davidsternberg

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keep your spiritual fervor

Does your faith ever feel like a hot potato- tossed from here to there depending on any given hour of the day?  One minute we’re ready to sell all, give all, and go anywhere for Jesus and the next minute we’re questioning what’s it all for.  

In Romans 12 Paul paints a practical yet vivid picture of what it looks like to live the sacrificial, non-conformist Christian life.  Amidst a litany of commands, he drops this one,

Romans 12:11, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”

Quite literally that word “fervor” means to boil.  Paul’s charge is to keep it hot, keep it boiling for Jesus, don’t get complacent and lazy.  The Message words it like this, “Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame.”

A boiling disciple is going to affect those around him/her.  Just like getting near a pot of boiling water is someone who gets around a boiling Christian. 

So how can we keep the fervor up, our spirit boiling?  I think much of that answer lies in Paul’s words in v1 of Romans 12- “...in view of God’s mercy.”  We often think “being on fire for God” means trying harder, but God’s mercy reminds us we’ve tried harder and failed time and again.  

While keeping our spiritual fervor includes spiritual discipline, it also includes keeping God’s mercy in full view.  If our journey were like driving a car, then God’s mercy would be the windshield through which we see the world.  As I’ve heard it defined, “mercy is not getting what we deserve.”  There’s something life altering when you expect judgement, but get love instead.  That’s the great story of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

So to keep our spiritual fervor boiling we need to constantly think about how patient the Lord has been, how forgiving he’s been with each of us.  “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love” (Ps 103:8).

Father, thank you for not treating us as our sins deserve, but for treating us as your adopted children.  Blow on the embers of our soul, fan the flame of our spiritual fervor.  Lord, we don’t want to spend another day in the lukewarm waters of just going through the motions.  Boil us from the inside, so much so that we are overflowing and heating up those around us with the love of Christ!  

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work

No matter what we do all day, how much we get paid (or don’t get paid) to do it, there’s an ever present tension with work.  Perhaps a lot of that has to do with who we work for and whether or not we feel valued.  

Here’s a few selections to remind you of the importance of what you do and who you ultimately do it for! 

Martin Luther wrote, “The maid who sweeps her kitchen is doing the will of God just as much as the monk who prays- not because she may sing a Christian hymn as she sweeps but because God loves clean floors.  The Christian shoemaker does his Christian duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship.”

Paul to the church at Colossae in Colossians 3:17, 23-24,  “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

A prayer of Moses in Psalm 90:16-17, “May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us- yes, establish the work of our hands.”

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our think affects our thank

Philippians 4:4-9, Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Joyful people are thankful people, and according to Paul we should always be expressing that joy.  But you know what gets in the way of all that?  Paul mentions it right here- ANXIETY!  That’s why he goes on to instruct us to pray and petition the Lord with thanksgiving.  

Now, we must admit this sounds easy on paper, but is much more difficult in practice.  The key though is to allow God into the place where joy often gets cut off- our thinking.  You see, our think affects our thank.  What we think about, focus on, affects our thankfulness and joy in the Lord. 

Where have your thoughts been today?  More than likely it’s affected whether or not you’ve been able to rejoice and express that joy.  Pause for a moment and pray, “Father come into my thinking right now.  Remind me of what’s true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy.  Help me fix my thinking on those things right now.  I THANK YOU FOR...”  Amen.

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maybe miracles are overrated

We’d all love a miracle right?  I could easily ramble off a few I’d love to have.  When we read the gospels of Jesus it’s hard to miss the amount of miracles he performed.  Perhaps what’s more interesting is how ineffectual they were in bringing about life change.

Matthew 11:20 says, “Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent.”

It’s as if Jesus brought the party from Heaven to earth and no one cared to join in.  The music played and no one danced.  The dinner for sinners was hosted and Jesus was accused a glutton and drunkard (see Mt 11:16-19).

People loved to watch the feats of Jesus, but repent and be changed by Jesus... that’s another story.  Luke 11:29 says, “As the crowds increased, Jesus said, ‘This is a wicked generation.  It asks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.’”  

