Bible Questions & Discussion PAGE 404

"The Preciousness of the Blood"

Part 2

"If we truly treasure the blood of Christ, we will not defile it. the preciousness of the blood of Christ is a very pertinent factor in the life of the Christian. Peter maintains that the preciousness of the blood is to be the Christian's motivation for purity--for avoiding profaning the price of our redemption. In other words, to resist the goal for which the blood of Christ was shed is to profane the price which was paid to realize the goal: purity and holiness. Put differently, the degree to which the blood of Christ is precious is also the measure of the penalty for profaning it.

The regulations that God gave to the Israelites in Chapter 17 of the book of Leviticus were intended to prevent the profaning of the blood of living creatures. It should be granted, then, that what is precious should not be profaned. Are there ways in which the precious blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord, is profaned? I believe so.

First, the believer profanes the blood of Christ by persisting in the very sin from which the precious blood was intended to cleanse us. Listen to these most sobering words from the book of Hebrews:

"How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he has been sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?...It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God." ( Heb. 10:29.31)

A second way in which a Christian can profane the precious blood of Christ is by a disregard for the Lord's Table, or by misconduct in your remembrance of the Lord's death. You will recall that in the 11th Chapter of 1 Corinthians, the misconduct of the Corinthian saints was described. The result was that some were judged by sickness and some by death ( 1Cor. 11:30). The reason given by Paul was that the saints did not "judge" the body rightly" (vs. 29).

Continued in Part 3

Hello, recently I posted for responses to my query of how we can defile or honor as precious the blood of Jesus. I am thankful for Chris' reply.

I had cited an article "The Preciousness of the Blood" by Bob Diffinbaugh. I was really impressed with what he wrote on this topic so I would like to quote this article today.

"Blood is not precious in its own right, but because it is equated with life. The principle conveyed first in Leviticus 17 is that "the life is in the blood". Pressing this matter further, then, we can safely conclude that God values life as precious. Blood is the instrument through which atonement is made, which spares the life of the sinner. Life is this precious to God, as well it can be for it was God who created all life. ( Gen. 1-2)

If blood, (and, as we have seen, life) is precious then there are several areas of application. The first application is that God values all life. Let the abortionist take note! Let those who talk about "quality of life" beware. God is the giver of life, Satan, through sin, seeks to destroy it. Let us prove to be on God's side by seeking to save life, rather than destroy it.

Pressing the fact that God values all lie to its personal level, we can say with great conviction, God values your life. God values your life so much more highly than you do. The measure of the value which God has placed on your life is the price which He was willing to pay to save it; the precious blood of His only Son, Jesus Christ. According to this standard, God has placed infinite value on your life. May you and I value our life in the light of the value God has ascribed to it.

Further, knowing the value which God has assigned to life enables us to better grasp the evil of sin, which seeks to destroy life by producing death. Cin can only be appraised in the light of tits ultimate result--death, and death can only be evaluated in light of its opposite--life. How ugly sin is in the light of the value of the life which it seeks to destroy."

Only The Spirit of the LORD would lead you to such an assignment. DON'T PROCRASTINATE! He wants to talk to you. God Bless.

Focus on obtaining one as if it were your last assignment on this earth. The words of the KJV are the only words I trust. God Bless you.

Well thank you for your answer Chris. Anyone else I've ever asked this question to has responded, "I don't know". I appreciate you taking time to give me a suitable answer. It is speculation to be sure. There are many things I want to ask Jesus when I get to heaven, this being one.

John 21:11 Niv

The number 153 signify the large fish which ware also in the net and still there were many fish as well in the net as it needed to be dragged.

The miracle that was performed by our lord Jesus Christ yet with the large fish of 153 and the rest of the fish the net did not tear

(The many fish and the net withholding the weight)

11 So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn.

Please pray for understanding in Jesus' name amen.

Hello Bob.

It seems to me by reading the chapter that they did not eat of their flocks and herds, but were being sustained by the manna that fell each night. The sheep, goats, and cattle were reserved for the sacrifices laid out at Sinai (Book of Leviticus Ch. 1-70). By following these sacrificial requirements, there would be multiple sacrifices offered daily. The flocks and herds needed to be kept for these sacrifices and to keep breeding for them to have livestock when they arrived and settled in Canaan. Likely, also, they did not eat the turtle doves or pigeons they must have kept as tamed animals they raised and breed.

