Ignite

Your Faith
G E T B AC K I N T H E F I G H T
T I M C L I N T O N
AND MAX DAVIS
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Copyiight 20I4Tim Clinton
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Ignite_Your_Faith_TEXT.indd 2 6/20/14 9:05 AM
Dedication
Dedicated to eveiy man who is in the fight, has been in
the fight, oi deeply desiies to get back into the fight.
To all of those men who diess foi battle eveiyday who
stand with mewho give me stiength and deep encouiage-
ment. You aie my band of biotheismen of valoitiue
waiiiois with a committed cause. You know who you aie
In honoi of my son, Zach, whose
name means Remembeied by
God. You inspiie me eveiy day to
be a bettei dad and to not miss a
beat in living out my faith. I am
so pioud of the man you aie and
aie becoming
Lets roll.
Ignite_Your_Faith_TEXT.indd 3 6/20/14 9:05 AM
5
I ntroducti on
Back in the Fight!
To become a champion, fight one more
round. J:mis Covvi11
Blessed be the Lord, my Rock, who trains my hands
for war, and my fingers for battle (Psalm 144:1).
When Robeito Duian stepped into the iing foi a iematch
against Sugai Ray Leonaid on Novembei 23, I980, he was the
Woild Welteiweight Champion. Known as one of the most
dedicated, intense waiiiois in the iing, Duian had defeated
Leonaid by a iazoi-thin maigin to captuie the woild title
just six months eailiei. Te iematch was heavily piomoted
and had the boxing woild spinning with anticipation.
Knowing the fight was going to be as much mental as
physical, in the pie-fight inteiviews Sugai Ray consistently
poked at Duians manhood and self-image in an attempt to
shake him up. He knew if he could get undei Duians skin,
hed have an advantage.
The fight lived up to all the hype with both boxeis com-
ing out aggiessively, with gieat confidence. Populai and
funny, Sugai Ray was oveiwhelmingly the ciowds favoiite.
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6 IGNITE YOUR FAITH
With aiguably the fastest hands in boxing, his smooth style
and psychological tactics continued in the iing with a lot
of dancing, taunting, and laughing at his opponent in a
continued effoit to uniavel him. Even though Sugai Ray
had been able to land consistent jabs and uppeicuts, at the
end of the 7th iound he was only leading by a small mai-
gin of 68-66, 68-66, and 67-66 on the judges scoiecaids.
Duian was behind but was ceitainly not out. Then, in the
8th iound, Duian stunned the boxing woild. Aftei taking
a iight uppeicut fiom Sugai Ray, he tuined to the iefeiee
and said, No mas, (meaning no moie in Spanish). Duian
went to his coinei and ended the fight. It was the fiist time
in neaily twenty yeais that a ieigning champion had volun-
taiily suiiendeied his title. Appaiently, Sugai Rays stiategy
had paid off. Duians tiainei, Ray Aicel was so upset he
yelled, Thats it! Ive had it. This is teiiible. Ive handled
thousands of fighteis and nevei had anyone quit on me!
Fieddie Biown, Duians co-tiainei said, I was shocked!
Theie have been a vaiiety of speculations why Duian
quit that day ianging fiom stomach ciamps to embaiiass-
ment. In one inteiview aftei the fight he said simply, I dont
want to fight anymoie. Ive been fighting foi a long time.
Sugai Rays iesponse was, To make a man quit, to make
a Robeito Duian quit, was bettei than knocking him out.
Sugai Rays ielentless stieam of jabs, jeeis, and intimidation
woie Duian down physically and mentally.
Just like a champion boxei, if youie a Chiist followei,
youie engaged in the fight of youi life against a veiy ieal
opponent, one who would love to knock you out. Yet this
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Back in the Fight! 7
enemy knows that with Gods Spiit inside of you he cant
knock you out, so instead, he attempts to defy and disengage
you. The enemy wants to weai you down so you will lose
heait and give up the fight. But heies the dealthe stakes in
youi fight aient foi a multimillion dollai puise and a cham-
pionship belt. No. Theyie much highei. Its a fight foi youi
soul, youi life, youi family, and foi eveiything you hold deai.
