The 20th Century Dutch Theologian Hendrikus Berkhof ?

Anyone know?

Peace in Christ.

Christ is the Head of all principality and power. We are complete in Him. We don’t need man’s codified writings of rules/ordinances to rule over us…only Christ Jesus our Lord is our Ruler.

But what do the man-based churches do?

They put their handwriting of ordinances/dogmas above His head (the "high places")….and they want to deceive us with it. They say we serve Jesus by the handwriting that they want us to keep and serve. They do not hold the Head of Christ though.

Mat 27:36-38
(36) And sitting down they watched him there;
(37) And set up over (ABOVE) his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

And those who are being deceived by them reckon that Jesus is among them. They are counting Him among them. He is not there among those who are "dead" in sins and trespasses.

(38) Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.

He was numbered with the transgressors by being crucified with the 2 thieves.

Notice that this Scripture was completely fulfilled 2,000 years ago. He is NO LONGER to be found among the transgressors in their present-day churches.

The verses pertaining to this does not say “might be fulfilled”…but “WAS fulfilled.”

Mark 15:27-28 KJV
(27) And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left.
(28) And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.

That what was written had an end….a completion….accomplished in Him at Golgotha 2000 years ago.

Luk 22:37 KJV
(37) For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.

We find that the Scripture “might be fulfilled” regarding other prophecies. This means it started back then 2000 years ago and is ongoing until its completion.

Joh 17:12 KJV
(12) While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

Mat 4:13-15 KJV
(13) And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
(14) That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
(15) The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;

The transgressors want you to come to their gatherings and keep and serve their handwritings rather than Christ who is the Head of the church body. They are “puffed up” in their fleshly minds and not having the mind of Christ.

They come forth to deceive…to spoil us through “philosophy” ( meaning “love of wisdom”) that is contained in their hand writings. The church handwriting of ordinances/dogmas are all man’s wisdom….man’s glory.

Col 2:8-10 KJV
(8) Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
(9) For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
(10) And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

But our Lord forgives us for the handwriting of ordinances that is against us and is contrary to us.

He takes it out of the way and nails it to His cross. He nullifies the church handwritings making the “principalities and powers” powerless over us.

Col 2:13-15 KJV
(13) And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
(14) Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
(15) And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

We were once “dead in our sins and the uncircumcision of our flesh” while we attended the man-based-on-handwritings churches where we kept and served their handwritings. But He makes us alive together with Him having forgiven us all our trespasses.

We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers (against the highly exalted….above the Head of Christ…church handwritings of ordinances) and against those who rule us with them.

Eph 6:12 KJV
(12) 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.

Again, beware of any man that wants to spoil you through his church handwriting (the tradition/transmission of men) which are patterned after the “rudiments” (the founding principles) of the outside world and not after Christ who is the Head of all principality and power.

Col 2:8 KJV
(8) Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

The outside world has their handwritings (such as “constitutions”) by which they govern and judge themselves with. They do not have God as their King.

We are not to copy them in these things. We are not to make any likeness (IMAGE) of their things…their handwritings...and place them inside our places of worship (the holy place). They are the "abomination" that desolates that place of God's glory as He will not give His glory to such who have church handwritings.

We…as His people…are not to do like the nations around us who have made their governing and judging handwritings for themselves to keep and serve. We are not to take it for ourselves and place like images into our churches.

Deuteronomy 7:

25 The carved images of their gods you shall burn with fire. You shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them or take it for yourselves, lest you be ensnared by it, for it is an abomination to the Lord your God.

It is an “abomination” to the Lord our God ….our JUDGE. These things are devoted to destruction (the wrath of God…fire). If we have these nation-like handwritings in our churches, we also are destroyed… “devoted to destruction” like it.

26 And you shall not bring an abominable thing into your house and become devoted to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest and abhor it, for it is devoted to destruction.

The works…the church handwritings….are devoted for destruction. The works burn us up in His fire as our God is a consuming fire.

1Co 3:12-19 KJV
(12) Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
(13) Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
(14) If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
(15) If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
(16) Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

We must not defile the temple of God by having the handwritings of ordinances in them to keep and serve.

(17) If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
(18) Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.

The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.