The people were growing tired of manna every day. They had not been too long out of Egypt where they could have a fresh memory of the varied diet there. Their fleshy self was unsatisfied with the diet God had provided for them without any labor on their part to grow it. They just had to collect it, grind it and make it into bread. Even though the manna was completely sufficient to satisfy the nutritional needs of their bodies, the Israelites wanted more than what God had ordained for their sustenance. He must have set apart the meat of their livestock for sacrifices and giving them only manna to eat as a test to them. Would they be satisfied with the manna when they saw their livestock daily and being sacrificed to God daily without being permitted to slay some for meat to eat. Would they be satisfied with what God had commanded and provided or want their own way instead? As you read on in the chapter, God had it literally "rain down quail" so plentiful that they would become sick of eating it, though they lustily consumed it to the point of gluttony. Also, God sent some sort of plague upon them from consuming the quail. So, thought the Israelites craved meat and got it from the Lord, it was not a blessing, but a punishment for their grumbling against God and his provision and rule of law.

Hello Sammy, seems like your post did get up on the board after all.

In thinking about your question, the first thing that comes to my mind is the word "adjusting".

In the last few years I have been adjusting to bring pretty much forced to retire due to disabling physical conditions. Often I will see someone working a job and think, "I would like to try this job". But then I must face the fact that I cannot be on my feet for longs lengths of time, nor sit at a desk for long spells, nor can I walk around all day. I realize I need to take time out throughout the day to sit reclined in my chair to rest my back, feet, and hands from physical activity. I have always been an "on the go

type of person, so adjusting to this retirement has been met with being able to study the word more, pray more, and learn to relax and take it easy. It has paid off for me to do so, as I can tell that my back is doing better, (not hurting all day long) and was even able to do some light gardening this past season. These are blessings. I am thankful for them.

So, "adjusting" has been my learning this past year or so.

Thanks for your kind reply . I sent you a big reply earlier today but it didn't get put up . I must have said something offensive I guess . It took me ages to type it ! Nevermind . Thank you again .

Judges 16:9

"And she(Dililah) made him(Samson) sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him"

The Hair represents Devotion to God. If the devil manages to cut our devotion to God off, then we loose our strength and we become infront of him weak like all the other people. We should never play games with satan/sin like Samson did with Delilah, he will eventually find the way to beat and enslave us. Matthew 26:41, "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

Hello Richard

The battle against devil (and all sort of things that are enemies in our lives) is definitely against man if God is not present. But when God is present the result is definetely for us. But one needs "eyes of faith" to see God standing next to him.

I heard something really good today in the morning service. It was about David and Goliath. If there wasn't any faith in David, when he first saw Goliath he would have thought "Whow how big he is, I can not possibly beat him", but looking through his eyes of faith, he thought "Whow how big he is, I can not possibly miss him". GBU

alex1939...Hiya Giannis good question about the latter rain...In the time of Noah, God sent the rain and it flooded this whole earth...Only 8 persons were saved..But in this last day God is gonna pour out of his Spirit on all flesh...Its gona be a spritual flood of his Spirit on all of humanity...Anybody not in the Ark was loss...But now the Ark is the H.G. the Kingdom of God..The blood of the lamb...That New Covenant...Abide in me and i in you...KNOWLEDGE is gonna cover the earth as the waters cover the seas and this knowledge is an intimacy as Jesus said he wants to KNOW US..Thus we will birth a New heart and a New Spirit which is our Ark the H.G. the Kingdom...This is a flood of the latter rain of his Spirit...As Isaiah says its gona cover the Earth as the waters cover the seas...Inclusive of everybody...If i be lifted up i will draw ALL MEN unto me...

