The Doctrines of Demons Are At The Door

I Timothy: 4:1-2, "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,"

Honestly, I can't help but notice the increasing of the deceiving spirits and the doctrines of demons that are constantly speaking horrific lies and spreading them around like an uncontrollable disease! These things are permeating our country, our land, our people! Faster than I believe many people want to acknowledge! Usually during this time of year, Halloween, I write about the dangers of this evil, soul-stealing and Satanic "holiday." During the month of October and the first few days into November, my spirit is extremely sensitive to the "darkness" that surrounds the celebratory time of year for the demonic and the deceived. This year is no different but what IS different is the intensity of which my spirit is sensing the sinister, diabolical and evil darkness! It's worse than it's ever been! It's a darkness that is seemingly uncontrolled. Unrestrained. Untamed. However, this year, I'm not going to speak about Halloween, its roots, its evil or its Satanic connections. I've decided to go a little further, dig a little more close to home and point out all the doctrines of demons that are right there, at the door, knocking and pounding to be let in.....and they are being allowed to enter through the doors with invitations.

It should be quite obvious that the above Scriptures is a dire, and fervent, warning to the church near the end times. The Apostle Paul warns his disciples against the lies and deception that is going to come their way. It offers us quite distinct characteristics of apostasy to look for that will clearly distinguish corrupted Christianity from the sound doctrine of our Father God! It is here that I will add that corrupt Christianity is rising at an unprecedented pace like I've never seen before! The New Age teachings are slipping into the pews like snakes. Small seeds of the lies are being sprinkled around in the mixing of the truth and many, many are falling for it. Mostly because they don't, won't and choose not to test it against the Word as we're told in 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21, "Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies. 21 Test all things; hold fast what is good." This is a WARNING for us to be on guard. To be alert. To pay attention. How can a society pay attention when they are more and more distracted and disconnected from the very world around them!?! It's a frustrating dichotomy isn't it? In Thessalonians 2:10, Paul describes "a falling away" from the faith that must occur before the coming of "the son of perdition," which is likely the Antichrist and "the Lawless One," and possessing the ability to convince the masses "with all power, signs and lying wonders." Be forewarned. Be prepared. Be strong. It's a heavy, wet wool blanket that is smothering the people and blinding the eyes of everyone......

Warning!

Be careful of what you hear and believe because demons are proclaiming doctrines designed to indoctrinate you and deceive you. There is power in words, both positively and negatively and what you choose to receive in your heart, mind and spirit has an outcome. Always remember, words are the transportation mechanism for spirits. False doctrines are really the refuge of demons that inspired the doctrines in the first place. Remember that the fallen angel, Satan, mocks and mimics God and will seduce and deceive many with the polar opposite of what our Creator has done. The false doctrines are holding thousands upon thousands of deceived, indoctrinated, demonized people captive because the victim placed a misguided faith in the words of the demons. Satan mimics the Trinity. There is the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Satan has his own trinity, the Dragon, the Anti-Christ, and the False Prophet. God IS Truth. Satan IS lies. God Created. Satan destroys. God IS Light. Satan IS darkness. I could go on with all the ways that our enemy the adversary imitates our God but for the sake of time, I'll likely write about that in a future article. Satan's performers are actively wanting to achieve the destruction and doom of the earth's people, including Christians. They'll seek as never before to get people to obey them and as we can see all around us, they are relentlessly ramping up their efforts. We've all heard the statement, "The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist." Well let's look seriously at what Satan’s GREATEST accomplishment has been in convincing believers: He has successfully convinced BELIEVERS and the CHURCH that he is nonexistent in their SERVICES, SERMONS, and in their DOCTRINES. That is truly gut-wrenching!

