#DailyDevotion Where do you stand on Wickedness?

January 27^th

Read Zech 4:1—5:11

Zec 4:12-14  And a second time I answered and said to him, “What are these two branches of the olive trees, which are beside the two golden pipes from which the golden oil is poured out?”  (13)  He said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.”  (14)  Then he said, “These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”

Zec 5:7-11  And behold, the leaden cover was lifted, and there was a woman sitting in the basket!  (8)  And he said, “This is Wickedness.” And he thrust her back into the basket, and thrust down the leaden weight on its opening.  (9)  Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, two women coming forward! The wind was in their wings. They had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and heaven.  (10)  Then I said to the angel who talked with me, “Where are they taking the basket?”  (11)  He said to me, “To the land of Shinar, to build a house for it. And when this is prepared, they will set the basket down there on its base.”

Who are these two anointed ones?  Well we aren’t given a clear answer.  We see in Revelation there are also two witnesses. Rev 11:3-4  And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”  (4)  These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.  These could be many different things or people.  In the context it could be Zerubbabel and Ezra or Zechariah as they stood beside the Lord in the rebuilding of the Temple and Jerusalem.  I think it is John the Baptist and Jesus who indeed were martyred and were the prophets, priests and King.  It could also be pastors and laity as we are anointed by the Holy Spirit to bring witness to the world of Jesus and his salvation.  Whoever they are, they bear witness to Jesus and call the world to repent of their wickedness and trust in the good news, Jesus of Nazareth has made peace between men and the Father by the pouring out of his blood, his life.

“Wickedness” in the basket is also seen in Revelation.  She is the whore of Babylon in Rev. 11, 16-18.  Rev 17:5  And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.”  It represents mankind’s rebellion against the Lord after the flood.  Nimrod and the people building a tower up the heavens to lift themselves above God, this is wickedness.   It is not meant to be a geographical location but symbolic of our ancient sin, trying to surpass God and be God.  This “Wickedness” or “Babylon the Great” is the world system.  It seeks world domination to enslave the peoples, to treat them like commodities; it seeks its own pleasure at the cost of people’s lives.  It opposes the saints of God because we expose her shame and call her and her followers to repent of their sin and trust in the Lord.

We know those who follow the world’s system will oppose all those who preach the truth.  They will persecute and if able to put them to death.  When we preach against all forms of greed, covetousness or against the lust which compels their lives they seek our death.  When we preach the good news we are forgiven because of Jesus’ sacrifice, they still rail against us because it reminds them of their sin and the perverseness keeps them from giving it up.

Lord Jesus Christ, grant us your Holy Spirit that we may bear witness to your life to the world around us and grant us endurance in the midst of persecution that we may not lose the gift you have given us. Amen.

#DailyDevotion Jesus Practices True Religion In You

January 28^th

Read Zech 6:1—7:14

Zec 6:11-14  Take from them silver and gold, and make a crown, and set it on the head of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest.  (12)  And say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD.  (13)  It is he who shall build the temple of the LORD and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne. And there shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.”‘  (14)  And the crown shall be in the temple of the LORD as a reminder to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah… 7:9 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another,  (10)  do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.”

Joshua, the Lord saves, is the name given by the angel to Mary and Joseph to name the child in Mary’s virgin womb.  Jesus is the Greek form of that name.  Now this Joshua is not the Branch but stands as a type of the Branch who is to come.  Joshua is the high priest of Israel.  The Branch who is to come and is promised here will also be a high priest, and not just “a” high priest, but The High Priest.  Jeremiah tells us of him, Jer 33:15  “In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.”  The true Branch is of the house of David and is the root of Jesse.  Jesus, the son of Mary is this promised Branch.

Jesus branches out from Jerusalem, to Samaria, Damascus and to the ends of the earth establishing justice and righteousness among the nations.  Jesus is building the temple of God by making people living stones of them.  He does this through baptizing them into his name, his life, death and resurrection.  By atoning for their sins and forgiving them, Jesus brings peace between God and man, reconciling the two in his flesh.

It is written, Heb 5:7-10  In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.  (8)  Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.  (9)  And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,  (10)  being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. 7:15This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek,  (16)  who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life.

Since this is so, as his faithful followers we are called to fulfill this word in our lives, “Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another,  (10)  do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.” Jesus fulfills this first with his life. Then he fulfills it in our lives as we live out the faith he has given us.  When we fall we have is word of forgiveness us to renew us to continue in his life.

Lord Jesus Christ, you are the righteous Branch who grafts us into your body and life through the waters of holy baptism.  May it truly be said of us, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”  Amen.

