The New

Christian Manual
 A Message from the Author

Welcome to your new life in Christ! This book is written for everyone, not just for those new in

Christ. It is written in mind of anyone who has not experienced the fullness of God. There are those of

you who have been in traditional organizations that limit the full power of God by placing Him in the

proverbial box. The scripture states that “Jesus Christ is the same today, tomorrow and forever.” –

Hebrew 13:8. The words on these pages are offered to people who are coming out of other religious

experiences and have no idea of the grace and mercy of God. Moreover, for you the new believer

who was once lost in a world of sin. No matter what the circumstance was, please know that you are

now a new creation ion Christ and the sins of your past no longer have a hold on you. Romans 8:1

“There is therefore no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.” My brother, my sister, you

are now free and a life of abundance in the Lord is afforded you.

These pages will help you to understand who God is and who you are in Him. Take time to

study this guide, especially the scriptures in order that you may grow spiritually. It is not the intent of

the author to replace the bible; on the contrary, it is to offer you scripture based information to assist

you in your daily walk with Christ Jesus. Once again welcome and may the blessings of God be with

you.

Derrick L. Burnell, Sr.

Restoration Outreach Church

1308 Miller Street • Monroe, NC 28110
Phone 704.289.8571 • Fax 704.289.8571
Authored by: Derrick L. Burnell, Sr. Co-Pastor
Table of Contents
Introduction I

CHAPTER 1
Mission Statement 1
What Does It Mean To Be Christian 2
What Is The Bible 2
Why Is The Bible So Hard For Me
To Understand? 2
A Breakdown Of The Bible 3
Why Did God Choose Me? 4
Is it God or My Conscience? 4
Why Do I Feel This Way Now? 5
The Calling 5
The Commission 6
The Responsibility 6
Baptism 7
Repentance 7
Faith 8
A Bible Summary 9
What Is Salvation? 12
N E W C H R I S T I A N M A N U A L
Chapter

1
MISSION STATEMENT

First and foremost, God is the head of our lives. It is through His divine
wisdom that we are called to go into a world of sin and preach the “Word of
Truth.” It is because of the strength and leadership of the Holy Spirit that we are
able to be a light in the darkest of places. Inspired by the life of Jesus and the
teachings of the bible we are able to overcome the sins of this world.

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 What Does It Mean To Be Christian?

A Christian is one who follows Christ. When you accept Christ as your personal Lord
and Savior, you should desire to grow into Christ-likeness. Jesus is the manifestation of God
into the form of man. God’s purpose for this was to allow Jesus to die for our sins. A second
purpose was to show us how to live here on earth as we prepare for life in heaven. As you
grow more and more as a Christian you will begin to turn from old habits and the ways of the
world will have less pull on you. Let’s go to the scriptures. Ephesians 4:20-24 (Simple English
Version) “20. However, this is not the way you learned about Christ. 21. You heard about
him. Then you were taught in him. (The truth is in Jesus.) 22. You were taught to put away
your old way of living. It will destroy you. Those evil desires can fool you. 23. You were
taught to develop a new way of thinking. 24. You were taught to be clothed with a new
personality like that of God. It was created with true righteousness and holiness.” To be a
Christian means to renew your mind, change from your worldly ways of thinking and develop
a Christ like way of thinking.

Our mission is to become

Christ –like in nature. What Is The Bible?

Before you start reading your bible, let me ask you a question. Do you know what it is? Some
will say it is the “Divine Word”, others’ call it the “Basic Instructions
Before Leaving Earth”, and the list goes on and on. The plain and
simple truth is, the bible is a book and nothing but a book. However, it
is a book like no other, its contents were written by men inspired by
God the Father.
2 Timothy 16 - “Every Scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for proving
wrong, for correcting errors, and for training people to be right with God”. 1 “The bible was
given to man from God, revealing Jesus Christ, and God the Son, the only Savior.” In the
pages of this book you will find life, happiness, and how to obtain unspeakable joy.

Why Is The Bible So Hard For Me To Understand?