....The former Rain was the early Church at Pentacost...But it was very moderate...As Micah 5:3 said he wd give them up till the woman is in travail and birth pains,..The early Church was all in parts, But Paul says when that which is perfect is come that ( latter rain) As Joel says he was gonna pour out of his spirit on all flesh, thats the latter rain at the last day when the book is opened that is in the fathers right hand...The Words of that book are the seeds of the sower that is gonna be planted, the seeds of God in the hearts of every person...Resulting in a birth of Christ in every person..When Jeremiah saw all men in travail and birth pains thats indicative of all the world being bornagain of that incorruptible seed THE WORD ...Which is the WATER OF THE WORD ( THE WORDS OF THAT BOOK OF LIFE ) That latter rain doctrine..I will pour out of my Spirit on ALL FLESH...That spiritual rain of life...Its gonna effect the whole family everybody, Even your sons and daughters are gonna prophesy...

.....The fruit of the earth from this latter rain are the babes and sucklings ..She brought forth a manchild the H.G.

Thank you Jesse, I agree with your post. Also longsuffering/patience is refered to the relations between christians since the preceding chapters 3,4 and 5 are refering to this issue, as well.

God bless you. Have a blessed week.

Dear Richard, Thanks for such good commentary on spiritual discernment. It resonated with me today. Don't worry about "hogging" space on here since such space really is very vast. We do need in-depth presentation of spiritual topics at times and I appreciate your doing so here.

As for exercising discernment, I agree that spending times in prayer and fasting before acting to what one thinks is the move of the Spirit towards another person is wise practice. I, for one, would take the time to really seek God about dealing with another person in a way that may seem negative to them as I would want both myself and the other person to be prepared by the Holy Spirit for such an encounter. Certainly, if someone is so distressed that they would ask me for help, I would gladly step in and pray with and for them with boldness and certainty that God will act mercifully in this persons' life and accomplish His will to destroy the works of the enemy in this person.

Being used by God to participate in this work is really awesome and humbling. Often when is called to do so, one usually realizes their own spiritual weakness and need for Gods power, their own sinfulness and need for holiness before God, and a deep concern for the welfare of the other person, not wishing to bring any harm or discouragement to them, but to lift them up instead.

Was Levi a good man of God?

Spiritual discernment part 7.

To avoid hogging all the space here; I will conclude here for now.

As with a computer hacker and viruses used to take down a system; we need to be familiar with the toolbox the enemy has and his tactics. A general statement is that he uses possession for some not in the faith; and oppression for believers as the "complimentary" tactic. Satan is what I call the "equal opportunity destroyer". If outright persecution fails; he then resorts to false doctrine. If that fails he will dangle a carrot in front of us; then accuse us once we take the bait. He will use our own weaknesses over and over again through our thoughts; he will use people to accuse us if that doesn't work and circumstances to overwhelm us; music and entertainment to mesmerize us; news of the world to grip us with fear; etc. The sword of the Spirit is said to be the only offensive weapon available to us ( Ephesians 6:11-12). Of course to use that all of our defensive armor and gear needs to be present and accounted for as an active element in our daily battles.

It would be nice to see churches that would really see themselves as Churchill for example did in the war room when he said "we will fight in the trenches; etc. we will never surrender" The odds may appear against us in the battle but Christ has already won the war. Death itself for the saint is a victory ( Psalm 116:15) as well as precious in His sight. We have overcome the second death through His atonement ( Rev. 2:11). The world system run by Satanic forces tries to convince us that might is right; we through pride continue to ride out the dreams of victory through man's efforts; and other such sentiment. This world is not our home; we are aliens in this life and pilgrims ( Eph. 2:12). We are already seated in heavenly places ( Eph. 2:4-6) with Christ our High Priest ever interceding for us ( Heb. 4:14-16). Let us faithfully follow the captain of our salvation to the end ( Heb. 2:9-10) Agape

Spiritual discernment part 6

Encouragement and the lack thereof within the Body of Christ

It has been said that a Prophet is never honored in his own hometown in Luke 4:24. This is in regard to faith; as opposed to unbelief. Mark 9:24 shows the proper response to those seeking more faith in "helping with my unbelief". Since we are not God and only have a slight understanding "seeing as through a mirror darkly" ( 1 Cor 13:12) we can't necessarily diagnose what is true unbelief nor have the Spirit "without measure" ( John 3:34) as Christ did. If we look at outer circumstances and misuse verses to convince people that they should be healthy and wealthy then we may bring unnecessary discouragement to those who need a "merry heart" ( Prov. 17:22) for healing purposes. We don't bring things forth as some seem to cleim through words as the "name it and claim it" or blab it and grab it crowd would like us to believe. Or; more aptly put we should seek the "worst life now" as the countercultural resistance to the opposing camp (I'll leave it at that).

