Ascension Service -- May 1

Our circuit churches are celebrating the Ascension of our Lord for the second year in a row at Zion Lutheran Church in Painesville, Ohio. Pastor Jonathan Schroeder of St. John's Lutheran Church in Geneva, Ohio, will preach the Word that evening. Divine Service--Setting One from Lutheran Service Book will be used, beginning at 7:00 p.m.

For more information, go to: www.zelc.com

Rev. Jonathan Schroeder's Sermons Online

A very talented pastor and friend, Rev. Jonathan Schroeder, has now made his sermons available in audio format on his church's new website.

Click on this link to go there:

http://www.stjohnsgeneva.org/sermons.html

The series on prayer is highly recommended!

What Matters To You?

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Acts 2: 42

What matters to you? That’s kind of a big, broad question, isn’t it? But let’s deal with it a little. What matters to you? One quick way to figure out the answer is to take a look at what you spend your time doing, because the bottom line is, we make time for what matters to us. So, what matters to you? Is it family? Work? Your own happiness? What matters to you? Being respected? Being well-liked? Being a winner? Having a big circle of friends? Having just a few really close ones? What matters to you?
One of the best parts of celebrating our 50th anniversary as a congregation is that we get to hear how much it mattered to the original members of St. Paul’s that they could have a place to receive God’s gifts and to praise and serve Him. When you review our history, you can’t help but learn just how much it mattered. The time, the work, and the resources spent on bringing St. Paul’s to life send a simple message. It mattered. It was deeply important to our first members that this church exist. We have much to learn from their example.
We also have much to learn from an even earlier group of Christians, who predate the first members of St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church by about 1,925 years. In Acts 2 we hear about the very first generation of people who believed that Jesus had died and risen for them. The term “Christian” had not even been invented yet. What’s great about the picture of the first believers in Acts 2 is that it reveals what mattered to them. It stands to reason that what mattered to them should matter to us—after all, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. So let’s see how we match up with the Acts 2 Church.
First off, we hear that they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching. What is the apostles’ teaching? Think of the creeds that we use in worship, which you may know by heart. These are the non-negotiables of the Christian faith, centering on Jesus Christ, who was crucified, died, and was buried, and on the third day, rose again form the dead. The first believers devoted themselves to getting this message right. They understood that, handled rightly, the gospel of Jesus rescues sinners from eternal suffering and gives life to the fullest. It was also necessary that they learn to defend their faith against attack. We don’t know what program of study they followed—just that they were devoted to the teachings handed down from Christ himself.
How about you? Have you devoted yourself to the apostles’ teaching? If we were to examine your life’s schedule right now, would it reveal that learning the truth of God’s Word matters to you? If someone quizzed you on what you believe and why, would you feel confident in giving them Biblical answers? We cannot afford to be Biblically illiterate or to think that, because we went through a confirmation class at one point in our lives, that we’ve got it all figured out. Devotion to apostolic teaching is just that—devotion. Dedication. If it is true that we are more devoted to being comfortable or indulging in a favorite pastime than we are devoted to getting into God’s Word, then we need to change direction, plain and simple. Why would we knowingly cut ourselves off from the Word the gives life? Does learning about Jesus matter to you?
