I have been reminded over the past few days of two things that were revealed to me by the Holy Spirit in my past. One was realizing what a very safe place it is to be in the Lord, and the other thing was how total belief in what the Lord is saying to me in a particular situation will bring His word into being.
When I first came to know the Lord, I felt as if I was in the eye of a hurricane, a totally safe place, that is the only way I can describe it. However, when I returned to Wales shortly after being born again in Australia and living for a short time in England, I started to come across all the friends that I had known in the Welsh town I had left to go to Australia. I told them that I had become a Christian, and felt that I wanted to witness to them but did not know how. The Lord comforted me over this issue through a prayer that I put into poem form. I called it The eye of the hurricane.
The eye of the hurricane
I stand in the eye of the hurricane in a place of silent calm
a storm goes on around me yet I come to no harm
All around there's turmoil brought about by Adam's sin
a warning to me not to leave the place I'm standing in
Sometimes I feel uncertain - unsure of what to do
inside the raging hurricane are people I once knew
I want to run and save them - to bring them to this place
to tell them of salvation brought about by God's grace
But my love cannot save them - my coat won't keep them warm
my strength will not protect them from the terror of the storm
Father show me what to do - teach me Lord to pray
for people trapped in worldliness in this the 'evil day'
Father let Your word take root inside my troubled heart
show me that this world and You are just a prayer apart
Teach me Lord to be a light - to tread the path You trod
then teach me Father to be still and know that You are God
The Lord eventually answered that prayer and sent me out into the streets to evangelize with a friend, directing us through His word. I believe that when we pray according to the will of God that He hears us and will answer that prayer in His way.
The second thing that I believe was revealed to me was not to fear in my trials and I would like to share how it was revealed to me in the hope that it will encourage others who may be going through similar trials. I know that we all have different experiences but it is still good to encourage one another by sharing those experiences, and I know that I have been encouraged by other people's testimonies over the years.
When I first came to know the Lord, I felt as if I was in the eye of a hurricane, a totally safe place, that is the only way I can describe it. However, when I returned to Wales shortly after being born again in Australia and living for a short time in England, I started to come across all the friends that I had known in the Welsh town I had left to go to Australia. I told them that I had become a Christian, and felt that I wanted to witness to them but did not know how. The Lord comforted me over this issue through a prayer that I put into poem form. I called it The eye of the hurricane.
The eye of the hurricane
I stand in the eye of the hurricane in a place of silent calm
a storm goes on around me yet I come to no harm
All around there's turmoil brought about by Adam's sin
a warning to me not to leave the place I'm standing in
Sometimes I feel uncertain - unsure of what to do
inside the raging hurricane are people I once knew
I want to run and save them - to bring them to this place
to tell them of salvation brought about by God's grace
But my love cannot save them - my coat won't keep them warm
my strength will not protect them from the terror of the storm
Father show me what to do - teach me Lord to pray
for people trapped in worldliness in this the 'evil day'
Father let Your word take root inside my troubled heart
show me that this world and You are just a prayer apart
Teach me Lord to be a light - to tread the path You trod
then teach me Father to be still and know that You are God
The Lord eventually answered that prayer and sent me out into the streets to evangelize with a friend, directing us through His word. I believe that when we pray according to the will of God that He hears us and will answer that prayer in His way.
The second thing that I believe was revealed to me was not to fear in my trials and I would like to share how it was revealed to me in the hope that it will encourage others who may be going through similar trials. I know that we all have different experiences but it is still good to encourage one another by sharing those experiences, and I know that I have been encouraged by other people's testimonies over the years.
I remember some years ago I had just awoken. I had been lying in my bed but although my eyes were closed I had a picture as if I was floating on the sea. Now I had opened my eyes and could hardly believe what I was seeing. My bed quilt had become like the rippling waves and I was looking across a vast sea, this went on for some time before the sea began to fade and changed back into my bed quilt After I had got up I went to check to see if there was any mail. There was a booklet arrived from the Kenneth Copeland ministries, I believe it was the 'Victory' magazine, and on the front page was a picture of the sea that appeared to be exactly the same as my vision in my bedroom and a scripture referring to Peter walking on water.
