Isaiah 49 ~ I will make all My mountains a road, and My Highways shall be raised up

Easter was Unique and Filled with Opportunities to find Joy. Even if our pastels appeared on television instead of actually going to Church. We know we will tell this Easter day to generations yet unborn!

We enjoyed 4 Easter Programs today. We read from the Gospel of Mark and were read to, to Look Upward. Enthralled I repeated, "Look up." And our Pastor then said, 'Now repeat with me, "Look Up!" ' So Edward and I repeated this, again.

If you have time this week... you might want to look at few Good Friday and Easter Sermons on Youtube.

When I have done this Sermon Youtube finding, (we zigzagged today between Easter activities and Sermons) I have found repeat Sermons; the messages are repeating in phrases due only to One factor. The Holy Spirit. Comfort. Comforter. Helper. Hear O Israel, The Lord Thy God is One. Last week during Holy Week, the Sermons said, "What will you learn from God this season?" In God's Timing, I'll be able to answer this for myself. And you will answer for yourself.

This Holy Week, I learned how much of Life is beautiful, how blessed we have been with plain life and in not counting the blessings, the Blessings almost passed by uncounted. And I feel assured in faith, more answers to this question of learning will arrive. We will look to the journey Father God gives and find the answers.

Easter, the message from different locations, was the same. Look Upward. Look Up.

Isaiah 49

Listen to me, O coastlands,
and give attention, you peoples from afar.
The Lord called me from the womb,
from the body of my mother he named my name.
2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword;
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me a polished arrow;
in his quiver he hid me away.
3 And he said to me, “You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”

4 But I said, “I have labored in vain;
I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;
yet surely my right is with the Lord,
and my recompense with my God.”

5 And now the Lord says,
he who formed me from the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him;
and that Israel might be gathered to him—
for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord,
and my God has become my strength—
6 he says:
“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to bring back the preserved of Israel;
I will make you as a light for the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

7 Thus says the Lord,
the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,
to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation,
the servant of rulers:
“Kings shall see and arise;
princes, and they shall prostrate themselves;
because of the Lord, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

The Restoration of Israel

8 Thus says the Lord:
“In a time of favor I have answered you;
in a day of salvation I have helped you;
I will keep you and give you
as a covenant to the people,
to establish the land,
to apportion the desolate heritages,
9 saying to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’
to those who are in darkness, ‘Appear.’

They shall feed along the ways;
on all bare heights shall be their pasture;
10 they shall not hunger or thirst,
neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them,
for he who has pity on them will lead them,
and by springs of water will guide them.

11 And I will make all my mountains a road,
and my highways shall be raised up.
12 Behold, these shall come from afar,
and behold, these from the north and from the west,
and these from the land of Syene.”

13 Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;
break forth, O mountains, into singing!
For the Lord has comforted his people
and will have compassion on his afflicted.

14 But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me;
my Lord has forgotten me.”

15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child,
that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?

Even these may forget,
yet I will not forget you.
16 Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;
your walls are continually before me.

17 Your builders make haste;
your destroyers and those who laid you waste go out from you.
18 Lift up your eyes around and see;
they all gather, they come to you.
As I live, declares the Lord,
you shall put them all on as an ornament;
you shall bind them on as a bride does.

19 “Surely your waste and your desolate places
and your devastated land—
surely now you will be too narrow for your inhabitants,
and those who swallowed you up will be far away.
20 The children of your bereavement
will yet say in your ears:
‘The place is too narrow for me;
make room for me to dwell in.’
21 Then you will say in your heart:
‘Who has borne me these?
I was bereaved and barren,
exiled and put away,
but who has brought up these?
Behold, I was left alone;
from where have these come?’”

22 Thus says the Lord God:
“Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations,
and raise my signal to the peoples;
and they shall bring your sons in their arms,
and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders.

