Effortless Change Part 3

. ..began to speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind?

Luke 7:24 Jesus was asking, "What drew the thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of people out into the desert to listen to this man? Was it the reeds blowing in the wind?" No, the reeds had been out there for hundreds of years and the crowds had never come. It wasn't nature. It wasn't because the desert was so beautiful. The crowds came because there was a man out there who was on fire for G.o.d.

ON FIRE FOR G.o.d.

If you catch on fire for G.o.d, the whole world will come and watch you burn.

John the Baptist was a man who was on fire for G.o.d. He was anointed by G.o.d. G.o.d's words were in his mouth. The Lord was giving John a great compliment, acknowledging that he had drawn huge crowds out into the desert.

But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts.

Luke 7:25 Was it John the Baptist's flashy clothes or patent leather shoes that drew everybody there? Was it his Pentecostal hairdo or his expensive suits that attracted the crowds?

No, he didn't have any of those things. John the Baptist was clothed in camel hair. The only thing that smells worse than camel hair is camel hair when it gets wet.

John the Baptist wore camel hair and spent half his time in the Jordan River baptizing people. So this guy was definitely not a fashion statement.

On top of his attire, John the Baptist had a long beard. He ate locusts and wild honey. I could just see his beard matted with honey with a dismembered locust leg stuck in it somewhere. Jesus was simply saying that it wasn't John's hair or clothes that drew people out into the wilderness.

But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet. This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

Luke 7:26-27 That's a quotation from Malachi 3:1. It was universally understood that these words concerned the prophet who was to prepare the way for the Messiah-a very high position of authority and leadership. Jesus was making it very clear that John the Baptist was this man who was prophesied of in the Old Testament.

GREATER.

For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of G.o.d is greater than he.

Luke 7:28 Jesus said that John the Baptist was greater than any Old Testament figure, including Moses, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc. Those were some pretty powerful words, spoken by a Man who was the most significant figure in the nation at that time.

There John the Baptist was-rotting in prison, feeling lonely, and wondering if anybody cared. "What about me? I had a six-month ministry, and since then I've been rotting in prison for years. Does anybody remember me? Does anyone even care?"

What would it be like if you were in John's position, and you sent to the most popular, influential religious figure in the nation asking for help? How do you think it would help you if he were to stand up in his pulpit and begin talking about you? How would you feel if he started saying on radio and television that you're the greatest prophet who has ever lived? Greater than Abraham, Moses, or Elijah-greater than anyone? If you were struggling the way John the Baptist was, you'd probably find such words spoken in this manner by this important person to be very encouraging.

At least, that's what I thought. When I saw this crisis situation that John the Baptist was in and how the Lord treated his disciples-ignoring them for an hour, healing these other people, and then sending them back with that message-I thought, G.o.d, that just doesn't seem to meet the need. Then, after John's disciples had gone, only then did You begin to say all of those compliments. Why didn't You say that while his disciples were still there? Wouldn't that have blessed John more?

Chapter 8.

"Don't Quit!"

When I was young in the ministry and just getting started, I pastored a church in Seagoville,Texas. People were staying away from my church by the thousands. It was just amazing the crowds that didn't come. I was struggling and not seeing very much happen.

I went to a conference being held at Calvary Cathedral in Fort Worth, Texas. Bob Nichols was the pastor there, and the guest speakers included all kinds of big names like Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland, and others. They were all sitting at the front. Gifts of the Holy Spirit were flowing, and they were prophesying and encouraging one another in the Lord.

There were two thousand people in the auditorium, but n.o.body knew who I was. I was sitting dead center in the middle of one of these long twenty or thirty seat rows, right in the center of the auditorium. I was literally just a speck in this huge crowd. There I was feeling so insignificant, and thinking to myself, 'All those leaders are up there getting words of encouragement. n.o.body in this auditorium needs to be encouraged more than I do.' 'All those leaders are up there getting words of encouragement. n.o.body in this auditorium needs to be encouraged more than I do.' I felt loneliness and several other negative emotions. Anyway, somebody at the front said, "Go around, shake someone's hand, and encourage them." I felt loneliness and several other negative emotions. Anyway, somebody at the front said, "Go around, shake someone's hand, and encourage them."

