^{John 10:11}     “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

As the Shepherds lead and care for their sheep, Jesus loves and cares for His “sheep” (His children that He died for).  Jesus is the great shepherd, and we are  His sheep being lead to green pastures and fresh water.

Come To Christ

12/30/2014

From: Biblegateway

Those who follow Jesus’ commandment entirely, who let Jesus’ yoke rest on them without resistance, will find the burden they must bear to be light. In the gentle pressure of this yoke they will receive the strength to walk the right path without becoming weary.…Where will the call to discipleship lead those who follow it? What decisions and painful separations will it entail? We must take this question to him who alone knows the answer. Only Jesus Christ, who bids us follow him, knows where the path will lead. But we know that it will be a path full of mercy beyond measure. Discipleship is joy.

Biblical Wisdom

Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28–30

Questions to Ponder

• What is Jesus’ “commandment” that we are to follow? (See John 15:12)
• If this commandment is Jesus’ “yoke,” how might we be changed if we bear it without resistance?
• Why might following Jesus’ commandment lead to tough “decisions and painful separations”?

Psalm Fragment

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 day long. Psalm 25:4–5

Journal Reflections

• To be a disciple is not just to believe in Jesus, it is to follow Jesus. In your journal, reflect on the ways in which you are presently following Jesus.
• Do you experience your discipleship as “joy”? Is the “burden” of your discipleship “light”?
• Do you sense there are places Jesus might want to lead you where you would rather not go? If so, where are they and what is holding you back?

Intercessions

Pray specifically for family, friends, and colleagues that they might clearly hear the call to discipleship (which is the call to love and justice), and that they might experience following Jesus’ commandment as joy in the concrete realities of their lives.

December 30

From: Through The Bible

Daniel 7:21-22, 27 (NIV) ²¹As I watched, this horn was waging war against the saints and defeating them, ²²until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom.

²⁷Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.’

Daniel has given us many prophecies relating to the end-times. Just as Nebuchadnezzar’s image ended with ten toes, the beasts of Daniel’s vision end with ten horns. A horn is a symbol of power. A little horn rises up and plucks up three of the ten horns. This is the Antichrist. He makes war with the saints for three and a half years. (time, times, and half a time) The revelation of Jesus to John gives the same scenario. The saints throughout the world will be tortured and killed because they will not bow to the Antichrist and refuse to worship him. His freedom to do this is limited to a set amount of time.

When that time is up, the Ancient of Days (God) will come and pronounce judgment in favor of the saints. Then they will possess the kingdom. We already possess the Kingdom of God if we are in Christ. We already have the blessedness of that kingdom in our heart. The prophecy is speaking of the kingdoms of the world, as verse 27 makes so clear. Rule, power, and greatness will be given to God’s people. Yet, it is still called His kingdom. That is because we are His. Just as we co-labor with Him now, we will co-labor with Him then.

Consider: This world is our training ground for learning to work with God. How are you doing? Remember the parable in which Jesus told the steward who was faithful with a certain amount of money that he was now to rule over a certain number of cities? (Luke 19) Be faithful to serve Him now and you will be prepared to serve Him as ruler over cities then.

December 30

Revelation 22:3-5 (NIV) ³No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. ⁴They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. ⁵There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

The city is the bride of the Lamb. It comes down out of heaven to the earth adorned as a bride at a wedding. The curse that came upon the world because of sin has been lifted. The world will be a Garden of Eden.

The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in us, the city. The authority and dominion over the earth will be restored to the descendents of the one who gave up that authority.

And what will we do? His servants will serve Him. Though we are given authority, we rule as His servants. It is what we should be doing now, serving Christ our King. Sin so often interferes and corrupts our service, but then it will be a pure and holy service.

We will see His face! Our glorified bodies will be able to look into His eyes. His name will be on our foreheads. Romans sometimes branded the name of the master upon the forehead of a life long slave. When you saw him in the market place you knew who he served. The more important the master, the more you heeded the servant’s business. We will have the most important name of all upon our foreheads.

