Tips for Studying the Bible

As Christians, we have a lot of questions that we don’t always know how to investigate on our own, and we’re grateful when somebody will come in and give us the quick answer. But if you’ve raised kids, you know that when your kids have a question and ask you to sort something out for them, they come away with one kind of knowledge. When you allow your kids to work through, and find, and research the answer for themselves, they come away with a completely different kind of understanding. I can remember when I first came to Christianity out of atheism, I really needed to examine the issues for myself. And let’s face it, there are lots of times when it’s not so much an understanding of the truth; it’s not so much that the truth is out there and I just can’t grasp it; it’s that I hold some type of prerequisite, presupposition, that prevents me from seeing the truth clearly.

That’s why for me, as a new Christian, apologetics websites were just as important as the skeptic sites I had been visiting. I wanted to get some balance and some clear thinking on the issues we know are inherent to the Christian worldview. I found myself applying the same skepticism I had as a detective, and an atheist, to my own examination of Scripture. Here is my approach to answering some of my own questions about Christian doctrine, and Christian evidence. These are principles and tools that may help you sort out the truth for yourself. To help you remember, each of them start with the letter “D”. First, some qualities I think are important as a student of the Bible:

First, be Devoted.
This is a matter of passion and interest. The truth is that most of us are just not interested in getting the answers until we hit a crisis point. If we were to measure where we spend our free time, our finances, and our gifts, we would find that we spend a lot of time examining other things. People who are passionate and have a strong desire to learn can do amazing things because they are devoted to begin with. And that’s what I would encourage all of us to cultivate. The questions I ask myself are, Am I truly passionate? Am I truly interested? Am I teachable? Am I eager? And does my allocation of time, resources, and energy, reveal that I am truly a God-worshiper? Am I devoted enough to not wait till a crisis and ask somebody else for the answer? Am I devoted enough to spend my time living a faith that always seeks the answer?

Second, be Deliberate.
I ask myself, do I have a purpose, an intention about the way that I study Scripture? Do I have a goal in mind? Am I purposeful about my approach to my faith? Am I intentional about being a good ambassador? I want to be a good Christian case-maker, and so every time I open Scripture, I mine it and look deeply into it because I want to be able to have a certain grasp of the doctrine, creeds, and essentials that Scripture teaches so that I can defend it to others.

Third, be Disciplined.
I ask myself, am I as disciplined about things related to my faith as I am about other hobbies or daily fitness? I’m disciplined about running and going to the gym a certain number of times a week. Am I that disciplined about the pursuit of my own faith? One thing I discovered is that discipline like this is the difference between those of us who excel at anything, and those of us who don’t.

Fourth, be Dedicated.
I ask myself, am I consistent? Have I been able to develop a pattern that I can really achieve on a consistent basis and can execute daily? Is the examination of my faith part of my long-term spiritual goals? As someone who podcasts, I have recognized that if I am simply a dedicated to doing it every week, after a while I’ll build an audience. It’s not that I have to be perfect in every podcast or be precise in every selection. I want to be, but there are times when I can fail. Yet, I don’t stop. If we were to do the same thing with our spiritual growth and commitment to reading Scripture, it won’t belong before we have a certain mastery of the issues.

Fifth, be Dubious.
I ask myself, do I understand the value of skepticism? Do I accept a doctrine blindly without ever examining it? Do I accept a position because it’s emerged from the Christian culture, rather than because it’s evidenced in Scripture? Detectives always have to be skeptical. Unfortunately, it’s like the basic premise held by the character Greg House, on the show “House;”Everyone lies. It’s that kind of skeptical approach to the issues that helps us want to dig deeper to the truth.

Last, be Detailed.
I ask myself, am I thorough in the number of tools and the kinds of tools that I use? Do I use trustworthy sources for my research? Am I seeking a broad source of opinions from people and sources that I know I can trust are orthodox? Do I sometimes read the other side of the story, as well, to see where other views come from, and then develop the discernment to know if those sources are telling me the truth?

