I invite you to turn with me to our text this Lord's Day as it's found in Matthew chapter 9 verses 18 through 26. Matthew 9, 18 through 26. While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler and worshiped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead, but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live. And Jesus arose and followed him, and so did his disciples. And behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him and touched the hem of his garment. For she said within herself, if I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, daughter, be of good comfort. Thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. And when Jesus came into the ruler's house and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, he said unto them, give place, for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. But when the people were put forth, he went in and took her by the hand, and the maid arose. and the fame hereof went abroad into all that land. Delays to our plans and to our prayers test our faith in God. Delays either will become stumbling blocks to you or they'll become building blocks to your faith. Your Heavenly Father lovingly and most wisely has ordained even these delays to strengthen your faith and your trust in Him, to cause you to be humbled before Him, to come to Him, to seek Him. You remember God delayed for years in giving to Abraham and Sarah their promised son, Isaac. God delayed the entrance of Israel into the promised land for 40 years. And that was a great test upon the patience of men like Moses. God delayed giving David a permanent victory from the persecution and the wild pursuit of David by Saul and by his soldiers. Jesus delayed, you'll recall, giving the apostles immediate escape from that fearful storm upon the Sea of Galilee. He saw them struggling for hours as he was praying in the mountain and he allowed them to struggle. He delayed coming to them. God delayed in giving the prodigal son a repentant heart and returning him back to his father are not delays, dear ones, delays to that for which you have earnestly prayed a huge test to who it is in whom you trust and in whom you have firmly put your confidence. Whether you have prayed to find a godly spouse, you're single and you prayed and prayed and asked the Lord to give you a godly spouse, the delay of that time. Or whether it is the return, as was mentioned, of a prodigal son or a prodigal daughter. Or whether it is healing that is delayed in your body. We'll all be healed. at that day of resurrection, there will be none who belong to Jesus Christ, whose bodies will not be healed at that time, but there is delay even in our healing here upon the earth. Or that delay that you look for, that promotion at work, the delay of the salvation of that loved one, the delay that you prayed for, reformation to your family, reformation within Christ Church, reformation within this nation. Delay, delay, delay, detour, detour, detour. We continue to pray. Dear ones, delays ultimately reveal who you believe is in control of your life and of this world. and who is most wise and who has the best plan for your life. You or your loving Savior. We continually fall upon the promise, and so we should. that is found in Romans 8, 28. And we know that all things, not some things, not 90% of things, all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called. according to His purpose. You see, dear ones, it's one thing to profess. Yeah, I believe that. I believe that God works all things out for the good of His people, for His own glory. I believe that. But you see, we profess many things, but are we practicing what we profess? Because when the trial comes is the time to see whether we truly are exercising faith in what we say we believe. Let's consider today from our text the delay to the urgent plea of a desperate father on behalf of his dying daughter. The main points from our text this Lord's Day are the following. First of all, the evidence of faith, Matthew 9, 18 through 19. The second main point, the delays that test faith. Matthew 9, 20-22, and finally the third point, the reward of faith. Matthew 9, 23-26. So our first main point, the evidence of faith. Look with me once again verses 18-19 of Matthew 9. While he spake these things unto them, behold, There came a certain ruler and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead, but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live. And Jesus arose and followed him, and so did his disciples. One day as the Lord Jesus was teaching a certain Jewish ruler, whom we learned from the Gospel of Luke, his name is Jairus, He was a Jewish ruler of the synagogue, and he came and he fell down at the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ and worshiped the Lord Jesus Christ, pleading for God's mercy. From what we read here concerning Jairus, he was a man of faith. He trusted in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, and that's why he came to the Lord Jesus. Consider very briefly these evidences of Jairus' faith in Jesus Christ. First of all, he evidenced his faith in Jesus Christ by his sincere worship. He fell down at the feet of Jesus