I felt through the vision of the water and the picture on the front of the magazine, that the Lord was emphasising to me that day that I must keep my eyes fixed upon Him and not on my worldly troubles, that He will carry me through. In Matthew ch.14 vs.22 -33 there is an account of the apostle Peter being able to walk on water because Jesus had spoken the word 'come' in order for him to do it, something that is not naturally possible. However, verses 29 - 31 which say 'Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink cried out, 'Lord, save me!' Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. 'You of little faith, He said, why did you doubt?' show quite clearly that when Peter looked at the turmoil of the wind he began to sink, to which Jesus told him that the reason he was beginning to sink was 'little faith' caused by 'doubt'. Peter had for a split second let the natural come in to rob him of the supernatural, allowing what he saw to overrule and nullify what Jesus had brought about, and fear had been the instigator.
Shortly after this experience I wrote a little song and called it 'Do not fear'
Do not fear
Do not fear the wind and the waves - I will carry you through
for mine is the hand that rescues and saves - I will carry you through
I felt through the vision of the water and the picture on the front of the magazine, that the Lord was emphasising to me that day that I must keep my eyes fixed upon Him and not on my worldly troubles, that He will carry me through. In Matthew ch.14 vs.22 -33 there is an account of the apostle Peter being able to walk on water because Jesus had spoken the word 'come' in order for him to do it, something that is not naturally possible. However, verses 29 - 31 which say 'Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink cried out, 'Lord, save me!' Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. 'You of little faith, He said, why did you doubt?' show quite clearly that when Peter looked at the turmoil of the wind he began to sink, to which Jesus told him that the reason he was beginning to sink was 'little faith' caused by 'doubt'. Peter had for a split second let the natural come in to rob him of the supernatural, allowing what he saw to overrule and nullify what Jesus had brought about, and fear had been the instigator.
Shortly after this experience I wrote a little song and called it 'Do not fear'
Do not fear
Do not fear the wind and the waves - I will carry you through
for mine is the hand that rescues and saves - I will carry you through
and do not fear the hail and the rain I will carry you through
for mine is the peace that will ever remain I will carry you through
For I am the One who was sacrificed no more to die
if you call on Me I will hear your cry - My love is forever
I'll not fear the wind and the waves for You will carry me through
for Yours is the hand that rescues and saves - You will carry me through
and I'll not fear the hail and the rain for You will carry me through
for Yours is the peace that will ever remain
You will carry me through
For You are the One who was sacrificed no more to die
If I call on You, You will hear my cry - Your love is forever
I'll not fear the wind and the waves for You will carry me through
for Yours is the hand that rescues and saves - You will carry me through
and I'll not fear the hail and the rain for You will carry me through
for Yours is the peace that will ever remain
You will carry me through
For You are the One who was sacrificed no more to die
If I call on You, You will hear my cry - Your love is forever
38 comments:
Thank you Brenda, that you entrust it to us. I love the little song! Its beautiful and it touches me.
Dear Brenda,
It is true that Peter took his eyes off Jesus and he began to sink into the waters of the lake. But we must also commend him for stepping out of the boat in the first place, while all the others chose to remain on board.
An excellent post, and a well written song too. God bless.
Brenda, amazing timing. Only God. Thank you for sharing on fear. Yuck! Hate it!!!! Hugs my friend.
So, is it that God only helps those who help themselves by following His instructions to the letter?
Thanks Brenda, the timing of me reading this post is amazing. The words I read here about fear and trials, have helped me through a trial I am going through right now.
Blessings sister,
<><
Hi Brenda,
Love the poem and the song. Great post.
Blessings, Chelle
Praise God for the peace that passes all understanding, and for His perfect love that casts out all fear. Beautiful post, poem and song!
God bless,
Laurie
Hi Jedidja,
lovely to see you, thank you for your encouragement.