(19) For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

We are our worst enemy because we think of ourselves as “wise” and go to a “church” and willingly and humbly submit to a church handwriting of ordinances…..the commandments and doctrines of men contained in them. They have a show of wisdom in our own will to go and keep and serve them. But we are engaged in our own “will worship” as we are seeing ourselves as “wise” to do these things. We PERISH with the using up of them. They are devoted to destruction and we also become devoted to destruction with the keeping and serving of them.

Col 2:20-23 KJV
(20) Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
(21) (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
(22) Which all are to perish with the using) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
(23) Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.

Professing ourselves as “wise”, we become fools and exchange the glory of God for an “image” made like the outside man…the nations around us. The glory of God departs from all of those people who are doing such things. His glory does not appear over them.

Rom 1:22-23 KJV
(22) Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
(23) And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

“Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.” (1 John 3:18-22 NASB’95)

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Don’t call it love when it isn’t love.

If we say we know God, or that we love God, or that we are in fellowship with God, but while we continue in deliberate and habitual sin against God and against other humans, even those we claim to love, and while we do not walk in obedience to our Lord’s commands, in practice, then don’t call it love, because it isn’t love. Don’t say to God or to other humans that you love them and then turn right around and deliberately sin against them knowing full well that what you are doing is wrong and is against them to harm them.

Don’t say that you believe in Jesus, and that he is your Lord and Savior, and claim heaven as your eternal destiny, if you are deliberately and habitually sinning against the Lord, and if you are not keeping his commandments, in practice, but you are doing whatever your flesh wants, instead. That would be like someone who is married saying to their spouse that they love them, but then going right out and willfully committing adultery against them, premeditatedly plotting such evil against them, without conscience.

Therefore, love is not just words we speak, but love is shown in what we do. If we say we love someone, but then deliberately do the opposite of love, then the words are cheap, and they are an insult to the one to whom they are said. Love is action, and it is demonstrated by what we do. But this word “love” is not to be defined by human flesh. For it means to prefer what God prefers, which is what is holy, righteous, morally pure, upright, honest, faithful, and obedient to our Lord. So we love others like Jesus loves us.

And how did Jesus love the people of the world? Well, he willingly left his throne in heaven, humbled himself, and was born as a human baby to a human mother, conceived of the Holy Spirit. And he suffered like we suffer, and he was tempted in like manner as we are also tempted, yet without sin. And eventually he was put to death on a cross. And in his death he put our sins to death with him so that, by faith in him, we might die to sin and walk in obedience to his commands in holy living, in the power of God.

But while he lived on the earth he ministered to the needs of the people. He healed the sick and afflicted, raised the dead, delivered people from demons, fed the hungry, comforted the sorrowful, and he performed many miracles in the sight of the people. And he preached repentance (turning from sin, death to sin) and walks of obedience to his commands as necessary components of genuine faith resulting in salvation from sin and eternal life with God. And he spoke truth to the people, not lies to tickle itching ears.

And we should follow in his footsteps. And we should be sharing with the people of the world the same gospel message that he taught, which was that if we would come after him, we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if we die with Christ to sin, and walk in obedience to his commands, by the Spirit, then we have the hope of salvation from sin and eternal life with God in his heavenly kingdom.

So many people today are teaching a “gospel” of salvation message which is absent of repentance (death to sin) and walks of obedience to our Lord and to his commandments. They are teaching that all you have to do is verbalize faith in Jesus Christ and now heaven is secured for you when you die. But that is not what Jesus taught. It is not what his New Testament apostles taught, not if you read what they taught in their fulness in the correct biblical context. But so many are teaching love for God by lip service only.

But all throughout the New Testament writings we are instructed that love for God results in walks of obedience to his commands and the forsaking of our sinful practices resulting in holy living, or it is not love, and it is not faith, and it will not result in salvation from sin and eternal life with God. And so many people are teaching that you don’t have to do anything to be pleasing to God, but the Scriptures teach that we are to do the things that are pleasing in his sight. And this, because we love him, we want to please him.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]

Lead Me Gently Home, Father

By Will L. Thompson, 1879

Lead me gently home, Father,
Lead me gently home;
When life’s toils are ended,
And parting days have come,
Sin no more shall tempt me,
Ne’er from Thee I’ll roam,
If Thou’ll only lead me, Father,
Lead me gently home.

