The same intimate, yielded relationship Jesus had with the Father is available to us today. As believers we long to know and do the Father’s will, yet we often wonder exactly what that looks like, especially when guilt and failure make us feel unusable. The good news? The Father still shows up and invites us into that same close, surrendered walk with Him.

“The words I say to you I do not speak on my own initiative, but the Father abiding in me does His works.” “... and the word which you hear is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me.” John 14:10,24

Jesus’ teaching on his oneness with God condemns any notion that he spoke for himself or did only the things he desired to do. His relationship with the Father is such that he only speaks or does what the Father, who abides in him, desires. They are truly one, the Son completely yielded to the Father’s heart that lives in him. The beautiful news is that this same oneness is exactly what the Father invites us into.

The miracle of it is this: what seems unique to the Son is actually the pattern the Father longs to repeat in every one of His children.

When we are fully surrendered and yielded to God, then he can express His heart into our world through us, and the works we do are not our own but his. This is why Jesus can say in verse twelve that we will do greater works than he did. Our works are not ours, they are God’s. We are simply the wrench, the level, or the oil that he applies in a moment.

Even in Adam and Eve’s failure, God pursued the same close fellowship He designed for them and still designs for us. This seems impossible to us. How could He use someone like me? Why would He still want me after what I’ve done? And then we pause to remember that the day after they fell, God showed up. He came to walk with them even though He knew. He came to clothe them, to administer truth, and to send them on their way. They had a life to live and he wanted them to live it with Him. He had things planned for them, a purpose for going on, a reason to start over.

He is still inviting us into that same yielded walk with him today.

Here is a simple way to begin: Set aside one hour this morning or evening. Turn off the noise and soak in silence, communing with God. Speak your surrender out loud: “Father, not my will but Yours be done in me today.” Then listen. Obey the first gentle nudge you sense. As you practice this yielded listening and simple obedience, you will begin to experience the Father expressing His heart through your life.

Will you join me in that step today? Open your arms and yield to Him, and feel the oil of His Presence begin to flow.

Shalom

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What follows is something that did not begin as a plan, but as a stirring. It came after reading The Kingdom Is Within - Thy Echoes of Eden. I have a deep appreciation for the author’s writing and for the journey she and so many of us are on. I say “appreciation” with a touch of irony, because I, too, am a veteran of the long journey to peace.

I originally thought I might write a gentle, reflective piece, something in the spirit of Porchlight Conversations, touching on loneliness, self-worth, and the quiet battles we all fight. But when I finally sat down to write, something else came out instead. Short, staccato lines. An eruption of healing. This doesn’t happen to me often, but this was one of those times.

What follows is raw and unvarnished, born out of my own journey to freedom over a decade ago even though it is written in first person present tense. I don’t know if some would call this poetry. I don’t know anything about poetry. I only know what this is to me: the inside coming out.

Remembering my own troubles
Sin, depression, angst, agony
But never giving up hope
Because I had One to hope in

But I had to do the work
It wasn’t a get out of jail free card

The work is brutal
Serious self-analysis, questioning everything
Opinions do not matter, only evidence
Test and prove the evidence
Soul searching, soul judging
Believing there is a reason to battle that is worth the battle

What was meant to be?
New images of self begin to emerge
Tentative steps, testing, hope grows
Facing the big ones in faith
Knowing that sometimes the facts just don’t matter
Belief, faith, and faithfulness to the new - these matter

Plumb the depths of agony
Explore the deep darkness and pain
Find the demons that hide in these
Reject them, renounce them
Declare victory to their face
In The Name

Then comes deeper understanding
Deeper hope

Reality is not what I have believed
There is a path
There is a future
There is a way

Stripping down to the marrow
Remaking in the image that lives in the Creator’s heart

Yes, I have broken His heart
But He is still there
Waiting
I just need to show up
Broken and contrite
Convicted, confessing, repenting
Ready to do the work
Always, more work

Willing to fight for myself
Even when that means fighting with myself
Do not be afraid to fight those fights
Fight to win, not to surrender to the darkness
Surrender to the Light

And when He comes
I find He never left
He has been there all the time
Through it all
Waiting quietly inside
A sign of His love
If ever there was one

When I have been against me
He has been for me
Always

Be willing to fight
Be willing to surrender
Be willing to be made new
Be willing to survive
Be willing to succeed
At life, love, and happiness

Yes, even these are possible
They are the reality of my dreams

Believe in the dreams
Believe in their Author
Believe in your Creator
Believe in myself

Show the world
What victory looks like
Lift praise to His glorious Name

This is the truth evil does not want you to know
Out of deep troubles comes deep Truth
Truth that is unshakeable, unmovable
Truth as solid as eternity

And the truth is the Light
There, no darkness can abide

Shalom

If you’re walking through deep waters right now, know you’re not alone. Leave a comment or simply sit with this for a while—and keep going.

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We should not believe that living a sinless life is impossible, for it is the very purpose of salvation and redemption.1 Believers are called to a sinless lifestyle directly: "let us lay aside every sin, and sin which clings so closely."2 That means all sin, including unintentional, intentional, and habitual. Scripture recognizes, however, that perfection is a high goal, one we will struggle to attain: "For if we go on sinning directly after receiving the knowledge of the truth ..."3 we damage our relationship with the Lord to the point we lose his favor. We may be saved but our hearts are not one with his, and we most likely know it. How can you not know when something is wrong between you and the one you love? The believer's answer: to engage Grace through a broken and contrite heart by confessing, repenting, and seeking judgement and forgiveness.

When caught in repetitive sin patterns it is easy to rationalize our condition. Believers may ask if that isn't that what Grace is all about. The unbeliever trapped in habitual sin often says to themselves, "That is just the way I am, there is nothing I can do about it." Neither rationalization is true. The believer has access to forgiveness through confession and repentance (redemption) which restores our broken relationship with the Lord (grace), the unbeliever must first come to the cross in surrender by faith in Christ as their Savior (salvation).

