1 PETER 2 DOING GOOD IS SUBMISSION TO GOD

August 30

1 PETER 2

13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperoras supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servantsof God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. – 1 Peter 2:13-25

1 PETER 2 DOING GOOD IS SUBMISSION TO GOD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

God’s purpose for man is to do his will

He wants us to do good to silence the wicked

To do good is to live a life that is free from fear

It is to serve God by loving and serving others

To do good is to submit to the will of God

It is to acknowledge the one who created you

It is also to humble oneself and praise the Lord

This means letting go of the ways of the world.

In this account, Peter admonishes the people of God to submit to authority, but I’d like to focus on verse 15 which is to do good because that is the will of God. According to this verse, the purpose of doing good is to put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Many people are not even aware of the purpose of their existence. It is sad to see that there are also some of those who claim they are Christians who do not do good out of love for God or surrendering to his will. A true believer on the other hand probably knows that their reason for living is to praise and glorify the King of all kings. Peter gives us all a good remembrance of the design of God in all of our lives. By the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, we are given a glimpse of that grandiose plan of God for human life. It is to manifest his image in each one of us because this was the reason why he made us all in his likeness. What does “doing good” really mean apart from how the world sees it? The world sees this as a transactional act to be given adulation.

REFLECTION

  • How did Peter differentiate here how “doing good” is not the same as the world views it?

EPHESIANS 6 SUBMIT AND HONOR YOUR PARENTS

August 29

EPHESIANS 6

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” 4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.5 Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, 6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. 9 Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.

                                                                           – Ephesians 6:1-9

EPHESIANS 6 SUBMIT AND HONOR YOUR PARENTS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

God chose your mother and father to be your guardians

They were given authority to care for your well-being

So, you are instructed to obey your parents for your sake

Submit to them without complaining for God says so

Obey and honor the authority given to you by God himself

For the Lord promises you a good and long life.

Paul stressed the importance of obedience and submission to those authorities given to us in the household in these following verses. Why do you think God’s first command that has a promise was to obey and honor your parents? The probable reason for this is because this is the first command that teaches us how to trust and depend on someone. It makes us recognize that we are vulnerable, helpless and need someone for us to be shown the love of God. The parents are channels of God’s authority and God’s love for mankind. That’s why all human beings are given a parent to bring them up in the knowledge of God. Sadly, because of our sinful nature, some mothers and fathers are just passing on what they were also given by their own parents. Can you imagine if all parents knew the Lord? We would probably have less traumatized, neglected and abused children. If a mother and father knew and served the Lord, they would raise their children in the love of God. Interestingly, in verse 4, we hear Paul spell out the responsibility to the fathers not to provoke their children to anger but to raise them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Why not the mother? Because the father is the head of the family and the household. He is responsible for his whole family and the charge and authority were given to the ultimate head of the family and household.

Children are instructed to obey their parents. Why is obedience so important to God? It is the biggest act of humility and love. This is why our first God-given authority when we are born is our parents. They were given to us when we don’t know anything yet, so we could be shaped in how God made us.

REFLECTION

  • Share insights as to what happens to children when they are disobedient to their parents.

ROMANS 12 SUBMIT TO THE SAINTS’ NEEDS & SHOW HOSPITALITY

August 28

ROMANS 12

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave itto the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. – Romans 12:9-21

ROMANS 12 SUBMIT TO THE SAINTS’ NEEDS & SHOW HOSPITALITY

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When you love the Lord your God, you will begin to serve the saints

It is the best way for you to love one another with brotherly affection

Always be joyful whether you are facing adversities or blessings

Make it your goal to attend to the needs of your sisters and brothers

Do not neglect to be generous and show the saints your hospitality

Open your homes to the fellowship that is required of every believer

Never think you are wiser than anyone else, stay humble

Love your enemy and treat them as the Lord would do so.

I’ve been witness to so many Christians who does not live up to God’s requirement to love one another with brotherly affection. Some Christians behave much like an unbeliever by following the ways of the world. They do not consider the other saints as sisters or brothers. Instead, we rarely see genuine love for one another. If you consider someone as part of your family, wouldn’t you care what they do and hold them accountable to how they live their lives for Christ. Many are unaware how to apply the laws of the Lord which are based on loving unconditionally. It is hard for us sinners to love without expecting something back in return.

