POPULAR BIBLE STORIES AND SCRIPTURE
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15
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"THE COMFORTER" AUDIO BLOG John 14
1 "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. 5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. 8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? 10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. 12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. 13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. 15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. 20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. 21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. 22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? 23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. 25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. 26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe. 30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. 31 But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence." Thank you, Jesus. Amen.
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"THE GREATEST GIFT OF ALL" AUDIO BLOG "But earnestly desire and strive for the greater gifts [if acquiring them is going to be your goal]. And yet I will show you a still more excellent way [one of the choicest graces and the highest of them all: unselfish love]." 1 Corinthians 12:31 "Love never fails [it never fades nor ends]. But as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for the gift of special knowledge, it will pass away." 1 Corinthians 13:8 Love never fails, never fades away, nor ends. "And now there remain: faith [abiding trust in God and His promises], hope [confident expectation of eternal salvation], love [unselfish love for others growing out of God’s love for me], these three [the choicest graces]; but the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13 'THE CHOICEST GRACES': 1. Faith 2. Hope 3. Love 'The greatest of these is love.' 1 Corinthians 12 The Use of Spiritual Gifts 1 "Now about the spiritual gifts [the special endowments given by the Holy Spirit], brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, you were led off after speechless idols; however you were led off [whether by impulse or habit]. 3 Therefore I want you to know that no one speaking by the [power and influence of the] Spirit of God can say, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is [my] Lord,” except by [the power and influence of] the Holy Spirit. 4 Now there are [distinctive] varieties of spiritual gifts [special abilities given by the grace and extraordinary power of the Holy Spirit operating in believers], but it is the same Spirit [who grants them and empowers believers]. 5 And there are [distinctive] varieties of ministries and service, but it is the same Lord [who is served]. 6 And there are [distinctive] ways of working [to accomplish things], but it is the same God who produces all things in all believers [inspiring, energizing, and empowering them]. 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit [the spiritual illumination and the enabling of the Holy Spirit] for the common good. 8 To one is given through the [Holy] Spirit [the power to speak] the message of wisdom, and to another [the power to express] the word of knowledge and understanding according to the same Spirit; 9 to another [wonder-working] faith [is given] by the same [Holy] Spirit, and to another the [extraordinary] gifts of healings by the one Spirit; 10 and to another the working of miracles, and to another prophecy [foretelling the future, speaking a new message from God to the people], and to another discernment of spirits [the ability to distinguish sound, godly doctrine from the deceptive doctrine of man-made religions and cults], to another various kinds of [unknown] tongues, and to another interpretation of tongues. 11 All these things [the gifts, the achievements, the abilities, the empowering] are brought about by one and the same [Holy] Spirit, distributing to each one individually just as He chooses. 12 For just as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts, though many, form [only] one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For by one [Holy] Spirit we were all baptized into one body, [spiritually transformed—united together] whether Jews or Greeks (Gentiles), slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one [Holy] Spirit [since the same Holy Spirit fills each life]. 14 For the [human] body does not consist of one part, but of many [limbs and organs]. 15 If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” is it not on the contrary still a part of the body? 16 If the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” is it not on the contrary still a part of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole [body] were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But now [as things really are], God has placed and arranged the parts in the body, each one of them, just as He willed and saw fit [with the best balance of function]. 19 If they all were a single organ, where would [the rest of] the body be? 20 But now [as things really are] there are many parts [different limbs and organs], but a single body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 But quite the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are [absolutely] necessary; 23 and as for those parts of the body which we consider less honorable, these we treat with greater honor; and our less presentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 while our more presentable parts do not require it. But God has combined the [whole] body, giving greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 so that there would be no division or discord in the body [that is, lack of adaptation of the parts to each other], but that the parts may have the same concern for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the parts share the suffering; if one member is honored, all rejoice with it. 27 Now you [collectively] are Christ’s body, and individually [you are] members of it [each with his own special purpose and function]. 28 So God has appointed and placed in the church [for His own use]: first apostles [chosen by Christ], second prophets [those who foretell the future, those who speak a new message from God to the people], third teachers, then those who work miracles, then those with the gifts of healings, the helpers, the administrators, and speakers in various kinds of [unknown] tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire and strive for the greater gifts [if acquiring them is going to be your goal]. And yet I will show you a still more excellent way [one of the choicest graces and the highest of them all: unselfish love]." Or, as the King James version tells us at 1 Corinthians 12:31, "But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way," which is followed immediately in 1 Corinthians 13, describing the 'excellence of love.' Unselfish love is a gift from God, God's choicest grace (favor) for man, and one for which we should earnestly desire and strive. Hallelujah. Praise God. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.  "Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death . . ." Hebrews 5:7 THE HOLY BIBLE AND THE HOLY SPIRIT The Holy Spirit is in you [believers]! "What? know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own?" 1 Corinthians 6:19 Did you know that we talk to God through our prayers, and He talks to us when we study and meditate on the Bible, His Word? It's true. In His short time on earth, Jesus prayed to God many times about things that are written, "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen." John 21:25 JESUS PRAYED "After He had dismissed the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When it was evening, He was there alone." Matthew 14:23 "But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray [in seclusion]." Luke 5:16 "Now it happened that as Jesus was praying privately, the disciples were with Him, and He asked them, 'Who do the crowds say that I am?'” Luke 9:18 "It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, 'Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.'” Luke 11:1 "And being in agony [deeply distressed and anguished; almost to the point of death], He prayed more intently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down on the ground." Luke 22:44 JESUS PRAYED FOR THE CHILDREN "Then children were brought to Jesus so that He might place His hands on them [for a blessing] and pray . . ." Matthew 19:13 MY HOUSE SHALL BE A HOUSE OF PRAYER 45 Jesus went into the temple [enclosure] and began driving out those who were selling, 46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer’ . . ." JESUS PRAYED FOR HIS APOSTLES "but I have prayed [especially] for you [Peter], that your faith [and confidence in Me] may not fail; and you, once you have turned back again [to Me], strengthen and support your brothers [in the faith]." Luke 22:32 JESUS PRAYED FOR BELIEVERS 9 I pray for them; I do not pray for the world, but for those You have given Me, because they belong to You;" . . . 20 “I do not pray for these alone [it is not for their sake only that I make this request], but also for [all] those who [will ever] believe and trust in Me through their message," John 17 "In the days of His earthly life, Jesus offered up both [specific] petitions and [urgent] supplications [for that which He needed] with fervent crying and tears to the One who was [always] able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission toward God [His sinlessness and His unfailing determination to do the Father’s will]." Hebrews 5:7 JESUS SAID PRAY TO AVOID TEMPTATION "and He said to them, 'Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not fall into temptation.'” Luke 22:46 PRAYING IN THE NAME OF JESUS "By stretching forth your hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place where they were meeting together was shaken [a sign of God’s presence]; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness and courage." Acts 4:31 THE HOLY BIBLE AND THE HOLY SPIRIT "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the [Holy] Spirit who is from God, so that we may know and understand the [wonderful] things freely given to us by God. We also speak of these things, not in words taught or supplied by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual thoughts with spiritual words [for those being guided by the Holy Spirit]." 1 Corinthians 2:12-13 I heard a prophet say that God said that the hand of the Lord swirls around believers who are reading His Word, and gives them understanding. Hallelujah! Amen! Proverbs 2 1 "My son, if thou will receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; 2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; 3 Yea, if thou cries after knowledge, and lifts up thy voice for understanding; 4 If thou seeks her as silver, and searches for her as for hid treasures; 5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. 6 For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. 7 He lays up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. 8 He keeps the paths of judgment, and preserves the way of his saints. 9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path. 10 When wisdom enters into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; 11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:" JESUS PRAYED AFTER HIS BAPTISM "Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, the [visible] heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came from heaven, “You are My Son, My Beloved, in You I am well-pleased and delighted!” Luke 3:21-22 JESUS PRAYED THREE TIMES BEFORE HIS CRUCIFIXION Matthew 26 39 "And after going a little farther, He fell face down and prayed, saying, 'My Father, if it is possible [that is, consistent with Your will], let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.'” . . . 42 "He went away a second time and prayed, saying, 'My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.'” . . . 44 "So, leaving them again, He went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words once more." JESUS PRAYED AT HIS LAST BREATH "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Matthew 27:42 Thank you, Jesus. There is power in God's Word, and His Word says that there is power in prayer. "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them." Mark 11:24 Hallelujah. Praise God. Amen. "THE DRY BONE ARMY" AUDIO BLOG (or read only below)  God is raising up His army!Ezikiel 37:1-28 1 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, 2 And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. 3 And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest. 4 Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5 Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: 6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord. 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. 8 And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. 9 Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. 11 Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. 12 Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 13 And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, 14 And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord. 15 The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, 16 Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and for all the house of Israel his companions: 17 And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand. 18 And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these? 19 Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand. 20 And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes. 21 And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: 22 And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all. 23 Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. 24 And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. 25 And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever. 26 Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. 27 My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 28 And the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore." Hallelujah! Praise God! Amen! "THERE IS ONLY ONE TRUE GOD" AUDIO BLOG (or read only below)  There is only ONE God (with a capital "G"). Only 1God who created the Heavens and the earth. Only 1God who is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. Only 1God who is the Giver of Eternal Life.
