Monthly Archives: January 2024

DIARY OF THE FATHER OF FAITH – 3

Bible Study, ,

So, Abraham’s faith in God took a leap forward. Through his growing confidence in Him, he recognised the Most High God as his source. He refused the spoils of the war he had won against the kings, choosing rather to trust God for his physical and material needs.

‭Genesis‬ ‭14:21‭-‬23‬ ‭NLT‬
[21] “The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give back my people who were captured. But you may keep for yourself all the goods you have recovered.” [22] Abram replied to the king of Sodom, “I solemnly swear to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, [23] that I will not take so much as a single thread or sandal thong from what belongs to you. Otherwise you might say, ‘I am the one who made Abram rich.’ “

What a revelation for a man raised in unbelief and idolatry! He had confirmed his shift from the seen to the unseen, from a vain hope in the idols that never spoke or acted to the real God whose signature he recognised in creation and who communed and intervened for him.

Abraham’s next step of faith catapulted him into a new standing in God. His choice to believe what God said despite all the evidence against its fulfilment is the same criterion by which all who believe God’s promise are declared righteous.

‭Genesis‬ ‭15:1‭-‬4‬ ‭NLT‬
[1] Some time later, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.” [2] But Abram replied, “O Sovereign Lord, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since you’ve given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth. [3] You have given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir.” [4] Then the Lord said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.”

‭Genesis‬ ‭15:5‬ ‭NLT‬
[5] Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!”

Abraham and Sarah, a barren, elderly couple beyond the possibility of ever having children! A son! Descendants as numerous as the stars! A physical impossibility!

But….

‭Genesis‬ ‭15:6‬ ‭NLT‬
[6]…. Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.”

God’s response to Abraham’s faith – his decision to throw himself unreservedly on God’s promise – brought him into a new standing in God. Righteous… despite his times of disobedience, failure, unbelief! Abraham was now and forever in right standing with God no matter how often he failed.

Many of God’s people under the Old testament Covenant followed him by trusting God for a better life to come. They saw it by faith and lived in the hope of its fulfilment.

‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:39‭-‬40‬ ‭NLT‬
[39] All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. [40] For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.

This same standing in grace, in tthhe New Covenant, is offered to everyone who stakes everything on God’s promise. For Abraham, God’s promise was yet to be fulfilled. For us who believe, it has been fulfilled.

Romans‬ ‭5:1‬ ‭NLT‬
[1] “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.”

On that day, to cement this promise forever, in the custom of the time, God entered into a covenant with Abraham, guaranteeing the fulfilment of every promise in that agreement.

‭Genesis‬ ‭15:9‭-‬10‬ ‭NLT‬
[9] The Lord told him, “Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” [10] So Abram presented all these to him and killed them. Then he cut each animal down the middle and laid the halves side by side; he did not, however, cut the birds in half….
[12] As the sun was going down, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a terrifying darkness came down over him. [13] Then the Lord said to Abram, “You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, where they will be oppressed as slaves for 400 years. [14] But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and in the end they will come away with great wealth….
[16] After four generations your descendants will return here to this land, for the sins of the Amorites do not yet warrant their destruction.” [17] After the sun went down and darkness fell, Abram saw a smoking firepot and a flaming torch pass between the halves of the carcasses. [18] So the Lord made a covenant with Abram that day and said, “I have given this land to your descendants, all the way from the border of Egypt to the great Euphrates River— [19] the land now occupied by the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, [20] Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, [21] Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites, and Jebusites.”

Signed and sealed – God’s covenant with Abraham, sealed in blood, now to becomes the foundation of all His heart dealings with Abraham and His descendants to the end of time.

‭To be continued….

DIARY OF THE FATHER OF FAITH – 2

Bible Study, ,

DIARY OF THE FATHER OF FAITH

Abraham’s journey of faith was never a smooth ride. Like ours, his story is littered with failure, unbelief and sin but that’s the way God taught him the lessons of trust and obedience. Our lessons, like Abraham’s, don’t start with trust. They start with failure, and failure teaches us the consequences that we must avoid the next time we are put to the test.