Next, we hear that the first Christians devoted themselves to the fellowship. “Fellowship” is one of the Christian buzzwords that gets thrown around quite a bit, but what does it really mean? It means that these people were devoted to a sense of togetherness. They were committed to seeing each other as brothers and sisters in Christ, a true family of faith. Now don’t misunderstand, we’re not talking about some kind of hippie commune here—a bunch of people with their head in the clouds. This fellowship is something real, something God has put together. It is the collection of his baptized people, and the forgiveness of Jesus is the glue that holds it all together. In a way, being part of the fellowship is looking around the room and recognizing, “Wow! The Lord forgave and adopted you, too, huh? Let’s serve him together.”
How about you? Are you devoted to the fellowship? Do you see the people sitting around you right now as your family in the Lord? Does what happens to them matter to you? Have you had past experiences that make it hard for you to care? Take those to Jesus. Ask Him for help in opening up, because there’s so much support available to you here. And I am sure that you have a lot to offer in return. The awesome mystery here is that when the fellowship is working, when we care and pray and help one another, we are bringing the compassion of Jesus into each other’s lives. That turns abstract concepts like “grace” and “fellowship” into things that we sense and feel, and that’s powerful.
The third thing noted in Acts 2 is that the believers devoted themselves to the breaking of the bread. It is reasonable to assume that means more than just “they were devoted to eating” (although that might prove them to be Lutheran after all) but that they were devoted to the breaking of the bread (and the drinking of the wine) that happen in the Lord’s Supper. And of course they would be devoted to this! They had learned the lesson of the Last Supper and the walk to Emmaus. They knew Jesus was present in His true Words and at the table. They would have needed and desired the strength they received from the body and blood of their Lord.
What about you? Are you devoted to the “breaking of the bread”? Does receiving the body and blood of Christ with the bread and the wine on a regular basis matter to you? Is coming to the Lord’s Supper something that you look forward to—or is it just kind of part of the program? Do you crave this connection with Jesus? In this eating and drinking, Jesus pours out his gifts to us. Forgiveness is poured into us. And, when we stand at the rail, we stand in a common faith—faith in the apostolic teachings about Jesus; faith that He is building fellowship among us. Let’s not sleepwalk, but be awake to the tremendous benefits of being devoted to the breaking of the bread.
Finally, we note that the people of the Acts 2 Church devoted themselves to prayer. Prayer is simply defined as “speaking to God in words and thoughts,” which can be accomplished in one of two ways: either by yourself or with a group. Without question, the first Christians were committed to their individual prayers. The fact that prayer is mentioned here in verse 42 allows us to think of it in terms of group prayer also. In other words, they devoted themselves to praying with each other and for each other. And when you expand the picture just a bit, it starts to look awfully familiar. What activity do you know of that Christians participate in that features apostolic teaching; fellowship; the breaking of bread; and prayer? Sounds like a worship service to me. It sounds like the 1st generation church was dedicated to being together to receive God’s gifts (through apostolic teaching and the breaking of the bread) and to respond to God in works of faith (namely, prayer and fellowship, or caring for one another). Does it sound like what mattered to them matters to us?
Our devotion to Jesus and the things that mattered to the first Christians can be sadly lacking. Many, many things compete for our devotion, and many times other things win it. But in His great patience, the Lord gives us yet another chance today to make a move towards Him. Because here in this place described by apostolic teaching and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayer, you hear the truth: Jesus Christ has already moved towards you. Your sin, your wasted time, the pain you’ve caused yourself and others, it’s all forgiven. Jesus paid your bill at the incredible cost of his own life because you matter to Him. He rose to life on Easter, and made sure you would always be able to hear his Words, and there would always be a place where he could touch you and forgive you with his body and blood. He made sure that you could be surrounded with people who share these blessings with you. Why? Because you matter to him.
So, what matters to you? Amen.