Sometimes, the thought of facing God and his judgement is enough to steer us in the other direction. That should be a clear signal regarding the reality of the state our relationship with him. What we do not realize often enough is that God's judgement following our confession and repentance is a measure of his grace in our lives. A big measure. When we surrender our sin in brokenness and humility, confessing and repenting, we should also ask for immediate judgement. "Judge me now, Father!" Why? Because he wants to judge our sin immediately so that it can be removed and the relationship fully restored. Sin that has been judged and forgiven is no longer known to him.4 His early judgement is his grace in action. Don't run from God's judgement, run into it!

Believing in Christ as one's Lord and personal savior is the beginning of the race into righteousness. The good news? We leave the starting blocks with an unblemished record. Keeping it that way is the race Paul speaks about. When we stumble and fall, we have immediate access to God's judgement, forgiveness, and restoration precisely because we are no longer an unbeliever, a stranger to God, but one who has accepted the authority of the cleansing blood of Christ in our life and who is in relationship with God. We are one of his and he cares for us.

This process of confessing, repenting, and receiving judgement and forgiveness is important in our daily lives, whether we are confessing to a spouse, a friend, or even a stranger, and obviously when we confess to our Lord. It is a matter of a broken heart that longs for restoration of relationship.

To answer the question we started with, is the idea of living a sinless life rational? yes, it is! That is God's provision for us in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross to redeem our sin. When we stumble, however, the cross still stands, waiting for us to return and exercise its power and healing.

Shalom

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Overcomer'

Overcomers often struggle with unworthiness, especially if sin has damaged those we love and are closest to or had catastrophic effect. Yet, God calls David, who committed adultery and murder, a man after his own heart.1 How can that be?

The fact is that there are not many perfect people around for God to use, so he uses the imperfect who have surrendered through confession and repentance. That is what made the difference in David's case, and it is the same for us. God is much more interested in our future than our past.

The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.  Psalm 19:7-11 (ESV)

Here, David proclaims the benefits of walking with God: Life itself, wisdom, the joy of the heart, understanding amid chaos, enduring faith, and righteousness. He experienced all of this in his life, despite his great sin. The secret to his relationship with God and God's favor on his life is found in his heart's desire to confess, repent, and be made clean so that the relationship is restored, renewed, and kept whole.

David's Appeal for Innocence

Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19:12-14 (ESV) 

Forgiven as he is, David knows that the mercy of God and the new future he makes available must be claimed by appropriation. Habitual sins will enslave us again if we are not diligent.2 We choose to allow sin to have dominion over us or to live free with each decision to succumb to temptation or turn into the face of God. As David notes, our heart is the key. Its desires and intents rule our thoughts, words, and actions. Asking God to keep us from sinning is the first part of the equation, our choice to honor God's work in our life is the second.

The Overcomer's Song of Joy

When we love the Lord with all of our heart and soul, seek his path for our life and honor his desire for us, then we are on our way to the new life God stands ready to give us. It is the source of the continual state of inner peace, assurance, and confidence we seek, and is found in the Lord and in our own choices.

Blessed be the LORD! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy. The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. Psalm 28:6-7 (ESV)

Choose well. Choose now. Join in exultation with King David, a sinner made free and a man after God's own heart. Redemption, restoration, and renewal are something to shout about!

Shalom

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“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. ...” Luke 15:20b-24 (ESV)

It is too easy to read Bible stories and parables as nothing more than anecdotes or analogies and miss the deeper meanings.1 The Parable of the Prodigal Son is a perfect example of what is hidden in front of our eyes and which we should be alert to and recognize when it presents itself. As we read, we should always be asking: What is that about? Why is that there? What is hidden in this that makes it important? What is God really saying? For the overcomer, understanding the symbolic meaning of this story not only adds richness to the story but hope and faith to our own future.

The father ran toward the returning son, embracing and kissing him.2 He didn’t wait for him to arrive and grovel, he ran to meet him, cutting the distance and time between them. That can only be love, compassion, and rejoicing in action. His joy at his son’s return is so great that the pain of his leaving is set aside, and he demonstrates this by kissing him. In Hebrew, the word used here for kiss means to attach oneself and arm the recipient with weapons. In other words, the father is signaling to everyone that the son is returned to his full stature and place and is under the father’s protection. We can put ourselves in the returning son’s place. We may not be certain how those around us will react, but we can be fully confident that our Father in Heaven will drop all and run towards us when He sees us returning. We can anticipate His embrace and kiss as His sign of redemption and restoration, not just to us but also to all who witness His actions toward us.

He put the best robe on him.3 The son was returning as a complete mess. Everything he had taken was lost and he had nothing to offer his father as a gesture of love and respect. His father, however, offered gifts to him! The robe was a symbol of position. This was not just anyone––this was the father’s son! And it wasn’t just any robe. It was the best robe, richly made, finely detailed, colorful––the kind of robe a person of position wore. It said to everyone within eyesight that he was first in succession, rank, influence, and honor. Why did the father give him the best robe? To restore him to his former position, to change the way others saw him and responded to him, and to change the way he saw and thought of himself. To in effect tell him, “You think of yourself as worthless and useless; I see you as you were meant to be.”

He put a ring on his finger.4 A ring is a symbol of authority. It carries honor, purpose, and power, signifying the authority of the wearer to act on behalf of and in the name of the one who issued the ring. The ring was used to seal legal documents and treaties. It gave instant credibility to the wearer as an ambassador of higher authority. Your Heavenly Father has rings waiting to fit your fingers.

He put shoes on his feet.5 One of the father’s first actions is to put new shoes on his son’s shoeless feet. Shoes and feet represent our walk, our future, our destiny. We see the failures of our past and the troubles of our present. Our Father sees our future and begins to prepare us for our new destiny.

He killed the fatted calf.6 Remember, the sacrificial animal of old -- be it lamb, calf, or bull -- had to be perfect and without blemish. The sacrifice was a trade of perfection for imperfection. Jesus Christ offered Himself as that sacrifice for you and I, the Perfect One taking our place on the cross, offering Himself in trade as atonement for our sin.

