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Appendix A - Relationship Skills

1.  Make a firm decision to pursue the relationship. Offer yourself completely to God.  Meditate on Romans 12:1-2.  This is our blood covenant response to a mighty blood covenant offered to us by God.

2.  Take time to listen: You must take in His Word.  Words are blood covenant containers.  The Word of God is Jesus Himself; it is not a book of promises to pick and choose from.  The Word of God should be pursued as a regular and daily relationship skill and should be looked at as listening to your Lord, Jesus Himself.  Ask Him to speak.  The Word is supernatural and it produces faith in the same way natural food produces energy.  Jesus said that He is the true manna that gives eternal life.  Write down what you feel He is speaking.

3.  Take time to speak: Your words. Two-way journaling and being gut level honest is an important way to increase your relationship with God.  Write down exactly how you feel.  Honesty with your blood covenant partner Jesus, will cause your sin to go on Him.  You cannot and will not overcome any issue in life without this gut level honesty.  We suggest two-way journaling.  This is a great way to allow the "flow" of the Holy Spirit to speak to you personal and intimate things.  First, get in a quiet place, set your mind on Jesus, and begin to worship Him.  You write down what you want to tell or ask Jesus.  Then write down what you hear in your spirit.  At first, there may be some mistakes, but through faith and practice, He will be real to you.

Ways to discern whose voice you are hearing.

God's voice: Affirms, corrects, direction (truth).

Satan's voice: Keeps us bound in failure with lies and condemnation.

Self's voice, or our flesh: justifies, rationalizes, denies and projects or blames others.

Testing to see if we are hearing God's voice.

Is it scriptural?

Does it glorify Jesus?

Is there a witness in my spirit?

Does it edify or tear down?

Does it produce freedom or bondage?

Ways God speaks to us.

The Bible.  Revelation knowledge through the Holy Spirit.

The Body of Christ: Fellow believers, pastors counselors.  Be careful to not depend solely on this.

Quiet time:  Holy Spirit's voice.  (Psalm 139:23-24, I John 1:9).

Circumstances and situations in everyday life (Jeremiah 32:8).

Accountability Partner:  Often it is wise to have a trusted friend who will be bold enough to hold you accountable for issues in your life.

4.  Take time to speak: His Words. The antagonist, Satan and his assigned demons, constantly are on task to come against your effort to relate to Jesus and to overcome.  Only you can resist them.  Jesus gave you the authority and responsibility to speak His Word against them.  God told Joshua in Joshua 1:8, "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.  For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success."

One idea for doing this is:

Read Psalms and Proverbs by the day.  You should read ALOUD five Psalms every morning.  Use the system of the calendar, i.e., on the 3rd of the month read Psalms 3, 33, 63, 93 and 123.  Also read Proverb 3.  In this system the student will read all Psalms and Proverbs every month.  Using this system renews the mind, speaks the Word to Satan, and allows the suffering student to relate his/her emotions to the Psalmist's.  Provisions can be made for months with 31 days, and for Psalm 119.

Also be sensitive to the Holy Spirit Who will give you a Word of warfare for a particular situation.

5.  Meditation. Meditation on the Word is very important and extremely valuable.  I quoted Joshua 1:8 above which tells us to meditate day and night.  Psalms 1:2-3 says, "But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper."

Meditation on the Word displaces and replaces your carnal thinking which is a major feat.  It also allows the Word to get down deep into your heart.  The word meditate is related to a cow chewing her cud.  She chews it, swallows it, regurgitates it, and then starts the process over again, and again, and again.  This will allow the Word to go deeply into your heart, and will give the Holy Spirit an opportunity to speak something personal to you from the Word.

6. Fasting. Fasting is an important discipline.  There are many types of fasts, and I will not cover that subject here.  The main advantage of fasting is that it denies the strongest desire of the flesh, to eat.  In doing so one is able to hear the Holy Spirit better.  Remember, the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh, Galatians 5:17.  I have read that when a person is hungry, even his/her natural hearing is better.

7. Obey God. Ask God to give you something simple, something small every day that you may obey.  It may be just encouraging another, it may be not driving down the same street that fed your addiction; it may be confessing your sin to Him.  It may be taking a thought captive, or forgiving someone, or perhaps giving a financial gift.

This is a big thing! John 14:21-23 says that when we obey His Word that He will reveal more and more of Himself to us.  Once you have "seen" Jesus, relationship with Him will no longer be a discipline, but it will be a passionate pursuit.

End Notes

1 The Spiritual Man, Watchman Nee author.

2 Many references are made to Dunklin Memorial Church.  We have inserted several quotes from their book Inner Healing.  We give thanks to that wonderful ministry in Florida USA that has made a valuable contribution to the Body of Christ.   Many of their leaders and authors are recovered addicts who now serve the Lord Jesus Christ.

Copyright * 1992 by Dunklin Memorial Church – Used by permission ISOB

I believe:

That in Christ Jesus all of my sins, past, present and future have been completely forgiven.  I have simply received His free gift by faith.  There was nothing I could have ever done to earn it.  And there is nothing I can ever do to lose it.  His amazing love is absolutely unconditional.