and he worshiped him in Matthew 9, 18. This was not hypocrisy. This was not simply him professing one thing but denying what he professed. He fell down in all sincerity at the feet of Jesus Christ and worshipped him. You see, Jairus recognized, he recognized his great need of Jesus. He recognized that he didn't have authority over death, that Jesus, the Son of God, had authority over death and over everything else. He was publicly here professing Christ's greatness and his own smallness. You see, that's where true worship begins, in recognizing how great and mighty God is and how little you and I are before the mighty God. Though Jairus himself held a place of great honor as one of the rulers of the synagogue, he cast off all of his own confidence in himself and his position. He cast it all off. and he falls at the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ. You know, think about it for a moment. He did this at the risk of his own job and his own reputation within the Jewish community even. You see, dear ones, the Jewish leaders were already plotting how to kill and destroy the Lord Jesus. And here's one of the rulers of the synagogue and he bestows publicly such honor and worship to the Lord Jesus. It'd be like you taking your Bible to work and reading your Bible in front of Who cares? Who knows that I'm reading my Bible because I'm honoring Jesus, first and foremost. Or who goes into the workplace and everybody is using God's name in vain and swearing, but you hold your tongue and you are honoring God by not joining in the dirty jokes and all of the stuff that's going on around you. Dear ones, true faith in Jesus Christ is manifested in showing honor and reverence for the Lord Jesus Christ, not taking his name in vain, but honoring him, even in the face of opposition, even in the face of persecution. You see, it's not only our children and our young people that have to worry about those types of issues of following the crowd. doing what everybody else does rather than following in the steps of the Lord Jesus. We as adults have to be concerned about that as well. We need to set an example for them to follow in the steps of Christ. For one is willing to suffer for Christ and for his truth. One evidences that he or she is united to Jesus Christ by faith. Jairus was not embarrassed. He was not ashamed to make it known to all those present in this public situation that he was a follower of Jesus Christ. Dear ones, in the way, in the way that you live, do you act as though there is never a good time to let others know that you are a Christian? This was not true of Jairus. May it not be true of us. A second way in which the faith of Jairus was evidenced was by the certainty expressed in his urgent plea to Jesus. In Matthew 9, 18, he said, but come and lay thy hand upon her, notice, and she shall live. There's no doubt there that Jesus is able to heal And if he comes and lays his hand upon her, she will live. His daughter was near death's door. He says, my daughter is now even dead. Well, actually, I think it's better translated In light of, say, Luke 8.42, a parallel account where it says, she lay a dying. That's the wording in Luke 8.42. So I think probably, as we look at Matthew 9.18, it would be perhaps better translated, she is even now at the point of death. She's close. She's so near. Whisker's breath were just that close from dying. She was his only daughter and she was only 12 years of age. Some of you or close to that age. This is how old this young girl was, 12 years of age. She had her whole life in front of her. She was in the flower of her youth, and yet she was breathing her last breaths when Jairus, her father, urgently left home to seek Christ's mercy. These words of Jairus, when she shall live, These words of Jairus convey his confidence and his certainty of faith in Jesus Christ. He believed nothing was too hard or too difficult for Jesus Christ. With God, nothing shall be impossible. You see, that's faith. With God, nothing shall be impossible. However, I wanted to express this. Faith is not telling God, what he must do. That's not faith, when we presume to tell God what he has to do. He's God, we're not. We're his creatures. And that's what we hear so often by so many charlatans, whether on television or elsewhere, that we can tell God what he has to do. That's not what the Bible teaches. Rather, faith believes that God is able, God is able to do whatever he chooses to do. God is able to raise the dead. God is able to heal the sick. God is able to do whatever he chooses to do. And faith then simply rests its case in the able, loving, confident hands of God and says, Lord, thou art able. I fall at thy feet. I present my case. Hear me in the name of Jesus. Jairus looked with confidence here to the mercy and power of Christ alone to heal his daughter. He didn't look to himself. He didn't say, I'm worthy. for Jesus to heal my daughter. I'm worthy. He didn't even look to his faith as being that which made his daughter well. He wasn't looking inside of himself. He was looking outside of himself. He wasn't looking to his own faith to heal his daughter. He was looking to Jesus Christ to heal his daughter. Sometimes