In this parable we have a beautiful image of the forgiven son with his full inheritance restored. A new robe (position), a new ring (authority), new shoes (destiny), and the perfect sacrifice (freedom). The overcomer in Christ knows this joy, to be redeemed, restored with a new inheritance and destiny. Yes, that is what your Creator is offering you. Turn and you will see Him facing you, waiting.

Face Him, step into Him, and become lost in His embrace.

Shalom

Author’s Note: This post is an excerpt from Even Me, Even You, which is the story of my own journey out of darkness back into the Light of God’s mercy, and grace.

“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! ...’” Luke 15:17 (ESV)

Yes, life has a way. To escape the bondage of our sin life, we must come to ourselves, meaning that we must awaken to the reality of our life. Some of us will have a lot of waking up to do. In one sense, that makes it easier. For us, it is easier to realize that something is amiss precisely because it is so amiss. That is both good and bad. We come to the realization but have a long way to go. The road will be longer and rougher. Knowing that may make it hard to start the journey because of guilt, shame, fear, or a depth of hopelessness. Others may have a more difficult time realizing their state simply because it doesn’t seem to be that bad. It is easy to look around and tell ourselves that our sins do not seem so bad in comparison. Life looks good and feels good. Maybe it isn’t, and maybe it is. It is all a matter of perspective, and your position changes the view. We all have sin in our life. We are called to come to ourselves, or “come to our senses,” in a manner that breaks our heart when we realize what we have sacrificed to attain the counterfeit pleasure of a sinful existence. Coming to ourselves is the moment of encounter with the truth of our life, and our broken heart is the sweet fruit of the encounter. You might ask how a broken heart can be sweet fruit. Good question. Here’s the answer: when it causes us to face the reality of our life and surrender it with a contrite heart before God.

If you are struggling with questions about this in your own life, I ask you to do one thing: think about where you are positioned. Your position changes the way you see yourself and the life you are living. Are you positioned in the world and looking through the eyes of the world? Try moving. Position yourself in Christ, hanging on the cross and being crucified in Him, and look at yourself and your life through His eyes as He hangs there, paying the price for your freedom. The price has already been paid, all you have to do is collect on it. He loved you enough to lay down His life for you. Do you love Him enough to honor His sacrifice with your acceptance? Let your heart become broken. Believer or seeker, the answer is the same: surrender to His love and begin the journey home.

We Must Act

I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants. And he arose and came to his father.” Luke 15:18-20a (ESV)

We must act despite everything that battles to stop us. Nothing can happen until we overcome inertia and take the first steps. The Parable of the Prodigal Son lays out a pathway that we can follow in our own circumstance. First, he got up, meaning that his first action was to recognize his condition and decide to do something about it that only he could do. He stood up. That alone is a significant thing. It is a signal and encouragement to yourself that you have sunk as low as you are going to sink. When you stand you engage action with emotion and, as simple as it may sound, it is powerful. Stand with determination and conviction and take the first step forward.

Notice the prodigal son’s humility as he returns to his father. He does not ask to be returned to his old station in the family line. Instead, he asks to be treated as one of the servants, without qualification of what he is willing or unwilling to do. In doing this, he signals to others that he realizes he was wrong and is taking responsibility for his actions, asking for acceptance not as who he used to be but as he is now.

The world elevates personal power and prestige and looks down on humility. Power and prestige are not necessarily bad things, as long as they are godly power and prestige. But when they come from a corrupted soul there is no good end in sight. Humility, the willingness to place ourselves under the care of our loving Creator through brokenness and surrender, however, changes everything.

Next week we will explore what happens when we do.

Shalom

Author’s Note: This post is an excerpt from Even Me, Even You, which is the story of my own journey out of darkness and back into the Light of God’s mercy, and grace.

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Every once in a while, I run across a scripture that causes me to marvel again at God’s mercy and grace. It happens often in Psalms, of course, which is the source of my delight this morning. As I soak in it, I think about how this ancient passage from thousands of years past speaks the truth of God’s care for us today. It is never ending and full of goodness. King David knew this, and it is ours for the asking.

I am passionately in love with God because he listens to me. He hears my prayers and answers them. 

As long as I live I’ll keep praying to him, for he stoops down to listen to my heart’s cry. 

Death once stared me in the face, and I was close to slipping into its dark shadows. I was terrified and overcome with sorrow. 

I cried out to the Lord, “God, come and save me!” 

He was so kind, so gracious to me. Because of his passion toward me, he made everything right and he restored me. 

So I’ve learned from my experience that God protects the childlike and humble ones. For I was broken and brought low, but he answered me and came to my rescue! 

Now I can say to myself and to all, “Relax and rest, be confident and serene, for the Lord rewards fully those who simply trust in him.” 

God has rescued my soul from death’s fear and dried my eyes of many tears. He’s kept my feet firmly on his path and strengthened me so that I may please him and live my life before him in his life-giving light. 

Psalm 116:1-9 (The Passion Translation)

Shalom

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I sometimes recall the idyllic days of youth and my godly upbringing, and wonder how in the world I went so far astray. How was it that I became trapped in the world’s pleasures, enslaved to things I knew were wrong but desired anyway. The answer? One day and one choice at a time until I was no longer free, no longer who I desired to be. With that bit of revelation dawning, I became like the ancient Israelites. I desired to flee my own Egypt.

The third chapter of Exodus ends with these words, “…and you shall empty out Egypt.” In Ezekiel 39:10 we find this instruction expanded with explanation: “They will plunder those who had plundered them and despoil those who had despoiled them – the word of the Lord HASHEM / ELOHIM.” Finally, in Exodus 12:36 we find the fulfillment of God’s instruction, “HASHEM gave the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians and they granted their request so they emptied Egypt.” (all passages quoted from the Artscroll English Tanach, emphasis mine).

We know that this instruction was given to the Israelites just before their exodus from Egypt, and we know that the Israelites were faithful in following the instruction as their Egyptian captors gave them the riches of their personal possessions and land as they departed. From this, Israel was established as a nation of wealth from its very beginning, a blessing of God drawn from the spoils of those who had enslaved them.1

We understand the history of this word, but what does this instruction mean to us today? How is this ancient scripture alive today, and what are we to do about it?