In Christ I have been given a brand new identity.  No longer am I in Adam.  I am a New Creation!  Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father constantly interceding for me.  He is never ashamed, and even when I fail He lovingly reminds me of whose I really am.  The enemy no longer has any power over me because he was once and forever defeated at Calvary.  When Satan tries to bring up my past to discourage me I will be prompted to immediately remind him of his future.  Greater is the Lord Jesus who lives in me than he who temporarily rules this fallen old world!

In Christ I am no longer a slave to my feelings.  The truth about me is what God says REGARDLESS of my emotions.  Since I now possess the mind of Christ I am no longer bound up in the lies of Satan.  The Holy Spirit readily exposes his tricks.  Any and every thought that is presented to me MUST pass through a True/False "filter."  If the thought is not pure, holy, and glorifying to my Father, it is clearly from the enemy.  In the name of Jesus I will reject his ungodly thoughts and he must flee!

In Christ Jesus I have been raised to walk in newness of life.  Abundant Life, Eternal Life, His Life!  In fact, I have already been made a citizen of Heaven!  What joy fills my soul!  Since my Father is always for me, who would dare come against me?  I am more than a conqueror.  The victory is already mine!

In Christ there is eternal hope.  Worry and fear are no longer my constant companions.  Since they are lies from Satan they are inconsistent with my true identity.  I am now alive to Truth and dead to sin.  Jesus is my all in all.  He is everything to me.  I will not worship any other person or thing.  There is no one above Him.  He is all I really need.  He is my Way, my Truth, and my Life.  He is enough.

-Anonymous

Closing prayer for you.

Ephesians 3:16-21 says "that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

Dear Reader:

Many people who have read this book as you have just done have experienced changed lives. This book was placed in your hands with the prayer and belief that the same blessing of a changed life will come to you. If this prayer has been answered in your life, we thank God.

It is our intent and practice to offer these books free of charge to the extent possible. If you have received your book in this way, we want to extend an invitation to you to participate in our mission and invest in this work of our Lord through a gift to cover the cost of printing your book plus another book for one other person. As God is blessing and moving in a mighty way through these books, we believe that He will also surely bless you for all the support you can give.

You may donate to  ISOB online:

http://www.isob-bible.org/ (look for donate link)

Your gift book will be placed in the hands of someone like you seeking to know the truth.

God bless you,

Larry Chkoreff and Team

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You can't be free if you don't know about Satan's tactics

We need to know that we are actually living in a world within a world.

The world that we can see is only a dim manifestation of the real invisible world that we can see with our spiritual eyes when the Lord opens them for us.

Within that real spiritual world there is God, demons, devils and angels.  There is the cosmos, or the world system ruled by Satan.  This is what is real.  If we continually attempt to control and manipulate the tangible world, we are futile in our efforts.  We must know that we are citizens of the spiritual world first.

Within that spiritual world we all start out as citizens of the "world system," Satan's kingdom.  However, God gives us a choice to become citizens of Heaven and enter into the Kingdom of God.

Once we become citizens of the Kingdom of God, then we must:

1.  Know who we are (Sit, Ephesians 2:6).

2.  Live like who we are. (Walk, Ephesians 4:1).

3. And finally, know how to react to the spiritual enemy Satan.  (Stand, Ephesians 6:11).

If we attempt to leave out any of the above three issues, we will not be living like Jesus intended for us to live.

The subject of spiritual war, the satanic kingdom and demons is vast, and we will by no means attempt to make this chapter all-inclusive.  Rather we want to give an overview of some practical issues that all of us need to be aware of.  There is a childlike simplicity that we wish to express.

Quote from Watchman Nee.  A Table in the Wilderness.  [1]

Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  Ephesians 6:11.

Here the verb "stand" means "hold your ground." It is not, in modern parlance, a command to march-to invade a foreign territory in order to occupy and subdue it.  God has not told us to do this.  "Stand" implies that the ground disputed by the enemy is really God's, and therefore ours.  It was the Lord Jesus who carried the offensive into Satan's kingdom, to gain by death and resurrection a mighty victory.  Today we fight only to maintain and consolidate the victory he has gained.  That is perhaps why the armor described here is largely defensive.  For the territory is his.  We do not fight to gain a foothold on it.  We only need to hold it against all challengers.

Following is a list a few of the most common ways that Satan operates and some of the very simple steps you can take to keep yourself safe from his wiles.

1.  We live in a fallen world and we can experience "fallout."

"Stuff" just happens sometimes.  You may not be the intended target of some satanic plot; you may just be experiencing sickness, disease, and other challenges and difficulties due to being subjected to a "fallen world" that has been subject to sin.  However neither do you need to be victims to generational curses and other such things.  When you experience "stuff" simply ask God to speak to you and show you how to pray, and if need be, what steps to take.  When the pressures is on in this fashion, you will be really open to hearing God speak, and when He does, everything you are going through will be worth it.

God wants to take you through the seed bearing, fruit producing process.  He will not leave you as an orphan in your trial if you truly seek Him with all your heart.

2.  If we don't "walk" like who we are we will experience satanic influence.

In our previous chapter we covered our "walk" with the Lord.  We don't need to feel condemned when we are not perfect.  However God wants us to have a perfect and pure heart towards Him.  If we come to Him for forgiveness, become obedient children, and ask Him to purify our heart, we can feel confident and rest in His care for us.

