ACTS 1:8-9 POWER TO PRAISE AND PREACH

POWER TO PRAISE AND PREACH

But ye shall receive power,

after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:

and ye shall be witnesses³¹⁴⁴ unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

And when he had spoken these things,

while they beheld, he was taken up;

and a cloud received him out of their sight.

Acts 1:8-9

In His parting words before returning to the Father’s side, Jesus assured the disciples they would be filled with power as the Holy Spirit came upon them. Power to do what? The power of the Holy Spirit would enable them to fulfill their calling to be His witnesses. We read that word and think of people going out and sharing a gospel tract or a memorized message to “win” people to Christ. But the word is much deeper than that. A witness testifies as to what he or she has seen or heard. They would do that. But the Greek word for witnesses (Strong’s G3144) is the same word used for martyrs. They would receive the strength to boldly proclaim the Gospel and even to be persecuted or martyred. After telling them they would spread His message all over the world, Jesus miraculously rose up into the sky until a cloud hid Him. Remember, the story of the Exodus? God’s presence led the Israelites as a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Could it be that as Jesus was enveloped by the cloud, He was being welcomed into His father’s presence?

Father, because we are Your children, we are filled with Your Holy Spirit. Our witnessing, our representing You on earth as Your ambassadors is the direct result of being Your children. Help us to honor You in all we say and do.  

LUKE 24:41a TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE?

TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE?

Now their fear gives way to joy;

but it seems too good to be true,

and they’re still unsure.

Luke 24:41a

The disciples in Jerusalem had been joined by two disciples who had talked with Jesus on their way home to Emmaus. Those in Jerusalem testified that Jesus was alive and appeared to Simon Peter, and the Emmaus travelers told how He had explained Scripture to them and revealed Himself as He broke bread and blessed it. Suddenly Jesus appears in the middle of them even though they were in a room with the door locked! At first, they were terrified, thinking He was a ghost. Then Jesus invited them to examine Him closely and even touch Him to prove He had flesh and bones. Now their abject fear turned to joyful confetti bursting forth inside them and they were exuberant. However, the whole situation made their brains go tilt. A little nagging voice in their heads tells them it is all too awesome to be real, too good to be true. Jesus patiently indulged their doubt and proved the reality of His bodily resurrection by eating a piece of fish in their presence.

When presenting the Gospel, we are sometimes met with skepticism. Salvation, forgiveness, and Heaven without having to do anything to earn them seems too good to be true. However, the fact is that we could never be good enough to earn or deserve what God has offered us for free. Jesus died to make our salvation possible. It was not free to Jesus because He paid the price for us. Scripture confirms that salvation is a gift. The facts are there. We can only present them and pray the Holy Spirit opens the eyes of the person in need of Jesus.

Father, like these first disciples, You sometimes inundate us with undeniable facts, yet we still doubt. Father, please forgive us for doubting and increase our faith!

LUKE 24:32 HEART AFIRE

HEART AFIRE

And they said one to another,

Did not our heart burn within us,

while he talked with us by the way,

and while he opened to us the scriptures?

Luke 24:32

Have you ever experienced this type of “heart burn?” I would welcome this heart burn every day! It is a reminder of Jesus’s presence, His nearness to us. I remember an incident that the Holy Spirit used to set my heart ablaze. A man I did not know at the time, but I would later admire greatly stopped me as I rolled past him and another man talking on my way out of a worship service. He said, “Excuse me. When you walked past me, I felt the power of God all over you and your life. May I pray for you?” He prayed, “May all the dreams and visions according to God’s will for your life come to full and complete fruition.” He then assured me that God said I was loved and beautiful just as I am, cerebral palsy and all. I left feeling as if I were impermeable, insulated by the Spirit of God. I knew I was empowered as if I could soar to the highest heavens. It was a supernatural high that no drug could possibly imitate. This burning awareness of the Lord’s presence lasted for several hours. I was overwhelmed with joy, and the limitations of my earth-suit could not affect it. My shell no longer mattered. I was aware only of the wondrous connection of my relationship with Jesus.

