This is why

  This is why

The Apostle Paul wrote,

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, 

but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 

                                                                                            1 Corinthians 1:18.

There are many in our world who look at the New Testament and see it as unbelievable. Many who call its message foolishness. Why after all would God enter the world He created in the form of Christ Jesus only to die on a Roman cross? It doesn’t seem logical. But it’s what Christians believe.

My answer is simple God does not do things mans way. 

God asks all who see the life of Jesus, His death, His resurrection and His ascension to heaven, to accept this by faith. 

In the book of Hebrews we read,

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6.

The key word in Hebrews 11:6 being faith. 

Faith for many people is very difficult. Faith according to the writer of Hebrews is,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for 

and 

certain of what we do not see.”  

                                     Hebrews 11:1.

I believe when someone has true faith in something they will continue to believe in it even to the point of death and beyond.

This is why I believe God asks us to have faith in the message of the cross.

Please think about it.

What's to lose?

  What’s to lose?

The Apostle Paul writes,

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." 1 Corinthians 1:18.

Just for the record I believe what the Apostles Creed. Although not written by one of Jesus’ apostles it sums up what I and most Christians believe. It states,

1.I believe in God the Father the almighty maker of heaven and earth

2. I believe in Jesus Christ God’s on and only Son, our Lord and Saviour.

3. I believe Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary

4. I believe Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate; That He was Crucified, died, was buried. That he descended in hell.

5. I believe He rose again on the third day from the dead.

6. I believe that he ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty.

7. I believe Jesus will one day Judge the living and the dead.

8. I believe in the Holy Ghost

9. I believe in the Church which is the communion of the saints,

10. I believe in the forgiveness of sin.

11. I believe in the resurrection of the body.

12. I believe in life everlasting.

To some who do not believe in God the not only the Apostles Creed but everything the New Testament especially states looks like foolishness. 

Even if it is what’s to loose? Blaise Pascal wrote,

“Belief is a wise wager. Granted that faith cannot be proved, what harm will come to you if you gamble on its truth and it proves false? If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation, that He exists. Blaise Pascal.

Please think about it.

The foolishness of the cross

The foolishness of the cross
The apostle Paul writes,
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18.
Sadly this is a very true statement. At first glance the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross can seem like foolishness. I think that is largely because people tend to want God to do things their way.
After all why not, if God wants people to believe in Him, why not come in all His glory and power?
Why enter the world in the form of a baby, grow up in the normal way? 
Why let evil men put you to death for a crime you didn’t commit?
Why not even after being placed on the cross, why not show your power by getting down and calling legions of angels to deal with the evil ones that put you there? This would show anyone that Jesus is God. So why not do this?
Answer God does not do things the way man thinks he should do things.
The very life of Jesus at times does not seem to be the actions of an all powerful God. Still this is the way God wanted it. I believe the reason He wanted it this was is simple. God want’s men and women of faith. God knows that men and women with faith in anything are the strongest of followers. Such people will give their lives in the cause they believe in.
The writer of Hebrews states
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”  Hebrews 11:1
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6.
At first glance the story of Jesus may seem outrageous still it is what God wants people everywhere to believe.
The choice dear reader is yours.
The apostle Paul stating,
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18.
Please think about it.

Better

Better
The Solomon the writer of Ecclesiastes writes,
“Better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for all are destined to be mourned; the living should lay this to heart.” Ecclesiastes 7:2.
Here Solomon points out that entering a house of mourning a house grieving the loss of a loved one is better that entering a house that is celebrating.
The way I see it Solomon is right.
Not so long ago my wife’s younger brother died suddenly he was only in his early forties. Young by any standards. One of the common, for lack of a better expression phrases I noted from those who attended the funeral was “he was so young. It just goes to show you, you never know when death will happen.”
Solomon notes,
“The thoughts of the wise are in the house of mourning, but the thoughts of fools are in the house of pleasure. Ecclesiastes 7:4.
The way I see it is the death of someone should cause us to think about out mortality. Everyone knows that we will one day die. Yet it seems in our society especially here in the western nations we don’t plan for death. We live in “the house of pleasure”.
Tony Campolo the American evangelist said,
“When you were born, you cried and everybody else was happy. The only question that matters is this - when you die, will you be happy when everybody else is crying?” Tony Campolo.
Thus my question to you the reader. Upon your death will you be happy?
I as a believer in Christ Jesus believe you can know whether or not you will be happy upon your death. The apostle Paul writes,
“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”  
For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,  for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” Romans 10:9-13.
Please think about it.

