“They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb… and they loved not their lives unto the death” (Rev 12:11).
seek Him in the actual moment
“And by the word of their testimony;” and on account of the word, etc. The one phrase is the natural complement of the other. “The blood of the Lamb” would have been shed in vain without the testimony, the outcome of the faith of his followers; that testimony would have been impossible without the shedding of the blood. And they loved not their lives unto the death; their life even unto death. That is, they valued not their life in this world, even to the extent of meeting death for the sake of giving their testimony.
All who will can be overcomers. Let us strive earnestly to reach the standard set before us. Christ knows our weakness, and to Him we can go daily for help. It is not necessary for us to gain strength a month ahead. We are to conquer from day to day.
When James and John came to Jesus with their mother, asking Him to give them the best place in the kingdom, He did not refuse their request, but He told them it would be given to them if they could do His work, drink His cup, and be baptized with His baptism.
Do we want that kind of competition? The greatest things are always hedged about by the hardest things, and we, too, shall find mountains and forests and chariots of iron. Hardship is the price of coronation. Triumphal arches are not woven out of rose blossoms and silken cords, but of hard blows and bloody scars. The very hardships that you are enduring in your life today are given by the Master for the explicit purpose of enabling you to win your crown.
Do not wait for some ideal situation, some wild-eyed difficulty, some far-away emergency; but rise to meet the actual conditions which the Providence of God has placed around you today.
Your crown of glory lies embedded in the very heart of these things– those hardships and trials that are pressing you this very hour, week and month of your life. The hardest things are not those that the world knows of. Down in your secret soul unseen and unknown by any but Jesus, there is a little trial that you would not dare to mention that is harder for you to bear than martyrdom.
We become overcomers by helping others to overcome, by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. The keeping of the commandments of God will yield in us an obedient spirit, and the service that is the offspring of such a spirit, God can accept {7BC 974.4}
Right there, in the very center of our trials, lies our crown.
To live and love like Jesus in the middle of our sorest trials.
May God help us all to overcome, and to one day wear it.
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world gives , give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27.
“peace I give to you” (John 14;27)
Jesus says, “My peace I give unto you: not as the world gives , give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
The peace spoken of by the great Teacher is larger and fuller than we have imagined. Christ is ready to do large things for us, to restore our natures by making us partakers of His divine nature. He waits to link our hearts with His heart of infinite love, in order that we may be fully reconciled to God; but it is our privilege to understand that God loves us as He loves His Son. When we believe in Christ as our personal Savior, the peace of Christ is ours. The reconciliation provided for us in the atonement of Christ is the foundation of our peace; but gloomy feelings are no evidence that the promises of God are of no effect. You look at your feelings, and because your outlook is not all brightness, you begin to draw more closely the garment of heaviness about your soul. You look within yourself, and think that God is forsaking you. You are to look to Christ. In me, Christ says, you shall have peace. Entering into communion with our Savior, we enter the region of peace.
Yes, at one time you were far away from God, but now in Christ Jesus, you are brought near to him. You are brought near to God through the blood sacrifice of Christ. Christ is the reason we are now at peace… (Eph 2:13-14)
Satan is our destroyer, but Christ is our restorer. We must put faith into constant exercise, and trust in God, whatever our feelings may be. Isaiah says: “Who is among you that fear the Lord, that obey the voice of his servant, that walks in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God.” You can say with the psalmist, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou prepares a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: you anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.”
“Believe in the Lord your God, so shall you be established; believe his prophets, so shall you prosper. And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endures for ever. And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord sent ambushes against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.” “Unto you therefore which believe He is precious.”
Consider the fact that the Lord has given His only begotten Son, “that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”
The end result of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives is deep and lasting peace. Unlike worldly peace, which is usually defined as the absence of conflict, this peace is confident assurance in any circumstance; with Christ’s peace, we have no need to fear the present or the future. Sin, fear, uncertainty, doubt, and numerous other forces are at war within us. The peace of God moves into our hearts and lives to restrain these hostile forces and offer comfort in place of conflict. Jesus says he will give us that peace if we are willing to accept it from him. If your life is full of stress, allow the Holy Spirit to fill you with Christ’s peace
Do not be anxious about anything; but by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God in everything; And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things. Whatever things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, you do also; and the God of peace shall be with you. (Phil 4:6-9, AFV)
Imagine never worrying about anything! It seems like an impossibility; we all have worries on the job, in our homes, at school. But Paul’s advice is to turn our worries into prayers. Do you want to worry less? Then pray more! Whenever you start to worry, stop and pray.
May our prayer always be
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalms 19:14)
As God works upon the heart by His Holy Spirit, man must cooperate with Him. The thoughts must be bound about, restricted, withdrawn from branching out and contemplating things that will only weaken and defile the soul. The thoughts must be pure, the meditations of the heart must be clean, if the words of the mouth are to be words acceptable to heaven, and helpful to your fellow human beings.
God’s peace is different from the world’s peace (see John 14:27). True peace is not found in positive thinking, in absence of conflict, or in good feelings. It comes from knowing that God is in control. Our citizenship in Christ’s Kingdom is sure, our destiny is set, and we can have victory over sin. Let God’s peace guard your heart against anxiety, fear, and hopelessness.
