Harvest Ministry "A New Beginning" with Greg Laurie's Notes for the Week of Monday, 8 September 2014UPCOMING PROGRAMS:
GOOD NEWS IN A BAD WORLD 2 Kings 7: Elisha said, “Listen! God’s word! Thefamine’s over. This time tomorrow food will be plentiful—a handful of meal for a shekel; two handfuls of grain for a shekel. The market at the city gate will be buzzing.” 2 The attendant on whom the king leaned for support said to the HolyMan, “You expect us to believe that? Trapdoors opening in the sky
and food tumbling out?” “You’ll watch it with your own eyes,” he said, “but you will not eatso much as a mouthful!” 3-4 It happened that four lepers were sitting just outside the city gate. They said to one another, “What are we doing sitting here at
death’s door? If we enter the famine-struck city we’ll die; if we
stay here we’ll die. So let’s take our chances in the camp of Aram
and throw ourselves on their mercy. If they receive us we’ll live,
if they kill us we’ll die. We’ve got nothing to lose.” 5-8 So after the sun went down they got up and went to the camp of
Aram. When they got to the edge of the camp, surprise! Not a man in the camp! The Master had made the army of Aram hear the sound of
horses and a mighty army on the march. They told one another, “The
king of Israel hired the kings of the Hittites and the kings of
Egypt to attack us!” Panicked, they ran for their lives through the darkness, abandoning tents, horses, donkeys—the whole camp just as
it was—running for dear life. These four lepers entered the camp andwent into a tent. First they ate and drank. Then they grabbed
silver, gold, and clothing, and went off and hid it. They came back,entered another tent, and looted it, again hiding their plunder. 9 Finally they said to one another, “We shouldn’t be doing this!
This is a day of good news and we’re making it into a private party!If we wait around until morning we’ll get caught and punished. Come on! Let’s go tell the news to the king’s palace!” 10 So they went and called out at the city gate, telling what had
happened: “We went to the camp of Aram and, surprise!—the place was deserted. Not a soul, not a sound! Horses and donkeys left tethered and tents abandoned just as they were.” 11-12 The gatekeepers got the word to the royal palace, giving them the whole story. Roused in the middle of the night, the king told
his servants, “Let me tell you what Aram has done. They knew that wewere starving, so they left camp and have hid in the field,
thinking, ‘When they come out of the city, we’ll capture them alive and take the city.’” 13 One of his advisors answered, “Let some men go and take five of
the horses left behind. The worst that can happen is no worse than
what could happen to the whole city. Let’s send them and find out
what’s happened.” 14 They took two chariots with horses. The king sent them after the army of Aram with the orders, “Scout them out; find out what
happened.” 15 They went after them all the way to the Jordan. The whole way wasstrewn with clothes and equipment that Aram had dumped in their
panicked flight. The scouts came back and reported to the king. 16 The people then looted the camp of Aram. Food prices dropped overnight—a handful of meal for a shekel; two handfuls of grain for a
shekel—God’s word to the letter! 17 The king ordered his attendant, the one he leaned on for support,to be in charge of the city gate. The people, turned into a mob,
poured through the gate, trampling him to death. It was exactly whatthe Holy Man had said when the king had come to see him. 18-20 Every word of the Holy Man to the king—“A handful of meal for a shekel, two handfuls of grain for a shekel this time tomorrow in
the gate of Samaria,” with the attendant’s sarcastic reply to the
Holy Man, “You expect us to believe that? Trapdoors opening in the
sky and food tumbling out?” followed by the response, “You’ll watch it with your own eyes, but you won’t eat so much as a
mouthful”—proved true. The final stroke came when the people
trampled the man to death at the city gate. We are continually inundated with bad news, aren’t we? Whether it isthe slow economy, new acts of terrorism, or international conflicts,we are constantly reminded that our dark world is getting darker. And yet, despite this bad world, there is good news—the gospel of
Jesus Christ. Our situation today is much like the situation in 2 Kings 7, when
calamity beset Israel on every side. Let’s look at a few principles we can glean from that biblical
account. PRACTICAL PRINCIPLES
1. Most of life’s problems stem from our own disobedience. The
famine and besiegement that Israel faced were direct repercussions
