Morning Prayer: Tuesday,17 Nov 2020 – Psalms (122) and Proverbs (17) ~ Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Morning Prayer: Tuesday, 17 Nov 2020

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening:

Stir up, O Lord, the wills of your faithful people, that bringing forth in abundance the fruit of good works, they may be abundantly rewarded when our Savior Jesus Christ comes to restore all things; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

“O pray for the peace of Jerusalem;
they shall prosper that love you.”
(Psalm 122:6)

Preparation:

Holy Spirit, breath of God and fire of love, I cannot pray without your aid: Kindle in me the fire of your love, and illumine me with your light; that with a steadfast will and holy thoughts I may approach the Father in spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ my Lord, who reigns with you and the Father in eternal union. Amen.

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Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem – Joshua Aaron

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The New Cloverdale Psalter (2019 Update of 1535 Original)

“Psalm 122”

1 I was glad when they said unto me, *
“We will go into the house of the LORD.”
2 Now our feet are standing *
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is built as a city *
that is at unity in itself.
4 For there the tribes go up, even the tribes of the LORD, *
as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks unto the Name of the LORD.
5 For there is the throne of judgment, *
even the throne of the house of David.

6 O pray for the peace of Jerusalem; *
they shall prosper that love you.
7 Peace be within your walls *
and plenteousness within your palaces.
8 For my brethren and companions’ sakes, *
I will wish you prosperity.
9 Indeed, because of the house of the LORD our God, *
I will seek to do you good.

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Proverbs (17) (The Wisdom of Solomon)

1 Better a dry crust eaten in peace
than a house filled with feasting—and conflict.

27 A truly wise person uses few words;
a person with understanding is even-tempered.

28 Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent;
with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.

__________

Consider:

“O pray for the peace of Jerusalem;
they shall prosper that love you.”
(Psalm 122:6)

+ Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” Peace was her name, pray that her condition may verify her title.

__ Spurgeon

+ Those who can do nothing else for the peace of Jerusalem, may pray for it. Let us consider all who seek the glory of the Redeemer, as our brethren and fellow-travelers, without regarding differences which do not affect our eternal welfare.

+ Blessed Spirit of peace and love, who didst dwell in the soul of the holy Jesus, descend into his church, and fill those who compose it with his heavenly tempers; cause bitter contentions to cease, and make us to be of one mind.

+ Love of the brethren and love to God, ought to stir us up to seek to be like the Lord Jesus in fervent prayer and unwearied labor, for the salvation of men, and the Divine glory.

__ Matthew Henry

+ The house of “the LORD our God” was established in Jerusalem, the city of God.

+ It was the welfare of “the house of the LORD our God” that prompted prayer for the entire city.

+ And it is the welfare of the house of the LORD our God that prompts believers to pray for his church.

Q: Do you pray regularly for the peace of Jerusalem? Why / why not?

Q: Do you believe that the welfare of Jerusalem is linked to your personal welfare? Why / why not?

Q: Do you pray for the welfare of your church? Why / why not?

Q: What challenges are your church dealing with right now? How can you help?

Q: How can you pray and work for peace in your church?

__________

Prayer:

Prayer for Jerusalem

Hope— for God’s Holy Spirit to remove bitterness and complacency from the hearts of Jerusalem’s people; for them to believe that peace is actually possible in their city.
Security— for Christ to spread his powerful protection around this place, preventing even the empty threat of attack from outside enemies.
Harmony— for God to turn the hearts of people toward compassion and kindness; for children to lead the way in the rising up of a generation that longs to treat all in Jerusalem as brother and sister.
Family— for Jesus to knit families together in wholeness and health, in ways that repulse fear and hate in exchange for love and joy.
Economy— for the people of Jerusalem to have ample opportunity and ability to provide for themselves and their families, to give generously to others, and to no longer be divided over who “has” and who “has not.”
Worship— for Christ’s Holy Spirit to be not simply present, but undeniably known in obvious ways within the hearts and expressions of His truly beloved people—Jew and Arab alike.

