Set Aside the Tithe

Scripture: On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem. 1 Corinthians 16:2-3

Observation: Paul gives the church instructions on the tithe. It is a sum of money set aside on the first day of the week. Some thoughts about that:

-- The money is set aside regularly - every week.
-- The sum is set aside in advance - the first day of the week, before it is truly earned.
-- The money is physically set aside - it isn't just planned in ones mind or budgeted, but actually put away, reserved for later.

Application: It is interesting to understand which laws of the old testament are laws that applied to Israel under the old covenant, and which are laws that are purely "of God" ... effectively part of any right relationship with God. The tithe of the first fruits is clearly the latter. It is this way that I can actively demonstrate so many elements of a right relationship with God:

-- Trust - I know God will care for me and I don't really need the money.
-- Stewardship - I understand he has blessed me and this belongs to him anyway.
-- Obedience - I comply with God's clear instructions.
-- Love - In this transaction we both demonstrate we would never withhold from each other.
-- Presence - We interact regularly and voluntarily.

I have learned this lesson gladly. The more I give to God, the more I have. It is one of the most amazing miracles I can experience regularly, and I get to experience it as a direct result of my actions.

Prayer: Lord, thank you again for the blessing and provision in my life. You have given us far too much - we have abundance beyond our hopes and dreams. I did not earn this ... you chose to provide it to me out of your love. Please forgive me for the times I fail to earn your love, the times I fail to trust in you, the times I sin and ignore you. But mostly thank you for showing me that you love me even though I could never be good enough to be lovable by you. Your provision is great! I gladly return what is your to you.

Partial Engagement

Scripture:
Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.
Psalm 42:11

Observation: There is an interesting construction to this verse. These three sentences are ordered as a conversation between two people - the author, and his own soul. In this case, he is stating that he will intellectually praise and hope in the Lord, and therefore his soul should do the same in order to overcome it downcast life.

Application: There are times when we are depressed. I have heard others say that worshipping God at such times is wrong, as we would only be going through the motions. However, this verse might argue against that ... in times when we are down and depressed in our innermost selves, we should still engage with God with our minds and perform acts of praise and worship and prayer.

I lose sight of God every day. When I do, I need to continue to 'do his work' and serve others. We must love God with our mind and soul and strength, but when one of those wanders off the other two should still engage.

Prayer: Lord, I seek to fully engage with you today. When I fail, please forgive me and accept my partial engagement. I do love you, and you are my lord in all ways and at all times. Please give me strength to engage with you in every way.

More on Gifts, Service, Work

Scripture: There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6

Observation: I have blogged about this before, but it bears more analysis.

God is three in one - The Holy Spirit, our Lord Jesus Christ, and our Father God Yahweh.

We receive gifts of the Spirit, to support the service Jesus commanded of us, through work that glorifies God.

In the church - the body of Christ - the work we do is most effective when we apply our gifts through an area of service (e.g., a ministry).

Application: Am I being effective for my church?

I have gifts of administration, leadership, and discernment. My primary ministry right now is to my family, where I certainly leverage all three of these in daily work. At church I have limited my involvement to things like special events and grounds keeping.

I know I'm about to be called into a leadership position again, and I fear it. Not in a "do not be afraid" kind of way, but in a "am I properly refined to remain humble" concern. I'm not sure. So in that context, I need to determine what work I might do if I end up applying my gifts to a new service.

Prayer: Lord, I seek to glorify you. In whatever a do for you, may I remember to be about you, not me ... may I reflect your love first and foremost, and not my drive to "succeed". Help to keep my eye on the prize, and thus properly define success through kingdom goals.

Just Love Him; Worship Just Him

Scripture: Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them. But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now. The Lord has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you. One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised. So be very careful to love the Lord your God. Joshua 23:7-11

Observation: In these last two chapters Joshua, Joshua is giving his final advice to Israel before he dies. He tells them God will either be with them, or he will turn against them. Over and over again, this either/or proposition is dependent on only two actions of the people of Israel:

-- Do not worship other gods.
-- Love the Lord.

There are reminders of other elements of the law, but the bottom-line issue of whether or not God will be for or against Israel is all about these two factors only.

Application: I am reminded again of this simple truth ... all God really wants from us is for us to love him. He loves me greatly - so greatly that he sent his son to die for me - and all I have to do is love him in return. I won't even get into the "how to show love" conversation today. This is too simple of a truth: God just wants us to love him, and when we do we will then get to bask in his love forever.