“But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are
foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” –
1 Corinthians 2:14 If the bible could be understood by the natural man then it would be a
natural book. Since the bible is from God, and therefore spiritual, before we can receive its
teachings a you must be born of the spirit and b filled with the spirit.
Study Scriptures
1 Corinthians 2:14-16, aJohn 3:6, bEphesians 5:18

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 A Breakdown of the Bible
The Bible consists of 66 books. It contains Two Testaments, the Old and the New. The
Old Testament is made up of 39 books while the New has 27. A testament is the instructions
left for those who are living. Each of the testaments is broken down into a series of sections.
They are as follows:

OLD TESTAMENT

Law – Five Books

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

History – Twelve Books

Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings,
2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther

Poetry – Five Books

Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Solomon

Major Prophets – Seven Books

Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel

Minor Prophets – Ten Books

Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi

NEW TESTAMENT

Gospel – Four Books

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John

History – One Book

Acts

Doctrine – Twenty-One Books

Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians,
1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, I Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1
Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude

Prophesy – One Book

Revelations

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 Why Did God Choose Me?

Scripture states God knew you before you were in the womb. “Joshua 1:5
5. Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the
womb I sanctified thee”. God made you in His image, “And God said, Let us make man in
our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and
over the birds of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every
creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27. And God created man in his own image,
in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28. And God
blessed them: and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply,” – Genesis 1:26-28 You
have been chosen to do a work for God, to lead others to Him. Let us look at the Prophet
Ezekiel he, like us, grow through stages. First you receive a calling, from God, then He
commissions you and finally God gives you responsibility.

Study Scriptures
Joshua 1:5, Genesis 1:26-28, John 15:16

Is it God or My Conscience?

Did you know that God has been speaking to your heart ever since you were
able to comprehend Him? The very moment that you knew the difference from right and
wrong… that still small voice1 that was warning you before you did something wrong, was
the Lord talking to you. The world labels that little voice as your conscience when in all
actuality it was the voice of God. The problem was you had no idea whom or what was
causing you to do what was right. Eventually you reached a point where you realized that
you needed Christ in your life and you accepted Him. This entire process is a part of God
calling you to a life more abundant than that which the world can offer you. Now as an heir,
you have a direct line to the Father and you can distinguish His voice from others. John 10:1-
5 explains this more precisely.

Study Scriptures
1 Kings 19:13-15, John 10:1-5

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 Why Do I Feel This Way Now?

Now that we know who is talking to us, we need to understand why He is talking to
us. God is calling you out of the mess that you are currently in. Now do you remember in the
earlier paragraph that God was talking to you early in your life? He was calling you then, but
you were not listening. As life went on you became increasingly involved with this ole’ world
and the voice of God got lost in a sea of voices. Most of us don’t answer the call until we
have reached a low point in our lives. We have a tendency (primarily due to what the world
teaches), to reach out to God when we have some sort of personal, mental, or financial
need. The need seems to be something physical that we can see, in all actuality it is not. You
are experiencing a “Spiritual Deficit”, a point where your inner-man is so depraved by the
lusts of this world that it is crying out for something more. That something is Jesus.
Throughout the New Testament people were at their lowest point before they believed on
Jesus. The woman with an issue of blood (Matthew 9:20-22, Mark 5:25-34), she, like us tried
everything and it all failed. She had lost everything she had and was in a spiritual deficit when
she seeked out Jesus. She was looking for a physical answer, but found God instead. This is
where you are.

Study Scriptures
Matthew 9:20-22, Mark 5:25-34, Mark 2:3-12

The Calling

John 1:43 -The next day, Jesus decided to leave for the land of Galilee. He found
Philip and said to him, ``Follow me!' It is simple as that… follow me. Jesus spoke to the
disciples and gave them a simple instruction. The same one that He is giving to you. He is
asking you to leave the entangled and corrupt ways of the world and follow Him into a better
life. A life that is free from sin. Ezekiel a prophet of God is another example of someone that
was called Take a look at what Ezekiel 2:1 & 2 reads - And he said unto me, Son of man,
stand upon thy feet, and I will speak with thee. 2. And the Spirit entered into me when he
spake unto me, and set me upon my feet; and I heard him that spake unto me. This was
God calling Ezekiel out of his own way of thinking and inviting him to a new life with Him.
God has been calling to us, inviting us to a life more abundant and spiritually uplifting.