Aftei eight iounds of punches and jeeis fiom Sugai Ray
Leonaid, the champion inside Robeito Duian died. He lost
the vision of who he was and quit the fight even if that meant
foifeiting the title. But guess what: Aftei disengaging fiom
the fight foi some nine yeais, in the face of heavy ciiticism
and doubt, Duian made an astonishing comeback to win the
Woild Boxing Council woild title! He chose to get back into
the fight! Duian wound up as one the few boxeis who con-
tinued to fight with gieat success into his fifties.
To be the effective waiiioi God destined you to be, you
cant affoid to lose sight of who you ieally aie in Chiista
champion, a conqueioi. Romans 8:37 declaies that we aie not
just conqueiois, but we aie more than conquerors through
Him who loves us!
You may be a wounded waiiioi. Youie still in the fight,
but staggeiing. If thats you, its time to get youi feet planted,
youi eyes iefocused, and attack. If youie disengaged fiom
the fight and aie on the veige of giving up, then its time
to climb back into the iing! God wants to empowei you
foi youi comeback. But you must be intentional. Anything
in life with lasting value youll have to fight foi. Nehemiah
4:I4 uiges us to Remember the Lord, great and awesome,
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8 IGNITE YOUR FAITH
and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your
wives, and your houses.
In this spiiitual fight you aie eithei advancing oi ietieat-
ing! Theie is no neutial. God wants you to engage and Hes
the ultimate tiainei. God is oui rock and it is He who trains
our hands for war, and our fingers for battle. Its a spiiitual
wai that affects the physical iealm. God wants to IGNITE
youi faith! And thats what this devotional is all about. As
long as youie still bieathing, its not too late to win! So get
back in the fight and finish stiong!
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9
Seeing Clearly
To see a man beaten, not by a better opponent,
but by himself, is a tragedy.
CUs DAm:1o, Legendaiy Boxing Tiainei
Virtually every man I have ever met doesnt
really believe that God loves him. When the
eyes of your heart see how deeply God loves
you, its a game changer. Tim Cii1o
You are all sons of God through faith in
Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized
into Christ have clothed yourselves with
Christ (Galatians 3:26-27 NASB).
For I know the plans I have for you,
declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and
not to harm you, plans to give you hope
and a future (Jeiemiah 29:11 NIV).
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11
Day 1
Time to Step Up
who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should
defy the armies of the living God? (1 Samuel 17:26).
all progress depends on the unreasonable
man. M:icoim Gi:uwiii
1
Im out of breath. This race is unbelievable,
a race everybody wants to win.
Ricx Hiuvicx, Ownei, Ameiican
NASCAR Team Hendiick Motoispoits
Te epic battle of the ages.
Eveiything at stake.
The futuie of a nation thieatenedits wives, childien,
biethienfieedom oi slaveiy, life oi death.
Would anyone step up: Anyone:
The king didnt step up, noi did any of his valiant
soldieis oi decoiated leadeis. They weie too busy tiem-
bling in theii boots, paialyzed with feaia whole aimy
shut down.
If not foi one young man.
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12 IGNITE YOUR FAITH
Thankfully, someone had the guts to step up, make the
call, and make a moveone unieasonable young man. Its
amazing how just one guy who gets some ciazy on can be a
game changei, even if he is only a shepheid boy.
You iemembei the stoiy.
Samuel the piophet was sent by God to anoint one of
Jesses sons as the next king of Isiael. King Saul had dis-
obeyed God one too many times. Now God told the piophet
Samuel that He had picked one of Jesses sons to take Sauls
place. Gods like that. No mattei how bad things get, Hes
always got some man, somewhere, whos waiting foi his time
to step up.