Let those who are oppressed under a sense of sin remember that there is hope for them. The salvation of the human race has ever been the object of the councils of heaven. The covenant of mercy was made before the foundation of the world. It has existed from all eternity, and is called the everlasting covenant. So surely as there never was a time when God was not, so surely there never was a moment when it was not the delight of the eternal mind to manifest His grace to humanity
And may the God of peace, Who raised our Lord Jesus from among the dead—that great Shepherd of the sheep—through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Perfect you in every good work in order that you may do His will; accomplishing in you that which is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to Whom be the glory into the ages of eternity. Amen. (Heb 13:20-21, NIV)
“Do good things for the city I sent you to. Pray to the LORD for the city you are living in, because if there is peace in that city, you will have peace also.” (Jer 29:7, ERV)
pray for the living waters
Many people around the world are so worried about current political event and affairs of the great nations of the world. But there is a bigger picture we can focus on. A better story that we can be a part of.
What the church needs in these days of peril is an army of workers who, like Paul, have educated themselves for usefulness, who have a deep experience in the things of God, and who are filled with earnestness and zeal. Sanctified, self-sacrificing men are needed; men who will not shun trial and responsibility; men who are brave and true; men in whose hearts Christ is formed “the hope of glory,” and who with lips touched with holy fire will “preach the word.” For want of such workers the cause of God languishes, and fatal errors, like a deadly poison, taint the morals and blight the hopes of a large part of the human race. {AA 507.2}
Jeremiah wrote to the captives in Babylon (Jer 29:4-23) instructing them to move ahead with their lives and to pray for the pagan nation that enslaved them. Life cannot grind to a halt during troubled times. In an unpleasant or distressing situation, we must adjust and keep moving. You may find it difficult to pray for those in authority if they are evil, but that is when your prayers are most needed.
First of all, I encourage you to make petitions, prayers, intercessions, and prayers of thanks for all people,for rulers, and for everyone who has authority over us. Pray for these people so that we can have a quiet and peaceful life always lived in a godly and reverent way.(1 Tim 2:1-2).
When we enter times of trouble or of sudden change, we should pray diligently and move ahead, doing whatever we can with whatever God has set before us rather than giving up because of fear and uncertainty.
God didn’t give us a cowardly spirit but a spirit of power, love, and good judgment. So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord or be ashamed of me, his prisoner. Instead, by God’s power, join me in suffering for the sake of the Good News. God saved us and called us to be holy, not because of what we had done, but because of his own plan and kindness. Before the world began, God planned that Christ Jesus would show us God’s kindness.
Now with the coming of our Savior Christ Jesus, he has revealed it. Christ has destroyed death, and through the Good News he has brought eternal life into full view. I was appointed to be a messenger of this Good News, an apostle, and a teacher. (2 Tim 1:7-11, GW)
Although God is all-powerful and all-knowing, he has chosen to let us help him change the world through our prayers. How this works is a mystery to us because of our limited understanding, but it is a reality. Paul based his instruction about prayer for everyone on his conviction that God’s invitation for salvation extends equally to all people. God’s messengers will capture the true nature of the gospel. The world that God loves includes every person.
Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him would not be lost but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world. He did not send him to judge the world guilty, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-17, ERV)
You formed the way I think and feel. You put me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because you made me in such a wonderful way. I know how amazing that was! You could see my bones grow as my body took shape, hidden in my mother’s womb. You could see my body grow each passing day. You listed all my parts, and not one of them was missing. Your thoughts are beyond my understanding. They cannot be measured! If I could count them, they would be more than all the grains of sand. But when I finished, I would have just begun. (Psalms 139:13-18)
“He formed the way you think or feel” (Psalms 139:13)
God’s character goes into the creation of every person. When you feel worthless or even begin to hate yourself, remember that God knows exactly who you are, what you are like. Yet He is ready and willing, through His Holy Spirit to work within you. We should have as much respect for ourselves as our Maker has for us. We need to see ourselves and others the same way Jesus sees us. Knowing and loving Jesus, we proclaim:
“I am the one that Jesus loves.”
Our acceptance with God is sure only through His beloved Son, and good works are but the result of the working of His sin-pardoning love. They are no credit to us, and we have nothing accorded to us for our good works by which we may claim a part in the salvation of our souls. Salvation is God’s free gift to the believer, given to him for Christ’s sake alone. The troubled soul may find peace through faith in Christ, and his peace will be in proportion to his faith and trust. He cannot present his good works as a plea for the salvation of his soul. {5BC 1122.1}
How often do we pray for the well-being of our communities? The prosperity of the places we live in impacts us all. By lifting our communities in prayer and action, we contribute to a greater good that benefits everyone. What steps will you take today to help your community prosper?
First of all, I ask that you pray for all people. Ask God to bless them and give them what they need. And give thanks. You should pray for rulers and for all who have authority. Pray for these leaders so that we can live quiet and peaceful lives—lives full of devotion to God and respect for him.
1Ti 2:3 This is good and pleases God our Savior. God wants everyone to be saved and to fully understand the truth. (1 Tim 2:1-4)
Jesus will never coerce our will. When we kneel before Him in heartfelt prayer from an open honest heart He respects our choice to have Him personally intervene more fully in our lives. It’s time for THAT kind of prayer.