3.  Satan attempts to steal the Word of God after it is planted as a seed.

This is a frontal attack to get you to not stand on the Word.  You could also call this an attack for righteousness sake.  God wants to provide for our needs through planting His Word in our heart and then watching it bear His fruit.  This is what Satan's army fights against.

Satan was able to convince Adam and Eve that they could operate their lives without the Word of God (Genesis Chapter 3).  Satan tempted Jesus with the same issue in Luke Chapter 4.  He will use the same tactic on you.  If Satan can get you to act out of your own independence without putting the Word of God first place in your life, he has succeeded.  Satan wants you to act on your emotions and wrong thinking rather than on the Word.

Doubting the Word of God is Satan's main weapon.  This is the essence of spiritual warfare.  Without getting too complicated, spiritual warfare is primarily about believing or doubting God's Word.  God wants us to trust His Word above all other evidence.  Sometimes it is difficult to believe the truth we cannot see and feel with our five natural senses.

Jesus was teaching His disciples in Mark chapter 4.  Mark 4:9-11 says, "And He said to them, 'He who has ears to hear, let him hear.'  And when He was alone, they who were about Him, with the Twelve, asked Him concerning the parable.  And He said to them, 'To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God.  But to those outside, all these things are given in parables.'"

The entire Kingdom of God works like the parable in Mark chapter 4.

Recently I received an email from a pastor in the Philippines who is studying our Grow or Die book, with the following comment.  "Now I understand that God is a farmer and we are the Garden.  I had no idea before but now I got it.  Thanks so much."  This is so simple yet profound.  It is so deep, yet too many believes miss it just because it is so simple.  Jesus called it the mystery of the Kingdom of God in Mark 4:11.

God plants the seeds of His Words in your heart (regardless of the condition of your heart).  These seeds represent all of God's purposes for your life.  Being born again is the first purpose.  Next is being filled with the Spirit, being healed physically, emotionally, and mentally, and having your needs provided for by God.  The Word brings you into your proper relationships in life, and provides all of God's further purposes for you, including ministry.

God uses His Word to impart His purposes to you.  Fruit is how we are supposed to live our lives.  Peter said that all we need for godliness and life is given to us by the promises of God, 2 Peter 1:3-4.  His promises and the seed of His word are the same thing.  Adam, before he sinned, was to bear fruit in the Garden.  After he sinned, God told him that everything he need would be under a curse and he would have to obtain it by the sweat of his brow.  Well, Jesus took the curse, and now we can return to normal and be fruit bearers.

I recently witnessed an entire missionary family radically changed by receiving revelation from our Grow or Die book.  They discovered the seed/fruit process and were gloriously set free.  The next time they went to preach a service, they didn't even preach, they just stood there and asked everyone to sing, and Jesus showed up.  Dozens of people were at the altar getting delivered; twenty-five people were on the floor under the power of God.  Jesus showed up because four people decided to be fruit bearers, and John 15:8 went into action!

There is a childlike simplicity to how the Kingdom of God works.

As we allow God to purify our hearts and we fellowship with Him, He speaks.  As He speaks His Word to us, that Word becomes a seed in our hearts that is intended to bear fruit.  The fruit is for our character, our needs and for our participation in glorifying Him to others.  John 15:8 says, “By this My Father is glorified [made real and manifested to others], that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” When you become a fruit bearer, wherever you go, Jesus will be made real to others.  That my friend, is powerful!  No wonder Satan fights so hard to steal the Word, the seed, out of our hearts.  No wonder Satan fights to hard to confuse people with all sorts of religious programs and theories just to keep the mystery of the Kingdom hidden.

Notice in the Parable of the Sower that Satan comes to steal the Word.

This is really the only weapon that Satan has against mankind, to steal the Word or to blind us from the Word.  2 Corinthians 4:4 says, "whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them."

Once the Word is planted in your heart, you must "stand," or wait against adverse circumstances, until the plant matures.  "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand" (Ephesians 6:13).

Frontal attacks are countered by standing your position, keeping the territory you already have.  You do that by continuing to refresh your identity in Christ, continually repenting your way through life as you "walk in the Spirit," and by verbally speaking the Word of God against the satanic beings that are in the attack.

I also believe that the Bible teaches us that during this waiting period, we are to use the Word of God as a sword.

Ephesians 6:17b says, "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

This waiting period could be a matter of days, months, years, or decades.  It matters not how long.  During this time there are many purposes being accomplished, not the least of which is the purifying of our character.  God may give us a promise, a vision, however He must then purify us in order to be a vessel qualified to contain the vision.

When we speak God's Word, Jesus takes it to the Father and asks Him to perform it.

We are told in Hebrews 3:1 "Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus."  Jesus takes our confession to the Father as our High Priest, and the Father sees to it that it is accomplished, provided it is the Word of God.  The enemy also takes our confession, our negative confession, and accomplishes what we say.

When the Word of God is confessed and prayed over a person or a situation, it is powerful!  Jesus created everything by His Word.  Jesus is the Word.  Jesus gave us the authority to use the Word as if it were He saying it!

John 1:1-3 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, He was in the beginning with God.  All things came into being through Him, and without Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being."

John 16:23 says, "And in that day you shall ask Me nothing.  Truly, truly, I say to you, Whatever you shall ask the Father in My name, He will give you."

Then we can enter into rest and let the Word do the work.

