I love the Gospels. They are made up of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These are the books of the Bible that were written when Jesus came as a baby, grew to manhood, and died for the sins of the world. Then He was resurrected and walked among the people. These are books with red letters which shows the words of Jesus.
Mark’s Gospel does not begin with the birth of Jesus. He begins by talking about John the Baptist who was baptizing many believers. 4 John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Mark 1:4-5 By confessing their sins, the people were agreeing with heaven’s evaluation of their sins. By repenting they were adopting heaven’s perspective on their sins and turning from them. For repentance is not confessing sin and still living in it. It is turning and walking in a new direction. We are not to remind God of our past but forge ahead, trusting He will protect and provide. Something happened that took them all by surprise. 9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Mark 1:9-11 Jesus came to be baptized to identify with sinners and this is when the Father in heaven recognized Jesus for who He was. God was affirming and empowering Him with the Spirit of God. It was a beautiful act of obedience. I love baptism services. A time when people come and proclaim that Jesus has saved them from their sin and they have obeyed His call to turn from sin. It is a beautiful day in the church. On Wednesday, July 31 at 6pm, we will have a Believer’s Baptism class and talk about the baptism coming up on Sunday, August 18, at the Morse Pond. Have you been baptized as a believer? I want to encourage you to come and learn more about what it means. It prepares us for Mark 1:8 when John said, “I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Jesus so desperately wants to see you go on and mature in your faith. I invite you to come and seek the Lord together with us. This Sunday we will be praying for our Mission’s Team that will be leaving on Saturday, August 3. Would you join us as we send them to do Kingdom work in Southern Ohio? We are still accepting donations in Rita Schmidt’s memory up until we leave for the trip. There are other items that can be donated as well. Information is available on Sunday. Looking forward to what God wants to say to us together on Sunday. Make plans now to come. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike
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To live a life that makes an impact over the long-haul, you have to make sure you set up a rhythm that acknowledges full dependance on the Lord. It’s critical to long-term endurance. Even for the disciples, Jesus had to remind them to rest to be prepared for what the Lord was doing.
31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. Mark 6:31 I believe Jesus would say to many of us even today, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” Matthew 11:28. Why you ask? I’m glad you asked. Simply because many of us are running on fumes. When you add up the stress of life’s demands, the many different directions we seem to be pulled, we just need to replenish our souls in order to be what we need to be. Even from the very beginning of creation, the Lord established a rhythm that shows us the importance of Sabbath. 13 “You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you. Exodus 31:13 Across the globe, no other nation but Israel practiced a weekly sabbath because they were obsessed with making money to provide for their needs and get ahead in life. In contrast, Israel had one day each week in which they refused to work, but rather worshipped and rested. They were making a huge statement of trust in the Lord’s provision. This made them different than any other nation. It, in a sense, sanctified them from others. Do you know that even today the enemy tempts us to put other things above the “Sabbath”? They proved to be a people of faith who were devoted to the Lord Almighty. God blessed them more in six days of labor than those who chose days of unceasing toil. Why wouldn’t that happen when God works in mysterious ways? The “rest” I am talking about is a part of the Sabbath in that we should not easily give up meeting together. But the “rest” I am referring to is a daily, appointed place of rest in the course of a busy day. Believers are called to daily commune with the Lord for rest and renewal. So, what are you waiting for - an invitation? Consider Mark 6:31 your invitation. Get off the merry-go-round, go to a quiet place, and saturate in the Word and in prayer. You will be glad you do as you focus on “be” instead of “do.” As a matter of fact, you will be able to “do” more than you have ever done when you work to establish your “be.” It is worth the time just to get to know Jesus more and see His hand at work all around you. It is no coincidence when you make this a priority because your eyes are sensitive to the Spirit and you have more stamina physically, spiritually, and emotionally. In Isaiah 26:3-4 it says, 3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. 4 Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. How exciting it is to be here at the church during VBA. We have such a great team of people serving our children and families this week. I am so glad to be a part of this family. God is doing so much in and through our church. Thank you for all of you who have invested in this week from decorations to greeting, to leading a group to being a “buddy” with some of our kids. Behind the scenes and up front, we have an amazing church. We are so blessed! Come on out and be a part of eternal investments, it's not too late! Maybe you could even come on Saturday at Noon for pizza and then help move chairs back in the Worship Center. If so, call or text the church office and let us know (419-422-8660). Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, 2 and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. 4 And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.
