Of Holiness Of Life
Now, then, if holiness thou wouldst obtain,
And wouldst a tender Christian man remain,
Keep faith in action, let that righteousness
That Christ fulfilled always have express
And clear distinction in thy heart, from all
That men by Scripture, or besides, it, call
Inherent gospel holiness, or what
Terms else they please to give it; for 'tis that,
And that alone, by which all graces come
Into the heart; for else there is no room
For ought but pride, presumption, or despair,
No love or other graces can be there.
Received you the Spirit, saith St. Paul,
By hearing, faith, or works? not works, and shall
No ways retain the same, except you do
Hear faith, embrace the same, and stick thereto.
poem by John Bunyan
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How Graces Are To Be Obtained
The next word that I would unto thee say,
Is how thou mayst attain without delay,
Those blessed graces, and that holiness
Thou dost with so much godly zeal express
Thy love to, and thy longing to enjoy,
That sins and weakness might thee less annoy.
Know, then, as I have hinted heretofore,
And shall now speak unto a little more,
All graces in the person of the Son
Are by the Father hid, and therefore none
Can them obtain but they who with him close;
All others graceless are but only those;
For of his fullness 'tis that we receive,
And grace for grace; let no man then deceive
Himself or others with a feigned show
Of holiness, if Jesus they eschew.
When he ascended to his Father, then
It was that he received gifts for men;
Faith, hope, and love, true zeal, an upright heart,
Right humbleness of mind, and every part
Of what the word of life counts holiness,
God then laid up in him, that we redress
And help might have, who do unto him fly
For righteousness and gospel sanctity.
poem by John Bunyan
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Of Imputed Righteousness
Now, if thou wouldst inherit righteousness,
And so sanctification possess
In body, soul, and spirit, then thou must
To Jesus fly, as one ungodly first;
And so by him crave pardon for thy sin
Which thou hast loved, and hast lived in;
For this cannot at all forgiven be,
For any righteousness that is in thee;
Because the best thou hast is filthy rags,
Profane, presumptuous, and most beastly brags
Of flesh and blood, which always cross doth lie
To God, to grace, and thy felicity.
Then righteousness imputed thou must have,
Thee from that guilt and punishment to save
Thou liest under as a sinful man,
Throughout polluted, and that never can
By any other means acquitted be,
Or ever have true holiness in thee.
The reason is, because all graces are
Only in Christ, and be infused where,
Or into those whom he doth justify,
By what himself hath done, that he thereby
Might be the whole of all that happiness
The sinner shall enjoy here, and in bliss.
Besides, if holiness should first be found
In those whom God doth pardon, then the ground
Why we forgiven are would seem to be,
He first found holiness in thee and me;
But this the holy Scriptures will refute,
And prove that righteousness he doth impute
Without respect to goodness first in man;
For, to speak truth indeed, no goodness can
Be found in those that underneath the law
Do stand; for if God goodness in them saw,
Why doth he once and twice say, There is none
That righteous be; no, not so much as one;
None understandeth, none seek after God,
His ways they have not known, but have abode
In wickedness, unprofitably they
Must needs appear to be then every way.
Their throats an open sepulchre, also
Their mouths are full of filthy cursings too;
And bitterness, yea, underneath their lips
The asp hath poison. O how many slips
And falls in sin must such poor people have!
Now here's the holiness that should them save,
Or, as a preparation, go before,
To move God to do for them less or more?
No, grace must on thee righteousness bestow,
Or, else sin will for ever thee undo.
Sweet Paul this doctrine also doth express,
Where he saith, Some may have righteousness,
Though works they have not; and it thus may stand,
Grace by the promise gives what the command
Requireth us to do, and so are we
Quitted from doing, and by grace made free.
poem by John Bunyan
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Of Uprightness and Sincerity
Wouldst thou be very upright and sincere?
Wouldst thou be that within thou dost appear,
Or seem to be in outward exercise
Before the most devout, and godly wise?
Yea, art thou thus when no eye doth thee see
But that which is invisible? and be
The words of God in truth thy prop and stay?