Does God Exist?

Does God exist?
The Psalmist writes,

“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”

                                                               Psalm 14:1

The apostle Paul writes,

“For the message of the cross 

is foolishness to those who are perishing, 

but to us who are being saved

 it is the power of God.”

                                1 Corinthians 1:18.

An atheist will tell you there is no God. But an atheist does not know everything. After all if you know everything you are God or at least a demigod. Thus God would exist.
The Bible does not debate the existence of God. It was written to believers in God and believers need no proof of God’s existence.
There is however I believe proof of the existence of God all around us. The Psalmist stating,

“The heavens declare the glory of God; 

the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 

Day after day they pour forth speech; 

night after night they display knowledge. 

There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.” 

                                                                         Psalm 19:1-3

Albert Einstein said,

“Look deep into nature, 

and then you will understand everything better.” 

                                                            Albert Einstein.

I have no idea if Einstein believed in God or not. What I do know is he was right. If we look deep into nature we will understand everything better. Just because we cannot physically see God does not mean he does not exist.
Ben Zion Boker said,
“I have not seen the robin but I know he is there because I heard him singing through my window from the tree-top outside.
I have not seen God.  But I have looked at my child’s eyes, and have been overwhelmed by the miracle of unfolding life.
I have watched the trees bedeck themselves with new garbs of green in the spring, and have been stirred by the miracle of continual rebirth.
I have looked at the stars, and have been overcome by the miracle of the grandeur and majesty of the universe.
I know that God exists, because I have heard the song of His presence from all the tree-tops of creation. Ben Zion Bokser
Think of this From the smallest subatomic particle to greatest galaxies and everything in-between is in perfect order so that life as we know it exist on this planet. I personally cannot believe this all came about by chance.
That being said the decision as to whether you believe in God or not is a personal thing. You must decide whether or not to believe in Him or not.
Thus the question becomes, Do you believe in God?
Please think about it.

I and my Father are one

I and my Father are one

John’s gospel records Jesus as saying,

“I and the Father are one.”

                              John 10:30.

This is a radical statement even today. For Jesus to say he was one with God in his day asking for trouble. In fact later in John, John 10:31-33, we see those around him who heard him say these words wanted to stone him.
Today in the twenty-first century to claim Jesus was one with God is still a radical claim that many people cannot bring themselves to believe.
C. S. Lewis said,
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity.
Thus the question to you the reader is,
Who do you believe Jesus to be?
Please think about it.

You and God

You and God
The Psalmist writes,

“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” 

                                                              Psalm 14:1

The apostle Paul writes,
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18.
Blaise Pascal wrote,
“It is incomprehensible that God should exist, and it is incomprehensible that he should not exist.” Blaise Pascal.
Pascal also noted,
“In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don't.” Blaise Pascal.
So where do you stand? Do you believe in God or not?
I for one believe in God. I believe the Psalmist got it right when he said,

“The heavens declare the glory of God; 

the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 

Day after day they pour forth speech; 

night after night they display knowledge. 

There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.” 

                                                                             Psalm 19:1-3.

I look at the ordered universe we live in. Everything from the smallest subatomic particle to the largest galaxy is in perfect harmony allowing life as we know it to exist. This to me, tells me there is a divine creator at work. I cannot believe our universe just assembled itself purely by chance.
Still I respect the view of those who would disagree with me.
That being said, I would ask the question to anyone who doesn’t believe there is a God, are you beyond a shadow of a doubt certain God does not exist?
I ask because I believe that what you believe about God will determine where you will spend eternity. Jesus speaking of himself said,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son”. John 3:16-18.
The choice however whether to believe in Jesus, whether to believe in God or not is entirely up to you the individual.
What I would ask if you do not believe in God, is with an open mind, you at least take some time to read at least the New Testament and see what it says.
Please think about it.

