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What Business Are You In?
SIH's Think On These Things: Isaiah 6:5-7
We now continue our devotional series on the two-fold calling (to salvation and to service) of Isaiah. Remember in this series we will be looking to learn more about the One who is calling Isaiah, along with the nature of the calls and an examination of the submission to these calls by Isaiah…
We have just concluded our look at God's call to salvation that He issued to Isaiah… Isa 6:5-7 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. (6) Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: (7) And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
In vs 5 – we saw how the Lord prepared the lost man's heart to receive the gospel message. This included showing him his sinful condition and recognizing his inability to save himself from his sins.
In vs 6 – we saw the Christian, empowered by the Holy Spirit, taking the message of Christ's sacrifice (the gospel) to the lost.
In vs 7 – we see the salvation taking place as the gospel is applied with the results of spiritual cleansing and covering of sin through the shed blood of Christ.
Keep in mind the basic order of things….
Isaiah saw God in His holiness…. This led him to recognize his sinful condition…. This led to repentance … this led to his cleansing.
This cycle should take place repeatedly throughout the course of our lives of Christian service:
As we spend time in the Word, we see God's holiness revealed to us on a daily basis… This should lead us to continually recognize the sin that is in our lives…. This should lead us to the confession of those sins… This, then, leads to continual cleansing and renewal of our intimate walk with Him.
This is the very principle taught to us in 1 John 1:9 – "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Contextually, this is one of several marks John is giving to us that show we have had a genuine salvation experience. If we do not see (or care about) the sin that is in our lives, we need to seriously question whether we have experienced God's grace in salvation.
Do we lose our salvation if we do not continually confess our sins to God? No, when the Lord died on the cross He paid the JUDICIAL penalty of our sins past, present and future. Why, then, must we continually confess our sins to the Lord? It is an issue of retaining an intimate walk with Him. Unconfessed sin in the life of a Christian hinders our walk with Christ, thus hindering our spiritual growth and separation to His service.
Think of it like this…. When I was young, at times, I disobeyed my parents. When I disobeyed I still was a member of my family, but until I confessed my sin to my parents things were not the same between us. I felt guilt and recognized I had failed and hurt them. It was harder for me to talk to them. It was these feelings that hindered my relationship with them.
In much the same way, our sin hinders our relationship with our heavenly Father. That is why He will even go to the extreme of chastening to bring me back to Him (Heb 12:5-11) He desires to have a close relationship with His children. We should desire the same.
May we all see His holiness, be recipients of His grace, and forever enjoy a close walk with Him through the confession of our sins.
May the Lord bless us as we "Think On These Things".
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Good Works Are Evidence of A Living Faith
SIH's Think On These Things: Isaiah 6:7
We now continue our devotional series on the two-fold calling (to salvation and to service) of Isaiah. Remember in this series we will be looking to learn more about the One who is calling Isaiah, along with the nature of the calls and an examination of the submission to these calls by Isaiah…
In this verse we see the salvation experience of Isaiah. As the seraphim (symbolic of a faithful Christian) uses the tongs (Spirit of God) to bring Isaiah the coal (Word) which results in his salvation…
Isa 6:7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
How does salvation take place in an individual's life?
1. As we saw prior, first the Lord must prepare the hearts of the lost individual to see their sin, see their need of salvation and be receptive to the gospel message. (verse 5)
2. Then the Lord must have the gospel taken to the lost. In this case we saw that the Lord called a Christian, empowered by the Spirit, to take the Word to Isaiah. (verse 6)
3. Now, (in verse 7) we see that the Word is used through the intervention and power of the Spirit to remove and cover Isaiah's sin.
The two words that are used to describe the removal of Isaiah's sin are:
1. "taken away" this comes from a Hebrew word that means "to be plucked", "removed" or "withdrawn". This speaks of his sin being taken from his account, in a sense, it is as if he had never sinned. In other words, he was justified.
2. "purged" this word is a form of the Hebrew word normally translated "atonement" or "covering". This teaches us that his sins were covered, or atoned for, by the blood of Christ.
