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INTRODUCTION:

THIS study has been created as the result of requests for assistance...

Our next door neighbour recently asked if we had any basil. She said that she had been having problems in sleeping, feeling as if someone were trying to suffocate her and was naturally concerned. "e weather was cold and wet, so she had locked her house and shut all windows for security purposes. She lives alone.My #rst thoughts were that she was being deprived of fresh air and suffering from oxygen depletion. I was right.I explained that she had been breathing exhaled air that contained high levels of carbon dioxide and advised her to leave at least one window partially open and #t a security device. She has #xed security screens #$ed to her home.Her windows, like mine, were sliding aluminium framed and the screens were #$ed to the outside.

She explained that friends of hers had advised her to burn basil leaves “for protection!” Her friends had also advised her to sprinkle salt in the home for similar purposes. I told her that this was nothing less than pure New-age junk and to ignore it. She took my advice to open a window slightly to allow fresh air into the house and #t a simple security device so she would not have to lock herself inside.She reported the next day that the problem had been addressed and the problem has not reappeared.She had no headaches and slept like a baby and this has proven to be a lasting remedy.

A day or two later, a friend of mine asked me to provide some study material on this topic, having been in discussion with others whose belief pa$erns were somewhat questionable, so I have prepared this material, knowing that this will be a lengthy exercise. Some readers may not read a bible, so few quotations are included, but I can provide scores of references is requested. "e resource material I possess is enormous and if I included more material this document would look like encyclopaedia Britannica. "e problem I face is where to start and how much to share, so I will have to give a general précis of the topic. Let us therefore start at the beginning—Genesis. "e creation account found in the #rst two chapters of Genesis reveal that God had created man in His image and likeness, giving him dominion and authority on planet earth. God is a spirit. "erefore man is a spirit being. We possess a physical body and have a soul, but are spirit beings.Man is not a physical being having a spiritual experience, but a spirit being having a physical experience.

"ey were able to communicate on a level so amazing that God gave the man the authority and ability to name all living beings. Adam did not have any need to search for answers, seek any higher existence or need to know the future, because he was a spirit being with direct access to God and was to live forever.God provided for everything in absolute perfection and abundance, so Adam and his wife Eve, lacked for nothing. "e bible clearly reveals that a man and a woman are to marry and become husband and wife, not partners or living together in a de-facto relationship! Man and woman are to bear children and reproduce. God commanded Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve to multiply. Gay marriages can never do what God designed!

God asked only one thing and that was a direct command. He told Adam not to partake of a certain thing which was a fruit of a special tree. Other than that, Adam was lord of planet earth and could talk face to face as it were with God."e #rst few verses of Genesis chapter three reveal how Satan came to Eve and questioned God’s word! It is interesting to see that all false cults, occultists and substitute forms of religion or spirituality deny the veracity of God’s word.Ask any of those practitioners simple questions concerning the reality of God, the deity of Jesus and His completed work at Calvary, the inspiration and authority of His word and they will all in one form or another avoid answering.

To paraphrase Genesis 3:1-6, Satan said to Eve, “Now come on woman, did God really say that? He really didn’t mean it you know. You can #nd things out directly for yourself and be your own god.” Eve listened to his lie, looked at everything in the natural and tried to get what she already had, by some alternate way. She saw that this tree was a delight to her eyes, its fruit was good to eat and that a mere apple or whatever the fruit was, would give her wisdom so that she could bypass God."e devil wants us to turn to any source, #nd information from any source, depend on help, guidance, direction, protection or anything else provided we do not turn to or rely on God."is is a common trait that is manifest in alternate religions. "e seeking of enlightenment, being at peace with yourself and being at one with the world and #nding yourself and the like—are lies that are as old as creation itself and exists for one reason only. It is to take you away form the true and genuine article, namely, God! It is designed to bring you down and send you to hell! Jesus said that the sole purpose of the devil was to steal, kill and destroy whilst He wants to bring us life to the full, rich and enjoyable. See John 10:10. God wants us to KNOW the truth that can be a liberating force within us. See John 8:32 and John 14:17. In the original language this knowledge is Ginosko that relates to an intimate and personal relationship with God.It is the deepest form of relationship we can experience and is likened to the intimacy enjoyed in marriage.