Be deliberate, devoted, disciplined, dedicated, dubious, and finally be detailed. This is the kind of principled approach I would take in studying the Bible and Christianity. In addition, there are some tools that I think may help you:

Get the Right Bible
The first thing I did was purchase an inexpensive Bible with very wide margins. I also purchased a number of multicolored pens. As I studied through the Scripture, I made copious notes, circled and dissected things. I wrote in the margins until it got to the point that my own Bible was very difficult to read because it was filled with so many comments and links to other passages of Scripture. I constantly wrote in my Bibles. I went through several of them.

Get the Right Study Aids
I also needed to get a good commentary. I started with the Wycliffe Bible Commentary from Moody Bible Institute. It’s a 1962 commentary. I still have it on my shelf, and I still use it. It’s a very large Bible commentary for the New and Old Testament. I also have a Holman Bible Dictionary, which I used quite a bit. It’s helpful in looking up certain terms. Eventually one of the most important books in my collection as I was reading through Scripture was a book called Christian Theology, by Millard Erickson. It’s a systematic theology book. Another good systematic theology is by Wayne Grudem. If there was an encyclopedic reference or any research I could put to this text, I would do it, to see what others have seen there that I may not be seeing, or that will stimulate some thought for me. The last book I added to my shelf that I use in my study is a book that you may be familiar with if you listen to Greg Koukl. It’s J.P. Moreland and William Lane Craig’s, Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview published in 2003. I can tell you, as soon as it came out, I grabbed it, and I have used it in an incredible way. It’s been very helpful for me. Finally, I bought the PC Study Bible. There are also other brands of Bible study software , but this one has a number of Bibles, concordances, cross-references, commentary sets, dictionaries, encyclopedias, word reference books, Greek and Hebrew sources, in addition to all kinds of systematic theologies. I couldn’t even read to you the entire list. Logos is another great Bible software resource. And for phone apps, there are resources from Olive Tree. For those of you who don’t have those kinds of there are a few helpful Internet sites that may be good references for you. Two other websites are BibleGateway.com and BibleStudyTools.com. These have a searchable Bible with many translations. There are a number of commentaries, Greek and Hebrew, and other tools. There are also Christian history sites like CCEL.org.

As you begin to study on your own, here are a few tips:

First, start collecting resources
Everything that I started with, I purchased for pennies at my local library used bookstore or online bookstores like Amazon who link to small book retailers. It’s amazing how many resources are available. Start collecting and start creating your own library.

Second, think about the value of focusing on time, not distance
When I run each day, I don’t worry about how far I run, I worry about how much time I spend running. I make a goal to run for an hour. If that ends up being a certain distance or a greater distance, it doesn’t really concern me. What is important to me is to get the cardiovascular effort of running for that hour. Don’t worry about how slow you’re moving through Scripture. Be more concerned about the amount of time and effort you’re spending in Scripture, and be dedicated and disciplined.

Third, be patient with your own growth
One thing you learn working in apologetics, like I have for the last six years, is that there’s more and more that I don’t know. I often get impatient with my inability to get to the truth of everything. For me, it’s about disciplining myself to be patient. Slow and consistent gets it done.

Finally, write
When I challenged myself to write and defend my positions in writing, I grew in ways that I couldn’t imagine I would. Journal. Start a blog. Write these things out. It’s that process of writing that seals the deal.

So there are some tips tools, and basic principles I hope will help you to become a better Christian case-maker.

Reprinted from: http://coldcasechristianity.com/2014/tips-for-studying-the-bible/

Bible Study - Methodology, Theology, & Application

Here are the six lessons I highlighted for Bible reading.

1. The Bible argues.

It gives reasons or arguments for what it teaches. That was transformative in my life when I was 22 years old, to discover that the Bible is not a string of pearls, but a chain of linked thoughts. That makes a big difference for how we read.

2. A Bible’s unit of thought (or passage) has a main point.

Each unit of thought (or passage) in the Bible has a main point. That means everything else in the unit supports that point. It’s true of the Bible, and it’s true of this article. Look for the main point in everything you read.

3. To truly understand a passage we must figure out how the arguments support the main point.

Figuring out how arguments support the main point is what it means to understand a passage or a text. After we have identified a passage’s main point and located the author’s arguments for that main point, we have to do the harder work of understanding the connections. How does each supporting point prove the main point?

