West Salem Baptist Church

(Luke 2:14) “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace , good will toward men.” As we look at (v. 14) again we see that one of the things that the angels wanted the shepherds to know was that “peace” was now available on earth for any man who trusts to Jesus. The Peace of God is an interesting thing because it involves not only a peace that is given to every man at salvation but also a peace that no man can ever take away. Before Christ came there was no real or lasting peace with man on earth. For: 1) The Peace that came down from Heaven was Jesus . God came to this earth even after he witnessed our sin. It was no surprise to God what sis man was capable of, even so, He still sent Jesus to save us. (Rom. 5:8) “God commended his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died or us.” The proof of His love was sending Jesus! 2) It’s now possible to have “Peace” with God through Jesus . Complete peace was never ...

(Luke 2:13-14) “ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest , and on earth peace, good will toward men.”  Again, we read above about the great proclamation of Heaven’s Angels the night of Jesus’ birth, and how they began to sing “Glory to God in the highest.” So, what did the angels mean by this statement . 48 times in the Bible God uses the phrase, “The Most High,” to describe not just the dwelling place of God, but also the Glory that should be ascribed to Him and His Son Jesus 1) Jesus was the Glory that came down from the Highest Heaven . Jesus’s existence did not begin at birth, for the Bible tells us that he was, and is, and always will be the eternal Son of God , “the only begotten of the Father.”   For He is, (Rev. 1:8) “the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and ending,” (18) “he that liveth, and was dead...

(Luke 1: 19)  “And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.” The angel Gabriel was a special messenger from God to give “glad tidings ” to all who rejoiced at the coming of Jesus Christ. “Glad tidings,” meaning he was sent to announce the great and glad gospel story, and each person in God’s gospel’s story tells us something about the Christmas story. 1)“ Zacharias , ” the father of John the Baptist, his name means “The Lord remembers his oath.” Through Zacharias, God’s promise to Israel was sent  not just in Jesus Christ (Messiah) , but also through John who would come in the Spirit and power of Elijah to prepare Israel to receive him. 2) Elizabeth , the mother of John the Baptist. Her name means “Consecrated to God.” Through Elizabeth the Lord remembered Israel, by sending ...

(Romans 3:24-26) “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood , to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past , through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness : that he might be just , and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” In the above verse there are a number of words that teach us about the permanence of salvation that is found in Jesus Christ. 1) “ Justified Freely”   When someone trusts in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, according to the above verse they are “justified,” meaning that they have been declared innocent of the crime of sin. Not that they never will or have sinned but that now they are considered “just,” or not found guilty. You see in Salvation, Jesus takes the sin of man upon himself and then declares the sinner free from the ...

“Matt. 6:13) “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” The above verse is the ending words of Jesus’s example on of how to pray. In the Lord’s prayer we are first taught to honor and glorify the Father and His Holy Name or (His Person). Then we are commanded to seek His will or (His Purpose) in life. After which, Jesus taught us to (Petition) him for our needs or “ daily bread,”   as well as “forgiveness” and “deliverance from evil” when tested, but there is also another aspect of this prayer that most people miss; and that is (His Praise). You see the temptation to do sin or “evil” is as much a part of our daily life as breathing. We are tempted daily to lust, lie, steal, gossip, cheat, become jealous, hate, etc., so we need not just the forgiveness of God, but also His power in faith. Brethren, we have som...

(Matt. 6:12,14-15) “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.””... For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Prayer without forgiveness is dead.   The prayers of an unforgiving Christian cannot be honored by God. Why? Because God commanded that those who seek forgiveness must not harbor unforgiveness in their hearts. Being offended is just a part of life, therefore how we handle those that offend us determines not just our fellowship with God but answered prayers.  (Eph. 4:32) “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”  We therefore must forgive others with just as much forgiveness as God has given to us!  So, what happens to a Christian that does not practice forgiveness . 1) He Loses his fellowship with Go...