One by one, fiom the oldest on down, Jesse paiaded his
boys by Samuel, but God said no to each of them. Puzzled,
Samuel asked if theie weie any otheis. Well, Jesse said,
theie is my youngest, David, but hes just a shepheid boy
off in the fields tending sheep. The implication: dont waste
youi time on him. Suiely hes not the one. Jesse just didnt
get it. David, in his mind, was too young, too small, too
inexpeiienced in battle. Go get him! Samuel demanded.
Ill wait! God had told the piophet:
Do not look at his appearance or at his physical
stature. For the Lord does not see as man sees;
for man looks at the outward appearance, but the
Lord looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).
When Samuel saw David, the Spiiit of the Loid said,
Arise, anoint him, for this is the one! (I Sam. I6:I2). David
was small and iuddy on the outside, but God knew that on
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Time to Step Up 13
the inside he possessed the heart of a waiiioi. Though it
wasnt time foi him to take the thione, the Spirit of the Lord
came upon David from that day forward (I Sam. I6:I3).
Sometime latei aftei his anointing, David was still
faithfully tending sheep, waiting, when his dad instiucted
him to pack some food and take it to his biotheis who
weie on the battlefield (see I Sam. I7:I7). These weie the
guys David looked up to, his heioes. You may be a man
who is anointed foi a ceitain task, but God has you in
waiting until youi time. Dont despise the time God has
you in tiaining, but be ieady to make a move when youi
time comes. Youve heaid the saying, Its amazing how
much woik, time, and effoit it took to become an ovei-
night success.
When David finally aiiives at the battlefield, hes stunned
by whats going on. A giant Philistine waiiioi-leadei named
Goliath is mocking, humiliating, talking smack, and thieat-
ening Gods aimy. The ultimate tiash talkei, Goliath was 9
feet 6 inches tall, a monstei coveied in aimoi. Dieadfully
afiaid, the whole aimy of Isiael was in flight mode. David
was aghast at his biotheis. He couldnt believe what he was
seeing. Now we aie going to find out why David was cho-
sen to be king. He may have been small in statuie but he
believed in a big God who had his back.
A holy boldness iose up inside him: Then David spoke
to the men who stood by him, saying, For who is this
uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies
of the living God? (I Sam. I7:26). In othei woids, Let me
at him!
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14 IGNITE YOUR FAITH
Theie weie seeds inside David that angeied him as a
man. Hed seen God at woik and he believed God. His
biotheis tiied to talk him out of his insane thinking. Go
back and tend the sheep, they told him, but David didnt
back down. Fiustiated at his biotheis foi theii spine-
lessness, he shouted, Is there not a causeis there not
something to fight for? Theres a battle to be won! Its easy
to lose heait when the enemy is defying you and making
fun, disdaining you and moie. But David believed. He
knew what the Loid could do. Back in the fields God had
given him the stiength to defeat a lion and a beai with his
hands (see I Sam. I7:34-33). Hed become quite effective at
slinging stones.
Feai, by the way, makes you play small, to pull in. Ozzie
Smith said, Show me a guy who is afiaid of looking bad
and I can beat him eveiy time.
2
David had confidence of
who God was in his life and who he was as a man. Even if
nobody else saw it, he did.
Saul tiied to give him his aimoi. David put it on, but
it only weighed him down (see I Sam. I7:38-39). He said,
Nope. This isnt minedoesnt woik foi me. Im going
with what God has given to me. So he packs up his sling
and some stones.
Get back to the fundamentals. Remembei this, sepa-
iation is in the piepaiation and God piepaies each of us
uniquely. Youve got gifts and talents and abilities. Maybe
youve lost sight of that. To get back in the fight, you need
to go back and woik on youi coie stuff. Get back to the
stuff that you know matteis, the stuff that stabilizes you.
Ignite_Your_Faith_TEXT.indd 14 6/20/14 9:05 AM
Time to Step Up 15
Spend time with God and the people who mattei most.
Poui into youi life the seeds of tiuth and hope.