of their choice to follow idols. In the same way, when we as a
society or as individuals remove God from His proper place, there
are consequences. 2. God has a solution. God promised the king of Israel that things
would change for the better, but the king’s aide would not believe. God offers spiritual solutions to life’s problems to us today, but
we often refuse to believe that they will work. 3. God uses ordinary people to share the good news. God used four
lepers to herald the news of the fortune awaiting those who were
hungry. Today, God is still using the lowly and despised to proclaimHis good news—that Jesus offers abundance to those who are
spiritually starving. 4. Withholding the good news is wrong. The lepers quickly realized
that keeping the discovery of wealth to themselves, while others
nearby were dying of hunger, was wrong. In the same way, quietly
standing by while others are spiritually perishing is nothing less
than sin. RELEVANT REMINDERS The solutions to life’s problems are not political, economic,
military, or physical. They are spiritual. Only faith in Jesus Christ can bring about substantial change. God
can use both natural and supernatural means to accomplish his
purposes. Just as he used the supernatural sounds of an attacking
army to cause the defeat of the Syrian army, he also used the
everyday hunger of four despairing lepers to drive them to its
discovery. APPLICABLE ACTIONS Are you looking to God for solutions to your problems? Follow His
Word, pray for His direction, and apply His principles. Let Him use you to proclaim His good news in a bad world.
Monday, 8 September 2014
Good News in a Bad World — I
2 Kings 7: Elisha said, “Listen! God’s word! The famine’s over. This time tomorrow food will be plentiful—a handful of meal for a shekel; two handfuls of grain for a shekel. The market at the city gate will be buzzing.”
2 The attendant on whom the king leaned for support said to the Holy Man, “You expect us to believe that? Trapdoors opening in the sky and food tumbling out?”
“You’ll watch it with your own eyes,” he said, “but you will not eat so much as a mouthful!”
3-4 It happened that four lepers were sitting just outside the city gate. They said to one another, “What are we doing sitting here at death’s door? If we enter the famine-struck city we’ll die; if we stay here we’ll die. So let’s take our chances in the camp of Aram and throw ourselves on their mercy. If they receive us we’ll live, if they kill us we’ll die. We’ve got nothing to lose.”
5-8 So after the sun went down they got up and went to the camp of Aram. When they got to the edge of the camp, surprise! Not a man in the camp! The Master had made the army of Aram hear the sound of horses and a mighty army on the march. They told one another, “The king of Israel hired the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Egypt to attack us!” Panicked, they ran for their lives through the darkness, abandoning tents, horses, donkeys—the whole camp just as it was—running for dear life. These four lepers entered the camp and went into a tent. First they ate and drank. Then they grabbed silver, gold, and clothing, and went off and hid it. They came back, entered another tent, and looted it, again hiding their plunder.
9 Finally they said to one another, “We shouldn’t be doing this! This is a day of good news and we’re making it into a private party! If we wait around until morning we’ll get caught and punished. Come on! Let’s go tell the news to the king’s palace!”
10 So they went and called out at the city gate, telling what had happened: “We went to the camp of Aram and, surprise!—the place was deserted. Not a soul, not a sound! Horses and donkeys left tethered and tents abandoned just as they were.”
11-12 The gatekeepers got the word to the royal palace, giving them the whole story. Roused in the middle of the night, the king told his servants, “Let me tell you what Aram has done. They knew that we were starving, so they left camp and have hid in the field, thinking, ‘When they come out of the city, we’ll capture them alive and take the city.’”
13 One of his advisors answered, “Let some men go and take five of the horses left behind. The worst that can happen is no worse than what could happen to the whole city. Let’s send them and find out what’s happened.”
14 They took two chariots with horses. The king sent them after the army of Aram with the orders, “Scout them out; find out what happened.”
15 They went after them all the way to the Jordan. The whole way was strewn with clothes and equipment that Aram had dumped in their panicked flight. The scouts came back and reported to the king.
