What shall I liken you to? You are like the brother of the prodigal son! You would deny the Father’s forgiveness to your brother. You consider yourself worthy of his forgiveness, but your brother who spent his life and the fathers inheritance in wantoness and foolish living you begrudge him the abundant forgiveness that the Father desires to bestow upon him even after he was dead. Regardless of your sour attitude toward your brother who died in his sin, the Father will still kill the fatted calf and put His ring upon his finger.
Lu 15:32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.
Allow me a moment to expound on the fact that you too, were an enemy of God.
Ro 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Perhaps you still are an enemy? No offense, I offer an honest observation. There is evidence that you don’t love those who have died without Christ, or those who shall die apart from Christ. Perhaps you love them a little, but not as yourself. Here is why I say this: If you loved them as much as you love yourself, there is nothing you would not do to save them from the horrible fate you claim to believe they are headed for. Furthermore, you could never be content to receive the precious gift of mercy and deliverance, while knowing that these others are heading to or are already bound in eternal flame. True love could never accept this! This requires true hate, which you advocate. Scripture affirms that those who say they love God, as you claim you do, but hate people are liars. It also affirms that all liars shall have their part in the lake of fire. We aren’t even allowed to hate our enemies. I’m sorry that you so firmly reject the gospel of Jesus Christ. In so doing you deny Jesus himself. Not everyone who says unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of God. Your self righteousness is like filthy rags. What makes you worthy of deliverance? You too will be judged by God and you too will pass through the fire. Mr 9:49 For every one shall be salted with fire…
You should not think more highly of yourself than you ought. With man it is impossible to be saved, but not with God. With God all things are possible. His will is clear and he accomplishes everything according to the counsel of His OWN Will.
2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH, but that all should come to repentance.
Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Yes, it is true that God disciplines those whom He loves, and that He pours out His wrath on the children of disobedience, I will never deny that. He even mercifully ends the life of those who are reprobate. Those who He knows will not benefit from another day in this life. Here you must remember,
Ro 6:7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Why do you suppose he holds the keys to hell and death? Re 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. Keys are for unlocking locked doors.
I counsel you to learn what this means:
Mt 9:13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Here you use the word repent:
“Here is an interesting thought: Mark 1:15 “Repent and believe the Gospel” Repent and believe the endless unmitigated joy? No reason to repent . . . that is what everyone wants.”
Perhaps this verse is written for you. Have you ever looked up the Greek word here translated repent? We all know what the English word means, but I find it interesting that the Greek word merely means to think differently.
3340. metanoew metanoeo, met-an-o-eh'-o
from 3326 and 3539; to think differently or afterwards, i.e. reconsider (morally, feel compunction).
Jesus came to help us to "think differently". There is no room in our thinking for self righteousness, but we are to think of others as better than ourselves. This message did resonate with the sinners of Jesus day much more than it did with the “kosmos” or religious and political establishment. Jesus brought good news for sinners, but you place burdens on them that they cannot lift, while you excuse all your own sin as forgiven because you are wise enough to believe in Jesus. The shame here, is that you don’t even know Him well enough to recognize His unfailing love for all, or the power of His resurrection. If you knew Him you would never question His unending, unfailing love for all of His created ones.
You believe that He is unable or unwilling to raise sinners from the dead to righteousness and you like it that way.
Is it because you would feel cheated if God saved your enemies? Do you feel you should be paid more than them because you worked all day in the heat, while they came along at the end of the day? THINK DIFFERENTLY! The gift is free and it’s for all and it will eventually be good news of great joy to ALL people. Those who believe enter into the joy of their Lord now, those who don’t believe, will have to wait until the next age to enter into the joy of their Lord.
Pointing out verses referring to Gods wrath and discipline upon sinners to say the news isn’t good, is like pointing to labor pains to prove there is no joy in the birth of a child.
Joh 16:21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Good Tidings of Great Joy, which Shall Be to All People.
Lu 2:10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
What else could this good tidings of great joy be, but the GOSPEL of Jesus Christ?
What IS the gospel that the angel brings? How can we know if we have received this Good Tidings?
At first, the shepherds were terrified! They were out in the fields, in the darkness of night, when all of a sudden something unheard of happened. A stranger appeared as if out of nowhere, and all around them, the darkness gave way to bright light.