It seems that Abraham’s disobedience began to cause trouble not long after they settled in Canaan. He has not heeded God’s instruction to separate from his family. Now both Abraham and Lot had become wealthy, owning vast herds of livestock that needed plenty of grazing and water. Their respective herdsmen began squabbling over resources for their animals until matters finally came to a head.

They decided to separate.
Abraham graciously gave Lot the choice of territory, and Lot selfishly chose the fertile plain of the Jordan Valley but, in doing so, he set himself up for trouble, since the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah lay in that direction.

Once Lot has gone his own way, Abraham was ready to receive the next revelation from God. This time, the Lord expanded on His intentions for Abraham’s descendants. The land in which he now resided as a visitor and a nomad, as far as his eyes could see, would become the permanent possession of the nation that would be born through him.

What did Abraham think as he settled into his nomadic lifestyle among a very wicked and idolatrous people? Perhaps “impossible” was the word that hammered in his brain as he contemplated the problem of the resident citizens of the land. How would his descendants ever get rid of them?

However, as he moved around the territory, perhaps looking for grazing for his animals, perhaps for a little peace from his unpleasant neighbours, he set up altars of worship to the living God he was learning to know and trust. Was he silently, unobtrusively, claiming ownership of the land by honouring the Lord wherever he camped?

Hebron seemed to be a pleasant place to live, but soon after he had settled there, trouble came to his nephew, Lot. War broke out between the kings of some of the city states in Canaan. Lot and his family and possessions were captured and taken as loot from Sodom, where Lot had chosen to live. Abraham heard of the situation from one of Lot’s servants who had escaped from the raid, and immediately planned to rescue Lot. He miraculously defeated the kings with only 318 trained men and took back Lot, his family and possessions and spoils from the conquered kings.

On his return from his successful campaign, Abraham encountered a mysterious character called Melchizedek. (I referred, earlier on, to this event) – that God revealed, through this amazing incident, someone who was to be a type of Jesus, the Messiah.

‭Genesis‬ ‭14:18‭-‬20‬ ‭NLT‬
[18] “And Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High, brought Abram some bread and wine. [19] Melchizedek blessed Abram with this blessing: “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. [20] And blessed be God Most High, who has defeated your enemies for you.” Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods he had recovered.”

What was the significance of this meeting? There is no explanation in Genesis. However, the writer to the Hebrews, through the Holy Spirit, reveals the meaning of the encounter Abraham had with Melchizedek. Abraham, the great ancestor of the nation yet to come, met the greater priest-King of Salem, Melchizedek who had no ancestry in this record. He would be a type of Jesus, the high priest and King of God’s kingdom who has no beginning and no end.

‭Hebrews‬ ‭7:1‭-‬10‬ ‭NLT‬
[1] This Melchizedek was king of the city of Salem and also a priest of God Most High. When Abraham was returning home after winning a great battle against the kings, Melchizedek met him and blessed him. [2] Then Abraham took a tenth of all he had captured in battle and gave it to Melchizedek. The name Melchizedek means “king of justice,” and king of Salem means “king of peace.” [3] There is no record of his father or mother or any of his ancestors—no beginning or end to his life. He remains a priest forever, resembling the Son of God. [4] Consider then how great this Melchizedek was. Even Abraham, the great patriarch of Israel, recognized this by giving him a tenth of what he had taken in battle. [5] Now the law of Moses required that the priests, who are descendants of Levi, must collect a tithe from the rest of the people of Israel, who are also descendants of Abraham. [6] But Melchizedek, who was not a descendant of Levi, collected a tenth from Abraham. And Melchizedek placed a blessing upon Abraham, the one who had already received the promises of God. [7] And without question, the person who has the power to give a blessing is greater than the one who is blessed. [8] The priests who collect tithes are men who die, so Melchizedek is greater than they are, because we are told that he lives on. [9] In addition, we might even say that these Levites—the ones who collect the tithe—paid a tithe to Melchizedek when their ancestor Abraham paid a tithe to him. [10] For although Levi wasn’t born yet, the seed from which he came was in Abraham’s body when Melchizedek collected the tithe from him….
[16] Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. [17] And the psalmist pointed this out when he prophesied, “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”…
[20] This new system was established with a solemn oath. Aaron’s descendants became priests without such an oath, [21] but there was an oath regarding Jesus. For God said to him, “The Lord has taken an oath and will not break his vow: ‘You are a priest forever.’” [22] Because of this oath, Jesus is the one who guarantees this better covenant with God. [23] There were many priests under the old system, for death prevented them from remaining in office. [24] But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. [25] Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.

