March/April 2016 Newsletter

Volume 14, Number 2

Mar/Apr 2016

Awed by the Pierced Messiah (Zechariah 12:10)

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want to personally and gratefully extend my deepest thanks to all of our supporters that gave and thus allowed us to carry out four very effective Gospel outreaches in Israel for the year 2015. By God’s grace and the power of the Holy Spirit, we finished our December outreach with great effectiveness.August Rosado and I were once again blown away at how God opened the eyes of His people to behold Jesus the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New Testament.

In Netanya, Israel, August and I met a young Israeli lady by the name of Tamir.We had the pleasure of bearing witness about the Messiahship of Yeshua of Nazareth. Our message to her, of course, centered around the great truth Yeshua the Messiah came to Israel and the Jewish people in fulfillment of what the Hebrew Prophets prophesied about His first coming to Israel.

August and I quoted and showed her from Scripture that Jesus alone fulfilled all the First Coming prophecies made about Messiah centuries before He was born of the virgin Miriam (Mary). One particular Messianic prophecy we focused on was Zechariah 12:10.This had a visibly powerful effect on her as the Holy Spirit opened Tamir’s spiritual eyes! Zechariah’s prophecy made 500 years before the crucifixion says the Jewish people will look upon the “pierced” Messiah when He returns to them. I then pointed and gestured to my wrists commenting that Yeshua was pierced in the wrists by the nails of Roman crucifixion, thus literally fulfilling the Messianic prophecy of Zechariah 12:10. August and I stood amazed as Tamir’s eyes opened wide as the Holy Spirit revealed to her this stunning fulfillment

by Jesus. As her eyes t e a re d u p, Ta m i r exclaimed, “Wow, this is so amazing to see!” To see more of these amazing First Coming prophecies Jesus fulfilled in the N e w Te s t a m e n t , August and I gave Tamir a complete Hebrew Bible with a study pamphlet of the major First Coming prophecies Jesus fulfilled in His life. We concluded our Gospel witness by informing Tamir that Yeshua fulfilled

some 365 Messianic prophecies of the Tenach during His First coming to Israel. Thus, there are literally one prophecy for every day of the calendar year the Nazarene fulfilled.Tamir was awestruck at learning all this. With joy and thanksgiving, she took the copy of the Scriptures from us to further see what this wonderful Messiah did when He came the first time to Israel.

Then there was Sivan at a shopping mall in Tel Aviv.

Sivan told us she had never been shown from the Tenach (Old Testament) and in the Brit Hadashah (New Testament) the First Coming prophecies were all fulfilled by Jesus, guaranteeing He will return to fulfill all the Second Coming prophecies also made about Him. Sivan was captivated and amazed to learn of this supernatural truth. And like so many Israelis living in the Land on the doorstep of Messiah’s soon return, Sivan freely, showing obvious curiosity to learn more, accepted a free complete Bible in Hebrew from us to carefully search its illuminating pages and behold Jesus the Messiah of Scripture so that she may believe on Him for salvation and eternal life (John 5:39).

Beloved in Messiah, these are just two stories out of many that are repeatedly happening with this ministry to the Jewish people in the land of Israel. In about one month, I will be leading a five-member evangelistic team to Israel. This is the most people I have ever taken.The reason why is that there are more and more Israelis curious and thirsty to know and learn more aboutYeshua the Messiah and to hear His Gospel that we preach. We are forced to expand to cover this, as best we can.

So again I implore and humbly ask that you will seriously consider making a generous donation to this outreach to cover our expanding costs. Obviously, since this ministry is taking on more people to travel and minister in Israel, we need more support to cover these costs.

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Special thanks go out to Zola Levitt Ministries / To The Jew First Ministry for their ongoing funding contributions, helping to make these mission trips to Israel possible. Also, special thanks to Andy Ball of The Bible Society of Israel for supplying us with Hebrew Bibles.

When He Said Go For Me...

I Had No Idea

By: Robin (Aviel) Hoper

Twelve years ago whenYeshua got my attention, if someone had told me He would have me going to Eretz Yisrael and telling my people my story, I would have fallen down laughing in total disbelief. Now here I was on my seventh visit to the land of my people, the Jewish people.

After a long flight, and I do mean a long flight (about 25 hours from Dallas), we landed in Tel Aviv, picked up our car and determined it was too small, but we had to keep it until the next morning.We finally arrived at our hotel about 0100 and we were wrung out. After Sue and I got to our room, we were having problems getting our keys to work so I went to get assistance from the front desk. I was told an individual from security would be right up to help. An Arab security officer came and assisted us in gaining entrance to our room.

