E
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ven though so many centuries had passed, the
controversial religious debate had not seemed to die down regarding whether or
not Jesus Christ is really an
embodiment of God or is considered to be among the ranks of the holy prophets. Most of the religious sects in
the world do not actually consider the first
born of Mary as a God, but as a son of man. Merely the Greco-Roman (Paulinian) Christianity is
the only religious group that thoroughly believes and considers Jesus Christ to be God. Up to now, the opposing sides remain as such – still in an
unending debate - regarding the beliefs of this particular religious doctrine.
On one side, the believers to this Godly notion of
Christ’s essence are not few. On the other hand, those who faithfully consider Jesus Christ as the son of man as based from the truths laid bare from the Holy Bible –
including the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC)
and other religious groups – are also great in number, and they stand by their
knowledge that Jesus Christ is the
one and only religious savior that was chosen by God to eradicate the sins of humanity.
From the joint efforts garnered through a thorough research
of the learned bible scholars and of most of the people of society regarding
this endless debatable issue, it has been proven that Jesus Christ, as the first-born of Mary, is not – in all
actuality - rightful to be called as a true God. The manner of how those who
claim this issue to be false and how they have arrived on the conclusion that Jesus is indeed God is what we are going to give a crystal clarity and
enlightenment to in this piece.
First of all, so-called religious “beliefs” have managed to hold strong in the perceptions and mental
awareness of a lot of people since most of these things have been introduced
and ingrained into these people’s minds when they were still young. As these
folks grow up, they will come to a point when they would easily accept these
“beliefs” as true and, with an iron will, believe that it should be held as
part of their principles. Thus, whatever means or efforts expended by others (who would try to deviate the minds of these
people from those things, and give them a taste of the truth) would only prove
to be futile since the things being introduced do not cater to what has been
part of their earlier beliefs and practices or tradition, and may even be
perceived to be false or misleading. Their minds are closed to things; the
length of time had only added to the iron hold of what their ancestors and
parents have taught them.
The belief that Jesus
is a true God has long been part of tradition; passed on from generations to
generations by word of mouth. Through the years, more and more people have
embraced this notion that Jesus is a
true God. It is part of the mystery being imparted by the church and it goes to
show that they are the only ones who understand why this belief holds true, and
how it has arrived at that conclusion.
In effect, most people have become enslaved by their
blindness to how well they think they know the essence of God; they have come to faithfully stand up to this unwavering state
of mind on their earlier principle. This is because of the personal opinions
expressed by some that clearly opposes how Jesus
Christ himself has been introducing, describing and pertaining to himself
in the bible when he speaks. That is why these earlier false notions and
perceptions (way back 2,000 years)
have spread out like an uncontrollable fire and had become the reason for
people to hold different opinions on the true essence of Jesus Christ.
If we are to base things from earlier recorded history
regarding the events during the life of Jesus,
we would see the irrefutable fact that the people of Israel were the ones who
considered the first born of Mary as
a true prophet of God. Moreover, in
biblical history, his being the son of
man has been revealed by Jesus
himself to those who have been close to him during that time. Aside from that
chosen few, Jesus also shared that same
truth with those to whom he would spread and share the words of the Holy Spirit of God that lives and reigns within him during his lifetime.
The controversy of the image of Jesus also did not escape the priests and bishops of the Catholic church, who find themselves at
opposing poles of this issue even during the earliest of times up to the recent
years. Many firmly believe the notion that Jesus
is a person, as a son of man; others
are quick to point out that they believe he is a true God. In the Council of Nicea dated 325 A.D., the intense
gnawing fear of more than three hundred (300+) bishops during the reign of the
Roman Emperor, Constantine, had paved the way for the birth of a few religious
doctrines which state the belief of the Catholic
church that Jesus Christ is God.