Hi Frank,
absolutely what you say is true, and the Holy Spirit was using this scripture to not only show me that but also to show me that even if we stumble a little after trying to do what He is encouraging us to do He will still reach out to help us. One of the lovely things I saw in this scripture was that Peter knew the Lord only had to call him to do something that he knew was naturally impossible for him to do, and he would be able to do it.
Hi JBR lovely to hear from you. We must remember that fear is a tool of the enemy and not a gift from God eh?
God bless you in your new job.
No Jerry, it is that God would use the scriptures to encourage all of us to put our trust in Him in a difficult situation. That is the kind of God we have, loving, encouraging, and patient while He teaches us that His perfect love casts out fear.
Hi child of God,
I am so glad the post has had something in it to encourage you in your trial. I really believe that this is what fellowship with one another is. We all go through trials, we are all weak in areas and we all need one another. It is us against a strong enemy, but we have a much stronger warrior on our side. God bless you.
Hi Chelle,
thank you for your kind comment and blessings to you too.
Hello Laurie,
yes isn't the Lord wonderful. The song 'How great Thou art comes to my mind' It is an absolutely beautiful song and always moves me to tears. Isn't it lovely that someone wrote that so long ago and yet I, and I am sure many others feel those words in my heart. Thank you for your kind comment Laurie and God bless you.
That was not all that bad of an answer, my dear Brenda. Of course, it all depends upon what you now think of the teachings of Kenneth Copeland. So, are you still a follower of his way of thinking? Your answer indicates that you are to a fairly great extent, but I am willing to accept that what you wrote is not what you meant it to be.
No Jerry I don't think that my answer indicates that I am a follower of Kenneth Copeland, I have never been a 'follower' of anyone other than Jesus. However, at that time someone had arranged for me to be sent the 'Victory'magazine and the Lord knew that picture would be on the front of that mag and gave me the vision when I awoke. I believe that God can use anything from anywhere and the whosoever to speak to us, just like He used an advert for Birds eye peas one morning years ago before I set off to church. My husband, my son and myself weren't talking to one another and I felt a complete hypocrite if I was to go to church and could not go out of the door. My husband was reading the paper, my son watching the television and suddenly an advert came on with the peas singing 'I'm, sorry'. That confirmed what I knew was needed to be said, for me to say I was sorry and for all of us to say the same to one another. Only God can arrange things that way, and then I know who is speaking to me. I follow no one except the Lord, but am well aware that none of us are perfect and that our God is long-suffering and has a way of teaching that only He has.
Doubt and fear are things that I have been battling. I have been praying about it and i think I'm getting better. I know I will with God's help, with Him being my strength. Your poems and songs are beautiful and encouraging Brenda. I am thankful to God for you. To God be the Glory!
I had a dream recently with a lion, or lions I think, because every corner I turned a lion was there. I prayed to God to reveal to me what this dream meant, and the other day as I was on Facebook reading a Christian friend of mines post, he had a scripture about the enemy roaming around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. I just knew that was the answer, at least the first thing came to my mind was that's it.
The lion in my dream was the enemy. I thought when I wake up perhaps it was a good thing, perhaps the lion in my dream was a symbol of God or something like the Lion of Judah maybe, but why would I be afraid it would bite me, why would I run away. I remember being afraid the lion was going to bite me, but he never caught me, although he was everywhere, he came super close to my heels when I was running up some stairs.
I had a similar dream months ago, the same lion he was chasing me around a building inside and outside there he was. At one point he was right beside me but he didn't bite me. In that dream I was afraid of getting bitten too. Perhaps both dreams mean the same thing. I just wanted to share my dream because I remembered it when you mentioned the vision you had of the water.