And do they in thy conscience bear more sway
To govern thee in faith and holiness,
Than thou canst with thy heart and mouth express?
And do the things that truly are divine,
Before thee more than gold or rubies shine?
And if, as unto Solomon, God should
Propound to thee, What wouldst thou have? how would
Thy heart and pulse beat after heav'nly things,
After the upper and the nether springs?
Couldst, with unfeigned heart and upright lip,
Cry, Hold me fast, Lord, never let me slip,
Nor step aside from faith and holiness,
Nor from the blessed hope of future bliss?
Lord, rather cross me anywhere than here;
Lord, fill me always with thy holy fear,
And godly jealousy of mine own heart,
Lest I, Lord, should at any time depart
From thy most blessed covenant of grace,
Where Jesus rules as King, and where thy face
Is only to be seen with comfort, and
Where sinners justified before thee stand.
If these thy groanings be sincere and true,
If God doth count thee one that dost pursue
The things thou cryest after with thy heart,
No doubt but in them thou shalt have a part.
poem by John Bunyan
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Hymn 140
A living and a dead faith. Collected from several scriptures.
Mistaken souls, that dream of heav'n,
And make their empty boast
Of inward joys, and sins forgiv'n,
While they are slaves to lust!
Vain are our fancies, airy flights,
If faith be cold and dead;
None but a living power unites
To Christ the living head.
'Tis faith that changes all the heart;
'Tis faith that works by love;
That bids all sinful joys depart,
And lifts the thoughts above.
'Tis faith that conquers earth and hell
By a celestial power;
This is the grace that shall prevail
In the decisive hour.
[Faith must obey her Father's will,
As well as trust his grace;
A pard'ning God is jealous still
For his own holiness.]
When from the curse he sets us free,
He makes our natures clean;
Nor would he send his Son to be
The minister of sin.
[His Spirit purifies our frame,
And seals our peace with God;
Jesus and his salvation came
By water and by blood.]
poem by Isaac Watts
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Ephesus
Thus saith the Lord to Ephesus,
And thus he speaks to some of us;
Amidst my churches, lo, I stand,
And hold the pastors in my hand.
Thy works, to me, are fully known,
Thy patience, and thy toil, I own;
Thy views of gospel truth are clear,
Nor canst thou other doctrine bear.
Yet I must blame while I approve,
Where is thy first, thy fervent love?
Dost thou forget my love to thee,
That thine is grown so faint to me?
Recall to mind the happy days
When thou wast filled with joy and praise;
Repent, thy former works renew,
Then I'll restore thy comforts too.
Return at once, when I reprove,
Lest I thy candlestick remove;
And thou, too late, thy loss lament;
I warn before I strike, Repent.
Hearken to what the Spirit saith,
To him that overcomes by faith;
The fruit of life's unfading tree,
In paradise his food shall be.
poem by John Newton
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Hymn of Sovereign Grace
Formed for thyself, and turned to thee,
Thy praises, Lord , I show;
No more, with sacrilegious pride,
I rob thee of thy due.
Divested of my fancied plumes,
I throw me at thy feet;
Nor, as a debt, thy favour claim,
But, as an alms, intreat.
Repentance, holiness, and faith.
By which to thee we live,
Are not conditions we perform,
But graces we receive.
Thy Spirit does not offer life,
But raises from the dead;
And neither asks the sinner's leave,
Nor needs the sinner's aid.
Thy power, before the fruit is good,
Must first renew the tree;
We rise, and work the works of God,
When wrought upon by thee.
Each grace of our celestial birth
From thy blest influence springs;
Which plants, and nourishes, and guards,
And to perfection brings.
Gardens of thine, enclosed and sealed,
Thou all our works hast wrought;
And wilt eternal peace ordain
For those thy blood hath bought.
Had not thy love laid hold on us,
We has not loved thee now;
Possess us quite, thou God of grace,
To whom our all we owe!
poem by Augustus Montague Toplady
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Not By Our Works
The work on the cross, by Christ, is how man enters eternal life,
His work was finished, He had said, as Christ died in our stead,
With none required on our part, before from the earth we depart,
As the work Christ did on Calvary, provides for us, life eternally.