Our Heavenly Father has a thousand ways to provide for us of which we know nothing. Those who accept the one principle of making the service of God supreme, will find perplexities vanish and a plain path before their feet. – MH 481.2
Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend. Not that it is necessary in order to make known to God what we are, but in order to enable us to receive Him. Prayer does not bring God down to us, but brings us up to Him. – SC 93.2
When Jesus was upon the earth, He taught His disciples how to pray. He directed them to present their daily needs before God, and to cast all their care upon Him. And the assurance He gave them that their petitions should be heard, is assurance also to us. (SC 93:3)
Our Heavenly Father waits to bestow upon us the fullness of His blessing. It is our privilege to drink largely at the fountain of boundless love. What a wonder it is that we pray so little! God is ready and willing to hear the sincere prayer of the humblest of His children, and yet there is much manifest reluctance on our part to make known our wants to God. What can the angels of heaven think of poor helpless human beings, who are subject to temptation, when God’s heart of infinite love yearns toward them, ready to give them more than they can ask or think, and yet they pray so little and have so little faith? The angels love to bow before God; they love to be near Him. They regard communion with God as their highest joy; and yet the children of earth, who need so much the help that God only can give, seem satisfied to walk without the light of His Spirit, the companionship of His presence. (SC 94:1)
And I will shake all nations, and the Desire of All Nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.
(Hag 2:7), ERV)
Before this shaking, God assures us:
don’t be discouraged!”…Don’t be discouraged! And all you people who live in the land, don’t be discouraged! Continue this work, because I am with you.” This is what the LORD All-Powerful said. (Hag 2:5)
Do not let any of today’s world events discourage you. The main “glory in the Church” (Eph 3:21) is NOT how beautiful the building is, but my presence. As I covenanted to be with you when ye came out of Egypt, so I will fulfill my covenant even today in this “time of the end” that you live in now. Be of good courage for my Spirit remains among you, fear not; Hag 2:5. What is the most beautiful church in the world, if God is not in it, influencing all by his presence and by His Holy Educating Spirit?
We need to remember that God will not be in it unless there be a messenger of the Lord there, and unless said messenger delivers the Lord’s message on praying for others. Even ones we do not like.
Brothers and sisters, be patient until the Lord comes again. See how farmers wait for their precious crops to grow. They wait patiently for fall and spring rains. You, too, must be patient. Don’t give up hope. The Lord will soon be here. Brothers and sisters, stop complaining about each other, or you will be condemned. Realize that the judge is standing at the door. Brothers and sisters, follow the example of the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. They were patient when they suffered unjustly. We consider those who endure to be blessed. You have heard about Job’s endurance. You saw that the Lord ended Job’s suffering because the Lord is compassionate and merciful. (James 5:7-11)
The prophets who had spoken to their forefathers by the authority of God, were often persecuted by the very people to whom they delivered the Divine message; but they suffered affliction and persecution with patience, commending their cause to him who judges righteously; therefore we can also be of that kind of “good courage” choosing each moment whom we will serve. The world’s “Gods” or our GOD.
Just keep saying “I am the one that Jesus loves.” People will get the message. Because you will be the message. People will know how that The Desire of All Nations Will Come!
But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Luke 18:16
my sticker Luke 18:16
The other night I opened the door to a Mom with her little girl. They were visiting people in the neighborhood to sell some beautiful items to raise money for their school. The little girl handed me a leaflet describing the items they were selling. They were festive holiday decorations with evergreen branches and flowers. One of the items really caught my eye, so I said
“Id love to get this one.”
The little girl gasped, and the Mom smiled. I was wondering why they reacted like that but I had to ask them to come back in half an hour so that I could get them cash for the purchase.
So while this was going on, I took a closer look at the catalogue items and realized that I had picked the most expensive item in the list. It was only $40.00 so it wasn’t going to break my bank account but as I recalled their reactions and the look on their faces. I started to smile. I was realizing how important this project was to them.
When they returned, I gave the Mom the cash, and the little 6 year old girl was sort of hiding behind Mom a bit and it looked like she wanted to step out and tell me something so I quietly urged her to share what was on her mind with me. In a couple of minutes she skipped out from behind Mom and she had a beautiful countenance, she looked so fervent and angelic. I asked her how old she was because when I was in pediatric nursing they taught us to invite children to speak their mind. To be themselves. She stood for another minute looking at me with those big Doe-like eyes and then said to me “I got a sticker for you.” And she handed me a little scrap of paper with something scrawled on it. The sticker pictured above was the little girl’s way of showing me her gratitude and I made a point of giving her a big smile and making sure she knew that I really liked the sticker.
Mom initially looked a bit concerned how I would react but her little girl completely stole the show with that sweet, angelic look on her face. That little interaction was the highlight of my week. Mom looked so relieved when she saw my gratitude. That child did not need to be told to “do good” or to “be good.” Thanks to a loving parent who cared enough to take her little one out into the world and help demonstrate to her how to bless someone’s day, the little girl was the perfect example of Heaven on Earth.