But what about worshipping  the gods of the "nations that remain among you"? Today, this is about conforming to society - about allowing out thoughts and deeds to align with and even honor things that are against god, even to the point that we make them idols in our lives. Where am I doing this?

One danger is with my job status/title/recognition ... something I have actively resisted recently. Another is likely my home and the value I place in material comfort, which manifests is attempting to protect my future financial security. These are areas I dwell upon, and which I must take care to do become idols that I hold in importance due to the perception of secular society.

I am set apart to be different. I am blessed to be a blessing. It is time I live into my adopted son-ship within the covenant with God through Jesus.

Prayer: These last few days, you have shown me how to mature in my daily life. I am beginning on the path, Lord. Please continue to make the paths straight, and be a lamp unto my feet as I seek to walk with you daily. Thank you for answered prayers. Amen.

Possess This Place

Scripture: The whole assembly of the Israelites gathered at Shiloh and set up the tent of meeting there. The country was brought under their control, but there were still seven Israelite tribes who had not yet received their inheritance. So Joshua said to the Israelites: "How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you?" Joshua 18:1-3

Observation: Israel has taken the promised land, but it has not "possessed" it. There were two steps to the process. The first was to enter the land and evict all the other nations. However, the second step was to then populate the land ... to themselves become the residents of the promised land.

Application: I am AMAZED again at how quickly God answers prayer!!

Last night I laid in bed praying. It was again the prayer where I am saying, "Lord, I do not know what you want me to do, and I do not know why I am where I am in my daytime hours. I trust you, I will follow your direction, and I will 'dwell in the land,' but I don't know why I am here."

And today, here comes Joshua, saying, "You are here, you have control of the land, but you have not taken possession!!"

I am here. I am a leader - a director with teams and authority in the place - but I keep saying "okay, God, you put me in control here, show me what's next." And God is saying, "okay, I put you in control there, now take possession of the place!"

I am to possess this place. Not control in a professional context, but possess in a spiritual context ... I am to make this a place overseen by Yahweh. I am to establish a claim that says this place will be a place governed by the law of Christ, with that law exhibited through me. I am to lay claim on this place for Jesus. I am to possess this place in a way that glorifies God, and makes others seek Jesus. It is to become a place of patience, peace, love, and joy, and that must start with me as God's appointed resident and steward in this 'land'.

I better get started ... I'm 12 years behind schedule!!!

Prayer: Thank you AGAIN, Lord, for answering my prayers. I am going to continue with this line of prayer, but in the future I hope to use the word 'how' more than 'why'. You are so awesome! Amen.

Complex Logic

Scripture: Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 1 Corinthians 8:9-11

Observation: This is an "advanced" lesson coming from Paul. He is discussing the concept that, in some cases, sin involves a relationship between and action and our understanding of/relationship to that action.

In this example, it is a sin to eat food that has been sacrificed to other gods. However, if Christians know there are no other gods, then food sacrificed to idols hasn't been sacrificed to gods and thus could be eaten. However ... if a new Christian does not understand that concept, and sees us eating that food and thus eats it themselves believing they are eating food that has been sacrificed to another god, they are sinning.

This is a complex and advanced notion about maintaining our right relationship with God, and it has SO many applications today.

Application: The heart of this lesson is actually about how Christians interrelate when they are at different levels of maturity in their faith. And that is the driving lesson I sometimes forget ... not only are there different levels of maturity, but that is normal, and if I consider myself more mature then I am to adjust my behavior to appease other believers, instead of judging them and driving them to a higher standard.

Where is this happening in my church? Those who aren't serving ... I must not judge them. Instead, I should just serve them and let them learn of opportunities to grow. Those who allow worldly concepts to permeate their lives ... I should remove the plank from my own eye then let them see a joy-filled life. Those straining in their marriage ... I can lend an ear yet model being an attentive husband.

Prayer: Lord, one of the truths about all relationships is that they are personal, and thus your relationship with each believer is different. I should not hold others to conform to my understanding of you. At the same time, I should be prepared to adjust my behavior in order to not make others consider complex concepts before they are ready. Please allow me patience in these matters.

Post Modern Wisdom

Scripture: Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”; and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”  1 Corinthians 3:18-20

Observation: God anticipated the "scientific arguments" against Christianity, and has a very simple response in two parts:

1) Their 'craftiness' will actually entrap them. All the scientific arguments eventually lead to dead ends with unexplainable logical assumptions.

2) The attempts themselves are 'futile'. God has explained all he needs to explain, and attempts to pursue other explanations will never bear fruitful results.

