Fall in my lot to be your speaker today.
And even though that we have studied this subject in the past
many, many, many times I thought, maybe there might be
some edification that we might give to remind us of just how
important it is that the children of God be equipped
properly, to handle our lives that we live this day.
Artex comes from Ephesians the sixth chapter verses 10 through
18. And if you'd like to turn over
there and just hold that place for just a minute, I'd like to
introduce us by first mentioning the fact that the Civil War, the
Spanish American War World War 1 World War 2, the Korean War, the
Vietnam war Desert Storm, the current action that is going on
in Afghanistan and Iraq. Are some of the conflicts that
Americans down through the years have been involved in war today?
Just seems to be a reality. It's something that is on the
news, almost invariably, every minute of the day, even when
there isn't War involving this nation, the United States of
America. There is war going on somewhere
else in the world. Seems like every day that
evolves and every day that we live, there's a conflict going
on somewhere. And there are also the smaller
Wars. We could talk about gang wars
drug Warfare terrorism, and his country even worldwide.
There is also violence that we can know about and read about
even in our very homes that we possess and live in this day.
It should come as no surprise that.
The Christian is also in a Warfare.
When we read God's word, it is explicit.
It tells us plainly that this is the way it is.
One thing that we should be mindful of, as we start the
process of going through this sermon outline that I have
before us this morning, is today, we as children of God,
have peace with him, in your Bible in Romans the 5th, chapter
and verse number 1, if you'd like to read that while I
proceed through this introduction.
Also today we need to remind ourselves that we have this
piece of God as he commits or we can commit everything to the
Lord in prayer as we have done so far in our public worship
this morning, Paul talked about that plainly over in Ephesians
the fourth chapter verses 6 and 7.
We also learn in God's word in Romans 12 or 17.
That we should have peace among ourselves and I think really and
truly We basically the congregation at this place has
peace among itself among its members.
That's a great blessing. That's not the case in every
congregation that we learn about strife and division abounds in
some areas. And that's a sad thing.
A said, sad testimony, but listen in a real way that we can
talk about and be specific about.
The Christian is to be at war with Satan and his forces.
Is of evil. Today, it is something that we
need to be mindful of and to know that he can translate
himself, even unto the angel of Light and make all things look
like to us what he wants us to do is good for us and cause us
sometimes to stray off of the beaten path.
We want to make sure that we are aware of the fact that we are
involved in a real spiritual war.
Don't forget that and don't be caught up in the world.
And lose sight of the fact that this spiritual war is against
the forces of evil. And the child of God the great
news is that you are guaranteed to win the war but there's a
condition, you know what it is. It's simply if you will do what
you're told. if you ever heard that on the job, now Darryl,
come here, just a minute. I sent you out on a job today
and I told you to do so. And so, and so, and so, and why
didn't you do that or try to, at least accomplish that?
You see, I fail sometimes in my everyday Walk of Life when I
ceased to do that, which I've been told, and that's what gets
the child of God in trouble. So much of the time when we
stray off the beaten path, and we fail to listen to what we've
been told to do. And therefore, we swoop off into
a side track and send sometimes, because of the lust of the
flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, some small
circumstance gets us off of the way and we fall and are
entrapped by this entity called Satan the devil.
But listen we want to talk this morning about this and I want
you to remember the words that were going to read now found in
Ephesians chapter 6 beginning at verse 10, Paul said, finally my
brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might
Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand
against The Wiles of the devil. Here we're going to be furnished
and told and reminded of all the time that we read this.
That there are tools that can sustain us from The Wiles or the
evils of this entity. The devil it says, for we
wrestle not against flesh and blood.
But against principalities against Powers against the
rulers, of the darkness of this world against spiritual
wickedness, in high places, wherefore take unto you.
The whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the
evil. Evil day, and having done all to
stand stand. Therefore, having your loins
Girt about with truth and having on the breastplate of
righteousness and your feet shod with the preparation of the
gospel of peace above all taking the shield of Faith wherewith,
ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked
and take the helmet of salvation.
And the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.
Praying, always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit
and watching thereunto with all. Appearance and supplication for
All Saints. God never intended for you.
And I in obedience to the gospel and falling in a category of
being his child. A Christian of you please to
live a defeated Christian Life, That's not God's purpose.