I had met the pastor of this church, Bob Nichols, once before. Without going into the details, it wasn't a very good first meeting. It's only because Bob is a gracious person that he even liked me after that first meeting. It wasn't a good meeting, and it's not something I'm proud of. Now, here I was in the middle of the clump of all these people. Bob Nichols got down off that platform, pushed his way through all those folks, worked his way all the way down the aisle, and found me. It was obvious he was looking specifically for me. Bob just started hugging me and saying, "Don't quit. Don't quit! Hold on! G.o.d loves you. Don't quit." He didn't know me, or my situation. I knew G.o.d had singled me out from all of those thousands of people there. In my time of need, that really blessed and encouraged me.

As I read the story about John the Baptist, I wondered, Why didn't Jesus do something like that for John? Why didn't He say all of those complimentary things about John being the greatest person who had ever lived in history up until that time while John's disciples were there? Seems to me like that would have been more beneficial than simply going out and performing some miracles, and then instructing the messengers to go back and tell John what they had seen and heard and that he'll be blessed if he's not offended. I struggled with this for years.

CONNECTED.

Finally, one day I was just reading through scripture in Isaiah. These questions I had about Matthew 11 weren't forgotten, but they certainly weren't in the forefront of my mind. As I was reading, I came across a prophecy that was given to the messenger who would come before Jesus and prepare His way. This is what these scriptures said of this messenger who would prepare the way for the Messiah.

Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your G.o.d will come with vengeance, even G.o.d with a recompence; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing:for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.

Isaiah 35:3-6 All of a sudden, the Holy Spirit reminded me of what Jesus had said to John's disciples, and how He had spent an hour performing miracles.

Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

Matthew 11:4-6 In an instant, the Holy Spirit connected these two pa.s.sages of scripture for me.

JUST BELIEVE!.

Jesus waited to say all of these emotional, complimentary things about John the Baptist until after John's disciples were gone. While they were present, the answer He gave them was to perform all these miracles right before their eyes. Then He said, "Go tell John what you have heard and seen."

The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

Matthew 11:5 Basically, Jesus fulfilled the Messianic prophecy of Isaiah 35:5-6 right in front of the eyes of John's disciples. He opened blind eyes, unstopped deaf ears, enabled the lame to leap, and the tongue of the dumb to sing. These were the very miracles that Jesus performed and then He told John's disciples to go back and tell John about what they had witnessed. Everything that was prophesied about the Messiah's ministry, Jesus fulfilled in a one hour period of time. Plus, He threw in raising someone from the dead just so that n.o.body could think that these were coincidences.

In one hour's period of time, Jesus did everything that was prophesied concerning the miracles that Messiah would perform. Plus, He added raising someone from the dead. Then He told John's disciples to go back to him and tell him He had done all of these things and that he'll be blessed if he would just believe. Just believe!

DOUBTS DROWNED OUT.

John the Baptist knew the scriptures. When the Pharisees came to him and asked, "Who are you? Are you the Christ." He answered, "No, I'm not the Christ."

I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias [Isaiah]. John 1:23 (brackets mine) John quoted from Isaiah 40, just five chapters after Isaiah 35 which spoke of the one who would come before to prepare the way for the Messiah.

The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our G.o.d.

Isaiah 40:3 John quoted from a number of pa.s.sages all around this part of Isaiah. Back then they didn't have a Bible like we have today with chapters and verses. They had scrolls of paper. It was hard to find a certain sentence or pa.s.sage because they weren't divided into chapters and verses. What we call the book of Isaiah was just all one letter. So for John the Baptist to quote from what we call Isaiah 40, which was very close in that letter to what we call Isaiah 35,I believe it is proof positive that he had to have read those verses to the point where he was very familiar with them. He knew what G.o.d had prophesied the Messiah would do when He came.