His name is Rami. Before he left, I told Rami I had a gift for him. I handed him Sid Roth's "They Thought For Themselves" and as we talked Sue offered him "Isaiah 53 Explained". After talking to him for a few minutes, he had to go.This encounter boosted our spirits after an exhausting day.

On the 16th of October, on our travels through Kiryat Shmona, we stopped at one of our favorite food stops Cafe-Cafe. Our waitress’ name is Maayan.

I explained to her why I came to Israel. I told her about my coming to believe in Yeshua as Messiah, about my returning to my people what my people first gave the world. First they gave the Tanakh and then the Brit Chadashah. I told her of Sue's and my Love for Israel and my people. How we have been talking about making Aliyah. I then offered her a complete Hebrew Bible and study material as a gift from me to her. She excitedly accepted what I was offering her and deeply thanked me for what I was giving her; she also said to me how proud of me she was. This took me a little aback as I was not quite sure to what she was referring, then she said with all that was going on in the land it did not stop us from coming or thinking about Aliyah There are so many stories of success to be told and just so much space to share in. I will say though that we did distribute 136 complete Hebrew Bibles, about twenty "Isaiah 53 Explained", and fifteen "They Thought For Themselves".

There is a hunger and a thirst for meaning and purpose happening in the land today and I believe Israel is on the cusp of a revival that has not been seen since the first century. I am grateful that I have been called for such a time as this and I am looking forward to sharing more success that is granted through Adonai Yeshua.

Maayan and Robin (Aviel) at Cafe-Cafe

Prayer List for Todd Baker and Team on the 37th Gospel Outreach from March 12-30, 2016 =

Pray for us that whenever we teach or witness, words will be given to us to boldly proclaim the Gospel to the Jew first

and also the Gentile (Acts 4:31; Romans 1:16; Ephesians 6:19).

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Pray for spiritual agreement and unity among us (Psalm 133:1).

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Pray that God will open the hearts of those who will hear (Psalm 110:3; Acts 16:14).

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Pray for witnessing opportunities and for the anointing of the Holy Spirit’s conviction and power to teach and witness

(John 4:35; Luke 10:2; Acts 1:8; John 16:7-11).

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Pray for health and strength (Isaiah 40:31).

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Pray for spiritual fruit that will last (John 15:7-8; Galatians 5:22-23).

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Pray that God will open doors for us among the Jewish people for the Gospel to speak about the Messiah that we may make

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Pray for favor among the Chosen People to hear the Gospel (Proverbs 12:2).

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Pray for protection from dangers and the hand of the enemy both seen and unseen (Psalm 91; Matthew 6:31).

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Pray that we have the Father’s wisdom and guidance in every thing we do (Psalm 32:8; 48:14; Colossians 4:5).

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Pray that the Chosen People will come to faith in Messiah Jesus (Romans 10:1; Matthew 15-16; Mark 8:27-29, 14:61-62;

Him known, as we ought to speak (Colossians 4:3-4).

Luke 9:18-20; John 4:25-26).

Mar/Apr 2016

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Part 6

“For the Kingdom of heaven is like to a man that is a householder, which went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard. 2And when he agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into the vineyard. 3And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ And they went their way. 5Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. 6And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here all day idle’? 7They said to him, ‘Because no man has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you shall receive.’ 8So when evening had come, the lord of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers, and give them their wages, beginning from the last to the first.’ 9And when those came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. 10But when the first came, they had supposed they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. 11And when they had received it, they murmured against the Goodman of the house, 12saying, ‘These last have labored but one hour; and you have made them equal to us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.’ 13But he answered one of them, and said, ‘Friend, I do you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a penny? 14Take what is yours, and go your way. I will give to the last, even as I gave to you. 15Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own? Is your eye evil, because I am good?’ 16So the last shall be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.”

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The householder, once he chose certain men, called them to begin work in his vineyard. He personally engaged himself in a close relationship with the chosen workers by way of contract before securing them fit for the vineyard. The Lord Jesus established a solid relationship with those He has chosen for the ministry of Christian service through the covenant of grace. He knows each one of us more than we comprehend ourselves.

Whom the Lord chooses for ministry, He knows beforehand; and no marvel, for Christ says, “I know whom I have chosen” (John 13:8). God is thoroughly acquainted with the toiling church composed of individually selected members by His divine discretion.

