1 John 4: 1-3, 14-15 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
1 John 5:10-13, 20 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
I am writing this blog because of some recent encounters I had with individuals who, unfortunately, do not believe the above scriptures. These individuals say they believe in God; however, they question the validity of Jesus being the Son of God and our Redeemer. They have accepted the philosophy, words, and false teachings of those who, according to the Word, have the spirit of the antichrist and spirit of error. Jesus, Peter, and Paul warned believers about false prophets and teachers who would arise and deceive individuals, particularly as the time of the rapture draws closer, and this is what I am presently witnessing.
As of today, most scholars estimate that there are about 4,000 to 4,300 religions worldwide, with the major religions being Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Each religion has its own doctrines, which it believes are correct. Unfortunately, at the time of the rapture and the white throne judgment, many will come to realize they were indoctrinated incorrectly. It is my prayer that, if you are reading this blog, you are not one of the individuals who have been deceived. If perchance you are allow me to share a synopsis of the above scriptures.
Simply put, it is through the acceptance of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the son of God who was sent into the world as our Redeemer, that we are able to be part of the kingdom of God and spend eternity with Jesus. God designed it so that the only way we can approach and gain access to Him is through His Son, Jesus. Furthermore, if you deny Jesus’s heritage, His father will deny you.
In Genesis 3, God revealed to the serpent that there would be a redeemer, and other Old Testament writers prophesied the birth of Jesus hundreds of years before His birth. Moreover, Jesus stated his purpose in John 3: God loved the world; God sent Him; and whosoever believed in Him would have eternal life.
There are individuals who acknowledge God and accept portions of the Bible; however, we must eat the whole loaf, as the saying goes. We can’t pick and choose certain parts of the Bible to believe and other parts to reject. There is a divine connection between God and Jesus that man cannot sever, and it is the only way men can come to God (John 14:6).
John 3:16 -17 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
The above scripture verses reveal the greatest gift given to each individual that has ever been born. God loved each of us so much that He sent His Son to redeem us, and He revealed this plan to the serpent, Adam, and Eve in the Garden of Eden. This revelation occurred after Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God met with them and the serpent and told the serpent, “Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:14-15) The woman’s seed was Jesus whom God would allow the enemy to crucify. Then God would resurrect Him from the dead in three days.
Approximately 3,500 to 4,000 years later, Isaiah prophesied of the arrival and nature of Jesus’ reign in Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Also, in Isaiah 9:6-7 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”
Finally, after another 700 years, the prophecies of Isaiah came to pass, and humanity received the greatest gift. A virgin named Mary, who was espoused to a man named Joseph, was impregnated by the Holy Spirit and gave birth to Jesus in the city of Bethlehem, where his earthly parents had travelled to pay their taxes. There was no room in the inn for them to stay, so baby Jesus was born in a barn. His mother wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger.
That night an angel appeared to the shepherds who were watching over their flock in the field and said, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” Following this proclamation, a multitude of the heavenly host was seen, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.”
Though we celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25, there has been speculation about whether that is His actual birth date. What is important to remember is not the controversy over the date, but that prophecy was fulfilled and that Jesus was born. Besides the reception of the greatest gift, at no other time in the history of the world was a gift given that benefited everyone like this one. Therefore, let us not only celebrate Jesus’ birth around the Christmas season but throughout the year, realize we are blessed because we are partakers of the greatest gift.
In tumultuous times like these, you need the Holy Spirit to survive and stand. Knowing this, after Jesus’ earthly ministry was completed, God answered the prayer Jesus had asked for before His crucifixion. As recorded in John 14, Jesus told His disciples, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever.” Jesus called the Holy Spirit, which was the Comforter, “the Spirit of truth, and said, “but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” Additionally, Jesus said, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
After His resurrection and before His ascension, Jesus met with His disciples and, breathing on them, He said, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” He commanded them to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the promised Holy Spirit, which would give them power to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judaea, Samaria, and the world.
After waiting ten days in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, Acts 2 records the arrival of the Holy Spirit. “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
Needless to say, what happened to the hundred and twenty believers on that day made an impact on the multitude gathered in Jerusalem for the Pentecost celebration, for the scriptures revealed that after Peter explained and ministered to the multitude, three thousand souls were added to their number (Acts 2:14 – 41).
The Holy Spirit from that day until now continues to empower (Acts 1:8), teach and remind (John 14:26, 1 Corinthians 2:13), guide and reveal (John 16:13, 1 Corinthians 2:10 -12), testify (John 15:26), impart spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4,11), regenerate and quicken (Romans 8:10 -11), convict of sin (John 16:8 -11), constrain (Acts 16:6 – 7), impart love (Romans 5:5), give life (John 6:63) anoint (Luke 4:18 -19), sanctify (1 Corinthians 6:11), produce fruit (Galatians 5:22 – 23), generate supernatural praying (Romans 8:26, 1 Corinthians 14:2) and edify (1 Corinthians 14:4). All of these components/actions working in us and for us will assist in helping us to endure and be successful in our Christian walk as we submit to the leading of the Spirit. Furthermore, we believers can thank God for being mindful of us and sending the Holy Spirit for such a time as this and for the future challenging days.