Our only part is done by faith, as we accept God's gift of grace,
Sinfully depraved and undone, God sent, for man His Only Son,
Being eternally lost and depraved, only by Grace, we are saved,
For only He could pay that price, by sending a Perfect Sacrifice.
The price for salvation was paid, as man's sin on Christ was laid,
A price that no man could pay, so, Christ became The Only Way,
For every man, from every nation, to be saved, by His Salvation,
God's Salvation, that all receive, when by faith they truly believe.
When we're saved we fellowship, to praise God through worship,
We worship not to gain favor, but, because we know The Savior,
Receiving Christ, who died for us, we receive His Righteousness.
Righteousness gained through Him, not of works tainted with sin.
Works on our part are not required, or by Christ are they desired,
As God's desire is that we embrace, His Son, received by Grace,
Then after accepting Jesus Christ, live for Him in newness of life,
For our works do not save us, as that was done by Christ Jesus.
The Book of Romans
Romans was written for us by Paul, as he would heed The Lord’s call,
To be a light to each Gentile nation, beaming light of God’s Salvation,
Romans, was from Paul an epistle, to show to the Romans God’s will.
Paul wrote about God’s Righteousness, far exceeding man’s holiness,
A righteousness that men receive, when in the Savior, we truly believe.
Paul had made a personal choice, and by obedience he would rejoice,
Choosing to be a servant to Him, our Lord who saved him from all sin,
Through the Spirit, he’d receive, a letter he wrote, for all who’d believe,
The Good News of God’s Gospel, was explained by Paul the Apostle,
So the epistle was written to all, for inspiration, as we heed God’s call.
Written to the early Roman Church, some, maybe on a spiritual search,
Even for those who Paul had heard, were living a new life in The Word.
A church that truly found their place, as believers in this Age of Grace,
Living for God, they all had grown, and their faith by many was known,
And that great change in their life, was understood, to be Jesus Christ.
Written for encouragement to us, who in Christ, have placed their trust,
Penned to strengthen our foundation, and our knowledge of Salvation.
A challenge meant for you and me, men saved at the Cross of Calvary,
To be like those believers of Rome, pointing others to an eternal home,
Reaching out until all have heard, the Gospel Truth, out of God’s Word.
Helping believers to be zealous for, The Lord, Who reigns forevermore,
Who came into this world of strife, to grant all who believe Eternal Life,
Equipping all of the saints of God, to live out their faith upon this sod,
Living out everything that we learn, while we await Jesus Christ’s return,
When He will change believers instantly, to live with their God Eternally.
(Copyright ©01/2009)
If faith produce no works, I see That faith is not a living tree. Thus faith and works together grow, No separate life they never can know. They're soul and body, hand and heart, What God hath joined, let no man part.
quote by Hannah More
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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By Grace Are Ye Saved
In grace the holy God
Did full salvation plan,
Electing in His sovereign grace
To save rebellious man.
Refrain
By grace are ye saved thro’ faith,
Thro’ faith, thro’ faith,
Thro’ faith, and that not of yourselves;
Thro’ faith, and that not of yourselves;
Not of works, not of works,
Not of works, not of works,
Not of works, lest any man should boast;
It is the gift of God;
Not of works, lest any man should boast;
It is the gift of God, it is the gift of God,
It is the gift of God, it is the gift of God,
The gift of God.
This grace of God appears
In Jesus Christ His Son;
He, lifted on the cross of shame,
The grace of God makes known.
Refrain
To all who do believe
In God, thro’ Christ revealed
By grace, they full salvation have,
And “Sons of God” are sealed.
Refrain
poem by Daniel Webster Moody
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Maybe A CINO
Friend, are you a CINO faithfully, being a Christian in name only?
Christianity they don’t profess, as The Spirit they don’t possess.
Some, may dare profess a faith, never touched by God’s Grace,
Grace that when it’s received, changes hearts that have believed.
