Servias Ministries Blog

Paul wrote by THE SPIRIT in 1 Corinthians chapter 8:

1  Now about food sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge [concerning this]. Knowledge [alone] makes [people self-righteously] arrogant, but love [that unselfishly seeks the best for others] builds up and encourages others to grow [in wisdom].

2  If anyone imagines that he knows and understands anything [of divine matters, without love], he has not yet known as he ought to know.

3  But if anyone loves God [with awe-filled reverence, obedience and gratitude], he is known by Him [as His very own and is greatly loved].  AMPL

In the above passage, Paul provide us a stark comparison of knowledge without Love.  That person many have knowledge and understanding but he is still missing the vital aspect of Love thus he does not know as he ought to know.  What is the point of having knowledge without Love?  If you are an avid student of Scripture, you must see everything written through the eyes of Love or you will fail to see the purpose of what is written.  This is true of the gifts of The Holy Spirit as well.

Could this be why many of the televangelists of the 70’s and 80’s were found to lead private lives in direct opposition to what they were publicly preaching?  Once found out, they thought they could easily repent and continue to run their money-making machines.  That was not to be.  They damaged many unsuspecting new believers with their compromising acts.  Thankfully, FATHER is not moved by men who lead two distinctly separate lives.

We are warned against taking such paths and we must not allow ourselves to be moved by those who do.  The remnant will simply continue on in great reverence toward Our Heavenly Father and will not allow ourselves to become classified with the five foolish virgins who failed to keep themselves prepared for the Lord’s coming.

We will continue out quest toward full maturity, knowing that many will fall away from The Way of Christ.  We must not become discouraged when we we others move toward the lukewarm states as Jesus warned in Revelation chapter 3:

14 “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,

‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:

15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.

16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—

18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.

19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.

20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”

Those who have become lukewarm, become zealous and repent!  We must overcome our own lax attention to The Gospel, and refocus ourselves to The Gospel.  We must do a great reset in our own lives lest we be caught up with the masses who are headed toward certain pain and destruction.  We must recommit ourselves to the preeminence of The Gospel and reassess our priorities.  Agape Love keeps our priorities in line with FATHER’S Divine Intent.  It continues to be all about Love… without exception.

Paul wrote by THE SPIRIT:

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

We have been given the choice to go our own way or surrender to The Way of Jesus Christ.  Who would you rather trust, THE ONE who created you or your own limited facilities of knowledge, skill, and understanding?  When asked in this manner, any reasonable person would choose to trust in Our Heavenly Father WHO formed us in the womb through HIS workmanship.  Further, FATHER delivered us from sin and destruction through HIS most Holy Son Christ Jesus so we would further HIS Kingdom with good works.

Many who have been converted, resist proceeding to full maturity because of their unwillingness to surrender fully to FATHER and HIS Divine Intent.  FATHER gives us the choice to walk at the level of our surrendering.  Some will surrender a little bit of their lives for HIM while others are willing to be completely led by The Holy Spirit and become a mature vessel of honor for HIS use.  Those unwilling to surrender fully and completely simply don’t have a revelation of FATHER’S immense Love for us.  They are afraid HE will somehow require them to do things that compromise their desires.  Nothing could be further from the Truth.

Fear of the unknown created by thoughts generated from the old man perpetuate the unwillingness to surrender to FATHER.  Fear of loss in some area of our life is a strong deterrent to full surrender to HIS Divine Will for us, the fear of death being the greatest.  Yet when our eyes are opened to HIS great encompassing Love for each of us, that fear will vanish from our midst.  In the past, men and women have taken advantage of us for their own purposes which caused much hurt deep within our souls.  We built walls within us to protect from being hurt again in such manner yet FATHER’S great grace can tear down those walls of protection if we are willing to submit to HIS Love.  However, we must first trust HIM.  HE has given us he power of choice, the power to surrender on our own accord because that is what Love does.  It does not force Itself on anyone.  As Paul wrote by THE SPIRIT in 1 Corinthians chapter 13:

4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;

5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;

6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;

7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

If we are to become fully mature Sons and Daughters, we must be willing to totally surrender ourselves to FATHER in all aspects of our life.  As we do, we will experience HIS immense Love and will look back with amazement and wonder why it took so long to make such a decision.

Note:  As a reminder, we will have a live, interactive communion service tomorrow at 3 PM CST for those who have a PC with at least audio operational on their device.  In the morning, I will post the link to access the service.  Hopefully, we will have no issues in getting people to connect.  If you are unable to connect, simply conduct your own communion service at the same time knowing that we will be with you in spirit.

Paul wrote by THE SPIRIT in 1 Corinthians chapter 15:

50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.