there's more inward looking rather than outward looking. If our eyes are upon the Lord Jesus, if our eyes of faith are upon Him and His greatness, His might, His love, His wisdom, faith grows within us automatically. It can't diminish when our eye of faith is upon Him. When our eye of faith is upon us and all of our weaknesses, all of our stumbling and sins, the ways in which we fall short of God's glory, when the eye is upon ourselves, faith is gonna be diminished. But when our eye is upon the Lord Jesus Christ, our faith will grow correspondingly. Interestingly, Jairus pleaded with the Lord here to come with him. You notice, he wants Jesus to come with him to the house and to lay his hand upon his daughter. And then he says, she shall live. She shall live then. But you know, just a chapter before, in Matthew chapter eight, verse eight, there was a Roman centurion And that Roman centurion said, I'm not even worthy to have you to come to my house. Simply speak the word where we are standing right now. Speak the word and my servant will live. Well, apparently Jairus had not quite reached that degree of faith. Simply speak the word. He wanted Jesus, his visible presence there. He wanted to see him lay his hand upon his daughter. He had faith, he had true faith, I believe, in Jesus Christ, but it was a growing faith. It had not reached the maturity of faith that we see in the Roman centurion, simply speak the word. You see, Jesus doesn't have to be visibly present to us to be able to do whatever he chooses to do, to work wonders, He's seated in God's right hand and he'll be there until he comes again. But all authority has been given to Jesus in heaven and on earth. All authority. So from heaven he can declare and so it will be. But what I want you to realize here just very quickly before we move on, that Jesus could have simply spoken the word and his daughter would have been healed right there on the spot. His faith was genuine, but it was growing. I mean, it yet needed to grow. It was genuine, and it still was growing, but it, again, had not reached that maturity of faith. But I want you to see, Jesus doesn't rebuke him, does he? Jesus doesn't rebuke him, even though his faith was growing, though his faith had not reached the same level of faith as the Roman centurions. Jesus doesn't turn around and say to him, I rebuke you for your little faith. Jesus rather brings the father, who's so distressed, says, I will come with you. I will meet you where you are. I will build you up. I will increase your faith right where you are. I will bring you along. Because Jesus, dear ones, listen closely, Jesus will not break the bruised reed, nor will he quench the smoking flax. Where there is faith in Jesus Christ, even the faith of a mustard seed, Jesus will fan it. Jesus will encourage the faith. Fanning the smoking flax rather than pouring water on it. Strengthening the bruised reed rather than breaking the bruised reed. Everyone, it's how we need to imitate our Savior. in the way in which we treat one another within the home and outside the home. We are by nature so quick to be finished with those who struggle in certain areas of sin and temptation, whose faith is perhaps weak yet genuine, and yet who give evidence of a real faith in Jesus Christ A real faith, though a weak faith. At times we don't want to be bothered with others who are struggling. However, when we are struggling in our own lives with some temptation, with some affliction, with some heartache, with some trial, dear ones, aren't we thankful? Aren't we thankful to have others come to our help? to encourage us and to pray for us and to pray with us, not to destroy us because we're weak in faith, but to hold us up. What hypocrisy there is, dear ones, in our lives at certain times like that, where we neither do unto others as we would have others do unto us. Nor do we do unto others as Jesus has done unto us. Where would you be if Jesus treated you as you at times treat those who are struggling and whose faith is under attack by the enemy? Jesus went with Jairus in order to strengthen his weak faith in Matthew 19, a 918, he didn't go with him to condemn him, to rebuke him, but to encourage his faith. Now let me be clear here. What I'm talking about here is about those who are weak in faith, not those who are obstinate in sin. There's a difference between being obstinate and rebellious in sin and being weak in faith. One who is weak in faith struggles with besetting sins, but desires to be free of sin, to repent of that sin, to lay hold of the mercy of God that is in Christ Jesus. and to walk in new obedience unto the Lord. However, one who is obstinate in sin doesn't care at all and just continues to walk in rebellion against the Lord. The second main point, the delays that test faith. Look with me at Matthew 9, verses 20 through 22. And behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him and touched the hem of his garment. For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort, thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. Now we are introduced in our account here, this narrative, we're introduced to a very significant delay. A delay that apart