“You shall empty out Egypt.” Each time I re-read the phrase my spirit jumped again. What was God telling me, and why is this word important to me and so many others today?

We have all been enslaved by various things. For some of us the experience has been mild. We’ve suffered no addictions, our families are whole and loving, our place in life seems secure and safe. Sure, we occasionally do something we know we shouldn’t, but they tend to be small things or personality characteristics. We think of these as us just being “the way we are.” For too many of us, however, the way we are falls short of God’s desire for the richness of life with its many responsibilities and joys.

Others among us suffer deeper and darker realities. Addictions to money, power, control, drugs, alcohol, eating disorders, sex, abandonment, lives of crime and hatred; these are tough circumstances. God’s Word has the same answer for all: “empty out Egypt.” His love redeems us, but we have work to do. It is the work of emptying our personal Egypt’s of the rubble and hubris of our lives. Our hearts must be changed, our desires cleansed, and our walk straightened. There can be no compromise, no “that doesn’t really matter,” or “God doesn’t care about that.” It all matters, and He cares.

Where does one begin?

There is only one starting point, our relationship with Father God. Developing intimacy there fosters intimacy in all other righteous relationships, and the desire to please Him above all else leads us to want to rid ourselves of all unrighteousness. We must purge our heart of sin. How can we do that? Only by immersing ourselves in the righteousness of Father God, turning into Him instead of into the world. In Him no unrighteousness can exist. Live in Him, breathe His breath, and allow Him to show you the way. Spend your time with Him, reading His Word and praying and meditating on it to gain insight into your own life, to learn His ways, and to rest your heart in His. Surrender it all and ask for His forgiveness and favor. Ask Him to show you the way.

Are you a believer who has gone astray? Ask Him to lead you back.

Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. 

Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long. 

Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. 

Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O LORD! 

Psalm 25:4-7 (ESV)

Are you a searcher who desires to know God? Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and confess your sins to Him, asking Him to take them in your place. It is as simple as this:

Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 

And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 

And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 

Acts 16:30-32 (ESV)

When the Israelites departed Egypt, they went with its riches.

All that had been stolen or acquired through the Israelites suffering and more was given to them freely. When we leave our personal Egypt’s behind, the riches of life are ours to claim again. Forgiveness, lost love for others and self, restored integrity, newfound joy and peace, and everything else God has for us.2 They are all there waiting for us, waiting to cheer us on as we begin the journey.

Empty out your Egypt and enter your very own Promised Land.

Shalom

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A good friend left us last week. He was someone important to my life, one who loved me when I was unworthy of love, had faith in me when I had lost my own, and who walked the overcomer’s journey before me. He knew what I did not yet know: that God’s forgiveness and love are just a surrender away and that their power changes everything. When they touch you, there is no way but straight.

Steve was a big man, full of energy and passion. When he was living in darkness those energies made him a force, one you did not want to cross. He grew up in East L. A., lived the gang life, and did bad stuff. Really bad stuff. He was everything you might imagine. I cannot remember how many times he was stabbed and shot in gang fights, but it was a lot. Some on the outside, some on the inside. Prison is a hard place to be. His name is still known in the projects of East L.A., spoken with respect by those who were part of his past and with reverence by those who know of his redemption and work to show others the Light.

When I first met Steve, I did not know what to think of him, not that I had ever been around anyone remotely like him. I would sit in my seat at church and observe quietly as others worshipped in ways you expect to see, singing, praying, and praising. Then there was Steve, running to the edge of the stage to pound it with all his might as he yelled out his love for God and exclaimed His greatness. I wondered who this man was and what was wrong with him. I had been in church nearly all my life and had never seen anything like it. But then, I had never known anyone who had lived a life like his, seen and done the things he had, and then been rescued from the depths. I had never known anyone who woke up inside a body bag at the morgue and yelled until the attendants heard and opened it for him.

That event is a perfect metaphor for his life. Dead in the world, alive in the Spirit and brought back to earthly life to live and serve humbly, the love of God the Father and his Lord Jesus his new animating force. All the passion and energy he carried was now directed towards Heaven as he ministered to his community with humility and love. Not an educated man, he became a scholar of the Hebrew Torah to plumb its depths and reveal its hidden secrets and mysteries and their keys to life. He taught others that yes, Jesus died to save us, but we must then honor His sacrifice with changed lives of truth, peace, love, and righteousness. With his passion for the Lord’s love and a new purpose, his latter impact overshadowed his former. Once a gangster in the truest sense of the word, he became a beacon of the Light of the World, shining God’s great love and mercy into dark places. When he spoke, people listened because they knew the darkness he chose to leave behind and wanted to know how that could possibly happen and if it could happen for them.

I first met Steve in 2012 and he soon began to invest himself in my life by being a friend, speaking truth, encouraging, caring. He saw beneath my facade to what others did not, and in him I saw what was possible. I realized that God’s mercy and love were not out of reach despite my own darkness. All I had to surrender was everything. It took two years, and it was never easy, but the day came when I finally broke and gave it all to the Lord. I learned truth in that, my own body bag opening to fresh air moment, as the Light of Life rushed in. God did not need Steve in my life to do that, but he was there and willing to be used. I am forever grateful for this man who showed me what true love and humility look like.

Steve was a unique man. Bigger than life in every way yet humble and loving. He lived to spread the Good News. He taught me how to worship again and made my life richer. His body carried many tattoos, their hard words speaking of his former life, but the Ten Commandments tattooed on his back were there because, as he said, “Jesus turned this stone into flesh, and He always had my back.”

His story, as unique and powerful as it is, is really the story of every overcomer, the ones of us who decide that life does not have to be the way it is and are willing to surrender and do the work required to change, leaving darkness behind to walk in mercy, grace, love, and forgiveness. In that sense, his story is my story, and it can be yours as well. Few can say they have known someone like Steve, such a giant of a man, of faith, and of God’s love. Maybe not, but we each have a path set before us and a choice to make. He chose to leave the darkness behind and walk with the Lord who redeems and restores life. I am better because he did, and proud to call him Brother.