(Matt 6:11) “Give us this day our daily bread.” God desires that we communicate with Him about everything on a regular basis. Why, because He wants us to know that He is listening and that He has the power to answer our prayers at any time. In the Lord’s teachings on prayer in (Matt. 7), Jesus instructed his disciples to simply ask, and then to keep asking. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” In other words, ask God, and if you see nothing keep knocking on heaven’s door until He responds or shows you differently. Therefore, prayer is simply thanking God for the needs that he has promised to provide, but also asking Him for things that we cannot change. The above part of the Lord’s prayer is an expectation of thanksgiving for doing so. Jesus told us in (Matt. 6:33) not to worry about all our basic needs such as food, clothing, housing, and the like, for if we will just simply seek t...

Rom. 3:23) "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."   Have you ever asked yourself what this verse means ? Well, what it means is that because you are a human being no matter how good or righteous you think you are, because of your sin , your righteousness and glory fall short of the righteousness and glory required to get you into heaven. That’s why God sent Jesus into the world, so that he could do for us that which is impossible for us to do ourselves. In the Old Testament, God gave the world the ten commandments. They were given not to save man, but rather to explain to man why and how it is that he falls short.  (Rom. 3:20) "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin .” You see, from birth man is condemned because of the sin of Adam and Eve. He therefore needs God's help to cover his sins, and to be made righteous enough to go to heaven. So, God sent H...

(Matt. 6:10) “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven...” One of the most important lessons that Christ taught his disciples concerning prayer, was to accept and agree with His Father’s will. Prayer is more than just making requests to God it’s also  learning to agree with God. If we believe that God controls the events and circumstances of life, then the only one that can change things or answer requests is God. Therefore, prayer has a purpose . 1) Our Sanctification . Sin separates us from God (Ps. 66:18). Therefore, as Christians we must learn to walk in obedience to God’s Word to be heard of God. In the above verse God desires that His Kingdom come to this earth, and it does so every time a sinner repents and turns to Christ, but also when a believer starts to walk in His holiness . 2) Our Abiding in Christ . God desires that we grow close to him and rely on him. In (John 15) those that “abide” in him receive ...

(Matt 6:9) “ After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.” How many Christians really understand and utilize the privilege of prayer. Jesus himself spent hours daily in prayer and at times entire nights, and yet we sometimes fail to see the importance of it. Prayer is not a complicated thing, in fact God desires not our eloquence in it, but rather just our simple sincerity. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus instructed his disciples; 1) To Pray To “Our Father in heaven .” The focus of our prayers must always be directed at Jesus’s Father “in heaven.” This was mentioned first so that the disciples would learn to respect his Father’s position and see that all answers to prayer come directly from Him in heaven. You see, the purpose of prayer is not just to petition God, but it also is used by God to bend the will of man on earth to be in agreement with God’s will “in heaven.” Fo...

(John 21:18)   “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.” This statement was made to Peter by Jesus after he asked him 3 times if he loved hm. As we know Peter denied the Lord three times the night of his betrayal, and so here in (John 21) Jesus confronted Peter on his commitment of love. You see, in the Greek language there are three different words used for the word “love.” 1) “ Agapeo” love . This is the type of love that caused Jesus to die on a cross for mankind. 2) “ Phileo” love . Is the type of love one might have toward a good friend or someone you like. 3) “ Eros” love . An erotic sexual love. The 3 rd is never used in the Bible, but in the first two questions that Jesus asked Peter he asked him if he ...

(Isa. 26:3) “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”  What does this verse mean anyway?  On the evening of the resurrection when the disciples were hiding, Jesus appeared unto them and said these words, “Peace be unto you.” Meaning that we can have #1) Peace in times of fear . When fear enters the heart, most people react by retreating into solitude, or by hiding behind another. The evening of the Lord’s Resurrection we saw both. Thomas abandoned the disciples and the disciples were huddled together for “fear of the Jews.” But Jesus gave them the remedy for overcoming fear. Faith in him, and the power of his Holy Spirit . God has given to us an entire Bible full of promises to read and claim, and then trust in through the power of His Spirit. So, when we are in fear, we just need to find a verse and trust it. #2) Peace in our ministry . We cannot go and do the ministry without ...

