Last night some friends of ours came over for a post-Christmas reunion since they were in town visiting family for the holidays. They were two of my buddies from high school, only now we all have growing families and can enjoy rich (though infrequent) times together with our wives and children. Concerning our kids, we led the way with our now 3 1/2 year old, were quickly overtaken by the Eastmans who managed two at a time (we've since tied with them), and will soon be joined by the Holmans who are only about a month away from entering full-fledged parenthood. Being soon to enter this phase of life, they asked over supper for advice about some of the ins and outs of parenting, specifically the topic of discipline. Following are some thoughts both from that conversation and considerations since then.
One thing that has become clearer and clearer to me over our short time of parenting is that we carry a great responsibility in showing our children what God looks like. Yes, we tell them about Him before they can even speak or comprehend, take them to church, and read them Bible stories, but this is not enough. There is a way in which children will find out about the character and nature of God through the conduct of their parents. First off, Christians in general are called to be "imitators of God" (Eph. 5:1), intimating that the way we live should do something to reflect Him to those observing us. For the Christian parent, children are at the top of this list of observers. But they are more than just onlookers; they are our little people that require a lot of hands-on interaction, direction, and discipline. An example (although indirect) of God-imitation before our children is given in Hebrews 12:10. [Our fathers] disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but [God] disciplines us for our good, that we might share in His holiness. Even without being God motivated in doing so, parents know to discipline their children in such a way that they hope will accomplish something good in their lives. This is a form of what God does, or to say it another way: He provides the example for how we are to give discipline. As Christians, we can go beyond just "what seems best to us" and instead look at God's design of working for our good and bringing us to increasing holiness. The question then becomes, "How can I discipline my children in such a way that they will have as clear a picture as possible of what their God looks like, that they might know His goodness toward them and be ready to walk in holiness before Him?" A roadblock that we would prefer our children not have to overcome later in life is the one of having to rethink in great measure what their heavenly Father looks like. Because of His grace, such obstacles can be overcome (and always must be overcome in some measure!), but this puts them one step farther away from living a life fully devoted to and undistracted from the King. It should be the aim of God motivated parents to prepare their kids to be God motivated children.
Where to start? Good parental discipline requires good doctrine. We must know well the God who has from the beginning been interacting with the children that He has created. We have thousands of years worth of records and a universal church that has been entrusted with them, seeking to abide by the instructions therein. We have been given the Holy Spirit as a Guide who is forever influencing our lives toward increasing God motivation. To say it plainly, we have been profoundly resourced. We will find when we probe these resources that we should exhibit a consistent wisely loving character, be extremely available with great compassion when our young ones humbly cry out to us, and be spanking our kids straight into the future God has designed for them...and much, much more, all the while fully entrusting them to the Father.
Perfect heavenly Father, please give us wisdom in raising those that You have placed in our care. Be our motivation in doing this that You might also become the same for them. In the name of Jesus who unites us to You, Amen.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Saturday, December 20, 2008
God Motivation this Christmas
In order to be God motivated this Christmas, I'm going to need more than Away in a Manger. I think I struggle a little more each year with this season as we work through what to buy for people, whether or not to buy for certain people that may or may not expect a gift, and how we'll coordinate the travel to various family celebrations. Call me Scrooge. But one thing I really do want to do this Christmas is to look at it rightly, to look past the many distractions and be a God motivated observer of the holiday. Who is this Christ-child that we hear about even in the name of the day itself? After spending a little time reviewing the Nativity this week, I was reminded of a few things that got me more excited to celebrate the Savior. There were patterns of this Child's life that were set from his very first moments that greatly inspire my worship. In brief, here they are:
He was born into great controversy. Jesus didn't just choose to do and say things during His adult ministry that were politically incorrect, offensive to many, and challenging to all. From the get-go, His life was one that many people would have said should not have happened. Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly (Matthew 1:18-19). Unwed pregnant teen girls are not all that much of a rarity today, but they were then. Joseph's kindness to Mary in this instance, even before the angel filled him in on what was going on, would not have been something that Mary would likely have found with most guys. In fact, the whole deal was so controversial (and just downright odd) that the public had no idea as Jesus was growing up that Joseph was only Jesus' adoptive dad (Luke 3:23). Jesus didn't have cute little onesies that said things like "100% Pure Virgin Born" or "Whose Yo Daddy? Mine's the Holy Spirit." They kept these things under their hats. But all fun aside, there was something awesome and dramatic about Jesus' entry into the world that set the stage for the amazing and controversial life that He lived. This is a manger Baby that I'm excited to worship this year.