Hebrews 4:1 says, "Therefore, a promise being left to enter into His rest, let us fear lest any of you should seem to come short of it."

Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing apart of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

Angels go to work when they hear God's Word.

Psalms 103:20 says, "Bless the LORD, O angels of His, who excel in strength, who do His command, listening to the voice of His word."

Demons flee!

Psalms 149:5-9 says, "Let the saints be joyful in glory; let them sing aloud on their beds.  Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand, to carry out vengeance on the nations and punishments on the peoples, (representing our spiritual enemies) to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with iron-bands, to carry out on them the judgment written; this is an honor for all His saints.  Praise the LORD!"

The Passover.

When the Passover was administered to Israel in Exodus 12, the Israelites were told to put the blood of an innocent lamb over their doors and the death angel (demon) would "pass over" and not hurt them.  Jesus is the Lamb of God, and we can put His blood over our doors and over the doors of our loved ones and those that we pray for.  How?

Revelation 12:11 says, "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony.  And they did not love their soul to the death."

The words of our mouth will apply the blood.  Notice in Exodus 12 that as long as the lamb's blood stayed in the basin, it did no good.  But when they took the hyssop, dipped it in the blood, and applied it to their door, then God and the devil could see it.  The hyssop was a common weed that did not seem to have much value.  The words of our mouth do not seem to have much value, but when we dip them into the Word of God (Who is Jesus Himself) and apply them as blood, God sees it and the devil sees it!

Be careful what you say!

Mark 11:21-24 says "And Peter, remembering, said to Him, 'Rabbi, look!  The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.'  So Jesus answered and said to them, 'Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them."

God's Proving Ground for Faith

TGIF Today God Is First by Os Hillman [2]

"He did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience." Judges 3:2

God brought the nation of Israel into the Promised Land of Canaan through Joshua. After Joshua, there came an entire generation who had very little experience in fighting battles like the ones fought by Joshua. Training and testing God's people is one of God's important strategies that enable His children to succeed in spiritual warfare. This is why we do not live a life free of trials. These trials are sent specifically to see if our faith is real or simply empty words.

"They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the Lord's commands, which He had given their forefathers through Moses" (Judg. 3:4). God allows circumstances to develop around your life to give your faith opportunity to be proven. It is only when we are tested in battle that we become skilled warriors. You can be confident God will allow trials to come your way through situations like an unreasonable boss, a vendor who refuses to pay, a false assault on your character, or a difficult relationship that requires unconditional love. These battles are sent your way to test what you know in the mind in order that they might become part of your heart.

You will discover if you have passed the tests or if you need more battles that will give you the opportunity to learn the art of spiritual warfare. Do not fear these battles that are before you. God has already given you the victory if you choose complete dependence and obedience to Him. Then you will become one of God's greatest warriors, skilled in spiritual warfare.

You may download a Word based prayer list at  http://www.isob-bible.org/abf/prayerbook.htm

[1] Nee, Watchman. A Table in the Wilderness. Tyndale House Publishers.  Wheaton, ILL. 1965, Pages from November 6th.

[2] Excerpted with permission from the book TGIF Today God Is First, by Os Hillman.  Copyright 2003.  Reprinted by permission.  For free daily email subscription to TGIF Today God Is First, visit www.TodayGodIsFirst.com or www.MarketplaceLeaders.org

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Throughout this book we have been focusing on inner healing from the wounds of the past.  These wounds of abuse, rejection, guilt, fear, poor self-esteem, un-forgiveness, all become blockages to the abundant life that the Lord wants for us.  For this chapter we will call those blockages "stones."  Your stones have been the wounds keeping you in a state of death.

We know the path that Jesus took to His new life.  First He was crucified, then he was buried, and then a stone sealed His grave.  The Roman government made sure that a very heavy stone was blocking the grave so that no one would steal His body and claim the resurrection.  As we know a heavy stone was no match for the resurrection power of God.  The world's system also sets heavy stones on our "graves" to keep us in bondage.

If you have heard and applied the truths we have presented in this book, you are a candidate for the resurrection power of God to remove your stone and bring you into God's designed prosperity for you life.

The result is prosperity.

3 John 1:2-4 says,  "Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.  For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth.  I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth."

John connected prosperity with three things:

1.  The truth being in his disciples.

2.  That his disciples also walked, or lived their lives, in the truth.

3. John equated their potential prosperity with the prosperity of their souls.  He said "just as," or in the same measure as your soul prospers, so shall your life prosper.

The Greek word for prosper is euodow euodoo {yoo-od-o'-o}:

Prosper, have a prosperous journey; to grant a prosperous and expeditious journey, to lead by a direct and easy way; to grant a successful issue, be successful.

Psalms 35:27 says,  "Let them shout for joy and be glad, Who favor my righteous cause; And let them say continually, 'Let the LORD be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.'"

The word prosper in Hebrew means:

shalowm {shaw-lome'} or shalom {shaw-lome'}  Peace, well, peaceably, welfare, salute, prosperity, safe, health, peaceable, completeness, soundness, welfare, completeness (in number); safety, soundness (in body); welfare, health, quiet, tranquility, contentment; of human relationships; with God especially in covenant relationship

God can trust you with His prosperity when your soul is healed.