So, God reveals, through Abraham’s seemingly trivial encounter with one of the kings of a city-state, Salem (later to be called Jerusalem), this king as a type of Jesus, who is the king-priest of the heavenly Jerusalem, the kingdom of God.

Abraham was learning, even through his wobbly faith, that God was able to use all of his responses, faithful or unfaithful, obedient or disobedient, to grow and hone his faith in the real, living, and Most High God.

What an encouragement to us who are part of Abraham’s household of faith! Disobedient and faithless as we are at times, God never gives up on us. He knows the end from the beginning. He works patiently and persistently in our lives, through all our circumstances, to bring us to the confidence in Him that is never shaken by trial and adversity.

To be continued….

DIARY OF THE FATHER OF FAITH – 1

Bible Study, ,

What was it about Abraham’s life that qualified him to be a friend of God and the forefather of God’s chosen nation, Israel?

‭James‬ ‭2:23‬ ‭NLT‬
[23] “And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God.”

We could explore many of Abraham’s character traits that endeared him to God, but one stands out above all others, his faith.

‭Romans‬ ‭4:1‬ ‭NLT‬
[1]” Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God?
[3] For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”

We can learn much from Abraham about the kind of faith that sets up a strong and enduring walk with God. So unbreakable had the bond between God and Abraham become that God based all His merciful dealings with Abraham’s faithless descendants on His covenant promises to Abraham. Despite Israel’s stubborn refusal to obey God’s instructions, He was merciful to them, repeatedly forgave their sin, saved a remnant in times of punishment and exile to continue His faithfulness to Abraham.

‭Exodus‬ ‭32:13‭-‬14‬ ‭NLT‬
[13] Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You bound yourself with an oath to them, saying, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven. And I will give them all of this land that I have promised to your descendants, and they will possess it forever.’” [14] So the Lord changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had threatened to bring on his people.

Where did Abraham’s journey with God begin? Abraham was originally a citizen of Ur, a city in Babylon notorious for its idolatry. “Babylon” on the Bible represents the world system with all its wickedness and determined rebellion against God.

‭Genesis‬ ‭11:1‭-‬2‬ ‭NLT‬
[1] “At one time all the people of the world spoke the same language and used the same words. [2] As the people migrated to the east, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia and settled there.
[4] Then they said, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world.” [5] But the Lord came down to look at the city and the tower the people were building. [6] “Look!” he said. “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them! [7] Come, let’s go down and confuse the people with different languages. Then they won’t be able to understand each other.” [8] In that way, the Lord scattered them all over the world, and they stopped building the city. [9] That is why the city was called Babel, because that is where the Lord confused the people with different languages. In this way he scattered them all over the world.”

It was not from Ur that God called Abraham away, but from Haran, an ancient city 480 km northeast of Canaan, in modern eastern Turkey. Abraham’s father, Terah, relocated his family, including his brother’s son, Lot, from Ur to Haran and lived there for years before his death.

‭Genesis‬ ‭11:31‭-‬32‬ ‭NLT‬
[31] “One day Terah took his son Abram, his daughter-in-law Sarai (his son Abram’s wife), and his grandson Lot (his son Haran’s child) and moved away from Ur of the Chaldeans. He was headed for the land of Canaan, but they stopped at Haran and settled there. [32] Terah lived for 205 years and died while still in Haran.”

After Terah’s death, God called Abraham away from Haran to a land He would show him in due course. To Abraham’s credit, he obeyed the Lord, but not fully, because he took Lot with him when God told him to leave his family behind. Lot eventually proved to be a hindrance, yet God even used Lot to teach Abraham great prophetic truths as we shall see.

How did Abraham know where to go? We are not told but, somehow, he set off in the right direction, moving south towards Canaan. The journey must have taken many months, travelling with all his servants, livestock, and possessions, setting up camp at night, and breaking camp again whenever it was time to leave.

Did these months of travel give Abraham time to contemplate God? Paul tells us, in Romans 1, that God can be known from a diligent observation of the natural world.

