Bible Study : God is My Protection, Psalms 20

        

GOD IS OUR PROTECTION

Ps 20:1-9

It is obvious that we are living in difficult times.

This pandemic is not the first, nor has it killed more than

Some other pandemics in the past.

In a book by Dr Steven Quay  “Covid 19 Survival Manual” is a

list of 19 past pandemics

Several of the past pandemics are listed below:

The Black death of the 1347, killed 75-200 million people

The Spanish flue of 1918 killed 40-50 million

The great plague of the 1700 killed 600,000

The swine flue of 2009 killed 200,000.

The church survived past pandemics, we will survive COVID 19.

This pandemic didn’t start with Covid19. It started with a series of

events that pushed God out of the lives of the majority of the people.

For example we allow the opinion of one woman to take God out

Of our schools. We marginalizes or dehumanized people because

Of their race, skin color or nationality.  We became our own god,

putting ourselves first.

Even though we have “In God We Trust” on the money we spend,                   it is not reflected in our attitude toward others.

The world has recovered from past pandemics.  I believe these pandemics are God’s way of reminding us that He is In control and He is not pleased

with us.

We need a mindset to trust  the one true living God.

Kind David put his trust in the Lord. In Psalms 20, David’s trust in the Lord is reflected doing his troubled times.

GOD WILL PROTECT YOU

V:1. May the Lord  answer you when you are in distress;

     may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.

A. The God we serve expects us to call on Him in times of need.

     1. He promises to protect us.

     2. The first thing we need is a relationship with the Lord

         through our faith in Jesus Christ.

      3. Next we need fellowship with Jesus through our devotion and   

          obedience.

B. When you are devoted to the Lord, you can ask what you want and it

      will be done .

    

      John 15:16-17

      You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and       

       bear fruit — fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever

       you ask in my name.

   1. Notice first, you were chosen to serve Jesus

   2.  Fellowship mean’s service not sitting in the pews.

   3. When you serve God, you open up a bank account in

        heaven.

   4. This pandemic is the time to call on the Lord and make

       some withdrawals.

GOD REWARDS YOUR SERVICE

V:2. May he send you help from the sanctuary

and grant you support from Zion.

3 May he remember all your sacrifices

and accept your burnt offerings.

A. God knows what we want and want we need.

     1. He is waiting to hear your prayers.

     2. God is looking for you to trust Him with your situation.

     3. God will support you in whatever you desire to do for

         him.

B. God expect you to remind Him of what you have done in

     the name of Jesus.

   1. God needs no reminder, but He want a dialog with you.

   2. The burnt offering is what you give to God not

       expecting, anything in return.

   3. Some say the burnt offering was a peace or fellowship

      offering. Others say it was an offering for the atonement

      of sins.

   4. Our ultimate desire should be to please God with our

        offering.

YOU WERE CHOSEN FOR SUCCESS

V:4 May he give you the desire of your heart

and make all your plans succeed.

A. Man makes plans, but God gives the increase

    

      Prov 16:9

      In his heart a man plans his course,

      but the Lord  determines his steps.

    1. God wants you to be successful in all that you do.

    2. You have to make plans on how you are going to get

         through your situation.

    3. The moment you make your plans, God will order your

         steps.

    4. You may not know how you are going to get through this

         pandemic.

    5. Let’s say you lost your job, and don’t know how you going

        provide for your family

        a. Make a plan and put it into action

        b. The moment you activate your plan, God will take charged of

    your circumstance and see to it that your are successful

B. The God we serve is the author of the pandemic

    1. God can direct resources your way to help you

    2. The earth is the Lord and the fullness there of.

      

WORSHIP THE LORD WITH JOY

V:5 We will shout for joy when you are victorious

and will lift up our banners in the name of our God.

May the Lord grant all your requests.

A. Victory over you circumstance is yours. But you got

     To  Claim the victory.

   

      1 John 5:4

       For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the   

       victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

    1. This pandemic and economic slow down is nothing to God.

    2. It is a test of our faith.

B. If you don’t have a prayer life, the time start is now.

    1. God is telling us to ask for what we want.

    2. You can ask expecting that its already done,

C. We are commanded to shout for joy before we see

      Any results.

     1. We can confidently expect God to give us victory.

     2. In our hearts there should be a banner of

         gratefulness and thankfulness to our Lord

         Jesus.

GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS

V:6 Now I know that the Lord  saves his anointed;

he answers him from his holy heaven

with the saving power of his right hand.

