Spiritual Vision Through Personal Purity (2)

March 27th, 2012 by JDVaughn No comments »

Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place . . . —Revelation 4:1


A higher state of mind and spiritual vision can only be achieved through the higher practice of personal character. If you live up to the highest and best that you know in the outer level of your life, God will continually say to you, “Friend, come up even higher.” There is also a continuing rule in temptation which calls you to go higher; but when you do, you only encounter other temptations and character traits. Both God and Satan use the strategy of elevation, but Satan uses it in temptation, and the effect is quite different. When the devil elevates you to a certain place, he causes you to fasten your idea of what holiness is far beyond what flesh and blood could ever bear or achieve. Your life becomes a spiritual acrobatic performance high atop a steeple. You cling to it, trying to maintain your balance and daring not to move. But when God elevates you by His grace into heavenly places, you find a vast plateau where you can move about with ease.Compare this week in your spiritual life with the same week last year to see how God has called you to a higher level. We have all been brought to see from a higher viewpoint. Never allow God to show you a truth which you do not instantly begin to live up to, applying it to your life. Always work through it, staying in its light.Your growth in grace is not measured by the fact that you haven’t turned back, but that you have an insight and understanding into where you are spiritually. Have you heard God say, “Come up higher,” not audibly on the outer level, but to the innermost part of your character?“Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing . . . ?” (Genesis 18:17). God has to hide from us what He does, until, due to the growth of our personal character, we get to the level where He is then able to reveal it.

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March 27, 2012

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

 

Lord, just when I think I have become bulletproof, protected by my faith and obedience, I up and do something or say something….or just think something far and away from the man and character I thought I had become. Just when I thought I was “measuring up” to your standards, I fell to earth. My selfless thoughts and prayers for others suddenly shifted into a selfish concentrated focus onto myself and my wants and needs….and carry with them an intensity that I had forgotten was inside of me. How can I deal with this? How can I reclaim the man I thought I was and am in you?

And God says…”You are no more saint or sinner than the Apostle Paul when he wrote to the Romans about wanting to do the right thing and then being pulled in another direction…..”Romans 7: 21-25 (MSG)…It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that
delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge. I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is  there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question? The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does.”

“Focus on Jesus, who He is and what He has done for you, and you will be energized, and transformed, as the song says…one day at a time.”

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Spiritual Vision Through Personal Purity (1)

March 26th, 2012 by JDVaughn No comments »

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God —Matthew 5:8


Purity is not innocence— it is much more than that. Purity is the result of continued spiritual harmony with God. We have to grow in purity. Our life with God may be right and our inner purity unblemished, yet occasionally our outer life may become spotted and stained. God intentionally does not protect us from this possibility, because this is the way we recognize the necessity of maintaining our spiritual vision through personal purity. If the outer level of our spiritual life with God is impaired to the slightest degree, we must put everything else aside until we make it right. Remember that spiritual vision depends on our character— it is “the pure in heart” who “see God.”God makes us pure by an act of His sovereign grace, but we still have something that we must carefully watch. It is through our bodily life coming in contact with other people and other points of view that we tend to become tarnished. Not only must our “inner sanctuary” be kept right with God, but also the “outer courts” must be brought into perfect harmony with the purity God gives us through His grace. Our spiritual vision and understanding is immediately blurred when our “outer court” is stained. If we want to maintain personal intimacy with the Lord Jesus Christ, it will mean refusing to do or even think certain things. And some things that are acceptable for others will become unacceptable for us.A practical help in keeping your personal purity unblemished in your relations with other people is to begin to see them as God does. Say to yourself, “That man or that woman is perfect in Christ Jesus! That friend or that relative is perfect in Christ Jesus!”

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March 26, 2012

Lord, on this retreat, I thought I would rise up and embrace You even more tightly than before. But then I found that I was and am the same man with the same short sightedness, the same man creating the same roadblocks for myself. And then You remind me that Jesus removes all the roadblocks and all my failed attempts for becoming a better person. You remind me that I can live
like a man consumed by Jesus, not through any effort of my own, but by simply focusing on Jesus. You remind me to let go of the results, the outcomes, and to give myself to Jesus.

And God says…”Jesus is the way, the trust and the light. All things are accomplished by and through Him. Do not try to become a better person, or to live out the commandments, or
even to demonstrate your Christianity.  Do not give to the poor, invest in missions, or build a new and powerful church. Rest and trust in Jesus, and let Him accomplish all things as you are simply available, open and surrendered. In this way you will become a better person, you will live out the commandments, and your Christianity will be visible to all. You may then give to the poor, invest in missions and build a powerful and new church. But it will not be you living your Christianity and demonstrating Jesus, it will be Jesus living through you.”