Study Scriptures
Ezekiel 2:1-10, John 1:43

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 The Commission

Commission - 1a: a formal written warrant granting the power to perform various
acts or duties b: a certificate conferring military rank and authority; also : the rank and
authority so conferred. 2: an authorization or command to act in a prescribed manner or to
perform prescribed acts, CHARGE. 3a: authority to act for, in behalf of, or in place of another b:
a task or matter entrusted to one as an agent for another. 4: a group of persons directed to
perform some duty. The second phase in your walk is your commission. This is where God
prepares you for the task at hand.
How do we receive our commission? We start by studying the bible. Ezekiel 3:1-3
gives you an example of this. 1.And He said to me, "Son of man, eat what is offered to you;
eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel." 2.So I opened my mouth, and he gave
me the scroll to eat. 3.And he said to me, "Son of man, eat this scroll that I give you and fill
your stomach with it." Then I ate it; and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey. The scroll
was the word of God, as you eat it you are being prepared, molded and sculpted into the
image of Christ.

Study Scriptures
Ezekiel 2:1-10, John 1:43

The Responsibility
Responsibility, what do you mean by responsibility? I did not sign up for that! Well
my brothers and sisters there is a responsibility to preach Gods’ word to the people. You see
God calls you, then He equips you and finally He makes you accountable to His word. What
we must understand that God did not have you store His word in you just so you could keep
it to yourself. Ezekiel 3:10 & 11 states “Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, all my
words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears. 11. And
go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto
them, and tell them, Thus saith the Lord God; whether they will hear, or whether they will
forbear.” You bear the responsibility to preach the living word in you to the people that God
places in your life. In Mark 16:15 the risen Jesus tells the disciples to go into all the world,
and preach the gospel to every creature. This same commandment is given to each one
of us that receive the Lord as savior. If we examine Ezekiel 3 further we will see that we
will be held accountable for the people that God places in our lives to speak to, whether
you do it or not.

Study Scriptures
Ezekiel 3:10-21, Mark 16:14-20

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 Baptism

Now that you have accepted Christ we will answer a question that is asked a
thousand times, “Do I need to be baptized?” Yes you do! “Why?” Refer to the scriptures,
Mark 16:16 “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not
shall be damned.” Baptism represents the washing of our old fleshly nature and the birth of
the new spiritual man of God. This is evident in Acts 2:38, Then Peter said unto them,
Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of
sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. The most important and true baptism
occurs when the Holy Spirit (Ghost) has entered into your heart and the very presence of
God now dwells in you. An example of this can be read in the entire Acts chapter 2.

Study Scriptures
Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38,

Repentance
This is a very important step in your walk. This is where most followers of Christ
stumble the most. When you are baptized you must repent, that is to turn away from
your sins. The Greek word met-a-no-ia, is used of true repentance, a change of mind and
purpose and life, to which remission of sin is promised. True repentance consists of
(1.) A true sense of one's own guilt and sinfulness;
(2.) An apprehension of God's mercy in Christ;
(3.) An actual hatred of sin (Ps. 119:128, Job 42:5, 6, 2 Corinthians 7:10) and turning
from it to God.
Earlier, I mentioned that Christians have trouble with repentance. I should have
stated that the problem is with sin. We have been taught that when you sin you fall out
of Gods’ grace. This is so far from the truth. Here is when we get into complications with
our walk. When you sin, (and you will), do not turn away from God, confess your sins to
God, repent and continue to strive forward.
Acts 3:19 & 20 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted
out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. 20. And
he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:

Study Scriptures
Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19, 20Acts 8:22, 2 Corinthians 7:10

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Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

Faith

Most of us have heard the famous scripture “Now, faith is the substance of
things hoped for, the substance of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 The next step is to
understand what this means. What is this thing that we call faith? How do I acquire it?
The answer to question one is simple. Faith is trust in something unseen or someone. A
belief that something or someone is true, and therefore worthy of trust. It admits of
many degrees up to full assurance of faith, in accordance with the evidence on which it
rests. Faith is the result of teaching (Rom. 10:14-17). By faith the believer directly and
immediately appropriates Christ as His own. Faith in its direct act makes Christ ours. It is
not a work, which God graciously accepts instead of perfect obedience, but is only the
hand by which we take hold of the person and work of our Redeemer as the only ground
of our salvation. Saving faith is a moral act, as it proceeds from a renewed will, and a
renewed will is necessary to believing assent to the truth of God (1 Cor. 2:14; 2 Cor. 4:4).
Faith, therefore, has its seat in the moral part of our nature fully as much as in the
intellectual.