Father, thank You for the times that we literally feel Your power burning within us. Help us to remember those moments in the times that we may feel distant from You. Reveal Yourself to us in Your word and draw us nearer to You. 

JOHN 20:18a I HAVE SEEN THE LORD

I HAVE SEEN THE LORD!

Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.

John 20:18

Mary Magdalene had gone early in the morning with some of the other women to complete the process of putting spices on Jesus’s body for burial now that the Sabbath had passed. The stone had been rolled away, and the astonished women reported this to the disciples. As Peter and John entered the empty tomb, Mary stood outside weeping. Two angels asked why she was crying and she, still not comprehending the meaning of the empty tomb, told them the body of her Lord had been moved. Mary turned around and saw Jesus behind her but thought He was the gardener who had moved the body. When Jesus called her by name, she fell at His feet and called Him “Teacher.” Jesus urged her not to cling to Him, giving her a message for the disciples that He would soon be returning to be with God the Father. At first the disciples did not believe Mary Magdalene or the other women. After all, a woman’s testimony would not hold up in their courts of law. But Jesus chose to have women be the first to see the resurrected Savior standing before them in human skin. According to Mark’s gospel, Jesus reproached those unbelieving men. Mary Magdalene, who was not only a woman but had once been delivered from demons by Jesus Christ had the extreme privilege to be the first to see Him alive and give testimony to His resurrection! We may think, “How dense could these disciples and women followers of Jesus be to not realize immediately that the empty tomb meant He had risen from death. After all, on more than one occasion, Jesus had point blank told them He would rise on the third day.” However, can we honestly say if we had seen Him hanging drained of life on the cross, wrapped in linen, and laid in the tomb, we would be able to fathom the idea that He was alive again?

Father, we thank You that Jesus not only died for us but was raised to life again to pave the way for us to be resurrected and join You in Heaven. As Gloria Gaither penned, “Life is worth the living just because He lives.” We thank You that Jesus’s death purchased us not only life, but abundant life both here on earth and eventually in His presence. 

MATTHEW 27:59-61 BORROWED TOMB

BORROWED TOMB

Jesus’ cradle was a feeding trough

Because the inn had no more room

And when He died upon the cross

Was laid in a borrowed tomb.

He had not much to show

For His thirty-three years on earth.

His status was not much changed

From the poverty of His birth.

His true identity was hidden

From all but a chosen few,

And even those closest to Him

Doubted what they knew.

As they laid Him in the tomb,

They wept with tears of mourning.

Their terror made them forget

What He had promised for Sunday morning.

They solemnly laid Jesus in the grave,

and sealed it with a large boulder.

The Jews feared men would steal His body,

So, the place was guarded by soldiers.

Joseph of Arimethea,

Nicodemus, and the Marys

Left to prepare for the Sabbath.

It was late and they could not tarry.

They thought all hope was gone now.

They had buried their Messiah and Lord.

But they had forgotten His promise.

He had given them His word.

He had said He would rise on the third day.

When reading God’s word, it seems plain.

But they had seen their Master crucified

And were shaken with terror and pain.

MARK 15:39 CENTURION'S DECLARATION

CENTURION’S DECLARATION

And when the centurion,

which stood over against him,

saw that he so cried out,

and gave up the ghost, he said,

Truly this man was the Son of God.

Mark 15:39

This centurion had watched as Jesus was nailed naked and beaten beyond recognition to the cross. He had stood close by as part of his job was to verify when the condemned had expired. He had witnessed Jesus forgiving those who thus abused Him and assuring the believing thief he would join Him in paradise. Then the soldier heard Jesus cry out, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46) and die. This man had not been one of Jesus’s disciples, nor was he a Jew who recognized Him as Messiah. He was a Roman who did not even believe in Israel’s God. What prompted the declaration he exclaimed as Jesus breathed His last? He had seen no miracles except the darkness for three hours in the middle of the day (Matthew 27:45) which a person might be able to explain away. However, He had seen grace in action as Jesus forgave all who persecuted Him. He had seen the kindness of the Lord as He spoke with the thief who expressed belief. He saw Jesus’s love and compassion toward all and especially expressed in designating John to take care of His mother. He had witnessed a person who in the direst of pain cared more about others than Himself. He had seen the Lord’s confidence that His Spirit was in God’s hands.  Therefore, though he had probably never heard Jesus preach or witnessed with his own eyes His miraculous healing power, he could see that Jesus was completely different than any man he had seen crucified. Tradition says this man later professed Christianity and became a martyr but there is no concrete proof of that. But at least in that moment, He was touched by the Spirit of God to declare truth. What do you see when you gaze upon the cross? Do you see an unfortunate man who was crucified despite His innocence? Or do you see the Son of God willingly sacrificing His own life to save yours?

