How can the saying, “Measure twice, cut once” be actionable to us other than for just construction projects?
Let’s face it, we all get angry at times. Even those who have walked closely with Jesus for decades are subject to regretting their response after becoming angry over something, or at someone.
Thankfully, we have a very specific prescription from God’s Word for how to avoid and mitigate those times when we ‘blow it’ out of anger.
James 1:19-22 says,
“Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.”
Thinking out loud is a habit that can be broken! However, like changing any bad habit it’s going to take discipline, self-control, and an iron clad game-plan in order to overcome this very destructive tendency that we all are tempted to fall into.
James goes on a little further in the chapter to say in 1:26,
“If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and does not control his tongue but deludes his own heart, this person’s religion is worthless.
When we take the time to think twice before blurting out whatever comes to mind in the moment, we’re much more likely to be in alignment with the principle James has laid out for us to follow.
Where’s the evidence of what truly motivates us?
It’s fairly safe to say that the vast majority of us understand the meaning of the very common statement, “Talk is cheap.”
As followers of Christ, wouldn’t it be great if we lived out our faith in Jesus in such a consistent way that those who are living for this world would recognize there’s something different about us?
The Apostle Paul says this in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27,
“Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
When we as believers focus on literally living our lives for the Lord … we can trust that people we know will be impacted for both time as well as for eternity because of the day-to-day choices we make.
Paul also says this in Colossians 3:1-3,
“Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.”
Let’s commit to making our lives a living master piece, so the Lord can use us to the max in bringing others to Him!
Godly goals & ambition
Having ambition is not inherently either good or bad from a Biblical frame-of-reference. It truly boils down to our motives!
Whatever we are pursuing, we are to do so in ways that ultimately bring honor to our Lord Jesus Christ.
James 3:14-16 puts it this way,
“But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.”
God’s Word clearly teaches us that our motivation should always be to please and to serve Him. Here’s a good reminder of that in Colossians 3:23-24,
“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”
The best way to influence those around us by our testimony is to take to heart and daily live out what Scripture leads us to do, rather than what our self-seeking flesh tempts us to do.
How can we best use the sword of the Spirit?
Ephesians 6:16-17 identifies the sword of the Spirit as the Word of God, and is the best offensive weapon we have in order to defeat Satan’s relentless attacks,
“Above all, lift up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.”
Jesus provides the best example for us to follow while in the midst of battling the enemy in the wilderness … as 3-times He said the following to the Devil while He was being tempted:
“Jesus replied, “It is written and forever remains written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 1:4)
“Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written and forever remains written, ‘You shall not test the Lord your God.’” (Matthew 1:7)
“Then Jesus said to him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written and forever remains written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’” (Matthew 1:10)
The outcome of Jesus wielding His Sword here in Matthew 1:11, is our baseline for dealing with the unseen spiritual battles that influences the world around us,
“Then the devil left Him, and behold angels came and began to minister to Him.”
We have the same capacity to quote Scripture to our adversary, as our victory is not found in striving against the flesh and blood realities each one of us face throughout our lifetime.
But when we have prepared to stand firm and wield the sword of the Spirit … we will experience the Holy Spirit’s power to walk in peace and confidence knowing that the battle belongs to the Lord, and that the ultimate victory is already won!
Implementing God’s very specific plan for the spiritual warfare we face from day-to-day
I am so grateful for how clearly the Lord has laid out our responsibility for dealing with the devil in His Word.
When we faithfully & diligently follow all of His instructions to “Put on the full armor of God” in Ephesians 6:12-17 … we will be able to stand, and we will have victory regardless of Satan’s strategy!
The first piece of this symbolic armor He mentions, is Truth. This ‘belt’ is not something that unbelievers have access to because Satan is a liar.
Jesus said this in John 8:44 to the religious leaders of His time who rejected Him and had Him crucified on the cross:
“For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
Without truth, the rest of the armor would be of no use to us because we would not have the Spirit of truth!
Jesus says in John 15:26,
“But I will send you the Advocate — the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me.
Ephesians 6:14 says,
“Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth.”
While it’s true that we could never ever defeat our adversary the devil in our own strength … with Jesus as our 24/7 365 advocate, we can never lose!!
Our responsibility is to ALWAYS resist the devil’s influences & temptations!