When your will, mind and emotions are becoming conformed to the image of Christ, then God can trust you with His prosperity.  Why?  Because then He knows that you are able to possess the prosperity, instead of the prosperity possessing you.  Prosperity from the world's system can easily keep you from an intimate relationship with God, and will hamper your dependence upon Him.  When it is no longer you who lives but Christ living through you, God will prosper you.

What is godly prosperity?

God's definition of prosperity is different from the world's definition.  God has a funny way of keeping certain secrets to Himself.  All I can say is that if you totally give all of your life to Jesus as Lord, with nothing withheld, and live out that life in the best obedience that you are capable of, that He will bring His definition of prosperity to you that will absolutely confound you.  Ephesians 3:20 says,  "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,"

I believe that prosperity has been grossly misunderstood by so many Christians.  I believe that there have been radical excesses in two different directions.  Some say that God wants us to be healthy, wealthy, and not go through sufferings.  When I first met the Lord in 1979 I believed that.  They attempt to define God's brand of prosperity by the worldly definition of prosperity.  Others say that God wants to keep us humble by keeping us poor.  Both excesses are wrong.  God desires Kingdom of God prosperity for us.  Kingdom prosperity is very different, and sometimes its explanation escapes human reason.

I believe that poverty is not supposed to be our end, rather it is to be our entrance into prosperity, a kind of a door through which we walk.  Prosperity without death and resurrection will drive a person from God.

Some aspects of godly prosperity.

Fruit of the Spirit.

I believe that Kingdom prosperity includes first the manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit.  Galatians 5:23 says,  "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.  Against such there is no law."

Provisions.

Next I believe that it includes God's provisions for your earthly life, including, but not limited to, finances, God's choice of a vocation for your life, healthy relationships and other issues dealing with our earthly life.  I also believe it includes more than enough for us to survive on so that we may be givers.  We are to give to the poor, to ministries and churches that establish God's covenant, and to help Israel in some way.

Deuteronomy 8:18 says,  "And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day."

I want to make it clear, that when I refer to finances and provisions, that there is no set standard that I am making.  Financial prosperity for people in some nations may simply mean having a small garden with vegetables that they may eat and perhaps use some to sell, and use some to feed the poor.  This is prosperity for many.  For others it may mean being able to operate a good church with a powerful ministry, where the pastor and his family are cared for.  For others, God may wish to funnel large sums of money through them for larger projects for the Kingdom of God.  We are not to compare ourselves to others.

Nor are we to become discouraged if we have not yet realized financial prosperity.  The major issue is to focus on the prosperity of your soul, by, like John said in 3 John, allowing the truth to be in you, and also walking in the truth.  Allow God to heal your will, mind and emotions as we have been discussing in the book.  Give Him time.  Do not become impatient.  Do not focus on financial prosperity, but rather focus on your relationship with Him, and your walk with Him.  Remember, I believe that Godly prosperity comes through the doorway of "poverty."  When I say poverty, I mean any kind of deprivation, lack or great need.

For those of you in non-Western nations who are experiencing lack of provisions due to a poor economic or political climate I have some advice.  Do not look for nor depend upon a Western Christian from a more prosperous nation to support you.  That is idolatry.  Look upon God for your prosperity: He will provide what you need.

Glorifying God.

And finally, I believe that prosperity includes being used by God to further His Kingdom in our realm of influence.  To glorify means to uncover the secret.  That could be as a mother raising children, or ministry in our workplaces, and many other types of vocations including church and missionary work.

Prosperity does not mean the absence of suffering or trials and challenges.

There are so many different types of prosperity God has for different people.  Believers in the persecuted church have to live with a different definition of prosperity.  I have visited with Chinese believers who would tell you that they are prospering in prison camps with little food, because they see the Kingdom of God being expanded through their suffering.  The church in many persecuted nations is growing in exponential numbers.

Believers who have believed for a physical healing and have not seen the manifestation of it yet, should continue to seek God, but at the same time should not at all feel condemned or inferior because they do not see their healing.  God deals with individuals in many different ways.

The rolling away of the stone relates to resurrection.

Jesus traded places with you on the Cross.  You did not have to suffer the penalty for sin.  However He identified with and included you in the resurrection.  When your stone is rolled away, you participate in the resurrection fruit with the Lord.

Look at these examples written in Isaiah showing how prosperity is the fruit that rises from poverty.

Isaiah 35:1-10

1 The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose;

2 It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, Even with joy and singing.  The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, The excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, The excellency of our God.

3 Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the feeble knees.

4 Say to those who are fearful-hearted, "Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you."

5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

6 Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert.

7 The parched ground shall become a pool, And the thirsty land springs of water; In the habitation of jackals, where each lay, There shall be grass with reeds and rushes.

8 A highway shall be there, and a road, And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, But it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, Shall not go astray.

9 No lion shall be there, Nor shall any ravenous beast go up on it; It shall not be found there. But the redeemed shall walk there,

10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, And sorrow and sighing shall flee away."

Isaiah 61 was the prophecy of Jesus' mission statement.  It begins with dealing with the poor and downtrodden, the opening of prisons and releasing of captives.  It goes on to talk of Satan's demise and the spiritual prosperity of God's redeemed.  Then it talks of overcoming generational curses.  It speaks of financial prosperity and finally about God's redeemed people serving Him as New Testament priests, or ministers.