John the Baptist's messengers may not have understood. They came back to John and said, "Well, He didn't answer our question directly whether He was the Christ.

However, He made us wait an hour, during which time He opened up blind eyes and healed deaf ears. People who couldn't talk, talked, and people who couldn't walk, walked. Then He told us to come back and tell you what He had done, and that you'd be blessed if you would just believe."

When they delivered that message to John, I believe the Holy Spirit connected what Isaiah had prophesied about the Messiah and what Jesus had just done. I believe the light came on as John realized, "How could I doubt that this was the Messiah? He has performed everything the Word of G.o.d prophesied He would do. No other man has opened up blind eyes, unstopped deaf ears, enabled the lame to walk, and caused dumb tongues to sing- especially not in one hour's span of time. He even raised the dead." I believe the Holy Spirit came in like a flood and washed away all of John the Baptist's doubts. Jesus appealed to John's knowledge of the Word, not just his emotions. When the truth of G.o.d's Word drowned out John the Baptist's doubts, I believe he began to praise and thank G.o.d.

VICTOR OR VICTIM?.

Jesus wasn't dishonoring John by not giving him these emotional compliments. He didn't just tell him something to tide him over. It was just the opposite. Jesus honored John so much He refused to give him just an emotional response. Instead, He referred him back to the Word of G.o.d. That's powerful!

We want emotional things, like somebody putting their arm around us and crying with us. That might make you feel good temporarily and help you over a hump, but it's not going to help you long term. I'm not saying that we shouldn't show compa.s.sion for people. However, in the long term, you need to know the truth. You need to take hold of the Word of G.o.d. Faith comes by hearing the Word of G.o.d. (Romans 10:17.) G.o.d's Word is the sword of the Spirit. (Ephesians 6:17.) That's the weapon you use to fight off depression, discouragement, and despair. Yet many people simply wallow in their tears, wanting G.o.d to come down to their level and help them by saying, "It's really bad!"

A friend of mine was ministering encouragement at one of our ministers' conferences. He had called forward people who were discouraged, and was going to pray for them. You didn't have to ask this one couple who came up for prayer if they were discouraged. Their body language had discouragement written all over it. They were stooped over, crying, and they looked miserable. As they stood in front of my friend who was ministering for prayer, he just looked at them and declared, "Thus says the Lord, 'Don't feel bad. If I wasn't G.o.d, I would be discouraged too.'" When he said that, it encouraged me. In fact, I thought it was hilarious. However, I'm not sure that couple rejoiced over it that much.

Some of us honestly think that our problems are so bad that even G.o.d is wringing His hands and wondering how He's going to take care of it. The truth is, your problem is nothing compared to G.o.d. Yet so many times we want G.o.d to come down and cry with us, saying, "I know it's so hard. I'm grieving with you." But that's not true. The Lord has already conquered. He's victorious. He does show compa.s.sion and love toward you if you're discouraged -I'm not discounting that - but G.o.d is so much bigger and has so much more to offer you than just compa.s.sion. Instead of settling for something emotional that will make you feel good today, but then tomorrow you'll be left needing another emotional fix, what you need to do is seize the truth of G.o.d's Word. Whether you feel like it or not, stand up and start saying, "I am an overcomer in Christ Jesus. I don't care what I feel like, what somebody else has said, or what has happened to me. I'm going to rise again. I am a victor and not a victim." Start taking G.o.d's Word and applying it to your situation.

But thanks be to G.o.d, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:57 This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

1 John 5:4 Start speaking the Word, and building yourself up.

EYES ON THE TRUTH.