‭Romans‬ ‭1:20‬ ‭NLT‬
[20] “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.”

Did this time on the road give Abraham opportunity to secure his commitment to the God he recognised in the world around him? What did he see, or hear, as he gazed into the night sky above, unspoilt by city lights? What did the stars tell him of God’s plan of salvation?

‭Psalms‬ ‭19:1‭-‬4‬ ‭NLT‬
[1]”The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. [2] Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. [3] They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. [4] Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.”

So, Abraham’s journey towards becoming the Father of Faith, begins with a natural journey from Haran to Canaan. There is no record of God’s communication with Abraham, apart from his call to leave Haran…

‭Genesis‬ ‭12:1‬ ‭NLT‬
[1] The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you….
[5]”… He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all his wealth—his livestock and all the people he had taken into his household at Haran—and headed for the land of Canaan.

… until he arrived in Canaan. Only there did God speak to him again.

‭Genesis‬ ‭12:5‭-‬7‬ ‭NLT‬
[5b] “When they arrived in Canaan, [6] Abram traveled through the land as far as Shechem. There he set up camp beside the oak of Moreh. At that time, the area was inhabited by Canaanites. [7] Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your descendants.” And Abram built an altar there and dedicated it to the Lord, who had appeared to him.”

Abraham’s first recorded act of worship was to erect an altar to the Lord where he camped at Shechem.
From there on, he set up altars wherever he camped, perhaps as a sign to the resident Canaanites that he acknowledged God’s presence in the whole land.

To be continued…

MOLLY AND ME – HAND FED

Christian Life,

Molly loves me to feed her titbits and treats by hand. Apparently, hand feeding strengthens bonds between pet and owner. Naturally, I am the one who has taught her bad habits. You see, we like to share, and she thinks she is entitled to share whatever is on my plate at mealtimes.

Not all “people-food” is good for dogs, so, I have devised a way to skirt the problem. I cook chicken breasts for her, and cut up a few pieces to feed to her “off my plate”. She is perfectly satisfied with this deception as long as I feed the chicken to her by hand. She even chooses to start her meal with her titbits, and then digs into her pellets with gusto.

This is a good arrangement as long as I keep the supply of chicken breasts going, quite a costly ruse, but it works for us and keeps our fellowship sweet!

Did you know that we also thrive when God “hand-feeds” us with His Word? Through the prophet Hosea, God lamented that Israel had forgotten how He had handfed them in the wilderness, stooping down to their level as a parent would feed a toddler. They had forsaken a loving Father for dumb idols that could do nothing for them.

‭Hosea‬ ‭11:1‭-‬4‬ ‭NIV‬
[1] “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. [2] But the more they were called, the more they went away from me. They sacrificed to the Baals and they burned incense to images. [3] It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them. [4] I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love. To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them.”

How tenderly God cared for His people, attending to every need as a mother would do for a tiny infant. He describes the same care for “newborn” Israel in Ezekiel 16

‭Ezekiel‬ ‭16:4‭-‬14‬ ‭NIV‬
[4] On the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths. [5] No one looked on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you. Rather, you were thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised. [6] “ ‘Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, “Live!” [7] I made you grow like a plant of the field. You grew and developed and entered puberty. Your breasts had formed and your hair had grown, yet you were stark naked. [8] “ ‘Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your naked body. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine. [9] “ ‘I bathed you with water and washed the blood from you and put ointments on you. [10] I clothed you with an embroidered dress and put sandals of fine leather on you. I dressed you in fine linen and covered you with costly garments. [11] I adorned you with jewelry: I put bracelets on your arms and a necklace around your neck, [12] and I put a ring on your nose, earrings on your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. [13] So you were adorned with gold and silver; your clothes were of fine linen and costly fabric and embroidered cloth. Your food was honey, olive oil and the finest flour. You became very beautiful and rose to be a queen. [14] And your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, because the splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

What more could God have done for a nation that rejected and betrayed Him, giving their allegiance instead to gods who were capricious and evil?

Yet God continues to love and hand feed all who trust Him through Jesus, and who willingly receive and thrive on His Word.

‭Matthew‬ ‭4:4‬ ‭NIV‬
[4]”Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

‭Psalms‬ ‭19:9‭-‬11‬ ‭NIV‬
[9]”The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. [10] They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. [11] By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.”