During his trial Jesus was sent to Herod.  And listen to what is says, “When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him.  From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort.  He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer” (Lk 23:8-9).

Miracles are great when they come, but BEWARE!  They only increase repentance and trust for a few.  More often than not God’s miracles leave people unchanged spiritually.

Have you received a miracle?  If so, take a moment to RE-PRAISE and REPENT.  Ensure that the grace and goodness of God didn’t have ill effect on your life.  Likewise, if you’re wishing and waiting for a miracle, remember the signs that have already come.  Be reconciled to God in spite of what’s to come. 

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lamenting las vegas

This week we’ve experienced another horrific incident of those who “invent ways of doing evil” (Rom 1:30).  I can’t begin to imagine how difficult it has been for our fellow Americans who’ve gone from fun concert, to horrific war zone, and back home to pick up the pieces.  

This morning I heard the surviving wife of one of the victims say, “no one teaches you how to grieve things like this.” 

I imagine thousands more feel the same way, but I believe it’s for times like this that God gave us the Psalms.  It’s the prayer book of the Bible, and that of Jesus.  It’s a great model for how to praise, but also a great guide for grief.  It’s filled with laments over difficulties.  Lamenting is taking our anger, resentment, bitterness, and grief to God in prayer.  The Psalms also contain what are called imprecatory prayers (spoken curses).  *In my opinion, Psalm 137 contains one of the worst of these.  

Discovering the Psalms is so helpful.  I love that God hasn’t disguised the realities we face.  I love that He included people’s accusations and questions of Him in His ‘Holy’ Word.  *I also love that Psalms is placed in the center of the Bible.  I don’t think that’s by accident.

What kind of God includes these messy, indicting, raw prayers?  

One who understands better than us our need to yell, cry, and shake our fist.   He knew we needed the prayers of those who faced some of the worst life had to offer.  In fact, the Lord gave us sort of a loose framework for how to grieve when He gave us these ‘model’ prayers.  At the simplest level, laments follow a pattern from plea to praise, often including other elements like question, accusation, motivation for praying, as well as trust.  

This movement from plea to praise teaches us something about grieving.  We should take our our deepest grief to God, and keep on moving in the direction of trust and praise as we pray.  Perhaps that’s the goal of grieving prayer... moving with and toward God in the midst of the worst kind of pain.  We all know how easy it is to do the opposite, and our enemy would love nothing more than to continue the destruction throughout the grieving process.  

Ps 44:23,26 Awake, Lord!  Why do you sleep?  Rouse yourself!  Do not reject us forever...Rise up and help us; rescue us because of your unfailing love.

74:22, Rise Up, O God, and defend your cause; remember how fools mock you all day long.

80:2b,18b, Awaken your might; come and save us...revive us, and we will call on your name.

85:6, Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?

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disillusionment

Disillusionment is “disappointment resulting from the discovery that something is not as good as one believed it to be.”  If we follow the pattern of this world (Rom 12:2), we’ll run from disillusionment, continuing our search for the ideal person, place or thing.  However, if we follow the way of Jesus and face this disillusionment, we’ll discover it is God’s great tool for spiritual maturity.

I love what German pastor and martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes about disillusionment in his book “Life Together,”

Just as surely as God desires to lead us to a knowledge of genuine Christian fellowship, so surely must we be overwhelmed by a great disillusionment with others, with Christians in general, and, if we are fortunate, with ourselves.

By sheer grace, God will not permit us to live even for a brief period in a dream world. He does not abandon us to those rapturous experiences and lofty moods that come over us like a dream. God is not a God of the emotions but the God of truth. Only that fellowship which faces such disillusionment, with all its unhappy and ugly aspects, begins to be what it should be in God's sight, begins to grasp in faith the promise that is given to it.

The sooner this shock of disillusionment comes to an individual and to a community, the better for both. A community which cannot bear and cannot survive such a crisis, which insists upon keeping its illusion when it should be shattered, permanently loses in that moment the promise of Christian community.

Sooner or later it will collapse. Every human wish dream that is injected into the Christian community is a hindrance to genuine community and must be banished if genuine community is to survive. He who loves his dream of a community more than the Christian community itself becomes a destroyer of the latter, even though his personal intentions may be ever so honest and earnest and sacrificial.