Oh Sateigdra,
I think it is wonderful, God answered your prayer to Him to reveal what the dream meant when you went on Facebook to read your friend's post. Believe it Sateigdra. I have lots of dreams and usually know the meaning to them, but if I don't I just wait on the Lord to show me. If the enemy is trying to frighten you, just take refuge in the Lord. The fact that the Lord revealed the answer to your dream is, I believe, because you want to put the Lord first in your life. Life does not get narrow when we trust the Lord, in fact life gets better. I have loved my thirty years of being born again and I truly believe that the Lord is making you strong in Him.
When we draw near to God Sateigdra He draws near to us, and the devil will flee from us. God bless you and keep you strong in Him.
Part 1 of 2: First of all, my dear Brenda, be assured that there is a big difference between being a follower of Rev. Copeland and being a follower of what he teaches. For Rev. Copeland is one of many who teach “Word-Faith,” and there is much about what you teach (or share, if you insist) that sounds awfully close. For according to Word-Faith, faith is the power of God, and it is through the use of words that He directs the power of faith to accomplish His will.
Word-Faith goes on to teach that we can do as He does after we master the power of faith through the proper use of Scripture. In fact, the promoters of Word-Faith, like Rev. Copeland, insist that it is in accordance to the will of our Heavenly Father that His children be as powerful as He is, which naturally sounds quite good to most.
Just to be clear, Word-Faith is also referred to as being the prosperity gospel. Nonetheless, since you are focused primarily upon divine healing, there is no need to confuse the issue.
Alas, our Heavenly Father let me get sucked in by Word-Faith around six months after He started making Himself real unto me. It started late one very dark night out in the middle of Wyoming (I think) when Rev. Kenneth Hagin, whom Rev. Copeland worked very closely with, came on a Christian talk-radio station with a message about how to properly pray in order to get what you are wanting. Oh my, I was absolutely mesmerized. For I was not being healed of my physical infirmities, and it made sense to me that the reason why may be on account of not knowing the proper way to ask for it. Of course, a real biggie to Word-Faith is that before one can get what they want, there must not be a trace of doubt to be found in them. So, I hung in there for around six months while agonizing over the truth evidently being that I did not have the ability to have enough faith to move God to deliver me from the sickness that was ravaging my physical body.
No, I have not been shown where you have said anything just exactly like that, but saying such things as, “I have been reminded over the past few days of two things that were revealed to me by the Holy Spirit in my past. One was realizing what a very safe place it is to be in the Lord, and the other thing was how total belief in what the Lord is saying to me in a particular situation will bring His word into being,” could have come out of the mouth of a Copeland or Hagin. For it indicates that a great amount of faith is necessary before He will act.
Yes, there are many verses in our Heavenly Father’s Holy Bible that make it quite clear that we need to have faith in Him, but those verses are mostly for the benefit of those who do not really know Him. Whereas, someone who has been born-again in Him for over 20 years should not have any doubt about the absolute truth of the matter truly being that all that they are being subjected to is for His glory and their ultimate good.
Part 2 of 2: Of course, the devil and his demons are masters at hitting us where it hurts the most, and I must make a very easy target for them to hit. For there are several times each and every day when I would rather curse God and die than endure another moment of my agonizing life in this world. Thankfully, our Heavenly Father has always been faithful to keep me doing anything too drastic, and those verses about there being a need for faith helps to remind me of just how much I am hurting Him when I want to give up.
You see, my dear Brenda, it is the Author of the Bible who keeps me going—not His words. Although, He does convey what is in His heart through His words, and the power of faith is truly believing in what is in His heart. There is, however, so much more to truly having a very close and personal relationship with Him than just illuminated Scripture and signs given indirectly. Be assured that this is the message that He wants you to help proclaim to all who do not really know Him, which includes most of the members of the Christian community in this day and age.
Be assured that I would like to quit trying to help with the getting through to you. For it is like being stabbed with a rusty knife every time you insist that you can only know what you have been taught by our Heavenly Father’s Holy Spirit, as if that is meant to be different than what He wants all of His children by faith to know and understand.