2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 Did you know that God has already given you what you need to deal with what is going on in your life right now? Think of it like a father who set up a bank account for you and put a big deposit in to take care of anything that may come up. I don’t want anyone to get their hopes up from this illustration. This doesn’t happen to everyone. I know you are thinking that you know that to be true. Anyway, let’s get back to my point. God has deposited all that you will need to get you through any situation you are going through. All you have to do is get out your withdrawal slip. Prayer is that slip. I know that from the previous verses found in 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17. 16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. Did you catch that? The Father gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace. His grace is so big, nothing can contain it nor can we thoroughly describe it. We have a mighty God who does things from an eternal perspective that never runs dry. I am so glad for this truth and promise because this week has been a whirlwind. I have been attending a seminar at the district with a few of our staff and these are long days when you add them with your normal responsibilities, a new building addition, and so on and so on. Don’t hear me complaining, I love the opportunities God is providing. The Lord is faithful, and I get excited to see what He is doing all around us. This Sunday will complete 23 years as pastor of this church. I am excited for new strength, new life, and a renewed spirit within and through our church. As Paul wrote, “May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.” Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike Do you know that what I know about the future far outweighs what I don’t know? I believe you can say the same thing. It’s interesting that the enemy of our soul wants you to focus on what you don’t know or what you know about your past. I want to remind you to not fall for his deceiving schemes. As a matter of fact, let me draw you to a passage that will help solidify this thought.
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. 26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:18-28 So Paul is reminding us that “All Things” work together for good, for those who are called to his purpose. It may be hard to think those thoughts when you are in the midst of testing or a certain mountain that seems unscalable. When you activate the firstfruits of the Spirit then you can have hope in knowing that God has “All Things.” Saturate in Christ today and He will focus your mind and heart on what God has instore. “Sometimes God rescues us from things. Sometimes He rescues us out of things. And sometimes He changes us in things. Let Him choose. God knows best. – Tony Evans This Sunday is Father’s Day. Let’s come together and celebrate our fathers and be reminded that we have a perfect Heavenly Father who is leading us to greater days! Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike Have you ever come to a point and asked yourself if you could take anything else? There are some times in our life that everything seems to be falling in on you. It comes from every side or everything you seem to be involved in. Let me count the ways – physically, spiritually, relationally, and any other …ally you can name. These things that seem to take over can either be from the past, the present, or even future things.
When in the midst of these chaotic times, there are things we can choose to do and things we should choose not to do. Let me start with the obvious: Don’t worry! Philippians 4:5-7 5 Let your reasonableness (gentleness) be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Worry doesn’t make sense when you stop and think about it a little. What does it add to your life? Does it help the situation? Does it get you toward a solution? It most definitely does not. I can tell you from experience. Don’t Let It Define You! Prosperity is not a good teacher, but adversity is a great teacher. Get all you can from this trying time so you can be more prepared for the next ugly thing that presents itself to you. Turn to God! Choose to turn to God and not necessarily to others, especially when you are raw. In Philippians 4 it says to let your gentleness be known, not your angry, worried little self. Maybe God wants you to get off by yourself so He can pour into. 2 Corinthians 12:9 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. God is more than enough to get you through anything. Remind yourself of that often. God uses these things to stretch and grow us to become closer to Him. Respond to your situation the same way Jesus responded to His! One of the things I can do is choose to respond in a loving and humble way. No one or nothing can make me respond any other way. These things don’t have that much power in my life. God is able period. I leave you with this verse – 1 Corinthians 10:13 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. When I go through things out of my control, my choices in how I respond can become temptations when they are not of God. I pray that someone can be encouraged by this. I know this helps me. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike 14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Romans 10:14-15