His birth fulfilled ancient prophesy. Jesus wasn't the guy that people just decided to elect as the Messiah; his birth came about in a very specific way, controlled by divine activity. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: "Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel" (Matthew 1:22-23). Knowing this helps me to be God motivated in that I'm reminded of God's great power in bringing about circumstances from the very beginning of Jesus' life (a pattern that continued throughout His life) that set Him apart from and above all others. Immanuel, "God with us" was something new and remains fresh and unmatched, despite how liberal "scholars" try to undermine it. We've gotten pretty good around Christmas time of doing everything we can to get rid of all that Immanuel means; it does have a great element of danger I suppose. It would mean accepting the prophesies made about His birth and then having to wonder if all the other Scriptures relating to Jesus were ones that we also needed to pay attention to. "No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6) just doesn't fit very well into our increasingly pluralistic society. But just the same, knowing who Jesus was, the Messiah prophesied about, ignites my faith this Christmas and draws my attention back to Him.
Jesus was born in great humility and glory. These two characteristics seem very opposed to one another, but for me it says even more about the uniqueness of Jesus and the consistency of His Person. He was the Jesus who only traveled locally, and that on foot, who did not fight back when he faced crucifixion, but who also performed astounding miracles and arose in immortality after being put in the grave. But humility and glory characterized His life from the beginning also. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn (Luke 2:7). That's the side of humility. But the glorious side looked like this: And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10-11). This was followed by a multitude of angels celebrating the glory of Jesus' birth. This is the Jesus I am delighted to worship this year, the One who humbled himself to a pauper's birth and a criminal's cross, the One who was extolled by the heavenly host and is now victorious in heaven. This is the God who motivates me this Christmas.
Lord God, there is much to distract your church this Christmas from Your Son who was born to establish her existence. Please put Him at the center of our minds and hearts this season. May He be our motivation for celebration. In His name, Amen.
He was born into great controversy. Jesus didn't just choose to do and say things during His adult ministry that were politically incorrect, offensive to many, and challenging to all. From the get-go, His life was one that many people would have said should not have happened. Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly (Matthew 1:18-19). Unwed pregnant teen girls are not all that much of a rarity today, but they were then. Joseph's kindness to Mary in this instance, even before the angel filled him in on what was going on, would not have been something that Mary would likely have found with most guys. In fact, the whole deal was so controversial (and just downright odd) that the public had no idea as Jesus was growing up that Joseph was only Jesus' adoptive dad (Luke 3:23). Jesus didn't have cute little onesies that said things like "100% Pure Virgin Born" or "Whose Yo Daddy? Mine's the Holy Spirit." They kept these things under their hats. But all fun aside, there was something awesome and dramatic about Jesus' entry into the world that set the stage for the amazing and controversial life that He lived. This is a manger Baby that I'm excited to worship this year.