Recognizing potential in the gifting and talents of others seems like a rare thing today. Since we are all called to edify one another ( Romans 12:4-5) there should be a joint effort as part of the army of Christ; salt and light of the world we are called to be. This should be the duties of elders but we all have responsibilities. The giver of the gifts; of course is more crucial than the gift itself but we shouldn't have to sacrifice gifts because there are those who don't find it expedient to believe in such things.

As with anything else; as the old song goes we need to know when to hold; fold; walk or run away with the cards on the table in our hand. If the Spirit isn't present or welcome in a place of fellowship it is no mystery; sin is in the camp (Read Joshua 7).

This eliminates the effectiveness of a ministry. There is still hope if some truth is preached and at least a few still living in true faith.

Spiritual Discernment part 5: The Holy Spirit at work

The discernment of spirits involves detection of God's presence as well as the lack thereof. It is a rare preacher or layperson who would dare to be bold enough to declare that their particular congregation is lukewarm as Christ did of the Laodiceans. Unfortunately; there is too much human praise (such as accolades to Pastors) which in and of itself isn't necessarily wrong; but if it is in the spirit of the world where "what is honorable among men is an abomination to God" ( Luke 16:15 loosely translated). Empty praise we could do without; of course false accusations and and overcritical spirit aren't helpful either. It is; nonetheless being UNloving and not edifying brothers and sisters in Christ if we don't care enough to help them when we can see that they are compromised in some way; we should desire fruit to multiply in others.

We were discussing Pilate's line today with Christ "what is truth"? ( John 18:38). With today's culture tending to have the effect of not wanting to "offend" anyone as its biproduct of downright falsehood; it seems that there is little making us uncomfortable or thinking about the fear of the Lord nowadays. The truth is as a "two edged sword" ( Heb. 4:12). We also need to remember that He comes with a sword to smite the nations and even judge the church in some ways ( Rev. 2:16; Revelation 19). Paul didn't mince words with Peter but openly rebuked him in his hypocricy ( Galatians 2:11-19). Jesus Himself of course was God and able perhaps to be more critical than any of us; but again He rebukes all those He loves ( Heb. 12:6). The words of Proverbs 27:6 discuss the benefits of a rebuke of a friend; and this could be multiplied with many other cross references.

The point here is that if we don't make truth clear and expose error then the cure is worthless at best and perhaps worse than the disease. Any strongholds the enemy has must be dealt with before deliverance.

Spiritual Discernment Part 4

In the area of deliverance; discernment of spirits is certainly an aid in such a process. There are certain necessary prerequisites to such procedures; firstly of course a thorough knowledge of the Word in our "tool box" to use as weapons against the Evil One. This at times requires such things as prayer AND fasting ( Matt. 17:21). Since we are not Omniscient like Christ we should be regular in such activities and plan on such when we know a deliverance is needed.

Also there is the need for an individual to repent. It doesn't appear that Christ would ask a person who is being delivered to repent first; but He did warn the paralytic who was healed to "sin no more lest something WORSE happen to you." ( John 15:144-18). Considering the decades the man was a paralytic it seems likely that this was a warning of eternal condemnation of the soul in a helpless state. We should consider these things as obstacles when people aren't delivered right away; and of course if we are aware of certain things leading to their state (such as one case I saw when someone was possessed after watching occultic videos) they need to be dealt with. It didn't seem back in Biblical times that it was so easy to have secret sins as now; what was then outward idol worship is today imagery from a virtual reality; a false god and worship nonetheless no matter how someone defines their obsession with it.

A word of caution here is for those who are gifted with spritual discernment we often lack the practical wisdom to get a good picture of the other factors in a persons life; obviously this can tie in directly to besetting sins (things such as past abuse or patterns of behaviors); as well as the interpersonal dynamics; health issues and other things to get a complete picture. For the best diagnosis sometimes we need to seek the Lord if we are discerning correctly; then allow the blanks to be filled in as to WHY this is what the Lord has shown us.

