The Anchor for our Souls

Hebrews 6: 17 - 20 (NIV): Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf.

    When I first read this, it didn't make sense. Why would the writer talk about a ship anchor going into the inner sanctuary of the Temple, behind the curtain? This is the Holy of Holies, where God's presence is. A ship belongs on the water, not in a temple. Isn't this a mixed metaphor?

    But the NIV may be hurting our understanding some here. It says, "where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf" (emphasis mine). The Greek says "Jesus, our forerunner". A forerunner was a small boat that took the anchor of a ship and dropped it safely in the harbor. Once the anchor was placed in the harbor, the ship's mates could simply pull the boat into the dock. Once the anchor was at harbor, the ship was guaranteed to make it safely in, no matter what.

    Our hope in salvation is an anchor for the soul. Our salvation has already been safely placed in the harbor -- in the Holy of Holies, in God's very presence. We are going to make it. Our anchor is already there, we just pull ourselves in at the proper time.

    Hebrews 6 begins with a difficult passage that many think means we could lose our salvation if we fell away, but read in the proper light, we can see that the writer is saying salvation is a one-time thing, not something we receive over and over. Jesus died once for all, and when we trust in him, he places our anchor safely in the harbor of God.

Preach the Word

Nehemiah 8: 5 - 8 (NIV): 5 Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. 6 Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, "Amen! Amen!" Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. 7 The Levites--Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah--instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. 8 They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.

    This happened in about 450 BC. The Jews had been taken captive in 605 BC by Babylon. But Persia defeated Babylon in 539 BC and King Cyrus had released the Jews to go home to Jerusalem. There they rebuilt the temple in about 25 years and rebuilt the wall around the city in an amazing 52 days.

    Now, Nehemiah comes, and he and the priest, Ezra, assemble the people and read God's Word to them. The chapter says Ezra read from early morning until noon and the people stood and listened attentively, saying "Amen", and then bowing before God in respect.

    Ezra is using "expository preaching". He read the scripture, then exposed its meaning. This is the kind of preaching we need today. We need preachers to read God's Word and make it clear. Preachers need to emphasize the Bible and not their opinions. Preachers need to emphasize what God's Word says and not spend their time in the pulpit telling personal stories. Stories are good for illustration, but our stories must support the truth of the scripture -- and not the other way around. The power for revival and repentance is found in God's Word. Churches must stick to it and teach it. We have too many Christians who do not know the scripture. We, as a church, must teach the word.

Taking a Stand

Ephesians 6: 10 – 13 (NIV) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

    This weekend we honor those who have given their lives for our country. Freedom is never free, it is paid for in blood, and we honor the more than a million men and women who have given their lives for our country.

    In this passage, Paul talks about winning another kind of war. A war that we all face as believers. A war to make us ineffective; a war to keep us from spreading God’s goodness. We must stand our ground. The enemy is pushing back against our growth, our maturity. The enemy is trying to steal our joy and distract us from seeing God’s goodness in our lives. The enemy is looking for weaknesses in our armor. He wants to knock us down and keep us there. It’s a war, a daily struggle.

    Who is this enemy we struggle against? Paul says it is “rulers, authorities, powers of this dark world and spiritual forces in the heavenly realm”. There is a supernatural layer to life. There are angels warring for us and demons warring against us. The Old Testament prophet Elisha was allowed to glimpse God’s army protecting him in battle in 2 Kings 6. Jesus said the Holy Spirit is like the wind – he goes where he pleases and we cannot see him (John 3). There is a spiritual layer to the universe. The universe itself is supernatural, a miracle created by God himself.

    And so we must put on our armor so we can take our stand against the devil and his forces of evil. The armor of truth, righteousness, knowledge, readiness, faith and prayer. And we fight back with God’s Word. Make no mistake, we are at war, and we will be defeated if we do not fight back and take a stand.

A Wife of Noble Character

Proverbs 31: 10-12, 30-31 (NIV): 10 A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. 11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. 12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life ... 
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. 31 Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. 