(Rom. 13:1)  “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.”   In the above verse the words   “powers that be”   refer to the “gift of government” to mankind . God’s intention for government was to rule for Him and not just oneself, and that is precisely why we as American’s should be thankful for our form of government that is patterned after God’s ideology and not this world’s. Our Constitution, Amendments, and Declaration of Independence, were all written by our founding fathers with the will of God in mind, as well as the personal dream of having a free country where every man has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. As Americans we have a tremendous heritage to remember and protect. A heritage that has been handed down to us by faithful men who expected us to defend it, because there are those in our worl...

( Deut. 6:5-7) “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children…” Before Israel went in to poses the Promised Land, the Lord warned Israel’s Fathers of the importance of the 3 commandments above . 1) To Love God first above all . God wanted Israel’s Fathers to give first place in their hearts to Him. Why?  Because He knew man, and how quickly he would forget Him if he didn’t. You see, if leadership forgets to put God 1 st , so will the family and those who follow; therefore, God commanded them to make God the Lord of their heart, soul, and mind. 2) To Know the Word of God .  How can a father teach the Word of God if he knows not the Word himself? How sad it is when the leaders of our homes do not study or know for themselves what they are commanded to live an...

(John 18:37) “Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. ( 38) Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?” So, what is truth anyway ?  To the world it is whatever they choose to believe, but to those of us that are of the “truth” it is simply Jesus and his Word. And so here lies the problem. If there is no absolute truth, then truth is defined by whatever man decides. Evil then can be good, wrong can be right, and the absolute truth  is subjective to our individual discretion. No! 1) Jesus is the absolute truth . God must have the final say on things or there can be no absolute right and wrong. 2) His Word is absolute truth . The Bible teaches us that God cannot lie, and that His Word is infallible, or without error. That cannot be said of man ....

(John 15:4) “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.”  Have you ever wondered why it is that some Christians quit when tried while others continue walking on with God, or why it is that some win souls and others not? Could it be due to their “abiding” in Christ?  In the above verse Jesus wanted his disciples to understand that without him (15:5) they could “ do nothing.”  Meaning that, unless we as believers abide in the vine of Christ, we cannot bear the fruit of the Christian life. Therefore, the key to our Christian growth and fruit bearing is found in  #1) Abiding in Jesus Christ. In other words, if you’re not saved you have no part of him, nor can you draw from his power and bear fruit. #2) Abiding in His Word .   Jesus promised his disciples that if they would “abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall...

(2 Sam. 23:4-5) “And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate! And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD.”  In the above verse David poured out the water unto the Lord that was given to him by these 3 brave and mighty men because he saw himself unworthy of their bravery. These men risked everything for a cause that they saw higher than themselves. They were men of   1 ) Courage – A courage that came not only from their faith in God but their respect for God’s man. Courage breeds courage, and it is contagious. These men were considered misfits in life (1 Sam. 22:1-2) and yet mighty in the a...

(John 14:16-18) “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth ; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” Before Jesus left this world, he promised his disciples that he would come back for them, but also that he would indwell within them forever during his absence. He promised  us 5 things concerning the Holy Spirit : 1) He would Remain in you “that he would abide with you forever” and never be taken away. (Eph. 1:14) Tells us that we are “sealed” by Him until the day of our “redemption.” 2) He will Remind us of God’s truth . “he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance.” The Holy Ghost is our guide into God’s Word and a reminder of it if we ta...

(2Tim. 1:5) “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also. These words were penned by the apostle Paul to encourage the young Pastor Timothy to “ continue on ” in the faith that was handed down to him by his mother and grandmother. The truth that we have been given in Christ Jesus must be handed down to the next generation or it will die with us, and Paul uses motherhood as the perfect conduit here for doing so. Motherhood is indeed a high calling in this life, for Moms are called by God to: # 1) Pass on humanity .   God chose the woman to bear in her body mankind, and then nurture him till he/she is able to leave the home. That’s why the womb is supposed to be the safest place on earth. As (Ps. 139:13) tells us ...“we are covered in my mother’s womb,” and we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” by the ...