4. Jesus assumes that truth affects our emotions.

Jesus assumes that truth — reasons, arguments, facts — affects or influences the emotions. Anxiety is an emotion. It is not a decision. We don’t decide to get anxious. It happens to us. Jesus attacks anxiety in Matthew 6 with truth, with facts, promises, and reasons.

Therefore, he must believe that his word given to our souls will have an emotional, even physical, effect. There are dozens and dozens of commands to the emotions in the Bible, and along with them there are truths to bring about what is commanded.

5. Truth affects our emotions when it is believed.

Some will say, “Well, that doesn’t work for me. When I hear truth, it doesn’t have an emotional effect on me. It doesn’t take away my anxiety.” It works where the truths are believed and trusted — where there is faith.

If the Bible’s arguments are not having an effect on you, it’s because you have little faith in what it says. Faith is massively important here. We must trust. We must believe what Jesus says.

6. Pray for faith and meditate on his truth.

Therefore, pray for faith in the truth — in the passage’s main point with all of its supporting points — and meditate on that truth, because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ (Romans 10:17).

Father, grant us wisdom with regard to method. We want to handle your word rightly, think about how to read it rightly, and we want to be free from anxiety to honor our heavenly Father, who knows us and all of our needs, and who will meet them according to your promise. I ask this in Jesus’s name, Amen.

Reprinted from: http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/read-the-bible-to-your-anxiety

4 Components to Bible Study

Receptivity: “The One Who Trembles at My Word”

On one occasion, while Jesus was speaking a message about the essential nature of the kingdom of God, he concluded with these cryptic words: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Mark 4:9). He said essentially the same thing as well to his churches in Revelation 2-3. He also complained that Israel had turned a deaf ear to his claims and ministry (Matt 13:15). As fallen people with a bent for evil we do not naturally listen well, in spite of the fact that we have been given two ears. We are even worse when we are asked to listen to a message which indicts us for sin, even if it offers restitution after repentance. We must humble ourselves deeply and thoroughly if we are ever to really experience the life transforming presence of God through his word. WE must be receptive to his message.

Reading: “By Reading You May Have Insight”

In his letter to the Ephesians Paul encourages the churches to read what he has written so that “through reading they might understand his insight into the mystery of Christ” (3:4). The inference I wish to draw from this text is that the Bible is a book and as such must be read. While we must have a vital relationship with God through Christ to understand it properly, poor reading skills will hinder our comprehension of what God is saying. We should, as Christians and committed to Holy Scripture, develop our reading skills. The literacy rate among North Americans is woefully low, to say nothing of the paucity of good readers.

Reflection: “And The Lord Will Give You Insight”

The key to transformation is meditation which means prolonged reflection on a passage(s) or truth in order to penetrate its meaning, relating it to other doctrines and life, and hearing God’s voice in it. Meditation is the bridge to meaningful obedience. Paul told Timothy to think seriously about what he [Paul] said and that the Lord would give him insight into it (2 Tim 2:7). Unfortunately, just about everything in our driven society mitigates against investing time in prayerful meditation. Nevertheless, God commanded Joshua to meditate on his word so that he could obey it and enjoy the blessing of success (Joshua 1:8).

Relating: The “So What” Question

The issue is really one of blessing. The Bible was meant to be lived not just “figured out.” We must relate what we have learned—what the Lord has spoken to us about in meditation—to our lives and the lives of others. As James says, “Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves, do what it says” (James 1:22).

Reprinted from: https://bible.org/seriespage/principles-bible-study-four-key-components

Did Jesus really rise from the dead?

Did Jesus Christ really rise from the dead? This is THE question, is it not? If the answer is no, Christianity falls. As the Apostle Paul puts it, if Jesus did not rise from the dead, then Christians are to be pitied more than any other, as our faith is useless, futile, without foundation, worthless. However, if the answer is yes, then there is good reason to believe in the truthfulness of Christianity. The question then becomes, how do we know whether Jesus really did rise from the dead?