Shalom

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What follows is an old entry from my morning journal. These are meant to be private and introspective, but I thought this one might be a good reminder that there is more to life than the past, an issue that overcomers often struggle with. That is natural, but we cannot allow it to trap us in the past. Instead, it should remind us we still have a new path to walk out. Sometimes, we need to give ourselves a pep talk. Here is one of mine.

What is it about, this constant thinking of a life poorly lived? Are you fascinated that you made it this far, or sorry over how you've wasted it? You sold out to the world, left Truth behind, and walked in darkness. Yes, it was bad. Was. That is the key thing. It was bad. Now it is wonderful. Why not think on that?

The wine glass is no longer full, but it is certainly not empty. What remains is yet to be discovered, tasted, and enjoyed. Do that! What is gone is in the past. Lost? Maybe, maybe not. What is in the past still exists in time, and time can be redeemed.

How?

By living every nano-second in God's presence. Live for Him as He pleases. Make new wine. Live a life that makes the past an important part of your story, but just a part, a part that magnifies the light of His Glory that covers you now.

Live for that!

Shalom

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The Israelites looked to Mt. Sinai as the place of the beginning of their relationship with God. It holds special significance then as the place where the relationship was sealed. It was where Elijah went after Jezebel threatened his life (1 Kings 19:2), and where Paul followed in Elijah's footsteps after being threatened with death himself for declaring Jesus as King in the synagogue at Damascus (Acts 9:23-24). In both cases, they went to Mt. Sinai out of brokenness, seeking to be renewed in their relationship with God, and to receive instruction for their next steps.

We have a life to live

Overcomers often arrive at a point of desolation, especially in the early days of their journey, in need of encouragement and direction. We can take a lesson from the journeys of Elijah and Paul. The instruction they received, separated by time as these events were, is virtually the same: return to the land of your people via Damascus and anoint the new king. For Elijah, the instruction also included anointing his successor. In Elijah's case, that meant anointing new kings for Syria and Israel, and anointing Elisha to take up his mantle (1 Kings 19:15-16). In Paul's case, it meant traveling the Damascus Road again and declaring the new King to all peoples. In both cases, the instruction received at Mt. Sinai, the seat of Israel's relationship with God, amounted to "go live the life I have set before you, in trust and faith" (my paraphrase).

Encountering relationship

Above all else, Mt. Sinai is a symbol of relationship. For those who have a relationship with God through Jesus, it reminds us of our original relationship with Him and refreshes us with new purity, commitment, hope, and enthusiasm. For those who do not have this relationship, it is a signpost to Calvary where Jesus paid the ultimate price to purchase our life, complete with all of its sorrows. At Mt. Sinai, the wayward believer's pilgrimage returns him or her to the symbolic place of covenant relationship. For the unbeliever, Calvary is the place of encounter with the One who surrendered Himself as payment for their sin, that surrender being the wellspring of freedom.

Even me, even you

When we fail ourselves and those we love, it can be hard. Relationships are damaged, we are ashamed and feeling guilty, afraid of how we have damaged the future. These are all natural and we must realize we are not the first or only. Sin is an ancient reality. And this is the answer to the age-old question - why? Why did Jesus come? Why did he die on the cross? Isiah spells it out plainly:

Everyone. Me. You. Even the best person you've ever known. There is only one answer to our past, one freedom, one hope for the future, and it is found at the Cross, the point where the promised relationship of Mt. Sinai is made real.

In part, this means that our situation is not unique. That shouldn't make us feel good about what we've done. The second part, however, should bring joy. There is a relationship which heals, restores, and renews. It is found at the Cross in surrender to Jesus and we are reminded of it when we think of the encounter and covenant of Mt. Sinai.

So, your life isn't perfect. Imagine that. The question now is, where will you go next?

Shalom

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Re-Created in His Image

Behold, My servant will succeed; he will be exalted and become high and exceedingly lofty. Just as multitudes were astonished over you, saying, 'His appearance is too marred to be a man's, and his visage to be human,' so will the many nations exclaim about him, and kings will shut their mouths in amazement, for they will see that which had never been told to them, and will perceive things they had never heard. Isaiah 52:13-151

We are to live, move, and have our being in God's peace. We are meant to live in and even be an expression of His mercy and peace to the world around us. The world knows us as we were, marred by our sin with warts and all, but now ... now we are changed.

Redeemed overcomers are a work in progress. Make no mistake about it, it is a process. Confession. Repentance. Judgement. Forgiveness. Restoration. Renewal. Those are the steps of this process we are engaged in. There are no shortcuts. Through it all, God's peace is there for us to live and walk in, to breathe. It is to be our place of habitation, the place where we exist and move.

Through the outworking of God's mercy and grace in our lives, the world will see a new person, one it hardly recognizes. Go back to the process for a moment. After forgiveness comes restoration, which we may think of as a reset that puts us on level ground as we marvel at God's mercy and begin to live each moment in faith. That is restoration. Renewal is something different. Renewal is a kind of re-creation as God forms us into what could not have been while we were lost in our false worlds and identities, but which is now possible. It turns out that our Creator is also our Re-Creator, the One who loves us so much He would do this for us. Our future is remade as we, through His provision and our righteous choices, are remade in His image.

Eternal Mercy and Kindness

Fear not, for you will not be shamed; do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced; for you will forget the shame of your youth and you will no longer recall the disgrace of your widowhood. For your Master is your Maker, HASHEM, Master of Legions, is His Name; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; God of all the world will He be called. For like a wife who had been forsaken and melancholy has HASHEM called you, and like a wife of one's youth who had become despised, said your God. For but a brief moment have I forsaken you, and with abundant mercy will I gather you in. With a slight wrath have I concealed My countenance from you for a moment, but with eternal kindness shall I shou you mercy, said your Redeemer, HASHEM. Isaiah 54:4-8

In this analogy, God refers to the nation as a wife who has been disgraced by the absence of her husband, intimating that the separation between them is charged to her account. In the overcomer's case, this is a description of the separation between us and God caused by our sin. God has withdrawn himself from the intimacy of our relationship because our life dishonors Him. He is still present (assuming one is a believer) but distant.