(John 14:6) “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Ever since the time of Christ, many people have accepted the lie that there are many roads to heaven, when in the above verse Jesus says  very clearly that this is not true. Either Jesus was a liar, or he as God in the flesh was telling us the truth. 1) He is the Way . In John 1:1-4, Jesus told us that he was the Word of God in human form, and not only was he the Word of God, but also the Creator of the world and that in him was “life.” God came personally into the world that he created to show us that salvation can only come through his Son Jesus, and no other. Yes, there are many other ways in life to follow, but only Jesus came back from the dead to prove to mankind that he was and is God’s only Son, and the only way into heaven. 2) He is the Truth . Not only did Jesus say that he was the truth, but that his Word is absolutely true...

(John 13:4-5) “He (Jesus) riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. ( 13:13) “ Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. (13:15) “For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.” In the above verses Jesus taught his disciples some important lessons. 1) Concerning Salvation . In v.8 Jesus told Peter  “if I wash thee not, thou hast no part in me.” The washing that Jesus spoke of here was not the washing of the feet, but rather the soul. If someone is not washed from their sin in the blood of Jesus, he/she will have no part with Jesus in the kingdom of God. 2) Concerning Serving Others. Jesus said, “I have given you an ...

(John 11:25) “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:” This verse was spoken at the graveside of Lazarus before Jesus raised him from the dead. It has been said that it’s a good thing that Jesus only spoke the words “Lazarus come forth,” for if he had only said “come forth,” all the dead would have risen up. 1) Jesus is the resurrection . For without him there can be no life after death. Ever since the garden of Eden, man’s body and soul has been cursed with death, and so the body must go back to the dust from where it came (Gen. 3:19) , but the spirit and soul back to the creator for judgment (Heb. 9:27). Life began with God, but death was brought on by man, and so only in Jesus Christ is there found eternal salvation. The resurrection from the dead is nothing more than the human body being brought back to life and put back together after death, by God. U...

(John 9:1,3) “And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth... Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.”  In the above verses after the blind man was spotted, the apostles wanted to know if it was because of sin that he was born blind. Jesus very clearly went into the subject of blindness in the rest of the chapter. 1) Physical Blindness is not necessarily God’s judgment for sin. Sometimes people assume falsely that all physical imparities are due to our sins in this life. To that, Jesus stated in ( v.3) that this blindness had nothing to do with him or his parents but rather God’s will. None of us in this life will ever truly know for certain why things happen the way they do, so be careful not to prejudge these things when they happen. 2) Spiritual Blindness on the other hand is the result of sin! Ever since the fall of Adam and Eve, a spiritual blindn...

(John 8:3) “And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery;... (5) ... Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: (7)... he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.”  Under the Law of Moses the Pharisees were right, both she and the man were to be killed by stoning, but Jesus attempting to teach them about grace, challenged them all as to their worthiness of judging this woman seeing that they too were guilty of sin. 1) All judgment belongs to God. The Bible explains very clearly that God did give Israel capitol judgment in such cases of adultery, but in (Joh 1:17) “grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” This means that before Christ there was no pardon for sin except by God Himself, but now in Jesus Christ, the most vile of sinners can find pardon. 2) Jesus desires that we practice grace first . Under grace the guilty sinner is to be loved to t...

Corner  (John  6:35) “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life : he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” Jesus is known by many names in the book of John, but in the above verse as the “bread of life,” he is seen not only as God’s Son who came down from heaven as “manna,” but the sustainer of eternal life to all who receive him and who feed upon him and his word.  1) God’s Purpose for sending Jesus into the world, was to give man a permanent “bread” and not just a temporary meal as He did when he fed Israel in the wilderness. Jesus is our permanent savior and sustainer once we get saved. “and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” 2) God’s Plan , was to send down Jesus to give men “eternal life.” We who were once dead in our sins, to us did God send down Jesus to save, and then once saved to feed upon as spi...