16 The people then looted the camp of Aram. Food prices dropped overnight—a handful of meal for a shekel; two handfuls of grain for a shekel—God’s word to the letter!
17 The king ordered his attendant, the one he leaned on for support, to be in charge of the city gate. The people, turned into a mob, poured through the gate, trampling him to death. It was exactly what the Holy Man had said when the king had come to see him.
18-20 Every word of the Holy Man to the king—“A handful of meal for a shekel, two handfuls of grain for a shekel this time tomorrow in the gate of Samaria,” with the attendant’s sarcastic reply to the Holy Man, “You expect us to believe that? Trapdoors opening in the sky and food tumbling out?” followed by the response, “You’ll watch it with your own eyes, but you won’t eat so much as a mouthful”—proved true. The final stroke came when the people trampled the man to death at the city gate.
The Lord tells us to have no other gods before Him. "Easy," we might say. Pastor Greg Laurie points out how common it is for something to capture our attention and turn our hearts away from God.
Tuesday, 9 September 2014
Good News in a Bad World — II
2 Kings 7:1 Elisha said, “Listen! God’s word! The famine’s over. This time tomorrow food will be plentiful—a handful of meal for a shekel; two handfuls of grain for a shekel. The market at the city gate will be buzzing.”
2 The attendant on whom the king leaned for support said to the Holy Man, “You expect us to believe that? Trapdoors opening in the sky and food tumbling out?”
“You’ll watch it with your own eyes,” he said, “but you will not eat so much as a mouthful!”
3-4 It happened that four lepers were sitting just outside the city gate. They said to one another, “What are we doing sitting here at death’s door? If we enter the famine-struck city we’ll die; if we stay here we’ll die. So let’s take our chances in the camp of Aram and throw ourselves on their mercy. If they receive us we’ll live, if they kill us we’ll die. We’ve got nothing to lose.”
5-8 So after the sun went down they got up and went to the camp of Aram. When they got to the edge of the camp, surprise! Not a man in the camp! The Master had made the army of Aram hear the sound of horses and a mighty army on the march. They told one another, “The king of Israel hired the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Egypt to attack us!” Panicked, they ran for their lives through the darkness, abandoning tents, horses, donkeys—the whole camp just as it was—running for dear life. These four lepers entered the camp and went into a tent. First they ate and drank. Then they grabbed silver, gold, and clothing, and went off and hid it. They came back, entered another tent, and looted it, again hiding their plunder.
9 Finally they said to one another, “We shouldn’t be doing this! This is a day of good news and we’re making it into a private party! If we wait around until morning we’ll get caught and punished. Come on! Let’s go tell the news to the king’s palace!”
10 So they went and called out at the city gate, telling what had happened: “We went to the camp of Aram and, surprise!—the place was deserted. Not a soul, not a sound! Horses and donkeys left tethered and tents abandoned just as they were.”
11-12 The gatekeepers got the word to the royal palace, giving them the whole story. Roused in the middle of the night, the king told his servants, “Let me tell you what Aram has done. They knew that we were starving, so they left camp and have hid in the field, thinking, ‘When they come out of the city, we’ll capture them alive and take the city.’”
13 One of his advisors answered, “Let some men go and take five of the horses left behind. The worst that can happen is no worse than what could happen to the whole city. Let’s send them and find out what’s happened.”
14 They took two chariots with horses. The king sent them after the army of Aram with the orders, “Scout them out; find out what happened.”
15 They went after them all the way to the Jordan. The whole way was strewn with clothes and equipment that Aram had dumped in their panicked flight. The scouts came back and reported to the king.
16 The people then looted the camp of Aram. Food prices dropped overnight—a handful of meal for a shekel; two handfuls of grain for a shekel—God’s word to the letter!
17 The king ordered his attendant, the one he leaned on for support, to be in charge of the city gate. The people, turned into a mob, poured through the gate, trampling him to death. It was exactly what the Holy Man had said when the king had come to see him.