 The most important decision a man will ever make, next to his salvation, is who he chooses for his wife. A woman can make a man's life better or she can make it much worse. The wife in this chapter brings comfort to her husband. She is more valuable than anything else in his life. She continually brings him goodness. He trusts her and has full confidence in her. This means everything to a man.

   A good wife will be a good steward of the home's finances. She may or may not work outside the home, but she looks for bargains and is careful with her spending. She isn't lazy. She cooks and cleans and takes care of the children. Yes, the man should help with these chores, but she takes care of her house and makes sure everything is running smoothly. And she is compassionate, giving to needy families and sacrificing for others.

   Physical beauty is fleeting, but a woman's true value comes from her respect for God. I pray there will always be women who love and respect God. Women who have good character. 

    Our response, as husbands and children and grandchildren, should be to praise the women in our lives. We should honor and respect them and remember to say thanks for all they do. This is what Mother's Day is all about.

All Have Sinned

Psalm 14: 1 - 3 (NIV): 1 The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. 2 The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. 3 All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.

    You have to be a fool to believe there is no God. You have to go against the instinct that God has placed in every person, and you have to go against the logic of creation. Saying there is no God is like saying a tin can evolved into a smart phone with no intelligent intervention -- oh and the tin can itself just suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Only a fool would believe that.

    Maybe the reason someone would say there is no God is because he wants to do what he wants to do. He doesn't want to be told what to do. He wants to live his life as he pleases and does not want to live under God's rules. (God's rules, by the way, which he gave to keep us healthy, safe and happy.) David, who wrote this psalm, seems to say this.

    But before you get smug because you do believe in God, David has something to say to all of us: we are all sinners. There is none who does good, not even one. Isaiah 53 says we all like sheep have gone astray. Romans 3:23 says all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. None of us is good enough to be friends with God. None of us is good enough to get into God's heaven.

    God is looking for people who understand this, who realize they need him. God is looking for people who seek him, which means we want to get to know him.

    The end of this Psalm says, "Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!" We need a Savior. We need help to be friends with God the creator. Jesus provided a way at Calvary. David was made right with God because he believed it would happen, our righteousness comes from believing it did.

Jesus Rose on the Third Day

Luke 23: 40 - 47 (NIV): 40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate it in their presence. 44 He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." 45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

    This was the day Jesus rose from the dead. It was that Sunday afternoon. He suddenly appeared in the room with the disciples, bending the laws of physics. He had a new body, but a body. He could be seen and touched, had the scars from his crucifixion, and he ate fish in front of them. He was no ghost, he had a body. So will we. 

    He said the Old Testament stated that he would suffer and rise on the third day. Can we find in the Old Testament such a prophecy? I want to show you four places where this is foretold:

    First, when Abraham was tested by God to see if he would sacrifice Isaac. Genesis 22 says "on the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance." This incident is symbolic of God sacrificing his son. Second, Ezra 6:15 says the temple was completed "on the third day of the month of Adar" This isn't very direct, but Jesus made it so when he said, "tear down this temple and I will rebuild it in three days." Third, Hosea 6:2 says, "After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence." Fourth, Jonah was in the fish for three days. Jesus said in Matthew 12 that this was a sign and that he would be in the ground for three days.

    The truth is there, but we sometimes have to look for it. All of these passages suddenly made sense when Jesus came back from the dead and showed his disciples the truth.

Why Is Easter So Important?

Luke 23: 44 - 49 (NIV): 44 It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last. 47 The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, "Surely this was a righteous man." 48 When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. 49 But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things. 

    Why is Easter such an important holiday to Christians? It is our highest holy day. Church attendance soars. People dress up and the ladies wear big hats. Some get up really early and go to sunrise services. Why? Why is Easter such a bid deal?