SALT AND BASIL:

MY neighbour had a real problem but, as with many other people, did not know what to do.

She needed help that was real, practical and simple, but her friends were sadly giving her bad advice that could have had serious repercussions. "e problems with many New Age and similar practitioners are that they may mean well, but are ill advised. I told my neighbour that such stuff is bordering on devil’s turf; that it is Satanic and that she should not become involved. She was horri#ed.

Common salt or sodium chloride (NACL) and is one of the oldest food seasonings and preservatives. Saltiness is one of the basic human tastes. Salt can cause corrosion and if my neighbour had sprinkled it around as advised, it would have quickly become spoiled in the wet weather that existed! Sea salt is sea salt! Her friends were advocating that salt represents the earth and is to be used for cleansing crystals, puri#cation, grounding and protection.How can a few grains of a natural material protect anyone if &ushed away by rain?"eir logic mysti#es me. Salt has no magic powers!

"ey told her to burn basil. "e burning of basil supposedly exorcises negativity from the home. "is would achieve li$le but trigger the smoke alarm. "ey told her that to do a really thorough cleansing and protection for her and her home, she needed to sprinkle a li$le basil in each corner of each room in the house and add it to the bathwater. She cannot do that because her bathroom contains only a shower.Basil is apparently used to mend lovers' quarrels (she lives alone) and brings good luck (luck is a twist on the name Lucifer) to a new home (her home is at least 12 years old). "e scent of basil “causes sympathy between two people and so is worn to avoid major clashes”. Such people advise its use in rites of exorcism and in the ritual bath, sprinkle over the area of the heart to promote #delity and that the scent brings happiness to the home and will protect in crowds.

OK, let us deal with these things for a moment. Fidelity has nothing to do with basil or any other object. It is an area of the soul or the mind and is a choice process. Freedom of will is a human trait and one exercises this quality to choose faithfulness.

As for exorcism, this is an area in which we deal with evil spirits and demonic forces—beings who are “fallen angels” who were evicted from heaven when the archangel Lucifer was evicted because of his pride. "ey exercised their freedom of will to join him in his revolt against God. Lucifer became the devil who used similar ploys to deceive Eve, using ego, pride, sel#sh ambition and more so that she would choose her own way and do what she wanted.He got her to substitute her relationship with the one true God with something else!Again, this is a common ploy today. It may sound plausible. It might give the false impression that it works, but doesn’t. It o'en appeals to the sense knowledge, but Adam and Eve were then living by revelation knowledge in their unclu$ered relationship with God. "e objective is to bring those who fall for it into subjection of one form or another. Fear is common. "is was their #rst reaction, hiding from God because they suddenly became aware of their bodies and natural surroundings that had now become the driving force in their lives as this spiritual relationship with God had now been severed.Fear of the unknown fear of ge$ing sick; fear of something so powerful that those who fall for it come up with all sorts of potions and formulas, such as already described to ward off what they fear.

Jesus is the one who had mastery over such evil forces. He cast out spirits with His word—not a magical formulae or potion! Evil spirits are spirits! "ey respond only to spiritual authority. Such authority stems only from a person in covenant relationship with God! "e account is seen in Acts 19 when vagabond exorcists tried to emulate what they had witnessed by the Spirit #lled Christians. Seven of them, sons of a man called Sceva tried to cast an evil spirit out of a man. We need to look at the account.

Some itinerant Jewish exorcists who happened to be in town at the time tried their hand at what they assumed to be Paul's "game." !ey pronounced the name of the Master Jesus over victims of evil spirits, saying, "I command you by the Jesus preached by Paul!" !e seven sons of a certain Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were trying to do this on a man when the evil spirit talked back:"I know Jesus and I've heard of Paul, but who are you?" !en the possessed man went berserk—jumped the exorcists, beat them up, and tore off their clothes. Naked and bloody, they got away as best they could. Acts 19:13-16.