During that same year, the teachings of Jesus as a true God came as an official
announcement throughout the regions held under the reign of the Emperor of Rome
(including Europe, North Africa and some regions in Asia). These teachings were
created and strongly affirmed by the Nicean Creed doctrine (Nicean Creed http://www.jesustheheresy.com/ncreed.html) of the Iglesia
Apostolica Romana church, the official religion of Rome that is still being
practiced and followed up to now by a lot of devotees.
On a different note, the underlying reasons why various
religious groups around the globe do not consider Jesus Christ to be a true God
can be seen from the following verses garnered from the Holy Bible:
Most of us know that the devil can only tempt man and
cannot direct his taunts at God. This is because the devil is absolutely aware
that those created by God – the human race - have a certain weakness within
themselves. The devil understands that he can play on that and test this
weakness of man, and it can be a reason for the downfall of that person’s soul
within. Even Jesus had been put to this test. The words of Jesus Christ – that
had been confidently uttered to the devil can be read from these verses below:
JOHN 8:
40 "But
now you seek to kill Me, a MAN who
has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this.
This is one of the reasons why many are completely aware
that Jesus is also a human being like the rest of us. The devil cannot tempt
God in any way and at any time. Why? Because God is more powerful than the
devil, and the devil is merely included among the spirits that God had created.
That is why when the devil is at the presence of God, it has been proven in the
religious doctrines and verses that the devil fears God and often submits to
whatever God says.
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John the Baptist used water in performing the ritual of
baptism for the forgiveness of sins for some Jews gathered around the place. A
man named Jesus went up to him and asked to be baptized. John hesitated at
first, but Jesus insisted that he be baptized by John with water like the rest,
and John conceded. In the spirit of baptism that John performs for the people,
he states these words:
MAT
3 :
11 "I INDEED
BAPTIZE YOU WITH WATER UNTO REPENTANCE, but He who is coming after me is
mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you
with the Holy Spirit and fire.
MAT 3 :
16 When He had
been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the
heavens were opened to Him, and He saw
the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.
If
we are to further examine what was written at Mat 3:11, we would see that it is
clearly stated by John the Baptist
that Jesus is a true human being, a son of man, who needs to go through the ritual
of baptism for the forgiveness of
sins. Being a person, he is required to undergo the ritual for purification
from sins. From the verses above, it also states that he who is more powerful
than him can baptize not by water but by the holy spirit and fire. It also
gives clear importance that this type of holy ritual is of the baptism of the
three (3) holy names – Baptism in the name of the Father (fire), and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
As soon as Jesus emerged from the water’s surface, the spirit of God descended upon him. And from thereon, according to
the holy scriptures, this spirit has lived and reigned within him. Using the
physical body, the spirit of God started to perform the work and preach the word of the kingdom of heaven from the
mouth of Jesus.
NUM
23 :
19 "GOD
[IS] NOT A MAN, THAT HE SHOULD LIE, NOR A SON OF MAN, THAT HE SHOULD REPENT.
Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it
good?
From this verse, one can see that the ritual of baptism, performed by John the Baptist, is solely for those
who have sins and are willing to repent for their mistakes. From this, it is
obviously indisputable that this procedure has been chosen by God to purify those souls from their
worldly sins. That also holds true for what happened to Jesus Christ who allowed himself to undergo this ritual so that the
Holy Spirit would descend upon him
and live and reign in him.
God is pure and holy. If Jesus is God, then, he wouldn’t need to go through the holy
ritual for purification. What’s more, God doesn’t commit sins, and Jesus – as
God – wouldn’t need to join a process that would purify him of his sins. As
man, as a real person, Jesus had to
go through this type of holy baptism. And this is one of the strongest basis of
his being human, based from the biblical verses we’ve included here to show the
truth.
Some people may say that if this process is a
good basis and true measurement for the purification of souls, then it goes to
show that everyone can have God live and reign within them. This may be so,
however, in the verses, it states that only Jesus
has been called through this ritual of purification to be among His chosen Grail of Holiness. That is why from the
number of Jews who were baptized at the river Jordan, the scripture states that
the Holy Spirit only descended on Jesus Christ.