Some choose simply to believe. “If the Bible says it, I believe it,” they say. There is nothing necessarily wrong with this, but to believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ need not be a leap of blind faith. Arguments can be made and evidence presented to make a strong case for the historicity of Jesus, his death, and his resurrection. In fact, according to Dr. Gary R. Habermas, Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Theology at Liberty University, “There are a minimum number of facts agreed upon by practically all critical scholars, whatever their school of thought. At least twelve separate facts are considered to be knowable history.”

1. Jesus died by crucifixion.
2. He was buried.
3. Jesus’ death caused the disciples to despair and lose hope, believing that his life was ended.
4. The tomb in which Jesus was buried was discovered to be empty just a few days later.
5. The disciples had experiences which they believed were literal appearances of the risen Jesus.
6. Because of these experiences, the disciples were transformed from doubters who were afraid to identify themselves with Jesus to bold proclaimers of his death and resurrection.
7. This message was the center of preaching in the early church.
8. [This message] was especially proclaimed in Jerusalem, where Jesus died and was buried shortly before.
9. As a result of this preaching, the church was born and grew.
10. Sunday [became] the primary day of worship.
11. James, who had been a skeptic, was converted to the faith when he also believed that he saw the resurrected Jesus.
12. Paul was converted by an experience which he likewise believed to be an appearance of the risen Jesus

If these facts are considered to be knowable history by Christians and critics alike, it stands to reason that any viable theory of Jesus’ resurrection must account for all twelve of these factors.

Dr. Craig Hazen, Professor of Comparative Religion and Apologetics at Biola University, put together a chart of the most prominent theories having to do with Jesus’ resurrection. Basing his chart on the work of Josh McDowell, Dr. Hazen puts each theory to the test to see how well they correspond to the twelve known historical facts concerning the resurrection of Jesus. Here’s what he came up with (The numbers correspond to the known historical facts that DO NOT fit the theory):

1. Unknown Tomb – The disciples didn’t know which tomb Jesus was buried in. (4-12)
2. Wrong Tomb – The disciples went to the wrong tomb. (5-12)
3. Legend – Jesus was not a real historical figure. He’s no more than a legend. (1-12)
4. Twin – Jesus had a twin brother who suddenly appeared as the resurrected Jesus. (4, 11)
5. Hallucination – All of the post-resurrection appearances were the result of hallucinations. (5, 11, 12)
6. Existential Resurrection – Jesus is alive in the hearts of Christians regardless of whether He actually rose from the dead. (4, 5, 11, 12)
7. Spiritual Resurrection – Jesus’ spirit was resurrected but not his body. (4, 5, 11, 12)
8. Disciples Stole the Body – (5, 6, 11, 12)
9. Authorities Hid the Body – (5-12)
10. Swoon – Jesus didn’t really die. He just swooned to make it seem as if He had died. (1, 6)
11. Passover Plot – Based on a book written by Hugh Schonfield, Jesus was a mortal man who believed he was the Messiah. He deliberately planned his entire ministry according to the Old Testament prophecies to the point plotting his own arrest, crucifixion and resurrection. (5, 6, 11, 12)
12. Jesus was an Alien – Yes, a space alien! (None!)
13. Bodily Resurrection – The Christian view. (None) 

In the end, only two theories account for all twelve knowable historical facts concerning Jesus’ resurrection. Either Jesus was an alien or He experienced a bodily resurrection. While the latter is the Christian theory of Jesus’ resurrection, there is something to the whole Jesus is an alien thing! Dr. Hazen characterizes the alien-hood of Jesus not in the sense of his being a space man the likes of E.T. Rather, Jesus was an alien in the sense that He was not of this world. Jesus didn’t come down by way of the mother ship. He was sent by the Father. In obedience to the Father, Jesus died on the cross, but was raised back to life. Resurrected from the dead, Jesus lives. In Christ, we too shall defeat death, not merely to enjoy the spoils of heaven, but to enjoy and worship the One who gives us life.

Reprinted from: http://educateandequip.org/the-resurrection-of-jesus-christ-historical-truth-or-heightened-tale/

What is Easter, really?