Isaiah 61:1-11

1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,

3 To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified."

4 And they shall rebuild the old ruins, They shall raise up the former desolations, And they shall repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations.

5 Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, And the sons of the foreigner Shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.

6 But you shall be named the priests of the LORD, They shall call you the servants of our God. You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, And in their glory you shall boast.

7 Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be theirs.

8 "For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery for burnt offering; I will direct their work in truth, And will make with them an everlasting covenant.

9 Their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles, And their offspring among the people. All who see them shall acknowledge them, That they are the posterity whom the LORD has blessed."

10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

11 For as the earth brings forth its bud, As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, So the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations."

Joy in the morning speaks of resurrection.

Psalms 30:5 says, "For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning."

Godly prosperity, in my opinion, is what glorifies Jesus, or makes Him known.

John 15:8 says, "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples."  Fruit is a product of resurrection, even in the natural sense.

John 12:24 says, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain."

I believe that if we follow the path laid out the by Apostle Paul in Philippians Chapter 3, that we will be on God's course towards the prosperity that He wants for us.

"[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope] That if possible I may attain to the [spiritual and moral] resurrection [that lifts me] out from among the dead [even while in the body].

Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own (Philippians 3:10-12 Amplified Bible).

Quote from Dr. Kirk Walters – Administrative Pastor Mount Paran North Church of God.

He wants us to finish the journey well.

So many times we focus on the small, minute details for our measurement of prosperity, i.e. the balance in our bank account or the ability to land the big business deal.  God is focused on the really big picture of prosperity.

The true indicator of our success in life is the status of our soul.  John says he prays that we prosper in all things, including health; but he ties those things to the level of prosperity in our soul.

Our responsibility is to live and trust in such a way that at the end of our journey, we can sing "It is well with my soul!"

God's responsibility, if we have lived and trusted well, is to look upon us in perfect judgment and declare, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter in the joys of the Lord!"

That's true prosperity!"

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You can't be free if you don't live like who you really are.

In this book we have provided an opportunity through each chapter to realize God's inner healing provisions.  We emphasized the power of His Cross for your healing needs and the transformation of your life.  Now in this chapter we want to point out some of your responsibilities.

In our previous chapters we emphasized knowing who you are in Christ by faith in the Word of God.  We stated that really getting an inner revelation on this will begin to transform your outer life.  We also emphasized that you must be totally transparent with God in order to have that kind of faith to see and believe that you were really crucified with Christ and have been resurrected with Him already.  We also emphasized that your thinking must be changed, your mind must be renewed to really see this amazing revelation.

However we can neutralize God's mighty power if we do not practice "Walking in the Spirit" or in other words making a determination to live a life of love.  Galatians 5:6 says, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love."

Be careful of extremes.

Like many spiritual issues, walking in the Spirit can be misunderstood from two different extremes, both of which will cause great failure in our lives.

One extreme is living your life as if anything goes.  Some people think that God's love and God's grace excuses them from making an effort to be overcomers and to allow Christ to be formed in them.  They mistake this as grace.

The other extreme is living your life in a "perfect or nothing" attitude.  These people realize that God wants them to change, but when they make mistakes, sin, and fail to change, they become condemned, feel overwhelmed, and give up.

The truth is stated in Romans chapter 8.

In Romans 6 Paul wrote about the wonderful finished work of Christ.  In Romans 7 Paul then went on to say that he could not live his life as if Christ's work was finished.  Then in Romans 8 he gives the solution.

Romans 8:1-6

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,

4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Notice that he said, "walk" according to flesh or the Spirit.  Walk is an ongoing active verb.  It means continuing to live in one manner or the other.  It does not say that if you make a mistake you will be condemned,.. Paul is not talking about perfectionism, but rather about never giving up.  You will see in the definition of walking in the Spirit below, that we will make mistakes.  However my belief is that God sees our trying, He sees our heart of attempting to please Him, and most of all He sees our repentance when we fail, and He says, "Come on now, get up, I am proud of you, you can make it."

When the pain of what you are in exceeds the pain of change, then you can be healed.

That is an expression I often hear from Michael and Karen Vincent, my friends and co-editors.  Now that we know who God is, we know that Jesus paid the price for our inner healing, and we know who Jesus made us to be in Him, we need to make lifestyle changes to conform to who we really are.  It is not enough that God has done all these wonderful things for us if we do not make daily, even hourly, choices that will conform our lifestyle to match our true identity.

One major change you must make is to determine to fellowship with God in His Word.  I am not referring about simply praying for your needs.  Rather I am suggesting that you must take time to soak in the Word, pour out your heart to Him, practice a daily time of praise and thanksgiving, and in some way record your time with Him, preferably in writing, which we call journaling.  Faith only comes by hearing the Word.  When you hear the Word, revelation has an opportunity to come into your heart.  When that happens His light does miracles within and for you.

Warning!

Many believers do not take their prayer life, their time of communing with God, seriously.  I can usually detect those people who are attempting to walk in the Spirit.  They seem to just have a "scent" about them.  I am not referring to immature believer, or young believers, or those who are not educated in the Word of God, quite often they can have a closer communion with God then older believers.  Taking time to cleanse your heart and to commune with God is what brings life, and it is what makes life worth living.  It is what will provide for all of your needs.  It is what gives Jesus joy.