When Jesus is at the Table: the Emmaus Experience

While He was at the table with them, He took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they knew who He was. Luke 24: 30—31a

There is a pattern and an order to most things we experience. That order gives us structure; a sense of security; within that framework we can safely encounter new things. Let me give you a few examples. When you’re watching Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, what do you expect to have happen? You expect Mr. Rogers to come through the doorway, singing, “It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” you expect him to hang up his sport coat, take off his dress shoes, and change into his cardigan and sneakers. You expect him to speak directly to you about the day’s theme, you expect him to feed the fish, visit with his friends, take you on a tour of a factory or an artist’s studio, and, of course, visit the Land of Make Believe. Finally, you expect him to change back into his coat and shoes and make his exit singing, ‘It’s Such A Good Feeling To Know You’re Alive.” It’s the same show every time—but it’s not. It’s the same structure—but within the framework there is endless variety—try 998 episodes worth of variety.
Or consider the order of baseball game. I don’t recall going to a baseball game wondering, “Are they going to play 4 innings or 25 innings tonight?” Normally, you go to a professional baseball game expecting 9 innings to be played. You know things are getting ready to roll with the singing of the national anthem. The players are introduced. You expect the teams to alternate between hitting and fielding. In the middle of the seventh inning, you expect to stand and sing “Take Me Out To The Ballgame,” and if the game isn’t tied after the bottom of the ninth, you go home. It’s the same game every time—but of course, it’s not. It’s the same structure—but within the framework there is an endless variety of plays and outcomes, which statisticians have tracked for decades.
Or think of a normal school day. There is a pattern and a routine to the way teachers and students move through the day. There’s no guessing when recess or lunchtime is. You know when your favorite subject and your not-so-favorite subject is coming. It’s the same school day every time—but it’s not. It’s the same structure—but within the framework there is an endless variety of lessons to be learned, in and out of the classroom.
And so we come to church on Saturday night/Sunday morning and you come to expect a Confession and Absolution, a Psalm, a series of readings from the Bible, usually Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel. You expect an explanation of God’s Word for children and adults, you expect the opportunity to give an offering and to pray to the Lord, and most of the time you expect to participate in something we call the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, or Holy Communion. Along the way there are liturgical songs—portions of the Bible set to music—such as “Create In Me A Clean Heart, O God,” “Lamb of God You Take Away The Sin Of The World,” “This Is The Feast Of Victory For Our God,” and many others. Along the way there are hymns—songs that teach the faith and give voice to our praise of God—many of which we have come to treasure. It’s the same service every time—but it’s not. It’s the same structure—but within the framework there is an endless variety of stories and themes that center on the mighty works of God and the living presence of Jesus Christ in His Church.
Order serves us well. (Just think of what can happen when your getting-ready-in-the-morning routine is interrupted.) But it must be said that order and routine can also make us so comfortable that we are lulled to sleep. Nowhere is that more true than in worship. We’ve all the experience—let’s admit it—of being in a worship service, while at the same time you’re mentally making your grocery list, or wondering if kickoff is at 1:00 or 4:00. I would suggest the antidote to unconscious worship is simply to keep on asking “why”—to continually review together the purpose of our time spent in worship. Why do we interact with Jesus in the way that we do? The answer to that question is found in today’s Gospel reading. May our awareness of the Biblical framework for worship enhance and revitalize this time we spend with Jesus.
The Emmaus experience described in Luke 24 is far more than just a neat add-on to the Easter story. It actually forms the foundation for how we experience Jesus in our lives! Here’s what I mean: look for the pattern that emerges. The risen Jesus walks with two men, and during that walk, He explained the Old Testament to them. He went through Moses and the prophets, describing how these writings were pointing to Him! Later on, these men would say, “Didn’t our hearts burn as he explained the Bible to us!”
Then, later that evening, Jesus sits down at the table with them and—listen carefully to this language—“he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.” Then their eyes were opened, and they knew who he was.” They recognized it was Jesus at the table with them.
Did the pattern pop out at you? The first part of this experience was instruction in the Word of God. It made their hearts glow with wonder. But this experience was only complete when they moved to the table, and Jesus gave thanks over bread, broke it, and gave it to them. Now, Jesus was not only someone they learned about, but someone who was with them. Then he disappeared, he vanished from their sight, as if to say, “Now that I’m risen and will soon be returning to my Father, this is how I will come to you until I return at the Last Day. My Words will be with you; and my body and blood will be with you in the breaking of the bread and the drinking of the wine that happen at the table. You will know me in these ways that I am leaving behind for you.”
Do you see the pattern? In the first part of our worship, the Bible explains who Jesus is; in the second part, Jesus Himself comes to our table. With the Emmaus experience, Jesus laid out how He was going to give himself to us. He is still doing it. And that’s what we’re really doing here.
A pastor once asked a group of very young children, “Why do you go to church?” One little girl responded, “We go to church to be with Jesus.” Now before you say, “Oh, what a cute story,” and then forget it, just understand this: That little girl was absolutely right. I urge you, in a time where there are Jesus options everywhere, from Internet and TV to the Christian bookstore and concert hall, to look for Jesus where He said he would be! At Emmaus he demonstrated He would be in His Word, and in the breaking of the bread. He continues to come to us through this pattern to save us from the depths of hell. He comes to us through Word, Bread and Wine to forgive our sins yet again! Within this framework, the risen and living Son of God touches you, forgives your sin, breathes faith and life into you, renovates your heart, resets your values and welcomes you to your place in His kingdom!
So I ask you: Why do you go to church—to be with Jesus? Please, let that be your answer. Amen.