[davidsternberg]

...the Lord is most graciously helping me to see how absolutely nothing I am without Him, and helping me to keep little in my own eyes.  He does use me.  But I am so concerned that He uses me and that it is not of me the work is done.  The axe cannot boast of the trees it has cut down.  It could do nothing but for the woodsman.  He made it, he sharpened it, and he used it.  The moment he throws it aside; it becomes only old iron.  O that I may never lose sight of this.

Samuel Brengle

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natural or unnatural disasters

We refer to recent events as ‘natural’ disasters, but are they natural?  How much is nature being nature, and how much is supernatural?  Even a brief survey of Scripture doesn’t clear it up as much as we would like.

Does God cause or influence the weather for His divine purpose?  Yes.  In fact, it’s pretty obvious throughout the Scriptures this is sometimes the case.  The flood, the burning sulfur coming down, the famine in Egypt, the plague of hail, the crossing of the Red Sea, the thunder and lightning at Mt Sinai, the warnings against disobedience and God’s shutting off the rain, Elijah and the fire that came down from heaven.  Also in the New Testament- the storm stilled at Jesus’ command, darkness across the land during his crucifixion, an earthquake at his death.  

Is the weather always God working out something He purposed?  No.  In fact, part of this answer is in the previous post.  As much as the world would have us separate physical realities from spiritual realities, they’re tied together.  All of creation was disrupted when sin entered in.  

What other factors?  Well, in the case of Job, a mighty wind came and struck the four corner’s of his house, killing his children (Job 1:18-19).  This catastrophic event is very clearly attached to the influence of our enemy, the devil. 

With all these varying examples, how do we make sense of ‘natural’ disasters?  If there is one thing that seems congruent across these examples, it’s that POWERFUL WEATHER POINTS TO A POWERFUL GOD!  We’ve heard people say things like, “the thunder is God bowling, the rain His tears, the snow His dandruff”... j/k, I made up that last one.  While cute, these statements miss the mark. 

Instead, I think intense weather is an opportunity for pause, humility, repentance, and refocusing.  A time to be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10).  Remember, Moses approached the thick darkness where the Lord wanted to speak.  It was out of the storm that the Lord spoke to Job (Job 38ff).  It was after the wind, earthquake, and fire that the Lord whispered gently to Elijah.  In a world where we can manipulate and control so much of our lives, the weather has a way of making us look beyond ourselves to our Father in Heaven.

Biblically speaking, it also seems to follow that hidden blessings often follow intense weather.  Our experience testifies to this too. While these events bring out the worst in people, it can also bring out the best.  Generosity pours out, bonds of deep friendship form, and priorities and purpose are renewed. 

Romans 11:33-36, Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?” For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.

[davidsternberg]

natural disasters & birth pains

With the recent devastation caused by hurricanes Harvey and Irma, we can’t help but wonder what the Almighty is thinking right now.  I thought it might be helpful to return to His Word in order to regain some perspective on all this. 

First of all, it’s clear from the outset that the earth wasn’t created for disaster and chaos.  Things were void and without form until God created and ordered the earth.  Everything went from chaos to perfection at the word of the Lord. But when man rebelled, the earth felt the affects of his sin.  The ground was cursed, thorns and thistles grew, working the land became difficult (Genesis 1:17-19).  

In the book of Romans Paul connects the frustration of creation to this sin and curse in the beginning.  He then likens creation’s groaning to a woman’s pain in childbirth (which oddly enough was another affect of sin), 

Romans 8:20-23, For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.

While it doesn’t answer all our questions about natural disasters, the image of childbirth is helpful.  I’ve heard that a woman’s pain in childbirth is the worst imaginable, but what is the mother focused on?  Hope!  Hope of delivering her child and holding him/her in her arms.  Hope that her hormones return to some level of normalcy.

Likewise, when we experience disaster, groaning, and pain we intuitively sense things are not as they should be... which is true!  Things are not as they should be.  That’s where hope comes in.  Pain and disasters like we’ve recently experienced point to hope.  Theses events call us to re-envision our lives and priorities in light of the eternal liberation that’s coming.  