18-20 Every word of the Holy Man to the king—“A handful of meal for a shekel, two handfuls of grain for a shekel this time tomorrow in the gate of Samaria,” with the attendant’s sarcastic reply to the Holy Man, “You expect us to believe that? Trapdoors opening in the sky and food tumbling out?” followed by the response, “You’ll watch it with your own eyes, but you won’t eat so much as a mouthful”—proved true. The final stroke came when the people trampled the man to death at the city gate.
How can we find and follow God's will for our lives? Many believers ask that question. Pastor Greg Laurie points out the path that leads us to that understanding.
Wednesday, 10 September 2014
Good News in a Bad World — III
2 Kings 7:1 Elisha said, “Listen! God’s word! The famine’s over. This time tomorrow food will be plentiful—a handful of meal for a shekel; two handfuls of grain for a shekel. The market at the city gate will be buzzing.”
2 The attendant on whom the king leaned for support said to the Holy Man, “You expect us to believe that? Trapdoors opening in the sky and food tumbling out?”
“You’ll watch it with your own eyes,” he said, “but you will not eat so much as a mouthful!”
3-4 It happened that four lepers were sitting just outside the city gate. They said to one another, “What are we doing sitting here at death’s door? If we enter the famine-struck city we’ll die; if we stay here we’ll die. So let’s take our chances in the camp of Aram and throw ourselves on their mercy. If they receive us we’ll live, if they kill us we’ll die. We’ve got nothing to lose.”
5-8 So after the sun went down they got up and went to the camp of Aram. When they got to the edge of the camp, surprise! Not a man in the camp! The Master had made the army of Aram hear the sound of horses and a mighty army on the march. They told one another, “The king of Israel hired the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Egypt to attack us!” Panicked, they ran for their lives through the darkness, abandoning tents, horses, donkeys—the whole camp just as it was—running for dear life. These four lepers entered the camp and went into a tent. First they ate and drank. Then they grabbed silver, gold, and clothing, and went off and hid it. They came back, entered another tent, and looted it, again hiding their plunder.
9 Finally they said to one another, “We shouldn’t be doing this! This is a day of good news and we’re making it into a private party! If we wait around until morning we’ll get caught and punished. Come on! Let’s go tell the news to the king’s palace!”
10 So they went and called out at the city gate, telling what had happened: “We went to the camp of Aram and, surprise!—the place was deserted. Not a soul, not a sound! Horses and donkeys left tethered and tents abandoned just as they were.”
11-12 The gatekeepers got the word to the royal palace, giving them the whole story. Roused in the middle of the night, the king told his servants, “Let me tell you what Aram has done. They knew that we were starving, so they left camp and have hid in the field, thinking, ‘When they come out of the city, we’ll capture them alive and take the city.’”
13 One of his advisors answered, “Let some men go and take five of the horses left behind. The worst that can happen is no worse than what could happen to the whole city. Let’s send them and find out what’s happened.”
14 They took two chariots with horses. The king sent them after the army of Aram with the orders, “Scout them out; find out what happened.”
15 They went after them all the way to the Jordan. The whole way was strewn with clothes and equipment that Aram had dumped in their panicked flight. The scouts came back and reported to the king.
16 The people then looted the camp of Aram. Food prices dropped overnight—a handful of meal for a shekel; two handfuls of grain for a shekel—God’s word to the letter!
17 The king ordered his attendant, the one he leaned on for support, to be in charge of the city gate. The people, turned into a mob, poured through the gate, trampling him to death. It was exactly what the Holy Man had said when the king had come to see him.
18-20 Every word of the Holy Man to the king—“A handful of meal for a shekel, two handfuls of grain for a shekel this time tomorrow in the gate of Samaria,” with the attendant’s sarcastic reply to the Holy Man, “You expect us to believe that? Trapdoors opening in the sky and food tumbling out?” followed by the response, “You’ll watch it with your own eyes, but you won’t eat so much as a mouthful”—proved true. The final stroke came when the people trampled the man to death at the city gate.