Darkness will be a thing of the past for us. The Lord who reigns within us will radiate light. All will be illuminated for us. Our eternal reign will have begun.

Consider: This is the destiny of those who are the bride of Christ. A betrothed girl waits anxiously for the day her husband will come and take her as his own. Is this the expectation of your heart?

The more we praise God the better we feel. Praise gives us strength.

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me … For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9,10b (NIV)

“I don’t want to go bowling,” I said hearing a cringe-inducing whine creep into my voice.

While my entire extended family enthusiastically prepared for a fun outing, I was dragging my feet. In reality, I don’t dislike bowling terribly. I just really, really, REALLY don’t like doing things I’m not good at. And I’m terrible at bowling.

Avoidance or quitting is my natural default.

Our self-esteem driven culture says, “You can do anything you want!”

But the truth is I can’t do everything.

My dream as a little girl was to be a platinum award-winning pop star. I sang into my hairbrush and made sure I stood on the stage for every talent show my school held. But no matter how much I practiced, my heart-felt but average singing was met with tepid applause and sympathetic pats on the back from my friends.

Yes, if I’d been born just a little later, I would be one of the pitiful audition examples on American Idol — a contestant who’s convinced she’s great while the rest of the world watches with wide eyes and gasps. My family, the world’s greatest encouragers, would be at home cheering wildly while the rest of the world muttered, “Bless her heart!”

No matter how many lessons I take or how much I practice, I’m never going to progress from the choir loft to the stadium stage. It’s just not going to happen.

Singing isn’t a gift God has given me, and I don’t feel His leading to take a leap offaith. If I were to audition, it would be foolish, because it would be a risk taken from my own desires and based on an unrealistic assessment of my gifts. Simply put, there’s a clear difference between a foolish risk and an inspired risk.

I think it’s great for us to understand our limits. But I have another issue that’s not so great. It’s my propensity to give up too quickly when things get hard … when I’m challenged to do something I’m not already good at.

Recently I’ve been challenged to complete the most difficult process of my professional life. I’ve worked and struggled and fallen more times than I’d like to count. Day after day I’ve wanted to quit. And I’ve become painfully aware that this assignment is too big for me.

But this assignment is an inspired risk. It’s based on the beginnings of a gift God has placed in me and on His clear calling.

So I’ve spent time on my knees asking God for direction and just a little more fortitude.

He has faithfully encouraged me. God continues to point out He not only opened the door of opportunity, He surrounded me with others to help me develop this embryo of a gift.

Instead of doing what our culture does, passing out false praise and “you can do anything’s,” God has instructed me to rejoice that I’m really not good enough …

To do it without Him.

To accomplish it without the help of others.

To finish without perseverance (which produces character, and character hope, Romans 5:3-5).

Sometimes, when we’re given a task beyond ourselves, we just need to rejoice. It’s a good thing we’re really not good enough. It’s in those times of struggle, failure and ultimately growth that we find out God is enough.

Streams in the Desert

Morning

From: Bible gateway

“The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God.”
Galatians 2:20

When the Lord in mercy passed by and saw us in our blood, he first of all said, “Live;” and this he did first, because life is one of the absolutely essential things in spiritual matters, and until it be bestowed we are incapable of partaking in the things of the kingdom. Now the life which grace confers upon the saints at the moment of their quickening is none other than the life of Christ, which, like the sap from the stem, runs into us, the branches, and establishes a living connection between our souls and Jesus. Faith is the grace which perceives this union, having proceeded from it as its firstfruit. It is the neck which joins the body of the Church to its all-glorious Head.

“Oh Faith! thou bond of union with the Lord,

Is not this office thine? and thy fit name,

In the economy of gospel types,

And symbols apposite–the Church’s neck;

Identifying her in will and work

With him ascended?”