Ahead of their entrance into the land of Canaan, God instructed Israel not to make a covenant with the nations in it (the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, or the Jebusite). He told Israel when they went into the land to destroy the altars, break the images, and cut down the groves of these nations. God knew if these things remained, Israel would fall into idolatry. God gave Israel this significant warning, “For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God (Exodus 34:14).
Many years passed between the writings found in Exodus and those in the book of Malachi, and lest they be forgotten, in Malachi 3:6a, God reminded Israel with these words, “For I am the Lord, I change not.” Simply put, what he said from the beginning remains the same; unlike man, he does not waver.
Jesus, who was born approximately 400 years after the writing of Malachi, spoke these words in Matthew 22:37-38 to the multitude and Pharisees, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.”
From the beginning of time until now, God’s desire for our total allegiance is evident. Through the ages, He’s continually reiterating this message. He does not want to be shortchanged. He does not want to be treated as a part-time lover. He does not want the minimum of our devotion; he wants the maximum.
When we esteem people or things above our devotion to God and when our worship and service to Him are shabby, if we do not correct our actions, we will suffer consequences. Jesus said in Mark 8:36, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Doing things that please our carnal nature, which is unprofitable, often takes precedence over godly choices, and unfortunately, this is because we live for present gratification.
Our life on this earth is short-lived; it has a time frame, whereas our life in eternity has a beginning but no ending. With this in mind, I recommend that you don’t shortchange God; give him your all, for it will yield an eternal reward that you will not regret.
The writer of the Epistle of Hebrews 9:27, whom many commentators believed was the Apostle Paul, made this grave statement to the Hebrew Christians informing them that once they die, the life they lived on earth is sealed, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” There is no reincarnation or opportunity to change previously made choices. This fact is evident in the narrative Jesus shared with the Pharisees in Luke 16:19-31.
Jesus told them of a rich man and a sick beggar named Lazarus. The rich man lived sumptuously and displayed no compassion or empathy for hungry, sore-riden Lazarus, who was stationed at the rich man’s gate, desiring to get some of the crumbs that fell from his table. This did not occur; eventually, Lazarus died and was escorted by angels into Abraham’s bosom. When the rich man died, he went to hell where he was tormented, and from there he could see Lazarus resting securely and peacefully in Abraham’s bosom. In the parable, a reversal of positions is now seen, and it is the rich man who is suffering while Lazarus is in comfort.
The rich man, begging for mercy, asked Abraham to send Lazarus with water to cool his tongue, to which Abraham replied, highlighting the reversal of positions taken by the rich man and Lazarus. Additionally, it was stated that passing back and forth between these two places was impossible, as there was an unbridgeable chasm between them.
The rich man believed that if a dead person communicated a warning to the living, the living would listen; therefore, he concluded his conversation with Abraham by asking him to send Lazarus to his five living brothers to warn them not to end up in hell. However, Abraham responded, ” If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”
This parable serves two purposes. The first reveals that a rich person’s indifference to the less fortunate will eventually be judged. The second is a portrait of the afterlife, which is the focus of this blog and which leads to the following truths.
Your socioeconomic status does not determine your eternal residence; it is your relationship with God that does, for he has the final say.
Upon death, angels accompany believers into paradise.
After death, your spirit continues to live.
After death, you will realize your eternal plight.
Your memory remains intact after death.
Hell is a place of torment, not comfort.
Mercy is not extended to unbelievers after death.
There is a permanent, impenetrable divide between hell and paradise.
Dead people cannot send messages to the living.
After reading the above truths, I encourage you not to let the phrase “too late” be your experience. If you have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, invite Him into your life now, for tomorrow is not promised to any of us.
In Matthew 11:20-24, Jesus publicly condemned the cities of Bethsaida, Capernaum, and Chorazin, where he had performed most of his miracles, for their unrepentant spirit despite the wonderful works they had experienced through His ministry. However, concerned for their souls, Jesus said to them in verses 28-29 on this same chapter, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
And in Revelation 3:28, Jesus said to the church of Laodiceans, which is reflective of the church of today, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
Jesus continually invites humans to partake of what He offers, for it is also His desire that all be saved and not lost. He knows, according to 1 Thessalonians 5:9, “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.” As Paul discloses in this verse, a time is coming when the wrath of God will be on full display throughout the whole earth. However, God has provided an exit plan for the believers, and it is the rapture. Those of us who have accepted Jesus’s invitation will be caught up to meet Him in the air and taken to the third heaven, where we will enjoy heavenly bliss in the presence of God.