In a sense, that's what Jesus did for John the Baptist. Instead of giving him all of these compliments, He referred him back to the prophecies that he had known, that G.o.d had used to call him to the ministry, and that had put him on the right path. At one time, the Word of G.o.d had motivated John, and for thirty years these prophecies kept him focused and on track. But in a crisis situation, he took his eyes off of the Word and started looking at his surroundings. He was in prison, and it looked like he was going to die. Because of this, John became discouraged.

As long as Peter looked at Jesus-the Author and Finisher of his faith-he walked on water. (Matthew 14:28-31.) He did something that no other person, outside of the Lord, had ever done before. It was miraculous. But when Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and began to look at the wind and waves, he started to sink.

John the Baptist had taken his eyes off of the Word, off of the truths that G.o.d had instilled into his heart. He was looking at his prison and the fact that he was facing death. It appeared that this tyrant, Herod, was prevailing and that he was losing. John was looking at these things, and had lost sight of what the Word of G.o.d said. Jesus referred him back to the Word, the Word with which John was well acquainted.

When John returned to the Word, I believe the Holy Spirit rose up on the inside of him. The scripture doesn't tell us what John's response was, but we know that he remained faithful to the end. Eventually, Herod beheaded him.

There was no whimpering, crying, or renouncing his beliefs. John the Baptist stayed strong. I personally believe that when Jesus responded to John this way, John recognized, "How could I have doubted? This is what the Word says." Regardless of what emotions he may have felt, he got his thoughts back on the truth.

This truth really encourages me. If I were to go by my emotions, there would be times when I would feel like running away. There would be times when I would feel like giving up and quitting. But I've learned to go by the Word and not by how I feel. This truth has changed me, and it's worked in my life for decades.

RAISED FROM THE DEAD.

I remember receiving the phone call at 4:15 AM and being told that my son had died. We immediately got up and got dressed. It took us an hour and fifteen minutes to drive from our house to the hospital in Colorado Springs. We live so far out, our cell phones didn't work. During that period of time when we were on our way to the hospital, I didn't have any way to check on my son.

When I received that call, I declared, "The first report is not the last report."I spoke my faith; then my wife and I agreed and prayed. We called our son back to life. He had been dead for nearly five hours by the time he returned to life. It was absolutely miraculous.

From the time we got the call until we arrived at the hospital and saw that he had been raised from the dead, I began having some negative thoughts and feelings of grief and things like that. I just praised G.o.d. This is not really to my credit, it's the Holy Spirit. He's spent a lot of time teaching and training me. When I started having these negative thoughts, I cried out to G.o.d and He started sharing His Word with me. He brought me back to scriptures and reminded me of truths. Because of that, G.o.d's Word rose up on the inside of me, and I literally stood against those negative feelings. I didn't care how I felt.

Imagine if someone told you your son was dead. How would you feel? What kinds of thoughts would run through your mind? Well, I had everything going through my mind that probably would go through yours. But the Word of G.o.d rose up within me, and by the grace of G.o.d, I never spoke anything contrary to what the Word said. In fact, as I began to praise G.o.d, my emotions turned around and started agreeing with G.o.d. I actually began to rejoice and praise the Lord.

I'm sharing this to encourage you. Even though your emotions are pulling you one way, you know what the Word of G.o.d says.

You can come to the place where G.o.d's Word is more real to you than what you feel. That's what the Bible calls faith. That's what the Word calls maturity.

STAND ON THE WORD.

For many Christians, all the devil has to do is give you the slightest little hint of emotion contrary to what the Word says, and you fold up like a two-dollar suitcase and fall apart. The Bible says that if the Spirit lives inside you, you have love, joy, and peace (Galatians 5:22), but all somebody has to do is just say the slightest little thing to criticize you and you fall apart. Maybe your pastor didn't speak to you as he walked down the hall. You feel neglected and ignored. Perhaps someone said something about you, or didn't give you the attention you need. Whatever has distracted you, it's time to pull your thumb out of your mouth and grow up!