In this account, Paul tells the believers that they needed to show genuine love and focused on submitting to one another’s needs. When he outdoes one another in showing love, he was actually turning their competitiveness to perform from a self-focused life to a selfless and other-focused life. It means that they think of the welfare of others more than their own. They do things out of concern and love for each other and not out of looking good. They do not think highly of themselves, so they are not partial to those who are lowly and poor. Instead, they open their homes and welcome anyone who wants to come so that they can show their love for them. They make it their job to serve the saints and build the church.

REFLECTION

  • What are some ways that Christians fail to show genuine love for the saints?

MICAH 6 WALKING HUMBLY WITH GOD IS SURRENDER

August 27

MICAH 6

6 “With what shall I come before the Lord,
    and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
    with calves a year old?
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
    with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
    the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
8 He has told you, O man, what is good;
    and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
    and to walk humbly with your God?  – Micah 6:6-8

MICAH 6 WALKING HUMBLY WITH GOD IS SURRENDER

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When you serve the Lord your God, you will obey what he says

If you do not know your God, how can you even desire to surrender?

If you believe in the Lord, you will be saved from your sinful nature

Unbelief is the defiance of the truth that God gave his only Son Jesus

Accept the truth and your unbelief will be replaced with faith

Walk humbly with God and surrender all of your mind, soul and heart

Be kind and love one another and never forget to be fair and just

This is the only way that the Lord your God will be pleased with you.

In this account in the book of Micah, the people of God asked the prophet what would please the Lord. Interesting to hear this query from God’s own covenant people. Sometimes, when we do not want to obey what is required of us, our human nature gets the best of us and pretends that we don’t know. God was very clear to Moses about what is required from them and yet in this narrative, we hear them inquire about what burnt offerings would please God. Isn’t this also true when a child doesn’t want to obey what the parents say? The child deflects and avoids following it with questions that they already know the answer to. This is how this narrative sounded to me: the Israelites were treating God like the other pagan gods who have physical offerings required of them.  They were stuck in the religious practices that they have failed to understand or avoided so that they don’t have to do what is needed. This clearly illustrates the wickedness of the human heart. We do not listen or remember who God is because we are so wrapped up in the rituals. The Lord wants a relationship with them and not religious practices. It almost felt sarcasm to ask God what they already know. If they followed the laws of God, they would know what he wants from them as offering. God wants their love, humility and justice.

REFLECTION

·       Why do you think that God wants us to humbly walk with him? What does that look like?

2 CORINTHIANS 13 SUBMIT TO THE TRUTH

August 26

2 CORINTHIANS 13

5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? —unless indeed you fail to meet the test! 6 I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test. 7 But we pray to God that you may not do wrong—not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed. 8 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. 9 For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for. 10 For this reason I write these things while I am away from you, that when I come, I may not have to be severe in my use of the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.   – 2 Corinthians 13:5-10

2 CORINTHIANS 13 SUBMIT TO THE TRUTH

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

As you become a believer, you are required to surrender your life

There’s no longer a need to cater to your desires and engage in strife

Jesus has implanted his word in your heart so you may be saved

Examine the instructions in his word and humbly succumb

Without being tested by the word, you will not submit to it

If God chose you, you’ll be tested so you can grow in endurance

If you fail to submit to the truth, you will still be faithless

Confess the word, obey it, then your new creation will transpire.

I love how Paul wrote this love letter to the Corinthian church. He manifests the love that God has for his people and how he guides them to submit to the word of truth. I’ve seen many Christians who do not submit to the authority of Scripture and yet claim they are Christians. James says that the truth is given to us so that our souls may be saved. Paul also says to his letter to Timothy that all scriptures are God-breath and is given to us to correct, teach, instruct us and give us a way out when we are trapped in sin. This is what it means by the word as having authority over our lives. It is equally sovereign over us just like God the Father and the Holy Spirit is. In John 1:1 he says that in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. So, what John is saying here is that Jesus was the Word. He also points this out to the Pharisees when he said in John 5:39 You search for Scripture because you think they give you eternal life but the Scriptures point to me. That is because Jesus himself is the Word. He is life and all who come to him will have eternal life. It took me a while to grasp this truth because I have believed so many false teachings in the past. It is just beginning to make sense to me why God reveals himself to us in the bible. If we don’t submit to it, we are technically disobeying God himself, isn’t it?

As a former Speech and English teacher, I couldn’t stress much to my students the importance of using the appropriate words when they speak. What we say and how we say it can make or break someone. As the bible says in Proverbs 18:21, the power of life and death is in the tongue. I don’t wonder anymore why God would choose the Word to give us life and to save us.

REFLECTION

  • What could be some reason why some Christians won’t submit to the word of truth?