(Gen. 2:24) “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” God describes the union between a man and wife as “one flesh.” Meaning that they are supposed to be inseparable and working together as a team. Therefore, in life the only thing that can destroy a marriage is when one or both become selfish and disobedient to God. The following are some ways that will help build a strong marriage : 1) Both need to obey God’s delegated authority . Since God is the creator and designer of all things, He has the right to set the rules in the home, and so He did when He placed the man in charge and the woman under his authority. This is not to say that he is a better creation, or smarter, but rather it just means that both are to obey God’s will. 2) The husband must love like Christ . He must learn to practice self-less love , and to love her as Christ loves the church. How?  By honoring ...

(Jn. 5:17-18) “But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore, the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.” In the day of Jesus, calling God “Father,” was a shocking statement, because that placed you in the direct family of God Himself. The concept of God having a Son was also foreign to the teaching of the “one God” doctrine of the Jew. However, it was not foreign to the prophesies of scripture concerning the coming of “Messiah,” or the “ prince” that shall come (Dan. 9:25-26). 1) Jesus Called God “My Father .”  Only God’s true children can call Him Father. Of course, Jesus was and is the only begotten Son of God in the flesh, (His first born), but today anyone who calls upon Jesus for salvation can now call God Father. (Heb 2:10) “For it became him, for who...

(John 4:35) “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you , Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.” These verses have been used for centuries by Preachers to challenge God’s people to win souls and labor in the world for Christ, but because of our human nature we can grow cold to this calling and forget to think about the eternal souls of the people around us. Then, all to soon comes a funeral or a sickness that causes us to be concerned. In the above verse Jesus challenged his disciples on how to stay focused on the souls of men, for he just witnessed to a woman standing at a well about her eternal soul, and because he did she believed on him and her witness caused an entire town to come out to find him. Therefore, Jesus commanded ; 1) Lift up your eyes . In other words, stop being so distracted and place your focus onto what is really important . As Christians it’s very possib...

(John 3:3) “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.” The term “Son of man” was not first introduced to us by Jesus Christ, but rather by Daniel in (Daniel 7:13) “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.” Speaking of a future time when Jesus Christ returns to this earth a second time, to set up his kingdom after the tribulation period. So, when we speak and preach of Jesus, we speak of the “Son of God” who became “a man.” In (Jn 3:14) 1) “ The Son of man was lifted up .” Speaking of his crucifixion and death for the sins of men. (v. 14) says, “as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness...” so must Jesus have been lifted up “ that whosoever believeth in him should not perish (15).” 2...

(John 2:23-25) “Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them , because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man .” In the above verse the Bible speaks of the “many” that followed Jesus because of what they were seeing, and because of their need for healing, but  Jesus did not “commit himself” to them.  By “commit,” the Bible means that they could not receive the truth of who Jesus was. Why? Because they sought not Christ as it were by faith. Even today “many” people still follow Jesus in a wrong way. In (Jn. 3:3)   one such man came to Jesus by night seeking truth, but Jesus said to him that the only way to find truth was to be “born again.” This man Nicodemus was a religious ruler in Israel, a Pharisee, who came by n...

  (John 2:10-11) “Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.”   The above verses record the reaction of men after they saw and heard that Jesus turned water into wine. Unfortunately, over the years this story has been twisted to teach more about the wine making ability of Jesus rather than the reaction of men after they saw this miracle. The verse above says that the “glory” of Jesus was “manifested” and his disciples “believed on him.” How sad it is that these verses have been used to support the view that it’s ok for Christians to drink alcohol, when in context it was to introduce to us his glory. To fully understand what took place with the wine, we first of all would have had to have been ...

(John 1:37)  “And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.” As we move once again into another new year, it’s good to look back and challenge ourselves concerning our service and walk with God. In the above verse we read for the first time in this gospel account the word “disciple.” John the Baptist had disciples and when Jesus came onto the scene the disciples that followed John left him to now follow Jesus. Why, and what is so special about making disciples? 1) We are all called to be disciples of Jesus . A disciple is a “trainee” or an “apprentice.” He or she is someone who is expected to follow the trainer, learn their skills, and then pass them on. If these skills are not passed on, they will die with the trainer. In salvation we are all called to not just be saved but to pass on the skills and truths that we have both learned and practice in Christ . 2) We are called to make disciples . Our job is to ...