Since God is a spirit, He remains as a
spirit, and He continues to exist and reside in that holy state. Because of
this, He does not become a man. The following biblical verse attests to this
truth:
MAL
3 :
6 "FOR
I [AM] THE LORD, I DO NOT CHANGE; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of
Jacob.
From the verse above, it is clear that God says He is the Lord (YHVH) who
will never change. If we would examine that, we would realize that God remains as a Spirit and will never ever become in the likeness of man. The truth
uttered by God regarding His image that will never change is a
true indication that shows it would only be a lie if we are to acknowledge
anyone else as God.
In the Book
of Acts, we would see that Peter
tries hard to defend the true essence of Jesus,
and this is not of his being God, but
of his being a son of man as stated
below:
ACTS 2 :
22 "Men of
Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, A MAN ATTESTED BY GOD TO YOU BY MIRACLES, WONDERS, AND SIGNS WHICH GOD
DID THROUGH HIM IN YOUR MIDST, as you yourselves also know--
From this verse, it can be read that Peter refers to Jesus as a man or as a human from the sons of Israel who has
been truthfully embraced by God to be
one of His chosen Grail of Holiness. With and through the
physical body and existence of Jesus
on earth, many miracles had been performed and many holy signs had appeared
during his time. All these things were done by spirit of God through Jesus
in order to let everyone see that His
Spirit only reigns in the person of Jesus
that He had created as His chosen Grail of true purity and holiness.
In another verse of the Holy Bible, Jesus is seen by a witness to have risen
from his death. The witness later joyously announced this miraculous news to
his brothers as it can be read in the following verse:
JOHN 20 :
17 Jesus
said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I
HAVE NOT YET ASCENDED TO MY FATHER; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I AM ASCENDING TO MY FATHER AND YOUR
FATHER, AND [TO] MY GOD AND YOUR GOD.' "
From this verse,
one can see that Jesus stressed that he hasn’t risen up to the Father.
So, the one who saw him has been commanded to inform his brothers that Jesus
would go up to the Father who is also their Father, his God, who is
also their God.
These words have
been spoken by Jesus. And these should be embraced as the truth because
these words came from Jesus himself. He has lain bare the truth that he
is a son of man, a human being. This is a truthful and legitimate basis
showing the true essence of Jesus as man.
In a nutshell, a prophet is a person who
works and proclaims the will of God in
true holiness. The Holy Spirit reigns
and lives within this person during his life. Below are verses which show what
a prophet is based on the holy
scriptures:
DEUT 18 :
18 'I will raise up for them a PROPHET like you from among their
brethren, and WILL PUT MY WORDS IN HIS
MOUTH, and HE SHALL SPEAK TO THEM
ALL THAT I COMMAND HIM.
EXD 4 :
12 "Now
therefore, go, and I WILL BE WITH YOUR
MOUTH and TEACH YOU WHAT YOU SHALL
SAY."
JER 1 :
9 Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my
mouth, and the LORD said to me:
"Behold, I HAVE PUT MY WORDS IN
YOUR MOUTH.
EZE 2 :
1 And He said to me, "SON OF MAN, stand on your feet, and I will speak to
you."
2 Then THE
SPIRIT ENTERED ME WHEN HE SPOKE TO ME, and set me on my feet; and I HEARD HIM WHO SPOKE TO ME.
That explains how God has placed His Holy
Spirit within the person who is a prophet.
Because of this, everything the prophet does and every word that they utter are
the words of God. Just as Jesus Christ himself had said:
JOHN 5 :
30 "I CAN OF MYSELF DO
NOTHING. As I hear, I judge; and My
judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the
Father who sent Me.
JOHN 8 :
28 Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift
up the Son of Man, then you will
know that I am [He], and [that] I DO
NOTHING OF MYSELF; but AS MY FATHER
TAUGHT ME, I SPEAK THESE THINGS.