A. Jesus sits a the right hand of the Father making

     Intercessions for us.

    1. We were anointed from birth to be with Jesus

    2. He brought us to the pandemic

    3. He is walking with us though the pandemic

    4. He will bring us out of the pandemic.

B. Out of right hand of Jesus comes His blessing for you.

    1. He is using this pandemic to show you His

        saving power

   

TRUST GOD NOT MAN

V:7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses,

but we trust in the name of the Lord  our God.

8 They are brought to their knees and fall,

but we rise up and stand firm.

A. Victory is not given to swift and the strong.

   

     Eccl 9:11

      I have seen something else under the sun:

      The race is not to the swift

       or the battle to the strong,

       nor does food come to the wise

      or wealth to the brilliant

       or favor to the learned;

       but time and chance happen to them all.

    1. You can not trust in what you have.

    2. You position and your connections cannot

        save you from the trials of life

B.    

      Isa 40:31

      but those who hope in the Lord

     will renew their strength.

     They will soar on wings like eagles;

     they will run and not grow weary,

      they will walk and not be faint.

PRAY WITHOUT CEASING

 V:9. O Lord , save the king! Answer us when we call!

  A. This is the pray without ceasing time.

      1. God is using this time to force us to reverence Him.

      2. He is using this time force us to trust Him.

  B. All the doctors in the world have not been able to

        contain this virus.

      1. We have a history of God put an end to viruses in

          His time and His way.

      2. He did it in the past and He will put an end to this virus

       

          Mal 3:6

          For I am the Lord , I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not   

          consumed.

THANK GOD FOR SAVING US

_

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Success With God", 1 Samuel 13:5-14

SUCCESS WITH GOD

1 Sam 13:5-14

WITHOUT GOD YOUR ENEMY WILL SEEM LARGE

V:1. The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Micmash, east of Beth Aven. 6 When the men of Israel saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns. 7 Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead.

A. Israel chose to reject God’s rule over them in favor of a king.

     1. The king that God chose, anointed, and gave the influence

         of the Holy Spirit was not able to get rid of Israel’s enemies.

     2. Saul was a tall and handsome man, but his looks was no

         good in battle.

B. The nation of Israel continued in their worship of idol gods.

    1. They called on the true and living God when they were in trouble.

    2. The men that Saul assembled to fight the Philistines were

        weak and without any faith in God.

    3. When they saw the numbers of the Philistines army, instead of calling

        on God, they ran and hid.

 C. When the elders of Israel rejected God, in favor of a king, they fail to  

       consider that it was God who had protected them for all generations.

     1. By rejecting God, they put the welfare of the nation in the hands

         of their enemies.

     2. Even though Saul had been given one of the gifts of the

         Holy Spirit, he had no devotion to God.

     3. If king Saul had a devotion to God, he would have demanded

         that Israel get rid of their idol gods and establish worship of

         true and living God.

     4. As a result, he led a weak nation.

FEAR IS A PRODUCT OF UNBELIEF

V:7b. Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear.  He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul's men began to scatter. 9 So he said, "Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings." And Saul offered up the burnt offering. 10 Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.

A.  God made Church and State.

     1. The Church is in control of the spiritual welfare of the people.

     2.  The state is in control of civil matters, which was Saul’s job.

     3. Saul was anointed king of Israel, but not the priest of Israel.

     4. Saul crossed the boundaries, by assuming the role of the priest. 

     5. It was Samuel’s job to offer sacrifices to the Lord.

B. Even though Israel severed their relationship with God,

     they were still His chosen people and under His control.

    1. We cannot forgive our own sins.

    2. We have an intercessor, Jesus Christ, who sits at the

         right hand of the Father who forgives sins.

    3. The general population of Israel followed the sins of the

         elders and the king.

    4. But God was aware of their ignorance and their sins.

    5. It is the mercy of God that overlooks our sins and

        continues to favor us.

C. Saul knew the role of the priest, but was too impatient to

      wait on Samuel to come and bless the army.

    1. We cannot bless ourselves.

    2. We have to learn to wait on the Lord’s timing.

    4. When we try to do things for ourselves without

         consulting God in prayer, we are headed down the

         wrong road.

   

FOOLISHNESS FOLLOWS DISOBEDIENCE

V:11.  "What have you done?" asked Samuel.

Saul replied, "When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash, 12 I thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord 's favor.' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering."