Resurrection Reality Check

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In God's great mercy he has caused us to be born again into a living hope, because Jesus Christ rose from the dead.” 1 Peter 1

During China's Boxer Rebellion of 1900, insurgents captured a mission station, blocked all the gates but one, and in front of that one gate placed a cross flat on the ground. Then the word was passed to those inside that any who trampled the cross underfoot would be permitted their freedom and life, but that any refusing would be shot. Terribly frightened, the first seven students trampled the cross under their feet and were allowed to go free. But the eighth student, a young girl, refused to commit the sacrilegious act. Kneeling beside the cross in prayer for strength, she arose and moved carefully around the cross, and went out to face the firing squad. Strengthened by her example, every one of the remaining ninety-two students followed her to the firing
squad.
History is filled with such stories—of faithfulness unto death. It’s almost impossible to make contact with such a story without asking, “What would I have done? What would I do?” It also begs the question, “Why? Why would a Chinese Christian—or any Christian—choose certain death rather than show disrespect to their Lord Jesus? The answer to that question lies at the heart of our seven-week celebration that began last Sunday. The answer is that Jesus has rendered death powerless. The answer is that no matter what, Jesus wins, and He shares His victory with those who believe in Him. To say it differently: Why risk anything or even everything for the cause of Christ? The answer: ‘Because He lives.” Because He lives, I live now, and will live forever.
Our readings for this Sunday morning would seem to offer us a resurrection reality check. It is almost as if they say, “All right, everyone was singing and happy and triumphant last weekend, but now it’s back to the real world.” Acts 5 shows the apostles paying the price for their public profession of faith in Jesus. They are threatened with death and whipped in the same cruel manner as Jesus had been. In the Epistle lesson, one of the those apostles, Peter, acknowledges that his readers are suffering grief in all kinds of trials—admitting that the Christian faith is not a vaccine against bad things happening in life. And then in the gospel lesson, we learn that immediately following Jesus’ resurrection, one of Jesus’ closest followers took the skeptical approach and said, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” It’s like, “Easter was majestic; Easter was uplifting; Easter was pure and powerful, but that was then. Look at what you’re up against now.” The temptation for the people involved in each of these Biblical stories was that they would give in to that very line of thinking—that their troubles would loom so large in their vision that they would lose sight of their risen Lord Jesus. They would doubt that it could make any difference. They would doubt that it happened at all. I think it is safe to say that we are tempted in precisely these same ways. When our culture is not feeding our doubts about a resurrected Christ, we nurse doubts about a God who would allow bad things to happen to us, and soon I’m living in practical terms far removed from a 33-year-old Jewish man getting up out of his grave. I just don’t feel a connection between me and that event, and so hope drains out of my life. We are tempted to live as if the resurrection of Jesus—if it happened at all—doesn’t matter.
And what a heartless temptation that is. What a cruel trap that the devil has set. Because the resurrection doesn’t just matter. It is everything! To paraphrase St. Paul: If the resurrection of Jesus did not really happen, then this thing we call Christianity is an awful waste of our time. If Jesus did not really come back to life, we are nothing more than a group of pious fools following empty rituals. But…the proclamation of the Holy Christian Church, based on eyewitness accounts, has always been and always will be that Jesus Christ came out of his grave alive--three days after being crucified. It is true, and it changes everything.