When we’re feeling distant from God, consider turning to Scriptures like James 4:6-7,
“But He gives us more and more grace. Therefore, it says, “God is opposed to the proud and haughty, but gives grace to the humble. So submit to God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him] and he will flee from you.”
When we choose to be unsubmissive or flat out disobedient to what we know is God’s best for us … we are choosing to NOT walk in the victory that Jesus has already won on our behalf!
In John 10:10, Jesus says this about our adversary the devil and Himself,
“The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance.”
We will be unable to glorify the Lord to the max throughout our lifetime without recognizing the reality of the presence of evil, and what our Biblical response of standing firm against it needs to be.
It’s imperative to know who are enemy truly is, in order to effectively defeat his continual attacks against us.
Paul says in Ephesians 6:12,
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places.”
More on the details surrounding the full armor of God in the next post.
Have you ever had times when you felt God was distant from you?
If so, may I just say you’re in very good company!
When we think about the prophet Isaiah and his miraculous interaction at Mt. Carmel with the 450 prophets of the false god Baal, we could easily conclude that he certainly never would feel distant from God, right?
1 Kings 18:36-39 says,
“Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.” Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench! And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The Lord—he is God! Yes, the Lord is God!”
Almost immediately following the obvious mighty hand of God working through Elijah at Mt. Carmel … Queen Jezebel threatened his life, and this is how he reacts here in 1 Kings 19:3-4,
“Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there. Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”
We’ll look more into how we might be able to relate to Elijah’s response in the next post.
We would be wise to better understand WHO our #1 adversary truly is in this world
Satan was created by God and became the head of a kingdom of evil spirits after he challenged God’s authority.
Isaiah 14:12-14 says,
“How you are fallen from heaven,
O shining star, son of the morning!
You have been thrown down to the earth,
you who destroyed the nations of the world.
For you said to yourself,
I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars.
I will preside on the mountain of the gods
far away in the north.
I will climb to the highest heavens
and be like the Most High.”
Jesus says in John 12:31,
“Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.”
Even though our adversary the devil has been allowed to wreak havoc in our lives … it’s imperative to recognize it is temporary (in relation to eternity), and that God will use everything for our good.
2 Peter 3:9-13 says,
“The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.”
When we choose to view our current circumstances from God’s perspective & His timing … we can expect to experience a sense of supernatural peace knowing that He’s got both the short-term as well as our eternity literally in His hands!!
A Biblical response for when we desperately want for better circumstances
More than just helping us to respond to some common questions we all face as believers, like “Why does God allow bad things happen to good people?” Or, “If God is all-powerful and all-loving like you say He is, why is there so much suffering in the world?”
Let’s dive into what God says about the evil that prevails all around us.
Here and now, as well as throughout our lifetime … Jesus is our one and only means to overcome who Scripture deems to be, “The god of this world.”
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:4,
“Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.”
Jesus says in John 6:33,
“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
In order for us to experience the peace that Jesus is alluding to while we are facing our own storms of life, it’s imperative to grasp that God will actually use them for our good.
Paul says in Romans 8:28,
“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”
Let’s discuss more in my next post how we can better apply God’s perspective on suffering & evil, as it relates to our current trials, hardships, pain & suffering.
Acknowledging the presence of the Holy Spirit
Even though most unbelievers would prefer not to admit that they have a God consciousness within them, the Biblical reality clearly says otherwise.
Just before Jesus went to the cross, He said this to His disciples in John 16:7-9,
“But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you and He, when He comes, will convict the world about sin, and about righteousness, and about judgment: about sin, because they do not believe in Me.”
Before any of us said “Yes” to Jesus, the Holy Spirit convicted us of our sinful nature, as well as our desperate need of a Savior!
One of the ways in which the Holy Spirit so effectively works in the lives of “yet-to-be followers of Christ,” is through observing how Christians are living their lives in this broken world … especially when believers experience similar hardships and trials as them.
In John 15:26-27 Jesus also said,
“But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about Me. And you must also testify about Me because you have been with Me from the beginning of my ministry.”
Today, we have the same mandate as Jesus gave to His disciples. The Holy Spirit has come to us just like He came to His disciples after Jesus was resurrected from the dead.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20,
“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
The presence of God’s Spirit being present with us, is what enables and empowers us to be used of the Lord in helping to bring those who are lost and dying in their sins into a saving relationship with the only One who can rescue them.
May we be faithful, eager, and ready for every opportunity we have to point people to Jesus!