Never has been the God. Who saves you, through faith?
In the Lord. Jesus Christ, is the god who
expects you to be victorious when we will serve him and do as
we're told old. God never ask anyone to do
anything that's impossible. But listen, God, always ask us
to do things that are impossible without his help.
There are things that we cannot do for ourselves.
And it is taught from time to time from this very Pulpit.
Now, imagine if you will, that I we have several little ones in
the congregation here this morning and this sort of just
illustrates my point, rather crudely, I might add.
But nevertheless, it gets the point across.
Suppose I took one of these little ones and told them Reach
up and touch the ceiling. Can't do that, that's
impossible. But suppose on a drop ceiling
situation that I took one of these little ones and put them
on my shoulder and held him up. They could touch the ceiling and
you know that's really the way it is with our God.
I would never seriously ask anyone and neither would God to
do something that's impossible. God would not be a just God if
that be the case I would never and God would never ask us to do
anything that we cannot do especially without him and think
on that for just a minute. One difficulty we have as
Christians is that we don't realize sometimes most of us do
but just don't realize how much power is available to us for the
express purpose of living. Victorious, Christian Life.
We get bogged down with everyday things in this life.
There are circumstances situations that come our way
that beset us. In other words, deter us.
If you, please But listen, we need to remember that.
There are tools at our disposal that God gives us that we can
thwart the devil in Ephesians. The first chapter I want to
notice with you very briefly, verses 19 through 23.
Verse number 19. This is part of a prayer that
the Apostle Paul prayed for those individuals in the
congregation there at Ephesus. He wanted them to grasp.
And certainly understand the great power that is already been
expressed and their behalf. And that it was available for
them to take advantage of it. Verse 20 says, this great power
was wrought, in Christ by raising him through the power of
God from the dead and then seating him.
The Bible says in Heavenly places, And gods, father's the
father's own right hand, that's rather spectacular.
When you study that in detail verses 21 to 23, gives us a
description of how tremendous this accomplishment.
This seeding of Christ in Heavenly places is now I want to
turn there and I'm going to just very hurriedly read these verses
that I have mentioned, very, very briefly.
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to
us-ward who believe according to the working of his mighty power,
which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and
set him at his own, right hand in Heavenly places.
Far above all principality and power and might and dominion and
every name that is named not only in this world but also in
that which is to come and hath put all things under his feet
and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which
is His body, the fullness of him, that filleth all in all.
Now, let me follow that up with a question.
Who is the church? You are and I am and we are that
make up the body of Christ and talking about the power that can
be meted out to us. Is rather spectacular isn't it.
We can Avail ourselves of the power of God to defeat sin and
Satan in his everyday activities.
Listen, I want you to consider. The victories that is promised
to us over in Philippians of fourth chapter verse 13.
We can do all things through Christ.
Jesus who strengthens us. What does that mean?
Well, it simply means that we have a responsibility to know
what these powers are. How do we Avail ourselves and
partake of these divinely given things that God will give us
talks about that. In first John, the fourth
chapter and verse for also, in the Old Testament in Zechariah 4
and verse number 6. Now, there are some real
problems that the child of God is going to face and you and I
need to be aware of it. The Bible is playing concerning
this. We Face The Wiles.
What does that mean? Well, the King James version and
that word right there, it simply means schemes.
Or methods of the devil. What kind of method is he going
to use on you that he might not use on me?
The history of Satan is well documented in the Old Testament,
Ezekiel 28, Isaiah 14, Genesis 3.
That is just three places and there are many, many others.
The good news is that Satan is not all powerful.
Like God, remember that if you get nothing else from the lesson
today? Remember that Satan is not Not
all powerful like our God that we serve the good news.
Is that Satan is not all-knowing like our God, he's not The good
news is that Satan is not present everywhere like God.
Now then there's a downturn to this, there's a downside, the
bad news is that Satan has a lot of help from Fallen Angels, who
followed him in his Rebellion, to the Creator.
These demons have quite an influence.
In his shown there, in verse 12 Satan and his forces are
enticing. You and I to break God's
commands to do something. We're not told, or to be
involved in something that God says, don't do this.