See further: Romans 5:3-5 

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no more victim mentality (2)

Rahab is probably the most famous prostitute of all time.  The great thing is that she’s not remembered for who she used to be as much as who she became.

(Joshua chapter 2) Joshua, the successor of Moses, sent two spies into the land of Canaan, the land the LORD promised Israel.  They were to scope it out and report back their findings before the nation crossed the Jordan river.  The king of Jericho got wind of the spies and sought to capture them, but Rahab kept them under cover and mislead the search committee. 

She says to the spies (2:9-12a), “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed.  When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you.”

Here’s a woman that lived a life of victimization- coerced or self imposed, we don’t know.  But clearly it was not the story God wanted for her.  

Then one day she hears the story of the Lord’s power and her broken, bruised, and confused heart melted.  She wanted in on that story.  She must have thought, “If the Lord can rescue this nation from slavery, surely he can rescue me from prostitution.”  So she put her faith and life on the line, believing that God could give her a new future.  And the opening page of the New Testament tells it all, a foreign prostitute in the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:5).

Make no mistake, the power of the Lord can change the victim mentality of anyone.  Will he find faith in those who say, “no more victim mentality”?  

Hebrews 11:31, “By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.”

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no more victim mentality (1)

To have a victim mentality is to believe that we have been wronged and are powerless to do anything as a result.  At Bridge this past Sunday we looked at the devastating affects of this mentality.  It’s like an auto-immune disease leading to all kinds of other “infections”- anger, resentment, bitterness, unforgiveness, negativity, and hopelessness (click here and listen to the 8/27/17 message ). 

One of my favorite characters in the Bible is Joseph.  You can read his story in Genesis 37-50.  He was a true victim and had every reason to develop a victim mentality.  He was sold into slavery by his brothers, falsely accused of attempted rape, imprisoned, and no doubt felt forgotten and alone... for twenty years!  

If you read his story it’s important to take note of this repeating phrase- “the LORD was with him.”  Somehow through the difficulty, Joseph knew God’s eye was upon his life.  He was able to see God’s blessing and purpose when it eventually came his way, moving from the prison to the palace as second in command of all of Egypt.  More importantly, because he knew “the LORD was with him,” he was able to forgive when he could’ve begrudged, provide when he could’ve denied, love and bless when he could’ve killed.

Were you wronged?  Maybe so, but you are not without power.  In fact, if you are a child of God then His power is within you!  NO MORE VICTIM MENTALITY. 

[davidsternberg]

YET

22“Yet” is a great word.  It means “up until the present or a specified or implied time.”  I’ve tried to teach my kids to add this word after they say “can’t.”  For example, when they say, “I can’t_____”  I stare and wait to hear them say, “yet.” 

The word YET leaves room for future possibilities, which is important because who knows what God is doing when things look difficult.  It also provides hope, and hope will be fulfilled, now or in eternity.  Here’s some great examples of the YET at work.  Maybe we need YET mugs instead of YETI mugs- haha!

Habbakuk 3:18, Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, YET I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

Matthew 5:26, Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and YET your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 

John 1:11-12, He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. YET to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God

Luke 22:42, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; YET not my will, but yours be done.”

[davidsternberg]

““You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. “In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you."

Matthew‬ ‭5:43-48‬ (‭MSG)

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avoiding extremes

In a previous post I talked about the overall message of Ecclesiastes... how meaningless life seems from our perspective and apart from God.  

Despite how long ago it was written (possibly as early as the tenth century BC), this “teacher of wisdom” (likely King Solomon), makes observations that are still relevant in our day.  Here’s one:

“In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these: the righteous perishing in their righteousness, and the wicked living long in their wickedness. Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise— why destroy yourself?  Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool— why die before your time?  It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other.  Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes.” - Eccl. 7:15-18

Avoiding extremes...hhmm

We’ve seen plenty of people “living long in their wickedness,” as well as those self-righteous, legalists, “perishing in [what they see as] their righteousness.” Of these types Jesus says, “what sorrow also awaits you experts in religious law! For you crush people with unbearable religious demands, and you never lift a finger to ease the burden.” (Luke 11:46 NLT)

Extremely wicked people have made themselves the god of their universe.  Extremely “righteous” people have made their religious performance their god. 