Father, may we reflect upon Jesus dying on the cross and see the attributes of God in His demeanor and His words. May we always remember that He endured those things willingly on our behalf. He was not martyred but was the voluntary Lamb of God dying for those He loves. 

GALATIANS 2:20 CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST

CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST

When the Messiah was executed on the stake as a criminal, I was too;

so that my proud ego no longer lives.

But the Messiah lives in me,

and the life I now live in my body

I live by the same trusting faithfulness

that the Son of God had, who loved me

and gave himself up for me.

Galatians 2:20 (CJB)

The logo for Precious Jewels Ministries is designed to depict our three foundational scripture verses, one of which is Galatians 2:20 which in the King James Version begins, “I am crucified with Christ.” If you look at our logo, you will see the letters PJM as if they are hanging on the cross. It is our way of visualizing that Christ nailed our sin to the cross thus crucifying our sin nature when we trust totally in Him. What exactly does it mean in terms of my daily life on this planet to be “crucified with Christ?” It means that I am no longer ego-centric (self-centered). I choose, instead to be self-less and Christ-centered. It means His Holy Spirit is working to make me more like Jesus every day, or as Paul put it, “to be conformed to the image of his Son.” What does that look like? It involves exhibiting the Fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” This can only be achieved when the Holy Spirit lives in me. The Holy Spirit enters my life when I trust completely in Jesus just as He trusted in and obeyed the Heavenly Father completely. I must let go of selfish ambitions and instead have “the mind of Christ” (Philippians 2:5). I was crucified with Christ the moment I surrendered my life to Him but dying to self and living in Christ is a daily choice. Each day I must “take up my cross” (Matthew 16:24) and walk the path Jesus shows me. Yes, the logo advertises our ministry, but for us, it is a reminder to make that daily surrender to be “living sacrifices, holy, acceptable unto God, which is our reasonable service” (Romans 12:1).

Father, thank You for nailing our sin on the cross by sacrificing Your only begotten Son, Jesus. Thank You, that His death and resurrection enable us to be at peace with You, Holy God, and live daily as You would have us live. Help us to wake up each day with praises on our lips and the determination to be completely surrendered to Your will, to live as ones who have been forgiven and purchased with the blood of Jesus. 

Phillips, Craig, and Dean have a beautiful song based on Galatians 2:20. You can listen to it here:
https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?p=I+am+crucified+with+christ+with+lyrics&hspart=att&hsimp=yhs-att_001#id=1&vid=b522395474002816bbdc8323baf081e6&action=view

LUKE 23:23 - WHO SENT JESUS TO THE CROSS?

WHO SENT JESUS TO THE CROSS?

But they would not relent.

They shouted louder and louder

that He should be crucified,

and eventually Pilate capitulated.

Luke 23:23 (VOICE)

Who killed Jesus? The Jews? Pilate? The Roman soldiers? God? Jesus Himself? Me? You? YES! The Jews plotted to kill Him and accused Him before Pilate (Acts 2:22-23 and Acts 4:10). Pilate sentenced Jesus to death even though he found no fault in Him (Luke 23:4,13-15,22-23). The Roman soldiers carried out their orders without question (John 19:16-18). It was God’s plan from the foundation of the world that Jesus be slain (Acts 2:23, Mark 14:35-36, Revelation 13:8). Jesus willingly surrendered Himself to be killed (John 10:14-18). My sin was the reason He went to the cross, and so was yours (Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8-10). Who killed Jesus? All of the above. Not one of us can point a finger at another person, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23). But the good news is Jesus did not die in vain. His death accomplished God’s purpose of providing redemption from our sin and guilt. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord,” (Romans 6:23).