True faith’s more than knowledge of, The Lord who reigns above,
But, a faith that brings to earth, God above, through a New Birth,
Spiritual Birth, bringing into life, as Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Who moves upon this earthly sod, in all who truly belong to God.
There are CINOs in every church, weekly in their pews they perch,
Hearing the Word week after week, but His Truth they never seek,
And in their pews they do remain, with a heart in need of change,
Sitting there as they always have, using their faith as just a salve.
So they leave their house of faith, not changed, by God’s Grace,
Still being who they were before, they entered in a church’s door,
And back into their week they go, with very little change to show,
To those on life’s Broader Way, with whom they work day to day.
So all Christians, in only name, can cause Christ hurt and shame,
By their actions, make no mistake, for their benefit, not His sake,
When you see a Godless testimony, it may just be, in name only,
Not a True Christian, please know, but simply a professing CINO.
(Copyright ©11/2009)
Faith For The Faithful
Through righteousness that’s not our own
Through gifts we now receive
Through Fire that melts a heart of stone
We’ve faith to Christ believe
We hope to see what’s never been
What no ones had to share
No ear has heard no eye has seen
We know through faith it’s there
Through faith we’ll see our God above
Through faith we live in peace
Through faith we’ll share eternal love
Where joy will never cease
Yet even when we go to sleep
Faith plays its wondrous part
We trust The Lord each night to breathe
Keeping alive our heart
Right there it seems to Christians odd
Why atheists don’t die
Unconsciously, they’ll trust in God
Yet consciously deny
Thank God for gifts that reigns supreme
Thank God for faith divine
Thank God for Christ The Living Stream
Through whom now life is mine
It’s mine because of faith’s embrace
Because of love unknown
Because I live to see the face
Who sits on Heaven’s throne
Alone I’d fail to walk the walk
I’d fail to claim this boast
No flesh and bone could talk the talk
Without the Holy Ghost
poem by Michael P. Johnson
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Simplicity Of The Gospel
Friend it's so easy to receive, when God's Truth you believe,
Saving Grace from our Lord, when His Salvation is implored,
As you truly believe in your heart, The Spirit, God will impart,
Sending the Holy Spirit of Christ, when The Lord saves a life.
As the jailer had asked Paul, what shall I do to save my soul?
Believe on The Lord to be saved, this is what Paul had raved,
Saying nothing more, to that one, but, believe on God's Son,
Who, finished all for you and me, upon that Cross of Calvary.
God finished salvation for us, through The Lord, Christ Jesus,
"It is finished" was His cry, completing salvation for you and I,
Our only work is to believe, with this, salvation we will receive,
Through our simple act of faith, we are saved by God's Grace.
Like the thief upon the cross, being one filled with sin's dross,
He said to Christ, remember me, next to The Cross of Calvary,
Christ knowing He paid the price, He, referred him to Paradise,
He said today you'll be with me, as He was pointing to eternity.
Calvary's Cross is God's only way, to receive Salvation today,
Righteousness credit by "I AM", base on his faith, to Abraham,
Is the Righteousness we receive, when, in The Lord we believe,
It's all about God's Saving Grace, simply received by our faith.
(Copyright ©04/2012)
Hymn 132
Holiness and grace.
Titus 2:10-13.
O let our lips and lives express
The holy gospel we profess;
So let our works and virtues shine,
To prove the doctrine all divine.
Thus shall we best proclaim abroad
The honors of our Savior God;
When the salvation reigns within,
And grace subdues the power of sin.
Our flesh and sense must be denied,
Passion and envy, lust and pride;
While justice, temp'rance, truth, and love,
Our inward piety approve.
Religion bears our spirits up,
While we expect that blessed hope,
The bright appearance of the Lord,
And faith stands leaning on his word.
poem by Isaac Watts
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Sky With Hand
Faith...
Faith...
Is life...
Faith faith...
Is dream...
Faith faith
Is god...
Faith faith
Is love...
Faith faith
Is tommrow...
Faith faith
Is with win...
