THEY RECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT / ACTS 8:17

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(KJV) Acts 8:17
Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

THEY RECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT / ACTS 8:17

Through the laying on of hands (Acts 6:6), the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit in the same sense as the baptism in the Spirit that occurred at Pentecost (Acts 1:8; Acts 2:4).

  1. The Samaritans’ “two-stage” experience – first believing and then being filled with the Spirit – shows that the “two-stage” experience of Christ’s followers at Pentecost was not abnormal. The experiences of both Paul in Acts 9:5-17 and the Ephesian disciples in Acts 19:1-6 were the same as the Samaritans. They accepted Christ as Savior and Lord (the Forgiver of their sins and Leader of their lives) and afterwards were filled with (baptized in) the Spirit. There is no set time between saving faith and baptism in the Spirit; it does not need to be long, as was shown with the Christians at Caesarea (Acts 10).

Baptism in the Holy Spirit does not save us. The necessary steps for salvation are repenting (admitting and turning from our own sinful way and toward God in faith) and yielding one’s life to Christ. But just as baptism in water is an outward testimony of what has taken place inwardly through salvation (Romans 6:4), so baptism in the Spirit provides outward evidence of the Spirit’s powerful presence flowing through a believer’s life. God’s Spirit already lives within and directs Christians’ lives from the point of salvation (Romans 8:9; 1Corinthians 6:19). Yet, baptism in the Spirit is vital for experiencing God’s full power and purpose for their lives. In a sense, salvation puts the Holy Spirit into people, and being “filled with the Spirit” helps bring the Spirit out through them in powerful ways (Acts 2:37-39; 4:31).

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  1. HAD NOT YET COME UPON ANY OF THEM / ACTS 8:15-16
  2. THEY WERE ALL FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT / ACTS 4:31
  3. FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT / ACTS 2:4
  4. THEY WERE BAPTIZED / ACTS 19:15
  5. THIS CORRUPT GENERATION / ACTS 2:40
  6. REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED / ACTS 2:38
  7. FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN AND FOR ALL / ACTS 2:39
  8. WORSHIPING … AND FASTING / ACTS 13:2
  9. KEPT BY THE HOLY SPIRIT FROM PREACHING / ACTS 16:6
  10. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME

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HAD NOT YET COME UPON ANY OF THEM / ACTS 8:15-16

START YOU DAY RIGHT DAILY DEVOTION

(KJV) Acts 8:15-16
Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

HAD NOT YET COME UPON ANY OF THEM / ACTS 8:15-16

They had not yet experienced the power of the Holy Spirit in the same way Christ’s followers did on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4). The Spirit had not yet “come upon” them, and they had not yet received the gift of the Spirit as God the Father had promised (Acts 1:4) and as Christ had foretold when He said, “You will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5). Evidently, they had not shown the expected spiritual signs or expressions that typically went along with the baptism in the Spirit (Acts 8:5-24).

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  1. THEY WERE ALL FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT / ACTS 4:31
  2. FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT / ACTS 2:4
  3. THEY WERE BAPTIZED / ACTS 19:15
  4. THIS CORRUPT GENERATION / ACTS 2:40
  5. REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED / ACTS 2:38
  6. FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN AND FOR ALL / ACTS 2:39
  7. WORSHIPING … AND FASTING / ACTS 13:2
  8. KEPT BY THE HOLY SPIRIT FROM PREACHING / ACTS 16:6
  9. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog post! May the words inspire and uplift all who read them. Your support and interest mean the world to me, and I’m grateful for every moment you spend here. Stay tuned for more, and feel free to share your thoughts in the comment

THEY WERE ALL FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT / ACTS 4:31

Start Your Day Right Daily Devotion

(KJV) Acts 4:31

And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

THEY WERE ALL FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT / ACTS 4:31

Several important truths stand out here.