JOHN 14 :
10 "Do you
not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? THE WORDS THAT I SPEAK TO YOU I DO NOT SPEAK ON MY OWN [authority];
but THE FATHER WHO DWELLS IN ME DOES THE
WORKS. (John 10:30)
JOHN 8 :
26 "I have
many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I
SPEAK TO THE WORLD THOSE THINGS WHICH I HEARD FROM HIM."
These words uttered by Jesus shows that the Spirit
of God is within him. Through Jesus,
the Holy Spirit of God can freely
work and share the words of the Lord.
Just as it is written in the verses below:
MAT 13 :
57 So they were offended at Him. But Jesus
said to them, "A PROPHET IS NOT
WITHOUT HONOR EXCEPT IN HIS OWN COUNTRY AND IN HIS OWN HOUSE."
The manner of how Jesus introduced himself
as the prophet of God has been joyously accepted by the sons of
Israel to be true as stated below:
MAT
21 :
11 So the multitudes said, "THIS IS JESUS, THE PROPHET FROM
NAZARETH OF GALILEE."
MAT 21 :
46 But when
they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because THEY TOOK HIM FOR A PROPHET.
Jhn 6 :
14 Then those men, when
they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, "This is truly the Prophet
who is to come into the world."
J0HN 7 :
40 Therefore many [fn] from the crowd, when they
heard this saying, said, "TRULY
THIS IS THE PROPHET."
It cannot be contested that from the holy
scriptures, the true essence of Jesus
as a prophet of God was what the sons of Israel acknowledged and known to
be true. Because of these verses, it is also certain that this essence or image
refers to only one person that God
acknowledges to be His chosen Grail of
Holiness who would be known to many generations on earth. The title of
being a prophet has only been given
to a person who would show utmost joy and impressive diligence in working and
sharing the true holiness of God.
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The literal meaning of the Hebrew word, “messiah” is “anointed.”
This refers to the holy ceremony or ritual performed by the Hebrews to purify
anyone and any thing by means of anointing that person or thing with oil. This
ritual has been used throughout the books of Hebrews in the Holy Bible. Some
examples can be read at: 1kings 1:39, Lev 4:3, and the Book
of Prophets at Isa 61:1: The temple of
the Jews and the usual materials that can be seen for this ritual at Ex40:9-11,
the unleavened bread (Num 6:15), and King Cyrus of Persia (Isa 45:1).
All these aforementioned biblical verses refer to the essence of being a
“messiah”
or “anointed”
one that is often appointed to things and people that holds much
importance to the Hebrews. The title, “Christ” is the popular meaning in
the Greek language that has been mentioned 571 times in 532 verses in the New
Testament. This goes to show that when the title “Christ” or “Messiah”
is given, it does mean that it merely refers to a certain thing or person; and it
clearly shouldn’t be interchanged or interrelated with the notion of the true
essence of God. Just like King Cyrus of Persia who was given the
title of Messiah or Christ – “Cyrucristo,” Jesus was also referred to as a Messiah
and called as “Jesucristo” by some devotees.
The giving of
these titles of holiness was often practiced by the Hebrews. When a thing or a
person is anointed or given the title of Christ or Messiah, the current
status of that thing or person is then raised to a holy reputation and revered
by many. However, based from the Holy Scrolls, the words “Messiah” or “Christ”
has never been identified as a total embodiment of God Himself. Thus, it merely
refers to a holy aspect of things and people chosen to undergo the ritual of
anointing with oil.
In the field of
true holiness, man could merge and be of one essence with God. But this line of
unity doesn’t mean that these chosen people automatically become God Himself.
They are only one with Him so that
the Spirit of God can do His Holy Will through them as written
below:
1 SA 16 :
13 Then
Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD CAME UPON DAVID
FROM THAT DAY FORWARD. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.
