we'll hide your word in our heart that we won't sin against you. And I pray, Lord, that we'll all seek a more a closer, more effective walk with you and who you are. And we'll never fail you all the glory, all the praise, and all the honor in Jesus' name.

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And everybody said, Amen and amen.

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If you've been here any amount of time, especially on Wednesday nights, you know that Paul wrote this letter to the church at Corinth. He wrote this letter to them because things were not so good in Corinth. Corinth accepting the teaching of false teachers and the preaching of false teachers after Paul had poured his heart and his soul into this church by teaching them about the grace of God and the mercy of God and the peace of God through Jesus Christ. So Paul was the Jesus preacher. Paul was an apostolic leader. Paul was one who wanted everybody wherever he went to learn and to know about Jesus. And so he came and he taught grace and he taught mercy and he taught how that the blood, amen, washes away our sins and how one drop of his precious blood is enough to save all of humanity. And so as he poured out his heart and he poured out his soul into all of this when Paul left and went uh uh uh on down the road to establish other churches, uh what happened was uh uh uh some false teachers came in the back door and started infiltrating the church with false teaching and false doctrine yet again. So that's where we

Stop Skipping Calvary For Power

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are. Paul is telling them the Holy Ghost will never draw your attention away from Christ, but rather it will reveal Christ in a fuller way. You see, we are in danger of sliding Jesus or getting him lost in the temple by exaltation of the Holy Ghost and the gifts of the Spirit. Sometimes I have to wonder in Pentecost if we don't be more exuberant and more excited about the movement and the gifts and the signs and the miracles and the wonders that we do what Jesus did on the cross. It's still the cross that saves our souls. I'm gonna preach to you today if that's all right. We got people that don't even like each other trying to prophesy to each other. It's about the cross. I'm telling you, we got too many passing Calvary and going to the upper room. We've got too many people trying to trying to skip out on Gogolf and go to the upper room. They don't want to carry a cross, they want to go to the they don't want the pain and the suffering of the they just want the glitter and the clamor. Or you don't get the power without the suffering. You don't get the glory without the pain. You gotta stop at Calvary before you go to the upper room. We got people passing the altar, one the Holy Ghost. I'm preaching to you today.

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We got people talking in tongues that ain't even saved.

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You're supposed to be making us feel good on Pentecost today. Amen. I'm trying to get you to where you can feel good, where you live right first, then you then you feel good. Amen. We got an anything goes doctrine in this world today. People living any old way they want to live, doing any old thing they want to do, and still name and claim it. I came to tell you today, this is not name it and claim it. Amen. It's still the cross that we must kneel before.

SPEAKER_01 15:40

We got cussing Christians and sipping saints. Those don't exist.

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Because when the Bible says, Paul said, if any man be in who? Wait a minute, I thought we thought we thought this was Pentecost. I thought we were talking about the Holy Ghost. If any man be in the Holy Ghost, he said, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. My God. I don't know. But 30 years ago, I got down at this spot right here. I knelt right here in this spot. I left a puddle of tears in this spot. I got up, and there was something new. There was no you got it. There was something new that I didn't talk the way I talk. I didn't walk the way I walked. I didn't do the thing. Something new happened. Something new. Something new, Tim, came inside of me and changed me. And from the inside. Didn't look at things the way I looked at things before. Amen. But I knew Jesus saved me. And I also, it was his spirit that drew me. He may know what I'm talking about. Hallelujah. I'm putting every sinner and backslider in this room on notice. My prayer, my plea, and my beg unto God is that his spirit would draw you one more time. Draw them. Draw them. Draw them when they drive by this house. There would be a drawing. When they walk by, I don't know. When they come get food out of the blessing, I pray God help me, Jesus. We need to anoint that blessing box with oil. Hala boko tapah, satobokoloboshantaya. That everybody that comes near that blessing box, whether they get a viny sausage or a chef boy RD, it'll be the most anointed dog they've ever eaten, and the most anointed thesis magnet they'll ever put in their mouth, and something will draw them.

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When the feller comes to get water out of our spigot.

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Out of the spigot. I mean, what else you call it?

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I'm sure it's got the name. We Kwoodians call it a spigot. Amen. I'm like, yes, I know. I watch him on the cameras, get water.

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And I pray that it's the coldest, most refreshing, life-giving water. Oh my God. I'm about to take off running. When I get to talking about Jesus, it gets in my legs. When I get to try it sometime, get to talking about Jesus, stop focusing on the Spirit and focus on Jesus. And when you focus on Jesus, his spirit will be on the inside. I pray it's the most cold, refreshing, life-giving water the boy ever drinks and something draws.

SPEAKER_01 19:38

Amen. It will

When Jesus Feels Like A Stranger

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never come at the expense of changing Jesus from his rightful place. Of high and lifted up.