Or don't do that. Exodus the twentieth chapter are
commands that the children of old were given specifically to
obey. And they failed miserably.
Did they not today under this new law?
We can do the same thing and be involved in violating God's
word. Listen!
What if you don't even know it, What if you don't even
understand and read this rule book that we have before us?
How in the world can we obey something that we don't even
know about God will not, he will not allow you to get into
heaven, through the pre-plea of ignorance.
He won't do it. Proverbs the 6th chapter in
verse number 16, through 19 talks about the things that God
hates and he describes them, they're very, very plainly.
But, you know, listen, there is real participation to be made
upon our part. We can stand against The Wiles
of the devil. Another thing that is really
interesting to me is the fact, and I'm reminded of this when I
read and study God's word is today, we can be victorious over
the vicious attacks, that he makes to us.
You ever read about? And of course, you do this as a
idiom that I'm going to give out to you.
You read about people that are attacked by wild animals and
survive, that's rather remarkable, isn't it?
Can you imagine what it's like for a child of God, to be
attacked and fall into sin because of an attack of the
devil? The Bible says, we're all
Sinners. That's going to happen to us.
But, you know, survival is possible in.
It's only through the church and our Lord Jesus Christ, that we
can survive the attacks of this vicious animal.
The devil, God has given us the Christian armor, which includes
a helmet, a shield, a breastplate a belt, and some
shoes to wear. Their purpose is to protect us
from the attacks of Satan. It is our responsibility though,
to make sure that we are fully clothed in his armor and to
stand against these methods that he uses against us in our
weakness. When we stand we are holding
firm. We are as it were holding the
fort. You know, you remember a story
in our history. Books about a war that was
fought, not too many years ago at the Alamo.
Remember that You remembered how it was that?
A few Gallant Brave Man fought off or tried to a tremendous
Army that was coming. They lost, they simply lost
those valid. Men were overwhelmed by the
multitude where they not listen. When the Lord God Of Heaven
tells us the Christian to hold the fort Against The Wiles of
the devil were not outnumbered. That's not the case in this
Christian Walk of Life. He has provided all the
strength. If we Avail ourselves that we
need to overcome, he's provided us with his strength, our Lord,
and our God, never puts us in a battle that we will lose as long
as we do what he says, and obey his commands.
Our Lord tells us to use the weapons.
The armors he is provided in order to resist the devil and we
need to be mindful of that. We day we live.
We should make sure that we have made up once and for all
decision that we are going to wear and use the armor, which
God is provided daily. Daily.
We have to put on this armor. Do we not?
The Bible says stand therefore, having your loins Girt about
with truth. What does that mean?
You know, we could use a great deal of illustrations right
here, probably from our own personal experiences, but let me
just use the word hypocrisy right here for a minute.
You know, we laugh about it, when we see it in other people,
Yeah, we do. We don't like it when we see it
in one of our Brethren are our sisters.
But you know what? So much of the time we ignore it
or tolerate it in ourselves. And that's the sad part, is it
not? That probably is the only
downside that I have in this little outline this morning is
don't be a hypocrite, try to look in side yourself in the
mirror as it were and see. Do I fit that category because
we are sinners, folks. Listen to me.
Sometimes we tend to be hypocrites.
We tend to our pretend to be what we are not.
We pretend not to be what we are.
The one who is in influence, us. Influencing us towards
apocryphally is the devil. And that's where it comes from
in Ephesians 6 verse 11 to 12. As I've already mentioned we are
warned against the methods or The Wiles of the devil and
against the work of his demons verse 12.
We are encouraged and verse 10 verse 11 and verse 13 that we
have Spiritual armor, that is provided, which God should put
on, listen. No matter how many times we talk
about this, no matter how many times we read it, if we never
apply it, it does us no good and were vulnerable.
We open ourselves up to brain damage Heart and Lung damage.
Our vital organs spiritually. Speaking are wide open for him
to accommodate himself and put us down in our stand against
Satan. We are first told stand
therefore having your loins Girt about with truth.
Paul is in prison, when he wrote this, if you remember his being
guarded there by a Roman soldier who probably had most or all of
this armor on him or at least nearby, Paul get Begins by
discussing the belt. You know, when a soldier got
dressed, he put on his belt over his tunic, I'm just reading to
you about things that I have learned in the study of what it
looked like or are the stuff that they wore to protect
themselves as soldiers. The tunic was the primary piece
of outer clothing that covered much of the Soldier's body.