The origins of Easter are rooted in European traditions. The name Easter comes from a pagan figure called Eastre (or Eostre) who was celebrated as the goddess of spring by the Saxons of Northern Europe. A festival called Eastre was held during the spring equinox by these people to honor her. The goddess Eastre’s earthly symbol was the rabbit, which was also known as a symbol of fertility. Originally, there were some very pagan (and sometimes utterly evil) practices that went along with the celebration. Today, Easter is almost a completely commercialized holiday, with all the focus on Easter eggs and the Easter bunny being remnants of the goddess worship.

In the Christian faith, Easter is the principal Christian feast day and commemorates the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, the central event of Christianity.  For Christians, Easter is the holiest day of the year. In Western Christianity, Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or after the vernal equinox marking the beginning of Spring. That date may be anywhere between March 22 and April 25.  Easter Sunday is preceded by the season of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting and repentance culminating in Holy Week and followed by a 50-day Easter season that stretches from Easter to Pentecost.

Many Christian denominations also observe Lent,  a penitential season leading up to Easter which begins 46 days before Easter on Ash Wednesday. Palm Sunday, one week before Easter, commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem the week He was crucified, when cheering crowds greeted Him with Palm branches. Good Friday, the Friday before Easter, commemorates Jesus' crucifixion.

There is some disagreement about the exact days of the week, but the Bible says Jesus entered Jerusalem and was greeted by cheering crowds on a Sunday, probably in the year 29 or 30 A.D. He ate The Last Supper with His disciples on Thursday. He was arrested that night, tried, and crucified on Friday, Passover Eve. Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday and appeared to His disciples during the following week. He then ascended to heaven 40 days after His resurrection.

Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead at the time of the Jewish Passover celebration, but there is no mention of an annual celebration in the Bible. Early Christians commemorated Jesus' resurrection on or near the date of Passover, and the celebration was apparently well-established by the mid second century A.D.1 Due to the use of different calendar systems over the years, the dates of Passover and Easter have now drifted apart.

Reprinted from: http://www.gotquestions.org/easter-origins.html; http://www.christianbiblereference.org/faq_easter.htm

The Books of Genesis & Exodus - Illustrated

Can a Christian Lose their Salvation?

Can you lose your salvation? Now that’s an important question. Can I be sure that I’m really saved?

Can You Lose Your Salvation- Backsliding

Most Christians have probably had moments of doubt about their salvation. After all, we’ve all entertained thoughts and have committed acts that we knew were displeasing to God. We’ve all experienced that sense of remorse and sometimes questioned the reality of our salvation afterwards. Backsliding can no doubt cause such feelings to arise, and should hopefully move us to repentance (1 John 1:9).

Can You Lose Your Salvation- The Believer’s Eternal Security

However, when it comes to the issue of eternal security, the Bible makes it absolutely clear that those who have been saved will never be lost. Jesus emphatically pointed this out in the Gospel of John when, in reference to believers, He said, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand…” (John 10:28). In this passage, Christ explicitly declared that no one who has received eternal life will ever lose it.

Can You Lose Your Salvation- The Holy Spirit

Furthermore, in such passages as 2 Corinthians 1:22, and Ephesians 1:13, the apostle Paul indicated that the Holy Spirit acts as the very seal of God’s ownership of the believer; He serves as the guarantee of our inheritance to come – namely, eternal life (John 5:24; 1 John 5:13). In describing our inheritance the apostle Peter used some very powerful words – words like “imperishable,” “undefiled,” and “unfading” (1 Pet. 1:5). With these words He underscored the everlasting assurance believers have with respect to God’s gift of salvation.

Can You Lose Your Salvation- Abandoning the Faith

Now I know what you’re asking: “What about the Christians who have completely abandoned their faith?” Well, judging by what we’re told in Scripture we can only conclude that they were never saved from the start. You see, while “once saved, always saved” is true from God’s perspective, man only looks at the outward appearance and thus cannot always accurately assess who is really saved in the first place. The question therefore is not whether someone lost their salvation, but whether they had ever had it at all. As Romans chapter eight says, “there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (v. 38-29). He is the very source of our salvation.

And remember, eternal life that comes to the believer through faith in Christ is not life for two weeks, two months, or even two years; eternal life is everlasting life. It begins at the moment of conversion and stretches on through the eons of time.

Reprinted from: http://www.equip.org/perspectives/can-a-christian-lose-their-salvation-christians-and-the-assurance-of-salvation/

Do Christians have to keep asking for forgiveness for their sins?