    Notice in the passage above that the curtain in the temple tore in two. This happened while Jesus was on the cross. It was God's way of showing us that we can now enter into God's presence. Jesus paid for our sins. Now its up to us to accept his gift of salvation. Now, we can trade our lives for his. There would be no Easter without the death of Jesus.

    The second reason Easter is so important is because it represents when Jesus conquered death. Death is the enemy of mankind and Jesus defeated it. Now we have nothing to fear. Yes, the separation of death is painful, but it is tempered with hope for those who are in Christ. When Jesus came back to life he showed that he has supernatural power. When we realize that God is supernatural, we understand the miracle of creation and we have hope that God will work in miraculous ways in our lives.

    The third reason Easter is so important is because Jesus proved who he was when he came back from the dead. He had made bold claims. He had claimed to be God in the flesh. As C. S. Lewis said, Jesus was either a liar, a lunatic -- or he was Lord of all and we must fall at his feet and worship him. When Jesus rose again he proved who he claimed to be. He proved that everything he had ever said was true. Easter is a big deal. A very big deal.

A New Mandate

John 13: 24 - 25 (NIV): 34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

    It was just hours before Jesus was betrayed and arrested. Hours before he would be whipped and beaten and nailed to a cross. Hours before he became sin for us, paid the price for it, dying in agony. Jesus had just washed his disciples' feet -- even Judas' feet. In a little while Judas would betray him and the disciples would run scared into the night. Peter would deny three times that he knew him.

Then Jesus pronounced a new command. You could call this the Eleventh Commandment. Jesus was elevating us loving each other to the status of being equal to the Ten Commandments. It's not that the command for us to love each other was new. God had already told the Israelites to love each other as they loved themselves (Leviticus 19:18). But Jesus was putting love at the top of what we should do as Christians to show the world who we are. And they were about to understand what loving each other really meant. Love involves sacrifice. Showing true love for someone costs you. Moments later, Jesus would say, "greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13).

Now we understand what it means to love each other. When Jesus washed his disciples feet, he showed that love is humble, that love is a servant, and that love forgives. He knew full well that they were all about to let him down.

The first word in the Catholic Holy Thursday liturgy is "Mandatum", which is Latin for mandate or command. This is where the term "Maundy" comes from. Many Christians recognize Maundy Thursday as the day Jesus washed his disciples' feet and issued a new command, that we love one another as he loved us. Because the disciples showed true, sacrificial love for one another, Christianity soon conquered Rome and is on its way to overtaking the whole world. But it will only do so if we continue to follow Jesus' command and love one another as he has loved us.

Easter 2014

Luke 24: 1 – 3 (NIV): 1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

    Here is our whole faith in three verses. The tomb was empty. The women had seen him dead and buried, and simply wanted to anoint his dead body with spices to keep the smell down. The best they had hoped for was that someone would help them roll the stone from the entrance. But it was already removed. They weren’t even happy that Jesus’ body was gone, they were saddened by this, thinking that someone had taken his body. The idea that Jesus would have risen from the dead was nowhere in their minds. When they saw Jesus alive they were astonished and amazed and overjoyed.

    Can we know this story is true? Is it just a myth or a legend? Is it just wishful thinking? Consider: Something happened in the lives of the witnesses. We have a reliable history of each of the disciples. Each of them was basically a coward. Each of them thought Jesus was going to be a political ruler who threw Rome out of Israel. Jesus didn’t – he died instead. But the disciples didn’t quit the revolution, they died for it! Would they have all died for something they knew to be a lie? Not only this, but Christianity conquered the most powerful empire in the world within 200 years and continues to change history as it changes individual lives to this very day.

    The only explanation is that the tomb was empty. But the story doesn’t end there. Soon, Jesus appeared to the disciples and many others. He appeared and spoke to the very people who had seen him die. He even spoke to 500 people at one setting. History records this, but you don’t need history to tell you that Jesus lives, you already know it if you have experienced him. Yes, the tomb was empty that first Easter morning and that changed everything. Jesus proved to be who he claimed to be – God in the flesh; the Messiah. He proved that he was the way to God and offers salvation to all who put their trust in him.

