The Corner Stone

The Corner Stone
The Apostle John Warns,
“Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.  
They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. 
But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.  
I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth.  
Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son. 1 John 2:18-22.
Here John speaking to believers, warns against what he calls “antichrists”. What he means is those who are against Christ. Men and women who are denying that Jesus is The Messiah, The Christ, God incarnate.
John notes,
“They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us.”
These people said they were believers. They apparently sat under the teaching of the disciples. However they did not believe.
John talking about these people, states, 
“Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son.”
You cannot be a true believer in Christ if you deny the deity of Christ. The apostle Paul writing to the Colossians about Jesus said
“In him dwells all the fullness of the God head bodily” Colossians 2:9.
The writer of Hebrews speaking of Jesus tells us,
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Hebrews 1:3.
John’s Gospel records this incident of Jesus speaking to Martha,
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;  and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
“Yes Lord” she told Him, “I believe you are the Christ the Son of God, who was to come into the world,” John 11:25,26,27.  
John at the beginning of his gospel referring to Jesus as “The Word” states,
“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.
The corner stone of Christian belief is that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, God incarnate. You cannot be a Christian and not believe this.
Please think about it.

Where is your Faith?

Where’s your faith?
The Apostle John writes,
“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  
For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world.  
The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” 1 John 2:15-17.
What John is saying here is what Jesus said,
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21.
As believers in Christ we must decide who we will follow. We are either following Jesus or we are following the ways of the world. There is no middle ground.
Matthews gospel tells of this encounter between Jesus and a rich young man. It reads,
“Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” 
“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.” 
“Which ones?” the man inquired. Jesus replied, “ ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony,  honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’’” 
“All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?” 
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 
When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.” Matthew 19:16-22.
Now let me make something clear here. There is nothing wrong with being wealthy. It is the priority you put on your wealth.
In the case of the rich man who came to Jesus it was obvious that he but his wealth first in his life. He was not willing to give it up and trust God to provide for him. Thus he left Jesus sad.
The decision this rich man had to make however is a decision we all must make. Are we willing to trust God to supply our everyday needs or in our wealth.
  Thus the question becomes where do you put your faith?
Please think about it.

Your Walk

Your Walk
The apostle John writes,
“We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.  
The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  
But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him:  
Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” 1 John 2:3-6.
The apostle John speaking to those who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ states very clearly,
“Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”
Walking as Jesus walked, is showing unconditional love for God, our neighbour and even our enemy. Jesus when asked,
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  
This is the first and greatest commandment. 
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40.
Jesus also said,
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  
But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  
  And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?  Matthew 5:43-47.
Here is something for those who consider themselves believers in Christ to think about.
In his lifetime he never spoke or protested against anyone outside his faith. He a Jew did speak against the religious leaders who were incorrectly practising the word of God.
He did not speak against the secular Roman authority even when he was put on trial.
When the apostle John tells us
“Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”
 This to my way of thinking is Not protesting even if it is something we disagree with.
It means showing unconditional love to all we come in contact with. The apostle Paul defining love as,

“Love is patient, love is kind. 

It does not envy, it does not boast, 

it is not proud.  

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, 

it is not easily angered, 

it keeps no record of wrongs. 

Love does not delight in evil 

but rejoices with the truth.  

It always protects, 

always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

Love never fails....

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. 

But the greatest of these is love.”  

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a,13.

Thus the question becomes,
If you claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ is this the kind of love you are showing to the world.
Please think about it.

Will you sit with them?

Will you sit with them?
The reason I post these blogs is to make Christians and others, think about their faith, their relationship to God and to other people.
The apostles while on this earth never wavered in their devotion to God. Their faith remained strong in all situations. At the same time they followed the example of Jesus by associating with all people from all walks of life and presenting the gospel message to them.
A good example of this is when Jesus sat down with the Samaritan women, (John 4:6-26).
In speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well he broke the social norm of his day. In doing so Jesus showed his followers that they should do the same.
Jesus in forgetting about the social norm of the day and speaking to the Samaritan woman resulted in many in the village coming to believe that He indeed was the Messiah. John’s gospel recording,
“Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.”  
So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days.  
And because of his words many more became believers. 
They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” John 4:39-42.
As believers in Christ Jesus today in the twenty-first century we need to follow what Jesus did. We need to put aside our “social norms” and associate with all people.
It should not matter whether we agree with their beliefs, or their lifestyle we should be opening a dialogue with them.
Jesus did not look on the lifestyle or the beliefs of this Samaritan woman he simply presented the good news of Salvation to her. As a result many others believed in Him.
Question,
Are you willing to sit down with people of different lifestyles and belief and present the gospel message?
Please think about it.