"ey were saying the right words, but as they were not in relationship with Jesus, all of their efforts were in vain. "e evil spirit world recognises nothing but the Blood of Jesus and the authority of His Name!Jesus gave us power of a$orney to represent Him on the earth and without that anyone who tries other ways is exposing himself or herself to the very forces they seek to control or desire to escape! See Ma$hew 8:16.He gave us delegated authority to do what He did. See Luke 10:17, Mark 16:17. Additional reading Ma$hew 9:32-34; 15:21-28, 17:15-18; Mark 1:21-27, Luke 8:1-2; Acts 5:15-16.

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Health and healing come from the covenant with God through Jesus. He was whipped to achieve our healing according to Isaiah 53 and 1 Peter 2:24 but New Age teaching depends on things like aromatherapy for bronchitis, fatigue, colds, loss of concentration, migraine, gout, aches and pains, insect bites, insect-repellent, coughs, insomnia, anxiety, depression and infectious disease. Its key properties are purported to be restorative, tonic, antidepressant, refreshing, upli'ing, fortifying, purifying, clearing, warming, cephalic and more. A further investigation revealed that of the scores and scores of other herbs, similar results are achieved.Bay Leaf when burned as incense supposedly can produce a prophetic trance, puri#cation, enhance psychic powers and help with meditation and the like. It can be used for wish magic, exorcism, healing, health, protection, divination, visions, clairvoyance, provide energy, power, strength, inspiration, and defence. All these are counterfeits. I am not saying that they are unreal in their eyes, but I am advocating that they are counterfeits. You will never #nd a counterfeit $3 note because there is no such thing. Scriptures clearly tell us that the genuine articles come from God. A good example is seen when Moses went to Pharaoh and cast his rod down on God’s command. It turned into a snake and the magicians of Egypt did the same. "ey soon realised that, despite their magic tricks and divinations, they were unable to copycat and admi$ed that Moses’ God was God! "e account is found in Exodus chapters 7 to 9.

DREAMS & VISIONS:

AS for dreams and visions, again the bible tells us to turn to God and no one else.

When Joseph was in Egypt, the Pharaoh had troubling dreams. "ey were real, but no one, including the magicians could interpret them, except God’s man. A heathen King freely admi$ed this saying that the only person who could interpret the dreams was a man in whom the Spirit of God dwelt! "is account is found in Genesis 41.Daniel clearly con#rmed this truth when the King saw visions and no one was able to help him.

In the second year of his reign, King Nebuchadnezzar started having dreams that disturbed him deeply. He couldn't sleep. He called in all the Babylonian magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and fortunetellers to interpret his dreams for him. When they came and lined up before the king, he said to them, "I had a dream that I can't get out of my mind. I can't sleep until I know what it means." !e fortunetellers, speaking in the Aramaic language, said, "Long live the king! Tell us the dream and we will interpret it." Daniel 2:1-4.

He was not fooled by their tricks and told them that if they could tell him the dream and give the interpretation, he would lavishly reward them, but if not, they would be killed. "eir reply was-

!e fortunetellers said, "Nobody anywhere can do what you ask. And no king, great or small, has ever demanded anything like this $om any magician, enchanter, or fortuneteller. What you're asking is impossible unless some god or goddess should reveal it—and they don't hang around with people like us." Daniel 2:10-11.

Daniel was eventually brought before the King and not only told him what dreams he had but gave the correct interpretation of them, saying that God alone is the one who reveals such things. "is is ge$ing onto another ma$er, but fortune telling and things like tarot card reading is demonic—full stop and the Old Testament says that such wizardry is punishable by death! "at’s serious because it opens a portal up to the devil and his cronies to operate in the practitioners’ lives.

New Age practitioners may advise you to put the leaves under your pillow to give inspiration and visions."e genuine article comes from God."ey say that this is a herb of the sun that brings the light of summer into the darkest time of the year. "ey advise people to carry the leaf or place one in the home to ward off illness and hexes. Its aromatherapy uses are similar to those of the basil. Our neighbour’s friends are members of the widespread New Age movement that took prominence in the 1960s and 1970s “Age of Aquarius”, but date back even further into the 18th and 19th century. Its central precepts draw on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and infuses them with self-help beliefs, motivational psychology, holistic health, parapsychology, consciousness research and quantum physics.