Application: Yesterday, I saw a link to "Bill Nye the Science Guy" who was again explaining away creationism. I have seen his schtick before. He basically lays out all the science and then says "because these are all facts, the universe cannot be created by God."

Of course, many of his facts are things that science itself has disproven: The rapid expansion of the universe and the concept of 'chemical creation' of life are two of them. Others are dead ends that science still believes but has yet to justify, such as the cause of the big bang and the actual formation of stars. These are the futile traps - in disproving the existence of God, all scientific discovery gets to a point where the next 'step' is something along the lines of "it happened" without explanation.

The problem is that scientists are so pleased with their intellectual pursuit that they become their own closed-minded society blind the holes and gaps in their logic, assuming that those holes are simply truths yet to be discovered.

I used to be someone who engaged in these debates. Now, I refuse. There is no value in such debates. As Paul next says to the Corinthians, "So then, no more!" I want to discuss only one foundational truth with others: Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died for our salvation. Upon this I hope to build my work every day.

Prayer: Lord, please guide my words and deeds every day, so that I may establish this foundation in my life, likewise establish this foundation with those around me, and build upon it with words and deeds.

Moses was Never Shaken

Scripture: And Moses the servant of the Lord died there in Moab, as the Lord had said. He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone. Deuteronomy 34:5-7

The death of Moses ... the man who talked to God face to face, approached raging fires, gave orders to Pharaoh, challenged tens of thousands of sinners, stood alone in the face of rebellion, trusted in the parted waters, called down plagues ... a prophet unlike any other. I would like to think this would have been his go-to theme song:

Worthy of Trust

Scripture:
Blessed is the one
    who trusts in the Lord,
who does not look to the proud,
    to those who turn aside to false gods.
Psalm 40:4

Observation: The psalmist (identified as David) makes an interesting connection between faithful believers and those who worship false gods/idols, and that is the additional introduction of a liaison. Not only shouldn't we ourselves look to false gods, but we must not place our faith and trust in others who are proud, and whom themselves turn to false gods.

Application: This teaching from David presents a new level of accountability for us. This means that we need to be very, very careful in whom we place our trust - in whom we decide to promote to positions of honor in our lives. It isn't enough that we guard against making other people and things idols, we must also consider what those people we trust are doing if we ourselves wish to be blessed.

Of course, there is only one true way to do this: To place only Jesus in in that honored position whom we look to for guidance in our lives! I am fascinated how the entire bible reading today relates to this. In Deuteronomy 31, we see God commissioning Joshua to lead Israel into the promised land, but immediately saying the people will turn away. In 1 Corinthians, Paul is instructing the church to not become divided by saying that some follow his teachings, others Apollos, other Cephas.

How am I to be blessed? By placing my trust only in Jesus. I must not elevate others to positions of high honor, for even if they don't fail me they will likely fail God in some manner. Instead, I must honor the one who said, "Here I am, I have come - it is written about me in the scroll. I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart." (Psalm 40:7-8)

Prayer: Lord, I look to you for guidance in my life. May I stop seeking advice about how to work through challenges in all areas of my life - especially here at work - and instead simply put my trust in you, Jesus. May I elevate you to the position of honor in my life, as the only person worthy of providing guidance, and the only one worthy of my trust.

Under God's Curse

Scripture: If someone guilty of a capital offense is put to death and their body is exposed on a pole, you must not leave the body hanging on the pole overnight. Be sure to bury it that same day, because anyone who is hung on a pole is under God’s curse. You must not desecrate the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance. Deuteronomy 21:22-23

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. Galatians 3:13-14

Observation: Jesus was "under God's curse".

That is a very, very difficult concept to get your head around - that God's son, who was perfect, blameless, and with whom God was pleased - was under God's curse. However, if you relate the logic back to the law (which is both the reading in Deuteronomy and the lesson Paul is teaching in his letter), the logic follows:

-- The law itself does not bring salvation.
-- Anyone who lives under the law is cursed as they cannot fulfill the law.
-- The penalty for being cursed under the law is death.
-- God brought that curse upon his own son in order to fulfill the law and redeem mankind.
-- Any who have faith in Jesus receive that redemption and are no longer cursed under the law.
-- Any who do not have faith in Jesus are still subject to the law and thus its curse.

Application: Paul is very clear that all conversations about redemption through "works" are also about "the law". Thus, all conversations about right living need to be in the context of the law as well - a premise most people in our day and age have chosen to ignore.

I know I cannot live under the law. I also know that I am still to do the work of Jesus as an outpouring of my faith in him.

