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PROVERBS 7DRESSED TO SEDUCE

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Dear friend, do what I tell you; treasure mycareful instructions.

Do what I say and you'll live well. My teachingis as precious as your eyesight--guard it!Write it out on the back of your hands; etch it

on the chambers of your heart.Talk to Wisdom as to a sister. Treat Insight asyour companion.They'll be with you to fend off the Temptress--that smooth-talking, honey--tonguedSeductress.

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As I stood at the window of my house looking

out through the shutters,

Watching the mindless crowd stroll by, I

spotted a young man without any sense

Arriving at the corner of the street where shelived, then turning up the path to her house.

It was dusk, the evening coming on, the

darkness thickening into night. Just then, awoman met him-- she'd been lying in wait for

him, dressed to seduce him.

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Brazen and brash she was, restless and roaming

never at home, Walking the streets, loitering in

the mall, hanging out at every corner in town.She threw her arms around him and kissed him,

boldly took his arm and said, "I've got all the

makings for a feast-- today I made my offerings,my vows are all paid,

So now I've come to find you, hoping to catch

sight of your face--and here you are! I've spread

fresh, clean sheets on my bed, colourful

imported linens.

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My bed is aromatic with spices and exotic

fragrances. Come, let's make love all night,

spend the night in ecstatic lovemaking!

My husband's not home; he's away on

business, and he won't be back for amonth.

" Soon she has him eating out of her hand,

bewitched by her honeyed speech.

Before you know it, he's trotting behind

her, like a calf led to the butcher shop,

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Like a stag lured into ambush and then shot

with an arrow, Like a bird flying into a net not

knowing that its flying life is over. So, friends,

listen to me, take these words of mine most

seriously.

Don't fool around with a woman like that;

don't even stroll through her neighbourhood.

Countless victims come under her spell; she'sthe death of many a poor man.

She runs a halfway house to hell,

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ACTS 8SIMON THE WIZARD

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That set off a terrific persecution of the

church in Jerusalem. The believers were all

scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. All,that is, but the apostles. Good and brave

men buried Stephen, giving him a solemn

funeral--not many dry eyes that day!

And Saul just went wild, devastating the

church, entering house after house after

house, dragging men and women off to jail.

Forced to leave home base, the Christians all

became missionaries.

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Wherever they were scattered, they

preached the Message about Jesus. Going

down to a Samaritan city, Philipproclaimed the Message of the Messiah.

When the people heard what he had to

say and saw the miracles, the clear signs of

God's action, they hung on his every word.

Many who could neither stand nor walk

were healed that day. The evil spirits

protested loudly as they were sent on their

way. And what joy in the city!

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Previous to Philip's arrival, a certain Simon had

practiced magic in the city, posing as a famous

man and dazzling all the Samaritans with his

wizardry.

He had them all, from little children to old men,

eating out of his hand. They all thought he hadsupernatural powers, and called him "the Great

Wizard." He had been around a long time and

everyone was more or less in awe of him. Butwhen Philip came to town announcing the

news of God's kingdom and proclaiming the

name of Jesus Christ,

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they forgot Simon and were baptized,

becoming believers right and left! Even

Simon himself believed and was baptized.From that moment he was like Philip's

shadow, so fascinated with all the God-signs

and miracles that he wouldn't leave Philip'sside.

When the apostles in Jerusalem received the

report that Samaria had accepted God's

Message, they sent Peter and John down to

pray for them to receive the Holy Spirit.

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Up to this point they had only been

baptized in the name of the Master Jesus;

the Holy Spirit hadn't yet fallen on them.Then the apostles laid their hands on them

and they did receive the Holy Spirit. When

Simon saw that the apostles by merely

laying on hands conferred the Spirit, he

pulled out his money, excited, and said,"Sell me your secret! Show me how you did

that! How much do you want? Name your

price!"

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Peter said, "To hell with your money! And

you along with it. Why, that's

unthinkable--trying to buy God's gift!You'll never be part of what God is doing

by striking bargains and offering bribes.

Change your ways--and now! Ask the

Master to forgive you for trying to use

God to make money.I can see this is an old habit with you; you

reek with money-lust."

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"Oh!" said Simon, "pray for me! Pray to

the Master that nothing like that will ever

happen to me!"

And with that, the apostles were on their

way, continuing to witness and spreadthe Message of God's salvation,

preaching in every Samaritan town they

passed through on their return to

Jerusalem.

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THE ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH

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Later God's angel spoke to Philip: "At noon

today I want you to walk over to that

desolate road that goes from Jerusalemdown to Gaza." He got up and went. He

met an Ethiopian eunuch coming down the

road.

The eunuch had been on a pilgrimage to

Jerusalem and was returning to Ethiopia,where he was minister in charge of all the

finances of Candace, queen of the

Ethiopians.

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He was riding in a chariot and reading the

prophet Isaiah. The Spirit told Philip, "Climb

into the chariot." Running up alongside,

Philip heard the eunuch reading Isaiah and

asked, "Do you understand what you're

reading?" He answered, "How can I without

some help?" and invited Philip into the

chariot with him.The passage he was reading was this: As a

sheep led to slaughter, and quiet as a lamb

being sheared, He was silent, saying nothing.

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He was mocked and put down, never got a fair

trial. But who now can count his kin since he's

been taken from the earth? The eunuch said,"Tell me, who is the prophet talking about:

himself or some other?

Philip grabbed his chance. Using this passage

as his text, he preached Jesus to him. As they

continued down the road, they came to astream of water. The eunuch said, "Here's

water. Why can't I be baptized?"

He ordered the chariot to stop.

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They both went down to the water, and Philip

baptized him on the spot.

When they came up out of the water, theSpirit of God suddenly took Philip off, and that

was the last the eunuch saw of him. But he

didn't mind. He had what he'd come for andwent on down the road as happy as he could

be.

Philip showed up in Azotus and continued

north, preaching the Message in all the

villages along that route until he arrived at

Caesarea