The Choice

The Choice
The day and age in which we live puts before believers in Christ Jesus many challenges.    We perhaps more than at any other point in time, face things that were hidden or at the very least less prominent to believers in Christ in generations past.
That being said, every now and then I like poking Christians with a pointy stick so to speak. One that makes them think about various issues the church in the twenty-first century must confront. This is one of those days. My sole purpose is to make believers in Christ Jesus to think.
While the story below is fictional but it could just have easily in today’s society be fact. The story is called the Choice
"That morning, Margaret Elizabeth got up extra early, readying herself for the day.  She would get only one chance to make an impression.  To that end, she applied her makeup with extra care.  Chose the black ankle length wraparound skirt, white turtle neck top and black jacket, her children had given her as a gift, while in hospital.  She limited her jewelry to a simple pair of diamond studied earrings, that had been her grandmother’s and small bracelet given to her by her daughter-in-law.
Leaving that office, to walk to the pulpit was the hardest step, she ever had to make.  Her heart pounded and by the time, she stood behind the pulpit she was visibly shaking.
“Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Margaret Elizabeth and just before Christmas, I underwent Sexual Reassignment Surgery.” she said relief surging through her body, as silence engulfed the assembly.  
“I know that many of you, maybe uncomfortable with that.  That is why I have asked to speak to you. To give you my testimony and then allow you to ask questions.
I have felt like a woman trapped in a man’s body for my entire life.  I was married for over thirty years to a wonderful and accepting woman, who died several years prior to my coming to this assembly.  I have a wonderful family, all of whom support me and are here today.
Believe me, I did not choose this course of action lightly.  I did so after much personal anguish and a great deal of prayer.
For a little over two years prior to my complete transition, I have lived my life as a woman: I was doing so when I came to this church and I think I did it well enough that no one knew.  If they did no one commented.
I have no apologies to give for what I did, or who I am, because I do not believe I did anything wrong.
I accepted Jesus as my Saviour over thirty-five years ago, and asked Him to remove from me what at times, has been this difficult burden.  He has chosen not to and thus, I have accepted that I am what I am.  A child of God, who knew me, according to the Psalmist, in my mother’s womb.
I have no intentions of preaching a sermon here today, only to ask you to accept me as I am.  In fact, the only reason I stand before you today, is because I was asked to come onto the staff of this church and wish to be completely honest with you.
Now, I will open the door to all questions and endeavor to answer them to the best of my ability.  After which, I will ask for a vote and abide by your decision.”
There were many questions answered, then pastor came to the front.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, it is now time to take a vote.”  He said.  “If you wish Margaret Elizabeth to become a part of our pastoral staff, please rise to your feet.”
Thus the question becomes how would you vote and why?
Please think carefully about it.

It's not about

It’s not about
Sometime ago I posted this short story. It’s called The Eleven O Clock Parable.
I got various reactions some missed the mark about what I was saying. Some completely got it. I put it here for you to read. At the end of which is my interpretation.