We are NEVER ever alone as we seek to understand and to apply God’s Word!
In chapter 14 of the book of John, Thomas was concerned about where Jesus was going and not knowing the way … Jesus responded by saying:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.”
Coming to faith in Jesus is not a ‘cookie-cutter’ process. We all have our own stories surrounding how & when we repented of our sins, and came to the point of surrendering ownership of our lives unto our Savior.
At that glorious & miraculous moment, God takes permanent residence within our bodies!!
Jesus also proclaimed this truth in John 14:16-17,
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever—the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He remains with you continually and will be in you.”
The Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:11-12,
“No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit, so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.”
I’d like to continue our study about how the Holy Spirit is always available to guide us day-by-day in my next post.
Jesus is the embodiment of wisdom!
By literally giving believers access to His wisdom, Jesus has revealed to us;
His plan of salvation …
Along with making us acceptable to Him …
As well as making us holy and setting us apart in order to be used by Him in our lifetime to fulfill His purposes …
And most importantly for making “The Only Way” possible for anyone who accepts His free gift, that guarantees we won’t have to pay the penalty for our sins when we take our last breath on this earth!
Why would we ever choose worldly wisdom over the wisdom that is only accessible from above?!
In order to fully tap into God’s wisdom, first we must desire it and ask God for it.
James 1:5-6 says,
“If any of you lacks wisdom, he is to ask of God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith, without doubting, for the one who doubts is like a billowing surge of the sea that is blown about and tossed by the wind.”
James 3:13-17 says,
“Who among you is wise and intelligent? Let him by his good conduct show his deeds with the gentleness and humility of true wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be arrogant, and be in defiance of the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, even demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing and morally degrading practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of compassion and good fruits. It is unwavering, without hypocrisy.”
May we eagerly & happily, day-by-day welcome the wisdom that is always available to us from above!
And may we desire to make every decision based upon His presence within us … as we commit to studying His Holy Word that He so graciously has provided us with to be our guiding light.
Even when grief, loss, sadness, physical challenges, financial hardships, and relational strains threaten to overwhelm us … the joy of the Lord is always within us!
For those of us who believe that the Bible is true, and that Jesus is the baseline for identifying how we should respond to everything we experience in our lifetime … may we turn to Him in our times of great need.
James 1:2-4 says,
Count it all joy my brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”
The word count is a financial term which means “To evaluate.” According to Scripture, we’re called to develop a response to our trials from God’s perspective, rather than wishing that we would never have to face difficult circumstances.
Jesus says in John 16:33,
“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in Me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
It’s not normal to experience joy nor peace through grief, loss, and hardships. However, both James & Jesus are encouraging us to change our attitudes towards the troubles that come our way. We would do well to discipline our minds and surrender our hearts to actively choose that God always knows best, and that He will always be there with us, no matter what!
Hebrews 13:5-6 says,
“For God has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we can confidently say, the Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
Paul says in Romans 5:2-5,
“Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.”
What does the Bible say about hope?
An accurate Biblical definition for hope, is "Confident Expectation." Unlike wishful thinking, hope is a rock solid assurance regarding things that are unclear, along with things that are unknown.
1 Peter 3-4 says,
“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, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.”
Without hope, we would not have meaning for our lives here & now … and we most certainly would be completely distraught in anticipation for what’s going to happen after we die at some point in the future.
Romans 8:24-25 says,
“For in this hope we were saved by faith. But hope which is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait eagerly for it with patience and composure.”
As follower’s of Christ, our future is guaranteed by the reality of having the Holy Spirit living within us to guide us, and direct us, and to help us make wise decisions day-by-day.
Ephesians 1:13-14 says,
“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. And when you believed in Christ, He identified you as His own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom He promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that He will give us the inheritance He promised and that He has purchased us to be His own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify Him.”
Rather than crossing our fingers and wishing with all our might to the universe, or Karma, or maybe just good old fashion luck … for our list of issues (that we all have) to suddenly be resolved … wouldn’t it be far better to take to heart what Paul said here in Titus 3:4-7?
“When God our Savior revealed His kindness and love, He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of His grace He made us right in His sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.”
Is hoping for something and wishing for something the same?
We’re all born with free will, along with passions, and emotions, and hopes, and dreams. Oftentimes a wish can precede a change in our current circumstances that we prefer would be different.