This passage begins with words every redeemed overcomer needs to take to heart: "Fear not, for you will not be shamed; do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced; for you will forget the shame of your youth and you will no longer recall the disgrace of your widowhood (sin)."

Fear, guilt, and shame are killers of restoration and renewal. It is possible to be redeemed but so afflicted by these that completion of the restoration and renewal processes cannot succeed. We must learn how to overcome them. It is good then that we have a Helper.

God tells us next that His absence has been temporary. When we turn back into Him, He is quick to meet us and shower us with "abundant mercy" as He draws us in with "eternal kindness." God is no longer distant in our lives. He is alive in us, and we in Him (John 17:21-23). Our relationship with Him is not only restored, but also renewed by His mercy and kindness. The overcomer has a helpmate whose kindness "shall not be removed" and whose peace "shall not falter." (v10)

God is not going to do all the work, however. We must be active in our own renewal. He tells us that we are to establish ourselves through righteousness (v14). Once again, He tells us that righteousness is in our choices. Making right choices is the work of establishing righteousness in our lives. We will be happier living in His presence as a result and the world around us will take note. After all, abundant mercy and eternal kindness are hard to miss when you see them on display.

He Is Our Sustenance

Why do you weigh out money without getting bread and exert your efforts for that which does not satisfy? Listen well to Me and you will eat well, and your soul will delight in rich food. Incline your ear and comet to Me; listen, and your soul will be rejuvenated; I will make an eternal covenant with you, the enduring kindnesses promised to David. Isaiah 55:2-3

All of our struggles and efforts to succeed in life are as weighing ourselves out for things that cannot satisfy or complete us. We exchange so much for so little when God's Word is the true source of our sustenance. We are to dine at His table, drink His wine, and take into ourselves the perfection of the life He has re-created us for. Everything else is spoiled fare. Everything we need in and from life is His to bestow upon us. Our part? To be worthy of His abundance, not by our works as the first order of life, but by the longing in our heart to honor, please, and serve Him which motivates us to seek out His heart's desires for us and to pursue them out of our own heart's desire. Then we can rest in the peace and confidence of knowing we are on the right pathway.

Seek HASHEM when He can be found, call upon Him when He is near. Let the wicked one forsake his way and the iniquitous man his thoughts; let him return to HASHEM and He will show him mercy; to our God, for He is abundantly forgiving. For my thoughts are not your thoughts and your ways are not My ways - the word of HASHEM. Isaiah 55:6-8

Shalom

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Chapters 52-55 of Isaiah contains a roadmap for the overcomer, a path to follow from repentance through a righteous life afterwards. In it, we find what is required and expected of us and the provisions and promises God makes towards us.

Imparted to Isaiah as a message to a nation in bondage and longing for freedom, this word rings true in our personal lives today. The pathway to freedom is before us; our choices will determine our life ahead. The first choice is one of the hardest. We must choose to confess, repent, and be forgiven.

Confession and Repentance Open the Gateway

For thus said HASHEM: For naught were you sold, and without money you will be redeemed. Isaiah 52:31

Rabbinical Note: You were sold to your enemies only in punishment for your sins, and you can be redeemed from their subjugation through repentance.

Point: Overcomers need not fret over the price they must pay God for their past. Repentance is the only cost God imposes and is the gateway to forgiveness and freedom in Heaven and on earth. The world may surely impose other costs, which we call consequences. Even here, God provides all we need to bear these and live a redeemed life.

Burst out, sing glad song in unison, O ruins of Jerusalem, for HASHEM will have comforted His people; He will have redeemed Jerusalem. HASHEM has bared His holy arm before the eyes of all the nations; all ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God. Isaiah 52:9

Point: When we realize that we have been set free, rejoicing should come naturally, as it did for me one evening when I left my stoic facade behind and rushed to join others in exuberant worship. Sometimes it will come suddenly as mine did, for others it will be a slow awakening to new freedom. Whenever and however the joy of freedom comes, release it as a praise and witness for the God of your freedom. Don't hide it, release it for all to see. Let them marvel and celebrate with you, and let it witness to those who do not understand.

Our Choices Dictate Our Future

Turn away! Turn away! Get out from there! It is defiled; do not touch it! Get out from inside it! Cleanse yourselves, O bearers of HASHEM's armor. You will not leave in chaos, nor will you go in flight; for HASHEM will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard. Isaiah 52:11-12

Point: This is our part in our own restoration. We are to be righteous in all things, running like the wind from the things that previously enslaved us. We are to "Turn away! Turn away! Get out of there! ... Get out from inside it!" God has redeemed us, now it is up to us to walk in His shadow and stay redeemed.

The wisdom of turning away is obvious, but what is "Get out of there!" and "Get out from inside it!" about? It is about breaking the intimate relationship we have entangled ourselves in inside the beings of our addiction and sin. It has not only been a part of us, but we have also been a part of it, inside it as it were, and made a part of it through our obedience and service to it.

How do we get out? Remember, holiness and righteousness are in the choices we make. Every choice is a decision to honor or dishonor God's work in our lives. Choose well! Bear the new mantle God has placed upon your life with desire, intent, and purpose, and let those guide every decision and every step.

Next Week in Part 2: Our new life that follows our surrender, confession, and repentance.

Shalom

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Ken

A redeemer will come to Zion, and to those of Jacob who repent from willful sin - the word of HASHEM. And as for Me, this is My covenant with them, said HASHEM, My spirit which is upon you and My words that I have placed in your mouth will not be withdrawn from your mouth nor from the mouth of your offspring nor from the mouth of your offspring's offspring, said HASHEM, from this moment and forever.

Arise! Shine! for your light has arrived, and the glory of HASHEM shines upon you. For, behold, darkness may cover the earth and a thick cloud may cover the kingdoms, but upon you HASHEM will shine, and His glory will be seen upon you.