Faith faith
With all...
You are not
Faith full
You only loose
The life for your self
Another and another's...
win the world...
With faith to faith
Again and agian you
Run...
Sky with hand...
Thats for faith...!
poem by Otteri Selvakumar
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Start Acting Like Him!
Till Jesus Christ returns once more
To rule this Earth we love,
Consider who the Lord died for,
Our Lamb of God above...
Consider why He left us here,
Disciples saved by grace,
In whom God's Spirit can appear,
God's Gospel to embrace...
God doesn't let us soon depart,
While there's so much to do,
To preach Good News to every heart,
To Gentile and to Jew...
Amazing grace bestowed on Man,
Forgiveness without end,
With prophecies that share God's plan,
So we, God's Truths defend...
When healings stir the doubtful minds,
To prove that God still cares,
What precious love each sinner finds,
Anointed by our prayers...
Start acting like the Lord of Lords,
Take charge, as God ordains
And then you'll see how God rewards
With oh so many gains...
The broken-hearted lose their tears,
Restored with so much peace,
To read the Bible through the years,
To seek the Lord to please...
Christ's teachings help express the needs
Of spirit, body, soul,
But without Jesus none succeeds...
Who else can make us whole?
Saint Paul told folks to imitate
The actions that he'd done,
As if their faith to celebrate,
Bring honour to God's Son...
Christ's Kingdom waits! Let faith take hold!
Be faith-filled to the brim!
Receive new hearts as good as gold,
Then start acting like Him...
---
We can hear the word of the Lord on
Revelation TV on UK Sky Digital 581
as well as the WATCH NOW link on
the revelationtv-dot-com website...
poem by Denis Martindale
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Advice To Believe In Christ
BELIEVE in Christ, for thy Protector cry,
God offers him to all, both far and nigh,
Receive the gracious offer, and don't fail;
Or else, thou shalt the loss of him bewail.
The man, who Christ with heart sincere receives,
And with a lively faith in him believes,
Christ will on him his saving grace bestow,
To live like the blest saints, whilst here below.
Christ shall to him his holy Spirit give,
That he, new-born, may a new creature live;
Christ shall quite change, and mould the man anew,
From a rash rebel to a subject true.
He gives his grace, our gloomy minds to light -
He gives his Word, to make us walk aright -
To rule us, he his holy Spirit grants -
He gives himself, to make up all our wants -
So that no soul in Christ can well believe,
Who shall not grace and strength from him receive,
To emulate the conduct of the just ;
If right his faith, and confident his trust.
The grace of God, and a supernal pow'r,
Faith plucks from heav'n - to make a man give o'er,
And thoroughly abhor, his evil ways,
And lead a life of virtue all his days.
Unless thy faith extorts this grace divine,
And makes the renovated creature shine,
It is in vain;- it answers to no end,
Unless it serves thy errors to amend.
A lively faith does grace from Christ attract,
And strength to put thy theory in act :
All its old sins it utterly forsakes,
And of th' whole man a renovation makes.
Howe'er corrupt the nature that's in thee -
However weak thy intellects may be -
Believe in Christ, invoke his holy name,
And, when he pleases, he can change the same.
Although the Jailer was a sinful soul -
Thou Paul was, once, as sinful, on the whole -
And though Manasses was still worse agen -
Yet they, thro' Christ, were made quite diff'rent men.
So can he make of thee, thou sinful soul!
Although by nature reprobate and foul,
A perfect saint - if thou in him wilt place
Thy trust - thereby to get his aid and grace.
Christ, that great persecutor Paul, reform'd,
And to a glorious preacher soon transform'd;
The woman too, of bad report and fame,
From a mere raven, a white dove became.
Believe in Christ with heart sincerely true,
And he'll thy mind and manners form anew -
Christians he'll make out a fiend-like race,
And of the foe of God, a child of grace.
Presume not, then, that thy belief is right,
If Christ thy nature has not alter'd quite :
For Christ a total change of manners gives
To each, that faithfully in him believes.
Behold Zaccheus, Magdalene, and Paul!