from God's grace might have turned Jairus away from Jesus Christ by which the Lord rather used to strengthen the faith of Jairus. You see, this delay was huge. You've got to remember what was at stake here. It's his daughter's life. We get, you know, again, concerned over our pets, you know, when they're about to die. This was his own daughter that was about to die. And here, there is this delay. This delay. This delay came in the person of a very sick, desperate woman, who herself was dying a slow death due to her continual loss of blood for the past 12 years. No doctors could help her. She had exhausted all of her resources. This woman secretly touched the hem of Christ's garment and was miraculously healed. Though the healing of this woman with the issue of blood was something to be praising God for, it was a wondrous miracle, it yet delayed the Lord's coming to Jairus' daughter, who was at the point of death. Although we're not told here how Jairus reacted to this delay, There was at least the temptation, there was at least the temptation to grow impatient in waiting upon the Lord in this situation. There was the temptation to think, Lord, it is all well and good that this poor woman has been healed, but my little daughter is about to die at any moment. Could this woman's healing not have waited until my beloved daughter is rescued from the clutches of death? Don't you care that she's about to die? That might have been a very natural reaction on the part of a father or mother in a situation like that. You see, delay delays in answer to your prayers are always an obstacle over which your faith must leap. We are tempted to doubt the goodness of the Lord and to question His love as if we with our puny little brains, our own short-sighted knowledge could possibly understand what is presently best for us and for our loved ones. What is best, dear ones, and what is always best, is what glorifies Jesus the most. That's what's best. Not what pleases me the most. You remember when Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha in John chapter 11, first became sick and a messenger told Jesus, who was a distance away from their home, that Lazarus was sick. Jesus, knowing what was going to happen, he delayed. He waited, it says, in John 11, verses four through six, it says, when Jesus heard that, he said, the sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God. It's not going to end in death. The end is going to be under the glory of God. Death may occur, but that's not going to be the end. That the Son of God might be glorified thereby. Now Jesus, notice this, Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. And then it says, he loved her, he loved them. And then it says, when he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was. He hears that he's near death, he's deathly sick. And so Jesus says, I'm gonna stay here two more days. You see, that was an intended appointed delay that the glory of God might be displayed because Lazarus did die. He was dead four days when Jesus arrived. So that God's glory might be displayed through Jesus Christ, he appointed that Lazarus should die, but that he, the Lord Jesus, would raise him from the dead The test of your faith in Christ in such situations is that of thinking you know what is best for you and your loved ones. That's the way we think. I know what's best for me and my loved ones. But dear ones, I have to tell you, that's a lie. And it's a deception. to think so. Christ always knows what is best. Even if it means standing by and watching Jesus heal a dying woman while your daughter is at that very moment at the throes of death. Even those appointed delays. God's appointed delays will tell you in whom you are trusting. in Christ or in yourself, in his wisdom or in your wisdom. And then comes, in our account, then comes the greatest potential blow to Jairus' faith. It's not detailed for us in the Gospel of Matthew, but it is detailed for us in the Gospel of Luke. A messenger arrives with this news, Luke 8 49, thy daughter is dead. Trouble not the master. Trouble not the master any longer. She's now dead. You see, at this point there was the temptation to view this as a hopeless situation. She's dead. What more can be done? Or even possibly the temptation to blame Jesus for the death of his daughter. Lord, her death might have been prevented if you'd only have hastened to come to her. Up until this point in Christ's ministry, there had not been, this is the first recorded account of Jesus raising someone from the dead. Here is perhaps one of the greatest trials of faith, to have a loved one taken from you by death, and particularly a loved one who has yet many years to live, especially a child. The questions, the doubts, the guilt, the blame shifting, the anger, the despair, all come rushing in like a torrent of temptations. Here's a trial of faith in Christ like few others. But here the Lord further encourages the weak faith of Jairus with these words in Luke 8, 50. Notice what Jesus says to him. Fear not, believe only, and she shall be made well. Turn your faith upon me. Look to me, who is the author and the finisher of faith, who is the creator of all things. Turn