Jesus knows the burden of every mother’s heart. He who had a mother that struggled with poverty and privation sympathizes with every mother in her labors. He who made a long journey in order to relieve the anxious heart of a Canaanite woman will do as much for the mothers of today. He who gave back to the widow of Nain her only son, and who in His agony upon the cross remembered His own mother, is touched today by the mother’s sorrow. In every grief and every need He will give comfort and help. {DA 512.2}
Let mothers come to Jesus with their perplexities. They will find grace sufficient to aid them in the management of their children. The gates are open for every mother who would lay her burdens at the Saviour’s feet. He who said, “Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not,” still invites the mothers to lead up their little ones to be blessed by Him. Even the babe in its mother’s arms may dwell as under the shadow of the Almighty through the faith of the praying mother. John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit from his birth. If we will live in communion with God, we too may expect the divine Spirit to mold our little ones, even from their earliest moments. {DA 512.3}
In the children who were brought in contact with Him, Jesus saw the men and women who should be heirs of His grace and subjects of His kingdom, and some of whom would become martyrs for His sake. He knew that these children would listen to Him and accept Him as their Redeemer far more readily than would grown-up people, many of whom were the worldly-wise and hardhearted. In His teaching He came down to their level. He, the Majesty of heaven, did not disdain to answer their questions, and simplify His important lessons to meet their childish understanding. He planted in their minds the seeds of truth, which in after years would spring up, and bear fruit unto eternal life. {DA 512.4}
It is still true that children are the most susceptible to the teachings of the gospel; their hearts are open to divine influences, and strong to retain the lessons received. The little children may be Christians, having an experience in accordance with their years. They need to be educated in spiritual things, and parents should give them every advantage, that they may form characters after the similitude of the character of Christ. {DA 515.1}
Fathers and mothers should look upon their children as younger members of the Lord’s family, committed to them to educate for heaven. The lessons that we ourselves learn from Christ we should give to our children, as the young minds can receive them, little by little opening to them the beauty of the principles of heaven. Thus the Christian home becomes a school, where the parents serve as underteachers, while Christ Himself is the chief instructor. {DA 515.2}
We are all children of God and the sooner we Christians learn that, the better off our beleaguered world will be.
God loves His obedient children. He has a kingdom prepared, not for disloyal subjects, but for His children whom He has tested and tried in a world marred and corrupted by sin. As obedient children, we have the privilege of relationship with God. “If children,” He says, “then heirs” to an immortal inheritance. Christ and His people are one. {6BC 1077.8}
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. Rom 8:17
I am so happy that I was given this sticker today. It will have a prominent place on my living room wall and will serve as a wonderful reminder of the blessings of our children, and the blessings of God.
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world FOR A WITNESS unto all nations; and then shall the end come. (Mat 24:14, KJV)
“as a mighty witness” Mat 24:14
Everything in the world is in agitation. The signs of the times are ominous. Coming events cast their shadows before. The Spirit of God is withdrawing from the earth, and calamity follows calamity by sea and by land. There are tempests, earthquakes, fires, floods, murders of every grade. Who can read the future? Where is security? There is assurance in nothing that is human or earthly. Rapidly people everywhere are ranging themselves under the banner they have chosen. Restlessly are they waiting and watching the movements of their leaders. Everyone diligently follows what is called ‘the news. Or some political or religious figure. But in humanity no suitable answer or expectation can be found. When Jesus comes, there will only be two classes of people on the earth. There are those who are waiting and watching and working for our Lord’s appearing. Another class are falling into line under the generalship of the first great apostate. Few believe with heart and soul that we have a hell to shun and a heaven to win.
The second coming of Christ is the blessed hope of the church, the grand climax of the gospel. The Savior’s coming will be literal, personal, visible, and worldwide. When He returns, the righteous dead will be resurrected, and together with the righteous living will be glorified and taken to heaven, but the unrighteous will die. The almost complete fulfillment of most lines of prophecy, together with the present condition of the world, indicates that Christ’s coming is imminent. The time of that event has not been revealed, and we are therefore exhorted to be ready at all times.-Fundamental Beliefs, 25
Jesus said that before he returns, the “gospel of the kingdom” would be preached throughout the world AS A WITNESS. (Mat 24:14) This was the disciples’ mission—and as Christ-followers today, it is also our mission now. The final evidence of the end times is the universal proclamation of the gospel AS A WITNESS to every nation, kindred, tribe, tongue, and people. Jesus talked about the gospel and the opposition to the gospel a lot, especially in Mathew 24.
And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? (Mat 24:3)
It is very interesting to note here that when the disciples asked Jesus this question Jesus had one overarching concern to convey to them and He replied:
“Take heed that no person deceive you.” (Mat 24:4)
From just looking at the Bible text here it appears that Jesus is trying to warn us that the biggest concern in the time of the end will be deception. That seems to be quite logical. The first casualty in any war is truth and as reflected here in Mat 24 and elsewhere there is a nasty battle going on between God and Satan. Between good and evil. Jesus’ first concern in this battle is that we do not let “any human” deceive us. This can only mean that Jesus wants us to get our gospel from a divine source. This can only mean that no human can better tell us what is truth than Jesus can. Jesus did allude to this when He said things like
“Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father is through me.” (John 14:6)
Jesus says he is the only way to God the Father. Some people may argue that this way is too narrow. In reality, it is wide enough for the whole world, if the world chooses to accept it. Instead of worrying about how limited it sounds to have only one way, we should be saying, “Thank you, God, for providing a sure way to get to you!” As the way, Jesus is our path to the Father. As the truth, he is the reality of all God’s promises. As the life, he joins his divine life to ours, both now and eternally. Jesus is, in truth, the only living way to the Father. Jesus. Living Hope.
