Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from 2 Peter 1:12-15.

 

“Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you.  I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder, knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.  And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind.”  2 Peter 1:12-15. 

 

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Today’s devotion emphasizes the importance of reminders.  “Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things …”  Verse 12.  “ I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder …”  Verse 13.  “And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind.”  Verse 15.   

 

I will mention three reminders:  Christ, Credible and Faithful Men, and Creeds.  There are more.

 

 

Christ is the Head of the His church.  Ephesians 1:22.  Ephesians 5:23.  Colossians 1:18.  Christ will build His church.  Matthew 16:18.  Through the Spirit of truth and His servants, credible and faithful men, Christ teaches us the truth and reminds us of the truth.

 

“I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world;  they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.”  John 17:6.  

 

“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth;  for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.”  John 16:13

 

“Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come.  And He was saying to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;  therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.  Go;  behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.”  Luke 10:1-3.

 

 

“But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God,”  Romans 15:15

 

“Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.  In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.”  1 Corinthians 4:1-2.

 

“For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church.”  1 Corinthians 4:17 

Today’s devotion comes from 2 Peter 1:5-11.

 

“⁵ Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, ⁶ and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, ⁷ and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.  ⁸ For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  ⁹ For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.  ¹⁰ Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you;  for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;  ¹¹ for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.”  2 Peter 1:5-11.

 

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We should not sit on our laurels, smugly thinking that we are the chosen.  But rather, we should be “applying all diligence” to add these qualities to us.  “Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you;  for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;”  Verse 10.  We are not the “frozen chosen”.

 

 

Let us remember yesterday’s Scripture.  “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;  seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.”  2 Peter 1:2-3. 

 

The diligence of which we have a duty to exercise has been granted to us.  We don’t need to cast our eyes down and muster up the diligence on our own.  We can look up to God and pray that He gives us the diligence (the will and perseverance) to add these qualities to us.

 

Moreover, these qualities are not foreign qualities, outside of us.  These qualities pertain to life and godliness, and they have been granted to us.  2 Peter 1:2-3.

 

“So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;  for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”  Philippians 2:12-13.  

 

Today’s devotion comes from 2 Peter 1:4.

 

“For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.”  2 Peter 1:4.

 

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By God’s precious promises, we become partakers of the divine nature.  Therefore, we “gold mine” through Scripture, carefully searching for these gold nuggets of precious promises. 

 

And, the “field” in which these gold nuggets exist is the knowledge of God as we learned yesterday in the prior two verses.  “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;  seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.”  2 Peter 1:2-3. 

 

Here are some Practice Principles:

 

First, we meditate on God’s word.

 

“But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.”  Psalm 1:2-3.

 

Second, we remember God’s word.

 

“Remember His wonderful deeds which He has done,
His marvels and the judgments from His mouth,
O seed of Israel His servant,
Sons of Jacob, His chosen ones!
He is the Lord our God;
His judgments are in all the earth.
Remember His covenant forever,
The word which He commanded to a thousand generations,”  1 Chronicles 16:12-15.

                       

Third, we do God’s word.

 

“Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.  But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;  for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.  But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.”  James 1:21-15.

 

Here are some Practical Preferences to help us find and remember these precious promises.  They are preferences, because they are not expressly mandated by Scripture, but they are helpful.

 

First, we remember the key words of the precious promises.  The key words will help us find the precious promises whether we use a printed index or an online keyword search such as the following.  (You may want to save it as a favorite bookmark,)  Click here: BibleGateway.com: Search for a Bible word or phrase in 60 languages and 160 versions.

 

Second, we remember the book and chapter within which the precious promise is located.  When you consider that there are many precious promises to remember, I have found that if I try to remember all 3 categories (book, chapter, and verse), then I would forget the location altogether, but if I just remembered 2 categories (book and chapter) then I could find the precious promise within that chapter.  I was able to remember many more locations of the many precious promises using that 2 category search rather than the 3 category search.

 

Third, we write about the precious promises and keep the record.  At first, many times when I discovered a precious promise, I wrote and mailed a letter of the Scripture to my friend Harry.  I kept copies of these letters.  These were my “Letters to Harry”.  Later, I posted the best of them online at my web site.  They became “Gold Mining”.  Click here: Gold Mining « Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions  I often go back to them, re-read the letter that deals with the subject matter that I want to remember.  It strengthens my faith as I remember God’s word.

Today’s devotion comes from 2 Peter 1:1-3.                                             

 

“Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

                                      

To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:  Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;  seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.”  2 Peter 1:1-3.

