But he that enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. And when he puts forth his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. (John 10:2-4, KJ2000)
Oh, how often I and many other Christians have tried to have fellowship with one another. The more the world goes its destructive way, the more we think, “If only I could find the right church (home fellowship, men’s group, etc.), I would find fellowship there.” The more spiritually mature we become, the more we realize that true fellowship is spirit to spirit and not just flesh to flesh with common worldly likes and beliefs. Finding the “right person” or human shepherd will not work for long either if that is our focus.
In Revelation, we read about a great group of people who all have one thing in common and it is not an organization or group focused on a human teacher, denominational doctrine or even one another. No.
And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders… These are they who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb. (Rev 14:3-4, KJ2000)
These people have been redeemed not only from their own sins, but from among men… unto God and to the Lamb for they follow the Lamb wherever He goes. I have learned that to have real fellowship with one another we must first as individuals have our fellowship with the Father and the Son and be lead by their love (see John 17:16-26) keeping our focus on them. We must be of a heavenly harvest from among men, devoted unto them. As soon as we focus on one another in place of the Father and the Son, everything becomes stale and dead.
I and many others have had to learn this lesson the same way that we really learn spiritual things… by experience (see Romans 5:3-5). How often have we joined a group of Christians or a movement we at first thought was “the cat’s meow,” the real thing, only to become disillusioned after a few months or seen it blown apart by some schism? This is not always the devil at work, but rather the Spirit calling us to seek out our Heavenly Father first and foremost. Jesus said, “But seek you first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt 6:33, KJ2000). The kingdom of God is found where God is King! ALL these other things, including fellowship, are added when we worship Him and seek the fellowship of the Father and the Son above all else.
Austin Sparks wrote regarding Revelation chapter fourteen.
“A virgin people,” notice some other particulars about them. “Purchased out of the earth… not defiled with women; for they are virgins”. In that statement we must not read the literal meaning. It cannot mean that at all. It is in keeping with the whole of that particular meaning throughout the Old Testament and the New where God’s elect people are regarded as a virgin people. Fornication in Israel was that of having spiritual relationship with other nations, the peoples of this world, and this is what is meant — that there has been created and preserved an absolute separateness from that spiritual system which lies behind this world; there must be no link with it at all… They “follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth,” that is in the present participle, which means they are following the Lamb because they always have been. It has become a habit, it is a disposition which has been born in them, created in them. They did it on the earth and they go on doing it, people who are not spasmodic in following the Lamb, who are not of those who go on one day and go back the next. They are continuously following the Lamb. It is an utterness of devotion to the Lord Jesus. They are the firstfruits unto the Lamb. Note the way it is put — “Firstfruits… unto the LAMB”. The Lamb has in them the first maturity of His Lamb character and work; in them He first sees of the travail of His soul and is satisfied. It is unto the Lamb, His satisfaction.
“Unto the Lamb,” it means this, that their conception of salvation was not one governed by personal interest, that they would be saved in order to be saved and enjoy salvation for themselves; but their conception was that it was all unto the Lord, it was for Him. That is a higher level altogether, and I beg to suggest that this is a discriminating thing. There are multitudes of people, Christians, who are glad to be saved in order to be saved, because it is a good thing to be saved for themselves; it secures a lot for them and it means heaven and glory; but the primary concern of these others is the glory of the LAMB. “Unto the LAMB”. They follow wherever HE goes.
“The Fellowship of His Sufferings,” naturally, it might be easier to follow the KING whithersoever He goeth. There were many in the days of His flesh who pursued Him wherever He went. You would always find them there. Oh, He said, “loaves and fishes”; to see His mighty works. But these follow the Lamb, and that means that they have a disposition to respond to the “fellowship of his sufferings”, like the apostle who first used that phrase. For him it was not something to be shunned: “that l may know him and the fellowship of his sufferings” (Phil. 3:10); there was a disposition to share the sufferings of the Lamb. That issues in a specific kind of people, a particular company; and if we look at it in that way surely our suspicions and our fears are dismissed. Identify these people and the other ground gives way.