During the final stages of the battle between good and evil, there is but one way to defeat the devil and His goals. We read about it in Rev 12:11
They won the victory over him because of the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony. They didn’t love their life so much that they refused to give it up. (Rev 12:11, GW)
The Secret of Overcoming Sin
We become overcomers by helping others to overcome, by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. The keeping of the commandments of God will yield in us an obedient spirit, and the service that is the offspring of such a spirit, God can accept {7BC 974.4}
God’s people everywhere must have a personal testimony about “the blood of the Lamb” and what has happened in their life as a result of His shed blood. This verse tells us “they overcame the devil by the blood of the lamb and the Word of their testimony” about that shed blood. This is exactly why the apostle stated
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:1-3)
What does a personal testimony look like, according to the Bible? We can view a very quick snapshot of the entire picture in the following
“…if any one is in Christ, that person is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2 Cor 5:17)
The old nature, born of blood and the will of the flesh, cannot inherit the kingdom of God. The old ways, the hereditary tendencies, the former habits, must be given up; for grace is not inherited. The new birth consists in having new motives, new tastes, new tendencies. Those who are born again (John 3:3) unto a new life by the Holy Spirit, have become partakers of the divine nature, (2 Pet 1:4) and in all their habits and practices they will give evidence of their relationship to Christ. When people who claim to be Christians retain all their natural defects of character and disposition, in what does their position differ from that of the worldling? They do not appreciate the truth as a sanctifier, as a refiner. They have not been born again because nothing is really changed. The Bible is clear. if anyone is in Christ, ALL THINGS become new. (2 Cor 5:17)
Jesus gives people no encouragement to think that He will accept a patchwork character, made up mostly of self, with a little of Christ. This is the condition of the Laodicean church. At first there seems to be some of self and some of Christ. But soon it is all of self and none of Christ. The root of selfishness is revealed. It continues to grow, striking its roots deeper and deeper, till its branches are covered with objectionable fruit. And Jesus did say “You will know them by their fruits.” (Mat 7:20) Christ looks with pitying tenderness on all who have combination characters. Those with such a character have a connection with Christ so frail that it is essentially worthless.
Jesus said in John 12:32 that if he was lifted up he would draw all people unto Himself. This could only mean the cross. its the only thing we can call “everlasting.” And when we have a personal walk and experience with Jesus, we will have a personal testimony.
The sacrifice of Christ as an atonement for sin is the great truth around which all other truths cluster. In order to be rightly understood and appreciated, every truth in the Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, must be studied in the light which streams from the cross of Calvary, and in connection with the wondrous, central truth of the Savior’s atonement. Those who study the Redeemer’s wonderful sacrifice grow in grace and knowledge.
Personal Testimony Work Sheet
1/ My Life Before I Accepted Christ:
Share this part of your testimony with people in order to identify with them:
“I needed help and I found it in Jesus.” (8T pg 321).
2/ How I Became A Christian:
Tell how it happened. if you were brought up in a Christian home, there was still some point at which you gave your life fully to Jesus. Your testimony may resolve around a particular answer to prayer or perhaps some victory in your life that has meant a lot to you; and that has made Jesus real to you:
“I found the Bible to be the Voice of God to my soul…” (8T pg 321)
3/ My Life Since I Became A Christian:
Tell how your personal life has changed. (not too personal). Talk about something that you now enjoy in your experience as a result of knowing Jesus.
“In Christ, the hunger of my soul has been satisfied…” (8T pg 321)
4/ In Summary:
of your Christian experience, try to use an appropriate Scripture verse that sums up your life, and that will be a precious Bible promise for whomever you may be giving your testimony to.
“So everyone may be able through their own experience to set their seal to this, that God is true.” (John 3:33, ARV).
“I believe in Jesus. Jesus is to me a divine Savior.” (8T pg 321).
Whoever accepts what he says has given proof that God speaks the truth. (John 3:33, ERV) If we are willing to do whatever God’s Word reveals to you, you will then know what is the truth. (John 7:17)
Looking in faith to the Redeemer, John had risen to the height of self-denial. He sought not to attract people to himself, but to lift their thoughts higher and still higher, until they should rest upon the Lamb of God. He himself had been only a voice, a cry in the wilderness. Now with joy he accepted silence and obscurity, that the eyes of all might be turned to the Light of life. {DA 179.4}
Those who are true to their calling as messengers for God will not seek honor for themselves. Love for self will be swallowed up in love for Christ. No rivalry will mar the precious cause of the gospel. They will recognize that it is their work to proclaim, as did John the Baptist, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1:29. They will lift up Jesus, (John 12:32) and with Him humanity will be lifted up. “Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” Isa 57:15. {DA 179.5}
You may be sure that a personal testimony will result as you pray the following, giving your heart, your life, to Jesus:
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. (Psalms 51:1-13, ESV)
This is his commandment: to believe in his Son, the one named Jesus Christ, and to love each other as he commanded us.(1 John 3:23, GW)
lead me today, even here Lord
In the Bible, a person’s name stands for his or her character. It represents who he or she really is. We are to believe not only in Jesus’ words, but also in his very person as the Son of God. Moreover, to believe “in the name” means to pattern your life after Christ’s, to become more like him by uniting yourself with him. And if we are living like Christ, we will “love one another.”