Prayer for the Church

Gracious Father, we pray for your holy Church. Fill it with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in anything it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of Jesus Christ your Son our Savior. Amen.
Deliver your Church from all enmity and prejudice, and everything that hinders us from godly union. As there is one Body and one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so make us all to be of one heart and of one mind, united in one holy bond of truth and peace, of faith and love, that with one voice we may give you praise; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God in everlasting glory. Amen.

Prayer for your Congregation

Almighty and everlasting God, you govern all things in heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear our prayers, and grant that in my Congregation the pure Word of God may be preached and the Sacraments duly administered.
Strengthen and confirm the faithful; protect and guide the children;
visit and relieve the sick; turn and soften the wicked;
arouse the careless; recover the fallen;
restore the penitent; remove all hindrances to the advancement of your truth;
and bring us all to be of one heart and mind within your holy Church, to the honor and glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Psalm 122 – “May There Be Peace” Timeless: Ancient Psalms for the Church Today

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Blessing

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you.
May He guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm.
May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you.
May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

__________

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Morning Prayer: Monday,16 Nov 2020 – Psalms (121) and Proverbs (16) ~ The LORD is the keeper of my soul!

Morning Prayer: Monday, 16 Nov 2020

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening:

“The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; indeed,
it is he who shall keep your soul.”
(Psalm 121:7)

Preparation:

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Psalm 121 (He Watches Over You) – The Psalms Project

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The New Cloverdale Psalter (2019 Update of 1535 Original)

“Psalm 121”

1 I will lift up my eyes unto the hills; *
from whence comes my help?
2 My help comes from the LORD, *
who has made heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot be moved, *
and he who keeps you will not sleep.
4 Behold, he who keeps Israel *
shall neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The LORD himself is your keeper; *
the LORD is your defense upon your right hand,
6 So that the sun shall not burn you by day, *
neither the moon by night.

7 The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; *
indeed, it is he who shall keep your soul.
8 The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in, *
from this time forth for evermore.

__________

Proverbs (16) (The Wisdom of Solomon)

1 We can make our own plans,
but the Lord gives the right answer.

2 People may be pure in their own eyes,
but the Lord examines their motives.

3 Commit your actions to the Lord,
and your plans will succeed.

4 The Lord has made everything for his own purposes,
even the wicked for a day of disaster.

33 We may throw the dice,
but the Lord determines how they fall.

__________

Consider:

“The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; indeed,
it is he who shall keep your soul.”
(Psalm 121:7)

The LORD is the keeper of my soul

God not only keeps his own in all evil times but from all evil influences and operations, yes, from evils themselves.

God is the sole keeper of the soul. Our soul is kept from the dominion of sin, the infection of error, the crush of despondency, the puffing up of pride; kept from the world, the flesh, and the devil; kept for holier and greater things; kept in the love of God; kept unto the eternal kingdom and glory. What can harm a soul that is kept of the Lord?

__ Spurgeon

_____

“Consider how difficult it is to correct our distrust….”

Only when the truth that the LORD keeps us “is deeply rooted in our hearts… and we depend upon his guardianship alone, may we bid adieu to all the vain confidences of the world.”

—John Calvin.

Q: Where, or to whom, do you go when you’re in trouble?

Q: How do you respond when faced with evil times and influences?

Q: How do you deal with the crush of the world, the flesh, and the devil?

God is the sole keeper of your soul.

Q: Can you rely on that declaration of truth to preserve your soul?

Q: What prevents you?

__________

Prayer:

+ Most loving Father, you will us to give thanks for all things, to dread nothing but the loss of you, and to cast all our care on the One who cares for us. Preserve us from faithless fears and worldly anxieties, and grant that no clouds of this mortal life may hide from us the light of that love which is immortal, and which you have manifested unto us in your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ O God of peace, who hast taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall be our strength: By the might of thy Spirit lift us, we pray thee, to thy presence, where we may be still and know that thou art God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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“Keeper of my Soul” – written and performed by Julie Hufstetler.

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Blessing

__________

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Morning Prayer: Saturday,14 Nov 2020 – Psalms (118,117) and Proverbs (14) ~ His loving-kindness is forever!