Listen closely to the message: “Fear not”! This is it, I repeat “Fear Not”. Why shouldn’t we fear? As if in anticiptation of this question the messenger of God goes on… “for…” because…”….Here is the reason you should not fear! Look! Behold! Observe! Give me your attention!
I BRING YOU GOOD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY WHICH SHALL BE TO ALL PEOPLE!
Okay, three things here. No, Four! Good tidings; Great Joy; Shall be; To ALL People.
The news is good. This is not bad news. No bad news is mentioned here whatsoever. Todays “gospel” goe’s more like this. I have good news and bad news, but the Angel said, I have GOOD NEWS. Only good news, no bad news. How can I be sure the good news doesn’t include bad news?
Secondly, this GOOD NEWS is of GREAT JOY! I like good news of great joy, don’t you? One day, I received good news of great joy. Here's how I can be sure the good news doesn’t include bad news, because I believe Proverbs 10:22 The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. Jesus is the blessing of the Lord in person, when we receive the blessing it brings great joy. Bad news doesn't bring joy.
Third, we find the clause, “Shall Be”. Shall be is opposed to "may be"; or "should be";or even, "has the potential to be". Shall be means, if it isn’t presently this way, you can be sure that it will eventually be this way. Shall be. In other words, this good news of great joy which the angel brought to the shepherds, must either now, or some time in the future, become good news of great joy.
Fourth and finally, “To ALL People”. The message that the angel brought to the grungy men out in the fields that night, must become good news of great joy to every single being who is classified as a person. To say otherwise, is to say the angel was a false witness, a deceiver. To say otherwise is to not believe this portion of the Word of God.
Lu 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
If you were a mortgage holder and you had lost your job, and the bank came to you and said, I have good news for you which should bring you great joy! All you have to do is accept this micro-chip in your wrist or forehead and your house will be automatically paid off, along with two new cars and we will place $100 million dollars, tax free in your new account. However, if you don’t receive the mark, then you must be imprisoned for your debt, and you will never be able to get out. Would that be good news of great joy to you? Probably not. So this could not be honestly advertised as being good news of great joy to all people, but only to those who accept it. (Even though it was offered to all, you must accept the conditions to consider it good tidings of great joy.)
If you were a Muslim, living in the heart of a Muslim country, and the offer was made for Salvation through Jesus Christ, but it had to be attained before death, and you died never hearing of it and so missed it, would it be good news of great joy to you? Probably not, in fact, it might become a new source of bitterness to learn that you now have to suffer forever, never having heard of Jesus when it might have made a difference.
If you were an American who always heard of Jesus, but associated him with a bunch of illogical, kind of irrational sometimes hypocritical misfits who couldn’t agree on what Jesus was all about, as well as some ex drug addicts and some long faced suit wearing Bible thumpers, and so you wrote Him off, saying How could a God of love send anyone to eternal torment, that just doesn’t add up in my mind, it must be a fable of these “christians”, just like the mythological Greek gods. If this described you, as it does describe many, would the message of the angel be good news of great joy to you? Not likely!
In order to be good tidings of great joy to ALL people, it has to directly apply to each person. The Lord does not add sorrow to his blessing, and His blessing is for ALL people. Nobody deserves His blessing or ever can earn it! It is freely given. We also all need to be cleansed. The Jew as well as the Gentile, Ro 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
Contrary to the popular "good news", sinners are NOT separated from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus after death, (Ro 6:7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.) any more than believers are separated from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus after they die. (Ro 8:38,39 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, … shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.)
In this life, the majority will not find the narrow way, and will suffer the loss of much righteousness and peace and joy. They will be robbed of the love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, which are the treasures of the Kingdom given to those who believe, but they will not be separated from God’s love and mercy. That’s why we have the incredible testimony in the Book of Revelation, Re5:13.
And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, (Hades or Sheoul are under the earth), and such as are in the sea,(also called Sheoul by Jonah), and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
These are the voices of all people and they are filled with joy for the good tidings that they have now received. The Lord of Love has subdued all to Himself through the weapon that never fails. That weapon is Love, AGAPE.
There will always be those whose hearts are hardened against this message just as Pharoahs heart was hardened in the face of incredible evidence,just as the religious leaders in Jesus day had hardened hearts, but such is the will of God, that His glory is increased and when the time is right, in the fullness of time, everything in due time, the angels good tidings SHALL bring GREAT JOY to ALL people.