The “Greek’s Septuagint” from the Old Testament
states the Hebrew word “Messiah” (anointed) 39 times; not
one of these repetitions refer to God’s holy essence. All these verses jointly painted the image of the
chosen people and things related to this topic. Most of the verses in the bible
containing the word, “Khristos” somehow give light to the
belief that “there were many Christs.”
In the ancient Hebrew writings, aside from initial (given) meaning, the
word “Messiah” refers to a person who will lead them and set them
free from their bondage from the Roman Empire. However, this remained as a
literal understanding of the people and hasn’t been transpired during the time
of Jesus.
Instead of a Christ of rebellion, a Christ of Holiness came – a person
endowed by God’s Holy Spirit; a
messenger of the Kingdom of Heaven tasked to gather the lost sheep of Israel.
Therefore, whoever holds the title of Christ
is not God, but is of God and is a son of man.
In the New Testament, Jesus called himself as the “son of man” for 78 times. And, for 6 times,
he was also referred as such by a few. Below are a minority among the many written
basis for this truth:
MAT 11 :
19 "The
SON OF MAN came eating and drinking,
and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and
sinners!' But wisdom is justified by her children."
MAT 17 :
9 Now as they came down from the
mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Tell the vision to no one until
the SON OF MAN is risen from the
dead."
MAT 26 :
2 "You know that after two days is
the Passover, and the SON OF MAN
will be delivered up to be crucified."
JOHN 3 :
14 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent
in the wilderness, even so must the SON
OF MAN be lifted up,
JOHN 5 :
27 "and has given Him authority to
execute judgment also, because He is the SON
OF MAN.
JOHN 13 :
31 So, when he had gone out, Jesus said,
"Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him.
32 "IF
GOD IS GLORIFIED IN HIM, GOD WILL ALSO GLORIFY HIM IN HIMSELF, AND GLORIFY HIM
IMMEDIATELY.
These are just a handful of verses showing that Jesus himself consider himself to be a son of man. In actuality, the number of
repetitions should be more than enough to convince people that he is indeed a
man, filled with the Holiness of God.
It was even Jesus himself who said
the following to further support the truthfulness of his words:
JOHN 8 :
40 "But
now you seek to kill Me, A MAN WHO HAS
TOLD YOU THE TRUTH WHICH I HEARD FROM GOD. Abraham did not do this.
JOHN 20 :
17 Jesus said
to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I HAVE NOT YET ASCENDED TO MY FATHER; but
go to My brethren and say to them, 'I AM
ASCENDING TO MY FATHER AND YOUR FATHER, AND [TO] MY GOD AND YOUR GOD.' "
As you have noticed at John 8:40 (as stated above) that Jesus compared himself to Abraham’s likeness; and he is merely a man preaching the truth that
he heard from God.
Since Abraham
wasn’t able to relay all the truths from God,
the words coming out from the mouth of Jesus
is more than enough, and should be clearly believed by everyone that Jesus is merely a man who has the Spirit of God within him. He is a true prophet and was emitted not to the
whole humanity, but to those who have been said to be among the lost sheeps of Israel (Mat. 15:24).
I am not the doer and the speaker
Straight from the words of Jesus, it has been said that the Spirit of God lives and reigns within
him. That this Holy Spirit is the one
who does these works and mentions these words:
JOHN 5 :
30 "I CAN OF MYSELF DO NOTHING. As I
hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will
but the will of the Father who sent Me.
JOHN 8 :
28 Then Jesus
said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I
am [He], and [that] I DO NOTHING OF
MYSELF; BUT AS MY FATHER TAUGHT ME, I SPEAK THESE THINGS.
JOHN 14 :
10 "Do you
not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? THE WORDS THAT I SPEAK TO YOU I DO NOT SPEAK ON MY OWN [authority];
but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. (John 10:30)
JOHN 8 :
26 "I have
many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and
I SPEAK TO THE WORLD THOSE THINGS WHICH
I HEARD FROM HIM."