We all know people who don't yet have a relationship with the Lord. God may be working on their heart right now, and He may want us to extend the invitation. Pastor Greg Laurie helps us fulfill that responsibility properly.
COME AND FIND REST
Matthew 11: John the Baptizer
1 When Jesus finished placing this charge before his twelve disciples, he went on to teach and preach in their villages.
2-3 John, meanwhile, had been locked up in prison. When he got wind of what Jesus was doing, he sent his own disciples to ask, “Are you the One we’ve been expecting, or are we still waiting?”
4-6 Jesus told them, “Go back and tell John what’s going on:
The blind see,
The lame walk,
Lepers are cleansed,
The deaf hear,
The dead are raised,
The wretched of the earth learn that God is on their side.
“Is this what you were expecting? Then count yourselves most blessed!”
7-10 When John’s disciples left to report, Jesus started talking to the crowd about John. “What did you expect when you went out to see him in the wild? A weekend camper? Hardly. What then? A sheik in silk pajamas? Not in the wilderness, not by a long shot. What then? A prophet? That’s right, a prophet! Probably the best prophet you’ll ever hear. He is the prophet that Malachi announced when he wrote, ‘I’m sending my prophet ahead of you, to make the road smooth for you.’
11-14 “Let me tell you what’s going on here: No one in history surpasses John the Baptizer; but in the kingdom he prepared you for, the lowliest person is ahead of him. For a long time now people have tried to force themselves into God’s kingdom. But if you read the books of the Prophets and God’s Law closely, you will see them culminate in John, teaming up with him in preparing the way for the Messiah of the kingdom. Looked at in this way, John is the ‘Elijah’ you’ve all been expecting to arrive and introduce the Messiah.
15 “Are you listening to me? Really listening?
16-19 “How can I account for this generation? The people have been like spoiled children whining to their parents, ‘We wanted to skip rope, and you were always too tired; we wanted to talk, but you were always too busy.’ John came fasting and they called him crazy. I came feasting and they called me a lush, a friend of the riffraff. Opinion polls don’t count for much, do they? The proof of the pudding is in the eating.”
The Unforced Rhythms of Grace
20 Next Jesus let fly on the cities where he had worked the hardest but whose people had responded the least, shrugging their shoulders and going their own way.
21-24 “Doom to you, Chorazin! Doom, Bethsaida! If Tyre and Sidon had seen half of the powerful miracles you have seen, they would have been on their knees in a minute. At Judgment Day they’ll get off easy compared to you. And Capernaum! With all your peacock strutting, you are going to end up in the abyss. If the people of Sodom had had your chances, the city would still be around. At Judgment Day they’ll get off easy compared to you.”
25-26 Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: “Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You’ve concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people. Yes, Father, that’s the way you like to work.”
27 Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. “The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I’m not keeping it to myself; I’m ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen.
28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Are you stressed out, under pressure, under any kind of burden? Are you carrying any type of hindrance, a sin you have been struggling with, a physical pain, problems with your family, or even some sort of grief? Jesus has the answer to your problems. He says, “Come to Me.” Remember you are in the Lord’s protective care and you can rest in His finished work; there is no need to sweat the small stuff.
PRACTICAL PRINCIPLES
1. Those who are weary, come to Him. Maybe you work too hard and are utterly exhausted; the answer to that is to pass your weight on to God.
2. What will happen when you come to Him? God will not only take your load, but He will fill you with rest. He will make you revived and refreshed. All of your problems will be in the hands of the Lord.
3. Once you come to Him, what is next? Jesus wants the steering wheel of your life. He yearns for you to hand it over and give Him complete control.
4. Just come to Him. Regardless of where you are—if you are hurting, worried, or believe there is nowhere else to go—the only fulfilling resolution is to come to Jesus.
RELEVANT REMINDERS
• Remember Jesus’ sacrifice and how He shed His blood for every sin we have ever committed.
God’s righteous demands were met by Christ. As children of the Lord, we must find rest in the finished work accomplished on the cross.