23 Kings shall be your foster fathers,
and their queens your nursing mothers.
With their faces to the ground they shall bow down to you,
and lick the dust of your feet.
Then you will know that I am the Lord;
those who wait for me shall not be put to shame.”

24 Can the prey be taken from the mighty,
or the captives of a tyrant be rescued?
25 For thus says the Lord:
“Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken,
and the prey of the tyrant be rescued,
for I will contend with those who contend with you,
and I will save your children.
26 I will make your  oppressors eat their own flesh,
and they shall be drunk with their own blood as with wine.
Then all flesh shall know
that I am the Lord your Savior,
and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”

The work God has given mankind is to believe in the One He has sent. Jesus.

God has also told us we are like Living Stones. We are building. Believing and building are daily work. We have to put aside what is negativity and reach with great determination for what pulls us Up. Look Up. Work Up. Go Up. Believing in Jesus Christ and His Promises. Finding what is real in His Mercies Renew Daily. Finding how He Daily Loadeth us with Benefits.

God tells us in several verses. Heaven has Highways. The Hills and Highways of Heaven.

Wondrous. We are on this High Way today. Look Up. Jesus has plans for us, as Prodigal Children, to be run to by Father God.
When the Bible tells us of going to Jerusalem, God calls His New City, the Bible always says going 'up' to Jerusalem. Jerusalem, God's Chosen City, is upward in elevation.

One foot forward. One step 'Up'. In the time of virus, we say don't make the road too short. We all think this. God is saying something more wonderful. He is saying when we walk in His Paths, He is our Encouragement. He is our Joy and makes us Strong. Jesus never said I find the weakend sheep helpful. God has always said, I am The Good Shepherd. Jesus says this about the road to the Hills and Highway High Ways of Heaven, I am The Way.

Jesus goes on about being on the High Way, He says, "I am The Life."

The problems along the High Way are malnourishment in the place of nurturing. Sometimes from poverty of soul, love, finance, body, health, sadness. A bandaid that doesn't do healing: Sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.

The High Way works and has this: We walk with the Holy Spirit, Father God places in us. We love because He first Loves us.

We take one step up. We are Loved. We know within us God Loves us as our Father. Joy, God encourages Joy. He finds Joy gives us strength and generosity. Father God walks with us and shows us our Strength in God brings Joy. Father God gives us Peace. Not the always happy variety the Disciples of Jesus didn't have. Peace walking with Jesus we will find the blind see, the deaf and tender patience and then hear, the leper is held and healed, the dying have hope and are raised, parents receive their children back to them. New Life. Jesus doesn't walk down Mount Tabor from the Transfiguration and blast the disciples for being unable to help the horrified father of an ill son. Jesus is Patient. The father can't summon faith, Jesus helps with his kindness. The Goodness of God walking with us is to want goodness and mercy to be our footprints as David did. Jesus walks with us to give us faithfulness. The journey is decades long and Jesus gives us self control to take the next step 'up' to see the future with hope.

In Jesus Christ we are Looking Up. We are on the High Way leading to the hills and Highways of God's Living Kingdom. Today.

Matthew 6:33

Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Keeping in step with the Holy Spirit.

Exodus 23:16

You shall keep the Feast of Harvest, of the firstfruits of your labor, of what you sow in the field. You shall keep the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labor.

Jeremiah 15:16

Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.

John 6:68

Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

Philippians 3:13,14

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have laid hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus.

Exodus 10:9 

Moses said, “We will go with our young and our old. We will go with our sons and daughters and with our flocks and herds, for we must hold a feast to the Lord. "

Galatians 6:9 

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-22

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.

Isaiah 58:11
“And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desires in scorched places, and make your bones strong; and you will be like a watered garden, like a spring of water whose water does not fail.” 

1 Peter 5:10
“After your season of suffering, God in all of his grace will restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”

Psalm 138:7
“Though I am surrounded by troubles, you will protect me from the anger of my enemies. You reach out your hand, and the power of your right hand saves me. The Lord will work out his plans for my life—for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for you made me.” 