I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love which Christ Jesus our Lord shows us. We can’t be separated by death or life, by angels or rulers, by anything in the present or anything in the future, by forces or powers in the world above or in the world below, or by anything else in creation. (Rom 8:38-39, GW)
With great clearness and power the apostle presented the doctrine of justification by faith in Christ. He hoped that other churches also might be helped by the instruction sent to the Christians at Rome; but how dimly could he foresee the far-reaching influence of his words! Through all the ages the great truth of justification by faith has stood as a mighty beacon to guide repentant sinners into the way of life. It was this light that scattered the darkness which enveloped Luther’s mind and revealed to him the power of the blood of Christ to cleanse from sin. The same light has guided thousands of sin-burdened souls to the true Source of pardon and peace. For the epistle to the church at Rome, every Christian has reason to thank God. {AA 373.3}
In this letter Paul gave free expression to his burden in behalf of the Jews. Ever since his conversion, he had longed to help his Jewish brethren to gain a clear understanding of the gospel message. “My heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is,” he declared, “that they might be saved.” {AA 374.1}
What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. (1 Cor 2:12-13, NIV)
the loud cry (Luke 17:15)
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! (Rom 11:33)
It is the duty and privilege of all to use reason as far as our human, finite faculties can go; but there is a boundary where human resources must cease. There are many things that can never be reasoned out by the strongest intellect or discerned by the most penetrating mind. Neither philosophy nor science can determine the ways and works of God; the human mind cannot measure infinity. (Isa 55:8-9)
Jesus. Savior. Jesus Lord. Jesus. Immanuel is the fountain of all wisdom, of all truth, of all knowledge. There are very high accomplishments that people can reach in this life through the wisdom that God imparts; but there is an infinity beyond, that will be the study and the joy of the saints throughout eternal ages. We can now only linger upon the borders of that vast expanse, and let imagination take its flight. Finite man cannot fathom the deep things of God; for spiritual things are spiritually discerned. The human mind cannot comprehend the expansive wisdom and power of God
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isa 55:8-9)
Jesus said “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. (John 17:3.)
We Must Avoid Guesswork in our Quest for God
Human talent and human conjecture have tried by searching to find out God. But guesswork has always proved itself to be guesswork. Humanity cannot by searching find out God. This problem has not been given to human beings. All that any of us needs to know and can know of God now has already been revealed in His Word and in the life of His Son, the great Teacher.
they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Isa 40:31, KJV)
wait on The Lord (Isa 40:31)
The eagle of the Alps is sometimes beaten down by the tempest into the narrow defiles of the mountains. Storm clouds shut in this mighty bird of the forest, their dark masses separating her from the sunny heights where she has made her home. Her efforts to escape seem fruitless. She dashes to and fro, beating the air with her strong wings, and waking the mountain echoes with her cries. At length, with a note of triumph, she darts upward, and, piercing the clouds, is once more in the clear sunlight, with the darkness and tempest far beneath. So we may be surrounded with difficulties, discouragement, and darkness. Falsehood, calamity, injustice, shut us in. There are clouds that we cannot dispel. We battle with circumstances in vain. There is one, and but one, way of escape. The mists and fogs cling to the earth; beyond the clouds God’s light is shining. Into the sunlight of His presence we may rise on the wings of faith. {Education 118.2}
Trusting in the Lord is the patient expectation that God will fulfill his promises in his Word and strengthen us to rise above life’s difficulties. Do you believe God loves you and wants the best for you? Can you relax, confident that his purposes are right? Are you convinced that he has the power to control all of life—and your life as well? Though your faith may be struggling or weak, accept his provisions and care for you. (Life Application Notes)
those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (isa 40:31, NIV)
Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, Eph 2:5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus (Eph 2:4-6, NIV)
living waters
As God raised Christ from the dead, that He might bring life and immortality to light through the gospel, and thus save His people from their sins, so Christ has raised fallen human beings from spiritual death, quickening them with His life, filling their hearts with hope and joy.
Rivers of Living Water
On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.
Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. (John 7:37-39, NIV)
As a true spring is ever supplied with water from the great deep, with which it has communication, so shall the soul of the genuine believer be supplied with light, life, love, and liberty, and all the other graces of the indwelling Spirit, from the indwelling Christ. The Jews frequently compare the gifts and influences of the Holy Spirit to water in general – to rain, fountains, wells, rivers, etc., etc. The Scriptures abound in this metaphor. Psalms 36:8, Psalms 36:9; Isa 44:3, Isa 44:4; Joel 2:23.