A. Saul was moved by his fear, rather than the power of God

     which he had ready access to.

   1. Saul looked at his circumstances and saw defeat rather

        then the victory that is in God.

    2. How quickly we forget the past victories that God has

        won for us when we face present trials.

    3. When we are to impatient to wait on God, we will make

        wrong decisions

   

B. We can never assume that we don’t need the Lord’s blessings.

    1. Saul assumed he could do the job of the priest.

    2. We cannot get to God without Jesus, our High Priest.

    2. God did not give Saul the spirit of fear.

    3. Saul got fear from the temptation of Satan.

    4. God gives power, love, and sound mind.

    5. The mind is not sound without God.

    6.  In fear, Saul decided  to offer a sacrifice to

         God for His favor.

    7. Saul didn’t know or ignored the Word of God concerning

         offering by the priest.

    

IN GOD THERE IS WISDOM

V:13 "You acted foolishly," Samuel said. "You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. 14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord  has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him the leader of his people because you have not kept the Lord 's command."

A. God chastises those He loves

    1. We lose blessings when we are disobedient to God;

    2. Without God, man becomes foolish while thinking he is wise.

    3. God can elevate you, and he can demote you.

    4. Because Saul failed to be obedient to God, he lost his

        position as king.

B. Saul was never given the heart of God.

   1. He was only in position because the foolish elders demanded

       a king.

   2. Therefore because of his foolishness, God replaced him with

        a man after His own heart,

   3. God will allow you to be foolish for a while, but sooner or later

       he will give your over to your foolishness.

   4. Your foolishness will be your down fall.

THANK GOD FOR LEADING ME

Rev M.Mitchell

Asst Pastor Of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church

5510 west Sam Houston Parkway North

Houston, Texas 77041

Bible Study Series: Hope In Uncertain Times

HOPE IN UNCERTAIN TIMES

Doing this pandemic we need true Hope to keep us in sound mind.

On the surface, this is a very stress time. It is a very depressing time.

Psychologically these times can bring you to your knees.

To have Hope you got to have God, the creator of all things.

To have God, you got to have Jesus, the co-creator, the Word in the

Flesh that caused all things to come into being.

To have God the Father and God the Son,  you got to have the Holy Spirit,

The power behind the Word in action.

Without faith in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

There is no HOPE.

The foundation of our HOPE is the Holy Trinity.

Today, I want to spend time taking about the meaning of HOPE

What does hope mean in the Bible?

“Hope” is commonly used to mean a wish : its strength is the strength of the person's desire. But in the Bible hope is the confident expectation of what God has promised and its strength is in His faithfulness.

HOW THE WORLD VIEWS HOPE

Faith and hope are defined in the dictionary as follows; Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing or a belief not based on proof and Hope is an optimistic attitude of mind based on an expectation or desire. Faith says it is so now, and hope says in the future it could happen.

HOW THE LORD DEFINES HOPE

The word 'hope' in Hebrew actually means 'to expect' or have some sort of 'expectation'. This means we aren't merely hoping it to be completely. We're 100% expecting it to be completed. There should be no doubt anywhere in our mind concerning the Lord's promises to us

    

  Ps 39:7

"But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you.

The word hope here is towcheleth which means expectation.

Another word is as follows

chacah- to flee for protection; to trust; confide in; to have hope; to make a refuge. This term is used when God is compared to a shield, a rock, or described as one with protective wings.

“He only is my rock and my salvation;
  He is my defense;“         -Psalm 62:2

yachal- to be patient, hope, wait, trust, to stay in expectation.

“O Israel, hope in the Lord;
For with the Lord there is mercy,
And with Him is abundant redemption.“

-Psalm 130:7

“Therefore I will look to the Lord;
I will wait for the God of my salvation;
My God will hear me.“    -Micah 7:7

Another way to define HOPE is;

Mibtach- confidence; trust; assurance; hope. This word means “the act of confiding” as found in

Proverbs 21:22,  “A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof.” (KJV)

Mibtach is also used in Job 8:14 referring to the “object of confidence”: “Whose confidence shall be cut off, And whose trust is a spider’s web.”

There’s another meaning of this term, “the state of confidence or security.” Used in Proverbs 14:26, “In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge.“

machaceh- a shelter; hope; a place of refuge, trust.

sabar- to scrutinize, to expect with hope and patience; hope.

“The eyes of all look expectantly to You,
And You give them their food in due season.“- Psalm 145:15

towcheleth- expectation, hope.