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Maintaining the Proper Relationship

March 25th, 2012 by Dave No comments »

. . . the friend of the bridegroom . . . —John 3:29

Goodness and purity should never be traits that draw attention to themselves, but should simply be magnets that draw people to Jesus Christ. If my holiness is not drawing others to Him, it is not the right kind of holiness; it is only an influence which awakens undue emotions and evil desires in people and diverts them from heading in the right direction. A person who is a beautiful saint can be a hindrance in leading people to the Lord by presenting only what Christ has done for him, instead of presenting Jesus Christ Himself. Others will be left with this thought— “What a fine person that man is!” That is not being a true “friend of the bridegroom”— I am increasing all the time; He is not.
To maintain this friendship and faithfulness to the Bridegroom, we have to be more careful to have the moral and vital relationship to Him above everything else, including obedience. Sometimes there is nothing to obey and our only task is to maintain a vital connection with Jesus Christ, seeing that nothing interferes with it. Only occasionally is it a matter of obedience. At those times when a crisis arises, we have to find out what God’s will is. Yet most of our life is not spent in trying to be consciously obedient, but in maintaining this relationship— being the “friend of the bridegroom.” Christian work can actually be a means of diverting a person’s focus away from Jesus Christ. Instead of being friends “of the bridegroom,” we may become amateur providences of God to someone else, working against Him while we use His weapons.

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Decreasing for His Purpose

March 24th, 2012 by JDVaughn No comments »

He must increase, but I must decrease —John 3:30

5

If you become a necessity to someone else’s life, you are out of God’s will. As a servant, your primary responsibility is to be a “friend of the bridegroom” (John 3:29). When you see a person who is close to grasping the claims of Jesus Christ, you know that your influence has been used in the right direction. And when you begin to see that person in the middle of a difficult and painful struggle, don’t try to prevent it, but pray that his difficulty will grow even ten times stronger, until no power on earth or in hell could hold him away from Jesus Christ. Over and over again, we try to be amateur providences in someone’s life. We are indeed amateurs, coming in and actually preventing God’s will and saying, “This person should not have to experience this difficulty.” Instead of being friends of the Bridegroom, our sympathy gets in the way. One day that person will say to us, “You are a thief; you stole my desire to follow Jesus, and because of you I lost sight of Him.”

Beware of rejoicing with someone over the wrong thing, but always look to rejoice over the right thing. “. . . the friend of the bridegroom . . . rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:29-30). This was spoken with joy, not with sadness-at last they were to see the Bridegroom! And John said this was his joy. It represents a stepping aside, an absolute removal of the servant, never to be thought of again.

Listen intently with your entire being until you hear the Bridegroom’s voice in the life of another person. And never give any thought to what devastation, difficulties, or sickness it will bring. Just rejoice with godly excitement that His voice has been heard. You may often have to watch Jesus Christ wreck a life before He saves it (see Matthew 10:34).

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Am I Carnally Minded?

March 23rd, 2012 by JDVaughn No comments »

Where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal . . . ? —1 Corinthians 3:3


The natural man, or unbeliever, knows nothing about carnality. The desires of the flesh warring against the Spirit, and the Spirit warring against the flesh, which began at rebirth, are what produce carnality and the awareness of it. But Paul said, “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). In other words, carnality will disappear.Are you quarrelsome and easily upset over small things? Do you think that no one who is a Christian is ever like that? Paul said they are, and he connected these attitudes with carnality. Is there a truth in the Bible that instantly awakens a spirit of malice or resentment in you? If so, that is proof that you are still carnal. If the process of sanctification is continuing in your life, there will be no trace of that kind of spirit remaining.If the Spirit of God detects anything in you that is wrong, He doesn’t ask you to make it right; He only asks you to accept the light of truth, and then He will make it right. A child of the light will confess sin instantly and stand completely open before God. But a child of the darkness will say, “Oh, I can explain that.” When the light shines and the Spirit brings conviction of sin, be a child of the light. Confess your wrongdoing, and God will deal with it. If, however, you try to vindicate yourself, you prove yourself to be a child of the darkness.

What is the proof that carnality has gone? Never deceive yourself; when carnality is gone you will know it-it is the most real thing you can imagine. And God will see to it that you have a number of opportunities to prove to yourself the miracle of His grace. The proof is in a very practical test. You will find yourself saying, “If this had happened before, I would have had the spirit of resentment!” And you will never cease to be the most amazed person on earth at what God has done for you on the inside.