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 A BIBLE SUMMARY
Books of the Pentateuch, or the Law

Book Summary
Genesis Creation and the establishment of the covenant relationship
Exodus Deliverance of the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt
Leviticus The Ceremonial law
Numbers Wandering of God’s people in the wilderness
Deuteronomy The second giving of law by Moses before the people occupy the Promised
Land

Books of the History of Israel

Book Summary
Joshua The conquest and division of the promised land
Judges The nation of Israel is rescued by a series of judges, or military leaders
Ruth A beautiful story of Gods’ love and care
1 & 2 Samuel The early history of Israel, including the reigns of Saul and David
1 & 2 Kings A political history of Israel, focusing on the reigns of selected kings from the
time of Solomon to the captivity of the Jewish people by Babylonia
1 & 2 Chronicles A religious history of Israel, covering the same period of time as 1 Samuel &
2 Samuel
Ezra The return of the Jewish people from captivity in Babylonia
Nehemiah The rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem after the exiles returned from
Babylonia
Esther Gods care for His people under the Gentile rule

Books of Wisdom

Book Summary
Job An examination of the problems of evil and human suffering
Psalms The song book or hymnal of ancient Israel
Proverbs Wise sayings and observations designated to develop proper attitudes and
behavior
Ecclesiastes A philosophical description of the emptiness of life without God
Song of A love song portraying the beauty of a human love relationship as a symbol of
Solomon divine love

Books of the Major Prophets

Book Summary
Isaiah The outstanding prophecy of condemnation and Messianic consolation
Jeremiah A message of judgment against Judah’s moral and spiritual decay
Lamentations Five Poems of lament over fallen Jerusalem
Ezekiel A prophecy of judgment during the Babylonian Captivity
Daniel A book of prophecy about the end times

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 Books of the Minor Prophets

Book Summary
Hosea A message of Israel’s condemnation followed by Gods’ forgiveness
Joel A prediction of foreign invasion as a form of judgment by God
Amos Pronouncements of judgment against the nations, especially Israel
Obadiah A book prophesying the total destruction of Edom
Jonah A story about a reluctant prophet who led Nineveh to repentance
Micah A prediction of judgment and a promise of Messianic restoration
Nahum A prophecy of the destruction of Nineveh
Habakkuk A prophet who questioned God and praised His approaching judgment against
Judah
Zephaniah A prediction of destructive judgment followed by tremendous blessing
Haggai After the return from Babylonia, a call to rebuild the Temple
Zechariah A Messianic prophecy calling for the completion of construction on the Temple
Malachi A prophecy of destruction followed by Messianic blessing

The Gospels
Book Summary
Matthew Christ presented as the fulfillment of Old Testament Messianic prophecy
Mark Probably the earliest of the gospels, focusing on Christ’s ministry
Luke Fullest biography of Christ, focusing on His perfection and ministry of salvation
John The most symbolic gospel, which presents Christ as the divine Son of God

History of the Early Church

Book Summary
Acts A history of the expansion of the early church

Epistles (Letters) of the Apostle Paul

Book Summary
Romans An explanation of the Christian Faith for both the Jews and Gentiles, addressed
to the church at Rome
1 Corinthians Instructions to the church at Corinth dealing with problems among Christians
2 Corinthians Paul’s defense and explanation of his apostleship
Galatians An account of the necessity of justification by faith rather than works
Ephesians A letter to the church of Ephesus explaining the believer’s position in Christ
Philippians A joyful letter to the church of Philippi, telling of Paul’s conquering faith during
imprisonment
Colossians An account of the supremacy of Christ, written to the church at Colossae
1&2 Instructions to the church at Thessalonica about the coming of the Lord
Thessalonians
1 & 2 Timothy Manuals of leadership for the young pastors at Ephesus
Titus A manual of Christian conduct for church leaders, written to a young pastor on
Crete
Philemon An appeal for Christian unity and forgiveness for a runaway slave

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 General Epistles (Letters)
Book Summary
Hebrews A presentation of Jesus Christ as High Priest, addressed to Jewish believers
James Practical instructions for applied Christianity
1 Peter Encouragement and comfort from peter to suffering Christians
2 Peter Peter’s warning against false teachers
1 John John’s reminder of full humanity of Christ
2 John John’s letter of encouragement and approval
3 John John’s personal note to appreciate Gaius
Jude A strong warning against false teachers
Revelations An encouraging prophecy of the final days and Gods’ ultimate triumph

What Is Salvation?