What all this means becomes clear as we look at it in its relation to all that is said about the Lamb. That is, you have got to comprehend the whole Word of God in connection with the Lamb in order to understand who and what these people are, for undoubtedly they are the people who have embraced, entered into, and become the embodiment of all that that phrase means — the Lamb, His life, His character, His work. What is here is this: firstly, a company marked out and distinguished by a peculiar fellowship with Christ as the Lamb. Underline the word Lamb, the name Lamb, with all that that means, and then see here a people who are in a peculiar relationship with Christ as the Lamb, and with what He means as being the Lamb. There is little doubt that there is a special honour given to this company. They are mentioned here with peculiar honour; their position is one of peculiar honour. The very tone in which they are mentioned is that of a people of very sacred and precious meaning to the Lord.
“A Song Learned Through Suffering,” they possess an exclusive secret. They sing a song, and no one could learn that song save the hundred and forty-four thousand. No one else had the faculty. How do they possess this exclusive secret? Oh, the answer goes to the heart of so much in our experience. You know that it is a true principle that you learn secrets through suffering that you learn in no other way. It is in suffering that we learn those things that no one else knows. We cannot explain them, we cannot teach them, or make others understand. We can only say, “When you have been through what I have been through you will understand, you will know; until you have, it is all closed to you”. These people have been a way in which capacity for something has been created. (1)
Let me repeat what Sparks said once again, “You know that it is a true principle that you learn secrets through suffering that you learn in no other way. It is in suffering that we learn those things that no one else knows. We cannot explain them, we cannot teach them, or make others understand.” And we have to learn these secrets the same way that Jesus did—He “learned obedience through the things that He suffered.” He teaches us these hard lessons to align us with the will of the Father as His children.
That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that you also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. (1John 1:3-4, KJ2000)
There is no greater joy than to be in fellowship with the Father and the Son and no amount of suffering and tribulation can take that away. When we find another saint that is also on this path how sweet that fellowship is!
(1) http://www.austin-sparks.net/english/tas-3.pdf – pg. 26&27
A Wilderness Voice 
HI Mchael, your post today reminds me of Corrie ten Boom writing about their tribulations in the Nazi concentration camp, Ravensbrück. She told the story of how she and her sister, Betsie, would walk together when they had the chance, talking about Jesus and how they could not just hear one another, but also Jesus walking with them and talking to them commenting on their conversation. This is, as far as I am concerned, true fellowship!
Blessings
Mia
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It was Jesus who said, “Where two or three of you are gathered together in my name, I am there in your midst.” Yes, Mia, this can become quite literal. Thanks for your comment.
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I recently got fed up with going to that little church I was going to because they did not like my view point of living the Christ life by His Life instead of living it by obedience to the letter–After Papa let me loose I asked Him–Well now what? He told me on a Saturday night–Go to Tulsa Bible Church but do not become a member just go there as an observer–its a big church and very institutional and I do not like institutional churches but He wanted me to go there for some schooling–I have been going there now for 2 or 3 months and sure enough I am getting educated and starving for some sweet fellowship but what I have learned is that when you put the letter first instead of the living Being of the Lord you are not going to get anywhere in Godly growth–So anyhow the title of your post was very fitting for my situation and I will be glad to graduate from this lesson–Good post.
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Thanks, Kenneth. It seems that some of the lessons that the Lord is trying to teach us continue on for many years. It was upon writing this latest blog that I finally saw what John was saying when the Spirit reworded it for me so I could see the importance of getting our thirst for fellowship in the right order,
“…Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ… that you also may have fellowship with us!”
As Susanne pointed out, the school of the Holy Spirit regarding the truth that is ours in the Father and the Son will go on for eternity. How quickly we advance in this school depends on Who and What we are focusing on.
“But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shines more and more unto the perfect day.” (Prov 4:18, KJ2000)
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OK I see what you mean as I looked at that text you quoted—I realize that I have found some individuals in that big church that I could get to know and we had some good conversations so all is not lost.
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Michael, your reply to Ken reminded me of an older blog post of mine where I tried to point to the importance of first having fellowship with God and Christ and then – as a gift from God – with one another as well. Not sure whether you want to read that old stuff again, though it is not a (very) long article. 😉
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Yes, I DO want to read it and will do so this morning. 😉 Sometimes we are not ready in our hearts for a truth when it comes into view though it might sound right. But later it goes into our hearts because the Spirit has prepared us through life experiences to receive it by His power and not just our intellects.
Thanks for the reminder. 👍🏻
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Michael, I was glad to see that God had inspired you to write another excellent blog post! ⭐
It is so true that anything apart from focusing on God and His will sooner or later lead us the way of the flesh although it might seem to be a ‘godly’ way at first. As human beings, we normally do not want to wait on God and His leading. Instead, we want to DO something or at least, to say or write something that appears to be from God. Yet without His discernment of spirits, our spiritual situation is beyond remedy, regardless of whatever we try to escape from this dilemma.