The corporate church is unified under the Lordship of Jesus Christ and thus children of God, and brothers and sisters of each other, united and joined together with the blood of His only begotten Son having the same Father above. “Now therefore you are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19).

The church is the family of God and of each other in sufferings, blessings, and in labors of which the present parable specifically concerns itself.

The heavenly Householder is quite familiar with the extent of work done in the vineyard. He is quite aware of the value and content of the labor accomplished and the amount of reward given in exact proportion to work rendered in the service of the Lord’s vineyard. “Now he that plants and he that waters are one; and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor” (1 Corinthians 3:8). Observe also the laborers hired by the householder Mar/Apr 2016

were manifestly poor. Unemployed in their idling condition, they lament over the fact that no employer has hired them for meritorious service. The householder hires them and relieves them of their destitute state, giving them fruitful employment and handsomely rewarding their labors when finished. God, in like manner, very often uses people considered by many to be poor, common, weak and mediocre to accomplish His mighty purpose. The poor of the world are just such candidates. Chosen as the heirs of the kingdom of heaven, God alone enriches the believer by his faith in Christ to receive the eternal treasures of the Gospel, lest one should shamefully boast in himself saying, “My own resources wrought for Christ have made me exceedingly rich.” In a time where the cross-denying pseudo, prosperity, selfhelp gospel gratifies the carnal Christian, Scripture provides a stinging rebuke, checking such devilish doctrines. “Hearken, my beloved brethren, has not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which He has promised to them that love Him…that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (James 2:5; 2 Corinthians 4:7).

The poor, indolent men of the marketplace put their trust in the householder faithful employment. Subsequently, their poverty is greatly vanquished in the end. May we as Christians realize that by nature we are, apart from the service of God, most needy and miserably poor, beyond any negative measure, but when hired in the service of God through His redeeming grace, our reward for manifold service to Him will extinguish all forms of poverty “when He

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shall make known the riches of His glory” (Romans 9:23) to the industrious steward of Christ. Before the laborers were given employment, they first conferred with the owner. The securement of a job is first established by a brief interview between the applicant and the employer. The result of the interview is hopefully employment.

The calling and commissioning of the saved Christian is to personally know Jesus Christ, whom he obediently serves. Every bornagain believer shares this high honor—even as Saul of Tarsus did when commissioned in Acts 22:14. The elect can unashamedly testify also “that the God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and should hear the voice of His mouth. For you will be His witnesses to all men of what you have seen and heard.”

The very fact that employment was granted to the needy men of the marketplace demonstrated the kind-heartedness of the householder. Their rewarded labors were an irrefutable witness of this. The calling and godly purpose of the Church is similar.

The Christian Church has been corporately chosen to be an active witness of the supreme goodness of God as evinced by their spiritual works of service. “You are My witnesses says the Lord, and My servant whom I have chosen. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Isaiah 43:10; Matthew 5:16). All of the laborers hired at the first, third, sixth, ninth and eleventh hours comprise the universal church in collective form. They constitute every minister of the Gospel, high and low, some acclaimed of the (Continued on page 4)

Parable of the Laborers... Continued from page 3

world, and others unacclaimed of man. The idolatrous acclamations of renowned ministers are inconsequential. The services of both small and great in the Lord’s vineyard will receive the same reward in the end for all alike in keeping with the end of this parable. God has placed no honorable distinction or privileged difference between the certified minister and the “lay” minister. God is no respecter of persons! “So then neither is he that plants anything, neither he that waters, but God that gives the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:7).

The laborers are the ambassadors of Christ, of whom the ministry of reconciliation is given. The ministers of Christ are co-workers with Him in the evangelization of the lost. The Church is composed of the laborers of the vineyard and the vineyard itself. As it is written in 1 Corinthians 3:9, “For we are laborers together with God. You are God’s field (vineyard)”. This translation further dispels any doubt as to the meaning of the vineyard. The Church is made up of individual members called of God at various times during all hours of the day, but are one vineyard in fruitful productivity and serving accord that the members should have the same care one for another. That is to say, the Church contains different components yet is one corporate community under the single Headship of Jesus Christ. “So we being many, are one body in Christ and everyone members of each other” (Romans 12:5). The Church of Jesus Christ is a called out body of selected individuals from the world of unregenerate humanity.

All of the laborers experienced a metamorphic transplantation.