#DailyDevotion Jesus is waiting to return to you.

January 25^th

Read Zech 1:1–21

Zec 1:2-6  “The LORD was very angry with your fathers.  (3)  Therefore say to them, Thus declares the LORD of hosts: Return to me, says the LORD of hosts, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts.  (4)  Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried out, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.’ But they did not hear or pay attention to me, declares the LORD.  (5)  Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever?  (6)  But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? So they repented and said, As the LORD of hosts purposed to deal with us for our ways and deeds, so has he dealt with us.”

At the end of the exile, the Lord remembered his promise that the kingdom of Judah would be in exile only 70 years.  So now in Zechariah we see his plans for the return of his people to the land of their fathers.  The Lord makes a plea with them to not be like their fathers and to repent.

The Lord pleaded with their fathers, he pleaded with the exiles and he pleads with us, “Return to me, says the LORD of hosts, and I will return to you.” At first glance it may appear that we are required to do something to merit or earn the gracious return of the Lord.  Of our own power or strength it would we impossible to return to the Lord after sinning even being broken by the Law which condemns us for our sin.  But it is the promise, “I will return to you,” which enlivens our hearts with the desire and the power to turn to God with true fear, faith and love in him.

Repentance is a gift of God given through the good news. Act 11:18  … “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.” 2Ti 2:25  …God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 2Co 7:10  For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

This godly grief is grief caused by the law giving us a broken heart and spirit and with knowledge of who we have sinned against, our Savior Jesus Christ, along with the good news that he accepts us back.  Jesus is standing, no running towards us with open arms desiring to receive us and take us back into the fold of the saints.  The sheer promise of his return to us tells us of his acceptance of us, of his forgiveness to us and his desire to present perfect, holy and blameless before the Father.

Lord Jesus Christ, so work in our hearts that we may be contrite over our sins and grant us the gift of repentance that we may return to you with faith in your promise to return to us, to not deal with us as we deserve, and to bestow great blessings upon us because of your mercies and merit.  In your precious name we pray. Amen.

#DailyDevotion You have an invitation to the Kingdom. What R U going 2 with it?

January 24^th

Read Joel 3:1–21

Joe 3:9-17  Proclaim this among the nations: Consecrate for war; stir up the mighty men. Let all the men of war draw near; let them come up.  (10)  Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, “I am a warrior.”  (11)  Hasten and come, all you surrounding nations, and gather yourselves there. Bring down your warriors, O LORD.  (12)  Let the nations stir themselves up and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations.  (13)  Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Go in, tread, for the winepress is full. The vats overflow, for their evil is great.  (14)  Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.  (15)  The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.  (16)  The LORD roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth quake. But the LORD is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel.  (17)  “So you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who dwells in Zion, my holy mountain. And Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall never again pass through it.

It is amazing how much of Joel is in the book of Revelation.  Rev. chapters 16, 19 and 20 are simply a rehashing of what Joel predicts here.  Rev 16:13-14  And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs.  (14) … For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. Rev 19:13-19  He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God…He will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.  (16)  On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.  …  (19)  And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. Rev 20:7-10  And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison  (8)  and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea.  (9)  And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them,  (10)  and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

All of these verses are talking about the great and terrible day of the Lord.  A day of judgment is coming.  Whose side will you be on?  Are you going to be gathered with the Lamb and the Church or are you going to be gathered with Satan and the world who defies the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ?  For now the invitation is out to the whole world; repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.  To all who believe this live and salvation await them.  For those who reject Jesus, food for birds and the Lake of Fire is their end. Personally, I’m choosing the Lamb. Jesus is now giving you the invitation into his kingdom. What about you?

Lord Jesus Christ, so move the hearts of men that they will reject Satan and all his ways and choose to believe the free gift of eternal life you won for all men.  May the invitation reach all ears through the members of your body the Church so they may accept your invitation to life everlasting.  Amen.

#DailyDevotion Scripture interprets Scripture

January 23^rd

Read Joel 2:18–32

Joe 2:27-32  You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God and there is none else. And my people shall never again be put to shame.  (28)  “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.  (29)  Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.  (30)  “And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke.  (31)  The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.  (32)  And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the LORD calls.

Act 2:14-16  But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words.  (15)  For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.  (16)  But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:… 22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— (23)  this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.  (24)  God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it…32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses …38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  (39)  For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

And the biblical principle is demonstrated here that scripture interprets scripture.  The prophecy, well most of it, which was told through the prophet Joel is demonstrated to be fulfilled on the day of Pentecost.  The Holy Spirit came down upon the disciples continues through the waters of holy baptism to fall upon the children of men.  We have been given a name, Jesus (the Lord saves) to call upon and are given the assurance that all who put their trust in him shall be saved.  At Jesus’ crucifixion signs and wonders were seen in the heavens above to such an extent that the pagan Roman soldier declares, “Surely this was the Son of God.”