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.“

-Proverbs 13:12

tiquah- expectation; hope.

“The desire of the righteous is only good,
But the expectation of the wicked is wrath.“

-Proverbs 11:23

Conclusion

The word ‘hope’ in Hebrew actually means ‘to expect’ or have some sort of ‘expectation’. This means we aren’t merely hoping it to be completely. We’re 100% expecting it to be completed. There should be no doubt anywhere in our mind concerning the Lord’s promises to us.

WHAT ARE YOU HOPING FOR DOING THIS PANDEMIC

Meaning Of The Word ‘Hope’ In Greek

elpizo- this verb means “to hope”. The verb is followed by three prepositions:

eis- “on”. Ususally translated “in” and used in John 5:45:

“Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust.“

2. epi- “on”. Found in Romans 15:12, “There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope.”

3. en- “in”.

“If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.”     -1 Corinthians 15:19

These prepositions express that Christ is the sphere and element where this ‘hope’ is placed. Since hope is a verb, those who walk in this hope are considered “hopeful” and have a character of hope.

elpis- to anticipate, usually with pleasure. As a noun it means, “favorable and confident expectation, a forward look with assurance.” Elpis refers to the future and the unseen such as in

    

Heb 11:1

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Romans 8:24-25: “For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.”

Elpis is found over 50 times in the New Testament. The apostle Paul was constantly talking about anticipating future events with joy, such as in these scriptures:

“And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers.” -Acts 26:6

“For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.” -Galatians 5:5

“if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.”  -Colossians 1:23

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.“

-Romans 5:1-2

“that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,  and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power“ -Ephesians 1:17-19

Hope is a purifying power. It says so in 1 John 3:3: “And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

Conclusion

Since the term hope in Greek means anticipation, we could read all these scriptures with the replacement of those words (to get a deeper understanding of them). This would change our perspective on these scriptures. Paul was constantly talking about expecting or waiting with absolute certainly for the Lord’s promises.

Doing this pandemic, as stressful and discouraging as it is, we need to

Focus on the HOPE that is in the Lord.

We are 100 percent assured, the God will take care of us and see us

Through this. 

SUMMARY

HOPE IS GIVEN TO US BY GOD

HOPE IS GOD’S LOVE FOR US

HOPE INVOLVES OUR FAITH

HOPE DEPENDS ON OUR TRUST IN GOD’S PROMISES

Rev. M. Mitchell

(Thanks to articles posted on the internet)

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Born To Lead", 1 Samuel 9:25-10:16, 7/26/2020

   

BORN TO LEAD

1 Sam 9:25- 10:1, 6-16

CALLED BY GOD

V:25 After they came down from the high place to the town, Samuel talked with Saul on the roof of his house. 26 They rose about daybreak and Samuel called to Saul on the roof, "Get ready, and I will send you on your way." When Saul got ready, he and Samuel went outside together. 27 As they were going down to the edge of the town, Samuel said to Saul, "Tell the servant to go on ahead of us"-and the servant did so-"but you stay here awhile, so that I may give you a message from God."

A. Samuel was rejected by the elders of Israel as their leader, but He didn’t

     Shut down and have a pity party. He found his comfort in the Lord.

    1. He continued to serve as a priest and prophet of Israel.

    2. He was rejected by the elders, but he was respected by the common

        people of Israel (verse 6).

    3. Your reputation precedes you (verse 11-12).

    4. A promotion by God may be preceded by a demotion

        by man.

B. Samuel continued to listen to the word from the Lord.

   1. In troubled times, God will continue to guide and protect you.

   2. When you are dependent on God, the position is not important.

   3. When you serve God He will elevate you before man.

C. God used Samuel to prepare his replacement to lead Israel.

   1. God selected Saul to be the first king of Israel.

   2. Saul didn’t ask for the job, he was called to the job.

   3. Samuel without hesitation followed God’s directions.

   4. God sets the stage for others to hear a word from you.

  

 

ORDAINED BY GOD

V:10.1 Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on Saul's head and kissed him, saying, "Has not the Lord anointed you leader over his inheritance? 2 When you leave me today, you will meet two men near Rachel's tomb, at Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They will say to you, 'The donkeys you set out to look for have been found. And now your father has stopped thinking about them and is worried about you. He is asking, "What shall I do about my son?"'

A. What God has for you is for you.

    1. God will arrange your life so that you meet the people that will

        elevate you.