The Bible tells us that many in the faith will one day "depart from the faith." The first thing we need to take away from that profound statement is in order to DEPART from something, one must be a PART of it! People overlook that part of the scripture or they dismiss its intensity in the last days. This departure from the faith will ultimately be caused by "deceiving spirits" that will result in beliefs and belief systems rooted in "doctrines of demons." The second thing we can take away from that which is the deceiving spirits being the cause OF the departure is that the DOCTRINES which these people pursue will APPEAR to be TRUTH, yet these same doctrines will be inspired by DEMONS, and NOT by God. In today's churches, and in today's world, many in the Church desire to protect their experiences well above their doctrine. They are seeking to EXPERIENCE a "feeling" above seeking the Truth in the Doctrine and this is a major problem in today's society. A relationship with Jesus Christ and the Truth of the doctrine that God gave to us, is NOT based on a "feeling." Feelings are flippant. Feelings change. Feelings ebb. Feelings are fickle. The Truth doesn't change! EVER! But, as Paul would write to Timothy, the doctrine that we choose to follow will lead us somewhere: it will either lead us TO God or it will lead us AWAY from God. There's only two ways and two directions. Here is a scary TRUTH for you....In the above Scripture, which I will retype for emphasis, I Timothy: 4:1-2, "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons," we can clearly see that those who will "depart from the faith" will do so under DECEPTION. Deception of the doctrines of demons. This ultimately and inevitable provides us great insight into realizing that those who follow these "deceiving spirits" brought upon them by the devils workers, will do so without knowing that they are in error.

Before I move on, let's ask ourselves, "What ARE some of the doctrines of demons?" Here is a small list of some of them, and please keep in mind, this is not all-inclusive by any means! First let's see what doctrine means - doctrine is teaching or giving instruction, and in certain cases it wholly conforms to a teacher’s accumulated knowledge. Whether or not that knowledge is correct and biblical is for the student to ascertain as instructed in Acts 17:11, "These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so." Many people do just the opposite...they receive it fully into their spirits based solely on someone's teaching and never pick up the Word to test it.

1) Denial of the deity of Jesus Christ is a doctrine of demons which has been taught throughout the last two thousand years. Some believe Jesus is God’s son, yes, but not God Almighty. Moreover, that teaching is growing and becoming quite the pervasive teaching today. (Revelation 1:8, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.")
2) There are doctrines that teach falsely that one can only be saved if one is baptized, or a member a particular church, or that one must speak in tongues, or worship only on Saturday, or pray for Mary’s intervention in their lives, or that one can lose their salvation and so on. They are demonic doctrines instituted to add to or even take away from the finished work of Jesus Christ.
3) A perfect example of Doctrines of Demons are the proponents of the "feel good" fluffy, non-convicting preaching techniques and the prosperity gospel’s "get rich, seed faith" schemes which come from those whose sole purpose is for self gain and deceiving those who are suffering. They are many in numbers and they are demonic! Make no mistake! So are the emergent movement and those who promote contemplative spirituality. Yoga members beware!
4) Every misguided, misdirected approach to God’s word, which ultimately goals is to lead people away from Jesus Christ, is a doctrine that can be laid in the burning lap of a demon. Psalm 106:37, "They even sacrificed their sons And their daughters to demons," Throughout the Bible we can read just how easy it is for man to become enthralled by demons. Even to the extreme point that they became convinced that sacrificing their very own children to a demon was a positive thing. That’s called abortion today.
5) Claiming to find occult ideas and practices in the Bible. Occultists are notorious for trying to prove their teachings by quoting the Bible.  Edgar Cayce, the famous "Sleeping Prophet" began as a Sunday school teacher in the Christian Church. He was well known for going into a kind of sleep-trance and while still asleep, began diagnosing and prescribing cures for his clients. Soon he began to introduce false doctrines into his teachings and prophecies. Beginning with the lie of reincarnation, he brought in every other occult teaching, so much so, that even today, Cayce is a great hero of the New Age Movement. So, where did Cayce get his supernatural knowledge? From the same source that he got his teachings: from demons.
6) Various forms of mind-altering activity. Drugs, alcohol, "psychotropic prescriptions," repetitive music beats, hypnosis, Eastern-type meditation, mind-altering music such as heavy metal, rap and New Age music, and subliminal recordings. There is an endless list so be wise not to alter your mind!
7) Formalism. One of the things in which demons would like nothing more is for people to be engaged in religious formalism. This simply means the outward form of godliness is there, and portrayed to the world but there are no spiritual life signs that exists. Basically, going through all the motions of religion without any of God's power or relationship is a demonic doctrine.