1Co 15:24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him . . .
28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
*******************************************************************
1Ti 4:9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.
10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.
11 These things command and teach.
What else could this good tidings of great joy be, but the GOSPEL of Jesus Christ?
What IS the gospel that the angel brings? How can we know if we have received this Good Tidings?
At first, the shepherds were terrified! They were out in the fields, in the darkness of night, when all of a sudden something unheard of happened. A stranger appeared as if out of nowhere, and all around them, the darkness gave way to bright light.
Listen closely to the message: “Fear not”! This is it, I repeat “Fear Not”. Why shouldn’t we fear? As if in anticiptation of this question the messenger of God goes on… “for…” because…”….Here is the reason you should not fear! Look! Behold! Observe! Give me your attention!
I BRING YOU GOOD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY WHICH SHALL BE TO ALL PEOPLE!
Okay, three things here. No, Four! Good tidings; Great Joy; Shall be; To ALL People.
The news is good. This is not bad news. No bad news is mentioned here whatsoever. Todays “gospel” goe’s more like this. I have good news and bad news, but the Angel said, I have GOOD NEWS. Only good news, no bad news. How can I be sure the good news doesn’t include bad news?
Secondly, this GOOD NEWS is of GREAT JOY! I like good news of great joy, don’t you? One day, I received good news of great joy. Here's how I can be sure the good news doesn’t include bad news, because I believe Proverbs 10:22 The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. Jesus is the blessing of the Lord in person, when we receive the blessing it brings great joy. Bad news doesn't bring joy.
Third, we find the clause, “Shall Be”. Shall be is opposed to "may be"; or "should be";or even, "has the potential to be". Shall be means, if it isn’t presently this way, you can be sure that it will eventually be this way. Shall be. In other words, this good news of great joy which the angel brought to the shepherds, must either now, or some time in the future, become good news of great joy.
Fourth and finally, “To ALL People”. The message that the angel brought to the grungy men out in the fields that night, must become good news of great joy to every single being who is classified as a person. To say otherwise, is to say the angel was a false witness, a deceiver. To say otherwise is to not believe this portion of the Word of God.
Lu 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
If you were a mortgage holder and you had lost your job, and the bank came to you and said, I have good news for you which should bring you great joy! All you have to do is accept this micro-chip in your wrist or forehead and your house will be automatically paid off, along with two new cars and we will place $100 million dollars, tax free in your new account. However, if you don’t receive the mark, then you must be imprisoned for your debt, and you will never be able to get out. Would that be good news of great joy to you? Probably not. So this could not be honestly advertised as being good news of great joy to all people, but only to those who accept it. (Even though it was offered to all, you must accept the conditions to consider it good tidings of great joy.)
If you were a Muslim, living in the heart of a Muslim country, and the offer was made for Salvation through Jesus Christ, but it had to be attained before death, and you died never hearing of it and so missed it, would it be good news of great joy to you? Probably not, in fact, it might become a new source of bitterness to learn that you now have to suffer forever, never having heard of Jesus when it might have made a difference.
If you were an American who always heard of Jesus, but associated him with a bunch of illogical, kind of irrational sometimes hypocritical misfits who couldn’t agree on what Jesus was all about, as well as some ex drug addicts and some long faced suit wearing Bible thumpers, and so you wrote Him off, saying How could a God of love send anyone to eternal torment, that just doesn’t add up in my mind, it must be a fable of these “christians”, just like the mythological Greek gods. If this described you, as it does describe many, would the message of the angel be good news of great joy to you? Not likely!
In order to be good tidings of great joy to ALL people, it has to directly apply to each person. The Lord does not add sorrow to his blessing, and His blessing is for ALL people. Nobody deserves His blessing or ever can earn it! It is freely given. We also all need to be cleansed. The Jew as well as the Gentile, Ro 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
Contrary to the popular "good news", sinners are NOT separated from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus after death, (Ro 6:7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.) any more than believers are separated from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus after they die. (Ro 8:38,39 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, … shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.)
In this life, the majority will not find the narrow way, and will suffer the loss of much righteousness and peace and joy. They will be robbed of the love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, which are the treasures of the Kingdom given to those who believe, but they will not be separated from God’s love and mercy. That’s why we have the incredible testimony in the Book of Revelation, Re5:13.