For anyone reading this blog who has not decided on your eternal destination, I, like Jesus, am extending an invitation to you to invite Him into your life. If you are having difficulty deciding to accept Christ as your Savior, let me share this vital piece of information. According to the scriptures, which never lie, things such as the turmoil in the world, climatic changes, lawlessness, famine, and deception are not going to get better; they are only going to get worse, and you will need a Savior to help you survive. Thus, my primary assignment is to evangelize the lost. I can witness to you and pray for you now, but after the rapture, I will no longer be available. So, while I am yet here, I urge you to accept the invitation. All it requires is acknowledging that you need Jesus and asking Him to come into your life, and He will willingly and lovingly do so. After that, find a church where you can grow in your faith and fellowship with fellow believers. Please know that when you do this, it is the best invitation you have ever accepted in your life, and welcome to the body of Christ
Today may be the day the rapture takes place. Though individuals have attempted to give a specific date in the past when this would occur, they have been proven wrong. Even Jesus, in Matthew 24, stated that he does not know when God will send him to get His bride, which is his body. Knowing this, and what is going to happen to the earth and its inhabitants after the rapture, causes me — and I pray you also — to be on the alert.
There are some who believe we are in the tribulation period now. I am not one of those; I think it is yet to come. I do not believe God means for the church to experience the tribulation trauma. Paul reveals in 1 Thessalonians 1:10, “And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.” and Romans 5:9, “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”
All the turmoil in the world, the climatic changes we are experiencing on earth, and the advancement of AI technology tells me that Jesus’ coming is imminent. I am expecting with great anticipation 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
I am attempting to be alert and sober because of these warnings:
1 Thessalonians 5:2-6 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
Luke 12:39-40 And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
Matthews 24:42-44 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Revelation 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
It is apparent that God wants believers to be watchful, sober, and ready; therefore, I am striving to do so and most assuredly to live rapture-ready.
Next week, our country, along with others, will celebrate Halloween on October 31, and citizens will do so in the manner their country has embraced. Here in America, children and adults who participate in Halloween activities usually dress up in funny, scary, or creative costumes. After ringing doorbells and saying “Trick or treat,” all kinds of candy, small toys, and other treats are given to the children at the various houses they visit. Additionally, some homes and yards are decorated with festive and spooky decorations to delight or scare the children.
With anticipation of what will happen next week, the children are getting excited, thinking about all the free candy they will receive. However, as I stated in previous blogs about Halloween, for believers, we understand this day means more than children going door to door in the community gathering candy. Unfortunately, during this time, some individuals will be introduced to the satanic cult and its various components, and others will die.
It has been reported that there has been a rise in missing children, and unfortunately, some of them may have been abducted and are being held captive to be used in a satanic ritual next week. Note that the Satanic cult believes that the blood sacrifice of an innocent individual is a required sign of devotion to Satan. Also egregious is the fact that some females are impregnated so that their newborn child can be offered as a sacrifice at this time.
Knowing all of this, the greatest thing that we believers can do is pray and ask God to intervene. Pray that uninformed believers will come to understand that Halloween means more than children trick-or-treating. Pray for Divine protection and the safety of children as they walk the dangerous streets on October 31. Pray that recruitment of the unsuspected by Satanists and witches will fail, and for the release of those innocent targeted victims who are appointed to die as a sacrifice. Pray all incantations, curses, and spells will come to naught. Also, pray for deliverance and salvation for those involved in the Satanic occult and witchcraft.
Remember, this warfare is not carnal; we are not fighting against flesh and blood but against Satan and his forces of evil, who are trying to entrap unsuspecting individuals. Praying together, we can advance the Kingdom of God and defeat the works of the adversary.
Finally, if you are unaware of the details of Halloween’s origin, you can find many articles online that provide information on its origins and the Biblical and Christian views of it.
There is a hymn called “I’ll Fly Away,” written by Albert E. Brumley in 1929, which, many years ago, in my youthful days, we sang in my church. The words of the song are, “Some glad morning when this life is o’er, I’ll fly away. To a home on God’s celestial shore, I’ll fly away. I’ll fly away, oh glory, I’ll fly away. When I die, Hallelujah, by and by, I’ll fly away. We sang this comforting hymn with the expectation that upon death, our life that was filled with unwanted challenges would cease, and we would be with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Back then, I was not necessarily thinking about death, but because of my mother’s teaching on hell, the rapture of the saints, which I felt could occur at any time and eternity, I gave my life to God.