Isaiah 66:9
“I will not cause pain without allowing something new to be born.” 

Philippians 2:13
“For God is working in you, giving you the desires and the power to do what pleases him.” 

Deuteronomy 20:4
“For the Lord your God is going with you. He will fight for you against
your enemy and he will give you victory.” 

Matins (during the night, at about 2 a.m.); also called Vigil


Abba,

Jesus was suddenly walking with the Disciples on the Road to Emmaus. And their hearts were strangely warmed and they asked Jesus to stay to eat with them. Your Words are Living and Active and when we long for Your Words, You are there.

To Know Scripture is to Know the Power of God. For Your Glory, Father God.

We ask You, to walk with us and guide us and lead us from this time. Help us and encourage us to see what this season teaches us. With Your Spirit, we will be Brave, filled with Valor, and Diligent. You have taught us, when we wander away and have fallen, You will search for us. Help us in those moments to be found by Jesus, wonderful Jesus.

Help us to see the Blessings in each day and in finding Your Blessings, the day is blessed. The times of refreshing more enduring. Meaningful Life. Abundant Life to Look Up and Find what You daily give us. If we don't see our blessings, we cannot live our Blessings.

In Your Enduring and Prevailing Love, Grace and Mercy we Live.

We are Blessed to seek You First. Blessed to be finding the High Way of Your Heaven today. Blessed to ask to see more Heaven upon earth. Blessed to have You as our Daily Bread. Blessed to ask to Live Love, Joy and Peace.

Blessed to pray in expectation of Your Love and Willingness. Blessed to say Thank You that during Holy Week, we have seen the Glimpse of Your Glory working to end this oppressive Virus.

In Jesus we Live and ask this for those we Love. We pray for our own strength, Love and ask Jesus to cover this Nation, those who lead this Nation and all other nations in this fight. 

The Light of mankind to shine with Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the Lord, Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †  

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Matthew 28 ~ Greetings!

Matthew 28

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.

 2 And Behold:

there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.

3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 

4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men.

5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.”



8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.

9 And Behold:

 Jesus met them and said,

“Greetings!”

And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.

10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

11 While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. 12 And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers 13 and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.










16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.
17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in  the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The Pew Report said The United States of America are very unusual. 80% of the USA prays daily and feels God Himself is listening with great care. This is found more often in the Philippines and Ethiopia. One of the most prosperous Nations of the entire world prays as if it is a small, distressed nation - Before the Pandemic.

Wouldn't we say this is surely a Sign and Wonder of the New Covenant Jesus has brought us since the First Easter. Jesus is Emmanuel - God with us.

Jesus is with us to the end of the age. God the Father is still working to say Scripture from 2 millenniums is alive. We understand, today, when Jesus took hold of the blind man in the hometown of Peter, Andrew and Philip, He touched the blind man twice. It is this generation who understands the repair of eyes and then brain.

Pontius Pilate was discovered in the last 30 years to be a Historical figure. Roman papers were found sending him to Judea. Two of his carved proclamations were found in Israel archaeology. Until this time, he was widely proclaimed to be a literary, fictitious character.

Goliath was a friendly story to tell the children during Sunday School of the mythological David. Now we have a pottery shard of Goliath dating to his time and in his hometown. David has been found on the Tele Dan Steele and the Temple has been proven as well. David's Palace was located by a two generations, Professor of History by reading the Scriptures and in David's Palace was Jeremiah 36, Baruch, son of Neriah, is found. As written.

We know the date of the Second Exodus in Babylon and we know this to be On the second day of the month of Adar [16 March] 597 B.C.

Because Emperor Nebuchadnezzar II recorded Jeremiah 39 as well and both agree

Nebo-Sarsekim

was there as well! We also know the rations the King of Israel was given.

And you might say, ok, History. Babylon also records the Flood in Genesis far before the Babylonian Exile and Israel's Second Exodus.