His birth fulfilled ancient prophesy. Jesus wasn't the guy that people just decided to elect as the Messiah; his birth came about in a very specific way, controlled by divine activity. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: "Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel" (Matthew 1:22-23). Knowing this helps me to be God motivated in that I'm reminded of God's great power in bringing about circumstances from the very beginning of Jesus' life (a pattern that continued throughout His life) that set Him apart from and above all others. Immanuel, "God with us" was something new and remains fresh and unmatched, despite how liberal "scholars" try to undermine it. We've gotten pretty good around Christmas time of doing everything we can to get rid of all that Immanuel means; it does have a great element of danger I suppose. It would mean accepting the prophesies made about His birth and then having to wonder if all the other Scriptures relating to Jesus were ones that we also needed to pay attention to. "No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6) just doesn't fit very well into our increasingly pluralistic society. But just the same, knowing who Jesus was, the Messiah prophesied about, ignites my faith this Christmas and draws my attention back to Him.
Jesus was born in great humility and glory. These two characteristics seem very opposed to one another, but for me it says even more about the uniqueness of Jesus and the consistency of His Person. He was the Jesus who only traveled locally, and that on foot, who did not fight back when he faced crucifixion, but who also performed astounding miracles and arose in immortality after being put in the grave. But humility and glory characterized His life from the beginning also. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn (Luke 2:7). That's the side of humility. But the glorious side looked like this: And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10-11). This was followed by a multitude of angels celebrating the glory of Jesus' birth. This is the Jesus I am delighted to worship this year, the One who humbled himself to a pauper's birth and a criminal's cross, the One who was extolled by the heavenly host and is now victorious in heaven. This is the God who motivates me this Christmas.
Lord God, there is much to distract your church this Christmas from Your Son who was born to establish her existence. Please put Him at the center of our minds and hearts this season. May He be our motivation for celebration. In His name, Amen.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
God Motivation and the Need for Jesus
It's pretty silly for me to go to a steakhouse for dinner. I'm far more likely to get a burger or perhaps some pasta than I am a steak. The owners of such restaurants would probably be disappointed that I never choose the best thing that they have to offer, even though their list of choices does include a variety of entrees. Yes, the steak will cost me more, but I'm told that it's worth the price. It is true that the entire menu screams, "Get a steak" from the name of the restaurant on the front cover to the appetizers that compliment these choice cuts. But just the same, I guess I'm more comfortable with the burger. Call me a hopeless case...
There was a time when God felt a bit like the owner of a steakhouse (OK, maybe that's a stretch). But if we look at the "menu" that God has given to us, we're intended to see that the whole thing screams, "Jesus!" (Sorry, I will get past the hokey lines here momentarily). Recorded in John 5:39-40 are these words: You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me that you may have eternal life. When I read this, I'm confronted with the fact that all too often many of us are not interested in having the only real main course that is being offered. The thought actually scares me a bit. Jesus was speaking to a group of people here who knew what religiosity looked like; they knew what the Bible had to say and for the most part really liked it. They even searched through it and would have likely admitted to the fact that a Messiah was a big part of what it was all about. But that was as far as they were willing to go--no steak in the belly. It is possible to enjoy many of the benefits of a steakhouse: the fellowship with others there, the nutrition that comes from the complimentary bread basket, the great aromas....without truly knowing just how great the place is and what it means to truly be a part of the association of steak-eaters.
When we know something of the Scriptures and yet don't really know Jesus, we miss all that is most important. We can take in all the communication that God has given us through His Word and never experience the communion with him that comes through knowing the One He sent. This is what Jesus was concerned about when it came to the religious people he was rubbing shoulders with. Would he have said the same things to us if we had run into Him this week? Let us ask ourselves some questions.
Why do I read (or neglect reading) my Bible? When I talk to Christians who seem to lack direction in life or say that they just aren't feeling close to God, one of the things that I tell them they need to be doing is reading their Bibles. How will they know the One they say that they want to be close to without absorbing what He has told them about Himself? We are not to read our Bibles simply to know what it says so that we can win debates or better grasp how to say the right Christian things at the right times; we are to read it with God motivation--to become closer to God Himself. And the way we can come near to God is by submitting to His Son Jesus as Lord.