51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—

52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

​55 ​​“O Death, where is your sting?

​​O Hades, where is your victory?”

​56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.

57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Do not let your past failures enslave your future actions!  I can personally attest to many past failures in virtually every area of my life but I will not allow those past failures to define my future.  I have made many mistakes and have been duped by various and sundry people whom I trusted to steer me in a righteous fashion.  Had I listened to The Holy Spirit rather than the carnal man, I would have less missteps in life but I thank My Heavenly Father for HIS unfailing Love and correction toward me.  Those past failures do not define who I am but only serve to remind me that Christ is the Source of my victory and no one else can claim such a notion.

We must not allow ourselves to dwell on past failures as we ascend to a higher state of maturity in Christ.  Those failures will only result in weighing us down if we don’t let go of them.  Jesus Christ’s work at the cross was and is sufficient to wipe away our past and make us a new creation IN HIM.  FATHER’S great grace and mercy are surely worthy of all our praise for pulling us out of the ditch, no matter how many times we have fallen into that proverbial ditch.

Consider Paul who was Saul.  His past failures included being an outright enemy of the believers yet Jesus was not moved by his past failures.  Those past failures did not keep him from being converted and filled with The Holy Spirit resulting in him becoming a vessel of honor called to pen two-thirds of the New Testament.  Let each of us jettison the old man and all his failures so that we can move forth unimpaired by the past.  If the past raises up its ugly head, rebuke it because you are a new creation in Christ.  As Paul wrote by THE SPIRIT in 2 Corinthians chapter 5:

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Hold fast to this confession and those past failures will cease to be an issue in your life.

It is recorded by THE SPIRIT in Acts chapter 2:

40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.”

41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.

42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship (koinōnia), in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.

44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common,

45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.

46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,

47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

The word koinōnia means fellowship, association, communion, distribution, and joint participation.  I first heard this word used in 1971 by a musical group at a local Christian coffee house.  Who would have considered the ability for those of us who span the various countries could have koinōnia without leaving our homes at some point in the future.  Now is the time for us to have koinōnia together.

Our fellowship should be “Christ-centered” else I believe we will be missing the point of what was happening in the above passage.  Has there been a time of a larger and greater perverse generation than now?  Many of us have been somewhat isolated from those who are like-minded with Agape Love being the foundation and basis of our fellowship.  Let us move toward unity in purpose and fellowship by beginning with communion which focuses on Our Lord Jesus Christ and His work done in our lives.

This Sunday at 3 P.M. Central Standard Time, we will have a short communion service live on the Internet.  In order to participate, you will need to have at least your audio working on your PC or such device you use to access the Internet… preferably with your camera working if you have one integrated in your PC.  The platform will allow us a live and interactive means to have communion.  Clearly, this will be a learning experience for us all.  I will be posting details of how to access the live meeting soon.  In the meantime, you should select a bread and “wine” for communion when we come together.  You are free to select your own tokens or elements of communion for the issue is the intent of lifting up Christ’s body and blood.

In Matthew chapter 7, Jesus spoke:

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’

23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”

On the surface, one would think that those who prophesied, cast out demons. and have done many wonder in the Name of Jesus would be fully acceptable and able to enter the kingdom of heaven but clearly Jesus was not moved by their acts.  If a person’s works appear to be appropriate but the intent is based on self interest rather than Love, then that person is said to be practicing lawlessness in the eyes of Jesus and Our Heavenly Father.  The will of Our Heavenly Father is based on the commandment of Love whereas works done with the intent of self promotion will be classified as lawless.

It is critical that we establish ourselves in the one commandment that Jesus qualified as fulfilling the Law.  Jesus spoke in John chapter 13:

34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

And in John 15, Jesus spoke:

9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.

10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.”

11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

If you use the Name of Jesus but fail to walk in His Commandment of Love, your acts are tainted by your own lawlessness.  It is critical that we be perfected in Agape Love so that we have no other motive to use the Name of Jesus when we are producing apparent fruit for the Kingdom.  This warning should be a lesson ever present in our consciousness as we go forth.

Paul wrote by THE SPIRIT in 2 Corinthians chapter 9:

6   Now [remember] this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows generously [that blessings may come to others] will also reap generously [and be blessed].

7   Let each one give [thoughtfully and with purpose] just as he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver [and delights in the one whose heart is in his gift].

8   And God is able to make all grace [every favor and earthly blessing] come in abundance to you, so that you may always [under all circumstances, regardless of the need] have complete sufficiency in everything [being completely self-sufficient in Him], and have an abundance for every good work and act of charity.

9   As it is written and forever remains written,

“He [the benevolent and generous person] scattered abroad, he gave to the poor,
His righteousness endures forever!”