Christ needs to be formed in you.

When you need the Holy Spirit more than life itself, then Christ will be formed in you.  Galatians 4:19 says,  "My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you."  Oswald Chambers wrote, "The teaching is not Christ for me unless I a determined to have Christ formed in me."

We are saved by faith.

Romans 4:2-6 says, "For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:"

Our faith is completed and endorsed by works.

James 2:14 says,  "What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?"

James 2:17-18 says,  "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works."

Obedience to the King is needed.

John 14:21 says,  "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."

The Bible is clear that we are saved from hell both in eternity and while we live on earth when we make Jesus our Lord.  Making Him Lord means to give up our independence and to obey Him as our King.  Notice in the verse above that the more we obey Him the more He makes Himself real to us.  Then it becomes a continuous cycle; we obey, He manifests Himself, then we see Him more and obey Him more.  Soon, we become one with Him and He is glorified through the fruit we bear.

Beware of only seeking God for your own comfort.

I have know people who have had some encounter with God, but then have assumed that since God is love, then He will be okay with us no matter how we live.  He just sort of comforts us and does not want us to feel any obligations.

Comfort only comes after the fear of the Lord.

Acts 9:31 says, "Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified.  And walking in the fear [respect and reverential fear] of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied, 

Our works are not really our works; they are the works of grace by Christ living His live in and through us.

Philippians 2:12-13 says, "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."

Faith works through love.

You can study the Word all day and all night, meditate upon it and confess it until you pass out, but if you are not walking in love it will be for naught.

Tear down your idols.

In Judges Chapters 6-8 Gideon and the Israelites were in bondage even while living in the Promised Land.  God came and had many dealings with Gideon preparing him to be a deliverer for Israel.  God developed a close friendship with Gideon and showed him the blood covenant.  Gideon began to change his thinking from being a poor old defeated worm to being a mighty warrior for God.  However, Gideon had to take a stand and tear down the family idols.  Like Gideon you will not be able to stand against your enemies unless you walk in love and forsake your old ways.

Walking in the Spirit.

Galatians 5:16 says, "I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh."  Ephesians 4:1 says, "I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called."

Romans 8:1 says, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."  If you read on to Romans 8:8 you will find that God is serious about having us walk according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh.  He states that there is victory for one lifestyle and total defeat for the other lifestyle.

Galatians 6:7-8 says, "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.  For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life."

Walking in the Spirit is a simple, but a different way to live and the easiest way I know to be right with God on a daily basis.  It is a process that goes like this:

1. You continue to look into the Word of God (mirror) and ask God to show you how to live.  Ask Him, and seek out what His standards are for your life.  For instance, it says to not lie, to treat your friends with love, to submit to your authorities, to treat your family with kindness, to not get drunk, do not be selfish, don't be angry, always forgive not matter what, etc.

2. You determine to live the way God wants you to, in love, knowing that only God in you can walk a life worthy of the Lord.

3. When you fail, and you will, be totally honest with yourself, God and others around you.  Repent (turn) quickly.  The promise is that when we repent (turn) that the Kingdom of God is at hand, or within our reach.

4. Confess your sin to God.  1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

5. Confess what the Word of God says about your situation in a positive way, i.e., Galatians 2:20 that says, "I have been crucified with Christ, and I live; yet no longer I, but Christ lives in me.  And that life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith toward the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself on my behalf."

6. As you continue to live this way those old habits and old sinful ways begin to disappear.  The grace of God takes over and gives you the character of God instead of your old character.

7. Grace kicks in for your sin.  You did not get righteous by the things you did, so your righteousness is still there, it just has some dirt on it.  While you walk in the Spirit, God gives you grace for your mistakes, and He takes the penalty of the sin, and gives you overcoming power to deal with any consequences of the sin committed and in that you receive a blessing that you do not deserve.

8. Not only does grace kick in for your sin, not only does God give you a blessing that you did not deserve, but the grace you receive is actually the power that gets rid of the sin (or the problem) you are dealing with in the first place.  Look at Zechariah 4:7 which says, "Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel [a type of Jesus] thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it."  God speaks "grace" to your situation, and the mountain is removed!

Hang on; there is some Good News in this chapter!

When you confess your sin to God, it goes onto Jesus on the Cross, and from there to the grave.  Do you remember what happens after the grave?  That's right, resurrection!

When you sow your sin it ends up in the grave and God resurrects it into something beautiful; the likeness of His character!

1 Corinthians 15:42 says, "So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption."

Galatians 6:8, says, "For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life."

Paul stated that we could actually experience this resurrected power while still in this body. Philippians 3:10-11 (Amplified Bible) says, "[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope]  That if possible I may attain to the spiritual and moral] resurrection [that lifts me] out from among the dead [even while in the body]."

How does this work?

It works in many different ways in our lives, including making it through sorrows, overcoming difficulties, suffering, and trials in our lives.  However here we want to show you how "Walking in the Spirit" utilizes God's resurrection power for your sin and sinful attitudes!

Now here is a list that we use in our lesson The Flowing River as a guide for allowing God to uncover those attitudes and actions in us that do not line up with God's character.