And here is one that just can't be written backwards, or sideways, to have proof. Jesus took His Disciples to Caesarea about 30 A.D.

Matthew 16
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Peter died about age 62 and was buried in the poor part of Rome. Almost 300 years later, Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313 A.D.. This proclamation legalized Christianity and allowed for freedom of worship throughout the Empire. And the Vatican was built upon Peter's tomb we found after 60 years study was done under the Altar of the Vatican.

It looks like this under the Vatican because dirt was thrown in to make a firm foundation on the cemetery hill:



This is Rome 300 A.D. The part of the city allowing foreigners to live in Rome. And foreigners are buried here.



The graves had decayed in 300 years, but the 62 year old muscular fisherman was found missing his feet from being removed from the cross. And his grave had been protected by years... by a Large Rock roof. The "Rock" upon Jesus' Church is built. Keeping the bones intact.



The area is filled in with 300 years of graffiti from pilgrims wanting to see where Peter was buried.  Rome's Mamertine Prison also records the arrival and death of both Peter and Paul. Scripture records instead their Abundant Life!

Jesus is Alive!

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This is all interesting testimony. God has told us He does not lie. Numbers 23:19,Titus 1:2,Hebrews 6:18.

The Best Testimony is the 80% of people who pray.
 And feel inside, Father God is hearing their prayers, letting them know in their heart the age has not arrived were we are forgotten. This Holy Week has seen the first glimpse of Hope the pandemic will leave our lives. And Easter has come again proclaiming Jesus is Alive. And Jesus and His Father are Still Working.

As our Easter Prayer today, let's use His working today Words.

The Words of Prayer aren't anything but a Heart reaching to Father God who delights to save the world in Jesus Christ!

C 1200 B.C. Numbers 6:

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †  

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Hebrews 9:8-17 ~ By this, the Holy Spirit indicates the way

Holy Saturday

Hebrews 9:8-17

Every Word of God Brings Love and Hope, to see and know God is at Work Today. For you.

8 By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened
 as long as the first section is still standing 9 (which is symbolic for the present age).

 According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, 10 but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.

11 Yet when Christ appeared
 as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, 
so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. 16 For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. 17 For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive.

Holy Saturday.
On earth as it is in Heaven, Thy Will be done. Is there a DAY where this change was more auspicious?

We are so familiar with the Disciples part of Holy Saturday. Holy Saturday has an odd and yet searingly true portion of Mary and Martha. The Disciples had chosen to be busy with the details to live a life they imagined they needed. Even more than Jesus. Huddled in fear.

Mary had chosen the Better Portion. To sit with Jesus.





Judea had portions of 3 Legions. And in the portions, an equivalency of one and a half Legions of the Roman Empire. This meant they had 3 Tribunes and 6 Centurions. We know the names of two of the Tribunes thanks to the details of the Roman Empire.  Never did God make the soldiers famous to earn them a death. The unnamed soldiers on Good Friday were placed oddly in Scripture as men, signing on for 20 years as military to the Roman Empire, who obey orders. And then ... gave witness to their prisoner, condemned to die, as the Son of God.

Luke 19:40

And He answered and said unto them, 

“I tell you that if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.”

Jesus told us if we did not give praise, the rocks would cry out.

And the earthquake ripped rocks apart.
And the witness came not from infants, but from men dressed and armed, who were guarded heavily against death. Men who knew, well, how men die in bloody violence.



We call History, according to Believers, His Story.
We Believe the Book of Life has every day of our lives written until God hears prayer and interweaves The Book of Life. God arranges History and these men are placed to guard duty for God's Only Son after their Bold and Brave Witness.

Power.
On Holy Saturday, God The Father, Gave His Beloved Son a guard detail. Now we could say Pontius Pilate gave the orders. However God said. Jesus told Pilate he had no power, no power, but what God had Placed into the hands of Pilate.