10   Now HE who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your seed for sowing [that is, your resources] and increase the harvest of your righteousness [which shows itself in active goodness, kindness, and love].

11   You will be enriched in every way so that you may be generous, and this [generosity, administered] through us is producing thanksgiving to God [from those who benefit].

12   For the ministry of this service (offering) is not only supplying the needs of the saints (God’s people), but is also overflowing through many expressions of thanksgiving to God.

13   Because of this act of ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to the gospel of Christ which you confess, as well as for your generous participation [in this gift] for them and for all [the other believers in need],

14   and they also long for you while they pray on your behalf, because of the surpassing measure of God’s grace [His undeserved favor, mercy, and blessing which is revealed] in you.

15   Now thanks be to God for His indescribable gift [which is precious beyond words]!  AMPL

Psalm 112:9 is referenced above and it is a blessing to read and reflect on the entire Psalm.

My wife and I have followed the intent of this passage for years and can attest to FATHER’S willingness to provide not only for us but to those whom we help in their time of need.  Even when it seemed as though times were getting to be financially challenging, HE would always provide for us.

Do you think FATHER does anything sparingly?  Not at all.  FATHER is not a GOD of scarcity but is ONE of abundance.  However, HE will not fund unrighteousness and promote the activities of such a path.  HE is very efficient in providing us with complete sufficiency in whatever we are called to do in HIS Name.

When men hoard, they begin to sow sparingly, no matter what their station in life may be.  We must not take on the mindset of scarcity else we will restrict the coming harvest in our lives.  This spiritual principle defies man’s logic thus we must not allow our minds to intervene when The Holy Spirit is instructing us to give.  Our mindset is meant to be on a path of consistent growth IN HIM and any other path will cause us to become less effective for the Kingdom.  FATHER will always find someone to work through to minister to those in need, let it be you and me.  Our responsibility is to do what we are called to do in an excellent manner whether it is to clean toilets or administer a large entity.  Let HIS Glory shine through by our willingness to go the extra mile and at the same time be cheerful about it!

My friend Alan wrote:

KJV Genesis 29:33 And she conceived again, and bore a son; and said, “Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon.

The saga of Leah, the first wife to Jacob, is a story of a woman (soul?) wounded by the knowledge that the man that married her did not do so out of love for her. When considering the ‘un-love’ that haunted Leah, the names of the six sons she bore to Jacob become more telling. The names of the sons of Jacob, born to four different women, present to us a progression of spiritual understanding, and a journey to an intended destination in Christ. Why did Jacob have four ‘wives’? What is this pageant revealing to us? The first step on our journey to Christ is to become aware that there is, indeed, a son to recognize, and then to pursue. The first step on this journey to Christ is Reuben; behold you, a son.

As a side note, how interesting that we learn in Gen. 2:10 that a river (the River of Life in the heaven of New Jerusalem?) was sent forth from Eden to water (to provide drink for?) the garden setting, and from there that river parted and became four ‘heads’. Why four?! Should we assume that this garden setting, and the parable/pageant of these four rivers (heads), is referring to literal water; to H2O? The Hebrew word for water does not show up in any of  these verses. Compare Psalm 36:8. The word translated as ‘pleasures’ in this verse is the exact same word translated as ‘Eden’ in Gen. 2:8. Hmmmmmmmm!

Most of us, throughout our lives, have begun our learning by seeing with our natural senses; faces and activities and events, etc. But we rarely understand what we are ‘seeing’ when first we observe something new to us. We most often rely on our natural senses to impart information that allows us to learn and grow. Hearing is also a very powerful sense in our arsenal, and coupled with seeing, is a primary source of information for enhancing access to the world that we experience. In Gen. Chapter 2 we are told that there is a ‘tree of knowledge’ in the garden which YHWH caused to grow, and ‘adam’ is warned to avoid eating from the ‘tree of knowledge’, for it also is “…pleasant to the sight,” [Gen. 3:6] The knowledge provided to us through our natural senses can be often misleading, and destructive. Things are not always what they seem.

Leah conceived a second time, and declared that the LORD had ‘heard’ about her being ‘hated’, and thus rewarded her with being able to conceive a second child for Jacob. Leah, whose ‘god’ was Yahweh, attributed her ability to getting pregnant to the idea that Yahweh, or the LORD, ‘saw’ her plight and ‘heard’ about her misery. In the narrative of Leah, Yahweh rewarded her with pregnancy because she was ‘hated’. And remember, the first son of Leah was named Reuben because Leah declared that YHWH had ‘seen’ that she was hated. When she delivered a second son for Jacob, she proclaimed that her second son was a gift to her because the LORD had ‘heard’ that she was ‘hated’. And so she declared the name of this second son to be Simeon; or more accurately stated, ‘Hearing’. The Hebrew word we translate ‘Simeon’ is not the past tense idea of having heard, but is actually describing the continual on-going process of ‘hearing’.