Since many of today's population attending specific churches around the country are being so easily deceived, it should become clear that there is a "beautiful and attractive" side to evil, otherwise, who would, or COULD, be deceived in the first place!?! Satan was a beautiful angel, one of the most beautiful. It's no surprise then that he masquerades around as an angel of light and beauty.
2 Corinthians 11:13-14, "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. v14) And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light." All sins have some element of beauty and enticement to them or they wouldn't be so "inviting" to our human side! There is a beautiful, seductive side of evil. Just as demons appeal to our fallen sexual nature, they also appeal to our selfishness, pain, pride and desire to know. This was Satan’s first temptation, wasn’t it? Basically, in all honesty, the Devil really hasn't changed his tactics since that very first temptation. Let's look at Genesis 3:2-6, "And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; v3) but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’”v4) Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. v5) For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” v6) So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate."

There it all was all along, right there in the beginning! Pride! The desire to know things! The desire to be like God! Distorting God’s word! The seduction of pleasure. If demons didn't make sin beautiful and appealing and seductive, then they couldn't deceive us. Satan and his minions whole purpose is deception, lies, stealing and soul-crushing. Notice Paul's warning about the perilous times in
2 Timothy 3:1-8, "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: v2) For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, v3) unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, v4) traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, v5) having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! v6) For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, v7) always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. v8) Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith;" Jannes and Jambres were the names traditionally given to the sorcerers who opposed Moses in the court of Pharaoh. We find this reference in Exodus 7:11and 22: "Pharaoh then summoned the wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts... v22) Then the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments; and Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had said.” If you think these sorcerers were just mere stage magicians, comparable to those we see today, fooling Pharaoh with sleight-of-hand tricks, you’re very mistaken! They were able to do many of "the same things" that Moses did "by their secret arts" through demonic powers! Demonic powers are very real and they are NOTHING to be reckoned with! They gave up in the end when they realized that the source of Moses’ power was Jehovah, and not evil spirits ("this is the finger of God" 8:19), but they displayed very impressive power, real power, up to that point. So Paul compares the false teachers of "the last days" with those Egyptian sorcerers, possibly implying that they also work credible wonders to validate their deceptions.

Prepare for Battle!

False teaching takes on many sinister, diabolical forms but the most common false doctrine involves a distortion of the nature of Jesus Christ. Every pseudo-Christian cult distorts 'the doctrine of Christ' and should be avoided!! Of course, in order to avoid those doctrines and cults, one must know the TRUTH and the true nature of Jesus Christ. In doing so, one must be able to test all against the Word! But please be assured that even demons know the scriptures! They have to in order to be able to DECEIVE and PERVERT them. Those who follow false doctrines will never hear the whole truth and will only be taught a portion of truth with a whole plethora of lies so the demons can sway over the biblical illiterate. Many people simply refuse to search the scriptures to ascertain whether or not they are being lied to, partly in due to ignorance, laziness or just plain rebellion. It's a very dangerous path to take and once you're on it, the lies continue to snowball just as fast as you receive it. In ways, this would be akin to crossing a ravine which drops a thousand feet to the bottom by walking across on a tightrope of knitting yarn. It's foolish to say the least, right? Well, many people today are doing just that! They are walking on a frayed tightrope of yarn......Let's see two of John's admonitions against these very things said to the church!

I John 4:1-3: "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world."

And again in  II John 7-11: "Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the Antichrist. Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.  Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ [or better, teaching about Christ] does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.  If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him.  Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work."

Paul, at the beginning of his letter to Timothy, would say:


1 Timothy 1:3-7, "As I urged you when I went into Macedonia--remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith. Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm." Then he would go on to say in 1 Timothy 6:3-12, "If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself. Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses."