Father, thank You for convicting us of our sin, our turning away from You in disobedience. Thank You for providing Jesus to suffer the death penalty demanded for sinners in our place. Thank You for forgiving us and adopting us into Your forever family—we who killed Your Son.

JOHN 18:37 THE TRUTH

The Truth

The Jews’ accusation against Jesus

Was that He claimed to be a King.

They wanted Jesus crucified,

manipulating Pilate to do this thing.

If Jesus admitted a claim to kingship,

A usurper to Caesar He’d be,

And Pilate’s hands would be tied.

He could not easily set Him free.

Jesus verified His kingship

Otherworldly and supreme,

But He had come into this world

To bring Truth’s eternal beam.

Jesus is the only Way

To forever peace with God.

He is The Truth, The Light, The Life

Who walked on this earth’s sod.

He did not defend Himself

As before Pilate He stood

For He knew crucifixion was God’s plan

To bring about ultimate good.

Pilate thought he had power,

But in reality he had none

Except what the Father had given

As verified by Jesus, the Son.

Jesus spoke always only

The truth which He had heard

In the voice of the Heavenly Father

Now recorded in God’s word. 

PROVERBS 21:1 IT'S ALL IN GOD'S HANDS

IT’S ALL IN GOD’S HANDS

The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord,

 as the rivers of water:

he turneth it whithersoever he will.

Proverbs 21:1

Then saith Pilate unto him,

Speakest thou not unto me?

knowest thou not

that I have power to crucify thee,

and have power to release thee?

Jesus answered,

Thou couldest have no power at all against me,

except it were given thee from above:

therefore he that delivered me unto thee

hath the greater sin.

John 19:10-11 (KJV)

Pilate thought he had the power of life and death over Jesus. However, God is ultimately the One who places people in the position of authority: Romans 13:1b “For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.” Jesus informed Pilate of this truth. Jesus did not fear Pilate because He knew that His Father controlled Pilate’s actions and was allowing Jesus to be subject to his judgment for the purposes of God’s Kingdom. Jesus had the benefit of knowing God’s plan for certain, knowing He had to face death and abandonment to redeem us, but knowing He would be restored to His rightful throne.

We do not have the ability to know our future. However, we can trust in God with the same certainty Jesus had. The truth is that God controls even the highest earthly authorities just like He controls the waterways and the winds. God is sovereign over the earth and all who reside upon it. If you know Him as your Father, this is a comfort. If you are not in right relationship with Him, you may find this truth terrifying. Wouldn’t you rather be on the side of the One who controls the hearts of earthly rulers?

Father, we thank you that we can rest assured that You are directing our paths. We are safely held in Your hand. Though storms of life will assail us, we know our lives our built on the firm foundation of faith in Jesus Christ. 

PROVERBS 16:1 ETERNAL FATHER HAS FINAL WORD

ETERNAL FATHER HAS FINAL WORD

People go about making their plans,

but the Eternal has the final word.

Proverbs 16:1 (VOICE)

      It would be best to say,

“If it is the Lord’s will and we live long enough, 

we hope to do this project

or pursue that dream.”

James 4:15 (VOICE)

In order to achieve “success,” we are told we must have short-term and long-term goals. We make business plans detailing what we hope to achieve this month, this year, or this decade. We engage in financial planning to ensure we can bring these plans to fruition. It is not that we should give up marking out a path for ourselves, but that we realize all our best laid plans are dependent upon the Lord. The Lord uses “circumstances” which we may perceive as good or bad to direct us exactly where He wants us to be. It is far better to recognize this reality from the beginning and surrender to His control than to be dragged kicking and screaming along the stepping-stones of life. When we seek first God’s will and ways and ask Him to guide us in the way that furthers His kingdom and glorifies Him, He provides for our needs (Matthew 6:33). When we evaluate our earthly “failures” in the light of God’s control, we can rest assured that He will set us upright as we trust Him. God’s having the final word in our lives can sound ominous or glorious depending on our relationship to Him. If we have trusted Jesus as our Savior and have been adopted as God’s children, we can rest easy in His sovereignty. If one rejects the Lord, that person will forever be struggling to stay on even ground. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV).