  1. The phrase “baptized with [or in] the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5) describes how the Holy Spirit sets Christ’s followers apart and infuses them with God’s power to boldly and effectively spread the message of Jesus Christ. The terms “filled,” “clothed” and “empowered” describe the Spirit equipping believers for ministry and service (Acts 2:4; Acts 4:8, 31; 9:17; 13:19, 52). The “filling” may be repeated or refreshed.
  2. These two concepts of “baptized” and “filled” also fit together to form a picture of this experience in a Christian’s life. The word “baptize” actually means to immerse, or to dip into; but since the Spirit works within a person, baptism in the Spirit becomes an overflow of the Spirit. For example, a person who receives spiritual salvation is like a container that was once empty being filled with fresh water. He or she is no longer empty but has the Holy Spirit living inside (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19). Then, the baptism in the Holy Spirit is like pouring more clean water into the container until it overflows from within (John 7:38-39). A person who is baptized in the Spirit becomes saturated and immersed (“baptized”) with God’s presence to the point where it spills out of his or her life and is so evident that it impacts others.
  3. The terms “pouring out the Spirit” (Acts 2:17-18; 10:45), “receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38; 8:15) and “coming of the Spirit on” (Acts 8:16; 10:44; 11:15; 19:6) are different expressions for the occasion when Christians are ‘filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:4; Acts 4:31; 9:17).
  4. All the believers, including those who had been previously filled (Acts 2:4), are freshly filled to meet the continuing opposition of the Jews (Acts 4:29). Though a person receives the baptism in the Holy Spirit only once, fresh fillings with the Holy Spirit are part of God’s purpose and provision for all who have received the baptism in the Spirit (Acts 4:8; 13:52). We should desire and expect those fillings.
  5. The Spirit here visits and impacts a whole congregation. To fulfill God’s will and mission for the church, not only must individuals be filled with the Spirit (Acts 5:8; 9:17; 13:9), but entire congregations (Acts 2:4; Acts 4:31; 13:53) should experience repeated displays of power from the Holy Spirit when special needs and challenges arise.

When God graciously provided the entire congregation with a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit, the church experienced great boldness and power to speak for Christ, great desire to love and serve one another and great favor from God on all the people.

SPOKE THE WORD OF GOD BOLDLY / ACTS 4:31

The inner power of the Holy Spirit and the reality of God’s presence freed the believers from fear and inspired them with great courage to speak out for Him. Two of the overall purposes of the baptism in the Holy Spirit are to provide a deeper experience of personal worship toward God and empower their public witness to other people (Acts 1:8; Romans 8:26-27; 1 Corinthians 14:2-4).

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  1. FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT / ACTS 2:4
  2. THEY WERE BAPTIZED / ACTS 19:15
  3. THIS CORRUPT GENERATION / ACTS 2:40
  4. REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED / ACTS 2:38
  5. FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN AND FOR ALL / ACTS 2:39
  6. WORSHIPING … AND FASTING / ACTS 13:2
  7. KEPT BY THE HOLY SPIRIT FROM PREACHING / ACTS 16:6
  8. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog post! May the words inspire and uplift all who read them. Your support and interest mean the world to me, and I’m grateful for every moment you spend here. Stay tuned for more, and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!

FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT / ACTS 2:4

START YOUR DAY RIGHT DAILY DEVOTION

(KJV) Acts 2:4

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT / ACTS 2:4

What is the significance, or meaning, of the first “outpouring” of the Holy Spirit (when God generously sent His Spirit to fill, empower and work through His followers) at Pentecost?