Because Jesus lives, death is not the end. A Christian man and his wife lost their young son in a tragic accident on Good Friday in 1996. The boy’s funeral was on Easter Sunday. During the memorial service the father got up and shared with his family and friends that Easter had taken on a new importance. "Until you stare death eye-to-eye," he began sobbing, "Easter is just a word. It’s a nice day with bunny rabbits and eggs . . . .but when someone so precious to you dies, Easter becomes everything . . . an anchor in a fierce storm . . . a rock on which to stand . . . a hope that raises you above despair and keeps you going." Those whom God has adopted and gifted with faith also have the promise that they live in Jesus—that means they live forever in Jesus—and the separation that death causes now is temporary, not final.
Because Jesus lives, we can serve Him with confidence. The apostles of Acts 5 endured the punishment they received for preaching about Jesus—and more than that—they were full of joy because they were given the honor of suffering disgrace for Jesus. They defied the order to stop talking about Jesus because they couldn’t help themselves! How could they? Jesus had come back to life! Some council had told them to knock it off—so what? We serve Christ, who defeated death! That was the mindset of the apostles. Is that your mindset? Is that our church’s mindset? It can be, because we serve the same living Lord the apostles did. Christian author, pastor and radio preacher Dr. Warren Wiersbe once said, "[The resurrection of Jesus] is the Truth that turns a church from a museum into a ministry." Jesus is alive and wants to be active in us!
Because Jesus lives, we have perspective on life’s problems. The apostle Peter writes in today’s epistle: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In God's great mercy he has caused us to be born again into a living hope, because Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Now we hope for the blessings God has for his children. These blessings, which cannot be destroyed or be spoiled or lose their beauty, are kept in heaven for you. God's power protects you through your faith until salvation is shown to you at the end of time. This makes you very happy, even though now for a short time different kinds of troubles may make you sad. These troubles come to prove that your faith is pure. This purity of faith is worth more than gold, which can be proved to be pure by fire but will ruin. But the purity of your faith will bring you praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is shown to you.”
And, because Jesus lives, he can come to us. He comes to us here, in spoken and sung words; in words that raise believers to new life; He comes to us here in the washing of baptismal water; He comes to us here, hidden in bread and wine. He comes to you to say, “Put your finger here and look at my hands. Take and eat, my body broken for you. Put your hand here in my side. Take and drink, my blood shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins. Peace be with you. Believe in Me.” Jesus lives in his Church to feed and nurture us! We connect with a living God here! He comes right down to our level to forgive and strengthen and teach us, and in return we praise Him, we pray to Him, we give back to Him, we serve Him. This activity only makes sense if Jesus is alive! Again and again he enters the locked doors of our hearts to give us the gift of His peace.
Why risk anything for the cause of Jesus Christ? Why serve Jesus when there seems to be no immediate reward? Why should we remain faithful to God in the middle of tough situations? Because He lives. Because in every case, our living Jesus wins. He gives undeserving people His victory. This is our Easter confidence! Amen.