Lead me gently home, Father,
Lead me gently home;
In life’s darkest hours, Father,
When life’s troubles come,
Keep my feet from wand’ring,
Lest from Thee I roam,
Lest I fall upon the wayside,
Lead me gently home.

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Not Words Only, But in Action
An Original Work / April 6, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

A provocative title, I know... but it's actually a reference to Mark Noll's The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind.


I think this cuts both ways across the eclessial divide in the US. It's not like liberal churches are exempt from anti-intellectualism, or more commonly, pseudo-intellectualism. Particularly as Mainline Protestantism declines, it seems to be retreating into the same kind of hardened, defensive posture that Fundamentalist churches once hid behind, albeit one with prettier walls and bigger endowments.

I've recently been in the doldrums. The faith presented at my church is not intellectually engaging. In fact it seems to be intellectually shallow in so many ways, heavily burdened by vibes and 'common sense' born of a certain kind of cultural elite that drinks deep from the dank end of postmodernism.

I'd be curious to hear the perspectives from other Mainline Protestants. Is Christianity just a spent force, a dead letter for the intellectuals in our society, rendered devoid of vitality?

Words can be cheap
if not followed with action.
Words can be wrong
if just wanting reaction.

Words should be right
if they are led now by God.
Words should be good
if they are truth, not façade.

Words should be kind,
and not hateful in nature.
Words should be thoughtful,
not hurtful, which fracture.

Words ought to help others,
Lead them in right ways.
Words ought to guide others,
Not lead them astray.

Words should give good counsel,
Not tell people lies.
Words should speak truth of God,
Not on flesh rely.

Words can wreak havoc,
Cause widespread destruction,
If we’re not careful
To follow instructions.

Watch now what you say,
Let God guide all your words.
Speak truth to each other
From God you have heard.

An Original Work / April 6, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

More of the ever increasing dreams/Prophecy that are becoming so common....I have been thinking going to Las Vegas for a few days as a tourist...I live about a 10 hr drive from..I have driven thru on the Interstate many times but never stopped...city of sin....I even watched some videos on what's happening there on a weekly blog type show...I finally got a dream about Vegas..There was 2-3 scenes involved...the first showed an overzealous hotel salesman trying to get a deposit out of me before I saw a room but when I refused he showed me thru the back thru old and worn out facilities and then out the back door back on the street..he was mad and told me to get lost...next up a mall type scene with very nice upscale shops, modern and clean but it was very late in the day/evening and there were no customers...
some of the shops were massage type places but upscale. The feeling was notable because it seemed late in the day. The last scene was me seeing one other tourist nearby and asking.."is there anything under 100?"...referring to hotel rooms and the guy laughed out loud.
The message was clear..dont waste my time or money..but the interesting thing was that feeling like it was later...it seemed to be saying that maybe Vegas itself was at its last days or later days...like at the end of it as a tourist place it would run out of customers totally and fall away...thats the vibe I got. I thanked the Holy Spirit as I do most of the time for the efforts involved...You have to remember that this un usual city was built around evil...to some degree for sure..

Will Trump Negotiate Tariffs? White House Claims Over 50 Countries Want To Talk

Personally, I'm confused by this whole Tariff situation. (I can't even remember if it is spelled with two r's or one...) I'm wondering if you think it is possible that it isn't just the act of a "mad man", but a strategy to reduce tariffs across the board. Could this actually work and be beneficial to the U.S.?

Last night I had a mild anxiety attack and then early this afternoon I had to go to a wedding shower. I just popped in, said “hello”, wished the bride well, sat a few minutes and left. I was just so uncomfortable and couldn’t wait to get back home. i didn’t even say “goodbye” to the bride or her mom. Now I’m thinking I should have but they do know about my anxiety issues I’m hoping they arent offended that I slipped out so quickly. I already told the brides mom last night that I’d probably not stay long and that I was feeling so poorly and that there was a chance I might not show up at all. Was that ok? Would you be offended? I think some people are wondering what the heck is wrong with me.

my dad has been sick the last couple of days. Please pray for him and that he recovers

Please pray for a blessed day for our family. Please ask God to let my son Jakeb feel good today and even smile and to please keep me out of pain and my husband healthy. Thank you so much and God bless you. Carmen

What is behind this sudden move against international students?