A frequent question is “what happens if I sin, and then I die before I have an opportunity to confess that sin to God?” Another common question is “what happens if I commit a sin, but then forget about it and never remember to confess it to God?” Both of these questions rest on a faulty assumption. Salvation is not a matter of believers trying to confess and repent from every sin they commit before they die. Salvation is not based on whether a Christian has confessed and repented of every sin. Yes, we should confess our sins to God as soon as we are aware that we have sinned. However, we do not always need to be asking God for forgiveness. When we place our faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, all of our sins are forgiven. That includes past, present, and future, big or small. Believers do not have to keep asking for forgiveness or repenting in order to have their sins forgiven. Jesus died to pay the penalty for all of our sins, and when they are forgiven, they are all forgiven (Colossians 1:14; Acts 10:43).

What we are to do is confess our sins: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). What this verse tells us to do is “confess” our sins to God. The word “confess” means “to agree with.” When we confess our sins to God, we are agreeing with God that we were wrong, that we have sinned. God forgives us, through confession, on an ongoing basis because of the fact that He is “faithful and just.” How is God “faithful and just”? He is faithful by forgiving sins, which He has promised to do for all those who receive Christ as Savior. He is just by applying Christ’s payment for our sins, recognizing that the sins have indeed been atoned for.

At the same time, 1 John 1:9 does indicate that somehow forgiveness is dependent on our confessing our sins to God. How does this work if all of our sins are forgiven the moment we receive Christ as Savior? It seems that what the apostle John is describing here is “relational” forgiveness. All of our sins are forgiven “positionally” the moment we receive Christ as Savior. This positional forgiveness guarantees our salvation and promise of an eternal home in heaven. When we stand before God after death, God will not deny us entrance into heaven because of our sins. That is positional forgiveness. The concept of relational forgiveness is based on the fact that when we sin, we offend God and grieve His Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). While God has ultimately forgiven us of the sins we commit, they still result in a blocking or hindrance in our relationship with God. A young boy who sins against his father is not cast out of the family. A godly father will forgive his children unconditionally. At the same time, a good relationship between father and son cannot be achieved until the relationship is restored. This can only occur when a child confesses his mistakes to his father and apologizes. That is why we confess our sins to God—not to maintain our salvation, but to bring ourselves back into close fellowship with the God who loves us and has already forgiven us.

Remember that repent simply means to turn around. It was a military term that described a soldier marching in one direction and then doing an about-face. Daily confession and repentance means that you both agree with God in you sin and you turn away from it & towards him again.

Reprinted from: http://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-sin.html#ixzz3SIT89EmR

Has the Bible changed throughout history?

One of the questions that came up on Monday was, has the Bible been changed over the years?  You may have heard this or seen The Davinci Code or a History Channel show on the subject that attempts to cast doubt on the Bible’s history.  But, with even a few minutes of research you will find libraries full of evidence that the Bible we have today has not changed throughout history.

Unlike other religious books, the Bible is unique in that it refers to people, places, & events.  So if we find that those people, places, & events never existed, it would prove that the Bible is not true.  But in the 200+ years of modern archeology, not one accurate discovery has ever disproven even one word of the Bible.  In fact, literally thousands of discoveries have proven that what the Bible says happened actually happened.  You can see a sample of what has been discovered here.

The most significant discovery in terms of Bible archeology & the Old Testament was the Dead Sea Scrolls.  The documents found here date from about 150 BC to 50 AD…most of which pre-date Jesus.  Here they found a copy of all but one of the Old Testament books, & these scrolls match what we have in today’s Bible.  You can read about more details here.

The New Testament has even greater amounts of evidence that it has not been changed.  In fact there are so many historical documents from the first & second century that reference parts of the New Testament, you could use them to rebuild the entire New Testament but for a couple of verses!  Amazingly we have almost 24,000 copies of all or part of the New Testament that date as far back as the second century.  For most written documents this old, you see only a couple of copies existing today.  The New Testament has been incredibly well preserved.  You can read about more details here.

So it is clear that the facts support that the Bible has not changed throughout history.  If you would like more information, just let me know.