Many years have passed, and I am still living, but my mom and other saints, as mentioned in the song, have flown away. They have entered into eternity, having their fate sealed along with everyone who was ever born and died on the planet Earth. After death, there is no reincarnation; you do not have the opportunity to come back to Earth and relive your life. Therefore, we all need to live our lives with the understanding that the choices we make about accepting Jesus as our Savior will determine our eternal abode. If you accept Jesus as your Savior, you will spend eternity with Him, and if you choose not to accept Him after the White Throne Judgment, you will be placed in the lake of fire.
I believe one of the problems humans have is that they don’t understand eternity. For most of us, we understand beginnings and endings, but eternity, which is never-ending life, is really hard to fathom. The dictionary defines eternity as infinite or unending time, a state to which time has no application; timelessness; endless life after death; and a period of time that seems very long, mainly on account of being tedious or annoying. Please note the last phase of this definition, which says, “especially on account of being tedious or annoying.” This is what unbelievers will be experiencing as they join the antichrist, false prophet, and the devil in the lake of fire. Matthew 13:49-50 and Revelation 20:10,15 describes the eternal experience of this place like this, “ So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth” and “The devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” I know this is not a place that I would want to spend eternity in when there is an alternative that would provide me with joy, peace, and comfort.
God also does not want people to end up in the lake of fire, as stated in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” In not creating us robots but rather humans that have free will to choose, God has given us the ability to determine our eternal destination, and now is the time to do so. Remember, tomorrow is not promised to us. In your life, this is the most important thing for which you can plan, and I pray that, like me, you are making plans to be with Jesus
Paul, accompanied by Silas and Timothy, visited Thessalonica during his second missionary journey and established a church there before leaving. Furthermore, commentators believe the letters he wrote to the church in Thessalonica were the first of the thirteen epistles that Paul wrote. This letter, written around 51 A.D., was in response to the report of a misinterpretation of Jesus’s return that Paul received while laboring in Corinth.
In chapter two of Thessalonians, Paul clarifies his teaching on the second coming of Jesus. Apparently, after his departure, someone began erroneously teaching the new believers that the day of the Lord had occurred, along with some other false doctrines. Thus, he saw a need to provide correction. First, Paul informed the church that this event had not occurred and that they were not to be deceived, for prior to that time, there would be a falling away of believers, as stated in 2 Thessalonians 2:3a.
Furthermore, prior to his execution in Rome, Paul wrote “The Pastoral Epistles” to Timothy to encourage him in the pastoral care of the churches in Ephesus. From his statement in 1 Timothy 4:1-2 which said, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron” leads me to speculate that the church in Ephesus and Thessalonica were experiencing a similar issue with believers. Satan used individuals within the church to affect the belief system of fellow believers, and consequently, they were accepting falsity and departing from the truth of kingdom teaching.
Many misinformed believers living during the time of both writings thought the end time was happening during their lifetime; however, it was not. They overlooked the teachings of Jesus, where He shared events that would occur before His return to the earth and emphasized that only God knew when that would be, according to Matthew 24:36.
As Jesus said and Paul reiterated, false teachers have increased, leading many believers today to be deceived and depart from the truth. If you are reading this blog and find yourself disenchanted with God, His Word, or the Church, I encourage you to pray and ask God to give you an understanding of the times, as we all need to be drawing closer to Him.
It has been almost 2000 years since Jesus departed this earth, and His coming into our earthly realm to rapture His body is imminent; now is not the time to fall away. I assure you that you do not want to be a resident on this earth after the rapture, and I’m leaving you with the words of the old hymn, “Come To Jesus.”
1 Come to Jesus, come to Jesus,
Come to Jesus just now;
Just now come to Jesus,
Come to Jesus just now.
2 He will save you, He will save you,
He will save you just now;
Just now come to Jesus,
Come to Jesus just now.
3 He is able, He is able,
He is able just now;
Just now come to Jesus,
Come to Jesus just now.
4 He is willing, He is willing,
He is willing just now;
Just now come to Jesus,
Come to Jesus just now.
5 Come, confess Him, come, confess Him,
Come, confess His just now;
Just now come to Jesus,
Come to Jesus just now.
6 Come, obey Him, come, obey Him,
Come, obey Him just now;
Just now come to Jesus,
Come to Jesus just now.
7 He will hear you, He will hear you,
He will hear you just now;
Just now come to Jesus,
Come to Jesus just now.
8 He’ll forgive you, He’ll forgive you,
He’ll forgive you just now;
Just now come to Jesus,
Come to Jesus just now.
9 He will cleanse you, He will cleanse you,
He will cleanse you just now;
Just now come to Jesus,
Come to Jesus just now.
10 Jesus loves you, Jesus loves you,
Jesus loves you just now;
Just now come to Jesus,
Come to Jesus just now.
11 Only trust Him, only trust Him,
Only trust Him just now;
Just now come to Jesus,
Come to Jesus just now.
The Teacher's Pick 