Morning Prayer: Saturday, 14 Nov 2020

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening:

O God, whose blessed Son came into the world that he might destroy the works of the devil and make us children of God and heirs of eternal life: Grant that, having this hope, we may purify ourselves as he is pure; that, when he comes again with power and great glory, we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

“Give thanks unto the LORD, for he is gracious; his mercy endures for ever.
Indeed, let those who fear the LORD confess
that his mercy endures for ever.”
(Psalm 118:1,4)

Preparation:

__________

“Psalm 118” (Salvation) – Teshuva Music

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The New Cloverdale Psalter (2019 Update of 1535 Original)

“Psalm 118”

1 Give thanks unto the LORD, for he is gracious; *
his mercy endures for ever.

2 Let Israel now confess that he is gracious, *
that his mercy endures for ever.
3 Let the house of Aaron now confess *
that his mercy endures for ever.
4 Indeed, let those who fear the LORD confess *
that his mercy endures for ever.

5 I called upon the LORD in trouble, *
and the LORD heard me and set me free.
6 The LORD is on my side; *
I will not fear what man can do to me.
7 The LORD takes my side with those who help me; *
therefore shall I look in triumph on my enemies.
8 It is better to trust in the LORD *
than to put any confidence in man.
9 It is better to trust in the LORD *
than to put any confidence in princes.

10 All the nations encompass me, *
but in the Name of the LORD will I cut them off.
11 They hem me in on every side; indeed, they hem me in on every side, *
but in the Name of the LORD will I cut them off.
12 They come about me like bees, and blaze like fire among the thorns, *
but in the Name of the LORD will I cut them off.
13 I was thrust aside so that I almost fell, *
but the LORD was my help.
14 The LORD is my strength and my song, *
and has become my salvation.
15 The voice of joy and deliverance is in the dwellings of the righteous; *
the right hand of the LORD brings mighty things to pass.
16 The right hand of the LORD is exalted; *
the right hand of the LORD brings mighty things to pass.
17 I shall not die, but live, *
and declare the works of the LORD.
18 The LORD has chastened and corrected me, *
but he has not given me over to death.

19 Open unto me the gates of righteousness, *
that I may go into them, and give thanks unto the LORD.
20 This is the gate of the LORD; *
the righteous shall enter into it.
21 I will thank you, for you have heard me, *
and have become my salvation.

22 The same stone which the builders refused *
has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This is the LORD’s doing, *
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that the LORD has made; *
we will rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Help me now, O LORD; *
O LORD, send us now prosperity.
26 Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the LORD; *
we bless you from the house of the LORD.
27 God is the LORD, who has shown us light; *
bind the sacrifice with cords, even to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will thank you; *
you are my God, and I will exalt you.

29 O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is gracious; *
his mercy endures for ever.

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Proverbs (14) (The Wisdom of Solomon)

26 Those who fear the Lord are secure;
he will be a refuge for their children.

27 Fear of the Lord is a life-giving fountain;
it offers escape from the snares of death.

34 Godliness makes a nation great,
but sin is a disgrace to any people.

Consider:

“Give thanks unto the LORD, for he is gracious; his mercy endures for ever.
Indeed, let those who fear the LORD confess
that his mercy endures for ever.”
(Psalm 118:1,4)

The LORD is good (gracious)

The LORD’s goodness is his essence and nature, and therefore he is always to be praised whether we are receiving anything from him or not.

When others behave badly to us, it should only stir us up the more heartily to give thanks unto the Lord because he is good.

When we ourselves are conscious that we are far from being good, we should only the more reverently bless him that “he is good.”

We must never tolerate an instant’s unbelief as to the goodness of the Lord; whatever else may be questionable, this is absolutely certain, that Jehovah is good; his dispensations may vary, but his nature is always the same, and always good.

The LORD’s is merciful forever

Mercy is a great part of his goodness, and one which more concerns us than any other, for we are sinners and have need of his mercy.

Notwithstanding our sins, our trials, our fears, his mercy endures for ever.