‭Jeremiah‬ ‭15:16‬ ‭NIV‬
[16]”When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, Lord God Almighty.”

‭1 Peter‬ ‭2:2‭-‬3‬ ‭NLT‬
[2] “Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, [3] now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.”

‭John‬ ‭6:35‬ ‭NLT‬
[35] Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

The Holy Spirit’s ministry to us is like a mother’s care for her little child, providing everything that the little one needs for healthy growth. So, the Holy Spirit provides the rich milk and fresh bread of the Word for us daily if we choose to follow His leading.

Dear friends, let God hand-feed you with a daily portion of Jesus, the bread of life. The Holy Spirit will teach you all you need to know about Him as you ingest His “flesh and His blood”, a powerful and graphic way of allowing His death to give you life.

Truly, God “handfeeds” us with the most nourishing “food’ in His” pantry” when we choose to feast on the living Word.

THE CYCLE OF GOD’S GRACE

Gospel, ,

All sin is the fruit of unbelief. However, for God to judge sin and punish sinners, unbelief must be confirmed by sinful behaviour. So, I ask the question, “Why is sinful behaviour increasing on the earth, as Paul predicted? Is God preparing the ungodly for the day of judgment when the full extent of sin in the hearts of sinners will exposed, and God’s justice will be vindicated?”

Where does God’s mercy fit into His dealings with humans?

Throughout the Bible, it is clear that God chose Israel to be His special people. Above all other nations, Israel belonged to God and is still His treasured possession. He set up a legally binding covenant with them in which He gave detailed instructions for them to obey as their part of the agreement.

Israel was not left in doubt about the way God would treat them if they failed to observe the terms of His covenant. Yet, despite the ministry of His prophets throughout their history, Israel persistently rebelled against the Lord, defied His instructions, and paid the price for their disobedience.

God chose to prepare Israel to bring His Messiah to earth through them. He gave them the Promised Land as their eternal possession, from where Jesus will rule when He returns to redeem the earth and to set up His kingdom.

No other nation on earth has ever received God’s promises of restoration as Israel has received despite their unfaithfulness. Every prophecy of judgment against God’s people is concluded with a promise of return to their own land and renewal of their relationship with God and the destruction of their enemies.

Why is God so adamant about restoring His people despite their rejection of His covenant? Many thousands of Jews have perished at the hands of their enemies but God has always preserved a remnant for Himself.

The answer… His covenant with Abraham which overrides all other covenants and was fulfilled by the coming of Jesus. Not only did God set up a covenant with Abraham’s physical descendants but also with Abraham’s descendants through faith in Jesus.

‭Galatians‬ ‭3:26‬ ‭NLT‬
[26] “For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus…
[29] And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and the promise to Abraham belongs to you.”

Even the covenant God made with Israel at Mount Sinai has an expiry date.

‭Hebrews‬ ‭8:7‭-‬8‬ ‭NLT‬
[7]” If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it. [8] But when God found fault with the people, he said: “The day is coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah….
[13] When God speaks of a “new” covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear.”

So, for all who have faith in Jesus, there is a cycle of grace into which we have entered, which guarantees our eternal salvation if we remain faithful to the one who bought us with His own blood. Yes, God rescued His covenant people from extermination and extinction over and over again as His enemies were determined to wipe Israel from the earth – the Egyptians, the Amalekites, the Philistines, the Assyrians, the Babylonians, Haman the Agagite, Hitler, and even Hamas in the current war against Israel… but God! His promise still stands.

How much more, then, will He keep His promise to those who have been saved by His grace through Jesus. The world hates God’s people, Jews and Christians of every tribe and language. The world would love to wipe us out.
But God…

He has promised an eternal home with Him to all who have entered His rest in by faith in Jesus. His favour is a shield of protection around us. Whatever the circumstances of our lives, good or bad, He is working for our good to recreate us to be like Jesus.

So, take heart, dear family of God. You are safe in the circle of God’s favour, now and forever, as you hold fast, faithful and steadfast, to your Lord, and remain in union with Him. Israel’s story will always remind us that God is who He says He is, and always does what He says He will do. Judgment or salvation? God is faithful.