Palm Sunday

Luke 19: 41 - 44 (NIV): 41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace--but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you.

    Jesus wept over Jerusalem the day he entered triumphantly on a donkey. The people worshipped him and laid palm branches on the road before him so that the donkey on which he was riding would not have to step on the dirt. Jesus was entering Jerusalem as a king. Kings in times of peace would ride into town on a donkey in this culture. Jesus was fulfilling a prophecy from Zachariah 9:9 that said the king would enter on a donkey bringing peace.

    So, why did Jesus weep over Jerusalem? Because he knew the people of the city were going to reject him as their king. They were looking for a political Messiah and he was a spiritual one. They would chant "crucify him" within five days of his entry. And 37 years later, the Roman General Titus would enter Jerusalem and murder most of the people. He would completely destroy the temple. He would forever change the worship of the Jews.

    Palm Sunday is celebrated by churches around the world each year. But there is a dark warning we must not miss. Jesus came once into Jerusalem on a donkey. He came once bringing peace. He died once and only once. When we see him again he will be on a white horse and he will bring "the fury" of God's wrath to those who have rejected him. On his robe and on his thigh this will be written: "King of Kings and Lord of Lords." (Revelation 19:  11 - 16). Accept Jesus' peace while there is still time. When he returns he will not bring peace, but judgement.  

The New Covenant

Luke 22: 14 - 20 (NIV):  14 When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15 And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God." 17 After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. 18 For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." 19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." 20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

    This was Thursday night of Passover week. All Jews were required to go to Jerusalem to eat the Feast of Unleavened Bread and take part in the week-long Passover events. Passover was the celebration of the death angel passing over those who had the blood of the lamb on their doorposts. This was the tenth and final plague in Egypt. It was the one that convinced Pharaoh to set the Israelites free.

    So Passover was a celebration of freedom. Jesus and his disciples followed the law and had been in Jerusalem to honor the holiday. Then Thursday night arrived. Jesus and his disciples met in an upstairs room that had been prepared in advance for them. They reclined at the table and began the meal. None of the Gospels give us much detail about the meal, but we know they would have eaten roast lamb, bitter herbs, and bread without yeast, and they would have drunk wine. Scholars say the lamb was roasted over a fire using two sticks in the shape of a cross. Exodus 12 tells us how the meal was to be eaten.

    Then Jesus gave new meaning to the meal. He said the bread now represented his body, given for us, and the cup represented his blood, shed for us. His blood represented a new covenant -- a new contract. Jesus was about to pay for our sins, once for all time, and our part of the agreement is simple: we must put our trust in him for our salvation.

Jesus Prays in the Garden

Luke 22: 39 – 44 (NIV): 39 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40 On reaching the place, he said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation." 41 He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42 "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

    Here’s what Scottish Minister William Barkley said about this remarkable moment in history: “There is no scene like this in all history. This was the very hinge and turning point in Jesus' life. He could have turned back even yet. He could have refused the cross. The salvation of the world hung in the balance as the Son of God literally sweated it out in Gethsemane; and he won.” Jesus did not want to go through the agony of being abandoned, scourged and crucified. He did not want to take our sin upon himself and be separated from God; he did not want to experience the death that we deserve. 
    But Jesus knew the power to endure what he was facing came from God. He leaned on his friends – to a point – but his prayer was between him and God. He went to his usual spot. This tells us that he prayed often. He took his best friends with him, but continued on a few more feet to pray alone. And he knelt to pray. Matthew and Mark say he “fell on the ground”. Jesus humbled himself before God and that is the posture we must take when we pray. He wasn’t demanding that God do his will, he was begging for relief, or at least for the strength to do God’s will.
    Luke, the doctor, says that his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. This shows us the agony he was in. He was battling the temptation to run away. He could have used his powers to escape, or he could have called an army of angels to save him. But he thought about you and me and he knew what he had to do. Jesus won the victory and purchased salvation for all who believe.