"e New Age aims to create a spirituality without borders or con#ning dogmas that is inclusive and pluralistic. It holds to "a holistic worldview", meaning that the mind, the body, and Spirit are interrelated. "is sounds similar to Christian beliefs that we are Spirit, soul and physical body. Some beliefs seem close to Christian beliefs, but are as false as a $3 note."eir beliefs embrace a blend of science and spirituality with practices and philosophies that o'en draw inspiration from Buddhism, Taoism, Chinese folk religion, Christianity, Hinduism, Su# Islam, Sikhism, East Asian religions, Esotericism, Gnosticism, Hermeticism, Idealism, Neopaganism, New "ought, Spiritualism, "eosophy, Universalism, and Wisdom tradition. "e only religion whose founder is still alive is Jesus. His grave does not exist, yet you can #nd the remains of Buddha, Mohammad and others. "e Name Jesus is the only name used for cursing. "ink of it. When facing death, people all around the world o'en cry out that Name. No one says, “Oh Buddah” when the plane is going down. People who never prayed before start praying. Why? "ere is a spirit in man that (although people may try to deny it) cries out for God.

REAL AUTHORITY:

THE pure Christian belief structure is rock solid.

It is not theoretical and it is based on one God in three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. His plan is revealed to us in His word and the Holy Spirit has come to teach us all things. See John 14:15-17, 26-27; 16:7-15. We know where we stand. We have God’s protection, guidance, provision and an assured future in scores and scores of scriptures. As for those evil spirits my neighbour’s “friend” tried to ward off, we are in a wonderful and unique position. True followers of Jesus need no external arti#cial aids like sprinkling salt or burning incense. Jesus has given us power of a$orney in His Name.When God raised Him from the dead certain things happened. Paul explained that we can:

know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength, Ephesians 1:19.

God wants us to know the truth that sets us free from all forms of bondage. Paul continued and told us what God did:

Which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him $om the dead and seated Him at His [own] right hand in the heavenly [places], Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in this age and in this world, but also in the age and the world which are to come. And He has put all things under His feet and has appointed Him the universal and supreme Head of the church [a headship exercised throughout the church], Which is His body, the fullness of Him Who %lls all in all [ for in that body lives the full measure of Him Who makes everything complete, and Who %lls everything everywhere with Himself]. Ephesians 1:20-23.

When Jesus sent 70 additional disciples out on assignments, He said nothing about the devil and evil spirits, but they had occasion to deal with demonic manifestations and simply took control, using the power of His name and those foul things had to obey!

!e seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name! And He said to them, I saw Satan falling like a lightning [&ash] $om heaven. Behold! I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and [physical and mental strength and ability] over all the power that the enemy [possesses]; and nothing shall in any way harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are enrolled in heaven. Luke 10:17-20.

"is is seen many times in the bible. Mark 16:15-20 is a classic example.

In Acts 16, a woman followed Paul and his companions around saying that they were prophets of God who showed the way of salvation. She was correct, but she was being controlled by an evil spirit of divination. Paul turned around and commanded that spirit to leave her. He commanded that spirit in the name of Jesus Christ and it le'! "is and many other instances illustrate that Jesus has given real Christians the power of using His Name. It is not a magic wand or a formula we use, but stems from an intimate relationship with Him.It is like the Police officer who can stand in front of a truck, hold his hand up and tell the driver to stop! "e man has no personal ability to do that, but he is wearing a badge that gives him that authority to do that, because he represents the government.Christians (not religious church a$enders) have an invisible badge of authority like that and can exercise it effectively in these ma$ers. We represent the Government of God!"e Christian life is not a religion! It far surpasses mere religious beliefs and traditions, it is the only real holistic way of life that works with lasting effect and it is a lifestyle that represents the ultimate authority in existence."e Kingdom of God is God’s way of doing things.

WITCHC!FT & DIVINATION:

THE word of God is very clear about these ma$ers.