We need to recognize that the Word of G.o.d is what's supposed to work in our life. What if you were in a crisis situation and doubting the way that John the Baptist was? Would you be asking the Lord to give you something emotional, to have an angel appear, for a goose b.u.mp to go up and down your spine? Would you want someone to call you and say, "I think you're awesome"? If you're looking for those kinds of responses, you're looking in the wrong place. You need to go to the Word of G.o.d.

Are you doing what G.o.d has told you to do? Do you have a promise from G.o.d? Has He led you to move in the direction you're going in? If He has, then take the Word of G.o.d and stand in faith. It doesn't matter how you feel, just keep doing what G.o.d told you to do. Don't back off of it. Get to where the Word of G.o.d becomes absolute authority in your life, and you aren't going to back off of it regardless of what anybody has or hasn't done. When you get that kind of an att.i.tude and the Word of G.o.d begins to dominate you, then you will overcome doubt. You'll be walking in faith.

Faith is seldom a feeling. Very seldom do you just feel this surge of boldness. At times you will walk in a gift of faith. However, most of the times when I've seen great things happen in my life, I've stepped out in faith. My emotions were wavering, but I just chose not to go by them. I decided not to be bound by them. I knew what G.o.d's Word said, and ministered it from my heart. I stood on what the Word of G.o.d said, sometimes with my knees shaking. But that's faith.

Some people think that faith is having an absence of any problems, doubts, or fears. It's not. It's just learning how to reject those things and not let them control you as you take a stand on the Word of G.o.d.

Chapter 9.

A More Sure Word.

When I first began seeking the Lord, I had come from a background that didn't believe that G.o.d did miracles today. I had been taught that there wasn't any such thing as angelic visitations, the audible voice of G.o.d, or supernatural unctions from the Lord. Those things didn't exist to us. When I became baptized in the Holy Spirit and began to study the Word under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, I realized that those things didn't pa.s.s away with the apostles. I started listening to other people's testimonies, and began seeking to see an angel or have G.o.d speak to me in an audible voice.

One of the ministers I listened to a lot back then would often have a burning sensation in the palms of his hands. When ministering to people, he would lay both of his hands on them. If the burning in his hand jumped, then it was a healing G.o.d was performing. If it didn't jump, but just burned in his hands, then it was a deliverance G.o.d was bringing about. This supernatural manifestation of G.o.d's power caused an actual physical manifestation this minister could perceive.

I began to pray and seek the Lord for things like that. I started asking G.o.d questions like, "Why haven't I ever had any of these kinds of supernatural things happen to me?" Then the Lord showed me this truth about how Jesus helped John the Baptist to overcome his doubts. He revealed to me the reason that Jesus didn't respond to John on an emotional level, but instead used G.o.d's Word to raise him up was because of G.o.d's respect for John the Baptist. It's because He honored him so much, not because He honored him so little, that He referred him back to the Word. I began to see that believing the Word of G.o.d is actually the highest way to respond to the Lord.

Once I understood this, I turned the other direction and prayed, "G.o.d, I want Your best. If it honors You more for me to just take Your Word and trust Your Word than to have a vision, for You to quicken scripture to me and have that be the way I hear from You instead of hearing an audible voice or an angelic messenger, then I'll be glad to go that way." So I quit praying for some special manifestation.

Now, I've had the Lord give me dreams before. The scriptures speak of what's called a night vision. I've had dreams that I really felt G.o.d spoke to me. But I've never had what people call an open vision-where you're awake and your eyes are open, but you're seeing into the supernatural realm. I've never heard an audible voice from G.o.d. I've never had most of the things that many people claim to have seen or heard. I'm not discrediting them, I'm just saying that I have learned to relate to the Lord through His Word, and that I honestly believe that's G.o.d's best.

A HIGHER LEVEL.

Satan can also appear in the spiritual realm. You can see and hear things from him that could lead you astray. But if you go through the Word of G.o.d to hear from G.o.d, you'll be safe. The devil can't discredit G.o.d's Word. The Word of G.o.d is the acid test for everything supernatural. It's the number one way of hearing from G.o.d.