And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, (Hades or Sheoul are under the earth), and such as are in the sea,(also called Sheoul by Jonah), and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
These are the voices of all people and they are filled with joy for the good tidings that they have now received. The Lord of Love has subdued all to Himself through the weapon that never fails. That weapon is Love, AGAPE.
There will always be those whose hearts are hardened against this message just as Pharoahs heart was hardened in the face of incredible evidence,just as the religious leaders in Jesus day had hardened hearts, but such is the will of God, that His glory is increased and when the time is right, in the fullness of time, everything in due time, the angels good tidings SHALL bring GREAT JOY to ALL people.
1Co 15:24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him . . .
28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
*******************************************************************
1Ti 4:9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.
10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.
11 These things command and teach.
Monday, March 8, 2010
I AM A CONVINCED UNIVERSALIST by William Barclay
Professor of Divinity and Biblical Criticism at Glasgow University and the author of many Biblical commentaries and books, including a translation of the New Testament, "Barclay New Testament," and "The Daily Study Bible Series." Every volume of this series became a "best seller".
This article was written near the end of his life.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am a convinced universalist. I believe that in the end all men will be gathered into the love of God. In the early days Origen was the great name connected with universalism. I would believe with Origen that universalism is no easy thing. Origen believed that after death there were many who would need prolonged instruction, the sternest discipline, even the severest punishment before they were fit for the presence of God. Origen did not eliminate hell; he believed that some people would have to go to heaven via hell. He believed that even at the end of the day there would be some on whom the scars remained. He did not believe in eternal punishment, but he did see the possibility of eternal penalty. And so the choice is whether we accept God's offer and invitation willingly, or take the long and terrible way round through ages of purification.
Gregory of Nyssa offered three reasons why he believed in universalism. First, he believed in it because of the character of God. "Being good, God entertains pity for fallen man; being wise, he is not ignorant of the means for his recovery." Second, he believed in it because of the nature of evil. Evil must in the end be moved out of existence, "so that the absolutely non-existent should cease to be at all." Evil is essentially negative and doomed to non-existence. Third, he believed in it because of the purpose of punishment. The purpose of punishment is always remedial. Its aim is "to get the good separated from the evil and to attract it into the communion of blessedness." Punishment will hurt, but it is like the fire which separates the alloy from the gold; it is like the surgery which removes the diseased thing; it is like the cautery which burns out that which cannot be removed any other way.
But I want to set down not the arguments of others but the thoughts which have persuaded me personally of universal salvation.
First, there is the fact that there are things in the New Testament which more than justify this belief. Jesus said: "I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself" (John 12:32). Paul writes to the Romans: "God has consigned all men to disobedience that he may have mercy on all" (Rom. 11:32). He writes to the Corinthians: "As in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive" (1 Cor. 15:22); and he looks to the final total triumph when God will be everything to everyone (1 Cor. 15:28). In the First Letter to Timothy we read of God "who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth," and of Christ Jesus "who gave himself as a ransom for all" (1 Tim 2:4-6). The New Testament itself is not in the least afraid of the word all.
Second, one of the key passages is Matthew 25:46 where it is said that the rejected go away to eternal punishment, and the righteous to eternal life. The Greek word for punishment is kolasis, which was not originally an ethical word at all. It originally meant the pruning of trees to make them grow better. I think it is true to say that in all Greek secular literature kolasis is never used of anything but remedial punishment. The word for eternal is aionios. It means more than everlasting, for Plato - who may have invented the word - plainly says that a thing may be everlasting and still not be aionios. The simplest way to out it is that aionios cannot be used properly of anyone but God; it is the word uniquely, as Plato saw it, of God. Eternal punishment is then literally that kind of remedial punishment which it befits God to give and which only God can give.
Third, I believe that it is impossible to set limits to the grace of God. I believe that not only in this world, but in any other world there may be, the grace of God is still effective, still operative, still at work. I do not believe that the operation of the grace of God is limited to this world. I believe that the grace of God is as wide as the universe.