A spiritual checkup

• Love - Are you treating others with the unconditional love of God?
• Selfishness - Putting your own needs over the needs of others.  Love is concerned with the welfare of the other person; are you more concerned with yourself and how you feel?
• Stealing - Can you remember taking money for property that was not  yours?
• Cheating - Did you get anything from anyone unfairly?
• Lying - Any designed form of deception.
• Slander - Speaking evil of someone.  You do not have to lie to slander.  Have you spoken about others without love?
• Immorality - Are you guilty of stirring up desires that you could not  righteously feed?  Sexual vice, all impurity, even against your own body.
• Drunkenness, drugs sorcery, carousing.
• Foul or polluted language, evil words, unwholesome or worthless talk. Filthiness, foolish, silly, and corrupt talk.
• Envy - Behind the talk of other's failures and faults usually lurks envy.
• Ingratitude - How many times have others done things for you that you are not grateful for?
• Judging – Do you criticize others thinking that you really understand what is in their hearts?  Maybe you don't really know their very depths and how God is dealing with them.
• Anger - Have you been bad-tempered?
• Cursing - Have you used gutter language?
• Needless silly talk. Talking and acting like a moron. Jests and practical jokes that tend to undermine the sacred and precious standards of life.  Have you made fun of an ethnic group or a certain part of the world, a state or region in your country, or some politician?  Ethnic and regional jokes have no place in holiness.
• Hardness - Did you fight back, murmur or return evil for evil?
• Habits - Have you continually over-indulged natural appetites; how about your eating habits?
• Halfhearteness - Can you remember times when you deliberately shirked  your full share of responsibility?
• Hindrance - Have you destroyed another's confidence in you by needlessly taking up their time?  Have you betrayed another's confidence in you?
• Hypocrisy - Did the life you lived before some people make all you said of Christ and His gospel a lie?
• Broken Vows - Is there a vow you made to God that you have not kept?
• Unforgiveness - Are you holding any resentment against anyone, friend or foe?
• Divisions, clicks, the party spirit of having differing groups.
• Lustful, rich and wasteful living, greediness.  Overspending on shopping, wasting time.
• Not treating wives, husbands, children,  and parents with love and honor.
• Not being content, being jealous of what others have and you do not have.
• Love of money - A person without any money can still have the love of money.
• Idolatry - Any desire in your life above your desire for God.
• Strife - Have you stirred up strife by unneeded words?
• Witchcraft - Manipulating another to meet your needs.
• Rebellion to authority - Boss, teacher, parent, spiritual leader, etc.
• Love of the World - Includes: Sins of the eyes - What are you reading or watching?  Lust of the flesh - What are you desiring?  Pride of life - What part of your life do you think you can handle without God being involved? - Pretending in thought or life to be more or less than you  really ARE.
• Pride is the greatest sin of all.  Examine these areas:
  • Do you focus on the failure of others or are you concerned with your own sense of spiritual need?
  • Are you self-righteous and critical or compassionate and forgiving, looking for the best in others?
  • Do you look down on others or esteem all others better than yourself?
  • Are you independent and self-sufficient or dependent, recognizing your need for others?
  • Must you maintain control or do you surrender control?
  • Do you have to prove you are correct, or are you willing to yield the right to be correct?
  • Do you have a demanding spirit or a giving spirit?
  • Do you desire to be served or are you motivated to serve others?
  • Do you desire to be promoted or are you happy when others are promoted?
  • Do you need to receive the credit or are you happy when others are recognized?
  • Do you feel confident in how much you know or are you humbled by how much you have yet to learn?
  • Are you self-conscious or not concerned with yourself at all?
  • Do you keep people at arm's length or do you risk getting close to others. Are you willing to take the risk of loving intimately?
  • Are you quick to blame others or do you accept responsibility?
  • Are you unapproachable or easy to be entreated?
  • Are you defensive when criticized or receive criticism with a humble and open heart?
  • Are you concerned with being respected or being real?
  • Are you concerned about what others think or what God thinks?
  • Do you work to maintain your image or do you die to your reputation?
  • Do you find it difficult to share your spiritual needs with others or are you willing to be open and transparent?
  • Do you try to hide your sin or are you willing to be exposed when you are wrong?
  • Do you have a hard time saying, "I was wrong, will you please forgive me?"
  • When confessing sin, do you deal in generalities or do you deal in specifics?
  • Are you remorseful over your sin when you get caught or are you grieved over your sin and quick to repent?
  • When there is a misunderstanding or conflict, do you wait for others to come and ask forgiveness or do you take the initiative?
  • Do you compare yourself with others and feel deserving of honor or do you compare yourself to the holiness of God and feel a desperate need for mercy?
  • Do you think you have little or nothing to repent for or do you have a continual attitude of repentance.
  • Do you think that everyone else needs revival or do you continually sense a need for a fresh encounter with the filling of the Holy Spirit?
  • Are you proud when you are around a new Christian or do you delight in his/her zeal?  Are you willing to learn from him/her?
  • Are you intimidated when you are around a more mature Christian, or are you hungry to learn from his/her experience?

Now go ahead and sow some of the seeds of confession of sin and repent, then expect to reap the resurrected life of Jesus in return!

Another reference for a deeper spiritual check up is the Daily Moral Inventory by Dunkin.

Here is the web link to view the Daily Moral Inventory chart.

http://www.isob-bible.org/freetobe2008/dailymoralnew.pdf

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