There is another day coming; A great and terrible day of the Lord.  You will not know the day of its coming though similar signs and wonders will be given in the heavens on that fateful day.  Of course if you die before that day it won’t matter much as your fate is sealed on that day.  There are only two fates: the stench of your eternal death will come from the lake of fire or you will dwell in the midst of the Lord Jesus Christ in innocence and blessedness forever.  So how do you avoid one and enter the other?  Peter tells you, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.”  Hate your sin, trust in the name of Jesus Christ,  and be baptized into his life, death and resurrection.

Lord Jesus Christ, grant us repentance unto life, the gift of baptism and the Holy Spirit that we may enter eternal life with you and the Father.  Amen.

#DailyDevotion God reveals his name to us in Jesus.

January 22^nd

Read Joel 2:1–17

Joe 2:11-14  The LORD utters his voice before his army, for his camp is exceedingly great; he who executes his word is powerful. For the day of the LORD is great and very awesome; who can endure it?  (12)  “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;  (13)  and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.  (14)  Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God?

It was a terrifying experience for the Israelites when the Lord fulfilled this prophecy.   The Assyrians, God’s army, were the original blitzkriegers.  The sheer numbers of soldiers and their horses and the like made the earth tremble and the dust kicked up by their march darkened the skies.  Eventually they would decimate Israel and carry them off into exile.

But it didn’t have to be that way.  They had the great “Yet even now.”  It is the Lord’s desire that all people everywhere be repentant.  What is needed is a change in heart.  That, in and of itself, is impossible for us by our own power and strength.  Yet the Lord gives us the threats and warnings of the Law to break our hearts of stone and causes us to bow down before our Maker in fear of Judgment.  But even more, he gives us that word of promise which is his name, “he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.”  It is the name he revealed to the Israelites in the wilderness: Exo 34:6… “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness…” His name reveals his will towards his people and to all mankind.

Now in these latter days, the Lord has revealed to us a new name, Jesus.  It is written he is called that Mat 1:21  “for he will save his people from their sins.”  Jesus is from Joshua which means “the Lord saves.”  Jesus is the Lord. He is the Lord who spoke by the prophets to his people Israel.  He is the Lord who delivered them from the Egyptians.  He is the Lord who spoke and visited Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  He has become man not only to save the Israelites but to be that promised blessed seed for the nations.  In Jesus he shows us, as he suffers and dies on the cross to take away the sin of the world, that he is gracious, merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.  Gracious and merciful in that he gives himself freely and merciful that he does what is necessary to win us from sin, death and the devil.   Slow to anger in that he gives millenniums to spread the good news of salvation to the inhabitants of the earth.  He abounds in steadfast love in that he has kept his promise of salvation.  This good news grants us the gift of repentance that we may hate our sins and trust in Jesus our savior.

Lord Jesus Christ, may your law break our hearts of stone and may the good news of salvation procured by you give us hearts of flesh that fear, love and trust in you above all things.  Amen.

#DailyDevotion God’s calling to repentance is an invitation to eternal life.

January 21^st

Read Joel 1:1–20

Joe 1:13-15  Put on sackcloth and lament, O priests; wail, O ministers of the altar. Go in, pass the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God! Because grain offering and drink offering are withheld from the house of your God.  (14)  Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly. Gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD.  (15)  Alas for the day! For the day of the LORD is near, and as destruction from the Almighty it comes.

Disaster is coming upon the Israelites and the people of Judah.  The locusts in this passage represent the kingdom of Assyria coming down from the north to exact the Lord’s vengeance upon his own people.  They had sinned against the Lord by worshipping other gods.  They performed all sorts of vile practices in the worship of the foreign gods.  On top of that they worshiped the Lord with false hearts and they sinned against their neighbor and oppressed the poor, the orphan, the widow and the foreigner who resided in their gates.  They did not follow the Law of God and broke His covenant.

When disaster comes or is coming that is the time to repent.  The Lord warned them this was coming.  He called for them to proclaim a fast, to put on sackcloth and ashes and turn to the Lord their God with all their hearts, confessing their sins and iniquities and begging his forgiveness.  The day of the Lord, the day of destruction was coming.  He warned them ahead of time.  So what did they do?  Nothing.  They ignored the warnings and went on with their life as if the Lord did not warn them.  Swift destruction came upon them all.

St. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians tells us these things happened so we might learn from them.  When disaster strikes, whether natural or man-made, we are not to dismiss it as nothing.  We are being called to repent of our sins and call upon God with faith and trust that he will forgive us for Christ’ sake and relieve of these disasters.  These troubles that come upon us individually, nationally and world-wide are not are not simply run of the course happenings.  They are the Lord, the creator of heaven and earth calling us to repent and believe in Jesus.  God takes no pleasure in disciplining mankind.  He takes no pleasure in our death and destruction.  He desires that we repent and live.

Unfortunately we read in Revelation, Rev 9:20 “The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk,…” and Rev 16:9 “They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.”  We see it all around us.  Bad things happen and instead of repenting we curse God instead.  Instead of looking at our own sins, confessing our guilt and turning from them we blame God and do not turn to the relief he has provided us, the atoning sacrifice of Jesus his Son.

You however, don’t be that guy.

Lord Jesus Christ, may we always confess our sins and believe they are forgiven for your names’sake. Amen.

#DailyDevotion Our Best Life is Later at the Resurrection

January 20^th

Read Ezek 47:1–14, 21–23

Eze 47:1  Then he brought me back to the door of the temple, and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar…12  And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.” …21″So you shall divide this land among you according to the tribes of Israel.  (22)  You shall allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the sojourners who reside among you and have had children among you. They shall be to you as native-born children of Israel. With you they shall be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.  (23)  In whatever tribe the sojourner resides, there you shall assign him his inheritance, declares the Lord GOD.

Revelation 22:1-3  Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb  (2)  through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.  (3)  No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him.

The Bible is one. It has one Author and one Purpose. We can see that from today’s lesson from Ezekiel. That which was shown to Ezekiel was also shown to John. The river that flows from the throne of God is the water of life and it gives life to all that drink it, man, animal, plants and land. This is a description of what dwelling with God will be like at the resurrection to eternal life. Will it look exactly like this? Probably not. It will be better but human language can only convey so much.

Not only the Jews or the Israelites according to the flesh who had faith in Christ will inherit the earth at the resurrection. No, the mystery of Christ is that the Gentiles who put their faith in Jesus are included with Israel, Rom. 9-11 and Galatians. Indeed the leaves of the trees are for the healing of the nations. What can these leaves be other than the Word of God, the Good News of Jesus Christ? And so God and his Christ will have one holy people as there is one holy God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

We really have something to look forward to at the resurrection. Our best life is not now. Our best life is the one to come with Jesus. And this life is a free gift won and bought for you by Jesus. You don’t have to earn it. You don’t have to work to keep it. You simply rejoice in it with the family of God in Church.

Heavenly Father, grant us such faith in your Son Jesus Christ, that on the day of his second advent we may enter the New Jerusalem and partake of the water of life, the fruit of the trees and may be healed by the leaves of the trees that are fed by the water of life, Jesus Christ. In His name we pray. Amen.

#DailyDevotion What have your replaced Jesus with?

January 19^th

Read Ezek 44:1–16, 23–29

Ezekiel 44:28-30  “This shall be their inheritance: I am their inheritance: and you shall give them no possession in Israel; I am their possession.  (29)  They shall eat the grain offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering, and every devoted thing in Israel shall be theirs.  (30)  And the first of all the firstfruits of all kinds, and every offering of all kinds from all your offerings, shall belong to the priests. You shall also give to the priests the first of your dough, that a blessing may rest on your house.

The Levites were to have no share in the land of Israel, though they did have some dedicated towns when Israel first possessed the land. But since the Mosaic covenant, their inheritance was God himself. They also received all that the people dedicated and sacrificed to God. There can be no greater inheritance than God.

In the New Testament, we all have become priest of God, as Peter says, 1 Peter 2:5 “you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priest-hood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” Everyone one baptized into Christ is now a priest of God. As a priest, you have an inheritance. Peter says, 1 Peter 1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  (4)  to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,…”

And what might inheritance be? We shall inherit the earth. We shall inherit the kingdom of God. We shall inherit eternal life. Indeed, like the Levites we are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ Jesus. Joined to him in holy baptism, everything that is Christ is ours. That should be enough. If it is not, then your priorities are all wrong. If you lose everything and you’re not happy, what have you replaced with Jesus. Jesus is our joy.

Heavenly Father, keep your promise and give us the guarantee our inheritance, the Holy Spirit, that on the day of resurrection, we may see and receive our inheritance. In Jesus’ name. Amen.