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“Don’t worry God.  I will get us started by my free will.”

“Don’t worry God.  I will faithfully maintain my own faith until I die.”

It sounds ludicrous.  It is ludicrous.  But, that is what many think.

However, today’s Scripture teaches us:  “His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness” including faith which we have “received”.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. …”  Ephesians 1:3-4.

“so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  For by grace you have been saved through faith;  and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;”  Ephesians 2:7-8.

“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?”  Romans 8:32.

Article 8.  For this was the sovereign counsel, and most gracious will and purpose of God the Father, that the quickening and saving efficacy of the most precious death of his Son should extend to all the elect, for bestowing upon them alone the gift of justifying faith, thereby to bring them infallibly to salvation:  that is, it was the will of God, that Christ by the blood of the cross, whereby he confirmed the new covenant, should effectually redeem out of every people, tribe, nation, and language, all those, and those only, who were from eternity chosen to salvation, and given to him by the Father; that he should confer upon them faith, which together with all the other saving gifts of the Holy Spirit, he purchased for them by his death;  should purge them from all sin, both original and actual, whether committed before or after believing;  and having faithfully preserved them even to the end, should at last bring them free from every spot and blemish to the enjoyment of glory in his own presence forever.  The Canons of Dordt SECOND HEAD OF DOCTRINE Of the Death of Christ, and the Redemption of Men Thereby.

“His divine power has granted to us everything” should also make sense to us.  We were dead in sin.  Ephesians 2:1.  We could not spark anything, not even just a little bit of faith to get us started.

And, sin continues to plague us.  Romans 7:14-25.  We would certainly lose whatever little faith we could generate if we were dependent on ourselves.

“By reason of these remains of indwelling sin, and the temptations of sin and of the world, those who are converted could not persevere in a state of grace, if left to their own strength. But God is faithful, who having conferred grace, mercifully confirms, and powerfully preserves them herein, even to the end.”  Article 3  The Canons of Dordt FIFTH HEAD OF DOCTRINE Of the Perseverance of the Saints.

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Peter 5:12-14.

 

“¹² Through Silvanus, our faithful brother (for so I regard him), I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God.  Stand firm in it!  ¹³ She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings, and so does my son, Mark.  ¹⁴ Greet one another with a kiss of love.

 

Peace be to you all who are in Christ.”  1 Peter 5:12-14.

 

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We tend to drift from grace.  We drift to alleged free-will.  We drift to works. 

We feel the need to be self-righteous a little or a lot.  The pressure comes from ourselves and from others.

But, today’s devotion reminds us:  “this is the true grace of God.  Stand firm in it!”

Reformed Doctrine’s starting point of “Total Depravity”, the “T” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation, is so important, because if we truly believe in man’s (our) “Total Depravity”, then we will more truly and fully believe that our only chance for salvation is “grace alone” starting with “Unconditional Election”, the “U” of “TULIP”.

And, “grace alone” is one of the Five Solas of Reformed Doctrine.  Click here: Five Solas « Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

By grace, we have been saved, it is the gift of God.

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.  Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.  But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;  not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”  Ephesians 2:1-9. 

We don’t boast in our works.  We don’t boast even in our alleged free-will.

“For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”  So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.”  Romans 9:15-16. 

“But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”  1 Corinthians 1:30-31.

Through Christ, we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand.   

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand;  and we exult in hope of the glory of God.”  Romans 5:1-2.

We must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. 

“For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.  For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?  …”  Hebrews 2:1-2.

Reformed Doctrine pounds the table on “TULIP” which best summarizes God’s grace from “Unconditional Election” through “Limited Atonement” through “Irresistible Grace” concluding with “Preservation of the Saints”, the “U”, “L”, “I”, and “P” of “TULIP” 

“this is the true grace of God.  Stand firm in it!”

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Peter 5:10-11.

 

“After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.  To Him be dominion forever and ever.  Amen.”  1 Peter 5:10-11.

 

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God’s dominion a/k/a sovereignty is the theme of today’s Scripture and the heart of Reformed Doctrine.  “… God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.  …”  The focus is on God and what He has done. 

 

We see God’s dominion a/k/a sovereignty in “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.  In stark contrast to the darkness and doom of “Total Depravity” that man contributes, God contributes the brilliant light of dominion and salvation in “Unconditional Election”, “Limited Atonement”, “Irresistible Grace”, and “Preservation of the Saints”.     

 

We read in today’s Scripture “the God of all grace” has “called you to His eternal glory in Christ”.  This is “Unconditional Election”.