When you enter the land that GOD, your God, is giving you, don't take on the abominable ways of life of the nations there. Don't you dare sacri%ce your son or daughter in the %re. Don't practice divination, sorcery, fortunetelling , witchery, casting spells, holding seances, or channeling with the dead. People who do these things are an abomination to GOD. It's because of just such abominable practices that GOD, your God, is driving these nations out before you. Be completely loyal to GOD, your God. !ese nations that you're about to run out of the country consort with sorcerers and witches. But not you. GOD, your God, forbids it. Deuteronomy 18:9-14.

God considered this such a serious ma$er that He said in Exodus 22:18 that WITCHES SHOULD BE PUT TO DEATH."is seems like an extreme approach, but God did not want His people to become contaminated with practices that were inspired by the devil!

Witchcra', the use of occult or supernatural forces and divination magic, represents a belief that it is possible for man to exert an in&uence over his fellow human beings or to change the course of events. Magic may be either white or black, but it is still magic. Black magic was alleged to produce malevolent results for the person or people against whom the spell was directed. "e opposite was the case with white magic, but both are evil and forbidden. Even the wearing of amulets or bracelets, was condemned in Isaiah 3:18–23.

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FAMILIAR SPIRITS:

THIS comes into areas of necromancy and the like.

Such things like this and clairvoyance are merely acts of seeking things not normally seen and the evil spirits doing the motivating will comply with something! Communicating with the dead is forbidden by God. A$empts conjure up what are known as Familiar Spirits. When practitioners tell seekers certain things, they merely communicate with the evil spirits that know certain factual things with the deceased, not because of any special abilities, but because they have been hanging around them and have become familiar with their habits and deeds, likes and dislikes etc hence the title familiar spirits.Telling the future is nothing more than making assumptions based on known past facts. "e only one who knows the future with certainty is God and if we want to #nd out about such ma$ers, we can ask Him!

King Saul was greatly troubled and fearful because he had sinned and God’s presence was not like it once was. When the enemy came to a$ack, he did everything he could to get answers, but to no avail. He had turned away from God and nothing was working for him, so he then sought a woman who had a familiar spirit. "e bible calls her the witch of Endor. "is woman saw an apparition that the bible says was Samuel. Samuel said that God had departed from Saul and things would go bad for him. It later cost him his life.I have a saying, “If you are in a submarine, don’t open a porthole.” Dabbing with such things opens a porthole. Once that portal is opened, the seeker is exposed to whatever may or may not come. "e practitioner may be in a worse state.

God’s a$itude towards witchcra' has a de#nite purpose. It is to put a sharp distinction between His people and others.In the biblical accounts it was people like the Canaanites and the Babylonians. Divination and witchcra' was rife in Egypt. "e Egyptians resorted to witchcra' in all cases where natural methods were of no avail. Witchcra' and religion were closely linked and black magic was sometimes used. "e welfare both of those in the land of the living and of those who had passed to the nether world was protected and this practice had its special deity. "e art of witchcra' as practiced in Egypt was divided into several main classes.

Protective magic: "is kind of magic was the gi' of the sun god, who created the charms by which mankind was supposedly protected from certain mischief, such as the bites of snakes, scorpions and wild beasts. It was very close to medicine and Egyptian medicines were o'en administered with charms.Fertility magic: "is was practiced to ensure fertility, to assist in childbirth and to ensure success in love. It also afforded protection against the effects of storms and bad weather.Divination: People were always anxious about their future and used all sorts of methods to enquire into the future.

Black magic: "is was generally forbidden in Egypt but it happened. "ose who practiced it without authority were punished by the state.

Modern times see things like seances, tarot card readings, palm reading, iridology, teacup reading, crystal ball gazing and the list goes on. "ere is nothing new at all about such things and they are all likened to what we have just mentioned. My neighbour’s friends were dabbling in such areas. "eir intentions may have been honourable but could be unlocking the door for serious in#ltration into their lives."ey may well believe that this stuff works and it o'en seems to but think of warfare in which spying and espionage are integral parts. If you provide the enemy with enough seemingly correct information, you could disguise the real plan. "e Allies tricked the Germans on D-Day into believing that the invasion was somewhere other than the beaches of Normandy. AT LIFE’S END:

YOU and I have an eternal destiny.