Instead of your being forsaken and despised, without wayfarers, I will make you into an eternal pride, a joy for generation after generation. Isaiah 59:20-60:2,15 (Stone Edition, Artscroll English Tanach)

As Isaiah once spoke to a nation in captivity that longed for its freedom and renewal, he speaks also to the overcomer of our day. God's pronouncement to Isaiah was clear: "A redeemer will come to Zion," and the words that he gives Isiah for the peoples of that day and our own will not be broken. They are as true for you today as they were for the Israelites then.

Sin Separates, God Restores

If you are reading this it is likely that you have experienced the hardship of separation from those you love, from family, possibly from hope itself, and certainly from God. When our sin is great, those who care most about us sometimes reach a point where they cannot continue to bear the pain as they observe our trial. They will try for a while but eventually, when the sin is too much to bear any more, they will turn away. Even God turns away (59:2, 12-14).

This does not mean the turn away from us is eternal. In both cases, earthly and Heavenly, they wait for us to recognize our unrighteous actions and face them honestly with confession and repentance. When that happens, God will be the first to turn back to face us once again, the first to embrace us, and the first to restore relationship.

God's Mercy Will Shine

Forgiveness sets us free, restoration shines a new light in our life. For a few, this change will come suddenly. For most, it will be a gradual process as God reintroduces Himself and begins to change our earthly nature. Regardless which path you find yourself on, it will feel like newness, like being reborn with no tally marks on the wrong side of the ledger. There will be a new freshness and tenderness, signs that a new day has arrived in your spirit and life.

These are to be embraced enthusiastically and shared with those who care about you. Your reboot may take them by surprise and there may even be skepticism, but the new Light that shines from within will purge the darkness that once covered you. You will know it and feel it, that thing called experiential knowledge will become real and its light impossible to hide.

Establishing the Overcomer's Joy

Fear, guilt, and shame are an unholy trinity. Tools of captivity, they often try to convict, or re-convict, the sinner set free. It is their mission to return us to captivity and they are very good at it. Do not buy their snake oil.

As genuine as our freedom may be, it doesn't take long for these dark forces to make their assault. It may be a doubting remark or an accusation from one who has been injured by our sin, or it might be observing their pain as they deal with what our sin wrought in their own life. In moments like these, it is easy to fall into fear, guilt, and shame. It seems the logical thing to do, but it isn't. By surrendering to their taunts, we take their nature back into ourselves and the joy God has filled us with evaporates. That is satan's plan, not God's.

This is why accepting, honoring, and living in the protection and joy God provides is so important. It preserves His victory in us and, over time, gives others the opportunity to see and accept the truth of our renewal. They may never come to that point, but that is their choice. The overcomer's choice is to remain in God's shadow or abandon it and so declare God's mercy and grace void of power. They are not, but He will not violate our will. As set free ones, we must shepherd what He has bestowed upon us with great attention and care. Why? Because our freedom and joy is our strength and a beacon light to the world around us.

Our Redeemer promises eternal security, a continual flow of His mercy and grace into our lives, and the new peace and joy that come with them. He delivers on His promises. Let your joy shine. Let it fill your heart and face. Let it fill your world.

Shalom

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Jeremiah is filled with the story of Israel's sin and God's punishment, including the nation's exile to Babylon. God is faithful even in this, as we see in His instruction for their period of captivity and provision for their restoration. The story presents a different lens for us to view our own lives and experiences through, helping us see God's providence at work, even in the toughest of times.

Serve the king of Babylonia and live

Because of Israel's great sin, God established Nebuchadnezzar, the evil king of Babylonia, as His instrument of discipline upon Israel and its surrounding nations also caught up in depravity. They were in captivity to a foreign king. It wasn't easy. Yet God's instruction to them was, "Serve the king of Babylonia and live." (Jer 27:17) In this, God called them to persevere and endure through the hardship of the exile experience so they would realize what they lost and why. It is a form of discipline that every parent and child is familiar with.

Just how normal their lives were to be in Babylon is spelled out early in chapter twenty-nine.

Build houses and settle; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and beget sons and daughters; take wives for your sons and give your daughters to men, and let them give birth to sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not let your numbers diminish. Seek the peace of the city to which I have exiled you and pray for it to HASHEM, for through its peace you will have peace. (Jer. 29:4-7)

God's intention for their lives in captivity was that they be normal, even though they were captives in a foreign land. They were to carry on with the patterns of life, to multiply, and to seek the peace of the place they were in. Returning to the parent/child analogy, God was telling them to take advantage of their discipline to reset their way of life and attitude toward Him. It is not just a time of captivity; it is also a time of preparation for their release and return. He tells us the same today.

God's provision for our future

Even in the midst of our sin, God considers us with peace and a future in Him and makes provision in advance for that time when we may turn back into His embrace. His consideration and care for us is carefully spelled out in this passage but is dependent upon our voluntary return to His heart. Listen to what He tells us about His attitude toward us:

I know the thoughts that I am thinking for you (Jer 29:11-14):

• Thoughts of peace and not evil ... to give you a future and a hope

• Call out to Me and follow Me ... I will listen to you

• Seek Me ... I will make Myself available to you

Followed by His promises:

• I will return your captivity

• I will gather you in

• I will return you to the place from which I exiled you

God's provision for our restoration

For behold, days are coming - the word of HASHEM - when I will return the captivity of My people Israel and Judah, said HASHEM, and I will return them to the land that I gave their forefathers, and they will possess it. (Jer 30:3)

When we surrender ourselves completely to Him, God welcomes us back, His provision already in place. There is nothing that can prevent or forestall this except our own stubbornness and rejection of His mercy. When we surrender, however, His mercy is certain. This does not mean there will be no consequences to our sinful past, but His mercy and grace will provide all we need to persevere through those as well. Just as the Israelites had to re-possess the land of their forefathers and rebuild the Temple, we will also have work to do. Our work may mean repairing broken relationships or re-establishing normality in our lives in other ways.