I have some exciting news to share. We are looking for people who are willing to be sent. It is going to be a wonderful time. This Summer we will be taking a mission trip to the Urban Appalachia area located in Southeast Ohio along the river. There will be projects for every skill level available. If you have never been on a mission trip before then this would be the one to attend. There will be different projects such as construction/renovation, painting, cleaning, back to school events, and ministry amongst hurting people in need of a Savior. There are recovery houses, food pantries, and many other options. What are you waiting for? On Sunday, following the second service, we will have an informational meeting, in the classroom beside the Worship Center, where you can find out more details. The cost per person is only $245. Last year our mission trip took us to Inez, Kentucky, where we were able to do a lot of work in the city, at a pantry, and in many homes. It was a wonderful trip. As a matter of fact, it was just a couple of weeks ago that I was talking to Rita Schmidt about it, and she told me that she doesn’t think she will be able to make it this year. Last year she was right in the middle of the action. Rita was just recently put in hospice. We are currently praying for her healing as a church. We trust that God will take care of all her needs. Can I tell you that she has beautiful feet according to Romans 10. I know for sure there is one more spot available on this mission trip. Pray for direction as to whether you help us serve others later this Summer. This Sunday will be a day to honor our high school and college graduates. Come and help us as we celebrate this big milestone and send them off to some fruitful days in their future. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. Romans 8:1-11
Which law are you operating by? You have a choice. You can live according to the law of sin and death, or another way of saying it would be the flesh. The second choice you have is to live according to the law of the Spirit. Whichever law you operate from will determine if you walk in victory or defeat. The flesh can pull you down like gravity. No matter how high you jump, you will come back down to the earth. Living according to the Spirit overrides gravity in a spiritual sense. Like the defiant child thinks when his father says, “Sit down!”, “I’m still standing on the inside.” It may look like you have hit the ground, but don’t believe everything you see. Living according to the Spirit is like climbing aboard an airplane. The law of gravity is still in play, but the law of aerodynamics has trumped it. The Spirit transcends the flesh, and the result is that sin is not your lord any longer. You do not have to do the thing you once did. In verse 4, Paul uses the concept of walking. When you begin to walk somewhere, you are walking to a destination. The destination of a believer is toward the will and glory of God. You also walk trusting that your feet will take you where you are going. You put your full weight on your foot for that step. In turn, you must rest all the weight of your soul to God’s power and not your own. Then there is the consistency involved in following through on what you started. You are to walk toward completion intentionally and consistently. That is like calling on God to do in you what you could never do alone. In verse 5, Paul is showing the importance of what you dwell on. One will lead to death, and one will lead to life and peace. We become what we think on. The beautiful picture he paints shows us that when we live according to the Spirit, then Jesus himself will be there aiding you at every turn. The Spirit of the living God dwells within you, helping you to choose the right thing in matters of life and the pursuit of happiness. Let me encourage you to live according to God’s Word and the Spirit, not according to what is being done around you. My prayer is that your environment reflects your godly, biblical choices. In time, I believe that will begin to happen. This Sunday is Pentecost Sunday. Come and learn what it means to live out Pentecost and living according to the Spirit. If you are available on Thursday night at 6:30pm., come to the church and enjoy “The Chosen: Season 4, Episode 3.” Hope to see you there! Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears when I heard a gentleman get up at a conference and partially quote Romans 8:1 in order to support his premise. Here is what he said, “Therefore, there is no condemnation in Christ.” I thought to myself, “keep going, you’re not done.” Then he started talking about how people should no longer be looked at critically because God has set everyone on the same plain. Let me unpack this for us a little.
The conference was the General Conference of the United Methodist Church. The gentleman who was at the microphone was a delegate from one of the churches. Many of you may already know but the United Methodist Church are now officially approving same-sex weddings and marriages, gender fluidity, and the intersectional discrimination of whiteness, homophobia, transphobia, and heteronormativity, allowing churches to receive gay/lesbian pastors, and the list will be coming out with all the other atrocities that will happen in this denomination. John Wesley is the founding father of this denomination and he would be devastated to hear that they have moved so far away from Biblical principles on marriage and sex. The definition of marriage in the UMC once said, “We affirm the sanctity of the marriage covenant that is expressed in love, mutual support, personal commitment, and shared fidelity between a man and a woman.” Now it says, “We affirm marriage as a sacred lifelong covenant that brings two people of faith (adult man and woman of consenting age; and or two adult persons of consenting age) into union with one another.” They also are taking out anything that mentions anything about men and women being in a heterosexual relationship and that sex is reserved for the covenant of marriage between men and women. They now open the door up for people to do what they want with their own body and with whomever. They just erased any language that condemns the practice of homosexuality in lay people as well as clergy, and replaced it with full inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community. This is a hot topic all through the internet and you will be able to see more detail upon searching. My point is not to give all the details. It is to point out that this denomination and step outside of the realm of the Bible and the protection of the Lord. Unfortunately, there are a lot of good people impacted by this decision that have grown up in this denomination. The Holy Spirit is grieved over all of this. But God is not dead. He is still on the throne and moving in a powerful way. Don’t let the world make you think it has won a victory. That’s exactly what Satan thought when he nailed Jesus to the cross. But 3 days later, Jesus rose again and conquered death, the grave, and Satan. The Scripture found in Romans 8 says so much more than “Therefore, there is now no condemnation in Christ.” Look what it says in the following verses. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. Romans 8:1-11 This passage is talking about those who are in Christ Jesus, not just anyone. If that were not the case, then there would be no condemnation for sin. Our stance is and will always be that a marriage covenant is between a man and a woman. To take it one step further, we need to apply the Trinity to it and put God in the middle of our marriages. Marriages without Christ leading it will only end up in disappointment. I want to take next week’s devotional and expand on this passage and marriage a little more. Sorry for the length. My heart is just breaking for so many people who have invested themselves in a church that is no longer alive and under the anointing of God. Take this time to pray for God’s protective hand on those who want to follow every word that comes from the mouth of God, no matter what church they find themselves in. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike Life on Earth is full of trials, hardships, sadness, disappointments, and pain. The older you become, the more you will see these things. The apostle Paul, however, helps us to keep these troubling realities of life in their proper perspective. In Romans 8:18 he wrote, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
Paul was essentially saying, “Yes, I understand that life involves significant suffering. But when you lay it alongside the glory that will one day be ours in eternity, it doesn’t even register on the scale.” If fact, God will use these difficult situations and experiences in our lives for our good, and one day (not so very long from now) every wrong in our lives will be righted. Pains will be healed, sorrow will be eradicated, and God will make up for all that we have lost here on Earth. Again, Paul gives us a perspective that will help us walk through our troubles and heartaches found in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18: “So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever” (The Message). It all boils down to this: No matter how much you try, you can’t control all of the events and circumstances in your life. Pain and sorrow will come knocking on your door in some way whether you like it or not. So how are you going to deal with it? Will you allow it to embitter you, sidetrack you, or put you under a permanent cloud, or will you use it for God’s glory? How do you do that? That’s a great question. I will use two names to answer that, Joni Eareckson Tada and Nick Vujicic. Joni, as a 17 year old teenager, dove in a shallow body of water that broke her neck. As a result, she will spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair as a quadriplegic, paralyzed from the shoulders down. She is now 74 years old. Nick Vujicic was born without arms or legs. Both Joni and Nick have turned a disability into an ability. They have not wasted their pain but have turned their lives over to the Lord and continue to trust and obey Him. They have impacted millions of people for the Lord. I can’t imagine the countless lives that would not have been touched if they chose to live in bitterness, underneath their pain. To think that all the pain and tragedies of this world does not begin to compare with the wonders God has waiting for us just around the corner, in Heaven. The hope of Heaven helps us to become heavenly minded no matter how great the pain, loss, or disillusion. Spend some time pondering the things to come as we endure times of trial on this side of Heaven. Heaven will be for eternity while we spend just a small portion of our life on this Earth. Speaking of Heaven, I believe we had a very small taste of heaven during our Night of Worship. I enjoy so much hearing the testimonies of new life and seeing the Family of God encourage and inspire one another. I am so glad I am part of the Family of God. May God continue to show us His glory as we give Him all glory and honor. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike This Sunday night we will be coming together for a time of worship and celebrate 9 baptisms. The Spirit of God is always evident in our service and people come away personally touched in a powerful way. Plan to make this a priority as we gather in the name of Jesus.
Let’s look at what the Apostle Paul says about baptism. “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. - Romans 6:1-6 First of all, Paul is being clear on the fact that those who are followers of Jesus Christ have died to sin. He admonishes us to not go back there again. Baptism is a big part of this testimony in our life. All of us have a story of how we came to know Christ. This is part of our identity in Christ. I am so glad God loves us so much that He pursues us with an everlasting love. No matter where we have been in life, there is nothing that will keep God away from chasing after us with His perfect love. As we approach the baptism waters that have been prepared for us, we quickly are reminded that only God can accomplish this. It is through the power of the blood of Jesus that we can be buried with Him and then be raised from the dead to walk in newness of life. We were dead in our sins and now we live in victory. This is accomplished by trusting Jesus, putting our whole faith in Him, and then obeying what He says. Do you realize how blessed we are that we have His words written down for us to know Him through and through? I want to encourage you to come and experience this service as God will be speaking to each one of us who attend. We should never stop maturing in our faith and opening ourselves up for God to speak to us. I also encourage you to check out the 90 Hour Bible Reading and Prayer happening at Dorney Plaza in downtown Findlay. You can click here to sign up, read Scripture, and pray. This is all leading up to the National Day of Prayer on Thursday, May 2. Let’s come together and really cover our community in prayer. I pray that the Lord will blanket your day with many reminders of His love and provision today. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike |
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Rev. Mike McClurgSenior Pastor, Findlay First Church of the Nazarene Archives
March 2020
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