Father, we trust in You to keep us on Your path. When our short-term or long-term goals conflict with Your plans for us, light the path, making it clear where we need to re-direct. (Psalm 119:105)

Week off

We need to take this week off to handle some family and household matters. Take this time to check out our archived posts that you may have missed! We will be back next week, so stay tuned! We appreciate all of our viewers and pray for you. Remember, you can submit specific prayer requests on our website: www.PreciousJewelsMinistries.org

JOHN 8:36 FREE INDEED!

On this Independence Day when we celebrate our nation's freedoms, may we remember to celebrate the freedom we have in Christ! Have a happy and safe 4th of July! May God bless you richly!

Fireworks photo by Richard Wayne

LUKE 22:49-51 PORTRAITS OF PEOPLE

Portraits of People

By Karen Sue Hale

The boy was so controlled by demons

That he threw himself in the fire.

His father came and begged the Master

To save his precious boy’s life.

Jesus didn’t say, “Clean him up

and bring him into the church.”

Instead He cast those demons out

And touched him right there in the dirt

Portraits of people for whom Jesus cared.

He’s called us to follow Him

and His compassion share.

The woman had been bleeding

For twelve terrible years.

She touched the hem of His garment

As her hope conquered her fears.

Jesus didn’t rebuke her for touching Him

Although she was unclean.

Instead He said, “Your faith has healed you,

Daughter, you may go in peace.”

Portraits of people for whom Jesus cared.

He’s called us to follow Him

and His compassion share.

He was just the servant

Of the man who’d have Christ killed;

But when Peter tried to defend our Lord,

It was the slave’s blood he spilled.

Jesus did not say to him,

“You got what you deserved.”

Instead He put that ear back on

Healing every vessel and nerve.

Portraits of people for whom Jesus cared.

He’s called us to follow Him

and His compassion share.

Perhaps he may be dirty

Or maybe she has AIDS.

Someone whose been in prison

Or a homeless renegade.

How would Jesus touch them

If He were here today?

In my heart, I can’t believe

He’d turn and walk away.

Portraits of people for whom Jesus cares.

He’s called us to follow Him

and His compassion share.

He’s called us to follow Him

And His compassion share. 

FATHER'S DAY

LUKE 22:42 THY WILL BE DONE

THY WILL BE DONE

And he was withdrawn from them

about a stone's cast,

and kneeled down, and prayed,

Saying, Father, if thou be willing,

 remove this cup from me:

 nevertheless not my will,

but thine, be done.

Luke 22:41-42 (KJV)

From the beginning, Jesus was set upon doing God’s will. From leaving Heaven to be born of a virgin to His death on the cross, Jesus was being obedient to His Father (Philippians 2:6-8, John 5:30). At twelve years old, Jesus told His earthly parents that He must “be about my Father’s business” (Luke 2:49). When He taught His disciples to pray, He instructed them to pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). In John chapter 17, Jesus prayed for His disciples and all who would follow Him in the future that they would be “one” with Him and the Father, that we would seek God’s will. The ultimate test of Jesus’s willingness to surrender to the will of the Father was in the Garden of Gethsemane. He agonized in prayer over the ordeal He knew awaited Him, a temporary separation from the love of His Father as He bore the weight of our sins upon the cross. Luke records the intensity of His prayer: “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44). However, in the end, Jesus submitted to the Father’s will knowing it was the divine plan to rescue us from sin and death. Do we, too, have the courage to pray, “Not my will, but Yours be done”. It is only possible when we are infused with the strength and power of Jesus (Philippians 4:13).

Father, please reveal Your will for us in each decision we face. Then give us the strength to carry out Your will rather than resorting to our own ways.