Living in one extreme or the other is spiritual prison.  On the one hand chained to an ever increasing need for self-gratification, and on the other to a standard always just out of reach.  Neither produces peace and both lead to destruction.

If we live in the fear of God (in reverence, honor, and awe of Him), our mind and heart has been illuminated.  Like the prodigal, we’ve come to our senses and realized not only our offense toward people but our offense against the Almighty (Luke 15:17ff). We’ve understood the power of the “One who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt 10:28), and that all our “righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Is. 64:6).  We’ve also realized the depth of God’s grace and love (Romans 8), as well as his patience toward us “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

Living in the fear of God we are set free from overly wicked and righteous extremes (not by our own efforts), but by the surprising grace and all sufficient love of the Father.  See further Luke 15:11-32.

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When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭8:3-5, 9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

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dealing with the desires that battle within

Many times our desires are good and God-given, but the problems arise in how we go about getting those desires met.  As I’ve heard said, “Sin is an attempt at meeting a need in an unhealthy way.”  

Or as James, brother of Jesus says, “You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight" (James 4:2b).

We’ll do all of that and more to try and get what we desire.  We’ll manipulate, yell, demean, withhold, avoid, and ignore.   

James goes on to tell us why this never works.  This has to be one of the most sobering verses in the Bible.

“You do not have because you do not ask God” (4:2c).

Now in the split second it took to read that, we may have argued, “No, I have asked God.  He’s just never come through.”  Let’s keep reading...

Verse 3, “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

Re-read that...YOUR PLEASURES.  When it comes to our desires, we need to remember that there’s someone else’s desires that are more important than our own.  That someone is our Heavenly Father.    

Verse 5, “Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?”

God has desires for us and those around us.  It’s not just about our desires and pleasures or their desires and pleasure.  There’s Someone else’s desires at work.  So James advises,

Verse 7, “Submit yourselves, then, to God.”

This word for submit means “to subject, to bring under control.”  

That is, put yourself under the Father’s authority. Let Him direct.  Many of us don’t want to do this, because we’re fearful we might not get what we desire.  Instead, we prefer to kill and covet because that’s something we can do.  It gives us a sense of control, even if it’s miserable.

Desires can be good and God-given or misdirected and sinful.  Let’s put an end to the complicated battle of desire by simplifying. Let’s...

Ask God to fulfill our desires, BUT submit to His way in everything. 

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we are not to do whatever we want

If anyone knew about fighting and quarreling it had to be Jesus’ brother James.  I mean, imagine being brother to the perfect Son of God.

Once a skeptic, we know that James came to believe the truth about Jesus as the Messiah, and he raises some excellent questions in James 4:1, 

“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?”

A desire is... a strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen

We all have desires, but if we were succumb to every “strong feeling of wanting” our lives would be a mess.  We all know this because we’ve all given in to some desire that wasn’t healthy or helpful.  Just because we desire something, doesn’t mean it’s God’s gift to us.  I mean if I ate only what I desired... loved only those I desired to love... worked only on what I desired... bought all I desired... you get the point right?  

Once we “died” and our “life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3), we must take our desires and “altar” them.  That is, we need to lay them on the altar before God as a form of surrender.  Why?  Because desires are often fleshly desires that need to be checked or “altered” by the Spirit.

As Galatians 5:17 says,  “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.”

What a powerful thought...  “(we) are not to do whatever (we) want.”  That’s so contrary to popular opinion.  

We all have desires causing fights and quarrels within or without, but we don’t have to let them rule our lives.  Desires are not our Lord.  Jesus is Lord.  Let’s “altar” them up and see what happens.  Perhaps some are not from God and need to be starved to death.  Perhaps others are godly and will come to fruition.  As Psalm 37:4 talks about, let’s delight in the Lord first and foremost and leave the rest up to Him.