JOHN 12 :
49 "FOR I HAVE NOT SPOKEN ON MY OWN [authority]; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a
COMMAND, WHAT I SHOULD SAY and WHAT I SHOULD SPEAK.
JOHN 7 :
16 Jesus [fn] answered them and said, "MY DOCTRINE IS NOT MINE, BUT HIS WHO
SENT ME.
JOHN 14 :
24 "HE WHO
DOES NOT LOVE ME DOES NOT KEEP MY WORDS; and THE WORD WHICH YOU HEAR IS NOT MINE BUT THE FATHER'S WHO SENT ME.
In the truths stated above, one would see
that during the time of Jesus, it is
true that he cannot do any work or speak any thing on his own volition. This is
because throughout that era, the holiness
and grace of God resides within him. That is why the following verses that is
uttered from his mouth do not come from him, but – without a doubt – comes from
the Holy Spirit residing within who
says:
MAT 16 :
18 "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and
on this rock I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH, and the gates of Hades shall not
prevail against it.
MAT 28 :
18 And
Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "ALL
AUTHORITY HAS BEEN GIVEN TO ME IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH.
19 "Go
therefore [fn] and make disciples of all the nations, BAPTIZING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY
SPIRIT,
20 "teaching
them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, [EVEN] TO THE END OF THE AGE." Amen.
JOHN 7 :
38 "HE WHO BELIEVES IN ME, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will
flow rivers of living water." (JUAN 12:44).
JOHN 10 :
30 "I
AND [MY] FATHER ARE ONE."
Juan 11:
25 Sinabi
sa kaniya ni Jesus, AKO ANG
PAGKABUHAY NA MAGULI, AT ANG KABUHAYAN: ang sumasampalataya
sa akin, bagama’t siya’y mamatay, gayon ma’y mabubuhay siya;
JOhn 11 :
25 Jesus said to her, "I
am the resurrection and the life. he who believes in me, though he
may die, he shall live.
JOHN
12 :
26 "IF
ANYONE SERVES ME, LET HIM FOLLOW ME; and where I am, there My servant will
be also. If anyone serves Me, him [My] Father will honor.
JOHN
15 :
12 "THIS
IS MY COMMANDMENT, THAT YOU LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU.
JOHN 13 :
34 "A NEW COMMANDMENT I GIVE TO YOU, THAT
YOU LOVE ONE ANOTHER; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
JOhn 15 :
5 "I am the vine, you [are] the
branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me
you can do nothing.
JOhn 17 :
24 ....for
You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
JOHN
20 :
21 So Jesus said to them again, "PEACE TO YOU! AS THE FATHER HAS SENT
ME, I ALSO SEND YOU."
22 And when He had said this, HE BREATHED ON [THEM], and said to
them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
JOHN
18 :
37 Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are
You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say [rightly] that I am a
king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world,
that I should bear witness to the truth. EVERYONE
WHO IS OF THE TRUTH HEARS MY VOICE."
MAT
15 :
24 But He answered and said, "I WAS NOT SENT EXCEPT TO THE LOST
SHEEP OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL."
JOHN
10 :
9 "I AM THE DOOR. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will
go in and out and find pasture.
JOHN
10 :
14 "I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD; and I know My [sheep], and am known by My own.
As one can see, everything that Jesus
uttered (based from the verses above) all come from the Holy Spirit of God.
In the New Testament, the Spirit of the Lord was called as
Jesus, the SON OF MAN for so many times. Not once, not twice, but 78 times that Jesus was
called as the son of man by himself; and 6 times by a few.
To conclude, it is most highly
appropriate that these revelations are indisputable since the Holy Spirit of
God Himself had testified and declared that Jesus is the son
of man. Thank you so much to the one and only God. The topic has now
been proven to be true that Jesus had no qualms at all in admitting his
being a real person or man who has been highly recognized by God to be among
those who are truly endowed with holiness. Amen.
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