I'm told that it was a simple square piece of material with
holes in it that the soldiers head and his arm.
Ames and his waist could fit into very Loosely was it fit
upon him? And as you can imagine during
battle the tunic could very easily be a hindrance getting in
the way the tunic that they wore was tucked into a heavy leather
belt drawn up, tightly and secured with a buckle.
The belt also held to hold other pieces of armor and place.
The belt was an Joel piece of this particular equipment.
That the soldier War I'm told according to historians the
thing. That is so Wonderful about this
is the fact that the individual that was off to war before he
ever stepped out of the place where they were housed, made
sure that he had every piece on and in place trying to protect
himself, it would be insane for the soldier to run out there.
And you remember how they used to line up in a line with their
Spears drawn and they're and bayonets and so on and so forth.
And March toward each other, certain death, wasn't it,
especially if you had on no protection.
Paul tells us to wear the belt of Truth.
Now right here folks is self-examination.
I can't do it for you. I can't make you study and learn
the word of God but it is the truth that will help us keep all
other pieces of armor and our lives in place and live like God
wants us to as the belt surrounds the person wearing it
the truth. Of God's Learning, his word can
surround us and keep us safe. And I might add this thought if
we surround ourselves with truth and actually practice it, the
Bible says it makes us truthful. Isn't that amazing?
To truly surround ourselves with truth.
We are also surrounding ourselves with truthfulness and
the best antidote for hypocrisy in our lives is that we practice
this truth that we learn from the will of God.
We cease to be Hypocrites and sinners you see.
So what is the truth? First of all, there is the truth
of the Gospel. A person must come to a point in
his or her life trusting. The one who died for our sins
was buried and was risen again a person.
One must make a decision to believe, on the one who is the
way, the truth and the life that the Bible talks about John 14,
verse 6, John Jesus said, I am the truth, the way, the life, no
man cometh unto the father, except by me second, there is
the truth of God's word thirdly. There is the truth of practicing
God's word. You know, we can learn it all we
want to, we can hear it day after day.
Meeting after meeting. But if we do not practice what
we hear, you see the Bible says, the condition of being a child
of God and doing that, which we're told walks out the door.
Well, listen for the rest of this little lesson this morning,
I'd like to take you to a passage of scripture that is
going to help you. I hope help you to show you how
to put on the belt of Truth. So that our lives can be
truthful on hypocritical and be a true child of God, and Joshua.
The first chapter and verse number 8, This book of the law
shall not depart out of thy mouth, but Thou shalt meditate
therein day and night and thou mayest observe to do.
According to all that is written therein for then.
Thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then Thou shalt
have good success. All right, what's my resource?
The resources found this book of the law you know, Joshua had
five books that he could reference today you and I have
Genesis to Revelation that we can reference and find out how
it is that we are to live for our God.
We have a great book written by God second Timothy 3 second
Timothy 1 Romans 15 and last but not least Psalms 19 tells us all
explicitly. Lie about the resources of this
wonderful book. You know, have you ever thought
about your ability to read? You know, I can remember and I
guess it's probably been 35 40 years ago, taking a class in
speed reading. Now, I've never been an animal
that can read super fast. And one statistic that I
understand is is a really kind of glaring You know what, the
average speed that a person reads at?
Is how fast he talks. How fast he talks and it's about
300 words, give or take a minute.
In this class for about an hour, I learned how through just a few
little suggestions. That I could speed it up double.
So when I left that class, I was reading at the rate of about 800
words, a minute. That's pretty quick.
But you know what? I went home.
I never went back to the class. And I regressed, you know what
that means, that means to fall back.
I didn't practice what I learned in that couple hours and pretty
soon. I'm reading again at about 350
words. A minute.
So, it takes practice. what we know and what we do you see to
in order to make it work for us, Now.
Retainment or retention of what we read.
That's very vital. Not only did this class teach
you how to enhance your reading skills per minute, but it also,
it was absolutely amazing to me how much your retention level
went up. Normally, we retain about 60% of
what we read. Now some of us retain more, some
less, some for longer times than others.