What's wrong with just reading my Bible for the sake of reading it? Quite frankly, Jesus said that such activity wasn't enough. He gives the impression here that you can be quite the scholar and not get what you need the most. When Jesus said that the Scriptures bore witness about Him, he meant that the message of the Bible is essentially all about Him. After His resurrection, when He met up on a walk with some of His disciples (who were kept from recognizing Him), He went through all the Scriptures and showed how these were meant to direct their attention to the Messiah (Luke 24:27). Although this message is clear in so many ways, we show the hardness of our hearts in our lack of submission to the One we are told is our only hope.
What is at stake in our reading of the Bible in a certain way? Life. We can read the Scriptures and refuse the eternal life that Jesus says comes through Him. We can have a head full of priceless knowledge and still be lost forever...according to Jesus. We could even know Jesus in the sense of knowing information about Him but not know Him in the way He says we must know Him in order to have life. He tells us here that He Himself is the One who holds the life we can have if we come to Him. In Him is the life that we need. We must read the Bible with God motivation, or to say it even more specifically in this instance, with Jesus motivation. We read it with Him as our reason and aim.
The next time you read your Bible, what will be your reasons for doing so? Will you read it to know Jesus, to know Him in the intimate kind of knowing? This is the Christian way; this is the way of God motivation.
Dear Lord, be my Motivation in the reading of Your precious Word. Fill within me a longing for Jesus, the One all the Scriptures are meant to lead me toward. Guard me from religiosity that puts my aim on my independent personal growth instead of Your glory. In the great name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
There was a time when God felt a bit like the owner of a steakhouse (OK, maybe that's a stretch). But if we look at the "menu" that God has given to us, we're intended to see that the whole thing screams, "Jesus!" (Sorry, I will get past the hokey lines here momentarily). Recorded in John 5:39-40 are these words: You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me that you may have eternal life. When I read this, I'm confronted with the fact that all too often many of us are not interested in having the only real main course that is being offered. The thought actually scares me a bit. Jesus was speaking to a group of people here who knew what religiosity looked like; they knew what the Bible had to say and for the most part really liked it. They even searched through it and would have likely admitted to the fact that a Messiah was a big part of what it was all about. But that was as far as they were willing to go--no steak in the belly. It is possible to enjoy many of the benefits of a steakhouse: the fellowship with others there, the nutrition that comes from the complimentary bread basket, the great aromas....without truly knowing just how great the place is and what it means to truly be a part of the association of steak-eaters.
When we know something of the Scriptures and yet don't really know Jesus, we miss all that is most important. We can take in all the communication that God has given us through His Word and never experience the communion with him that comes through knowing the One He sent. This is what Jesus was concerned about when it came to the religious people he was rubbing shoulders with. Would he have said the same things to us if we had run into Him this week? Let us ask ourselves some questions.
Why do I read (or neglect reading) my Bible? When I talk to Christians who seem to lack direction in life or say that they just aren't feeling close to God, one of the things that I tell them they need to be doing is reading their Bibles. How will they know the One they say that they want to be close to without absorbing what He has told them about Himself? We are not to read our Bibles simply to know what it says so that we can win debates or better grasp how to say the right Christian things at the right times; we are to read it with God motivation--to become closer to God Himself. And the way we can come near to God is by submitting to His Son Jesus as Lord.
What's wrong with just reading my Bible for the sake of reading it? Quite frankly, Jesus said that such activity wasn't enough. He gives the impression here that you can be quite the scholar and not get what you need the most. When Jesus said that the Scriptures bore witness about Him, he meant that the message of the Bible is essentially all about Him. After His resurrection, when He met up on a walk with some of His disciples (who were kept from recognizing Him), He went through all the Scriptures and showed how these were meant to direct their attention to the Messiah (Luke 24:27). Although this message is clear in so many ways, we show the hardness of our hearts in our lack of submission to the One we are told is our only hope.