Faith lays hold upon the Lord Jesus with a firm and determined grasp. She knows his excellence and worth, and no temptation can induce her to repose her trust elsewhere; and Christ Jesus is so delighted with this heavenly grace, that he never ceases to strengthen and sustain her by the loving embrace and all-sufficient support of his eternal arms. Here, then, is established a living, sensible, and delightful union which casts forth streams of love, confidence, sympathy, complacency, and joy, whereof both the bride and bridegroom love to drink. When the soul can evidently perceive this oneness between itself and Christ, the pulse may be felt as beating for both, and the one blood as flowing through the veins of each. Then is the heart as near heaven as it can be on earth, and is prepared for the enjoyment of the most sublime and spiritual kind of fellowship.

Evening

“I came not to send peace on earth, but a sword.”
Matthew 10:34

The Christian will be sure to make enemies. It will be one of his objects to make none; but if to do the right, and to believe the true, should cause him to lose every earthly friend, he will count it but a small loss, since his great Friend in heaven will be yet more friendly, and reveal himself to him more graciously than ever. O ye who have taken up his cross, know ye not what your Master said? “I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother; and a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.” Christ is the great Peacemaker; but before peace, he brings war. Where the light cometh, the darkness must retire. Where truth is, the lie must flee; or, if it abideth, there must be a stern conflict, for the truth cannot and will not lower its standard, and the lie must be trodden under foot. If you follow Christ, you shall have all the dogs of the world yelping at your heels. If you would live so as to stand the test of the last tribunal, depend upon it the world will not speak well of you. He who has the friendship of the world is an enemy to God; but if you are true and faithful to the Most High, men will resent your unflinching fidelity, since it is a testimony against their iniquities. Fearless of all consequences, you must do the right. You will need the courage of a lion unhesitatingly to pursue a course which shall turn your best friend into your fiercest foe; but for the love of Jesus you must thus be courageous. For the truth’s sake to hazard reputation and affection, is such a deed that to do it constantly you will need a degree of moral principle which only the Spirit of God can work in you; yet turn not your back like a coward, but play the man. Follow right manfully in your Master’s steps, for he has traversed this rough way before you. Better a brief warfare and eternal rest, than false peace and everlasting torment.

From: Streams in the Desert

Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”—Matt 26:36 

It is a hard thing to be kept in the background at a time of crisis. In the Garden of Gethsemane eight of the eleven disciples were left to do nothing. Jesus went to the front to pray; Peter, James and John went to the middle to watch; the rest sat down in the rear to wait. Methinks that party in the rear must have murmured. They were in the garden, but that was all; they had no share in the cultivation of its flowers. It was a time of crisis, a time of storm and stress; and yet they were not suffered to work.

You and I have often felt that experience, that disappointment. There has arisen, mayhap a great opportunity for Christian service. Some are sent to the front; some are sent to the middle. But we are made to lie down in the rear. Perhaps sickness has come; perhaps poverty has come; perhaps obloquy has come; in any case we are hindered and we feel sore. We do not see why we should be excluded from a part in the Christian life. It seems like an unjust thing that, seeing we have been allowed to enter the garden, no path should be assigned to us there.

Be still, my soul, it is not as thou deemest! Thou art not excluded from a part of the Christian life. Thinkest thou that the garden of the Lord has only a place for those who walk and for those who stand! Nay, it has a spot consecrated to those who are compelled to sit. There are three voices in a verb—active, passive and neuter. So, too, there are three voices in Christ’s verb “to live.” There are the active, watching souls, who go to the front, and struggle till the breaking of the day. There are the passive, watching souls, who stand in the middle, and report to others the progress of the fight. But there are also the neuter souls—those who can neither fight, nor be spectators of the fight, but have simply to lie down.