You soon shall see that Christ will change them all:
Their morals all at once are strictly just,
As soon as they in Jesus place their trust.
Tho', in the morning, Saul did all he cou'd,
Like a fierce wolf, to shed the Christian's blood;
Yet, soon as he believ'd, this wolf became,
By noon that very day, a perfect lamb.
Before Zaccheus was a Christian made,
To rob the needy, was his daily trade;
But, when he once believ'd, he gave the poor
The greatest part of what he gain'd before.
Though Magdalene was once a reprobate,
And sinn'd, e'er she believ'd at any rate,
Yet afterwards a virtuous life she led,
And was declared a saint, when she was dead.
So shalt thou ev'ry vicious habit leave,
When thou shalt once unto thy Saviour cleave:
For, 'till there is this reformation wrought,
Thy faith can only a mere whim be thought.
Faith, unaccompany'd by works, is dead -
A formless faith - a trunk without a head -
A faith, that blinds - a false, fallacious faith -
A faith, that leads the ready way to death!
There is no fire, without attending heat -
There is no water - but it must be wet -
There's no good vine - but is with clusters crown'd;
No lively faith, without its fruits is found!
Shou'd any one affirm, that he believes,
And yet repents not - he himself deceives:
His faith is nought, but froth - or, at the most,
All his belief is but an idle boast.
There is no true believer can do less
Than mend his morals, and his lusts suppress;
Because that Christ to all believers gives
His holy Spirit, to amend their lives.
Be not deceiv'd, thou sinner most obscene,
Where there is faith, there holy lives are seen:
For if thy faith is worthy to be known,
By its good works let it be plainly shown.
If in thy faith there does no life appear,
If it no grace, in word and work, does bear,
'Tis but the name of faith upon the whole -
A faith, that never can preserve thy soul!
poem by Rees Prichard
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The Necessity Of A New Heart
Now wouldst thou have a heart that tender is,
A heart that forward is to close with bliss;
A heart that will impressions freely take
Of the new covenant, and that will make
The best improvement of the word of grace,
And that to wickedness will not give place;
All this is in the promise, and it may
Obtained be of them that humbly pray.
Wouldst thou enjoy that spirit that is free,
And looseth those that in their spirits be
Oppressed with guilt, or filth, or unbelief;
That spirit that will, where it dwells, be chief;
Which breaketh Samson's cord as rotten thread,
And raiseth up the spirit that is dead;
That sets the will at liberty to choose
Those things that God hath promis'd to infuse
Into the humble heart? All this, I say,
The promise holdeth out to them that pray.
poem by John Bunyan
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Step Out In Faith
Some seek God’s face both night and day
For months and even years
They’ll kneel and pray and pray and pray
With heart and soul in tears
They know The Lord can do this thing
Their faith in Christ is strong
And so with prayer God’s praise they’ll sing
Believing nothing’s wrong
But faith is not just sitting still
True faith dictates we stand
If through our deeds we do God’s will
Then God will lend a hand
We need to move we need to stir
We need much more than talk
If mighty things will soon occur
We need in faith to walk
Its good to pray its good to praise
But yet there’s so much more
Consulting God in all our ways
Opens many a door
Step out in faith but not as fools
Learn first to understand
Obey The Lord obey His rules
And see God mighty hand
The Lord may love the songs we sing
Our ways are His concern
He’s not a puppet on a string
Nor water tap to turn
Think not The Lord has all to do
When faith has been received
Action must come from me and you
In Him we have believed
poem by Michael P. Johnson
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Gentle Faith
The soft embrace of a summer’s breeze
Is calm and gentle like the hand of God
That hugs and comforts I
With love and tenderness
A Father that I yearn to know
A Brother who I yearn to believe
And faith that I hold onto with my life
Because without faith
I have nothing
Without faith I have no love
Without faith I have no soul
Without faith I have no one
With faith I have all that God has given me
With faith I have all the blessings that I deserve
With faith I will have all I need
Because with faith, God hears me
(1-12-10)
poem by Jacqueline Webb
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