The gospel is to be presented, not as a lifeless theory, but as a living force to change the life. God would have His servants bear testimony to the fact that through His grace men may possess Christlikeness of character and may rejoice in the assurance of His great love. He would have us bear testimony to the fact that He cannot be satisfied until all who will accept salvation are reclaimed and reinstated in their holy privileges as His sons and daughters. {MH 99.2}
Even those whose course has been most offensive to Him He freely accepts. When they repent, He imparts to them His divine Spirit, and sends them forth into the camp of the disloyal to proclaim His mercy. Souls that have been degraded into instruments of Satan are still, through the power of Christ, transformed into messengers of righteousness and are sent forth to tell how great things the Lord hath done for them and hath had compassion on them. {MH 99.3}
Day after day He taught the people, until the last, “that great day of the feast.” The morning of this day found the people wearied from the long season of festivity. Suddenly Jesus lifted up His voice, in tones that rang through the courts of the temple: {DA 453.3}
“If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” The condition of the people made this appeal very forcible. They had been engaged in a continued scene of pomp and festivity, their eyes had been dazzled with light and color, and their ears regaled with the richest music; but there had been nothing in all this round of ceremonies to meet the wants of the spirit, nothing to satisfy the thirst of the soul for that which perishes not. Jesus invited them to come and drink of the fountain of life, of that which would be in them a well of water, springing up unto everlasting life. {DA 453.4}
The priest had that morning performed the ceremony which commemorated the smiting of the rock in the wilderness. That rock was a symbol of Him who by His death would cause living streams of salvation to flow to all who are athirst. Christ’s words were the water of life. There in the presence of the assembled multitude He set Himself apart to be smitten, that the water of life might flow to the world. In smiting Christ, Satan thought to destroy the Prince of life; but from the smitten rock there flowed living water. As Jesus thus spoke to the people, their hearts thrilled with a strange awe, and many were ready to exclaim, with the woman of Samaria, “Give me this water, that I thirst not.” Joh_4:15. {DA 454.1}
Jesus knew the wants of the soul. Pomp, riches, and honor cannot satisfy the heart. “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me.” The rich, the poor, the high, the low, are alike welcome. He promises to relieve the burdened mind, to comfort the sorrowing, and to give hope to the despondent. Many of those who heard Jesus were mourners over disappointed hopes, many were nourishing a secret grief, many were seeking to satisfy their restless longing with the things of the world and the praise of men; but when all was gained, they found that they had toiled only to reach a broken cistern, from which they could not quench their thirst. Amid the glitter of the joyous scene they stood, dissatisfied and sad. That sudden cry, “If any man thirst,” startled them from their sorrowful meditation, and as they listened to the words that followed, their minds kindled with a new hope. The Holy Spirit presented the symbol before them until they saw in it the offer of the priceless gift of salvation. {DA 454.2}
The cry of Christ to the thirsty soul is still going forth, and it appeals to us with even greater power than to those who heard it in the temple on that last day of the feast. The fountain is open for all. The weary and exhausted ones are offered the refreshing drink of eternal life. Jesus is still crying, “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink.” “Let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” “Whosoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” Rev 22:17; John 4:14. {DA 454.3}
I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ (Acts 26:17-18)
forgiven
Have you ever been haunted by your past? Do you have regrets about things you did years ago? Does the guilt of some past sin trouble you? One could ask the question here
How many people have to deal in one way or another with the guilt of their past sins. With the guilt of a past lifestyle?
The Bible tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23)
Some sins seem bigger than others because their obvious consequences are much more serious. Murder, for example, seems to us to be worse than hatred, and adultery seems worse than pride. To others having certain orientations is the worst sin. We all tend to fancy ourselves as a good judge of who is a sinner. You know. Sinners judging sinners. “My sin is better than your sin.” But this does not mean that because we think that we only commit “little” sins that we deserve eternal life. The Bible is clear. All sins make us sinners, and all sins cut us off from our holy God. All sins, therefore, lead to death (because they disqualify us from living with God), regardless of how great or small they seem. We should never minimize “little” sins or overrate “big” sins. They all separate us from God.
The good news is that all sins can be forgiven.
What happens when we repress or try to cover up our guilt and to hide our sins? Deny our sins?
Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the LORD does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin. (Psalms 32:1-5, NIV)
When David denied his sin and tried to ignore his feelings of guilt, he experienced great emotional anxiety, spiritual trauma, , and even physical pain.
We are all so blessed that the Bible doesn’t just stop at Romans 3:23 in saying that ‘everyone has sinned and fallen short.” While that is certainly true, it is not the end of the story. Note that
“all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (Rom 3:24)
And what happened when King David confessed his sins?
Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the LORD does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit. (Psalms 32:1-2, NIV)
You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you. Hear my prayer, LORD; listen to my cry for mercy. When I am in distress, I call to you, because you answer me. (Psalms 86:5-7, NIV)
How can we personally receive the peace and the pardon that Jesus so freely offers?
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
How does the Bible describe what it looks like to confess our sin? What should our attitude be towards sin once we have confessed it?
Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. (Micah 7:18-19, NIV)
God delights to show his unfailing love! He does not forgive grudgingly but is glad when we repent, and he offers forgiveness to all who come back to him. Today you can confess your sins and receive his loving forgiveness. Don’t be too proud to accept God’s free offer.
as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. (Psalms 103:12, NIV)
East and west can never meet. This is a symbolic portrait of God’s forgiveness: When he forgives our sin, he separates it from us and doesn’t even remember it. We need never wallow in the past, for God forgives and forgets. We tend to dredge up the ugly past, but God has wiped our record clean. If we are to follow God, we must model his forgiveness. When we forgive another, we must also forget the sin. Otherwise we have not truly forgiven.