For once you have ‘seen’ that there is a ‘son’, the next step in the journey is accomplished by ‘hearing’. As a foot note, the pronunciation of this name as ‘Simeon’ has been ‘gentilized’; the more accurate pronunciation of the word should be ‘Shim-oen ’. We won’t take that rabbit trail here, but it is of significance.

One of the most sacred and quoted verses in all of Judaism, Deuteronomy 6:4, is called “The Sham-mah”. NKJ Deuteronomy 6:4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!” The first Hebrew word in this verse is ‘sham-mah’ (Strong’s # H8085), and is very often translated into English as ‘hear’. This Hebrew word is used prolifically throughout the Old Testament, and is also translated as ‘understand’, ‘hearken’, ‘listen’, ‘obey’, and numerous other ways that indicate the necessity to pay attention and heed what is being revealed through ‘hearing’. This word ‘sham-mah’ is also the word that the name ‘Simeon’ is based upon. Leah was proclaiming that because YHWH, or the LORD, heard and understood her plight, she was rewarded with the privilege of bearing another son for Jacob. I find this in itself very revealing.

In Genesis Chapter Three we have the story of Adam and ‘his wife’ encountering interaction with ‘the serpent’ in the garden, and consequently falling from the realm of innocence that ‘the garden’ represented, and ultimately the vulnerable experience of feeling naked and exposed. NKJ Gen. 3:8 “And they heard the sound of LORD God walking in the garden in the cool (spirit) of the day…” Chapter three of Genesis is introducing us to the concept of ‘hearing’ voices and sounds that influence us, and the consequences that accompany the responses to what we ‘hear’. Verse ten tells us “I heard (sham-mah) your voice (sound of you) in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked;” The response from the LORD was, “Who told you that you are naked?” with the implication being “who or what have you been ‘hearing’?” Have you been entertaining ‘sounds’ that cannot be relied upon, or trusted?

Simeon is all about ‘hearing’. However, what we ‘hear’ is rarely, if ever, clearly understood by the ‘hearer’. Because we hear by natural senses, much of what we hear becomes distraction and confusion. Only by Spirit Discernment can we properly understand and categorize the myriad of ‘sounds’ that bombard our hearing and thinking. Only by yielding to the Holy Spirit of Truth in Love may we safely filter those ‘sounds’ that should be discarded. Some of what we ‘hear’ is very appealing, and often gratifying to the carnal appetites. But if we are ‘hearing’ spiritual poison, we will continue to walk in darkness, stumbling over the obstacles of carnal confusion.

Every ‘spirit’ that is not Christ is of ‘anti-christ’, and will always impose hindrance and impediment to Spiritual maturity. And none of us have been immune from those hindrances. NKJ Deuteronomy 18:15 “The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear;” KJV Luke 9:35 And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.

NKJ Revelation 2:17 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.”
First the natural, then the Spiritual. It seems the patterns never change.

to be continued…

Paul wrote by THE SPIRIT in 1 Corinthians chapter 13:

4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;

5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;

6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;

7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part.

10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

What “perfect” aspect is being discussed here?  Not prophecies, not tongues, not knowledge…  No, Love is the only characteristic mentioned as enduring all things.  Perfection comes by becoming fully mature in Agape Love.  Jesus spoke of this perfection in Matthew chapter 5 when He was instructing us on Loving our enemies:

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,

45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?

48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Paul wrote by THE SPIRIT in Ephesians chapter 4:

11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,

12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,

13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,

15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—

16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

The Beloved Disciple wrote by THE SPIRIT in 1 John chapter 4:

17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.

18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

19 We love Him because He first loved us.

Each of us has the capacity to be perfect thus we should not be reluctant in our desire to be perfected.  If we were not able to mature in perfection, we would be made aware of the opportunity to excel to the point of being perfect.  Some will go on to perfection and let each of us be counted among those that do!

Let those who read this join me in one accord and pray this prayer from Acts chapter 4:

24 … We raise our voice to God with one accord and pray: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them,

25 who by the mouth of Your servant David have said:

​​‘​Why did the nations rage,

​​And the people plot vain things?

26 ​​The kings of the earth took their stand,

​​And the rulers were gathered together

​​Against the LORD and against His Christ.’

​27 “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, the adversaries of Christ have gathered together

28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.

29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, resistance, and other such oppositions, and grant to us, Your servants that with all boldness we may speak Your word,

30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”

Amen!

An encouraging youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awkO61T6i0k