You might remember that I lately shared on my own blog that I had come to know a woman through whom God clearly spoke to me regarding several difficult situations in my life. Every advice she offered I could not forget and as I followed His leading through her, I began to experience the blessings also. Nonetheless, as much as I would want to have spiritual fellowship with a woman who lives close to me here, too, I cannot make nor fake it. Someone with whom I had shared this story recently as well told me how important it was to have friends in this world, esp. when you get older. This is not wrong, yet… I do not want to have ‘normal’ friendships with women and their worldly interests as I knew them before Christ. Actually, it is not possible to become united with someone unless we share in the same spirit.
As you so rightly mentioned above, my brother, in this world we look for people who have similar interests, hobbies, character traits etc. That includes church and home church meetings as well. But we cannot be friends with someone who is completely different from us UNLESS we share in the same Holy Spirit and have become used to obeying HIM, not any other spirit that tries to submit our spirit to theirs. The other day I got an email from a Christian who blessed me in Jesus’ power and in His name. Although I am convinced he meant it well, you might know that I cringed inside, Michael. It is never fun to be confronted with the wrong spirits. But it is good to be reminded that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood. Man is not our enemy, but Satan is AND our flesh that still listens to the devil! If someone really comes to us in the power and authority of Christ, we will know it, for sure. And nobody needs to tell us that God is at work in someone whose life has truly been surrendered to the Lord through crucifixion of their flesh.
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Susanne, you wrote,
“Instead, we want to DO something or at least, to say or write something that appears to be from God. Yet without His discernment of spirits, our spiritual situation is beyond remedy, regardless of whatever we try to escape from this dilemma.”
This is exactly what happened with the disciples when they came back from a missionary journey in which they saw God work many miracles in Jesus name. In their enthusiasm they suggested something that seemed to be scriptural and right but was of the wrong spirit within them…
Like TAS pointed out, we are in the greatest danger to do something in the flesh when we are experiencing God using us because of the confidence we gain. A deep working of the cross in our souls is all that can save us from blindly following the enemy who appeals to our flesh.
You also wrote, “I do not want to have ‘normal’ friendships with women and their worldly interests as I knew them before Christ. Actually, it is not possible to become united with someone unless we share in the same spirit.”
This is exactly where we can get tripped up again! Longing for friendship in this lonely walk of obedience to our Father can make us open to the flesh of others. Jesus had to resist this as well. Notice how the temptation to entrust Himself to those who “believed in His name” came on the heals of doing many miracles and the fanfare that came with it. In the Gospel of John we read,
Finally you wrote,
“It is never fun to be confronted with the wrong spirits. But it is good to be reminded that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood. Man is not our enemy, but Satan is AND our flesh that still listens to the devil! If someone really comes to us in the power and authority of Christ, we will know it, for sure. And nobody needs to tell us that God is at work in someone whose life has truly been surrendered to the Lord through crucifixion of their flesh.”
You are so right and you have learned much as the Spirit has put you through many experiences with demons who speak and write through the flesh of others. Once again Jesus warned us saying,
Susanne, it has been an wonderful experience to share in our trials, temptations and experiences over the last four years we have known one another. Seeing God come through and prevail in each of them has given me great confidence to know that no matter what comes our way, He will lead us and deliver us out of them all as we trust in Him.
You truly have been a blessing from the Father in my life. ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Michael
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You have been such a divine blessing for me as well, Michael. Thank you for your wise and encouraging comments, my brother. You are a treasure! 💎💎💎
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Yes, I agree with you. I have an extremely good friend, have known her for years. She is not someone I normally would have been friends with particularly on an ‘earthly’ level. But what I firmly believe is that God put her and me together spiritually. I felt that I would have to protect her even unto death, should she be attacked either physically or spiritually…rather like one would protect one’s children, only this was/is from God, it’s kind of on a different level (can’t really explain properly). I also know that she has and does faithfully follow Jesus through all kinds of difficulties.
I also believe that this is ultimately how when we are all one in Christ and with the Father etc, that is how we will relate to one another. It is beyond this world.
I have thought a lot over the last couple of years or more about what it truly means to be one (as in Jesus’ prayer to the Father)…and I think that it is far far deeper and more incredible than one can imagine. I also think, why can this not be achieved? Well, obviously at some point, it will be…but I think that one has to truly believe that these things are possible, and pursue them. One has to somehow, take God at His word.