 

We read in today’s Scripture that God “will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”  This is  “Limited Atonement”, “Irresistible Grace”, and “Preservation of the Saints”.     

 

This is your “only comfort in life and death” in Question and Answer 1 of the Heidelberg Catechism.

 

“For this was the sovereign counsel, and most gracious will and purpose of God the Father” in Article 8 of the Canons of Dordt SECOND HEAD OF DOCTRINE Of the Death of Christ, and the Redemption of Men Thereby.

     

“This doctrine affords us unspeakable consolation, since we are taught thereby that nothing can befall us by chance, but by the direction of our most gracious and heavenly Father; who watches over us with a paternal care, keeping all creatures so under his power” in Article 13 of the Belgic Confession.

 

This is God’s providence in His “most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures;  ordering them, and all their actions, to his own glory” in Question and Answer 18 of the Westminister Larger Catechism.

 

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.  In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.”  Ephesians 1:3-6. 

 

God “… will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.  God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”  1 Corinthians 1:8-9. 

 

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 1:6.

 

“For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;  and these whom He predestined, He also called;  and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”  Romans 8:29-30. 

 

“To Him be dominion forever and ever.  Amen.”  Verse 11.

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Peter 5:8-9.

 

“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert.  Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.”  1 Peter 5:8-9. 

 

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“But resist him …”  Verse 9.

 

 

 

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.  Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”  Ephesians 6:10-13.  See Ephesians 6:14-17 below for the pieces of the armor.   

 

 

Stand “firm in your faith …”  Verse 9.

 

^“Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;  in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”  Ephesians 6:14-17.

 

In conclusion, it is comforting to know that we are not alone in our temptations and suffering. 

 

We resist the devil, firm in our faith, “knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.”  Verse 9. 

 

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  Hebrews 12:1-2.

 

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Peter 5:5-7.

 

“You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders;  and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

                                         

“But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.”  Hebrews 10:39

 

“Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.”  1 John 2:28

                                     

“Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”  Hebrews 4:16

                                         

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Peter 5:1-4.

 

“Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God;  and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness;  nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.  And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”  1 Peter 5:1-4.

 

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Elders exhort.  “Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder …”  Verse 1.

 

Elders exercise oversight.  “… shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight …”  Verse 2.

 

Elders are examples.  “… proving to be examples to the flock.”  Verse 3.

 

Let us also look at other Scripture.

 

Elders exhort (teach).  “An overseer (elder), then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,”  1 Timothy 3:2  “The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.”  1 Timothy 5:17   

 

Elders exercise oversight.  “Overseers”, the very word for elders, describes their important duty of oversight.  “It is a trustworthy statement:  if any man aspires to the office of overseer (elder), it is a fine work he desires to do. … He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?),”  1 Timothy 3:1 and 4-5.  

 

Elders are examples.  Although the following verse was part of Paul’s general teaching for Timothy, and did not specifically mention elders, it is certainly applicable to elders.  “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.”  1 Timothy 4:12. 

 

The concluding verse of today’s Scripture reminds us that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is our “Chief Shepherd” and is the chief example that elders should follow.  Elders too should be good shepherds. 

 

And, we have God’s promise that He will raise up good shepherds to take care of His church.  “I will also raise up shepherds over them and they will tend them;  and they will not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the Lord.”  Jeremiah 23:4

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Peter 4:12-19.

 

“¹² Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;  ¹³ but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.  ¹⁴ If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.  ¹⁵ Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler;  ¹⁶ but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.  ¹⁷ For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God;  and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?  ¹⁸ And if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will become of the godless man and the sinner?  ¹⁹ Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.”  1 Peter 4:12-19.

 

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The righteous often suffer first, but the outcome is much worse for the wicked.  The following 2 Peter 2:4-9 helps us to understand verses 17 to 18 above.   

 

We can imagine that Noah probably suffered by being mocked by those who watched him build his ark.  Lot suffered by being surrounded by wicked conduct. 

 

And, it was with difficulty that they were saved.  Noah was flooded by water and had to wait forty days in an ark.  Lot was bombarded by fire and had to march out of the city without looking back.  But, much worse, we know what happened to “the godless man and the sinner”.

 

“For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment;  and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;  and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter;  and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment,”  2 Peter 2:4-9.

 

 

“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

 

“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.   Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great;  for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”  Matthew 5:10-12.

 

“In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;  and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.”  1 Peter 1:6-9.

                               

                                  

“After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.  To Him be dominion forever and ever.  Amen.”  1 Peter 5:10-11.