"ere are only two possible outcomes, depending on individual choice processes. Some people refuse to believe that there is a devil and real places like Heaven and Hell.Ill-informed people believe that God will never send anyone to hell and they are partially correct, because He doesn’t. People choose to go there by denying Christ!We have the power of choice and He honours that choice. We can choose to follow Jesus and receive the totally free-gi' of salvation that He brought us by going to the cross and being raised from the dead. We can accept the offer and eventually go to Heaven or reject the offer and go to hell."e Gospel message is very clear and simple. Either you have the Son or you do not. If you do, you have eternal life. First John 5:11-12 is a typical example.

Once this present life is #nished. We leave our earthly bodies and the spirit instantly goes to its ultimate destination. Remember that we are spirit beings, not physical beings. We are spirits who have a soul (the mind, the will and the emotions) and live in an earthly body. See 1 "essalonians 5:23. When the body dies, the spirit departs.Paul spoke of this as being absent from the body to be with Jesus (if you are Christian). See 2 Corinthians 5:1-11.

"ere is no return!In Luke 16:19-31, Jesus spoke of two men who both died. One went to hell and was in absolute torment. "e other went to be with the LORD. Verse 26 clearly says that there is a great #xed gulf between that no one can cross over."e practice of consulting with the spirits of deceased persons etc are exposing themselves to great risk and a$empting to do things that God absolutely forbids. "ey are delving into areas of the occult; into witchcra' and divination.

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CONCLUSION:

THIS presentation is far from being complete.

I have only been able in the space available to present a brief summary of things that could take volumes to analyse, but I have done my best to present the truth. You might not have heard these things from this perspective before, or could be someone who is looking for answers—for the truth and for a meaning to life.

Jesus said that He is the way, the truth and the life. He also said that no one can #nd God unless they come through Him! See John 10:9, 14:6; Romans 5:2: Ephesians 2:18; James 4:8. Peter said-

...And in no other is there salvation: for there is no other name under heaven, given among men, through which we may have salvation. Acts 4:12.

"ere is nothing that you can do to earn a thing from God, other than to believe Him and to trust Him. Salvation is a gi'. It is free. It embraces everything.You cannot explain it, but you can experience it and the way it produces change in your life. "ink of a beautiful bu$er&y. It was once an ugly grub, but was transformed. Jesus transforms our lives in the way only He can do.

People ask for proof before they will believe, but God’s way is to believe #rst, then He will prove it. You cannot see gravity can you? Fall out of a tree and you will quickly discover it is real. In like manner, the things of God are real and the Kingdom in which God operates is real. It is God’s way of doing things. If you put those principles to work, like applying the laws of aerodynamics, an impossible thing happens and an aircra' overcomes the law of gravity and &oats in the air.I have been walking with God since 1968 and have proved what I just said. "e Christian way of life is not religion. It is most likely nothing like you think or have experienced and is full of the things you might be seeking.If you seek cleansing, the Blood of Jesus is the only real cleansing agent that works and lasts! Ephesians 2:13, 1 John 1:7 and Revelation 1:5 are a few references to con#rm this.If you need direction and understanding, don’t go to a spirit guide, but turn to the Hoy Spirit, who is the Spirit of truth and always speaks nothing but the truth. Also start digging in the bible for scriptures that speak the same way and reveal the plan and purpose for your life.If you look for peace in your life, the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ gives us His peace that passes all understanding.

You can receive everything you seek in mere seconds. Just tell God about it and invite Him to do what He promised to do in your life. Repent or change your ways and ask God to forgive your sin, ask Jesus into your life and receive him. It really is that simple—so simple that people mess it up with theology, religion and doing good deeds. It’s a gi', remember!

"is, as I said, is an enormous and complex ma$er and I have merely scratched the surface. You are more than welcome to contact me for more information. I hope that I have helped you and blessed you.Robert

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!is has been a Bashan Ministries Presentation.For further information please contact Pastor Robert Carter at

Bashan MinistriesP.O. Box 152

Mount Tamborine QLd 4272 AustraliaE-mail info@bashanministries.org

Web www.bashanministries.org

You are invited