It can be easy to think that this, that and the other is for the future, not in one’s own lifetime, but I think that one has to get hold of God and ‘nag’ Him as it were (I don’t mean that disrespectfully, but can’t think of a more elegant way of putting it at the moment).
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Y.Y. Thanks for sharing your life with us. In Genesis we read,
We read in 1 Samuel,
In the gospel of John we read that John was “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” Paul and Timothy had a close relationship as well. God gives us special relationships with another when we can be trusted with it. When our hearts have been opened by His love for one another it is easy in our flesh to wound the other person in a careless or thoughtless moment. I have had a Spirit-birthed relationship with another dear saint in which I can feel what they feel and we even have shared many of the same thoughts at the same time as if we are listening to a common Voice. When this happens it is God given so that we can not only enjoy the love and unity, but so we can intercede for one another, knowing just how to pray. Often times God speaks through one of us just what is needed to be heard.
The more we are purified by the workings of the Father as His sons and daughters (as in Hebrews 12), the more the unity of the Father and the Son grows within us. Yes, it is hard to fully describe such a relationship for it is other world-ly. When one has longed for true spiritual fellowship as long as we have, it would be easy to get “clingy” upon finding it and the danger is to want that person whom you can see more than you want a relationship with the Father and the Son who you can’t. Thank God for trials that He sends our way to pull our focus back upon Him and Christ who is our sufficiency in all things as we trust in Him.
I know what you mean about wanting to protect the other person. But part of the learning curve for me has been to believe that the Father of us both wants our safety and well-being more than we do and to remember that His ways are not our ways. So, much prayer goes into anything said or done in such cases. An extreme example of this was what Jesus said to Peter,
There are trials and even attacks that come upon us that are given that we might overcome and be strengthened. It is important to not get ahead of God because of the love we share with another, but it is also important to be available to help when He leads us.
All this said, a relationship that is truly spiritual will not be understood by most Christians or worldly people, though many would love to have it. Jealousy is never far away, so there are limits to what can be shared with others.
I agree that divine unity with the Father and the Son and with others who are one in them is possible and greatly desired by God, but it can not be found in those who cop to the belief, “After all, we are all human.” If this kind of unity was not possible or desired by our Father, Jesus would not have prayed that it would happen among His ecclesia. I agree that all too many Christians read the New Testament and put its truths off until we have “pie in the sky by and by.” Doing so, they make what was meant to be a living faith into a dead institution. Paul wrote,
For man this is impossible, but with God ALL THINGS are possible. This is what makes the Christian walk such and adventure!
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Yes, I wholeheartedly agree with your reply to my post. And you are right…jealousy is such a destructive thing. And yes, there are things one does have to be careful with sharing…others are not always in the same place as you and vice-versa. And also Scripture says ‘Do not cast your pearls before swine’ – not that I’m suggesting others are necessarily ‘swine’…but they can easily trample over one’s ‘gems’.
I am so glad I have found your blog…it is already proving to be a help and encouragement. Thank you. 🙂
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Y.Y. I found a wonderful and enlightening article about the jealousy of God vs. the destructive jealousy of Satan and man by T. Austin-Sparks that you might like.
http://www.austin-sparks.net/english/004946.html
Your comments have been encouraging to me as well and I am glad you found the blog.
Michael
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Good post.
– needed topic at this hour..
—-
“..the more spiritually mature we become, the more we we realize that true
fellowship is spirit to spirit.”
“..we must first as individuals have our fellowship with the Father and the
Son.”
Above statement is spot on.
—-
What should be primary focus of spiritual journey?
– To have “continuing” fellowship with the Father, the Son ( & Holy Spirit ).
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Good to hear from you again, Dan. So true. How far the church has fallen with its numerous personality cults focused on high profile men and women and their kingdoms instead of seeking FIRST the Kingdom of God and HIS righteous One, Jesus Christ. When Christ is predominate and foremost in our hearts, what an amazing fellowship we have with one another.
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Great and timely post. Very encourtaging . Thank you 🙂
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Y.Y., I am glad that you found this post timely and encouraging.
You are welcome.
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Thank you for the post, and all the comments.