I am about to head into a time of work for Jesus. The yard care season will start up, and I will do anonymous work behind the scenes. Laurie has moved to full time status, and I will do more work at home that no one knows about to make that possible. Eventually I will coordinate resources for the July 4th Parade. I hope I can keep my eye on the prize throughout - Jesus took upon himself the curse of death that I deserve, so in faith and gratitude all effort I can give him is for his glory.

Prayer: Lord, please keep my heart right as we enter this season of service. I long to serve you in great ways, but moreover please keep my heart glad as I do serve you in small, hidden ways.

Praying for Saul

Scripture: Then I [Paul] went to Syria and Cilicia. I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” And they praised God because of me. Galatians 1:21-24

Observation:
Application:

Prayer: I lend my voice to what many pastors, including ours, have said. Lord ... I pray that there is a modern day Saul in the middle east right now, about to rise up out of the persecution of your church to instead preach the good new of Jesus Christ.

The enemy has emerged from the shadows, lord. He wears a black hood and openly broadcasts the terrible beheadings of your believers, for no reason than to insight fear and try to crush your word. We know that will not work! The enemy already tried that - when your church began, opponents decided to kill the faithful publicly in order to strike fear into the faithful and end their good work. Instead, you used that to bring forth a mighty waive of The Way throughout the world, spreading the good news of Jesus everywhere.

And at that time, one man reigned supreme in the persecution of the church. Saul presided over killings, aided in torture, personally hunted and arrested some for execution, and then ... discovered you, Jesus, and became Paul who spread the gospel throughout Asia Minor. He was stoned, beaten, arrested, tortured, and once resuscitated from the dead. He emerged from the side of he persecution to the side of the persecuted. The terror did not end, but he became the mighty warrior of your word.

So I pray for today's Saul. I pray for the man who is currently part of ISIS - who is presiding over beheadings, holding the cameras, hunting down Christians for arrest, beating and torturing believers - the man who is about to meet Jesus, convert, and become a mighty warrior for the gospel.

I pray for him NOW ... not a conditional pray that will apply after he converts, but I pray for him now, where he is, and how he is. I pray that he has a good day, a restful evening, and success in his life, for I know that all provision comes from you, and it is through provision you can reveal yourself. I pray he receive love - the love of his family, of friends, and of his community - for I know that all love is actually from you, and it is through that love you can reveal yourself. Mostly, I pray that very shortly he meets Jesus, be it through a miracle or an encounter with a believer, as certainly you can choose any means you wish to reveal yourself.

Please be with "Saul" today, grant him peace in his heart, and prepare him in strength to do the mighty work, which you have prepared in advance. I look forward to praising you, God, because of this man.

In the name if Jesus Christ, my lord and savior who provides all good things, I pray. Amen, and Amen.

Walk This Way

Scripture: And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good? Deuteronomy 10:12-13

Observation: Throughout the bible, all the prophets summarize God's "laws" using an interesting word: To "walk" with him. This walk typically involves love level or respect, honor, humility, and obedience. However, it also implies a relationship. You do not walk with someone you do not know, and without common direction.

Application: Many Christians - myself included - seek to "walk with God". However, I think many - myself included - miss out on this last key element ... we have to be heading in a common direction with God.

Sometimes, God will join our direction. However, that is likely to occur only if we are already on the right path, or at least on a path God is willing to take. For the most part, we should be seeking God's path and joining him there. This can be both metaphorical (our direction in life) but also literal (going to the right places and doing the right work daily).

I keep praying for God to show me where he is working so I may join him. And he has shown me lately. Now, I need to walk down that path with him.

Prayer: Thank you for recent signs, God. I wish to stay on your path, going your way, and humbly walk with you as my father in heaven. Amen.

Your Love, Oh Lord

Scripture:
Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
    your faithfulness to the skies.
Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
    your justice like the great deep.
    You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.
How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!
    People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
Psalm 36:5-7

Nothing else jumped out at me today, but since this was part of the reading it gave me a chance to consider the songs of one of my favorite bands today. Enjoy!

Owning Your Actions

Scripture: Because of you the Lord became angry with me also and said, "You shall not enter it, either." Deuteronomy 1:37

Observation: Technically ... that's a true statement. Because of the people's failure to follow God into the promised land, they had to still wander in the desert, which meant they were still wandering when Moses dishonored God by taking credit for drawing water from a rock. If not for the people's lack of obedience, they wouldn't have been there in the first place.