• We are to be free from any bondage, legalism, or vice that could weigh us down. Our sins have been forgiven and the righteousness of Christ has been placed into our account.
• We have a backstage pass to the Father through Jesus Christ. We are capable of calling on Him at any time; He is waiting to hear from us.
• Everything is yoked to something or someone—whether it is people, ideas, relationships, or even sin. Instead of being yoked to a person or an object, be yoked to Jesus.
APPLICABLE ACTIONS
Jesus never said, “Learn of Me first.” Rather He just says, “Come to Me.” Modern culture tells you that in order to find rest, you must seek it in materials, pleasures, or religions. If you chase those, the end result will be a life of continual emptiness. He is the only One who can fulfill your every need.
God doesn’t expect you to make the changes in your life first; He just wants you to come to Him.
Thursday, 11 September 2014
Come and Find Rest
Matthew 11:John the Baptizer
1 When Jesus finished placing this charge before his twelve disciples, he went on to teach and preach in their villages.
2-3 John, meanwhile, had been locked up in prison. When he got wind of what Jesus was doing, he sent his own disciples to ask, “Are you the One we’ve been expecting, or are we still waiting?”
4-6 Jesus told them, “Go back and tell John what’s going on:
The blind see,
The lame walk,
Lepers are cleansed,
The deaf hear,
The dead are raised,
The wretched of the earth learn that God is on their side.
“Is this what you were expecting? Then count yourselves most blessed!”
7-10 When John’s disciples left to report, Jesus started talking to the crowd about John. “What did you expect when you went out to see him in the wild? A weekend camper? Hardly. What then? A sheik in silk pajamas? Not in the wilderness, not by a long shot. What then? A prophet? That’s right, a prophet! Probably the best prophet you’ll ever hear. He is the prophet that Malachi announced when he wrote, ‘I’m sending my prophet ahead of you, to make the road smooth for you.’
11-14 “Let me tell you what’s going on here: No one in history surpasses John the Baptizer; but in the kingdom he prepared you for, the lowliest person is ahead of him. For a long time now people have tried to force themselves into God’s kingdom. But if you read the books of the Prophets and God’s Law closely, you will see them culminate in John, teaming up with him in preparing the way for the Messiah of the kingdom. Looked at in this way, John is the ‘Elijah’ you’ve all been expecting to arrive and introduce the Messiah.
15 “Are you listening to me? Really listening?
16-19 “How can I account for this generation? The people have been like spoiled children whining to their parents, ‘We wanted to skip rope, and you were always too tired; we wanted to talk, but you were always too busy.’ John came fasting and they called him crazy. I came feasting and they called me a lush, a friend of the riffraff. Opinion polls don’t count for much, do they? The proof of the pudding is in the eating.”
The Unforced Rhythms of Grace
20 Next Jesus let fly on the cities where he had worked the hardest but whose people had responded the least, shrugging their shoulders and going their own way.
21-24 “Doom to you, Chorazin! Doom, Bethsaida! If Tyre and Sidon had seen half of the powerful miracles you have seen, they would have been on their knees in a minute. At Judgment Day they’ll get off easy compared to you. And Capernaum! With all your peacock strutting, you are going to end up in the abyss. If the people of Sodom had had your chances, the city would still be around. At Judgment Day they’ll get off easy compared to you.”
25-26 Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: “Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You’ve concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people. Yes, Father, that’s the way you like to work.”
27 Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. “The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I’m not keeping it to myself; I’m ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen.
28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Our lives often feel like a collision of priorities and urgencies. . .multitasking run amok. In the midst of the clamor, Jesus says "come to me and find rest." Pastor Greg Laurie points out how to find the rest the Lord offers
NO NOTES
Friday, 12 September 2014
Greg Laurie Interviewed by Hugh Hewitt
Well all like to get "behind the scenes" information. Pastor Greg Laurie shares his personal life with interviewer, Hugh Hewitt. Gain a new appreciation for Pastor Greg's strong passion for evangelism.
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Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie
P.O. Box 4000
Riverside, CA 92514-4000 United States
Phone: 1(800)821-3300
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