That's because of our ability to think on these things and
practice these things, and so on and so forth.
But all of a sudden and the ability to read faster, my
retention rate went up about 30% to in the 90s.
Now that was a remarkable to me. How do I, how do I illustrate
this? You know, most of us, most of us
are sports fans. I know for as long as I've been
able to know that there are sports, I was probably a ram
football fan. A Dodger, baseball fan.
And you know what's amazing? Is most of us.
Can go over and tell you who's playing first.
Second base, third shortstop, who they've traded for, who they
signed, as free agents name them tell how big they are and so on
and so forth, but you can't cite the books of the Bible.
Something wrong with that equation, isn't it?
There's something wrong when that's the case and I must
guilty as you are. I'm not talking down to you, I'm
just stating facts. What we need to do is be
involved in reading the book and the statistics in it more.
So than these fleshly things that were involved in.
And we can learn because we're smart people, we can know what
God would have us. Do listen, there's a reflection
that can be made in talking about this subject this morning.
The Bible says but Thou shalt meditate therein day and night.
That's a command. And you can dismiss it and so
can I and get away from it and not do it.
But that's a command meditate therein day and night.
Psalms 1 verse 2, Jeremiah the 15th chapter, Psalms 119, all
these places and different areas, tell us about that.
It also reasons with us when we think about what God is trying
to tell us as human beings, listen there's a reason there.
That thou mayest observe to do. According to all that is written
therein. That's the reason that it is
given the Way It Is, by God, the Creator.
You remember where it says, which is our reasonable service.
It lays in to do this idea of not reasoning about what God's
word says. They're also I might mention by
way of passing That this has a very profound result when it
takes place, and when we exercise it, the Bible says, for
then Thou shalt make thy ways prosperous, and then Thou shalt
have good success. Folks, listen, I believe that
the prosperity mentioned here is primarily spiritual over in
Psalms the first chapter verse 3, read that and study it
sometimes and you'll see exactly what I'm talking about.
All right, in the last few minutes that I have designated
for the lesson today, I want to show you how it is that we are
as children of God, protected by righteousness.
Protection. Do you ever think about that,
you know, on this little outline that I have and it's a little
story. I'll relate it to you right
quick. It said that there was a guy in
Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, that when the law was first passed
about guys using helmets, when they wrote a motorcycle, he was
a host on our local radio station man.
He hated that law. He talked it down.
But a short year or so. After this law went into effect,
he was a motorcycle rider. He had an accident that almost
took his life and because of the law of having to wear a helmet,
his life was spared You know what happened next few days
after he got out of the hospital, he was talking how
important that law was. It was reversed and the way he
thought see Protected by righteousness in the eyes of the
child of God is important. Listen, don't ever get down on
the god of Heaven. You can succeed.
And so, I can I, and we can all go to heaven.
One day, if we'll just do what we're told.
And understand what it is that God is trying to lay out for us.
Now, some of us may not like some of the laws that require us
to wear these armored products that God has given us.
We may not want to do that. We made it think that all some
of these things are just too cumbersome.
I'm here to tell you this morning that it's required by
law that we do his commands. And if we don't we are
jeopardizing our soul salvation protection, listen, Most parents
do things to protect their children.
That's right. We protect our children by where
we allow them to go. We protect our children by what
we allow them to do. We protect our children by
teaching them proper behavior, and procedures.
And the way we're supposed to live commonly among men that's
called morality. We protect our children by
watching out for them. Keeping them away from things as
staircases, electric out. Light, let's running out in the
street. Listen, if the recent tragedy
that has been involved in some of our schools, like the one in
Colorado, not too long ago, has taught us anything.
It's taught us that our children need to be protected from wrong
influence. The wrong type of influences, we
protect our children. Why?
Because we love them. That's why God our heavenly
father protects his children because he loves us.
Don't ever forget that. You know, I don't know of one
case in the Bible maybe you're smarter than I am.
I don't know of one case in the Bible where God has left his
people. The people always left God and
violated his law. Listen as Christians, our enemy
is Satan. First Peter, the fifth chapter,
verse 8, Ephesians 6, verse 11 through 12 and because God wants
to protect us, he has given us Spiritual armor for us to wear
found. There in that chapter Roman
soldiers would wear a breastplate that could cover the
Torso, protect the vital organs and spiritually speaking.