Celebrate 2021 by taking the 2021God Challenge! Learn God's Plan for your Life, and talk to, and walk with, God on a regular basis. It really works! We are coming into a Spiritual Revolution, Spiritual Revival, The Great Awakening, of which all will want to participate. Find out if the Holy Spirit has gift(s) for you, and/or God's Plan for your Life. Gifts of the Spirit include: Healing, dreams, visions, knowledge, prophesying, evangelizing, and more! 1 Corinthians 12 Above are three easy steps to find out God's Plan for YOUR Life. Do Not Miss Out! Give it a try! What do you have to lose? Let us know how your 2021God Challenge enriches your Life! We would love to hear your stories. God Bless You All. Hallelujah! Praise God, the Most High! "THE HELPER IS THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH" AUDIO BLOG (or read only below)  Jesus said that if we believe in Him, we can perform even greater miracles than He did. John 14:1-31 Jesus Comforts His Followers 1Jesus said, “Don’t be troubled. Trust in God, and trust in me. 2 There are many rooms in my Father’s house. I would not tell you this if it were not true. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 After I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back. Then I will take you with me, so that you can be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.” 5 Thomas said, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father is through me. 7 If you really knew me, you would know my Father too. But now you know the Father. You have seen him.” 8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father. That is all we need.” 9 Jesus answered, “Philip, I have been with you for a long time. So you should know me. Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father too. So why do you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The things I have told you don’t come from me. The Father lives in me, and he is doing his own work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or believe because of the miracles I have done. 12 “I can assure you that whoever believes in me will do the same things I have done. And they will do even greater things than I have done, because I am going to the Father. 13 And if you ask for anything in my name, I will do it for you. Then the Father’s glory will be shown through the Son. 14 If you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it. The Promise of the Holy Spirit 15 “If you love me, you will do what I command. 16 I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper to be with you forever. 17 The Helper is the Spirit of truth. The people of the world cannot accept him, because they don’t see him or know him. But you know him. He lives with you, and he will be in you. 18 “I will not leave you all alone like orphans. I will come back to you. 19 In a very short time the people in the world will not see me anymore. But you will see me. You will live because I live. 20 On that day you will know that I am in the Father. You will know that you are in me and I am in you. 21 Those who really love me are the ones who not only know my commands but also obey them. My Father will love such people, and I will love them. I will make myself known to them.” 22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “Lord, how will you make yourself known to us, but not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered, “All who love me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them. My Father and I will come to them and live with them. 24 But anyone who does not love me does not obey my teaching. This teaching that you hear is not really mine. It is from my Father who sent me. 25 “I have told you all these things while I am with you. 26 But the Helper will teach you everything and cause you to remember all that I told you. This Helper is the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name. 27 “I leave you peace. It is my own peace I give you. I give you peace in a different way than the world does. So don’t be troubled. Don’t be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am leaving, but I will come back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be happy that I am going back to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am. 29 I have told you this now, before it happens. Then when it happens, you will believe. 30 “I will not talk with you much longer. The ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me. 31 But the world must know that I love the Father. So I do exactly what the Father told me to do. “Come now, let’s go.” "NEVER DOUBT GOD" AUDIO BLOG (or read only below)  Luke 1:5-80 The mother of Jesus and of John, the Baptist, both became pregnant after a visit by the Holy Spirit, or God's Messenger. The angel Gabriel came to Zechariah when he and his wife, Elizabeth, were old. Gabriel told Zechariah that Elizabeth would have a son, and they should name him John. Zechariah doubted Gabriel because they were so old and Elizabeth could not have children. Since he did not believe, Gabriel silenced Zechariah so that he could not speak. Then, six months later, the angel Gabriel went to Mary, the wife of Joseph and future mother of Jesus, and told her that she would have a son, and that she would name him Jesus. Mary said, how is this possible? I am a virgin. Gabriel told her that Zechariah's wife Elizabeth is already six months pregnant and she is old. That with God anything is possible. After the angel left Mary, she went as fast as she could to Zechariah's house to see Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard her coming, the baby inside her leapt with joy. Jesus and John, the Baptizer, in the wombs of their mothers, both impregnated by the Holy Spirit. Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months and then returned home. The day Elizabeth's baby was born, everyone wanted to name him after his father, Zechariah, but Elizabeth said, no, his name is John. The people asked Zechariah what he wanted, and he asked for something to write on and he wrote, "His name is John." And immediately his mouth was opened, and he could speak. Zechariah became filled with the Holy Spirit, and he told the people a message from God: Luke 1 68 “Praise to the Lord God of Israel. He has come to help his people and has given them freedom. 69 He has given us a powerful Savior from the family of his servant David. 70 This is what he promised through his holy prophets long ago. 71 He will save us from our enemies and from the power of all those who hate us. 72 God said he would show mercy to our fathers, and he remembered his holy agreement. 73 This was the promise he made to our father Abraham, 74 a promise to free us from the power of our enemies, so that we could serve him without fear 75 in a way that is holy and right for as long as we live. 76 “Now you, little boy, will be called a prophet of the Most High God. You will go first before the Lord to prepare the way for him. 77 You will make his people understand that they will be saved by having their sins forgiven. 78 “With the loving mercy of our God, a new day from heaven will shine on us. 79 It will bring light to those who live in darkness, in the fear of death. It will guide us into the way that brings peace.” |
Melanie GarciaFaithful and humble servant of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Archives
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