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March 23, 2012

Journal Entry for Today

Lord, thank you for your reassurance. Thank you for reminding me that your grace and power are sufficient for transforming me into the man You want me to be. Once again You have shown me that my role is to simply rely on You; to trust and obey. And even when I do not trust and obey, You have shown me that You are sufficient for me then as well.

And God says…”Trust in Me with all your heart and do not rely on your own understanding, your own good deeds, or even your ability to trust and obey. Trust in Me. Trust in the transforming power of Jesus. Acknowledge Me in all your ways and I will make your paths straight. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all the things you need shall be added to you.”

“Give Me your life, and I will give you a life abundant with hope, love, peace and joy. And I will transform you into a man after my own heart.”

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The Burning Heart

March 22nd, 2012 by JDVaughn No comments »

Did not our heart burn within us . . . ? —Luke 24:32


We need to learn this secret of the burning heart. Suddenly Jesus appears to us, fires are set ablaze, and we are given wonderful visions; but then we must learn to maintain the secret of the burning heart— a heart that can go through anything. It is the simple, dreary day, with its commonplace duties and people, that smothers the burning heart— unless we have learned the secret of abiding in Jesus.Much of the distress we experience as Christians comes not as the result of sin, but because we are ignorant of the laws of our own nature. For instance, the only test we should use to determine whether or not to allow a particular emotion to run its course in our lives is to examine what the final outcome of that emotion will be. Think it through to its logical conclusion, and if the outcome is something that God would condemn, put a stop to it immediately. But if it is an emotion that has been kindled by the Spirit of God and you don’t allow it to have its way in your life, it will cause a reaction on a lower level than God intended. That is the way unrealistic and overly emotional people are made. And the higher the emotion, the deeper the level of corruption, if it is not exercised on its intended level. If the Spirit of God has stirred you, make as many of your decisions as possible irrevocable, and let the consequences be what they will. We cannot stay forever on the “mount of transfiguration,” basking in the light of our mountaintop experience (see Mark 9:1-9). But we must obey the light we received there; we must put it into action. When God gives us a vision, we must transact business with Him at that point, no matter what the cost.We cannot kindle when we will The fire which in the heart resides, The spirit bloweth and is still, In mystery our soul abides; But tasks in hours of insight willed Can be through hours of gloom fulfilled.
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March 22, 2012

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, Chambers seems to be reminding me that I am to act on the vision You gave me even though I may be consumed by the dreary issues of day to day living. Even though I am caught up in the mundane day to day “stuff”, I am to keep my eyes on the vision and act on it. Is that the message; keep focused on the vision You gave me, even though I am bombarded by trials and circumstances?

And God says…”That is almost right, but in being almost right your conclusion is most certainly wrong. If you are connected and identified with Jesus, you cannot get caught up in the mundane. When you are connected to Jesus and to others, letting Him flow through you ….hours of insight willed will always transcend hours of gloom….and be…  fulfilled. One way to notice that you are living connected to Jesus, is when you discover that potentially dreary times are now filled with eager expectation, knowing that whatever comes to you, or not, is blessed by Jesus. You live in eager anticipation, knowing full well that all things work for good for those that love the God and are called according to His purpose.”

“In times like these you come to realize that there is no dreary, mundane, fear, nor gloom. And you are not deterred by many exciting experiences and emotions of the moment; although those times can be very stimulating and exciting. You come to realize that your life and vision are fulfilled simply and purposely when you are connected to Jesus.”

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Identified or Simply Interested?

March 21st, 2012 by JDVaughn No comments »

I have been crucified with Christ . . . —Galatians 2:20


The inescapable spiritual need each of us has is the need to sign the death certificate of our sin nature. I must take my emotional opinions and intellectual beliefs and be willing to turn them into a moral verdict against the nature of sin; that is, against any claim I have to my right to myself. Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ . . . .” He did not say, “I have made a determination to imitate Jesus Christ,” or, “I will really make an effort to follow Him”-but-”I have been identified with Him in His death.” Once I reach this moral decision and act on it, all that Christ accomplished for me on the Cross is accomplished inme. My unrestrained commitment of myself to God gives the Holy Spirit the opportunity to grant to me the holiness of Jesus Christ.“. . . it is no longer I who live . . . .” My individuality remains, but my primary motivation for living and the nature that rules me are radically changed. I have the same human body, but the old satanic right to myself has been destroyed.“. . . and the life which I now live in the flesh,” not the life which I long to live or even pray that I live, but the life I now live in my mortal flesh-the life which others can see, “I live by faith in the Son of God . . . .” This faith was not Paul’s own faith in Jesus Christ, but the faith the Son God had given to him (see Ephesians 2:8). It is no longer a faith in faith, but a faith that transcends all imaginable limits-a faith that comes only from the Son of God.
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March 21, 2012

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, Chambers makes it sound so easy; that all I need do is identify with Jesus and become holy. If that also means that I no longer fall short of the mark, well, that cannot be right. Your word says that if I say I have no sin, then I am not being honest. I know I fall short of the mark…too often.  Is Chambers saying we are holy, regardless of our behavior and thoughts, because we identify with Jesus?