What is at stake in our reading of the Bible in a certain way? Life. We can read the Scriptures and refuse the eternal life that Jesus says comes through Him. We can have a head full of priceless knowledge and still be lost forever...according to Jesus. We could even know Jesus in the sense of knowing information about Him but not know Him in the way He says we must know Him in order to have life. He tells us here that He Himself is the One who holds the life we can have if we come to Him. In Him is the life that we need. We must read the Bible with God motivation, or to say it even more specifically in this instance, with Jesus motivation. We read it with Him as our reason and aim.
The next time you read your Bible, what will be your reasons for doing so? Will you read it to know Jesus, to know Him in the intimate kind of knowing? This is the Christian way; this is the way of God motivation.
Dear Lord, be my Motivation in the reading of Your precious Word. Fill within me a longing for Jesus, the One all the Scriptures are meant to lead me toward. Guard me from religiosity that puts my aim on my independent personal growth instead of Your glory. In the great name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
Friday, December 5, 2008
God Motivation through Opposition
More than likely, you have experienced a season in life where it has felt like there were many who were setting themselves against you. Such times are ones of great restlessness where, regardless of just how bleak the situation actually is, there are enough negative details to keep you in an unsettled state. I had a time like this in my last year of full-time ministry. People were frustrated with me, I felt like I was being pinned as a selfish, unbiblical, unfit-for-ministry pastor, and trying to have reasonable conversation about it seemed impossible. I couldn't sleep, and in the midst of the night, everything seemed bleak. Having been in such a place, I can catch perhaps just a glimpse of what king David was going through when his rebellious son Absalom stole the hearts of the Israelites and forced his way onto the throne. In Psalm 3, we are given a window into his soul as he processed all that was going on during a restless night. But as we track with him through this chapter, we find courage to rise again and a lesson on what it looks like to have God motivation in the midst of great opposition.
We at first get to see the despair that David is feeling. O LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God (Vv. 1-2). It isn't hard to guess just how desperate David is feeling, and if we understand some of the background, we know that there is great truth to what he is saying! Recorded in 2 Samuel is the account of David's son Absalom, a man described as handsome and charming, who would stand outside the palace intercepting men coming into David's presence to have him judge their cases. Greeting them warmly, he would listen to their issues and then exuberantly voice his desire to be judge in Israel. Then came the lie he fed to his father, feigning holiness as he requested to go away with a group of men to pray to the Lord in order to fulfill a vow. It was quickly revealed however that this was actually his time to rally all the men he had been winning over to stand against their rightful king. Now what people were saying of David probably discouraged him more than anything else. This man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22), a man whose worship of the Lord put him in a class of his own, was now hearing in his most vulnerable moment that God had abandoned him. What David held most dear (and rightly so) people were saying was no longer available to him. Others knew where to hit him to hurt him the most at a time when he would be the most susceptible to discouragement. It is not difficult to picture the aged warrior David kneeled next to his make-shift bed (having fled from his home) exhausted in body and greatly troubled in spirit.
But this place of despair was not where he stayed. As we read on, we see him reach down deep, grasping onto what he had for years known to be true. But You, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the LORD, and He answered me from His holy hill (Vv. 2-3). This is the response of one who is God motivated in a time where all other motivations would be hopeless. This is a picture of what our souls should cry out in every season, but a lesson that we usually seem to learn best when in times of great distress. David saw God as his protector, his inner radiance when everything outside was shadows, and his strength with which to rise another day. These things he cried out to the LORD in desperate worship, and His Savior did not turn a deaf ear. Indeed when it would seem that there was no chance of peace, David recalls, I lay down and slept (V. 5a). How wonderful is the rest that comes after such anxiousness! How sweet the sleep that follows surrender! Giving up on his own strength, trusting in the strength of his King, David finds the slumber that he had probably longed for after many days. Hope had risen in the midst of the storm and was then sealed up in the peace that brought a great calm.