Again, there's a balance to what I'm emphasizing here. That's why I encourage you to check into my teaching ent.i.tled How to Hear G.o.d's Voice, for additional information. In it, I deal with other important aspects of hearing G.o.d's voice that I'm not able to fully cover here.

You need to realize that the Lord may not have answered your prayer in the way that you've been asking because He has something better for you. You may have been wanting Him to come down and cry with you, saying, "It's really bad!" You may have been asking for an emotional response that would make you feel better. The Lord may not have answered you in the way you desired because He loves you so much-not because He loves you so little. It may be that He's trying to bring you up to a higher level of maturity. He wants you to get beyond just an emotional level, and learn to receive some substance from Him through His Word.

In writing Second Peter 1, the Apostle Peter realized that he was close to his death. Therefore, he felt an urgency to remind the believers of the truths that he had shared with them before. This was his purpose in writing this second letter.

Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.

2 Peter 1:12-15 SPECIAL MANIFESTATION.

The Apostle Peter continued by saying: For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from G.o.d the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom lam well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

2 Peter 1:16-18 Peter was saying, "These things I'm telling you aren't things I dreamed up. This wasn't something that came as a result of eating pizza before bed. They didn't just come out of my own heart. These truths were imparted to me by G.o.d." Then to verify that, he said, "We saw the glory of G.o.d when Jesus was on the Mount of Transfiguration. The glory of G.o.d came out of Jesus so brightly that it was like the sun. Not only that, but we saw a cloud come over Jesus -the glory cloud that used to inhabit the Old Testament tabernacle. Out of this cloud there came a voice from heaven saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'"

The reason Peter was saying all of this was to tell them, "Look, these aren't our own ideas. We didn't dream this up. We experienced it. We saw it and heard it." He was validating his message, declaring, "I know what I'm saying is from G.o.d."

This is comparable to me coming to your city to hold a series of meetings. I could come on the television to advertise these meetings by saying,'! was caught up to heaven and given a message from the Lord. I have a message from G.o.d, and I'll be in your city on Friday to deliver it. Be there at 7:00 PM."If I advertised our meetings like that, the number of people attending would increase dramatically. But if I came on and said, "We're coming to your city to preach G.o.d's Word. I'm going to share with you the truths that the Lord has shared with me," we wouldn't get nearly as many people to respond as we would if I said, "I've had a vision. G.o.d has given me a word for this city."

A couple of decades ago, a certain woman claimed to have feathers fall down from heaven at her meetings. After awhile, someone actually videotaped her pulling these feathers out from her sleeve. Other people have claimed that their hands will sweat anointing oil. Some people have claimed that gold flakes have manifested in the meetings, and that they got them in their Bible. I've actually had people show these gold flakes to me saying, "This just makes the Word of G.o.d so much more real." If I were to come up with some physical, tangible thing like that, there are many people who would say, "Let's go hear this guy!" But when I say "I'm going to come and share the Word of G.o.d," not as many people are excited about that. That's the wrong att.i.tude. Actually, hearing G.o.d through His Word is better than gold dust, feathers, anointing oil, goose b.u.mps, glory clouds, angelic visitations, or anything else. Nothing trumps or supersedes the Word of G.o.d. We need to change our thinking in this area.

If you were to unveil two doors, one saying "The Word of G.o.d" and the other "Special Manifestation," most people would want this "Special Manifestation."

SOMETHING BETTER.

In Second Peter 1, the Apostle Peter was saying, "I know I'm going to be dying soon. I want you to remember these things because we didn't just follow cunningly devised fables. These aren't old wives tales or stories we dreamed up. We have seen and heard the audible and visible presence of G.o.d. We were with Jesus when He was transfigured." He's saying all this to validate and get the people to receive as authoritative everything he's been saying.