They were taken from the marketplace and placed in the vineyard by the sole admission of the householder. The laborers experienced a radical transformation from the pothering environment of the raucous atmosphere in the marketplace. Before hired, they were squanderers of time, habitual wastrels in the careless pandemonium of the marketplace. Their dignity and valued usefulness was restored them at the hiring of the householder. The redeemed also experience a spiritual transformation and transference upon salvation. Broadly speaking, the Church as a corporate whole has been delivered from the satanic government and power of this world-system and has been translated into the Messianic kingdom of Jesus Christ where love, holiness, and peace are the dominating influences. The born-again believer is transported from the Christ-hating world and placed into the Church by the sovereign election of God, “Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son” (Colossians 1:13).

The householder concurs with the workers on the length of work and the rate of pay.

Now that the first workers have been hired, the householder entered into a covenant (agreement) with the hired workers.

The Bible repeatedly reveals God to be a covenant-making and covenant-keeping God. God’s covenants are the functional channel from which He establishes a solidly based relationship with man.

The covenant struck between the householder and the newly hired workers was officially a Suzerainty Covenant—a unilateral agreement between the lord of the vineyard and his hired vassals.

The householder related the terms of the contract and the future reward bestowed on those chosen to work for him. The binding agreement hinged on the clause that if the workers labored a day in the vineyard, they would promptly receive a full day’s wages from the generous hand of the lord of the vineyard. Both parties

firmly agreed on the terms contained in the oral covenant. Now that the laborers are bound by a contract, they are obliged to remain committed to the attentive care of the householder’s work for the day.

They belong solely under his employment. The Christian steward enters the covenant of grace and is entrusted with the ministry of the Lord being servants of the Gospel “by Jesus Christ, Who has given us the reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:19).

The worker for Christ in the church-vineyard will constantly put the Master’s desires first—establishing, expanding, and proclaiming the glorious benefits of grace in serving solicitude to the Lord’s Church for the full edification of it. All personal motivations and carnal inclinations are to be cast aside. The servant of the Lord must possess an unselfish ministry in Christ’s vineyard. The Master and his specified desires for His vineyard are to take top priority. When this is faithfully accomplished, the sincere boast of 2 Corinthians 4:5 can justly be made. “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.”

The hired servant of Christ will devotedly give all to the Lord and also to His Church. He is both a servant of the Householder and of His vineyard. The laborers are promised a “penny” for their day’s worth of work. The term penny in the Authorized Version should not be confused with the contemporary penny of American currency. The “penny” was actually called the Roman Denarius during the days of Jesus and the Apostles. It was a silver coin bearing the effigy of the reigning Caesar. The value of one Denarius (penny) was fifteen to seventeen cents per single coin. In the New Testament period this was a liberal amount offered to common workers of any trade or guild. The “penny” was summarily promised to the laborers for their completed work. It helped serve as an additional incentive to begin and finish their work in the vineyard.

God’s promise of reward inspires faithfulness and diligence in the Christian worker. Some of our well-respected Bible commentators presuppose the “penny” is emblematic of salvation promised to the sinner. This unscrupulous interpretation is clearly incorrect for two basic reasons. For one, salvation is strictly conferred upon the repentant by simple faith in Christ “not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (2 Timothy 1:9). The penny stands for the rewards given to the saved servant of God after his work for the kingdom is finished on earth. Rewards are not salvation itself, but God’s blessings on those who were already saved and were serving Him as consequent to this. Salvation is freely offered and given by God, not on the basis of our working for Him, nor is it conferred after we receive the due payment for our works. The salvation offered in the Lord Jesus Christ is a free gift ready to be freely taken, not earned. Earning wages, whether it is through religious or humanitarian efforts, have nothing whatsoever to do with the receiving of the unmerited grace of God. As it is written: “Now to him that works is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt” (Romans 4:4). Secondly, the outworking of the parable of the laborers in the vineyard is set in the kingdom of heaven, and from previous examination of other parables in this vein, such as the sower and the seed, the wheat and the tares, the good fish and the bad fish, we noticed not all in the kingdom of heaven are saved!

Moving on, let us now closely examine the following verses of the parable in proper order.