Davids coie came fiom spending time with God in the
field. He knew his weapons (they had been tested). When
life gets tough, when youie facing a giant, get ieady. Youi
giant will challenge eveiything about you. It might even feel
oveiwhelming. Put youi faith and confidence in God like
David did. He even talked smack iight back to the enemy!
He shouted to the giant Philistine:
You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and
with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of
the Lord of hosts! This day the Lord will deliver
you into my hand, and I will strike you and take
your head from youthat all the earth may know
that there is a God in Israel! (1 Samuel 17:43-46)
David knew what matteied in life. When it was his time
to take the stage, he liteially ian towaid Goliath.
David hurried and ran toward the army to
meet the Philistine. Then David put his hand in
his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and
struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the
stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his
face to the earth. And when the Philistines saw
that their champion was dead, they fled. Now the
men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted, and
pursued the Philistines as far as the entrance of
the valley (1 Samuel 17:48-32).
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16 IGNITE YOUR FAITH
Life is not easy. Sometimes it can feel like theie is no
hope. Believe that God is with you. Get some fight, some pas-
sion back in you. Go with the heait and gifts God has placed
in you. Its time to step up.
Run to the battle.
Get youi swaggei back.
When you do, youll pick up momentum and otheis will
follow you. Its time foi a new geneiation of Davids who aie
willing to get some fight into them. Willing to step up and do
what needs to be done.
Its time to sepaiate and conseciate youiself foi battle.
You play and fight like you piactice. What aie you doing
to get youiself ieady: Thats what this devotional is all about.
Its about helping to anchoi youi faith so at the end of it all you
can look back and know that you left it all on the battlefield.
PRAYER TO IGNITE
Lord, empower me to step up.
ENDNOTES
1. Malcolm Gladwell, David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits,
and the Art of Battling Giants (New Yoik: Little, Biown
and Company, 2013).
2. Gaiy Mack, Mind Gym: An Athletes Guide to Inner
Excellence (New Yoik: McGiaw-Hill, 2001), 43.
Ignite_Your_Faith_TEXT.indd 16 6/20/14 9:05 AM
17
Day 2
The Courage to Act
Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey
all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn
from it to the right or to the left, that you may be
successful wherever you go (Joshua 1:7 NIV).
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and
courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discour-
aged, for the Lord your God will be with
you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9 NIV).
Courage is the ability to do the right thing, all the
time, no matter how painful or uncomfortable it
might be. It takes courage to say no. It takes courage
to stand up for your convictions. Tov DUcv
Te teim couiage is deiived fiom the Latin ioot cor, which
liteially means heait oi coie. Te oiiginal use of the woid
couiage meant to act accoiding to ones coie. Many Chiis-
tian men know what the Holy Spiiit is speaking to them
deep in the coie of theii being, yet theies no coiiespond-
ing action. Couiage is all about movement towaid what you
know is tiue. Its leained in the moment you take that fist
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18 IGNITE YOUR FAITH
step of faith. Sometimes couiageous action means standing
fim in youi conviction in the face of opposition.
When consideiing the woid couiage, often what
comes to mind is some heioic act of biaveiy like a fiie-
fightei iisking his life by iunning into a buining building
to iescue someone. Such acts ceitainly take couiage.
Sometimes we wondei if wed have what it takes to die
as a maityi foi Chiist. I do believe God gives a special
giace in moments like that. Dying as a maityi ceitainly
would take inciedible couiage. Howevei, it also takes
couiage to live foi Chiist, day in and day out, making
haid choices with integiity. I like how D.C. Talk and
The Voice of the Maityis put it: You may never have
to face the decision of whether or not to die for your
faith, but every day you face the decision of whether or
not you will live for it. Living authentically sometimes
takes moie couiage than dying.
Foi Joshua, being stiong and couiageous not only
meant facing his feais and tiusting God as he led his
aimy into battle (see Josh. I:9), but couiage also meant
walking consistently with God and being obedient
to Him.
Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to
obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do
not turn from it to the right or to the left, that
you may be successful wherever you go (Joshua
1:7 NIV).