  1. It meant the beginning of the fulfillment of God’s promise is Joel 2:28-29 to pour out His Spirit on all His people in the end times (Acts 1:4-5; Matthew 3:11; Luke 24:49; John 1:33).
  2. Since that period in church history marked the beginning of the last days (Acts 2:17; Hebrews 1:2; 1 Peter 1:20), everyone was now confronted with the decision to turn from their own sinful, rebellious ways and surrender their lives to Christ by faith (Acts 2:17; 3:19; Matthew 3:2; Luke 13:3).
  3. The disciples were “clothed with power form on high” (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8), making them able to communicate with boldness and authority the message and truth of Christ. They became people the Spirit could use to convince others of their lost spiritual condition, their accountability to God and their need for a right relationship with Him that is only possible through faith in Christ (Acts 1:8; 4:13, 33; 6:8; Romans 15:19; John 16:8).
  4. The Holy Spirit revealed His nature and character as one who deeply desires and strives for the spiritual salvation of people of every nation. Those who received the baptism in the Holy Spirit were filled with the same strong desire for the salvation of the human race (Acts 2:38-40; 4:12, 33; Romans 9:1-3; 10:1). In this way, Pentecost is the beginning of world missions (Acts 2:6-11, 39; 1:8) – the effort to take Christ’s message to people of every nation and culture.
  5. The disciples became ministers of the Spirit. They preached about how Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead to provide forgiveness and new life to all who accept Him by faith. They also influenced those who accepted Christ to receive the “gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2: 38-39), whom they had received at Pentecost. Leading others into the baptism in the Holy Spirit was vital to the work of spreading Christ’s message and developing strong churches throughout the New Testament, and it still is today (Acts 8:17; 9:17-18; 10:44-46; 19:6).
  6. Through this baptism in the Spirit, Christians became heirs, or successors, to His earthly ministry. They continued to do and to teach, in the power of the Holy Spirit, the same things that Jesus “began to do and to teach” (Acts 1:1; John 14:12).

BEGAN TO SPEAK IN OTHER TONGUES

Speaking in tongues is a supernatural expression of God’s Spirit. It is a Holy Spirit-inspired way of speaking, praying or praising God where a Christian uses a language (Greek glossa) he or she has never learned (1 Corinthians 14:14-15). When a person speaks in tongues, it may be an existing spoken human language (Acts 2:6, where the people who heard the 120 speak in tongues recognized the languages). Or it may be a language unknown on earth (1 Corinthians 13:1, where Paul mentions speaking in “tongues of angels”).

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  1. THEY WERE BAPTIZED / ACTS 19:15
  2. THIS CORRUPT GENERATION / ACTS 2:40
  3. REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED / ACTS 2:38
  4. FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN AND FOR ALL / ACTS 2:39
  5. WORSHIPING … AND FASTING / ACTS 13:2
  6. KEPT BY THE HOLY SPIRIT FROM PREACHING / ACTS 16:6
  7. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog post! May the words inspire and uplift all who read them. Your support and interest mean the world to me, and I’m grateful for every moment you spend here. Stay tuned for more, and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!

THEY WERE BAPTIZED / ACTS 19:5

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(KJV) Acts 19:5

When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

THEY WERE BAPTIZED / ACTS 19:5

Water baptism into “the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 19:7) testifies that these twelve disciples in Ephesus had saving faith in Christ and had experienced a new birth spiritually (John 3:3-60). Their baptism is water was simply an outward testimony to their inward spiritual cleansing (Romans 6:4) and a means of publicly identifying with Jesus.

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  1. THIS CORRUPT GENERATION / ACTS 2:40
  2. REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED / ACTS 2:38
  3. FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN AND FOR ALL / ACTS 2:39
  4. WORSHIPING … AND FASTING / ACTS 13:2
  5. KEPT BY THE HOLY SPIRIT FROM PREACHING / ACTS 16:6
  6. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog post! May the words inspire and uplift all who read them. Your support and interest mean the world to me, and I’m grateful for every moment you spend here. Stay tuned for more, and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!

THIS CORRUPT GENERATION / ACTS 2:40

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(KJV) Acts 2:40 

And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.

THIS CORRUPT GENERATION / ACTS 2:40

No one can be spiritually saved and have a relationship with God if they do not turn away from and refuse to participate in the corrupt activities of the present society (Luke 9:41; 11:29; 17:25; Philippians 2:15). New Christians should be taught to break off sinful relationships, give up ungodly practices, unite themselves to Christ and His people and devote themselves to God’s purposes (2 Corinthians 6:14, 17)

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  1. REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED / ACTS 2:38
  2. FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN AND FOR ALL / ACTS 2:39
  3. WORSHIPING … AND FASTING / ACTS 13:2
  4. KEPT BY THE HOLY SPIRIT FROM PREACHING / ACTS 16:6
  5. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog post! May the words inspire and uplift all who read them. Your support and interest mean the world to me, and I’m grateful for every moment you spend here. Stay tuned for more, and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!

REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED / ACTS 2:38

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(KJV) Acts 2:38

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED / ACTS 2:38

Admitting and turning form sin, accepting God’s forgiveness, and being baptized in water are the conditions Peter states here for receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. However, Peter’s call for his hearers to be baptized in water before receiving the promise of the Father (Acts 1:4, 8) must not be viewed as an absolute requirement for spiritual salvation or the infilling and empowerment with the Spirit. True repentance and faith are the conditions for receiving forgiveness and spiritual salvation (Mark 16:16, where Jesus describes water baptism in connection with salvation, but clearly states that believing – or refusing to believe – in Him determines whether a person will be spiritually saved or condemned). Also, baptism in the Spirit is not an automatic result of water baptism (Romans 6:4).

  1. In this situation, Peter required water baptism prior to receiving the promise of the Spirit because in the minds of his Jewish listeners, the custom of baptism was taken for granted as being involved in any decision to turn from one’s own way and follow God’s way. Water baptism did not precede the baptism in the Spirit, however, in the instances recorded in Acts 9:17-18 (the apostle Paul) and Acts 10:44-48 (those in Cornelius’ house).
  2. Each believer, after turning from his or her own sinful way and accepting Jesus Christ by faith, must “receive” (Galatians 3:14) a personal baptism in the Spirit. This is not a requirement for salvation, but throughout the book of Acts the gift of the Spirit was something that individuals consciously desired, received and applied (Acts 1:4, 14; 4:31; 8:14-17; 19:2-6). The only possible exception to the rule in the New Testament was the case of Cornelius (Acts 10:44-48). We must not consider the baptism in the Spirit as a gift automatically provided to a Christian apart from a conscious desire to receive it.

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    1. FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN AND FOR ALL / ACTS 2:39
    2. WORSHIPING … AND FASTING / ACTS 13:2
    3. KEPT BY THE HOLY SPIRIT FROM PREACHING / ACTS 16:6
    4. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME

    Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog post! May the words inspire and uplift all who read them. Your support and interest mean the world to me, and I’m grateful for every moment you spend here. Stay tuned for more, and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!

    FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN AND FOR ALL / ACTS 2:39

    Start Your Day Right Devotion

    (KJV) Acts 2:39
    For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

    FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN AND FOR ALL / ACTS 2:39

    The promise of the baptism in the Holy Spirit was not just for those present on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4), but for all who would accept and follow Christ throughout this age: “for you” (Peter’s audience); “your children”) the next generation); “for all who are far off” (all generations to come).

    1. The baptism in the Spirit and the power it provides was not a once-for-all occurrence in the church’s history. It did not cease with Pentecost (Acts 2:38; 8:15; 9:17; 10:44-46; 19:6), nor did it end with the apostolic age (with Christ’s first followers and the early church pioneers). Some people think that this powerful experience, with the evidence of speaking in tongues, was only as a sign to help get the first church started. But the purpose was not just to get people’s attention or prove God’s power. Jesus said the Spirit would provide His followers with ongoing power and guidance in spreading His message (John 16:13). This purpose is just as relevant today because we still need the full empowerment of the Spirit to carry on the church’s mission.
    2. It is the right of every Christion to seek, expect and experience the same baptism in the Spirit that was promised and given to the New Testament Christians (Acts 1:4, 8; Joel 2:28; Matthew 3:11; Luke 24:49).

    Some of our Post That Might Interest You, All Out of the Current Book / Chapter

    1. WORSHIPING … AND FASTING / ACTS 13:2
    2. KEPT BY THE HOLY SPIRIT FROM PREACHING / ACTS 16:6
    3. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME

    Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog post! May the words inspire and uplift all who read them. Your support and interest mean the world to me, and I’m grateful for every moment you spend here. Stay tuned for more, and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!

    WORSHIPING … AND FASTING / ACTS 13:2

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    (KJV) Acts 13:2

    As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

    WORSHIPING … AND FASTING / ACTS 13:2

    Spirit-filled Christians are especially sensitive to the communication of the Holy Spirit during times of prayer and fasting (Matthew 6:16). Fasting involves going without food for a limited time in order to give greater attention to spiritual matters through prayer. The message from the Holy Spirit probably came through a prophetic gift (by which one of the believers spoke a message from God as inspired by the Holy Spirit, Acts 1:1).