But ... it was Moses who struck the rock and took credit (with Aaron) for bringing forth water, instead of speaking to the rock as ordered and giving credit to God. Just like so many others in the Bible - starting with Adam - men deflect blame for their own errors and sins.

Application: I know EXACTLY where I do this - in my lack of patience and quick anger. Of course the reason I get frustrated so quickly must be because ... other people are so frustrating!! Their inability to follow instructions, or make good decisions, or avoid mistakes, is their fault, and so my response is due to their actions first.  Right?

Wrong.

My response is mine, and I need to own it. And most importantly, I need to own it before God, and align it to the Holy Spirit's fruit that should be showing through me. I should be a patient, joyful, kind peacemaker. I should be slow to judge, slow to anger, demonstrating self control. When I need to correct in truth, my words should be gentle, mixed with love.

I must own my actions, because I will be held accountable for them.

Prayer: Lord, I pray that you forgive me for my sins. Please forgive me today for hasty words I have spoken in anger, and hurt I have brought on others. May I learn from your example. Help me, please, to exhibit the fruits of the spirit in my actions and reactions to others, at all times. Thank you for your grace, even though I fail to pass that grace to others. I strive to do better in your name. Amen.

Not the Tree of Life

Scripture: Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it. ... In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!” “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.” Mark 11:13-14,20-23

Observation: What happened here?? In just a plain reading of the text, there are several possible explanations about what Jesus did to this fig tree. Here are three:

a) By his authority, Jesus cursed the tree to die, and it did. This is the explanation that seems to be the most popular, but is confusing to those trying to understand the nature of Jesus.

b) By his faith, Jesus cursed the tree to never bear fruit again, and God responded by killing the tree. This is the explanation that best aligns to the text and is the easiest to understand.

c) By his knowledge, Jesus saw the tree had a root disease and took advantage of the situation to impress the disciples. This is the explanation non-believers would point to as the case for Jesus being a con artist.

Application: This is one of those situations in the Bible I love, because there is one very simple story, but with so many layers of truth beneath it. As I said above, there are several ways to interpret what Jesus did, however in applying the lessons of Jesus to my life I must first determine why he did this.

Jesus did NOT curse the tree because it didn't have fruit at a time when it shouldn't have had fruit!! Instead, I would say Jesus cursed the tree because ... it didn't obey his will. Jesus wanted a fig, and the tree did not yield one, so he cut it off. This is consistent with other lessons of Jesus (such as cutting off and burning vines that do not yield grapes).

When Jesus wants me to do something, the answer needs to be "yes". If I say "no" or "later", that results in disease entering my soul - my innermost core - which will kill me 'from the roots up' so to speak.

Prayer: Jesus, I hope I am not saying 'no' to you right now. I would love to answer 'yes' to your work and your will. I look for your call and your calling.

What I Don't Understand

Scripture: They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it. Mark 9:30-32

Observation: Mark quotes Jesus effectively saying, "I am going to be arrested, put to death, and then rise from the dead," and ... they did not understand what he meant. I mean, Jesus probably couldn't have been any clearer about this prediction. So why don't the disciples understand?

There are probably three elements at work here. One is the fact that they believe Jesus is the Messiah, so the idea that Jesus can be arrested and killed is beyond their understanding ... God cannot be killed! Second is an emphasis on the uneducated nature of the disciples. For the most part, these were humble men not educated in the scriptures, and thus they still lacked some insights into prophesy. Third, there is probably a spiritual influence here ... God is keeping the disciples in the dark to some degree to ensure that his plan and work proceeds without any undue interference.

Application: It is so easy for me to say "well, duh, that was pretty simple to understand." However, how often does God tell me something and I don't understand? Daily??

Do I truly understand the impact of sin on my life? Do I fully know intellectually those issues I will need to answer for (such as my judgmental attitude toward others), and am I fearful enough of that to stop behaving that way? Do I really perceive others as the workmanship of God worthy of my love? Have I embraced by vocation as a means to become a witness of Jesus in the dark places of the world?

Would the disciples rightfully look at my life and think "well duh, this guy is pretty dense to not be understanding this stuff, we spelled it out in writing for him pretty clearly"?

Prayer: Lord, there are basic things I don't understand. I may understand them intellectually, but when I fail to incorporate them into my life that is because I do not understand how they should be rightly incorporated into my life. I do want to incorporate love and compassion of others into my daily minute-by-minute life ... I do know that would be the best way I could better serve your purposes. I will remain in your word and meditate on it regularly to try to understand this basic truth better. Amen.