When that experience comes to thee, remember, thou are not shunted. Remember it is Christ that says, “Sit ye here.” Thy spot in the garden has also been consecrated. It has a special name. It is not “the place of wrestling,” nor “the place of watching,” but “the place of waiting.” There are lives that come into this world neither to do great work nor to bear great burdens, but simply to be; they are the neuter verbs. They are the flowers of the garden which have had no active mission. They have wreathed no chaplet; they have graced no table; they have escaped the eye of Peter and James and John. But they have gladdened the sight of Jesus. By their mere perfume, by their mere beauty, they have brought Him joy; by the very preservation of their loveliness in the valley they have lifted the Master’s heart. Thou needst not murmur shouldst thou be one of these flowers!
—Selected

Morning

From: Biblegateway

“The last Adam.”
1 Corinthians 15:45

Jesus is the federal head of his elect. As in Adam, every heir of flesh and blood has a personal interest, because he is the covenant head and representative of the race as considered under the law of works; so under the law of grace, every redeemed soul is one with the Lord from heaven, since he is the Second Adam, the Sponsor and Substitute of the elect in the new covenant of love. The apostle Paul declares that Levi was in the loins of Abraham when Melchizedek met him: it is a certain truth that the believer was in the loins of Jesus Christ, the Mediator, when in old eternity the covenant settlements of grace were decreed, ratified, and made sure forever. Thus, whatever Christ hath done, he hath wrought for the whole body of his Church. We were crucified in him and buried with him (read Col. 2:10-13), and to make it still more wonderful, we are risen with him and even ascended with him to the seats on high (Eph. 2:6). It is thus that the Church has fulfilled the law, and is “accepted in the beloved.” It is thus that she is regarded with complacency by the just Jehovah, for he views her in Jesus, and does not look upon her as separate from her covenant head. As the Anointed Redeemer of Israel, Christ Jesus has nothing distinct from his Church, but all that he has he holds for her. Adam’s righteousness was ours so long as he maintained it, and his sin was ours the moment that he committed it; and in the same manner, all that the Second Adam is or does, is ours as well as his, seeing that he is our representative. Here is the foundation of the covenant of grace. This gracious system of representation and substitution, which moved Justin Martyr to cry out, “O blessed change, O sweet permutation!” this is the very groundwork of the gospel of our salvation, and is to be received with strong faith and rapturous joy.

Evening

“Lo, I am with you alway.”
Matthew 28:20

The Lord Jesus is in the midst of his church; he walketh among the golden candlesticks; his promise is, “Lo, I am with you alway.” He is as surely with us now as he was with the disciples at the lake, when they saw coals of fire, and fish laid thereon and bread. Not carnally, but still in real truth, Jesus is with us. And a blessed truth it is, for where Jesus is, love becomes inflamed. Of all the things in the world that can set the heart burning, there is nothing like the presence of Jesus! A glimpse of him so overcomes us, that we are ready to say, “Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me.” Even the smell of the aloes, and the myrrh, and the cassia, which drop from his perfumed garments, causes the sick and the faint to grow strong. Let there be but a moment’s leaning of the head upon that gracious bosom, and a reception of his divine love into our poor cold hearts, and we are cold no longer, but glow like seraphs, equal to every labour, and capable of every suffering. If we know that Jesus is with us, every power will be developed, and every grace will be strengthened, and we shall cast ourselves into the Lord’s service with heart, and soul, and strength; therefore is the presence of Christ to be desired above all things. His presence will be most realized by those who are most like him. If you desire to see Christ, you must grow in conformity to him. Bring yourself, by the power of the Spirit, into union with Christ’s desires, and motives, and plans of action, and you are likely to be favoured with his company. Remember his presence may be had. His promise is as true as ever. He delights to be with us. If he doth not come, it is because we hinder him by our indifference. He will reveal himself to our earnest prayers, and graciously suffer himself to be detained by our entreaties, and by our tears, for these are the golden chains which bind Jesus to his people.

SIMPOSIOUS.COM WISHES EVERYONE A MERRY CHRISTMAS.