Easter: Jesus Wins

A group of young children were learning about Jesus’ death on the cross. The idea bothered some of the children. But one little boy, who evidently knew his stuff, announced, “I’m not sad. Jesus wins! He comes back on Easter!”

Jesus wins! That is the truth of Easter and the truth of the Christian faith. Death could not defeat Him. The devil could not hold Him in the grave. Jesus won! His resurrection is the ultimate victory parade. Best of all, we are not invited merely to watch Jesus win, but to participate in this celebration. In faith, believe that Jesus’ risen life is given to you—and it is. Jesus wins—and so do you.

Jesus wins! This world can be a scary place. Evil seems to be getting the upper hand. We draw courage from the fact that Jesus wins—no matter what. It may not always be obvious, but He will not lose. We fight with a Champion on our side who has already defeated death. His life is ours and His victory is ours.

Jesus wins! That is the bottom line. May the message of Easter bring confidence and peace to your life.

But Now I See

For 51 years Bob Edens was blind. He couldn't see a thing. His world was a black hall of sounds and smells. He felt his way through five decades of darkness. And then, he could see. A skilled surgeon performed a complicated operation and, for the first time, Bob Edens had sight. He found it overwhelming. "I never would have dreamed that yellow is so...yellow," he exclaimed. "I don't have the words. I am amazed by yellow. But red is my favorite color. I just can't believe red. I can see the shape of the moon--and I like nothing better than seeing a jet plane flying across the sky leaving a vapor trail. And of course, sunrises and sunsets. And at night I look at the stars in the sky and the flashing light. You could never know how wonderful everything is."
That’s just what I would expect to hear from someone who has been given the gift of sight. When I look through the gospels and look at all the people Jesus healed, my expectation is the same. People who were blind can see; people who couldn’t walk are running and dancing; people with no hope are now filled with hope and faith and love. Their lives are changed for the better, and they all get a happy ending.
But not so fast. Maybe my expectations are off. Like in today’s gospel, for example. Here we have a man who has been blind since birth. Jesus comes into this man’s life and gives him the gift of sight! Now he can be amazed by yellow and see the shape of the moon and the stars in the sky! His life has been changed for the better, but wait a minute. The religious leaders, the pillars of the community, the Pharisees, are intensely interested in his story. He’s more than willing to tell them what happened. But for some reason, his story upsets them. It agitates them. They send him away. They get his parents involved. They send for him again. There’s more questions, almost all of them about the man who opened his eyes. The tension grows. Finally, the man says, honestly, “I know only one thing—I used to be blind, and now I can see. If this Jesus were not from God, He couldn’t do anything.” Well, that was evidently not what the Pharisees wanted to hear, because they proceeded to kick him out of the synagogue. Because a person he barely knew had put mud on his eyes and caused him to see, he was now an ex-member of his congregation. That’s not quite the happy ending we expect. And it’s not the end. For when Jesus hears what happened to the man he healed, he goes looking for him, and when he finds him, he gives him sight a second time. This time, it is spiritual vision. Jesus asked him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” “Who is he, sir?” he asked. “I want to believe in Him.” “You’ve seen him,” Jesus told him. “It is He who is now talking to you.” “I do believe, Lord,” he said and bowed down to worship him. The man has what he needs now—spiritual sight to complement his eyesight. Faith “sees” Jesus as the Son of Man—the god-man of the prophet Daniel’s vision. Here’s where the phrase “Son of Man” comes from: Daniel 7: 13: “I saw One coming with the clouds of the heavens like a son of man, and he came to the Old Being and was presented before him. And he was given glory, power to rule, and a kingdom, so that all peoples, nations, and those of every language should serve him. His authority is everlasting and will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.” The man born blind now believes that Jesus is this Son of Man. He has true spiritual sight. He still has a bunch of problems in his life and some new ones to boot. But he has everything. He has Jesus. The Son of Man is his Lord and King and Healer.
The story of the man born blind holds an incredibly realistic message for us. The fact that it is realistic means we can trust it. The Bible’s not teaching us fairy-tale solutions to life’s problems. The message is that Jesus gave that blind man physical and spiritual sight. That made his life better, by leaps and bounds, but it did not make his life easier. That’s a tension that this newly sighted Christian would learn to deal with.
And it’s the tension that all Christians must learn to live with. Jesus has given us spiritual sight. The Holy Spirit has given birth to faith in our hearts. We “see” Jesus as our Rescuer, who saved us from eternal punishment in hell. We “see” Jesus as our Lord who rules our lives with compassion. We “see” Jesus right here in His Church as he delivers forgiveness to us. He makes our lives infinitely better—both for now and for eternity. But that does not mean that life right now is any easier. In fact, just like the man born blind, we may suffer because we bear the name “Christian.”
You may have to suffer the eye-rolling of a friend who just doesn’t “get” your dedication to Jesus. You may have to suffer the pressure of family members who want you to think and act like they do, and who cares what the Bible says. You may have to suffer the pain of being singled out as one of “those Christians” by someone who just doesn’t understand. And that may tempt you to tone it down; to keep your faith something private and unspoken.
I love the way that formerly blind man in today’s gospel handles the pressure. He knows what the Pharisees want to hear. They want to hear him renounce Jesus. They want him to suggest that Jesus’ power to heal is some kind of voodoo witchcraft, or that this whole thing is just a PR hoax. But this man will not sell Jesus out. He simply reports the facts: “I know only one thing,” he says. “I used to be blind, and now I see. If this Jesus were not from God, He couldn’t do anything.” He simply says: “Here’s what Jesus did for me-- you can’t take it away from me.” Oh, the Pharisees try to take what they can. They erase his name from the synagogue directory. They used him as a public example, I’m sure. But they couldn’t make him blind again. They couldn’t stop him from seeing. They couldn’t put blinders on his newfound faith. Nothing and no one can.
Nothing and no one can take away from you what Jesus has done by living for you; suffering for you; dying for you and rising for you. Nothing and no one can make you blind again. In the end, Jesus wins, and you win with Him. That’s 20/20 spiritual vision. Amen.