• Five from Amherst 4/5/2025
• Five from Ohio State 4/4/2025
• Six from UC San Diego 4/42025
• Twelve from UC Davis 4/42025
• Six from UC Standford + Four from UC Berkley 4/5/2025
• Eight from Arizona State 4/3/2025
• One from Georgetown University 3/17/2025
• Two from University of Texas Austin 4/4/2025
• Two from University of Akron, Ohio 4/42025
• Four from Kent State University Ohio 4/4/2025
• Two from University of Kentucky 4/4/2025
• Four from University of Nevada, Las Vegas 4/4/2025

The common themes in these revocations are the abruptness, lack of warning and lack of reasons given. It seems to be "We did it because we can" sort of thing. The other commonality is the ... diversity of the students' home countries. The universities were not notified by the government of the visa removals, which is weird.

This can be devastating for the students involved as foreign scholarship isn't cheap and there will be no refunds for expenses laid out for living and travel. This can also set back their education by years if not permanently.

This is crippling to the universities which I suspect to be the goal as other funding has also been cut off.

The Trump administration is ending a Department of Veterans Affairs program started by the Biden administration intended to help keep veterans struggling to pay their mortgages in their homes.

The VA will stop accepting new participants for what's called the Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchase program, or VASP, starting May 1, the department confirmed Friday.

The current president got under 50% of the citizens' votes.

Now, a large number of American citizens are protesting against the
president's policies, and how Elon Musk is trying to carry them out.

After posting a book that I was reading, a conversation began in the thread "What are you reading?" I felt that this topic needed its own thread instead of staying in another thread.


(This is the original post)


(These are response posts that came up in the thread)

US agriculture will greatly reduce its sales to China and to USAID.

These sources of income may come back some, but the total should be greatly reduced for years to come.

This is necessarily bad. The percentage of US citizens working in agriculture has been decreasing for many, many decades.

I've currently been hit with a severe satanic attack. I've let it be known to me that this topic is strictly off limits. Jesus taught on Hell, satan, demonic forces and the very battle for your soul.

I'm very discouraged that this isn't allowed to be shared with other believers. Deliverance many are so in need of, especially myself so when someone tells me that's prohibited in the Christian community I can no longer be apart whatever this forum represents.

Jesus would never turn anyone anyway or say we don't talk about that. He would never do that. So I can't remain here on this forum. Jesus is real and he talked on all those evil things many times in the new testament.

I queued this video to 42:57, where you see three lights, two green and one orange-ish in the middle. The lights appear to produce four beams at perfect 90 degree angles. I don't think this represents reality as it appears to the human eye. Anyone know how/why a camera produces this effect?

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If anybody has some songs to share I could really use them right about now about deliverance.

I have been talking to ChatGPT about how it saddens me when Churches teach that Godly Fear is simply "awe," or "reverence," when it is much more than this in the original Greek. Anyway, as Chat and I were speaking, Chat came up with something that really stood out to me. So, here is the quote from Chat.

"Godly fear” isn’t merely respect—it’s a holy fear. The kind that keeps you from treating God casually. It’s the fear that says, “I dare not play games in His presence.”
This echoes what Mr. Beaver says about the lion Aslan in "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe":
“Safe? Who said anything about safe? ’Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good.”
We’ve lost that in many churches. People want God to be safe. But He is holy—and holiness is not tame.
ChatGPT

I was amazed that Chat could come up with such wisdom.