LUKE 22:31-32 FROM FALTERING FAITH TO FEEDING THE FLOCK

FROM FALTERING FAITH

TO FEEDING THE FLOCK

And the Lord said,

Simon, Simon, behold,

Satan hath desired to have you,

that he may sift you as wheat:

But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not:

and when thou art converted,

strengthen thy brethren.

Luke 22:31-32 (KJV)

He saith unto him the third time,

Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?

Peter was grieved because he said unto him

the third time, Lovest thou me?

And he said unto him,

Lord, thou knowest all things;

thou knowest that I love thee.

Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

John 21:17 (KJV)

Sifting does not sound like a very comfortable process. The Adversary wanted to shake Peter up and see what fell out. Note that Jesus did not say, “But the Father told that old Serpent, ‘No way!’” Instead, he assured Peter that He himself had prayed that Peter’s faith would not fail. Satan had to ask permission to put Peter through trials just as he had done with Job. Therefore, we must surmise that God gave the Devil permission to sift Peter. Just as the refiner uses fire to purify silver by removing the dross, the sifter removes the unwanted parts of the wheat to leave the edible parts. Peter was asked point blank three times whether he was with Jesus or not and denied knowing him all three times. However, note that in the Lord’s warning to Peter, there is the hope of restoration. When the resurrected Jesus called Peter and some of the other disciples in off the lake, He took Peter aside. Peter had denied Jesus three times, so Jesus gave him the opportunity to affirm his love for Jesus three times. Then He gave Peter the assignment of “feeding His sheep” or shepherding His flock, in other words “strengthening his brothers” as the Lord had instructed him to do after his time of sifting. Peter’s faith faltered the night of Jesus’s arrest, but the Lord did not leave him in despair. In fact, Peter was empowered mightily to serve in the leadership of the early church AFTER he had denied knowing Jesus. Have you gone through a time of testing, of being sifted, and feel like you are now unworthy to serve the Lord? Do not despair. Turn to the Lord, receive His forgiveness, be assured of His love and reaffirm your love for Him. Then stand back and see how He raises you up to do things you could not have done with all the unnecessary chaff weighing you down!

Father, may we honestly pray Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Sift away any impurities and leave only that which will bring glory to You.

LUKE 22:26 SUPERIOR SERVANTS

SUPERIOR SERVANTS

But this is not your calling.

You will lead by a different model.

The greatest one among you will live

as one called to serve others without honor.

The greatest honor and authority is reserved

for the one who has a servant heart.

Luke 22:26 (TPT)

Everything in our world tells us we must be first—valedictorian, most valuable player, chief executive officer, etc. We want to be “top dog,” the one in charge, the boss. There is nothing wrong with having positive goals. However, sometimes we end up with too many chiefs and not enough Indians. Or we have someone who scrambled to the top on the backs of coworkers. And when a person gains that top position, there is a real temptation to “lord it over” those on the lower rungs of the ladder. Yet all these are praised as over-achievers, hard workers, super sharp. Jesus turned this model on its head. When the disciples argued about who was the chief person in Jesus’s inner circle, He told them they were not to be like this world’s idea of leadership. He informed them that the true leaders in His family were to be the ones who willingly served their brothers and sisters. It is a love that sacrifices our wants to meet the needs of others. We are to aspire to be superior—the most excellent at serving others. You may still be the CEO of a company but seek ways to make the lives of your employees and your customers better and be a servant in your church and community. We often think of church leadership as the people on the platform, but the church is really built on the people visiting the sick, the needy, and those who desperately need Jesus. The beautiful thing about Jesus’s design is that a person can be both the one singing the soaring solo and working behind the scenes in other ways. We may never see the ways people serve, but Father sees and knows whether we operate from the place of a servant’s heart or only in our own interests. May we be superior servants.

Father, please keep us humble. Make us like Jesus who “took on Him the form of a servant” (Philippians 2:7b). May we seek to lead by the example of “Treat men exactly as you would like them to treat you” (Luke 6:31 Phillips).