Ignite_Your_Faith_TEXT.indd 18 6/20/14 9:05 AM
The Courage to Act 19
Staying focused on Gods way took couiage. It also
biought success.
When men live couiageously, amazing things happen.
Healing and hope come when we have the couiage to
expose oui wounds to the light of Gods tiuth and love.
Families aie iestoied. Jobs aie cieated. Wais aie won.
Give me a hundied men who feai nothing but sin, and
desiie nothing but God, said John Wesley, and I will
shake the woild. I caie not a stiaw whethei they be clei-
gymen oi laymen; and such alone will oveithiow the
kingdom of Satan and build up the Kingdom of God
on eaith.
The apostle Paul was couiageoushe even piaised
God in the piison dungeon aftei being neaily f logged
to death (see Acts I6:20-23). Lets iead what Paul wiote:
And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going
to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen
to me there. I only know that in every city the
Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hard-
ships are facing me. However, I consider my
life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to
finish the race and complete the task the Lord
Jesus has given methe task of testifying to the
good news of Gods grace (Acts 20:22-24 NIV).
Let us take couiage and be moved to walk in faith
believing that God is a iewaidei of those who diligently
seek Him (see Heb. II:6).
Ignite_Your_Faith_TEXT.indd 19 6/20/14 9:05 AM
20 IGNITE YOUR FAITH
PRAYER TO IGNITE
Lord, thank You for giving me the courage to
follow the leading of Your Spirit, regardless of the
risk. May Your faithfulness give me the courage to
make whatever changes, to take whatever risks,
You require of me in the future.
Ignite_Your_Faith_TEXT.indd 20 6/20/14 9:05 AM
21
Day 3
Only God Can
Fill the Void
He [God] has also set eternity in the
human heart (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV).
You have made us for yourself, O God,
and our hearts are restless until they find
their rest in you.S:i1 AUcUs1ii
1
King Solomon.
Its haid foi us to wiap oui minds aiound how iich he
was. Fiist Kings I0:I4 tells us that Solomon ieceived 666 tal-
ents of gold each yeai as a base income. In todays maiket
that would be aiound $I.3 billion a yeai. Anyway you slice
it, thats a lot of dough! Basically, Solomon was so iich, he
could buy whatevei he wanted, and he took full advantage
of his assets. He wiote in Ecclesiastes 2:I0 (NASB), All that
my eyes desired I did not refuse them. I did not withhold
my heart from any pleasure. Isnt that the dieam of most
men today: Unlimited iesouices: Powei and iespect: Excite-
ment and pleasuie: If I could just win the lotteiy then Ill
Ignite_Your_Faith_TEXT.indd 21 6/20/14 9:05 AM
22 IGNITE YOUR FAITH
be all set, we secietly dieam. Solomon had all of it. But lis-
ten to the next veise:
Thus I considered all my activities which my hands
had done and the labor which I had exerted, and
behold all was vanity and striving after wind and
there was no profit under the sun (Ecclesiastes
2:11 NASB).
All vanity and stiiving aftei wind: No piofit: Those aie
some heavy duty woids. But it gets woise! Solomon contin-
ued in veise I7, Therefore I hated life. Ok. Wow. So the
guy who had eveiythingwomen, adventuie, powei, unlim-
ited iesouices foi his cieative desiies, even beautiful ietieats
to ielieve stiessends up hating life! Solomon didnt say he
was just lacking in some aiea, but that he hated life! Thats
because nothing in this life can fill the void, nothing.
What was tiue foi Solomon is tiue foi us. Theies a sin-
gouged hole in the heait of eveiy man alivea deep void
that scieams to be filled. Look aiound at how we attempt to
fill that void with eveiything fiom adienalin-iushing activ-
ities to ielationships to caieeisspoits cais, football, foui
wheeleis, boats, hunting, fishing, you name it. Funfoi a
while. But none of it will ultimately satisfy.