1 CORINTHIANS 3 SUBMIT YOUR BODIES TO THE LORD

August 25

1 CORINTHIANS 3

16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” 20 and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” 21 So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.

                                                                                        – 1 Corinthians 3:16-23

1 CORINTHIANS 3 SUBMIT YOUR BODIES TO THE LORD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When you were chosen by God to be part of his people

He gave you the Holy Spirit to dwell in you and become his temple

You are not your own because you belong to the Lord

Submit your bodies to him because you don’t belong to this world

God is holy and he requires his people to also be holy

Do not defile your bodies with the world’s system

Keep your entire being pure and unstained

Never allow human wisdom to corrupt you.

As humans, we tend to think that we own our bodies and that we can do whatever we want with it, but that is not what Paul was teaching the Corinthian church here. He tells them that God’s Spirit lives in every believer’s body and that we ought to keep it holy because we serve a holy God. It is so humbling that God chose to live in our sinful bodies. Without the Lord Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, we won’t have the privilege of being God’s temple. But how do we treat the temple of God? How do we make sure that we don’t desecrate or defile our own bodies? In 1 Corinthians 6:18-20  Paul tells the believers how to keep their temple pure. He said “Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So, glorify God in your body.”

What else do we do that defiles the body? We can abuse different kinds of substances that are not good for our health and lead us to do things that will open doors for more sins. Any kind of addiction such as smoking, drinking alcohol, food, work or bad habits of not eating healthy food but binging on things that are going to be harmful for us are ways of corrupting our own bodies. If we deprive ourselves of sleep and rest, we will eventually suffer from many other mental, emotional or physical illnesses.

REFLECTION

  • Give examples of how we should keep our bodies as sacred temples of God.

ROMANS 10 CONFESSION LEADS TO FAITH AND SUBMISSION

August 24

ROMANS 10

Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. 5 For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. 6 But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” – Romans 10:1-13

ROMANS 10 CONFESSION LEADS TO FAITH AND SUBMISSION

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When you hear the word of God, harden not your hearts

God’s word is not far from you; it is within you and in your mouth

If you confess and speak it out loud, it will be declared and heard

Those who hear it will be led to the truth that comes from God

As soon as you hear it, receive it and don’t resist but obey it

It will lead you to believe in the Lord as you begin to know him

Say it out loud so your whole being will be revitalized and awakened

It will make you hungry for more truth and transform your sinful nature.

In verse 3, Paul gives us the reason why many people do not choose to believe in God. Self promotion and ambition stop humans from acknowledging the existence of God. They do not know God and the reason for their lives.  In verse 8, Paul locates where the word of God lives. It is in our hearts and in our mouths. Solomon speaks about this in Ecclesiastes 3:11, when he said that God has put eternity in our hearts. A commentary says that this verse means that we possess an innate knowledge that there is something more to life than what we can see and experience in the here and now. It just aligns with how God created us. He made us in his own image as Genesis 1 says, man and woman alike are all made in the likeness of God. God didn’t create animals in his image, but humans. If he created us like him, we have a spirit and knowledge that knows God, who is our Maker. If Adam and Eve didn’t sin, we will still have that knowledge of a Higher Being who made us, but sin thwarted that and made it look like we can be on our own, giving ourselves our own glory instead of praising and worshiping God.

REFLECTION

  • Why is it important to confess the word of God and not just read it as this account explains?

JOHN 7 IF YOU DO GOD’S WILL

August 23

JOHN 7

16 So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. 17 If anyone’s will is to do God’swill, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. 18 The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. 19 Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?” 20 The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?” 21 Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all marvel at it. 22 Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23 If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man’s whole body well? 24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” – John 7:16-24

JOHN 7 IF YOU DO GOD’S WILL

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When you struggle to obey God’s will

Pride is lurking inside you to defy him

The absence of humility leads to mutiny

By nature, man resists God because of rivalry

He is envious of God’s power, so he defies him

But if you do God’s will, you will be free from sin

Only your creator knows what is best for your life

If you don’t submit to God, you open doors for strife.

According to sources there are over 100 bible verses on obedience and dozens of other key verses that refers to it. Why does the bible talk so much about obedience? The laws of the Lord require obedience. Without obedience, the fulfillment of his promises cannot happen. Many people think that laws and commands are about making one’s life hard and difficult. These people who have this mindset do not see the big picture about the function of these laws.  They serve as protection against the bad and to keep living peacefully. This is how the civil and government laws were made. They were to punish those who do evil and give justice to those who are being oppressed and treated unjustly. When we are given laws, it is for our own good, but the enemy has thwarted and twisted the laws because Satan wants to proliferate evil. In the book of James, he mentions that obedience is the prerequisite for the devil fleeing away from us. We cannot resist the tactics if we don’t believe and follow God’s protective plan through his laws. We are opening doors for the enemy to infiltrate our minds and hearts through disobedience. That is exactly how Adam and Eve were enticed to go against the prohibition to eat from the tree of life.