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The Jews Sabbath in the synagogue to speak his name and to prophesy his coming. It's true. Amen. Like I don't take what Brother Bartleman's warning, I don't take that lightly. The danger, David Wilkerson said, of a Christless Pentecost is very real today. I say to you, it is i i it is possible to gather spirit-filled people in one place praising and lifting up their hands and still have Christ walk among them as a stranger. We can get so enthralled in the movement that we miss out on the master.

SPEAKER_01 20:40

What did the paralytic in Mark chapter, I think, 2?

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He was brought to the feet of Jesus for what? A miracle. But before Jesus gave him the miracle, he gave him a message. Because Jesus said, For this is why I came, is to preach to the people. My miracles are secondary, my message is primary. So don't you lose sight that you are here to hear a message from Jesus. So that when you hear that message from Jesus, you are then a candidate for a miracle that comes from him. But it first comes through his message, through his word, through his teaching, and through what he does. Sometimes Jesus walks among us a stranger. Shame on me. I'm not going to preach on you a minute. I'm going to shame, I'm going to I'm going to shame me for just a moment. When I get down in the mulligrubs and I get in and out, and I want to what my God, what what what are you turning back to?

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I think I'll just give up. Well, you do that, go to hell. Because that's what you're turning back to. That's what you turn him back to. No, everybody. Hates me, nobody loves me, well then just die and go to hell. If we never speak again, you're still a candidate for heaven.

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When we say, I'm just gonna quit and throw in the towel and not do this anymore, we're the same as saying that we don't recognize the unseen guest who walk. No, no, he don't only walk among this church, he walks in your house, he walks around your bed, he's with you in the car, he's with you on the job, he's kept you at times you didn't even know he kept you. My God, did you know there's not a single living, breathing, heart beating person in this room that you shouldn't be dead?

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But thanks be unto God that Jesus walked upon you, and he was, and here you are today.

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You should be dead, and you should be dead, and I should be dead, and you should be dead. But at times we didn't did you know, I've told you this before. I believe he's healed us of things we didn't even know we had.

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I believe he's healed cancer that people didn't even know they had cancer.

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I believe he's healed from depression. Woo! Hallelujah. My my one of my favorite verses I quote it every day. I've been scoffed at and made fun of for having declarations. Baby, if you can't declare the word of God, then you need to shut up. We can declare the word of God. You and your declarations, declare this, declare that, declare. If I can't declare the word, what else do I have? And if the Bible says it, then it is so. I can, I will declare the word of God. John 8, 36 is one of my favorite. That says, if the Son hath made you free, you are free indeed.

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Have you ever noticed the word if? If the Son hath made you free, that means that word if means there's a possibility that you've not been.

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That word if means you have to relinquish it to him. If you if you are willing to be free, there's some people not willing to be free, delivered, healed.

Freedom, Holiness, And Healing Faith

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We have to come willing. What I tell you the other day, we ask God to deliver us. Deliver me from alcohol, but we go to the we go to the liquor store.

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No, no, deliver yourself from the liquor store. Lord, remove alcohol! No, remove you from my God, we don't even hide the devil, don't even hide anymore.

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They call it spirits, brother Jeff. Oh, it's spirits are notice in every liquor store that calls the it's spirits with an S. Because they're not. You see, we can call this place the house of the spirit with no S, because there's only one spirit that rules and reigns in the house. Not anymore.

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They put spirits on the front door. Smoking, Joe. We're even smoking now. I don't know what we're smoking. It's medical now. You getting old time now. You getting old time now. I tell you what, the the the school I came from couldn't afford doctors. The school I came from wasn't against them.

SPEAKER_02 26:19

They just couldn't afford them. So they read one day in that book, and I want everybody right now to look at your Bible. And if you don't have one, point taken. But look at yours and tell me what condition it's in. And I'll by the by the condition of your Bible, I'll tell you the condition of it. And I get it, I get it.

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You're you're you're you're one at home.

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I felt it before I even said it. I get it, your Bible at home's falling apart. That's why my life's together. My life's together because my Bible's falling apart. That's how it works.

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If your Bible's falling apart, your life won't be.

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I mean that. I appreciate the work that our their our nurses and doctors and medical staff has given us over the years in Harlan. Appreciate them. Amen. But they still are not the great physician. Amen. The great physician. Then they read, and I read, and it's another one of my declarations scripture that says Isaiah 53, 5. Amen.

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He was wounded. Oh, I didn't have to be.

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He was wounded, Trish, for your transgressions. He was bruised, brother Steve, for your iniquities. The chastisement of your peace, Estria, was upon him. And listen to me, everybody in the house, with his stripes, we are healed.

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They read it. They believed it. And healing took place. So let me get ready to land. Over in collagens. Book of collagens, not. I know.