The Greatest Gift of All

This post is not what it appears on the surface…Please keep reading…

By now most of my friends and family know that we did not send out our annual Christmas letter…and only a very few cards to some who don’t have email or do Facebook.  And many of you also know that I had a hard time getting myself into the proper spirit for Christmas shopping, etc.  (click on the blue words for a link to these posts).
But if you have been following along the past week or so, you also will know that God came through, and He met me in my deepest place of sorrow, and gave me the strength and courage to choose JOY!

I am happy to report that after two long, grueling days of shopping and gift wrapping…I am feeling much better prepared to face this week and truly enjoy Christmas!  Thank you all for your prayers and words of support and comfort. You have blessed me with your love and wisdom, and I thank God for you.

Today has been a wonderful day of Sabbath Rest.  We had our

morning worship service here in our home, and the lesson today was taken from Matthew 13:45-46, which says:

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,

who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”

Not exactly an Advent or Christmas message for this fourth Sunday of Advent, the Sunday before Christmas.  At least not at first glance.  But as the message unfolded, we were asked to imagine ourselves as a person who had been captured and held prisoner, chained to others and forced to walk many days in the hot desert, back in the days of the Roman Government, which was in power at the time of Jesus’ birth. Instead of food we were given very little water and a detestable watered down broth of some kind, just barely enough to keep us alive. As our horrendous journey continued, we were not permitted to speak or cry, and if one did, he would be severely punished by many lashes of the whip.

After many days we finally arrived in a city, where the slave auction was held. One by one we watched our traveling companions be auctioned off to the highest bidder, to be purchased as a slave to cruel taskmasters who would make the previous journey seem like a vacation.

Suddenly it was my turn on the auction block. I was forced to stand before the bidders, my clothes were tattered and torn and filthy. I had not eaten or bathed in many days. My hair was matted and dirty, my body was bleeding from the many lashes I had endured. Weak, weary, and fearful, I tried to stay conscious as the bargaining and bidding began for my life. As I struggled to stand, listening to the jeers and jests of those around me shouting all manner of ugly and disgusting insults regarding my appearance, there was One bidder who stepped forward, and with a commanding voice He spoke His bid loud and clear above all the others.  The amount that He shouted out caused all the other slave traders to stop and turn around and look.  They began to question among themselves, “Who can this be? Why would He wantthis worthless prisoner…the one who looks completely beaten and defeated…the one who probably couldn’t do a day’s work no matter how hard she’s whipped?  And what is that He said? He’s giving all that He has to purchase this piece of human refuse! Who IS He?

And who can this person be who has such value in His eyes?”

 

Finally I heard the auctioneer shout, “Sold to the Highest Bidder! Take her away!”  I was expecting to be yanked up and rudely jerked off of the block and dragged along by my chains.  But instead, my Purchaser was kneeling before me, tenderly washing my wounds, removing the chains from my ankles and wrists, holding a cup of water to my lips, lifting me up and carrying me away in His arms. As He lifted me high above my previous tormentors, He gently whispered my name and called me His beloved child. I thought I must have died and gone to heaven, but He said, “You are my precious child…my chosen one…my “Pearl of Great Price!” 

I did not quite understand then what He meant by that…but when the day came that I saw this One hanging on a cross, crucified and dying, I understood.  You see, He did give all that He had for me…He gave His life, so that I might live.  And before He died He told me all that I would need to know so that I could one day join Him.  He said,

“Let not your heart be troubled; 

you believe in God,

believe also in Me.

In My Father’s house are many mansions,

if it were not so, I would have told you.

I go to prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you,

I will come again and receive you to Myself,

that where I am, there you may be also.

And where I go you know,

and the way you know…

I am the way, the truth, and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

 

John 14: 1-6 

 

 

You may be asking yourself, “What does this story have to do with Christmas?”  Well, my friend, it has EVERYTHING to do with Christmas!

Why did Jesus come to earth in the first place?