A Picture of True Worship

John 12: 3 – 8 (NIV): Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages. " 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 "Leave her alone," Jesus replied. "[It was intended] that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me."

This story happened the night before Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the donkey. He was at the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. Lazarus’ sister Martha served Jesus supper, but then Mary poured a jar of expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair.
    I want to celebrate her act of true worship. Her worship was appropriate for the occasion. Jesus said her anointing of him was symbolic of his impending death. True worship is always appropriate for the occasion. It was costly. That perfume cost a year’s salary! And she poured it on Jesus’ feet. David said he would not make a sacrifice that cost him nothing (2 Samuel 24:24). So often we enjoy God’s blessings, but true worship involves sacrifice.
    This act of worship was humbling. She wiped Jesus’ feet with her hair. In that culture and in any culture, this is an act of humility. David said he would become “undignified” for God (2 Samuel 6:22). Do we? Do we ever make fools of ourselves in our devotion to God? I love her example here. She was not full of pride, she was full of love. And her worship was timely: Jesus would be crucified in a week. If she had waited she would have missed her opportunity for this expression.
    And typically, someone didn’t like it. When we go all out for God we can expect criticism and opposition. John tells us where Judas’ heart really was. But Jesus accepted her worship because God should be worshiped and Jesus was God.

The Immense Universe

Colossians 1: 15, 16 (NIV): 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.

    The universe is apparently immense. We are in orbit around an average-sized sun, in the disk of a large galaxy. Our galaxy may have a billion stars, and there may be a billion galaxies in the universe. The earth is a dot in our solar system, a speck compared to our galaxy, and a microscopic speck in the whole universe. (This is not to mention that that are seven billion people now on this one little planet.)

    The earth is orbiting in a habitable zone which, along with several other factors, makes us extremely privileged. Almost everywhere else in the universe is hostile to life, either extremely hot or cold. And the sheer size of the universe boggles the mind. Distances are simply incomprehensible. 

    Why did God create the universe so big? I'll be honest, this has been troubling me. Why would God create such an immense universe just to put stars in our sky? And we are just now discovering how huge the universe is. The Hubble Telescope is revealing galaxy clusters we never would have imagined. 

    But it occurs to me that the size of the universe is a reminder of how long eternity is. What our size is to the universe is akin to what our time on earth is compared to eternity. I often snap my fingers and say that is how long our life on earth is compared to eternity. In the same way, our whole earth is tiny compared to all of God's creation. God is a big God. The universe is immense. And eternity is a very long time.
    After reading this column, my brother, Kevin, pointed out that astrophysicists say the universe has to be the size it is or it wouldn't work. If it were larger or smaller (keeping in mind that it is expanding) the stars could not have formed.  Everything about the earth and the universe has to be just right for life to exist and everything IS just right. Amazing.

Pray and Never Give Up

Luke 18: 1 - 8 (NIV): Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' "And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off ? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

     This is a rare parable in the Bible because Luke tells us what it's about before Jesus tells it. Perhaps this is because God really wants to make sure we understand this one. God would rather us pray than anything else. We were created to have a relationship with him and prayer is how we do it.
    Too many times we pray once or twice, then give up if we don't feel we have our answer. Jesus told this story to show us that we must never give up. When we keep asking we prove that we really do have faith. We give up so quickly because we don't believe he really will answer. I firmly believe that God allows situations in our lives for the sole purpose of keeping us in prayer. He wants us to depend on him instead of ourselves.
    If you are praying about something and feel you need a boost of power or faith, try adding fasting. Fasting humbles us before God and shows him that we are serious. The hunger pains remind us to pray and allow us to sacrifice, identifying with Christ. So keep praying and never give up. Show God that you believe in what he says. And like the widow in our story, keep asking until you get your answer.