From a Biblical frame-of-reference, wishing for change isn’t necessarily wrong, as long as it’s based on truth … and ultimately aligns with God’s will for us.
Paul says in 1 Timothy 6:9-10,
“But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.”
When pleasing the Lord in everything we think and do is our top priority … He has a supernatural way of adjusting our wishes.
Psalm 37:4 says,
“Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you your heart’s desires.”
My beautiful bride Kimberly and I recently celebrated our 34th anniversary, and this was the verse we chose to start our lives together with on our wedding day.
More on the difference between what most people think about when they wish for something, compared to how the Bible identifies hope in the next post.
We can finish our race well IF we persevere and NEVER give up!
What are some of the things that could trip us up throughout our lifetime, and why is it absolutely imperative to have a reliable plan for how we can overcome the inevitable adversity we all face?
We’re warned and admonished in 1 Peter 5:8-9 to,
“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.”
The Apostle Paul encourages us in Ephesians 6:10-12,
“A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”
Who are we running our race for?
Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, stripping off every unnecessary weight and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us, let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us, focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God .”
If you’re currently not living (running your race) for Jesus, this would be a good time to ask the question, “Why not?”
Perhaps you recognized you needed a Savior many years ago and put your faith in Jesus … but you find yourself distracted and that active & dynamic relationship you first experienced has fizzled and seems out of reach.
The great news is we can all do what Hebrews 12 encourages us to do by, “Laying aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”
I have my own list of trials and temptations that lurk at every turn of my race to distract me and keep me from a ‘No matter what’ commitment to finish my race strong.
We are literally all in this together, and I’d like to continue with some Scriptural encouragement over my next few posts for your consideration.
We have the freedom to choose, along with the ability to control what we think about!
Scripture provides us with a rock solid plan for dealing with being constantly bombarded with images and worldly messages that are diametrically opposed to how God commands us to think and act.
The Apostle Paul starts his list in Philippians 4:8 very strategically when he admonishes us to think about, “Whatever is true.”
How we identify truth is the baseline for our Biblical worldview, and consequently how we will respond to each and every decision we’ll make throughout our lifetime (no matter how great or however small they may be).
We would be wise to reject anything that does not draw us closer to Jesus, and His way of thinking!
May we commit to consciously focus our mind on whatever is true … and what is honorable … and what is right … and what is pure … and what is lovely … and what is commendable … and things that are excellent … along with the things that are worthy of praise.
And may we be eternally grateful for the Holy Spirit’s 24/7 presence who will help us to remain true to our convictions, which will ultimately allow us to glorify the Lord to the max.
Does the Bible instruct follower’s of Christ, surrounding how to specifically occupy our thought lives?”
The answer to the above question is a resounding, “Yes!”
The Apostle Paul says in Philippians 4:8,
“Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things.”
Do you think it might be possible that we’re being desensitized by our cultural norms to doing the complete opposite of what God’s Word tells us to do?
If we were to take a daily inventory of how much mindless and counterproductive time we spend on our screens every day (phone, computer, social media, TV, etc.) … how would that align with what the Lord has clearly prescribed for how He wants us to discipline our thought life?
Please know that whatever convictions you may be feeling in this moment, are amplified in me even as I’m making this post!
Because the centering of our minds is such an integral and consequential aspect of how well we walk out our faith while living in this broken world … I will be diving deeper into Paul’s “Thought list” over my next few posts for all of us to ponder, consider, and to meditate on.
“Every word of God is True; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.” Proverbs 30:5
Since we live in a time and culture in which moral relativism has been popularized and accepted, it’s imperative as follower’s of Christ that we identify & discover truth … not define it on our own whim, our circumstances, or based on however we may feel from day-to-day.
As Proverbs 30 states, truth is rooted in the eternal, all-powerful, and unchangeable God. When we put our faith and trust in Jesus, we will experience a supernatural sense of peace that goes beyond the understanding of those living in the broken world around us.
It’s only natural to have doubts and have questions surrounding things that are right and true. If God’s truth is foundational to our spiritual lives … then we will trust what Psalm 33:4 says ,
“For the word of the Lord holds true,
and we can trust everything He does.”
A good test for all of us to consider regarding the evidence that our lives are pointing to Scripture being our final authority, is: Do we allow God’s Word to convince us to believe what we don’t like … or perhaps what we’ve always wanted to believe … or even when it offends us?