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, 

but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Mark 10:45

And again:

This sign hangs in my living room…a very old heirloom from my husband’s grandparents’ home.  A powerful message there to remind us every single day that we were bought at a great price…the very life of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  He gave His life a ransom for us all…(see I Timothy 2:5-6)

This Christmas song tells it clearly: (click below for the song)

“Redeeming Love”

Bill & Gloria Gaither,  copyright 1963

Sung by Ernie Haase and Signature Sound

“From God’s heaven to a manger,

From great riches to the poor,

Came the Son of God, a little Child;

 

From the azure halls of heaven

To a lowly manger stall,

Jesus came, and here He gave His life for all.

 

From a loving heavenly Father

To a world that knew Him not,

Came a man of sorrows, 

Jesus Christ, the Lord;

 

In my wandering Jesus found me,

Touched my life with His great love,

And this Babe has grown to be my sovereign Lord.

 

Chorus:

 

Redeeming Love,

a love that knows no limit;

Redeeming love,

a love that never dies;

 

My soul shall sing 

throughout the endless ages

The adoration of this great love on high!”

My friend, I am that precious pearl…and so are YOU.  This same Jesus left the “azure halls of heaven…to a lowly manger stall…Jesus came, and here He gave His life for ALL!” …and that includes YOU! YOU ARE ALSO THAT PRECIOUS PEARL!  JESUS CHRIST HAS PAID YOUR RANSOM WITH HIS LIFE.  Won’t you accept this greatest gift of all this Christmas?  The gift of your redemption from sin and sorrow…from the slavery of this old world…freely given for you, so that you might live! Yes, that IS THE GREATEST GIFT OF ALL!

Merry Christmas from our house to yours!

From:  Through The Bible

December 25

Ezekiel 37:3-5 (NIV) ³He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “O Sovereign LORD, you alone know.” ⁴Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! ⁵This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.

Ezekiel was prophesying to the people of Israel who did not have the life of God in them. They went into captivity a depraved people that were a horrible example of people in covenant with the one true God. What is needed to change our testimony from a bad example to one that honors the name we bear? What can bring life to our lifeless existence? Only the Spirit of God can make the difference.

The Word of God must be heard. “Breath” is the same in Hebrew as “wind” or “spirit”. The Spirit of God must be breathed into us. Do you remember that it was the breath of God that brought life to Adam (Genesis 2:7)? And do you remember that Jesus breathed upon His disciples and told them to receive the Spirit (John 20:22)?

In this passage God is dealing with His people Israel. It is by His command that the breath of God brings life. In the New Testament we are told that the Father longs to give the Holy Spirit to those who will but ask (Luke 11:13). If you recognize your spiritual life is lifeless, that it needs a power beyond yourself, if you need to be restored from scattered bones to a living breathing being, ask the Father. He longs to give good things to His children when they just ask.

Consider: Will you receive the breath of God today!

December 25

Revelation 3:15-16, 20 (NIV) ¹⁵I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! ¹⁶So, because you are lukewarm–neither hot nor cold–I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

²⁰Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

Jesus dictated the last letter to the church of Laodicea. Though these were actual churches in Asia Minor, some believe that these represent different periods of church history, Laodicea being the last and one that we are currently in.

The indictment against them was that they were content in their physical abundance. They were not on fire with desire to love and serve God, neither were they anti-God. They were just disinterested. The opposite of love is not hate; it is apathy. They thought they had this world’s goods and the promise of heaven too.

Jesus told them that they did not realize that they were really naked and blind and poor. Contentment in this world had numbed them to their true spiritual condition.

Jesus gave them the solution. Come to Him and receive true wealth, righteous clothing, and eye medicine so they could see. He asks them to answer the door. Today He’s knocking but we are too busy with the things of the world. If we will just get up and let Him in, everything would change. Maybe we are too comfortable to get up. His words may disturb us too much. We may see our true condition and realize there must be a change, so we leave Him outside. He longs to sit and eat with us in sweet fellowship, and heal us of our lukewarm spirit. Let Him in right now; take the time to dine with Him and hear what He has to say to you.

Consider: He’s knocking. How will you respond?