Do you believe in God

Do you believe in God?
Blaise Pascal wrote

“It is incomprehensible that God should exist,

 and it is incomprehensible that he should not exist.” 

                                                                         Blaise Pascal

The Psalmist wrote,

“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” 

                                                              Psalm 14:1.

C. S. Lewis wrote,

“A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship 

Him than a lunatic can put out the sun 

by scribbling the word 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.” 

                                                                            C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain

The Apostle Paul wrote,
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  
For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” 
Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?  
For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.  
Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom,  but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,  but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.  
For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” 1 Corinthians 1:18-25.
Put simply God does things His way. Not the way man thinks he should do things. God asks all people everywhere to have faith in Him. The writer of Hebrews saying,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for

 and certain of what we do not see.” 

                                         Hebrews 11:1

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, 

because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists 

and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”  

                                                                 Hebrews 11:6.

Not believing in God, being an Atheist is also an act of faith. To be an atheist you have to have postulated that for whatever reason there is no God. Even if you simply say I can’t see God therefore He doesn’t exist is an act of faith.
It is if you will what the writer of Hebrews said, “... being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
You are hoping there is no God and in your own mind are certain of it.
To my mind it’s like going out on a cloudy night looking up into the sky and saying, “I can’t see the stars. Therefor they don’t exist.
Just because we can’t see something doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
Ben Zion Boskser wrote,
“I have not seen the robin but I know he is there because I heard him singing through my window from the tree-top outside.
I have not seen God.  But I have looked at my child’s eyes, and have been overwhelmed by the miracle of unfolding life.
I have watched the trees bedeck themselves with new garbs of green in the spring, and have been stirred by the miracle of continual rebirth.
I have looked at the stars, and have been overcome by the miracle of the grandeur and majesty of the universe.
I know that God exists, because I have heard the song of His presence from all the tree-tops of creation.”
         Ben Zion Bokser.
As for me I believe the Psalmist when he wrote,

“The heavens declare the glory of God; 

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” 

                                                         Psalm 19:1

For me the fact that we exist. That all of creation exists in the orderly way it does, proves there is a God. The choice however is up to you. Do you believe in God?
Please think about it

What do you think?

What do you think?
The apostle Paul writes,
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18.
For many in the world, what believers in Christ Jesus believe is foolishness. Christians believe that Jesus is God incarnate and for many this seems like an improbable scenario. Yet the apostle John stated,
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  
He was with God in the beginning. 
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  
In him was life, and that life was the light of men....
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. ” John 1:1-4,14
Christians believe Jesus came to earth to save each individual who would believe in Him from their sins and grant to them eternal life in heaven.
The apostle Paul writing,
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
The apostle John quoting Jesus speaking of himself as saying,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16,17.
The apostle Paul speaking in Athens expressed what all believers in Christ Jesus believe when he said,
“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.  
And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.  
From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.  
God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.  
‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ 
“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man’s design and skill.  
In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.  
For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.” Acts 17:24-31.
Thus the question is, What do you believe about Jesus.
Please think about it.

The Christian Message, foolishness???

The Christian message, foolishness???
The apostle Paul writes,
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.
Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom,  but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,  but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.”
         1 Corinthians 1:18-25
I think Paul says it all here. Those who do not believe in Jesus as we Christians do. Can look at us and think what we preach is foolishness. After all we believe God entered the world He created in the form of His One and only Son Jesus.
One of the big questions I get, is why would God enter the world He created? To which I think the answer is simple.
First God created man with a freewill allowing the individual to do as he wished. That includes the right not to believe in God. As a result as man progressed many people chose to turn away from God. Thus God entered the world to show mankind he was real and call mankind to himself.
Second I believe God had to enter this world to fully experience all it is to be a man and thus be able to judge man justly when the time comes. Because Jesus walked the earth and lived as a man we can never say he didn’t understand what it was like to me a man.
Thirdly and I think the words of Jesus sums things up nicely, when speaking of himself he said,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
      John 3:16,17.
At the same time God through Jesus gave us a waring again Jesus speaking of himself said,
“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son”.
                                                                                    John 3:18.
The apostle Paul echoing what Jesus said when speaking to the Athenians said
“For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.”
                                                                             Acts 17:31.
The message we Christians present to the world may seem foolishness but the Christian walk is a walk of Faith.
Christians are to my knowledge the only faith in the world that claims God reached down in the form of his One and Only Son Jesus Christ to offer redemption from sin.
The apostle Paul writes,
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.”
                                                   Ephesians 2:8,9.
The writer of Hebrews tells us,
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
                                                                                                        Hebrews 11:1
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
                                                                                      Hebrews 11:6
Faith in Christ, belief in His redeeming sacrifice on the cross is how Christians believe you get to heaven.
The question is do you believe this?
           Please think about it.