to me. Jairus was herein encouraged to take his despairing eyes off of the seemingly hopeless situation that he had just heard about, that stared him straight in the face, the death of his beloved daughter, and rather to turn his believing eyes upon Christ, who can even breathe life into the dead, into those who are dead physically, into those who are dead spiritually, into a marriage that seems dead, into a nation that seems dead, into a world that seems dead, Jesus is able to breathe new life into all things that are dead. The Lord Jesus is speaking the same words of faith and encouragement to you. Every one of you children, as you listen, and you listen very well, You listen very well. But all who are present, the Lord is speaking to you this day in whatever seemingly hopeless situation you face. And he's saying to you, as he said to Jairus, be not afraid, only believe. Only trust in me. If even death itself is not hopeless, dear ones, then nothing else in this life is hopeless. What Christ will do in each of these situations, none can know for sure, but whatever it is, it is not hopeless. It's not hopeless, for nothing is impossible with our God. Be not afraid, only believe and trust in Jesus. Cast all your worries and cares upon him, for he cares for you. Now, as if this situation was not bleak enough, when Jairus, the Lord Jesus, and the apostles arrive at the home, there are great tears and loud mourning for the death of this beloved child, as we read in verse 23. And then, in response to the words of Jesus, Their tears are turned to laughter. They laugh him to scorn. They so despise him for what he has said. What did he say? She's not dead. She's merely sleeping because she will be raised from the dead. Therefore, her body is just as it were fallen asleep temporarily. And for that, they laugh him to scorn. His faith, that is Jairus' faith, having been strengthened by Jesus, Jairus now is tested as to whether he will follow the Lord Jesus, even when Jesus becomes a laughing stock. When Jesus is so unpopular with the people that you work with, when Jesus is laughed at, when he is scorned, will you, like Jairus, still follow Jesus into that room? Or will you stay with those who are laughing him to scorn? You see, this is another test as to whether we belong to Jesus or whether we belong to the world. Those who oppose the truth of Christ will either rage against the truth, or they'll laugh themselves silly. But on that final day, there will be none laughing. On that final day of judgment, there'll be none laughing, or at their death, they will not be laughing. Are we willing, dear ones, to endure even to death the opposition of others, whether it be Christ's word concerning the purity of worship? I spoke during our Old Testament scripture reading about the purity of worship and how we are to order our worship according to God's word in the New Testament. We're not to add to nor to subtract from it. It's not man's imagination. Many who profess to be Christians despise that truth. They want to improvise. They want to use their own imagination. They want to have slides up in the top of their building with people going down the slide and into a pool to be baptized. Where do these things come from? Again, man's imaginations. They're just, in such cases, they're just trying to fill a building, trying to draw that which will attract the most people. Have you heard about what they're doing down there at that church? But churches that faithfully just proclaim the word, sing psalms to the glory of God, pray to the one true living God, and don't add anything else other than God has appointed People aren't banging down the doors to get into those types of churches usually. We come to our last main point. That's the reward of faith. We notice and read in verses 25 through 26. And when the people were put forth, he went in and took her by the hand, and the maid arose. And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land. Jesus brought with him into the room Where the lifeless corpse of that once vibrant little girl was laying, he brought the parents and three other witnesses, Peter, James, and John, according to the parallel passage in Luke 8.51. He tenderly took the little girl, who was motionless, but not breathing, he took her hands, tenderly took her hands and lifted her up. And she sat up, she came to life, her spirit returned unto her. And he gave, the Lord Jesus gave this little girl back to her parents. Can you imagine for a moment the astonishment, the amazement, the praise that flowed from those parents and the apostles that witnessed this? Whereas they had just heard, just previously, they had just heard Jesus being laughed to scorn. Can you imagine those who were laughing Jesus to scorn as that little girl walked out of the room into that vestibule where all of these people were laughing at Jesus? Can you imagine their reaction? The astonishment, the amazement. Let me ask you, did this young girl raise herself from the dead? Was it her faith that raised her from the dead? Of course not, she was dead. Wasn't her faith that raised her from the dead? She was lifeless. And so likewise, dear ones, no sinner raises