And God says…”When you identify with Jesus and the cross, you are holy, even when you miss the mark; even when you consciously act out your natural inclinations. I knewthe beginning of time, that you would fall short of the mark yesterday, today and tomorrow. Jesus and His cross covers all your failure; yesterday, today and in the future. You were not saved by grace and then left to complete the process on your own, nor is your “effort” and personal commitment of value. The grace of God and power of the cross covers your entire life; yesterday, today and tomorrow. Simply trust and identify with Jesus.

Remember, you cannot determine your position with Me by evaluating your every wayward thought or deed.  You are to trust in Me, identify with Jesus, and let the power of the cross and the sacrifice of Jesus have its life changing way in your life. Simply trust in Jesus, and identify with the cross, and you become holy, not because of your deeds or thoughts, but because of Jesus.

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Friendship with God

March 20th, 2012 by Dave No comments »

Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing . . . ? —Genesis 18:17

The Delights of His Friendship. Genesis 18 brings out the delight of true friendship with God, as compared with simply feeling His presence occasionally in prayer. This friendship means being so intimately in touch with God that you never even need to ask Him to show you His will. It is evidence of a level of intimacy which confirms that you are nearing the final stage of your discipline in the life of faith. When you have a right-standing relationship with God, you have a life of freedom, liberty, and delight; you are God’s will. And all of your commonsense decisions are actually His will for you, unless you sense a feeling of restraint brought on by a check in your spirit. You are free to make decisions in the light of a perfect and delightful friendship with God, knowing that if your decisions are wrong He will lovingly produce that sense of restraint. Once he does, you must stop immediately.

The Difficulties of His Friendship. Why did Abraham stop praying when he did? He stopped because he still was lacking the level of intimacy in his relationship with God, which would enable him boldly to continue on with the Lord in prayer until his desire was granted. Whenever we stop short of our true desire in prayer and say, “Well, I don’t know, maybe this is not God’s will,” then we still have another level to go. It shows that we are not as intimately acquainted with God as Jesus was, and as Jesus would have us to be— “. . . that they may be one just as We are one . . .” (John 17:22). Think of the last thing you prayed about-were you devoted to your desire or to God? Was your determination to get some gift of the Spirit for yourself or to get to God? “For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:8). The reason for asking is so you may get to know God better. “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). We should keep praying to get a perfect understanding of God Himself.
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Journal DJR
Good morning Lord,
Today’s selection gives me two thoughts: I have not arrived … but I can see the progress and I can almost see it from here. The way to walk with you tightly all the time … so that whatever I decide to do is the right thing because of our tightness and communion …

It’s true you have made progress. But, believe me, I have wonders for you that are beyond what you see. So keep coming to me and you will discover heights and depths that you haven’t imagined.

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Abraham’s Life of Faith

March 19th, 2012 by JDVaughn No comments »

He went out, not knowing where he was going —Hebrews 11:8

 


In the Old Testament, a person’s relationship with God was seen by the degree of separation in that person’s life. This separation is exhibited in the life of Abraham by his separation from his country and his family. When we think of separation today, we do not mean to be literally separated from those family members who do not have a personal relationship with God, but to be separated mentally and morally from their viewpoints. This is what Jesus Christ was referring to in Luke 14:26.Living a life of faith means never knowing where you are being led. But it does mean loving and knowing the One who is leading. It is literally a life of faith, not of understanding and reason—a life of knowing Him who calls us to go. Faith is rooted in the knowledge of a Person, and one of the biggest traps we fall into is the belief that if we have faith, God will surely lead us to success in the world.The final stage in the life of faith is the attainment of character, and we encounter many changes in the process. We feel the presence of God around us when we pray, yet we are only momentarily changed. We tend to keep going back to our everyday ways and the glory vanishes. A life of faith is not a life of one glorious mountaintop experience after another, like soaring on eagles’ wings, but is a life of day—in and day—out consistency; a life of walking without fainting (see Isaiah 40:31). It is not even a question of the holiness of sanctification, but of something which comes much farther down the road. It is a faith that has been tried and proved and has withstood the test. Abraham is not a type or an example of the holiness of sanctification, but a type of the life of faith—a faith, tested and true, built on the true God. “Abraham believed God. . .” (Romans 4:3).
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March 19, 2011

Journal For Today-JDV

Lord, these two lines from Chambers’ devotional this morning really struck home; “Living a life of faith means never knowing where you are being led. But it does mean loving and knowing the One who is leading. It is literally a life of faith, not of understanding and reason—a life of knowing Him who calls us to go.”