The Eleven O Clock Prayer

It’s eleven o clock. Inside the court house a judge is about to make his ruling. A community, a nation, waits. 
Will the new law be legal? 
Outside the court house men and women with placards chant. 
On one side of the street stand a group of gay men and women. All in favour of the new law.
On the other side of the street separated by a line of police stand radical men and women calling themselves Christians, denouncing the new law.
One man among them screams angrily . “HOMOSEXUALS ARE GOING TO HELL!!!”
Approached by the media he says it again, “homosexuals are going to Hell.” 
From my office window I watch asking myself the question, ‘is this man an Christian?”
Wasn’t it Christ who told us not only to love our neighbour but our enemy also?
Wasn’t it Christ who told us not to judge, lest we be judged likewise?
Wasn’t it Christ who said go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation?
Is this man showing love?
Is this man judging another? 
Can this man be effective in reaching the whole world of which a percentage are homosexual?
Is this man even a Christian?
A questions keeps rolling through my mind for which I know the answer, “Can we truly know what is in someone else’s head?
Do we really know why a person is the way they are?”
For a moment I stare down at the crowd. All the time asking myself who is on the way to Hell this day, and how can I reach them for my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ?
Turning away from my window I kneel down and pray, “Lord guide me this day. Let me make the right decision on this law.”
The point of the story is not about the judge. About whether the judge follows the rule of law or follows his conscience.
The Point is summed up in the words of Jesus who said,
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” Matthew 7:12.
Would those claiming to be Christians protesting outside the judges office want those who disagree with them protesting in front of a judges office who had to decide a law that favoured Christians?
Would these people want others protesting against their rights given to them by a duly elected government in a secular democracy such as we live in?
Read the words of Jesus again,
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” Matthew 7:12.
If you claim to be Christian, a follower of Christ Jesus the ramifications of that statement are enormous. Your very words and deeds are telling others what they can do to you.
Please think about it. 

John 3:17

John 3:17
The Apostle John quoting Jesus speaking of himself states,
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:17.
Sadly I think many who call themselves Christians fail to see what this portion of scripture means.
 John 3:16,
“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.” is perhaps the most quoted verse in the New Testament. But John 3:17,
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” is overlooked.
The purpose in Jesus coming into the world was to save souls. Not to judge or condemn them. Sadly for many claiming to be Christian this purpose is lost on them. They go around heaping judgement on everyone they disagree with.
Billy Graham the great American Evangelist said,

It is the Holy Spirits Job to Convict,

 God’s job to judge 

and my job to love, 

                     Billy Graham.

All Christians need to remember this.
Another great evangelist Charles Spurgeon wrote,
“If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go unwarned and unprayed for.” Charles H. Spurgeon.
       As Christians we must remember,
“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.

We must remember it was unconditional love that took Jesus to the cross. That it is unconditional love that we as believers in Christ Jesus show to all people.

Please think about it.

Do you Worship God

Do you Worship God?
The Psalmist tells us,

Praise the LORD. 

Praise God in his sanctuary; 

praise him in his mighty heavens. 

Praise him for his acts of power; 

praise him for his surpassing greatness. 

Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, 

praise him with the harp and lyre, 

praise him with tambourine and dancing, 

praise him with the strings and flute, 

praise him with the clash of cymbals,

 praise him with resounding cymbals. 

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. 

Praise the LORD. 

                                   Psalm 150

The Apostle Paul 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.” Acts 17:24.
So my question to you, if you are a Christian is where do you worship God?
Do you only worship God at church on Sunday or at some special church meeting?
If God is pre-eminent in our lives we should be worshipping him more than on just Sundays or at some special service. We need to worship Him at other times also and I don’t mean by simply listening to worship music. While listening to worship music is good. It should not be a replacement for taking time to actually worship God yourself.
You can turn on the worship music but sing along with it. Take time to speak words of praise to God.
And here’s something to think about. Let your words and deeds praise God. Francis of Assisi wrote,

"Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace;

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is discord, harmony;

Where there is error, truth;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

And where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, Grant that I may not so much seek

To be consoled as to console;

To be understood as to understand;

To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life."

                                                              Francis of Assisi

   I know it can be hard to praise God sometimes. But if we are making God a reality in our life. Our words and deeds will praise God. Not only that they will point others to God.
Please think about it.

Forsaking All I Take Him

Forsaking All I Take Him
Jesus said,
“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.  
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” John 4:23-24.
I write this to those who would claim to be Christians.
Do you worship God in spirit and in truth?
I firmly believe that to worship God in spirit and in truth you have to be completely committed to Him.
Matthew’s gospel records this incident between Jesus and a young man. He records,
“Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” 
“Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.” 
“Which ones?” the man inquired. Jesus replied, “ ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony,  honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’’” 
“All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?” 
Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 
When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.” Matthew 19:16-22.
The young man believed there was a God. He it followed the law. He was a good man. But he was not willing to put his complete trust in God. His trust it seems was in his wealth.
He was not worshiping God in spirit and in truth. He did not have the faith that God would provide for him and look after him.
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.