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While you're turning there, let me A lot of times Christ is a stranger in the midst of a spirit-filled congregation. Let me say that again. A lot of times Jesus is a stranger in the room full of spirit-filled people. We'll say that one more time. Sometimes Jesus is a stranger in your home where the Spirit of God has filled you, in your church where the Spirit of God has filled us. Sometimes Jesus is a stranger. Because we've got a generation that's preaching things that aren't even in the Bible. They're trying to give you clever little wow nuggets where we need to get back to the Jesus of the scripture and the Jesus of the Bible. And if it wows you, it wows you. If it doesn't, it doesn't. As long as it brings you to an altar, that's all I care. I'm not trying to be the next hip thing. I don't want, you're not going to see me, amen, in a wife beater and skinny jeans. I'm not relevant to the culture. Amen. I'm not relevant to the culture. Amen. The Bible told us that we are to come amount, come out from among the culture and be separate people. He told us we are a peculiar people, a royal priesthood. That's us. I'm not blending in to be in. I'm not going to be like them to win them. There's got to be a difference. There's got to be something that they leave and come to. There's got to be something. If we're so much like them, how are we going to win them? They're looking for something to change in their lives. And the church has got to be that change.

Christ As Head Of The Church

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Colossians. Chapter one. Verses 18 and 19 say.

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And he is the head of the body. The church. Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead. That in all things he might have preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell. Let me read that to you in the NLT. Christ is the head of the church, which is the body. Look at me, we are the body. Christ is the head, not the pastor, not the prophet, not the priest. We ain't kissing rings and bowing to statues. We're exalting the head of the body. That being Christ Jesus the Lord. Amen. He said, Jesus is the head of the church, which is the body. He is the beginning supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything.

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I don't know if I'm coming or going, but I'm having a good time getting there. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ. Haley, come on back and play. I'm gonna wind her down.

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The upper room must never overshadow the cross. Did you hear me? The upper room must never overshadow the cross. This is not your typical Pentecost message, I get it. But the upper room should never overshadow the cross. We should never think of Jesus as simply the one who sent the Holy Ghost. In other words, thank you, Jesus, for sending something. That cannot be how we view Jesus. When the Holy Ghost becomes the center of attention, the church gets out of focus. Ooh, that's good. I don't care who you are. When the Holy Ghost becomes the center of attention, the church loses focus. Because we've got to keep our eyes on Jesus. We can never lose focus on Jesus. The Father said to him, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And the Spirit descended bodily like a dove. But the focus was not on the dove, but on the lamb. I said, the focus is not the dove, but the lamb. Do y'all

The Dove And The Lamb Illustration

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remember Jesus? Y'all remember? Listen, I'm I'm gonna tell I'm gonna tell you something real good right here. Y'all remember when Jesus turned over the tables in the table? I think it was the day after they were shouting Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna, you great, you wonderful, you powerful, you're all that, and a bag of chips. That's what they're saying. Next day Jesus goes to church and he finds out that they exchanging money in the church house. Finds them with their bag of Cheetos and big gulps in the church house. You you should not eat and drink up in here. This is the house of prayer. This is not the house of leisure. Trust me, you can go two hours without a snack. Jesus goes in, turns over their tables. So they went from Hosanna to crucify overnight. Why? Because Jesus had to rebuke them. And nobody likes a rebuke. Wendicate over in the corner sat caged in cages. You know what was in the cages? Anybody? The dove. The dove was in a cage, locked up in the back room of the church. That'll preach. Anybody know what the dove represents? The Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost. And in the back room, caged up, locked up, on a shelf. I wasn't there, but you wasn't either. I believe Jesus turned over tables to get to the cut to the cage. I believe he turned over to get to the cage. And when he got the cage, the cage, brother. He picked up the cage. And inside the cage was the dove. He opened the cage. And the dove got loose. I said the dove got loose. The dove got loose. Hey church. Guess who unloosed the dove? Jesus. It still takes Jesus to let loose the dove. I'm gonna say it again. You never take your eyes off of Jesus. Focus on the spirit. If you're more caught up in the spirit than you are, Jesus, you got it wrong, baby. You get your eyes on Jesus. And Jesus will turn loose of the dove. It'll get loose. I think I'm ready for the dove to be loosened by Jesus himself. Once again.

Baptism Directions And Closing Info

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So in closing, while you're standing, while you're standing. If you're being baptized, get you baptized at face on. If you're helping me baptize, I need you to be ready to go.

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Capewood Church of God, located here at Cape Wood, Kentucky. Service time. Sunday morning, 11 30 a.m. Wednesday night, 6 30 p.m. Hey, go check out our website for more content. Information. At HOR421, show dot buzzcrowd.com. If you'd like to support the show, you can support us at PayPal slash HOR421 or you go to our website at HOR421 Show.buscrowd.com. Court admitted at 421 Studio. Contact information, you can email at HOR421 Ministry at gmail.com. Phone number is two three nine eight four nine fifteen.