Paul is crystal clear regarding WHICH doctrines "some" have gotten involved with, as "some" have begun teaching that "godliness is a means of gain." This is contradictory to Scripture and Paul explains to Timothy that "we brought nothing into this world" and that we should be "content" with "food and clothing." Then, Paul makes it abundantly clear once again, as he says "But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare," continuing on by saying that "some have strayed from the faith in greediness" by their pursuit of riches. He even seems to be equating it to a spiritual suicide attempt as they have "pierced themselves through with many arrows." Then…Paul makes it PERFECTLY CLEAR what he is instructing Timothy to do, as Paul writes in 1 Timothy 6:11, "But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness." Paul tells him to FLEE those things but doesn't leave him hanging on what he SHOULD do and proceeds to instruct him on what he should PURSUE instead! Paul tells Timothy, in no uncertain terms, that Timothy MUST stay away from ANY and ALL doctrine which focuses on getting RICH, as those doctrines are in OPPOSITION to a GODLY PURSUIT, as Paul encouraged Timothy to "pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness." In the last verse, "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." Paul is actually urging Timothy to CONTEND FOR THE FAITH, noting that to do so will require a fight! Many Christians today aren't willing to "fight the good fight" because too many don't want to "offend" anyone, they want to remain complacent and quiet. They don't want to "battle" anyone or for anyone. Paul knew though, that anyone who dares contend for the Faith, anyone who boldly defends the Faith, anyone who speaks against the popular, ear-tickling, get rich by being a Christian doctrines of the day would soon find themselves in a BATTLE for Truth!

Paul is brutally honest with Timothy, as we should be with our own brothers and sisters in Christ today, by telling him that he'll have to "endure hardship." Paul’s words then again reference that those who contend for the Faith are automatically "engaged in warfare." We also learn here that Paul is now imprisoned being labeled an "evildoer." Just by boldly opposing the lies of the doctrines of demons! But we must be willing to battle and be engaged in warfare! These days are numbered. They are growing more wicked by the second. You see, those who will willingly stand in direct opposition to false doctrines, those who will earnestly defend the Truth of the Word of God, those who will seek to protect the people from those very destructive doctrines and heresies, those who will aggressively dare point out the ERROR which is being spoken from pulpits in churches all across the USA and all around the world, those are the WARRIORS for the Truth that will be labeled the evildoers, as those who preach the "destructive heresies" (and those who follow them) aim their power that has been gained by their popular, worldly message at anyone who DARES speak out against them! My dear readers, friends, brothers and sisters, all these things are happening as I'm writing! It's permeating the world! Satan has now entered the pulpits of churches across America and around the world. Satan is sitting in the pews all across the USA in churches and we had ALL better be in prayer to God as we beg, plead and cry out for DISCERNMENT! Satan and his demons are in the churches adulterating and perverting the doctrine of Truth. Once he succeeds in influencing so many who are willing to speak his lies from behind the pulpit to those who are willingly receiving the lies in the pews, he knows they will ultimately go "out" into the world and spread those very same false doctrines to other unsuspecting people who are searching for Truth and will only be fed more lies. It's a viscous cycle!

Truth Destroys Lies

People who have been fed lies for so long, continue to seek them out because Truth will convict one's own being right down to their core. That makes people uncomfortable. Some have said they are seeking the truth but the kind of truth they are seeking is the kind that tickles their ears, that agrees with their sinful nature, that harbors their "own truths." If someone doesn't feel "good" about what they are hearing, they will find another source that WILL make them feel good. Well, my dear readers, this is exactly what the world seems to be seeking right now. They love the lie more than they desire the truth. To them, "feeling" good is their ultimate goal. Remember what I said earlier in this post...."feelings change." Truth remains and God NEVER changes! Evil is all around and so is the doctrines of demons. They seem to be knocking on every door, around every corner and are showing up in every church. False, ungodly and foolish doctrines that undermine God's word should not take us by surprise. They are to be expected. They are multiplying in groves! There have been many seducing spirits rise to prominence over the years. One of the more "popular" modern teachings of devils is found operating in the name of "Christian Identity" -- that is, its "Seed Line" doctrine. This doctrine is no doubt one of the more vile, wicked spirits of seduction and teaching of devils to surface since Christ! The first time I came to know this vile evil and wicked teaching was from a professing Christian who began to let confusing information into their spirit. I was appalled by hearing this lie! It says that Eve was literally sexually seduced by Satan, and the resulting child was Cain. It supposes a line of Cain to the time of Christ, saying that Cain's physical descendants put Christ to death. It continues to trace Cain's supposed line to today's persecution of Christians. This evil teaching of the "Seed Line Doctrine," makes an unrealistic assumption that the Kenites, after the flood, were the descendants of Cain. Based upon this particular assumption, though, the seducing spirits must also say that, and although CONTRARY to God's inerrant Word, Noah's flood was not universal, or that the antediluvian Cainites somehow got on the Ark without being mentioned in Scripture -- and maybe they were among the animals mentioned on the Ark. Doctrines of Demons, including this VILE teaching, MISUSE words, confuse Scripture by taking it out of context, make false "assumptions" from what they do not know and pervert it all to their "liking." Non-sense!