The foolishness of God

The foolishness of God

For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. 
Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.  
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  
He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are,  so that no one may boast before him.  
It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.  
Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” 
When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.  
For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.  
I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling.  
My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,  so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power. 
1 Corinthians 1:25-2:5
Here we have the Paul pointing out to the Corinthians that God’s wisdom is greater than man’s. He notes that they were not wise on their own or influential. Never-the-less God chose them to that the world called foolish to shame the world. He chose the weak things to shame to strong.
He makes it clear that we as Christians should not boast in our own strength but in the Lord.
Paul points out that he didn’t come like some debaters of the day, debating the things about Christ. He came in weakness, in fear and trembling and demonstrated the Spirits power. He noted that our faith should not rest in man’s wisdom but in the power of God.
Today in the church we need to remember these words. We need to be out there presenting the word of God. There is no need for us to be “eloquent of speech”.
There is an older woman in our church. She’s in her early seventies. She has problems walking and travels around town in an electric scooter. She doesn’t have a great education nor is she good at explaining things.
Still she travels all over town and hands out tracks proclaiming the Lord and inviting people to church. People know her well. Most think her very quaint and nice. Some think her a little eccentric, all say she’s harmless.
I’ve heard people talking about her and what she’s saying about the Lord. They may not agree with her but they are discussing what she gives them. Some even show up at church.
Some have even come to know the Lord. All because one grandmother in a scooter handed them a track that led them to the Lord.
We need more like her in our churches. People who go out and witness for Christ around our towns and neighbourhoods.
She loves the Lord and wants the world to know it.
She to me is an example of what Paul is saying here when he writes,
“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  
He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are,  so that no one may boast before him.”
Question: do you boast in the Lord? Are you doing your best for God?
Think about it.

Foolishness or Truth

Foolishness or Truth
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  
For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” 
Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?  
For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.  
Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.  
For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” 
                        1 Corinthians 1:18-25
Paul writing to the Corinthians in the above passage hits the nail on the head. If you are not a Christian the message of a suffering saviour is foolishness.
To those who deem themselves wise to have one man die for the sins of all men is at first glance a convoluted way of thinking.
For God himself in the form of Jesus Christ to come to the earth he crated and enter into society as a low born person does not make sense at all to non-Christians.
Yet Christians realize this was the only way it could happen.
Think about it, religions around the world agree that God will one day judge the world. Will one day judge each person individually But how could he judge the world fairly if he didn’t understand what it was to be a man?
The reason earthly judges can judge is that they know the law and they understand what it is to be human with all the temptations that lie around us.
For us to stand before an almighty, all knowing omnipresent God who has never experienced what it is to be human and be judged would be simply wrong from a moral point of view.
We could even make the statement to God that he didn’t understand what it was to be human and we’d be right in saying it.
The thing is with Jesus coming to this earth God can say I understand. He can say I understand what it’s like to as an infant to run for my life to Egypt to avoid being killed. He can say I understand what it’s like to feel the sun on my face. To stand in the rain to be loved.
At the same time he can say I understand what it’s like to be flogged and put to death for a crime he didn’t commit.
Jesus calls all mankind to himself saying,
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 
                                                             Matthew 11:28-30
Christians believe that we cannot live a life good enough to be judged fit to enter heaven. That’s why Christ died for us.
The apostle Paul writing to the Romans saying,
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 
Romans 5:8
God can also say Jesus made things clear saying,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 
                                                                                              John 3:16-18
That Jesus also said,
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 
John 14:6.
So ultimately the big question is.
Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God. That he came to this earth to offer the free gift of salvation to all who would believe in him?
Think about it.