How come the people had no flesh eat. Were they forbidden to eat of their own flocks and herds? Please help me to understand this. Thank you.

Bob W

Alex1939..Samuel this reply may be too late but speaking of the strangers in Israel ... Luke 10:30..The good Samaritian was a stranger not of the ppl of Israel...But in his travels he came upon this wounded man that had fallen among thieves that had beaten him half dead but he went to him and poured in Oil and Wine and put him on his own mule and brought him to an inn and asked the keeper what so ever you spend more when i came again ( a 2 nd coming ) i will repay you...And b/c of this I believe the Stranger was Jesus that showed him love and mercy.

Way back when they came outa of Egypt God had ordered them to be kind to the Strangers that are among you seeing ye your selves were strangers in the land of Egypt at 1 time....GB

God bless you i am reading this on ps4 while captive but god is with me glory to god blessed be his name for i can delight myself in his word amen

Thank you for your kind reply . For the new year , I would like to ask everyone who reads this a question . What did you learn this past year ? You don't have to posts your answers but they might be helpful to others if you do . As a young person I was a cool customer . Not very warm , friendly or emotional . As I got older I was worried that I didn't know how to love . Maybe twenty five years or so ago , I asked God , in prayer , to teach me how to love . He's still working on me but I think that I have improved , with His help . Ive learned that to really love is to love indiscriminately . To do this I had to allow God and Jesus , right into my heart . This wasn't easy for me , I know that when you love it opens you up to feeling pain and I don't like that . Also , I'm a bit judgemental and don't find it easy to even like certain types of people . I still need a lot of help from my God with this . I've learned to try not to see the flesh , go straight to the heart . Don't look at the dirty clothes or the unkept hair or the bad teeth . Just look straight at Jesus . It's much easier to love good looking , clean , well spoken , calm , friendly people . What about the others ? They are God's creation also . God loves them too . I've also learned to look straight at the vulnerability of a person and try to empathize with that vulnerability and love that part of that person . I've met some mean souls in my time . Some of them are in my own family . As mean as they are they are just flesh like me . This past year I had some mean family members become very vulnerable and they've been in need of a lot of help and support . I know my duty so I've been helping out . It's been an extra load of work for me but I've done my best to be practically helpful and to try to cheer them up . They aren't the most emotional people either . They sent me a lovely card with such a nice message of appreciation , I was moved to tears . My heart is softer for helping them . Thank God . Amen .

Dear "Sammi" You will see that you come to and do it now with the confession in your words. Fear not nothing is dangerous in Jesus Christ holy name. Hebrew 12.

Stay close in the Word of God, be always happy and thank for everything. Love u in Christ.

Kile,

Are you asking about John Chapter 1 Verse 3, or are you asking about I, II, & III John?

Part 3

As promised here is my explanation. Our minds are developing through our 20s when we finally become "adults". We can thankfully be freed from ingrained sin; but there are lasting scars and weaknesses that we are vulnerable to. The enemy always falls short in his promises. There are few who gain great strides in wealth and status in this world from Satan's aid; but at best they are never totally fulfilled; and in the end there is always a price to pay. Once we begin to understand the control that Satan has over this whole world system and how we are; apart from Christ totally helpless and hellbound then we are prepared for the victory we can have through Christ when He calls and chooses us out of the world for His Name's sake. We can then give a "Word of testimony" ( Revelation 12:11). This comes to its ultimate fulfillment for the countless multitude massacred during the Great Tribulation. But it starts now; as one cannot help but share how they are set free from the bondage of sin; into the glorious kingdom of God. ( Romans 8:2).

With this background then; I will state that more specifically there are some who are able to more readily discern what is going on in the spiritual realm if they are gifted in discernment. They are called to minister in the Body as well as others with different giftings are to do the same thing. Being given this gift myself; I really don't have much of an idea HOW this can be done or where it is being practiced. The true Word of God isn't usually something people in this age want to hear; and that of course fits into any spiritual truths. There are truly those who you can see are under demonic influence or else are particularly blessed. As with anyone ministering to others we need to make sure that it is God speaking to us; and we need to repent quickly of sins so the enemy doesn't have legal grounds to affect our minds and deceive us. Our soul and spiritual entities interact together so we must view both

Spiritual dimension: Part 2

With this basic scriptural foundation for discernment in the spiritual realm covered in part 1; we can begin to look at things as believers that He would show us in order to increase our trust in God; our faith and worship particularly in our personal and individual lives.