No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (Jer 31:34, NIV)
In place of our inherited condemnation, shame, and guilt of sin, Jesus offers us “something better.”
“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.
(Mat 11:28-29, MSG)
“Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest. Accept my teaching. Learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit. And you will be able to get some rest. (Mat 11:28-29, ERV)
Jesus also promises
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. (Isa 26:3, KJV)
The greatest burdens for anyone to bear is guilt. And I think coming in second place right behind that would be doubt. The absolute heaviest load is the load of sin. The peace of Jesus can replace our load of sin.
When we accept Jesus, repent of our sins, ask for and receive the gift of salvation that Jesus offers, we still have to live in our world of heartache sorrow and tragedy. But one day soon Jesus will return as “The Prince of Peace” to finally bring everlasting peace for all of God’s people. While we live in this world’s turmoil and conflict, Jesus says “Let not your heart be troubled…I will come again. (John 14:1-3)
Remember always, God loves you and His promises are for you
I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s my parting gift to you. Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left—feeling abandoned, bereft. So don’t be upset. Don’t be distraught. “You’ve heard me tell you, ‘I’m going away, and I’m coming back.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I’m on my way to the Father because the Father is the goal and purpose of my life. (John 14:27-28, MSG)
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
(Jer 29:11-13, NIV)
My friends, Jesus is coming. Signs of the times are fast fulfilling. Bible prophecy is waiting for no one. There are not too many stages of prophecy that still need to be fulfilled. Jesus is inviting us all, today, to have His peace in our hearts and homes.
I wonder. Have we, the church, thought seriously about why Jesus has not come back yet? As I have pondered this question and studied my Bible on the matter, one thought keeps coming out loud and clear. It is found in Mat 24:14, KJV
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Jesus said that before he returns, the Good News about the Kingdom, (the message of salvation) would be preached throughout the world AS A WITNESS to everyone. This was the disciples’ mission—and it is ours today. Jesus talked about the end times and final judgment to show his followers the urgency of spreading the Good News of salvation to everyone. And the good news is that Jesus wins. Satan loses.
In Mat 24:14, Jesus was very clear when He said “as a witness.” In other words, as a personal testimony on “what we have seen and heard and handled of the Word of life.” (1 John 1:1-3) So many of us have chose to just serve people with our beliefs, assert our doctrines, yet there is no testimony of a personal experience with Jesus. The Gospel, instead of being preached “as a witness” to people is being subverted to dry theory when all the while devoid of the character of Christ. As a witness,” means personal testimony
They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. (Rev 12:11,1 John 1:1-3)
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete. (1 John 1:1-4)
Jesus advocated for us to experience life “more abundantly.” Thats why Jesus came down to earth! (John 10:10)
And when we share our testimony, the Bible is clear. A winning personal testimony “makes our joy complete.” (1 John 1:4)
As our opening text says: if there is no “personal witness” then its not the gospel that needs to be preached all over the world to everyone. No matter how many Bible verses we quote.
You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you. Hear my prayer, LORD; listen to my cry for mercy. When I am in distress, I call to you, because you answer me. (Psalms 86:5-7, NIV)
Not through controversy and discussion is the soul enlightened. We must look and live. Nicodemus received the lesson, and carried it with him. He searched the Scriptures in a new way, not for the discussion of a theory, but in order to receive life for the soul. He began to see the kingdom of heaven as he submitted himself to the leading of the Holy Spirit. {DA 175.2}
There are thousands today who need to learn the same truth that was taught to Nicodemus by the uplifted serpent. They depend on their obedience to the law of God to commend them to His favor. When they are bidden to look to Jesus, and believe that He saves them solely through His grace, they exclaim, “How can these things be?” {DA 175.3}
Like Nicodemus, we must be willing to enter into life in the same way as the chief of sinners. Than Christ, “there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12. Through faith we receive the grace of God; but faith is not our Savior. It earns nothing. It is the hand by which we lay hold upon Christ, and appropriate His merits, the remedy for sin. And we cannot even repent without the aid of the Spirit of God. The Scripture says of Christ, “Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” Acts 5:31. Repentance comes from Christ as truly as does pardon. {DA 175.4}
How, then, are we to be saved? “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,” so the Son of man has been lifted up, and everyone who has been deceived and bitten by the serpent may look and live. “Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.” John 1:29. The light shining from the cross reveals the love of God. His love is drawing us to Himself. If we do not resist this drawing, we shall be led to the foot of the cross in repentance for the sins that have crucified the Savior. Then the Spirit of God through faith produces a new life in the soul. The thoughts and desires are brought into obedience to the will of Christ. The heart, the mind, are created anew in the image of Him who works in us to subdue all things to Himself. Then the law of God is written in the mind and heart, and we can say with Christ, “I delight to do Thy will, O my God.” Psalm 40:8. {DA 175.5}
Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the LORD does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin. (Psalms 32:1-5, NIV)
And that my friends is the gospel. There is forgiveness in Christ.
** Next week we will study what the Bible says about How To Give A Winning Personal Testimony.