    2. Notice Saul did not know Samuel, but God sent him on a trip to

        meet him.

B. God used Samuel as His priest to anoint Saul as king of  Israel.

     1. The anointing of Saul’s head with oil, represented God setting

          him apart for His use.

        2. The anointing with oil was first used by God during the time

             of Moses.

           Ex 30:30

          "Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them so they may serve  

            me as priests.

        3. When we follow God’s plan for our lives, He gives us insight

             into future events,

         4. The finding of the lost donkeys should have confirmed to Saul

              the voice of God to  Samuel.

WHEN GOD CALLS YOU, HE WILL GIVE YOU CONFIRMATION

V:3 "Then you will go on from there until you reach the great tree of Tabor. Three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there. One will be carrying three young goats, another three loaves of bread, and another a skin of wine. 4 They will greet you and offer you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from them.

5 "After that, you will go to Gibeah of God, where there is a Philistine outpost. As you approach the town, you will meet a procession of prophets coming down from the high place with lyres, tambourines, flutes and harps being played before them, and they will be prophesying. 6 The Spirit of the Lord  will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person. 7 Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you.

A. Following God’s commands are the keys to being blessed by God.

    1. Notice, before Saul’s trip, he did not know Samuel.

    2. However, he knew that God ordained priest and their value

        to the well being of the nation of Israel.

    3. It is up to us to train our children to know and reverence the Lord.

 B . To give Saul confidence in his selection as King of  Israel

        Samuel gave him three signs which were fulfilled.

       1. The bread and the wine was a forerunner of Jesus breaking bread

           and  drinking wine with His before His crucifixion.

       2. The young goats may represent Jesus' death on the cross

           for our sins.

       3. The giving of the Holy Spirit is the power driving the

            Gospel.

  C. Any man in Christ is a new creation.

      1. As a sign of Saul’s change, he began to prophesy with

          the prophets.

      2. Saul was blessed by God and equipped to be king of Israel.

      3. When God calls you to a job, He will bless and equip you

          for the job.

OBEDIENCE IS THE KEY TO YOUR BLESSINGS

V;8 "Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. I will surely come down to you to sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, but you must wait seven days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do."

9 As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul's heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day. 10 When they arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he joined in their prophesying. 11 When all those who had formerly known him saw him prophesying with the prophets, they asked each other, "What is this that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?"

12 A man who lived there answered, "And who is their father?" So it became a saying: "Is Saul also among the prophets?" 13 After Saul stopped prophesying, he went to the high place.

A. When you give your life to Jesus, you come under His protection

      and directions.

    1. Following God’s command prepares you for His call.

    2. Samuel led Saul in the ordination process

    3. The burnt offering was a tribute to God; a sacrifice of well being.

    4. We are the burnt offering to God, being completely devoted to

         Him.

    5. The fellowship offering was a peace offering to God.

    6. It is Jesus who made peace with God for us through His death

        on the cross.

    7. We have continuing fellowship with God through our relationship

          with Jesus.

   

    1. Waiting on the Lord is a sign of our obedience and trust.

    2. Seven is the number of completion.

    3. God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh day.

    4. God gives us rest doing our service to Him.

B. Our devotion to God is an elevation to a place of service.

    1. Saul was ordained and empowered to lead Israel.

    2. We all have been ordained to lead others to Christ.

THE WISDOM OF SILENCE

V:14. Now Saul's uncle asked him and his servant, "Where have you been?"

"Looking for the donkeys," he said. "But when we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel."

15 Saul's uncle said, "Tell me what Samuel said to you."

16 Saul replied, "He assured us that the donkeys had been found." But he did not tell his uncle what Samuel had said about the kingship.

A. Saul kept the anointing to be king to himself.

     1. There are some discussions we have with God that are to

         be  kept secret until the right time.

     2. God gave Saul the wisdom to keep silent until instructed.

     3. Saul’s experience with God was just beginning through

          Samuel.

B. God uses other Godly people to give us directions.

    1. Saul’s heart was opened to hear a word from God through

        His priest.

    2. He had the experiences with the short term prophecies of

        Samuel being fulfilled, to know it was God's divine plan for him.

    3. God has a plan for each of us, but we have to be open to

        hear His will.

THANK GOD FOR CHOOSING ME

Rev. M. Mitchell

Asst Pastor Of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church

5510 West Sam Houston Parkway North

Houston, Texas 77041

For more lessons, follow me on facebook and my blogs

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