The thing is, however, that He insists that this is not something that He wants me to do, but if you want me to go away and leave you alone, I am to honor that request. So, just say the word, and have full faith in His ability to keep me in check. Be assured that this offer to leave you alone again is meant to be as much for the benefit of your flock as it is for you. For pushing an unwanted message too far upon the unwitting will do more harm than good.
Jerry, if you want to come over and comment on my blog it is entirely up to you. As for the teaching of 'word faith' by Kenneth Copeland, I do not know what that is and I do not really know what Kenneth Copeland teaches as I did not renew the magazines that a friend in Lancashire had arranged for me to receive. Also I do not give the title of 'reverend' to any man, as it is only God that I revere. I have to honestly say that your two comments make very little sense to me as it appears that you do not want to share anything with me but you appear to want to teach me to believe what you believe, but I can only believe what I feel I am being taught by the Holy Spirit and share the things that happen in my life as a personal testimony, not as a teaching. I love the way that other believers share on their blogs too and am built up my many encouraging writings, and I believe that is what it is all about. I can only be myself Jerry.
Jerry,
just to add a little to what I have already said, I believe that I have to seek God over an issue and then act on the word that He speaks to me not act on what someone else is speaking to me, the relationship is a personal one with the Lord and myself. I believe that when I have been spoken to by the Holy Spirit regarding faith He has emphasized to me not to be double minded and instructed me to take every thought captive, making it obedient to Christ. I believe absolutely that all things are possible with Him and that He teaches through the scriptures.
Okay, let me share with you that when our Heavenly Father first started making Himself real unto me that I was really only interested in having my health restored and being allowed and enabled to have a good wife and a family again, but the closer He drew me in, the more I became interested in what He wanted for us all. So, how have you missed out on this?
Yes, if everything is as it appears to be in our sight, it would make sense that our loving Heavenly Father would want us to be healed from all of our afflictions as soon as possible, and what you want to believe is being taught to you by Him would be wonderful. For in accordance to the natural order of things in this world, this, this and that must be done in order to fix this, this and that, and who would know better how things work in this world than the One who created it?
Oh, but there is something to truly behold in that last part. For our Heavenly Father is the Creator of this world. Furthermore, He is in full control of the supposedly natural order of things in this world, and no one can become afflicted with anything unless it is in order to accomplish His purposes.
Be assured that the same applies to being delivered from affliction. For there are no steps that have to be taken before He will deliver someone from their woeful circumstances. That is, other than those given specifically unto someone, such as being told have their head anointed with oil for the benefit of those in attendance. Nonethless, we can be certain of there always being a specific reason for why we have been afflicted in the first place. In most cases, it is meant to get our attention, which is directly tied to the ultimate reason for why we were all created as we naturally are to live in this world for as long as have to. For there are countless ways for our Heavenly Father to get our attention without inflicting pain upon us, but by making life in this world seem so grossly unfair, He gives us opportunities to give Him the full benefit of our considerable doubts, which is the essence of faith.
Please allow me to share something else with you, which is that I often have great doubts about why I have to keep suffering. Hey, He has had my full and undivided (for the most part) attention for a little over 20 years now, but instead of my condition improving, my health continues to decline!
Oh, but when the pain eases a bit, everything comes back clearly into focus, and it is by His grace that I can accept that my continued suffering truly is for His glory and my ultimate good.
Part of that has to do with giving my testimony more weight—especially in cases like this one. For here I am trying to explain that there is no secret to moving our Heavenly Father to heal us of our afflictions when I am hurting so badly myself. After all, it is easy for someone who is healthy and wealthy to insist that we should focus our attention upon higher principles, but it is another thing entirely for someone in the shape that I am in to say such things.
Back during one of our first extended exchanges, you suggested that the reason why I am not being healed is because I do not want to be, and I must admit that I wish that was true. For it would take someone of great courage and conviction to want to keep on hurting as badly as I do for the glory of God, but I am not such a someone—be assured. Thankfully, our Heavenly Father’s grace is sufficient, but this does not mean that there is not much to be ashamed of about myself.