Folks, you have that ability to wear those things today.
To begin with. No human being is naturally
righteous. Listen and I'll wind this down
in just a moment. Romans the third chapter, if
you've never studied that in detail, do so, it talks about
man's sinful State and how he can come out of that state and
be pleasing. And righteous in the sight of
God. Our Lord, Jesus Christ died for
us to become righteous. The word righteous just simply
means right doing second Corinthians 5:21 and Romans
chapter 5. When a person trust Christ as
our savior, he or she is Justified that simply means
declared righteous or right doing by faith.
Romans 5 verse 1. What did Christ do for you and
for me? Folks, listen, he wiped out the
debt that caught was caused by sin.
That's right. God, protects those of us who
are saved from the Judgment of Hell by covering them up.
If you please with righteousness, that he gives and
provided for us in his word, Now, then after a person is
standing in the righteousness of Christ for salvation, he is also
to put on that breastplate of righteousness to protect him
from The Wiles of the devil. This righteousness is not the
righteousness that saved him, that was once and for all
righteousness, done by Jesus Christ.
This righteousness is a practical daily righteousness
that protects from the attacks of Satan and our So Hearts,
listen, it takes you're thinking mechanism to be kicked in gear
to do sin. And if you can have it groomed
and educated where some circumstance comes your way,
you're going to deviate from that.
Your Righteous. You see and God has protected
you by giving you how it is that you become righteous.
You know, one of the passages that describes the Practical
righteousness is found in Galatians 2:20.
Listen. Paul said, I'm crucified with
Christ. What does that mean?
Basically, it's just simply that I put off the old man, in
baptism. Raised to walk in newness of
Life. Nevertheless, I live yet, not I,
but Christ liveth in me, and the life, which I now live in the
flesh, I live by the faith of the son of God.
God who gave me and gave himself for me.
In that passage of scripture right there, in a very hurried,
summon summation. We are crucified with Christ
because Christ died for me. And when Jesus died on the
cross, he shed his blood there for my sins and for the world he
purchased you see, he purchased, we are to be clothed with Christ
this, holy spirit that gave his word can.
Rectus today, just as it did when it was given we are to be
today as members of the church. And I don't mean to be arrogant,
I don't mean for us to be haughty.
God plainly condemns those two traits and a Christian.
But listen, we are to be confident in Christ Jesus, and
we can know that if will live and do that, which we are to do.
The commands. If you please, we can be saved
one day. I'm trusting Christ when I want
to hold a grudge but no longer hold it against a person.
I'm trusting Christ when I want to lose my temper but quietly
discuss a matter instead. I'm trusting Christ when I want
to do, or say, what is dishonest, but instead do and
say, what is truthful? I'm trusting Christ when I begin
to fear or worry, but turn those fears over to him.
I'm trusting Christ when I start to doubt, but instead have
faith. My faith does not need to
waiver. I trust Christ, I will be
clothed with Christ's righteousness and Christ will
live his life through Me by what I know about him and the god of
Heaven. Why should I want to live such a
life? Why should I want to be
righteous in the way? I live.
Paul tells us Destiny. Jesus loved us and gave himself
for us. He gave us his all for me and
for you. He gave his all for every one of
us and we should trust him and live through the life that he is
designated that we should be from his word.
If will take ourselves and use these instruments, that God has
given us, Satan will flee. Thus it is written.
That's what the Savior said on the day that he was taken up to
the Pinnacle of the temple and viewed that vast Wilderness and
told that he can have all those things but the condition was
that he serve Satan. Thus, it is written.
The Lord said several times there and you and I as a child
of God today can do that. Very same thing.
Listen, don't be ashamed of the Gospel.
Full of Jesus Christ, don't be ashamed to witness out in this
old world and will tell about what God in Christ has done for
you. We thank you for listening to
our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.
Road in Bakersfield, if you would like any additional
information, or you would like to receive a free Bible
correspondence, course by mail. Please email us at info at her
Church of Christ Bakersfield.com.
Our service times are on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and
Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Please make plans to join us.
We would love for you to be our honored guest.