    FOR THE WORK TO WHICH I HVE CALLED THEM / ACTS 13:2

    Paul and Barnabas were called by God into missionary service (to take Christ’s message to other people groups, countries, and cultures) and were commissioned by the church at Antioch (Acts 11:26). The nature of this work is described in Acts 9:15; 13:5; 22:14-15, 21; 26:16-18.

    1. Paul and Barnabas were called to preach the gospel (the “good news” of forgiveness and new life through faith in Christ), leading men and women into a personal relationship with Christ. Nowhere in the Bible does it indicate that New Testament missionaries were sent to other regions of the world to do social or political work only. Their goal was to introduce people to Christ (Acts 16:31; 20:21), rescue and free them from Satan’s power (Acts 26:18), invite the Holy Spirit to empower them (Acts 19:6) and establish them in local churches. By the power of the Holy Spirit living in and through them, these new Christians received and used spiritual gifts (God-given abilities for the purpose of honoring Him and benefiting the church, 1 Corinthians 12 – 13). The ministry of the Spirit allowed them, in turn, to carry out God’s life-transforming work in their communities.
    2. Christian missionaries today must be devoted to the same kind of activity; to be ministers (servants) of Christ and messengers of His gospel (“good news”). While missionaries may serve many practical needs as well (particularly in cultures that are closed to public preaching of the gospel), their primary purpose must still be to introduce people to Christ; He is the only One who can rescue them from the consequences of sin and rebellion against God and from Satan’s power (Acts 26:18). Beyond that, a missionary’s work involves discipling new believers (training them in the practical disciplines of following Christ and learning from His Word on a daily basis). This includes encouraging them to receive the Holy Spirit and His gifts (Acts 2:38; 8:17) and teaching them to obey all that Christ commanded (Matthew 28:19-20). Along with this ministry should be signs, wonders and miracles – including healing the sick and freeing those oppressed by demons (Acts 2:43; 4:30; 8:7; 10:38; Mark 16:17-18). The primary task of preaching the message about Jesus also should include practical and personal acts of love and kindness to those in need (Galatians 2:10). In this way, all who are called to spread Christ’s message will model their ministry on Jesus’ example (Luke 9:2).

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    1. KEPT BY THE HOLY SPIRIT FROM PREACHING / ACTS 16:6
    2. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME

    Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog post! May the words inspire and uplift all who read them. Your support and interest mean the world to me, and I’m grateful for every moment you spend here. Stay tuned for more, and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!

    KEPT BY THE HOLY SPIRIT FROM PREACHING / ACTS 16:6

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    (KJV) Acts 16:6

    Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,

    KEPT BY THE HOLY SPIRIT FROM PREACHING / ACTS 16:6

    Every effort to take Christ’s message to other people, lands and cultures must begin with and continue to be guided by the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:2-3). This was certainly true of the missionary journeys and ministry missions recorded in Acts (Acts 1:8; 2:14-41; 4:8-12, 31; 8:26-29, 39-40; 10:19-20; 13:2; 16:6-10; 20:22). The Spirit’s guidance may have taken the form of a prophetic revelation (someone speaking a God-given message as motivated by the Holy Spirit), an inner sense of direction to one’s mind or spirit, external circumstances, or visions (Acts 16:6-9). Under the impulse of the Holy Spirit, God’s messengers moved forward to take Christ’s message to those who had not yet heard of Him and were still spiritually lost. The fact that they depended on the Spirit’s guidance did not mean that they waited for an unmistakable sign at each turn. Trusting that God was putting His desires and thoughts of guidance within them, they moved forward in their plans. When God kept them from going in one direction, they would go in another, trusting the Holy Spirit to either approve or disapprove of their plans. The Spirit honored their faithfulness and proved His desires and purposes by opening or closing doors of opportunity, depending on where He wanted them to go.

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    1. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME

    Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog post! May the words inspire and uplift all who read them. Your support and interest mean the world to me, and I’m grateful for every moment you spend here. Stay tuned for more, and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!

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