This is a question that every Christians has asked at some point during their walk.
Salvation is what Jesus died for and gave to you freely. It is defined as “deliverance from
evil, danger or trouble”. It is God’s gift through Christ to save mans soul. The Hebrew
translation of the word salvation has two meanings.
1. Yasha – to be free, preserve or rescue.
2. Yesha – liberty, deliverance, prosperity
The Greek translation
1. Soteria – rescue, safety, health, save or saving
2. Soterion – defender or defense
No matter what the translation, Christ Jesus is all of these things. He is our deliverance,
our safety, health, prosperity, and defender. Simply put He is our all and all.

God’s Plan of Salvation

Now I know that you did not think that God would offer salvation without a plan
did you? During this section you will be given this plan along with the scriptures for you
to read study and meditate on.

I. God Loves you – (John 3:16) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.”
II. You are a sinner – (Romans 3:23) “For all have sinned, and come short of the
glory of God.”
III. You are now dead in sin – (Romans 6:23) “For the wages of sin is death; but the
gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

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 IV. Jesus died for you – (Romans 5:6~8) “6. For when we were yet without
strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7. For scarcely for a
righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even
dare to die. 8. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were
yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
V. You can be saved by faith – (Acts 16:30,31) “30. And brought them out, and
said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31. And they said, Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
VI. You can be saved and know it - (1 John 5:10~13) “He that believeth on the Son
of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a
liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. 11. And
this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his
Son. 12. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God
hath not life. 13. These things have I written unto you that believe on the
name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that
ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”
VII. Obey God - (Acts 5:29-32) “29. Then Peter and the other apostles answered
and said, we ought to obey God rather than men. 30. the God of our fathers
raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. 31. Him hath God
exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance
to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 32. And we are his witnesses of these things;
and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.”

We could take time to explain every one of the above scriptures to you, but we would
like to request that you go to Jesus in prayer and ask Him to reveal these things to your
heart. You’re a “Child of God” now, an heir to Christ. Remember what John 14:13 & 14
says, “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be
glorified in the Son. 14. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.”

What is Deliverance?

What is the definition of deliverance? The dictionary offers six different

meanings of this word. For our purposes we will use the following: deliverance is the act
of delivering or freeing from restraint, captivity, peril and the like; rescue. I am willing to
bet that you have no idea that this definition in a sense describes your life. Born into a
world of sin people get “caught up,” or held hostage by a variety of sins. In the bible the
word bound is used to describe this state of being. We are trapped in the prison of our
minds, drugs, sexual activities, money, you name it. The enemy uses these things hold
us hostage with the intent of keeping us separated from God.
The good news is once you accept Christ you are one prayer away from being
delivered from any sin known to man. Joel 2:32a reads “And it shall come to pass, that
whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered:” It is just that simple!

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The driving force behind this is when you go to Lord you must do so with a humble spirit
and a heart full of sincerity. Then and only then will He answer your prayer to be freed
from that which is holding you captive.
TESTIMONY
This is my testimony of deliverance. I was an alcoholic and I tried many times and
different ways to quit. I did it for my kids, job, friends and all. I went to meetings, read
books, talked to others who were alcohol free and even prayed. Then on May 9th 2002,
while drinking I went down on my knees and I prayed what I feel to this day my most
powerful prayer. I said to God “Lord I am an alcoholic and a drunk. If you do not deliver
me from this problem I guess I will die an alcoholic! Amen.” These twenty-five simple
words changed my life forever. Now I would be remiss if I did not tell you that I did finish
my consumption of alcohol that evening before I passed out.
One week later I realized that I had not had a drink, nor did I desire one. Now I
know what you’re thinking. That’s all it took and wait didn’t he state earlier that he had
tried prayer before. The answers are yes and yes! The difference is when I prayed those
many times before I did so for personal reasons. I just wanted a quick fix from a
hangover and God knew that I was not sincere. On that one faithful day God heard the
heart of a man that truly was humbled by His love for me and answered my prayer.

May God bless you on your journey,

Amen!

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