Fourth, I believe implicitly in the ultimate and complete triumph of God, the time when all things will be subject to him, and when God will be everything to everyone (1 Cor. 15:24-28). For me this has certain consequences. If one man remains outside the love of God at the end of time, it means that that one man has defeated the love of God - and that is impossible. Further, there is only one way in which we can think of the triumph of God. If God was no more than a King or Judge, then it would be possible to speak of his triumph, if his enemies were agonizing in hell or were totally and completely obliterated and wiped out. But God is not only King and Judge, God is Father - he is indeed Father more than anything else. No father could be happy while there were members of his family for ever in agony. No father would count it a triumph to obliterate the disobedient members of his family. The only triumph a father can know is to have all his family back home. The only victory love can enjoy is the day when its offer of love is answered by the return of love. The only possible final triumph is a universe loved by and in love with God.
This article was written near the end of his life.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am a convinced universalist. I believe that in the end all men will be gathered into the love of God. In the early days Origen was the great name connected with universalism. I would believe with Origen that universalism is no easy thing. Origen believed that after death there were many who would need prolonged instruction, the sternest discipline, even the severest punishment before they were fit for the presence of God. Origen did not eliminate hell; he believed that some people would have to go to heaven via hell. He believed that even at the end of the day there would be some on whom the scars remained. He did not believe in eternal punishment, but he did see the possibility of eternal penalty. And so the choice is whether we accept God's offer and invitation willingly, or take the long and terrible way round through ages of purification.
Gregory of Nyssa offered three reasons why he believed in universalism. First, he believed in it because of the character of God. "Being good, God entertains pity for fallen man; being wise, he is not ignorant of the means for his recovery." Second, he believed in it because of the nature of evil. Evil must in the end be moved out of existence, "so that the absolutely non-existent should cease to be at all." Evil is essentially negative and doomed to non-existence. Third, he believed in it because of the purpose of punishment. The purpose of punishment is always remedial. Its aim is "to get the good separated from the evil and to attract it into the communion of blessedness." Punishment will hurt, but it is like the fire which separates the alloy from the gold; it is like the surgery which removes the diseased thing; it is like the cautery which burns out that which cannot be removed any other way.
But I want to set down not the arguments of others but the thoughts which have persuaded me personally of universal salvation.
First, there is the fact that there are things in the New Testament which more than justify this belief. Jesus said: "I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself" (John 12:32). Paul writes to the Romans: "God has consigned all men to disobedience that he may have mercy on all" (Rom. 11:32). He writes to the Corinthians: "As in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive" (1 Cor. 15:22); and he looks to the final total triumph when God will be everything to everyone (1 Cor. 15:28). In the First Letter to Timothy we read of God "who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth," and of Christ Jesus "who gave himself as a ransom for all" (1 Tim 2:4-6). The New Testament itself is not in the least afraid of the word all.
Second, one of the key passages is Matthew 25:46 where it is said that the rejected go away to eternal punishment, and the righteous to eternal life. The Greek word for punishment is kolasis, which was not originally an ethical word at all. It originally meant the pruning of trees to make them grow better. I think it is true to say that in all Greek secular literature kolasis is never used of anything but remedial punishment. The word for eternal is aionios. It means more than everlasting, for Plato - who may have invented the word - plainly says that a thing may be everlasting and still not be aionios. The simplest way to out it is that aionios cannot be used properly of anyone but God; it is the word uniquely, as Plato saw it, of God. Eternal punishment is then literally that kind of remedial punishment which it befits God to give and which only God can give.
Third, I believe that it is impossible to set limits to the grace of God. I believe that not only in this world, but in any other world there may be, the grace of God is still effective, still operative, still at work. I do not believe that the operation of the grace of God is limited to this world. I believe that the grace of God is as wide as the universe.
Fourth, I believe implicitly in the ultimate and complete triumph of God, the time when all things will be subject to him, and when God will be everything to everyone (1 Cor. 15:24-28). For me this has certain consequences. If one man remains outside the love of God at the end of time, it means that that one man has defeated the love of God - and that is impossible. Further, there is only one way in which we can think of the triumph of God. If God was no more than a King or Judge, then it would be possible to speak of his triumph, if his enemies were agonizing in hell or were totally and completely obliterated and wiped out. But God is not only King and Judge, God is Father - he is indeed Father more than anything else. No father could be happy while there were members of his family for ever in agony. No father would count it a triumph to obliterate the disobedient members of his family. The only triumph a father can know is to have all his family back home. The only victory love can enjoy is the day when its offer of love is answered by the return of love. The only possible final triumph is a universe loved by and in love with God.
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