The best of earthly joys pass away, and even the world itself grows old and hastens to decay, but there is no change in the mercy of God;

God was faithful to our forefathers, he is merciful to us, and will be gracious to our children and our children’s children.

__ Spurgeon

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Prayer:

+ Almighty God, you have not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities; grant that we, who for our evil deeds deserve to be punished, by the might of your grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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” Psalm 117″ (All The Nations) – Teshuva – Hallel

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Blessing

__________

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Morning Prayer: Friday,13 Nov 2020 – Psalms (116) and Proverbs (13) ~ I love the LORD because he heard me.

Morning Prayer: Friday,13 Nov 2020

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening:

“I love the LORD, because he heard the voice of my prayer….
You have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears, and my feet from stumbling.”
(Psalm 116:1,8)

Preparation:

__________

“Psalm 116” (I Love You Lord) – Mission House

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The New Cloverdale Psalter (2019 Update of 1535 Original)

“Psalm 116”

1 I love the LORD, *
because he heard the voice of my prayer,
2 Because he inclined his ear to me; *
therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.
3 The snares of death encompassed me, and the pains of the Grave laid hold of me; *
I suffered trouble and sorrow.
4 Then I called upon the Name of the LORD: *
“O LORD, I beseech you, deliver my soul.”
5 Gracious is the LORD and righteous; *
indeed, our God is full of compassion.
6 The Lord preserves the simple; *
I was in misery, and he helped me.
7 Turn again to your rest, O my soul, *
for the LORD has rewarded you.
8 You have delivered my soul from death, *
my eyes from tears, and my feet from stumbling.
9 I will walk before the LORD *
in the land of the living.
10 I believed, and therefore will I speak: “I am greatly troubled.” *
I said in my haste, “All men are liars.”
11 What shall I give unto the LORD *
for all the benefits that he has done unto me?
12 I will lift up the cup of salvation *
and call upon the Name of the LORD.

13 I will pay my vows unto the Lord in the presence of all his people; *
dear in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.
14 O LORD, I am your servant; *
I am your servant, and the child of your handmaid; you have broken my bonds asunder.
15 I will offer you the sacrifice of thanksgiving *
and will call upon the Name of the LORD.
16 I will pay my vows unto the LORD in the sight of all his people, *
in the courts of the LORD’s house, even in the midst of you, O Jerusalem.

Praise the LORD.

__________

Proverbs (13) (The Wisdom of Solomon)

3 Those who control their tongue will have a long life;
opening your mouth can ruin everything.

6 Godliness guards the path of the blameless,
but the evil are misled by sin.

Consider:

“I love the LORD, because he heard the voice of my prayer….
You have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears, and my feet from stumbling.”
(Psalm 116:1,8)

The LORD heard my prayer

Personal love fostered by a personal experience of redemption is the theme of this Psalm, and in it we see the redeemed answered when they pray, preserved in time of trouble, resting in their God, walking at large, sensible of their obligations, conscious that they are not their own but bought with a price, and joining with all the ransomed company to sing hallelujahs unto God.

The LORD delivered me from death

Salvation, joy, and holiness must go together, and they are all provided for us in the covenant of grace. Death is vanquished, tears are dried, and fears are banished when the Lord is near.

I will walk before the LORD

The life of faith, hope, holy fear, and true holiness is produced by a sense of living and walking before the Lord, and he who has been favored with divine deliverances in answer to prayer finds his own experience the best reason for a holy life, and the best assistance to his endeavors. We know that God in a special manner is nigh unto his people: what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness?

__ Spurgeon

Q: Has God ever answered you when you cried out to him for help?

Q: Have you ever experienced God’s deliverance in a time of trouble?

Q: Did you experience comfort and rest for your troubled spirit?

Q: How did your experience change your life… your relationship with God?