This boils down to my fear that the COVID shot was the mark of the beast. I'm not proud of taking it. The reasoning behind why I took it is pitiful. I before taking it said, "what if this is the mark?" But I wouldn't harken that when it was dropped in my mind. I wanted to go see a secular concert and I made up my mind that I was going. I closed off my ears to that warning and took the shot because I needed it to get into this concert. The messed up part was that by the time the concert came around they were no longer requiring vaccine verification cards to get in. I could have got in without the shot at that point. My heart was wicked I would gamble my soul for a stupid concert. I feel like the Holy Spirit is gone and I am dead spiritually. I posted something along these lines in the about me forum. I was told to bring it here. I've had terrible supernatural experiences happening that don't feel Godly. As I mentioned in the introduce yourself forum I decided to take a couple puffs of weed to try and calm my mind. Before this point I never did a drug my entire life for 38 years. But now I've done it and I felt something in the back of my brain switch on kinda like how you would switch on a light. I haven't been able to sleep since. I can close my eyes my body rests and I feel like dozing but it's like my spiritual mind will not fully turn over into a peaceful sleep. I keep hearing voices saying I committed the unpardonable sin. I took the mark of the beast. I am damned forever. I have moments where thoughts that are peaceful and trying to comfort me but I attribute that to Satan playing sick games to get me to hope when the truth is there is none. What if it is the Holy Spirit trying to get through to me but I contributed His presence to Satan's which is the unforgivable sin, it's the one thing God can't forgive. When I tell you I am a mess, that is an understatement. I've struggled with mental health issues my entire life, but maybe that's the price I have to pay for relinquishing my soul. Please hear me, don't take the vaccine. Now I'm just waiting till the Lord comes back or I die in this life before getting thrown in the pit of hell. I will be in agony forever and I can't wrap my mind around that.

A video has emerged showing the final moments of more than a dozen Palestinian emergency workers shot dead by Israeli troops in Gaza last month, casting doubt on Israeli claims that soldiers opened fire on vehicles “advancing suspiciously.”

The video is filmed from the front of a vehicle and shows a convoy of clearly marked ambulances moving along a road at dawn, with headlights and flashing emergency lights on.

Their bodies were found in a mass grave more than a week after they were reported as missing. Eight of the 14 bodies recovered from the site in the southern Rafah area were identified as members of the PRCS, five as civil defense, and one as a UN agency employee, PRCS said in a statement.

The deaths sparked international condemnation, and the footage appears to contradict the assertion by the Israeli military that some vehicles were moving suspiciously without lights.

The paramedic filming, identified by the PRCS as Rifaat Radwan, is heard repeatedly saying the “shahada,” which Muslims recite when facing death. He asks God for forgiveness and says he knows he is going to die.

At one point he says: “Forgive me mom, this is the path I chose – to help people – I swear I didn’t choose this path but to help people.”

This is some recent action taken by the Trump administration on current visa holders in the USA from South Sudan. South Sudanese are generally Christians. The article suggests that it involves about 150 people who have "temporary protection status" but then it says that all South Sudanese will have their visas revoked. Regardless of the numbers, the group is rather small and those that are here in the USA likely have few funds to even travel back. Should the USA have more compassion on these people? Admittedly, their government should take immigrants who have committed crimes back. But they are in a civil war, half the nation starving, and Russia and China are involved there as well.

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pt2
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Obama does an exercise in the hypotheticals.

Curious if anyone has thoughts.

I remember the backlash over a tan suit.

why were the jabs so dangerous & what was the ingredients in the vile to cause so many to become sick or even die ?




We were just mean't to accept these shots without question.
I personally didn't take it for many reasons & I'm glad I never took it after hearing the many horror stories from people around the world.

Ozempic works. I haven't taken it, but I have taken a very low dose of tirzepitide (a compounded form of Mounjaro at 1/3 the cost.) I believe it can change lives more than any other weight loss program around.
I have exercised every day for years, even now into my 70's, and I have a busy, purposeful life that includes lots of volunteering, being on the board of three organizations, being the music minister in a small church (and subbing here and there in another), and freelancing as a journalist. My husband uses a walker and requires some help (and chauffering to medical appointments.) Still I had a nagging weight problem that kept me from being all I could be.
Tirzepitide (about $400 a month) and Ozempic work on the brain more than the body. It's not that they make you full--they just make you eat "like a normal person." I didn't try to diet. I just tried to eat the way people who don't have a problem with food eat, and because I'm always on the go the pounds just effortlessly disappeared.
In the pool where I do most of my exercise, I see so many older people who could be helped by Ozempic. I know them and their stories (you can't have worked in journalism and communications without being a good listener.) Most couldn't afford it without insurance--but with the potential health risks they'd shed along with the pounds, it would be a great bargain.
Please don't say, "Just say no." Some people have problems with alcohol. Or drugs. Or smoking. Or shopping. Or gambling. Or controlling other people. Or anger management. Everyone has problems and if Ozempic, or psychotherapy, or rehab saves Medicare lots of money in the future it's worth it.