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You are welcome, Pat. Thanks for stopping by 👋
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Thank you for the link about ‘jealousy’. Excellent article – I had basically understood the difference between the jealousy of God and our human jealousy…but that article fills out my understanding even more. I will read it again, as it is late now and I want to think about it more when I am less tired. I only wish I had the eloquence to put my thoughts in such a good way…but sometimes I think it is difficult because one can perceive things (though maybe not wholly) and just not be able to express something fully – rather like knowing that God is totally awesome in every way, but at the moment we just cannot fully comprehend it…seeing through a glass darkly.
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Y.Y., yes this article by TAS really opened up my understanding about why God is a jealous God. Satan set out to overthrow the Kingdom of Heaven and God clipped his wings (Isa. 14:12-15) so then he set out to destroy the one part of creation that has been created in God’s image and likeness, mankind. But, the Father will have His living temple and Jesus will have His bride. The earth truly is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof and those who abide IN Christ express that fullness.
That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God. (Eph 3:16-19, KJ2000)
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Hi Bro,
I don’t post often but I’m still here. I love to read at this blog and Susanne’s because I’ve been going through a dark night for a long time and honestly, it’s nice to know that I’m not the only one. More importantly, it’s a blessing to see that we are all taking the same “lesson” from on High even though it may appear different, being tailor-made for each one of us to bring us to the point that all we are and all we live for is Christ IN our little clay jars, still going about doing the Father’s will, to the glory of Abba our Father.
This whole post of yours was spot on, but allow me to quote this portion once more. After decades I still cry over Matthew 6:33….
“The kingdom of God is found where God is King! ALL these other things, including fellowship, are added when we worship Him and seek the fellowship of the Father and the Son above all else.”
Oh how I thank our great OneINThree for Matthew 6:33. Our blessed Lord Jesus told Martha that only ONE THING was NEEDFUL. Imho, Matthew 6:33 is the one thing. Paul understood this, seeing as how even when he was with other Believers all he wanted to know among them was Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
I thank our Abba for your post, Bro. It was very encouraging for me. I love how you and Susanne allow your blogs to remain quiet until the Lord leads you to share what is on His heart.
{{{BIG HUGS}}} to you and to all my other Family members who stop by here.
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Hi Renee. Sorry that it has taken me so long to reply to your comment. No, you are not alone, dear sister. I and many others have found that the wilderness is God’s instrument to first get our flesh so weakened that it can no longer be the dominant force in our lives and then he gives us “refresher courses” to make sure it stays that way. Why? Because as Paul wrote,
God is on the side of our spirits, not our souls (flesh). His desire is to bring our souls into submission to the Spirit who abides in us so that we can fully walk as the sons and daughters of God with our souls and bodies subservient to His Spirit just as it was/is with Jesus.
It might look at times as if Father has forsaken us, but I can tell you from many years of wilderness experience and seeing Him overcome in me that He hovers over us during and through it all.
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Patricia wrote,
Gracias Michael por tu enseñanza. Esto también hace parte del negarnos cada día y llevar nuestra cruz. La comunión con otros debe estar bajo el Señorío de Cristo y bajo Su voluntad. Solo el Señor nos puede unir o acercar a aquellos que Dios aprueba y con los cuales quiere que tengamos esa comunión.
Solo cuando tenemos una comunión con Cristo y cuando Él ha establecido Su verdad y nos ha iluminado con Su Luz podemos tener comunión con aquellos que están en este mismo camino.
Pero cuando somos llevados por nuestras emociones y por nuestra carne podemos hacer alianzas con personas que al Señor no le agrada. Esto he tenido que aprenderlo a través de muchas equivocaciones y me ha costado muchas lágrimas, pero Dios en Su misericordia ha tenido que enseñarme que esto también se hace a Su manera y no a la nuestra.
Sin embargo, cuando el Señor nos une, es una bendición encontrarnos con estos hermanos que tienen un corazón para el Señor, que se dejan también corregir y tienen comunión con Jesucristo.
No importa que hablen otro idioma o que estén muy lejos, es hermosa esa comunión.
Un abrazo mi hermano.
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Patricia, I agree with you 100%. What a lifetime of suffering and learning these things… by experience! This is the only way we Really learn the spiritual lessons that count. But in all these things we are more than overcomers IN Christ Jesus.
You are so right about the nature of spiritual communion birthed by God, If we NOW dwell in heavenly places in Christ Jesus we are of ONE mind and ONE body, and ONE faith and have been baptized into ONE Spirit. Distance, time and speaking diverse languages in the natural are no obstacle at all. Thanks for sharing this, dear sister. Hugs back to you. 🙂
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