himself or herself from his or her spiritual death. by first believing in Jesus Christ. We don't first believe in Christ and then we're raised from the dead. Spiritually, we are first raised from the dead, we are regenerated, we are born again, and God gives us new life, then we believe and trust in Jesus Christ. It is Jesus that must first speak life into our dead souls and give us spiritual life and faith. And then and only then will we look to Jesus Christ for his salvation. Only then will we trust in him as our savior. Dear ones, if such a miracle in raising this young girl from the dead caused amazement, Should not you who have been spiritually raised from the dead and trust in Jesus Christ alone be in even greater amazement at his grace and power in your life? There is not, listen closely, there is not a greater miracle in all the world than for Jesus to take one who is dead in his trespasses and sins and to make that person alive, to grant to that person faith, repentance, a changed heart, whereas before that person was going in one direction, and now that person desires to follow Christ, weekly at times, sure, stumbling and falling, but getting up every time by God's grace, standing up, repenting, confessing sin, and turning and walking, in the paths of truth and righteousness. Have you lost the amazement, the astonishment over your salvation? That God would have such mercy upon you, upon me, such sinners. May God help us to be ever in astonishment and amazement. At His mercy and grace, praise to Jesus Christ for all that He has accomplished in our lives to His glory. One last thought before I close. The Old Testament forbade an Israelite from touching the dead. In Numbers chapter 19 verse 11. You are not to touch the dead. A high priest, the priest under certain circumstances with their family, yes, but again, it was again forbidden to touch the dead. And yet Jesus demonstrated here that he was not rendered unclean by touching the dead. Listen closely as I bring this to an end, the message today. Jesus is not made unclean by your uncleanness. To the contrary, he removes your uncleanness and he is praying as you trust in him as your only savior. He's praying for you without ceasing in all of your struggles with sin and temptation. throughout the day, he's praying for you, that your faith would not fail. We are here and taught, dear ones, that our worst sins brought to the Lord Jesus Christ will not pollute him, will not corrupt him. Rather, he will make the vilest sinner clean. This is, dear ones, your only hope. It is my only hope that Jesus Christ can make the vilest, the chiefest of sinners clean. If death, dear ones, which is your greatest enemy, has been conquered by Christ through his resurrection, then nothing can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. May the many delays, may the many detours, may the many trials that you endure in this life only strengthen your faith and your grasp in clinging more tightly to your beloved Savior. Amen. Please stand with me in prayer. Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we love Thee, we praise Thee. For Lord, we deserve not the least blessing and mercy from Thee, for we are sinners saved by Thy wondrous grace. Lord God, it did not take more suffering on the part of Christ to save one sinner than the next. Lord, we all deserve thine everlasting condemnation. And yet Jesus Christ, in his great love and mercy, has rescued and saved those who were chosen in Christ Jesus, upon whom love was shed, even from all eternity, chosen in Christ Jesus to be his own. Jesus came and he redeemed them from their sin. and he purchased that everlasting life, forgiveness of sin. And in time, we have been justified and declared righteous on the basis of Christ's righteousness. We are being sanctified, we are growing. And Lord God, there's coming a day when we will be glorified, presented without spot or wrinkle, without sin, blemish in thy presence. when we are forever once and all, for all time, for all eternity, we are purified and like our Savior. Our Lord and our God, teach us, Lord, to trust Thee in the midst of delays. to trust Thee in the midst of detours, when we do not understand why certain things are happening the way that they are happening. Lord, may we cast ourselves upon Thee, upon Thy wisdom. May we evidence our faith that we will not be overcome by fears, by anxieties, but that we will cast it all. We will surrender everything to Jesus Christ and His Lordship. We will submit everything under His love and His wisdom which are infinite and have no boundaries. Jesus cannot increase in His love for us, His people. His love cannot increase, His love cannot decrease. He loves us with an absolute infinite love and that will never change. How we thank Thee, our God. We bless Thee, we praise Thee. We are astonished at our salvation. We are astonished that Lord Thou continues to be our God, our Savior, to love us. Even when our faith is weak and we're faltering and stumbling, Thou does come with us to the house. Thou does strengthen our faith. so that we do not fall away from Thee. We thank Thee, our Lord, and we give Thee honor and praise. In Jesus' name, amen.