God's provision for our freedom

Nevertheless, all who devoured you shall themselves be devoured; all who oppressed you will all go into captivity; who trampled you will be trampled; and all who despoiled you, I shall deliver to become spoils. (Jer 30:16)

The demons, powers, and principalities that we allow to rule our lives, be they addictions, attitudes, behaviors, or any other number of ills, must be dealt with. Scripture tells us that if they are not, they will return in even greater strength (Matt 12:43-45). But it's not our job. The mistake many of us make is trying to resist them in our own power. God is our warrior (Isa 42:13), however, and the battle is His if we will let Him have it. Listen to Him, follow Him, and keep your house clean.

When we allow Him to do as He desires in our lives, when we follow Him with true hearts and let ourselves be covered by His mercy, grace, and provision, we see the overwhelming power of His love expressed in ways we would not have imagined.

And I have loved you with an eternal love, therefor I have extended kindness to you. I shall yet rebuild you and you shall be rebuilt. (Jer 31:2-3)

That is how much He loves you, no matter what you have done or suffered. His love is never ending, pure, and true. Step into it.

Shalom

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On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” John 20:19-23 (ESV)

There is much to unpack in this short passage. Jesus appears to His disciples for the first time after His resurrection. He commands peace to be with them. He commissions them. He releases the Holy Spirit to them. Finally, He instructs them on forgiveness. That is a lot for five short verses and there is much to plumb, but for this post we will begin with the last, forgiveness.

Forgiveness Is a Force

Forgiveness is something I know a little about, from both sides. I hope you do as well. It is a force, one that is so important that it is the very first thing Jesus instructed His disciples on after releasing the Holy Spirit to them. I do not believe that was a coincidence. There is a holy connection between the Holy Spirit and forgiveness. It is that powerful. After all, forgiveness was the purpose of Christ's mission. It is THE reason He came.

The Power of Position

Yet, it can be hard for us to forgive. We are citizens of a world that loves to hold grudges of all manner and focus on getting even. That is the world's way, it isn't God's way. He sent Jesus here not just to save us but to forgive us as well, and to position us to forgive others. Jesus teaches His disciples this when He says, "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” They had positional power, granted by Jesus, to forgive or not forgive others because they were commissioned as His ambassadors to the world. Believers are in that same position. Think about that for a minute. We have the power to bless or condemn. The hard part for us, sometimes, is blessing those who condemn us. It is not the world's way, but it is God's way. Jesus was condemned yet forgave, and we are His ambassadors. When we do not forgive others, we reject His very purpose in coming to forgive us. We must remember, always, that we are not only citizens of this world but also citizens of Heaven, charged with heavenly responsibilities and graced with heavenly provision, including the provision of grace to others. Forgiveness is a heavenly force.

The Hardest Person to Forgive

For some of us, the hardest person to forgive is ourselves. We know what we've done and what we've become even when others do not. We can be very good at hiding things, but we cannot hide them from ourselves. We have the experiential knowledge of our sin, a knowledge that cannot be escaped. Overcomers know this condition well. They have faced it and overcome it through confession and repentance. The result? Forgiveness and freedom that no one should deny themself. If you are struggling with forgiving yourself then choose to trust God and the forgiveness He promises.

Forgiveness Opens a New Future

There are two primary reasons forgiveness is so important: it frees both parties from the past, and it is the beginning of hope and trust for what must follow. It is the gateway to healing, restoration, and renewal.1 Those are pretty good reasons.

We all experience circumstances that can distance relationships and separate us from those we care about, or present other difficulties that make life seem unfriendly at times. Some of these may be in our past and some in our present. These things happen. The question is: how will we respond? Will we choose the world's way, holding a grudge and seeking to get even, or will we release genuine forgiveness, setting ourselves free of anger and allowing others to choose freedom as well?

Try forgiveness. You may be surprised at what happens. After all, it is God's way.

Shalom

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I fell

He died yet lives

In me

God is merciful

I am whole

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People who lead double lives are usually the ones you would least suspect. My life reflects that truth, and my story illuminates just how powerful God’s mercy is.

Editorial Review by Layne Prince

Ken Burkhalter’s Even Me, Even You is a memoir, the testimony of someone who has seen and experienced the goodness and mercy of God in a way that will captivate believers and non-believers alike. As someone who looked the part but was internally tormented by self-hatred and a darkness of which he would not realize the extent until much later in his life, Burkhalter is chased down and shown God’s goodness, and that is what leads him, as it has led many, to repentance.

The story begins with a hard-hitting conversation wherein the speaker admits to his wife and friends one of the many habitual sins he’s partaken in over the years. We imagine how emotional that moment must be, and the heaviness draping itself in the room over everyone present. From there, we are caught up on the events leading to that horrible yet weirdly glorious instant: “I made it my life goal to escape the pain of rejection by turning inward and living life alone. I might have to feel the pain, but I could hide it, as well” (p. 9). Indubitably, many readers will relate.

From there, Burkhalter sequences his story in an intriguing way. The wisdom accrued on the path of darkness into marvelous light is refreshing, encouraging, advantageous. The weaving between the pieces comprising the story of his self-perception, marriage, and relationships and the nuggets gained from them is brilliant. There is no pure storytelling here, and yet no book-long sermon. Rather, you’ll find the sometimes-dirty truth, and the always-beautiful, relentless love of God and the love of those He places in Burkhalter’s life to speak to him.

I won’t spoil specifically what happens from there, but as the subheading and the book description reveal, the author is nowhere near where he was. He lives in the glory, and you can, too. And, as you can tell by the very title, that’s what he wants readers to grasp. Perhaps you’re in the darkness searching for a glimmer of hope. Or maybe you’re just looking for a gripping testament to the goodness and mercy of our God. Either way, He can reach you through this story. This is why Burkhalter wrote Even Me, Even You and decided to share it with the world, for both those searching and those who have yet to realize their innate need and desire to walk with God in the cool of the day, as we have been created to do. We can never, try as we may, outrun Him.

Amazon - Even Me, Even You

Email - EMEYwalktofreedom@gmail.com

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