Now, you have the freedom to continue down the path you want to go, but would that not be what Satan would want you to do? For learning how to effect divine healing would be so empowering—would it not?
No Jerry, It is not what satan wants me to do. What I am doing is trying to do what the Holy Spirit is teaching me to do, be obedient to what I am being told to do. My testimony is not about being healed, it is about being obedient to what the Lord is speaking to me and contesting anything that comes along to try to make me doubt that word. This morning I opened my Bible to read and opened straight to Luke ch. 7. I read these verses and realized it was not coincidence that the Lord had me open to this. 'When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.' This is a continuation of what the Holy Spirit is teaching me - complete faith in the word of God to me. The example of the centurion's faith was a real encouragement to me. Whatever you choose to do and whatever you feel the Lord is saying to you personally, that is between you and the Lord Jerry, the same is with me.
Alas, my dear Brenda, would not the devil and his demons want us to have full faith in what we want to believe we are receiving from our Heavenly Father when it is actually coming from them, and since you have not progressed past the point of depending solely upon illuminated Scripture and tell-tale signs to discern right from wrong, how can you be absolutely certain of who is leading you where? Now, if you want to believe that you are being protected from the reach of our enemies, it would do you well to have a little talk with the Apostle Peter (if it would be possible). Of course, if you are really not called to be an evangelist, there would not be any reason to have you sifted like wheat (Luke 22:31). Oh my, what a powerful testimony you will have to give when you want to start growing up.
I think we will just have to work out our own salvation Jerry, and both do what we believe the Lord is instructing us to do as individuals. I have to say I love being a believer even though there are many trials. The trials actually strengthen. In the world we have tribulation, but in Jesus we have peace. I have to say that at this moment in time I feel in total peace in Him. Jesus says in John ch.10 v.27 'My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.'. I feel absolutely that this scripture fits my situation at this moment in time.
I liked that poem, but Eve sinned too, and before Adam.
Hello Cedar,
Yes Eve did sin, and a curse was put upon her too regarding painful childbirth and her husband's rule over her. However, it was Adam that the Lord God commanded not to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of Good and evil as it states in Genesis Ch 2 vs.15 - 17 'The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, 'You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.', and it was as a result of HIS sin of not obeying God's command to him that the curse was put upon the ground and the hard life of toil, followed by death, of mankind came about, as stated in Genesis ch.3 vs. 17 - 19 'To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food
until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”
Brenda, you and your writing are a great blessing, inspired by the Spirit. Love to you and God bless,
Laurie
Hi Laurie,
thank you for your kind comment, I love reading your writings too. Love and God bless to you and your family Laurie.
Brenda dear,
I so enjoyed your poem!
I kinda got lost in the reading of the comments... But your kind responses to Jerry were right on and superb! I particularly liked your last statement...
"Jesus says in John ch.10 v.27 'My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.'. I feel absolutely that this scripture fits my situation at this moment in time. "
Just for the record...I echo That!!
May you continue in His Peace..
blessings
patrina <")>><
Hello Patrina,
I know I can be quite a chatterbox at times, but I do love interacting with other bloggers, and acknowledge that we each have our own testimonies and experiences in our walk with the Lord. Without the Lord's voice in my life at this moment in time I do not know where I would be, but I know that if He speaks a word to me then if I do not doubt it shall come to pass, and I must not lean on my own understanding. God bless you Patrina.
Under His hand for protection and guidance - and discipline if needed!
That is right David, and we could not be in a better place, provided we act on the word spoken to us.
Praise God that He makes us a new creation in Christ as we are born again. Then we must continue to die daily to our old sin nature and yield to the Holy Spirit. May God continue to bless and lead you in your beautiful writings.
God bless,
Laurie
Hello Laurie, thank you for your kind comment. Yes the whole purpose of the Holy Spirit being given to us is to teach us God's ways and renew our minds in Christ Jesus. God bless you.
Brenda, thank you for coming back to my blog this morning and sharing what was placed on your heart. Blessings to you my dear.
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