Were you there when they Crucified My Lord?
If you had to endure witnessing the Suffering of Jesus Christ, Messiah, and then God was going to ask you where you'd spend Holy Saturday. At home or near the body of God's Only Son. Can we imagine Jesus' body would not be 'Of God'. Holy Saturday has the Holiness, as always, centered upon Jesus.

Immediately
The New Covenant is God saving the world. So many times in the Gospels, Jesus is part of "Immediately,"  Jesus begins the New Covenant; Good Friday doesn't have the praise of His Chosen Disciples, but of Legions we know knew bloody and violent battle and violent death. Immediately - the weakened and broken body of Jesus has the strong and the militant living in a sudden understanding and becoming bold, past the fear of the Roman Empire, to be in awe and proclaim Jesus as Pilate said, "Jesus the King of the Jews, Messiah."


Were you there when they Crucified My Lord?

What would it look like to be at the Tomb on Holy Saturday?

We probably know the conversations of the soldiers standing at the Tomb of Jesus Christ, God's Son:

the first section is still standing...

of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect

Jesus, not of this creation.

He entered once for all into the holy places, 
not by means of the blood of goats and calves 
but by means of his own blood

securing an eternal redemption

and

regulations for the body imposed 
until the time of reformation

Do we know if they knew the Next was going to happen?

Something was in God's Plan. These Soldiers were not killed for suddenly abandoning the Tomb.

With the Letter History records Pilate wrote to Emperor Claudius (it's a lost letter, the one floating around is a fake now), with tombs opening up, with "all of Israel knows", with multitudes and multitudes showing up after Easter Sunday at the Temple - God was in His Glory!

Psalm 8
Psalm of David
1 Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory
in the heavens.
2 Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.

And God places His Plan to make sure His Word is fulfilled.
The Sign of Pilate on the Cross of our wonderful Jesus. The placing of the Soldiers at the Tomb. The worthiness the Body of Jesus wasn't stolen. God interweaves all things to work for Good.

On Holy Saturday, God was "Working"!!!
Faith is unseen, and yet we see the Mercy of God on these Roman men. An incredible Mercy.


Abba,

This time has been so unbelievable. 
And the mercy mankind has shown to one another.

 Our Holy Week has seen Hope.
It's no coincidence Holy Week is the first week Hope has been glimpsed.

God is still at work. Love your elderly parents. Love your elderly aunts and uncles. Use the phone in your hand, uplinking to satellites, to phone those who are living alone. 

Tell of the Good News of Holy Week - we see Glimpses of Hope. God is Working. Speak of the Hospital beds that are empty. Tell of the doctors, nurses, hospital staff, EMT, Schools providing food to the students. Police. USPS, Amazon, Grocery who would risk their lives to provide for us all.

Speak of the Nation led to be empowered to Hope Health to us all. Speak of a jaded world providing such Bravery.

And realize like the oil absorbed in the BP Spill in the Gulf of Mexico, we have seen a wonder of God from prayers of worried people.

Easter is almost Here! Encourage the people you know are sad. You have Good News.
 Jesus is alive and Working with His Father.

To the Glory of God, in Jesus Christ, Our Wonderful Jesus, Amen!

Matins (during the night, at about 2 a.m.); also called Vigil

The Nature of our Father God is Vast.

We all have a different seat at His Table.

Abba,

We Pray for The Heart of Valor, with so much on the Plate.

We Pray for the Nurturer, who is filled in filling others,

We Pray for the Brave, who is really quite worried.

We Pray for the Angry, who would really like to weep.

We pray for the Young, trying to figure this out.

We pray for the Unconcerned, we don't envy them too much.

We pray for the Lonely, to rest in Jesus Christ.

We pray for the Filled, to actually overflow.

We pray for those who have Years in them, they will not be discouraged!

We pray for us all, to Have Love in us

and be Hopeful and Loved in Jesus Christ Wonderful.

Because

Jesus is the Light of mankind.

Live in us, Father God, and Shine.

Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves! †  

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