I often thought that living a life of faith meant that once I understood what Your will is/was for my life, I could then move in that direction. But You have shown me that it is not for me to understand where and how, or even why You are leading. I am simply to follow You. I am to be connected to You and others, and the direction is Yours to provide daily.

And God says…” I cannot explain everything to you, there is often neither the time, nor understanding. And you are to live your life, not in understanding, but in faith, trusting Me as sheep trust their shepherd. “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. Stay connected to Me and to others…that is love Me with all that you are and love your neighbor as yourself, and notice how
tightly our daily connection. And notice how certain and confident you are, living in faith and not knowing, but trusting Me”

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The Discipline of Dismay

March 15th, 2012 by Dave No comments »

 

 

As they followed they were afraid —Mark 10:32

At the beginning of our life with Jesus Christ, we were sure we knew
all there was to know about following Him. It was a delight to forsake everything else and to throw ourselves before Him in a fearless statement of love. But now we are not quite so sure. Jesus is far ahead of us and is beginning to seem different and unfamiliar— “Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed” (Mark 10:32).
There is an aspect of Jesus that chills even a disciple’s heart to its depth and makes his entire spiritual life gasp for air. This unusual Person with His face set “like a flint” (Isaiah 50:7) is walking with great determination ahead of me, and He strikes terror right through me. He no longer seems to be my Counselor and Friend and has a point of view about which I know nothing. All I can do is stand and stare at Him in amazement. At first I was confident that I understood Him, but now I am not so sure. I begin to realize that there is a distance between Jesus and me and I can no longer be intimate with Him. I have no idea where He is going, and the goal has become strangely distant.
Jesus Christ had to understand fully every sin and sorrow that human beings could experience, and that is what makes Him seem unfamiliar. When we see this aspect of Him, we realize we really don’t know Him. We don’t recognize even one characteristic of His life, and we don’t know how to begin to follow Him. He is far ahead of us, a Leader who seems totally unfamiliar, and we have no friendship with Him.
The discipline of dismay is an essential lesson which a disciple must learn. The danger is that we tend to look back on our times of obedience and on our past sacrifices to God in an effort to keep our enthusiasm for Him strong (see Isaiah 1:10-11). But when the darkness of dismay comes, endure until it is over, because out of it will come the ability to follow Jesus truly, which brings inexpressibly wonderful joy.

Journal DJR
Good Morning, Lord,
Wow, that devo was pretty depressing … until the last sentence. It is true that dawn and a new day come after the dark night. I tend to try many things to get out of the darkness … too soon. Go back to some previous light, or create some of my own light. It never works out as well as waiting out the natural course of the dark period … and gaining the perspective of the new light.

Here’s what I had to say about that thru my servant Isaiah. (55) And although I was speaking thru Isaiah … about myself … As you walk with me, this perspective will become more and more yours as well. Remember, dont walk by the light of your own fire … Wait thru the night. My light will dawn for you and it will be better and brighter

The LORD’s Obedient Servant
4 The Sovereign LORD has given me his words of wisdom,
so that I know how to comfort the weary.
Morning by morning he wakens me
and opens my understanding to his will.
5 The Sovereign LORD has spoken to me,
and I have listened.
I have not rebelled or turned away.
6 I offered my back to those who beat me
and my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard.
I did not hide my face
from mockery and spitting.

7 Because the Sovereign LORD helps me,
I will not be disgraced.
Therefore, I have set my face like a stone,
determined to do his will.
And I know that I will not be put to shame.
8 He who gives me justice is near.
Who will dare to bring charges against me now?
Where are my accusers?
Let them appear!
9 See, the Sovereign LORD is on my side!
Who will declare me guilty?
All my enemies will be destroyed
like old clothes that have been eaten by moths!

10 Who among you fears the LORD
and obeys his servant?
If you are walking in darkness,
without a ray of light,
trust in the LORD
and rely on your God.
11 But watch out, you who live in your own light
and warm yourselves by your own fires.
This is the reward you will receive from me:
You will soon fall down in great torment.

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