Whatevei it is, whatevei you aie chasing will leave you
empty, longing foi something moie. Its a nevei-ending cycle
because only God can fill the hole in oui soulthe ache in
eveiy mans heait. Solomon also wiote, He [God] has also
set eternity in the human heart (Ecclesiastes 3:II NIV).
Not of this woild.
Ignite_Your_Faith_TEXT.indd 22 6/20/14 9:05 AM
Only God Can Fill the Void 23
We weie not made foi this woild, but foi eteinity, to
walk in fellowship with God. C.S. Lewis put it this way, If
I find in myself a desiie which no expeiience in this woild
can satisfy, the most piobable explanation is that I was made
foi anothei woild.
2
Accoiding to the Bible, substituting anything else is
ieally idolatiy. When we attempt to fill the void in us with
things othei than God, those things become idols. All of
those othei things aie not necessaiily wiong in them-
selves. We aie fiee to enjoy them in theii piopei place;
but anything in oui lives that gets the devotion that God
alone deseives, affects oui ielationship with Him. Because
of oui insecuiities, emotional vulneiability, and longing to
be needed, many of us aie diawn into ovei-involved iela-
tionships, placing people on the thione of oui lives, and in
effect, making them oui God. Remembei, people will always
fall shoit. Only in an ongoing ielationship with God will we
find the ultimate peace, intimacy, foigiveness, and joy oui
heaits long foi.
We may think we aie obeying the command of Fiist John
3:2I, Dear children, keep yourselves from idols because we
dont have any statues in oui homes, but we must iealize that
idols aie moie than the Isiaelites golden calf. Anything that
becomes oui ieason foi livingoui motivation foi behavioi,
oui ielational fuel othei than Godis an idol.
Blaise Pascal said, Theie is a God-shaped vacuum in
the heait of eveiy man which cannot be filled by any cieated
thing, but only by God, the Cieatoi, made known thiough
Jesus.
3
Ignite_Your_Faith_TEXT.indd 23 6/20/14 9:05 AM
24 IGNITE YOUR FAITH
PRAYER TO IGNITE
Lord, I recognize that only You can satisfy me. Help
me to identify any idols in my life and lay them at
the feet of the Cross. Fill me with Your peace, Your
contentment, Yourself. Draw me to You.
ENDNOTES
1. Saint Augustine, Confessions (New Yoik: Penguin,
1961), 120.
2. C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New Yoik: Simon &
Schustei, Touchtone edition, 1996).
3. Paiaphiase of Blaise Pascal, Pensees (New Yoik: Penguin,
1997), 43.
Ignite_Your_Faith_TEXT.indd 24 6/20/14 9:05 AM
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
T:m Ct:N1oN, Ed. D., is Piesident of the neaily
30,000-membei Ameiican Association of Chiis-
tian Counselois (AACC), the laigest and most
diveise Chiistian counseling association in the
woild. He is Piofessoi of Counseling and Pastoial
Caie, and Executive Diiectoi of the Centei foi Counseling and
Family Studies at Libeity Univeisity. Licensed in Viiginia as both
a Piofessional Counseloi (LPC) and Maiiiage and Family Teia-
pist (LMFT), Tim now spends a majoiity of his time woiking
with Chiistian leadeis and piofessional athletes. He is iecognized
as a woild leadei in faith and mental health issues and has
authoied ovei 20 books including Breakthrough: When to Give In,
When to Push Back. Most impoitantly, Tim has been maiiied 33
yeais to his wife Julie and togethei they have two childien, Megan
(iecently maiiied to Ben Allison) and Zach. Foi moie infoima-
tion, visit www.TimClinton.com and www.AACC.net.
Mnx Dnv:s holds degiees in Jouinalism and Bib-
lical Studies. He is the authoi of ovei twenty
books of both fiction and non-fiction. His books
have been tianslated into seveial languages and
have been featuied on shows such as The
Club, The Today Show, and in USA Today. He and his wife Alanna
live on thiity beautiful acies in Gieenwell Spiings, LA. To leain
moie, visit www.MaxDavisBooks.com.
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