In this account, John narrates Jesus’ response to the religious leaders about his teachings. These insecure Pharisees question the truth because they do not have it. So, Jesus told them that if they follow God’s will, they will know that what he is teaching is from God his Father himself.

REFLECTION

  • What happens to those who claim they are Christians but never follow God’s commands?

PROVERBS 37 COMMIT & SUBMIT TO THE LORD

August 22

PROVERBS 37
Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not envious of wrongdoers!
2 For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.
3 Trust in the LORD, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday. – Proverbs 37:1-6

PROVERBS 37 COMMIT & SUBMIT TO THE LORD
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
As you receive the invitation of the Lord Jesus Christ
You will be transformed and experience a new life
The word of God will become alive in your heart
It will correct and direct you into the obedience of God
Nothing else matter and you will trust and commit to him
As you make a habit of obedience, you will overcome sin.

In this saying, Solomon makes us dwell on faithfulness. There are many key elements of being faithful to someone you love. Some of these are: trust, obedience, delight or joy, thankfulness, patience and commitment. Why are these all important to show that we love someone. We cannot claim that we love somebody and not manifest it in action. We can’t say that we love someone when we are suspicious and protective of ourselves that this person may hurt us. That is a lack of trust. We can’t also say that we love someone when we don’t consider their well-being and do what they request that is good for them. We can’t say that we love someone when we don’t even invest time to spend with them and delight in their presence. We cannot claim we love if we are not grateful for their presence in our lives or even let them know how much you need them. We can’t claim that we are in love if we are impatient and not committed to stay in the relationship when things do not go as you expect it to be. In other words, it doesn’t give up as the love chapter in 1 Corinthians 13 defines love.
When two people decide to get married, they give up their singlehood and commit to the inclusion of another presence in their lives. This is why the marriage vows are covenantal. It is not just an agreement but it has a depth in its commitment and responsibilities. The vows are just the beginning of the continued love, trust and commitment to each other for life. This is also true for the believer’s life with regards to his trust, obedience and commitment to the Lord.

REFLECTION
• Can someone submit and commit to someone they do not love or believe in? Why or why not?

ACTS 17 TO RECEIVE THE WORD IS TO OBEY IT

August 21

ACTS 17

10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. 12 Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. 13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds. 14 Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there. 15 Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed. – Acts 17:10-15

ACTS 17 TO RECEIVE THE WORD IS TO OBEY IT

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When you hear the word of God, do you get excited?

Do you accept it or do you doubt and question it?

To receive the word of God is to allow its transforming influence

When you haven’t examined and followed it, you remain unchanged

When the Spirit of God dwells in you, his word inevitably transforms you

When you were not chosen to be his servant, you won’t accept the word

To take the word eagerly means that you’ll apply what it says and obey it

To reject it would mean that you deny the truth and you won’t be free.

The writer in the book of Acts narrates the story of how people responded to the word of God. The Jews in Berea received the gospel very differently from those Jews in Thessalonica. What’s the difference? They received the word of God eagerly. Notice the word eagerly? What does it mean to be eager? Let’s imagine a child who was given a promise that she will receive one of her wishes as a birthday gift. You could picture her being so excited and waiting until the day she gets that gift. She probably won’t be able to sleep as she guesses which one among her wishes will she get. She’ll visualize what she would do as soon as she gets that gift. That is probably what the writer is illustrating here on how the Jews eagerly received it. Enthusiasm and expectancy were present when they received the word. They knew that the word of God would change their lives. It wasn’t a passive waiting but a looking forward to how God’s word would prove true to their lives. In verse 12, when the Jews in Thessalonica heard that Paul had proclaimed the gospel in Berea, they came and caused a stir. In other words, they didn’t receive the word of God when they heard it spoken to them by Paul in Thessalonica. They became envious of the Jews in Berea because they didn’t accept God’s word with much enthusiasm and eagerness.

Many Christians hear the word, read the bible regularly and yet live unchanged lives. What does that tell us about their faith?

REFLECTION

·       Why do some Christians stay unchanged despite hearing the gospel?