There is a childlike faith in recognition of Christ ( Psalm 8:2). The enemy; constantly reaching out to younger children is of course as always appearing as an "angel of light". ( 2 Cor. 11:14). We really need to be cautious here; I cannot overemphasize this. Kids need to be protected and there is a correct way to do this. Nonetheless; I believe in this culture especially we should build the foundation for being warriors in Christ. If we insulate for the wrong reasons; the kids will find out anyway life's realities. Starting with the real battle; the unseen by teaching the true Gospel then kids can understand how to be armed with the Ephesians 6 truth. To teach a false; New Age sort of mentality is dangerous and it is concerning to me sometimes how the approach is taken with children's Bible studies. This is sadly largely due to parents allowing kids to view all sorts of entertainment with superheroes; that shall we say have even more associated "baggage" with their personas than say 20 years ago. I don't have all the answers here; but unless we can break out of this mindset; and that of the psychology of child development dictating all of our actions; then we are oftentimes putting confidence in things that are not going to stand the test of time. Parents that pretend to have lives free of stresses in order to not upset their kids aren't necessarily doing any favors either. I say all this because these things of our youth tend to affect us on the long term; such as comforts in possessions once the childhood toys are gone; and the same bad behaviors are passed on to the next generation. I will explain why I sidetracked into this part 2 subject.

The Spiritual Dimension

...The life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God..." That is part of Galatians 2:20. His Spirit also testifies with our spirit that we "are children of God" according to Romans 8:16. Scripture cannot be read alone with mental faculties and understood as God's truth unless these realities exist; namely being Born of the Spirit ( John 3:6-8) makes the Word living and active in our hearts ( Hebrews 4:12).

Scriptural truth also is what separates the God of truth and His angels from the fallen angels and demons that are the ruling principalities and powers of this world in this age ( Ephesians 6:12). Thus; we can experience God whether "in or out of the body" ( 2 Corinthians 12:2) as Paul did and by extension a demonic spiritual "trip" can occur much in the same way.

Anyone realistically wanting to understand 2 Corinthians 5:8 on being absent from the body; present with the Lord will understand that being in His presence as a believer is overwhelming to the extent that John fell at His feet as though dead ( Revelation 1:17). This is all the more telling since he was the disciple who always was closest to Jesus and even in his own testimony most loved ( John 13:23 and apparently in 4 other verses).

If we are NOT truly in Christ then there is only the terror of the Lord and of course immediate judgment and condemnation for those who are goats rather than sheep. Thus; those who promote a false gospel even if they were brain dead and came back to life God allows them to continue here for a while for His purposes. It would seem that it is possible as long as a body can be resuscitated for a few minutes that this can occur; that is a far cry from Lazarus being raised from the dead or the Lord Himself.

In any case, anyone preaching a gospel other than the truth let him be "anathema" ( Galatians 1:8); and that includes angels as well. To know we are hearing from God being saved is a minimum requirement.

Hello Elizabeth. There have been several opinions/theories proffered about the significance of this number 153. I'm unconvinced that any of them have any value at all, rather I read that verse as given.

In John 21:8, we see those disciples "dragging the net with fish(es)". These verses don't give us all the words & acts performed at that time. There could have been a discussion amongst them, why their nets didn't break with such a haul of fish, when normally they could only lift up a smaller amount of fish. Maybe, there was a discussion among them while on their boat that they should count their haul when they got to land, to see what they could actually lift in a net when Jesus gave them His Word. And they could even publicize it amongst other fisherfolk that they may marvel at this & begin to believe in the power of Christ. All this is only my guess, as none of it is given in the Bible (maybe others have other thoughts), but I feel that there is nothing more in that number '153', other than revealing a great quantity of fish caught in a net; in a net which was only capable of holding much less.

In John 21:11

Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.

What does the 153 signify? Why doesn't it say a lot or a little? Why is it this specific number? I've never found an answer for this.