In order to truly worship God we must be willing to put our complete trust in Him. As some one said, FAITH.... 
                                                 Forsaking 
                                                 All 
                                                 I 
                                                Take 
                                                Him.
Do you truly have faith in God? Do you worship God in spirit and in truth?
It is a question only you can answer.
Please think about it.

Christian belief in a Nutshell

Christian belief in a Nutshell
The Gospel of John records 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.  
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.
This is the message of Jesus Christ in a nutshell. In very clear terms it makes three statements.
1. God loved the world so much He sent his one and only son into it, so that whoever believed in Him would have eternal life.
2. He makes it clear that Jesus did not come into the world to condemn the world in any way. He came to save all who would believe in Him.
3. He gives a warning. Making it clear that whoever believes in Jesus in not condemned. But whoever does not believe in him is condemned.
This is a core belief of all who believe in Jesus Christ.
All who hear about the Saving Grace of Jesus Christ must decide for themselves if what the apostle John wrote here in his gospel is true or not.
If it is untrue then no one has anything to fear.
If on the other hand it is true then there are eternal ramifications. 
Please think about it.

Wine from Water

Wine from Water
John’s gospel records Jesus as being at a wedding feast with his disciples, possible of a relative, when the wine runs out. Something that would have been to potentially humiliating to the bride and groom.
His mother obviously knowing what he was capable of doing asked him to make things right if you will. Jesus does so in the form of a miracle. John’s gospel stating,
“On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there,  
and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.  
When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” 
“Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” 
His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 
Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. 
Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. 
Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. 
Then he called the bridegroom aside  and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” 
This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.” John 2:1-11.
For me personally there is a few of things that fascinate me about this incident.
First Mary the mother of Jesus knew he could preform such an act. She obviously had foreknowledge of what Jesus was capable of doing.
Second while Jesus said, “Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” he a adult man of around thirty, still obeyed his mother.
Third, In doing so he did a secret act of kindness toward the bride and groom. For while the servants knew what had happened, the master of the banquet did not know, nor presumably did the bride and groom.
Forth, and more importantly this miracle set a precedent. It did what the miracles of Jesus were suppose to do, showed who he was. The Son of God, the Messiah. The apostle John noting,
“This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.” 
It has always been my contention that all the miracles in the Bible are true. Especially those associated with Jesus.
The New Testament was written within living memory of Jesus. There were people around that knew Jesus and what he did. To lie would be to destroy the credibility of the fledgling church.
Not only that but the writers of the New Testament were writing to tell people beyond Israel about Jesus. People not only in the Roman Empire but beyond it.
To fabricate something that was unbelievable would again not be in the best interest of the fledgling movement.
Thus in my opinion these events must be true. The choice however is up to you the reader. You must decide for yourself if what the writers of the New Testament wrote is true.
You must decide if Jesus is who he claimed to be, the Son of God, Saviour of mankind, Messiah.
Please think about it.

Faith & God

Faith & God
The book of Genesis states,
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1.
The Bible does not debate the existence of God. After all it was written to believers in God. People who have faith in God.
The writer of Hebrews stating,

“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

That being said Thomas Aquinas said,

“To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. 

To one without faith, no explanation is possible.” 

                                                       Thomas Aquinas.

Sadly from my point of view as a Christian there are many in the world that don’t believe in God. They can’t seem to believe in anything beyond this world. Anything they cannot see, feel, or hear. Yet having faith in God costs nothing and offers much. 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.
I as a Christian believe God wants people to believe in Him by faith because people who believe in anything by faith are the strongest of followers.
I as a Christian also believe that God did all he could to show mankind He loves them and wants them to spend eternity with Him. The apostle John writing,
“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.
We Christians believe God in the form of His One and Only Son Jesus Christ entered the world to point people to heaven. We believe the apostle John who speaking about Jesus wrote,
“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—  children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” John 1:12,13.
We believe the apostle Paul who wrote,
“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.
Christians believe that it is by the grace of God through our faith, our belief in Him that we get to heaven. So to quote Blaise Pascal again,
“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
Thus the question becomes. Where are you placing your bet?
Please think about it.