And then the mercies that are new every morning (Lamenations 3:22-23) met David as he awoke renewed. His opening thoughts he then records, I woke again, for the LORD sustained me. I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around (Vv. 5b-6). His new life he saw as coming from his God, his new outlook fueled by the One who sustained him. The reality of the situation that David was in had not changed: His son Absalom was still leading a rebellion, people were still saying that there was no hope for him, and there was still a battle to fight. Yes, there was still a rough road ahead, this had not changed, but what had changed was David's outlook. Fear had been replaced with resoluteness. "I will not be afraid" he says. Although God certainly worked through the sleep that He gave to David, this kind of statement was born from more than just some good REM.
God was at the center of the revival David was experiencing. Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked! (V. 7). The Champion here was the One who would have the victory. One thing David does not do is thank the Lord for the good sleep that he recieved and then go forth in the day as if it is his to handle. With great confidence, he says, "Save me, O my God!" The temptation for us is to often act as if it is time for us to leave the Lord behind with our morning prayers and then try to ride the wave of new energy without God holding us up as the surfboard beneeth our feet. Only Jesus could surf barefooted.
Finally, David makes a declaration that every Christian would do well to echo. Salvation belongs to the LORD; Your blessing be on Your people! (V. 8). He had moved from despair to delight, from fear to new focus. He had found God motivation.
Lord, salvation belongs to You. Lord, please bless your people and watch over Your children in this world. My God, please be my motivation in times of hardship and gladness; keep me from distraction. Jesus, I hope in your justice that will one day do away with all unrighteousness. In You, I will not fear. Amen.
But this place of despair was not where he stayed. As we read on, we see him reach down deep, grasping onto what he had for years known to be true. But You, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the LORD, and He answered me from His holy hill (Vv. 2-3). This is the response of one who is God motivated in a time where all other motivations would be hopeless. This is a picture of what our souls should cry out in every season, but a lesson that we usually seem to learn best when in times of great distress. David saw God as his protector, his inner radiance when everything outside was shadows, and his strength with which to rise another day. These things he cried out to the LORD in desperate worship, and His Savior did not turn a deaf ear. Indeed when it would seem that there was no chance of peace, David recalls, I lay down and slept (V. 5a). How wonderful is the rest that comes after such anxiousness! How sweet the sleep that follows surrender! Giving up on his own strength, trusting in the strength of his King, David finds the slumber that he had probably longed for after many days. Hope had risen in the midst of the storm and was then sealed up in the peace that brought a great calm.
And then the mercies that are new every morning (Lamenations 3:22-23) met David as he awoke renewed. His opening thoughts he then records, I woke again, for the LORD sustained me. I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around (Vv. 5b-6). His new life he saw as coming from his God, his new outlook fueled by the One who sustained him. The reality of the situation that David was in had not changed: His son Absalom was still leading a rebellion, people were still saying that there was no hope for him, and there was still a battle to fight. Yes, there was still a rough road ahead, this had not changed, but what had changed was David's outlook. Fear had been replaced with resoluteness. "I will not be afraid" he says. Although God certainly worked through the sleep that He gave to David, this kind of statement was born from more than just some good REM.
God was at the center of the revival David was experiencing. Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked! (V. 7). The Champion here was the One who would have the victory. One thing David does not do is thank the Lord for the good sleep that he recieved and then go forth in the day as if it is his to handle. With great confidence, he says, "Save me, O my God!" The temptation for us is to often act as if it is time for us to leave the Lord behind with our morning prayers and then try to ride the wave of new energy without God holding us up as the surfboard beneeth our feet. Only Jesus could surf barefooted.
Finally, David makes a declaration that every Christian would do well to echo. Salvation belongs to the LORD; Your blessing be on Your people! (V. 8). He had moved from despair to delight, from fear to new focus. He had found God motivation.
Lord, salvation belongs to You. Lord, please bless your people and watch over Your children in this world. My God, please be my motivation in times of hardship and gladness; keep me from distraction. Jesus, I hope in your justice that will one day do away with all unrighteousness. In You, I will not fear. Amen.
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