__________

Prayer –

+ O God, almighty and merciful, you heal the broken-hearted, and turn the sadness of the sorrowful to joy, Let your fatherly goodness be upon all whom you have made. Remember in pity all those who are this day destitute, homeless, elderly, infirm, or forgotten. Bless the multitude of your poor. Lift up those who are cast down. Mightily befriend innocent sufferers, and sanctify to them the endurance of their wrongs. Cheer with hope all who are discouraged and downcast, and by your heavenly grace preserve from falling those whose poverty tempts them to sin. Though they be troubled on every side, suffer them not to be distressed; though they are perplexed, save them from despair. Grant this, O Lord, for the love of him who for our sakes became poor, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

+ O merciful Father, you have taught us in your holy Word that you do not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men: Look with pity on the sorrows of your servants. Remember us, O Lord, in mercy; nourish our souls with patience; comfort us with a sense of your goodness; lift up your countenance upon us; and give us peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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“Psalm 116” (You Heard Me) – Teshuva – Hallel

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Blessing

__________

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Morning Prayer: Thursday,12 Nov 2020 – Psalms (115) and Proverbs (12) ~ Not to us, O LORD, but to your Name

Morning Prayer: Thursday,12 Nov 2020

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening:

“Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto your Name give the praise,
for your loving mercy and for your truth’s sake.
Why shall the nations say, “Where now is their God?”“
(Psalm 115:1-2)

Preparation:

__________

“Psalm 115” Trust in God – Teshuva – Hallel

__________

The New Cloverdale Psalter (2019 Update of 1535 Original)

“Psalm 115”

1 Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto your Name give the praise, *
for your loving mercy and for your truth’s sake.
2 Why shall the nations say, *
“Where now is their God?”
3 As for our God, he is in heaven; *
he has done whatsoever pleased him.
4 Their idols are silver and gold, *
even the work of human hands.
5 They have mouths, but they speak not; *
eyes have they, but they see not.
6 They have ears, but they hear not; *
noses have they, but they smell not.
7 They have hands, but they feel not; feet have they, but they walk not; *
neither is there any sound in their throat.
8 Those who make them are like them, *
and so are all who put their trust in them.

9 But you, O house of Israel, trust in the LORD; *
he is their helper and defender.
10 You house of Aaron, put your trust in the LORD; *
he is their helper and defender.
11 You who fear the LORD, put your trust in the LORD; *
he is their helper and defender.

12 The LORD has been mindful of us, and he shall bless us; *
he shall bless the house of Israel; he shall bless the house of Aaron;
13 He shall bless those who fear the LORD, *
both small and great together.

14 The LORD shall increase you more and more, *
you and your children after you.
15 You are the blessed of the LORD, *
who has made heaven and earth.
16 The heavens are the LORD’s; *
the earth has he given to the children of men.
17 The dead praise you not, O LORD, *
neither all those who go down into silence.
18 But we will praise the LORD, *
from this time forth for evermore.

Praise the LORD.

__________

Proverbs (12) (The Wisdom of Solomon)

2 The Lord approves of those who are good,
but he condemns those who plan wickedness.

3 Wickedness never brings stability,
but the godly have deep roots.

28 The way of the godly leads to life;
that path does not lead to death.

__________

Consider:

“Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto your Name give the praise,
for your loving mercy and for your truth’s sake.
Why shall the nations say, “Where now is their God?”“
(Psalm 115:1-2)

Not to us, O LORD, but to your Name

Human beings have a natural tendency to self idolatry, i.e. to glorifying ourselves…. To the extent that we take credit for success, be it by hard work or clever planning, we detract from God.

—Stephen Charnock.

Self and God are the two things that come in competition. Now there are several sorts of self; there is carnal self, natural self, spiritual self, and glorified self; above all these God must have the preeminence.

—Thomas Manton.

Their gods are man-made idols

The god of modern thought is the creation of the thinker himself, evolved out of his own consciousness, or fashioned according to his own notion of what a god should be.

A god who can be fashioned by our own thoughts is no more a God than the image manufactured or produced by our own hands.

The true God must of necessity be his own revealer.

Their idols are blinded reason and diseased thought, the product of men’s muddled brains, and they will come to nothing.

__ Spurgeon

__________

Prayer –

+ Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

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“Psalm 115” (Heavenly Father) – Ken Kalambay

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Blessing

__________

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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