It is here that I will say, without a doubt, EVERY SINGLE GOD BREATHED WORD IS INERRANT! NOTHING NEEDS TO BE ADDED NOR SUBTRACTED. IT IS LIVING. IT IS TRUTH. IT IS!

I'm going to warn you against the Emergent Movement as well. It snuck in like a snake and slowly permeated the pews through all forms of media and popular "teachers." It's leaving plenty of "death" in its wake though! This "Emergence" phenomenon or whatever name they are giving it nowadays, is NOT Christian. Oh, I know that many of those self-styled "emergents" insist that their "conversation" is the epitome of what Christianity is supposed to be. But the "movement" is just that...a movement. Movements are not "truths." They fall away. They lie. They deceive. This "movement" is undergoing even more drastic transformations, which now include its members celebrating Ramadan or having Buddhist monks instruct them on meditation techniques. Yoga techniques are now being "modeled" after "Christian" techniques and they mask the dangers by throwing in some "Christian" verbiage! DANGER!!! Yoga is a portal to demons! No and's, if's or but's about it! This phenomenon is nothing more than deceived people who have been seduced by evil spirits to believe the doctrines of demons. Simply put and without shame! We live in a time of deep spiritual deception, deep spiritual hunger, and dark, spiritual temptations to feed into all of it. What we must never forget is that our enemy is a master salesman and he will use willing, yet, unwitting people to deliver his message to those who are serving the Lord Jesus in order to distract them in a futile attempt to nullify them in the truth war. He will wage war on the Christians while seducing the unbelievers.

1 John 4:1-6, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. v2) By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, v3) and every spirit that does not confess that[a] Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. v4) You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. v5) They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. v6) We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error."

We must not believe every spirit. We are instructed to listen to and obey the Holy Spirit, but know and be advised, that there are other spirits. These evil spirits or demonic spirits produce false prophets and false teachers who in turn propagate the doctrines of demons, which to the Church are false doctrines. Christians need to have a healthy skepticism regarding any teaching. The charges from others who are living worldly and who aren't testing doctrines against the Word say that we aren't open-minded and are too judgmental. These very select people who are charging us with those "crimes" are coming from those who are opening themselves up to deception in the first place! We must understand that it is imperative that we believe in God’s inerrant Truth rather than anything that pretends to be an "alternate truth." There are plenty of those claiming to be alternative truths and they are claiming many lies to tickle the ears. There must be absolutely NO room in our hearts for compromise here. None! John closes the above section with encouragement and we should do the same as well. I find it extremely encouraging when John tells us that all who are truly in Christ have overcome these evils. He tells us that those truly in Christ are NOT of the world, but rather they are of God, and, therefore, know the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of error. We know God’s truth and turn from the lies from the enemy and can know that those who fall into the ditch of apostasy were never truly of God to begin with. What we must do is stand firm and pray for discernment and wisdom that we may know who to listen to, who is of God, and who to reject, while at the same time, we must boldly go out into the world and profess the Truth without wavering!

So during these dark and unassuming times, when spiritual death is on the rise, spiritual darkness seems to be driving busloads full of deceived people, and the enemy is on the loose seeking all whom he can devour, let us pray for the Light to be shone in the darkness, in places not seen and not known, into the deepest parts of the souls of the lost. Let us pray for His Truth to be revealed, received and boldly proclaimed! Let us seek His face in these last days because it's only His Truth that can set us free, that will break every chain of bondage and that will comfort our hearts! Please don't answer the door when the doctrines of demons slither up! Test them all because God's word stands firm on solid ground and cannot be shaken!

In these things I will pray...AMEN and AMEN!



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