About the Author

Dr. Todd Baker is president of B’rit Hadashah Ministries and Pastor of Shalom, Shalom Messianic Congregation in Dallas, Texas. He was a chaplain at Medical City Hospital for 16 years. Todd holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biblical studies, a Master of Theology Degree from Dallas Theological Seminary, a Ph.D. in Philosophy and Apologetics from Trinity Seminary under the auspices of Liverpool University at Liverpool, England, and is a Fellow of the International Academy of Apologetics, Evangelism & Human Rights in Strasbourg, France. He is a theological consultant and writer for Zola Levitt Ministries and has appeared on Zola Levitt Presents. With his extensive experience in Jewish evangelism, he has led many Gospel outreaches to Israel. > Nov/Dec Mar/Apr 2015 2016

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H

> Partner With Us A

aving been to the Holy Land over 30 times, I can assure you that Israelis deeply hunger and thirst for the Word of God and appreciate the believers in America who support ministries devoted to bringing the Word of God to the Jews. We need your support to help us continue to take the Gospel to the land from whence it came.

In light of the Last Days’ realities, we appeal to you.

We ask for and appreciate any support you can give us during this critical time of need. We need your thoughts,

your prayers, your words and your financial support as the Lord leads your heart.

Please consider becoming a monthly partner. As you can read for yourself in the newsletter articles, these worthwhile donations are directly impacting individual lives in Israel.

Thank you for supporting this Gospel ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ to His Chosen People in the land of Israel. May He come quickly! Until then, we continue to labor for Him.

Make checks and money orders payable to: B’rit Hadashah Ministries PO Box 796127 Dallas, TX 75379-6127

We also accept: You can also make your donation online at: www.Brit-Hadashah.org

* Donations are tax deductible in the U.S. as you give to this 501(c)(3) Non-profit ministry. *

Thank you for your support.

Awed by the Pierced Messiah... Continued from page 1

The sad irony is that more times than not when we witness for Messiah Jesus and share the Gospel with His ethnic people, they tell us, over and over, they have never heard of it before. The people that God chose to give us His Word and the Messiah not knowing the truth about Yeshua is a terrible indictment on the Church in their indifference and abysmal failure to witness to the Chosen People for millennia. That is why our ministry is sorely needed in Israel and why it must be supported by believers who know that Jewish evangelism is God’s will. It is God’s revealed will within the context of the Great Commission the Lord Jesus gave to the Church that we are to preach the Gospel to the Jews first, starting in the land of Israel (Luke 24:47-48; Acts 1:8; Romans 1:16).

By financially helping us carry out the Great Commission correctly, starting with the Jewish people first, we ask now that you please financially partner with us so that all five of us can go for you as you are with us in the Spirit and in this great ministry labor. So what we do by your support will in the end be rewarded to you by God as He used you to provide the funding we need to embark on this pivotal 37th Gospel outreach to Israel. Any amount from large to small will not go unnoticed by the God of liberality above. He will bless you, as you now bring the blessing of Yeshua and His salvation back to His people in the land He loves, lived in, and will shortly return to and reign from over the earth for 1,000 years.

To donate online, you can go to the following secure web link on our ministry web site: www.brit-hadashah.org/ donate/.You can also donate by mail to: Brit Hadashah Ministries P.O. Box 796127 Dallas, Texas 75379-6127

Come learn about the Jewish roots of Christianity, enjoy great teaching from the Bible by Dr. Todd Baker, and join in loving fellowship with the Shalom, Shalom Congregation each Friday evening at 7:00pm at Northwest Bible Church in Dallas, Texas, located at 8505 Douglas Ave.

Brit Hadashah Ministries is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit ministry, so your donation is tax deductible in the United States. Now is the accepted time, today is the day and year for the Gospel of salvation to be preached in Israel (2 Corinthians 6:2) Partner with us in this exciting End-Time effort.

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For more information, please visit our website at www.brit-hadashah.org and click Contact tab, or call (866)910-0444

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES

This publication is a bi-monthly newsletter, free of charge, from B’rit Hadashah Ministries. For more information about our ministry, or to be added to, or removed from, our subscription list, you may contact Todd by e-mail at: Todd@brit-hadashah.org or by mail at: B’rit Hadashah Ministries P.O. Box 796127 Dallas, Texas 75379-6127 Visit our website at: www.brit-hadashah.org

Mar/Apr 2016

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In This Issue Awed by the Pierced Messiah................ 1 When He Said...I Had No Idea................ 2 The Parable....in the Vineyard................. 3

Park in the north west area of the church complex.

We're in the Christian Life Center building on the 3rd floor, Room 306.

Excellent accommodations, very similar to what we used to have.

Northwest Bible Church 8505 Douglas Ave Dallas, TX 75225 Phone: (214) 368-6436

If you would like to have Todd as a guest speaker at your church or function, visit our website:

We meet in Christian Life Center, Room 306

www.brit-hadashah.org or contact him at:

todd@brit-hadashah.org or call 866-910-0444.

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