Finally, why is the coal (Word) said to touch His mouth? I believe this was in preparation of his future call to the prophetic ministry. The touching of his mouth worked salvation throughout his entire being. It is just a way to emphasize, once saved and ministering for the Lord, His mouth would be cleansed and separated for the Lord's use in a very unique way.
Let us thank the Lord for the person or ministry that was faithful to the Lord to bring the Word to us.
But most importantly let's thank the Lord for intervening in our life, preparing our hearts, sending us the Word and then applying the Word to our life. Many times, we thank Him for His great sacrifice on the cross (which is wonderful)… but we forget to thank Him for the process of salvation that He worked in our lives.
May the Lord bless us as we "Think On These Things".
SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org
SIH Text Blog: http://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/
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SIH Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
The Precious Word Bible Study Series – The Word Reveals The Savior (Lesson #5)
1Sa 3:1 " … And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; …"
Another theme that runs throughout the Holy Scriptures is mankind's need of deliverance from sin. Every man was born in a fallen condition of separation from God. Their fallen condition brings about acts of disobedience towards Almighty God. It is these two products of sin (fallen nature and disobedient acts) that generates mankind's great need of salvation.
Yes all mankind, due to sin, is in desperate need of salvation. But the Word's teaching about mankind does not stop there. It further explains that man cannot merit, nor in any way attain, salvation of his own efforts. Hence, mankind's unyielding need for a Savior. Man needs someone who will stand in their place and perform the saving work that they so greatly need.
So, who is this One who can deliver all of us from our helpless, hopeless condition? Who can meet the demands of God and supply the redemption for the heinous sin that affects each of us? God's Word graciously reveals His identity to us. This is another of the reasons why the Scriptures are so very valuable for each one of us. You see, without the precious Word, we could never come to knowledge of the One that can save us from our sin.
Isa 12:1-3
(KJV) And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. (2) Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. (3) Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
(ESV) You will say in that day: "I will give thanks to you, O LORD, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me. "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORDGOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation." With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
Isa 45:20-22
(KJV) Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save. (21) Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. (22) Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
(ESV) Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, you survivors of the nations! They have no knowledge who carry about their wooden idols, and keep on praying to a god that cannot save. (21) Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together! Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the LORD? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me. (22) "Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.
1Ti 1:1
(KJV) Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;
(ESV) Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,
Matt 1:21-23
(KJV) And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. (22) Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, (23) Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
(ESV) (21) She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." (22) All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23) "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us).
Joh 1:29-34
(KJV) The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (30) This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. (31) And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. (32) And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. (33) And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. (34) And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
(ESV) (29) The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (30) This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.' (31) I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel." (32) And John bore witness: "I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. (33) I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' (34) And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God."
As we search the Scriptures for the identity of the Savior of man, let's turn our attention to Isa 12:1-3…
And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.
Isaiah is acknowledging that he, personally, had been disobedient to the Lord and under the Lord's anger. However, he was now bringing praise and honor to the Lord because His anger had been lifted from Isaiah. To replace that anger, Isaiah was now receiving comfort (communion, peace, security) from His Lord.
Who had done such a wonderful work for Isaiah? Working comfort and grace to replace the anger and guilt that Isaiah had been experiencing? Isaiah continues by naming this great Saviour…
Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
His God was the One that had worked deliverance on Isaiah's behalf. But which God was it through whom Isaiah had received deliverance? Was it Baal? Or perhaps, was it Nebo? Absolutely not. Isaiah was not saved through the workings of the man-made Gods of the surrounding nations. He clearly names JEHOVAH as the Savior of mankind.
Not only does Isaiah give credit to Jehovah for deliverance from his sin, but he also gives Him credit for his new found spiritual vitality and joy. Both of these were the end result of the salvation that Isaiah had been given.
Now that Isaiah had experienced the wonderful salvation, and its effects, he invites all of mankind to partake of this same salvation that his Lord offers to man….
Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
According to the Lord's clear explanation to Isaiah, the saving work of Jehovah separates Himself from all the false, man-made Gods of this world (Isa 45:20-22)….
Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save. Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
When we come to an understanding that Jehovah is the only true Savior of all mankind it makes perfect sense that Paul would write in 1 Tim 1:1…
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;
Notice here, that God is given the title "our Saviour", but the Lord Jesus Christ is given the title "our hope". How can this be? If we find salvation in Jehovah why would Christ be said to be the origin of the hope we have?
We have this principle explained in Matt 1:21-23….
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Matthew's account of the birth of Christ includes an account of how our Lord was given His name. He would be called "Jesus" because He would be the Savior of His people. The name Jesus means "Jehovah is salvation". This is the answer to our question.
How can God be said to be our Savior and, yet Christ be said to be the origin of our hope? It is because Jesus Christ is one with Jehovah God (John 10:30; 1 John 5:7)
Notice this principle is more clearly expressed in the following verses of this text…
Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Jesus, truly is Jehovah God who came to the earth and met with mankind as a man. He is both God and Man who came to be the Savior of His people (1 John 5:20). He is "Emmanuel"; He is "Jesus". (Isa 7:14)
John the Baptist reaffirmed the identity of Christ in John 1:29-34…
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
The text continues by teaching us that, as both God and Savior, Christ far exceeded John the Baptist in person, work and authority. John the Baptist's ministry was to clearly show the true identity of Christ to the Jewish people…
This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
The text closes by explaining the events that took place at the baptism of Christ. It was these events that confirmed the true identity of Christ to those who were witnesses of His baptism..
And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. (33) And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. (34) And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
At Christ's baptism, we are told that:
- The Spirit descended upon Christ.
- The Spirit then landed (abode) upon Christ
- The message from God validating the ministry of Christ
Based upon the above, John the Baptist became a witness for Christ by publically verifying His identity as Savior and Son of God.
Through His precious Word, with the knowledge of the true identity of our Savior, comes a blessed joy knowing that although we cannot save ourselves, by looking to Him in faith, we will be delivered by Him.
If the Lord has shown us His grace by delivering us from our sin, should we not be greatly motivated to serve Him and glorify Him with our lives? Once again, we are to look into His Word to find His guidance and instructions for living our lives separated to His service.
Tit 2:11-14 "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
If you have any questions concerning the way of salvation please feel free to visit or call a Bible teaching church in your area. They will be happy to speak to you about the Lord Jesus and the salvation He graciously gives.
Or, if you would rather, feel welcome to email me at firstname.lastname@example.com. I'll be more than happy to answer any question you may have.
Also, if you look at my blog page "How To Have A Relationship With God". On this page, you will find several blog entries explaining the way of salvation.
Please visit the "Settled In Heaven Ministries" homepage – http://www.settledinheaven.org
He Is Everything
How Long?
Isa 6:9-12 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not…lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, And the LORD have removed men far away, and [there be] a great forsaking in the midst of the land.
… It Was Because Of Our Sins
The Call To Separation: The Perversion
1Jn 5:1-3 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
This is a very important principle that we do not want to quickly skim over. As believers, we count it a privilege to submit to our Lord's commands out of an appreciative, loving, heart realizing all He has done for us. This is a universal truth that applies to all who are saved. If we find someone without this attitude of love and desire to obey, we are to question their salvation.
But sad to say, throughout the ages there have been those who have attempted to pervert the grace and righteousness of Christ by using it as a cloak for disobeying their Savior. 1 Pet 2:15-17….
For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:As free, and not using [your] liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.Honour all [men]. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
We see this same principle addressed in Jude 1:4…
For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let's take a closer look at the error that teaches we can use God's grace as the basis for allowing sin to dwell in the life of a believer.
John 14:26 Romans 6:1-23 1 Peter 1:22-23 1 Peter 2:15-17
1 John 4:1-3 1 John 5:1-3 Jude 1:4
The longest passage that deals with the subject of sin in the life of one who has been saved by God's grace is found in Romans 6:1-23….
1) What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2) God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
We are told that God "forbids" (ie by no means, in no way, absolutely not) a Christian to live a lifestyle of sin motivated by the fact that God's grace will continue to forgive and cover that sin. It only makes sense that this should be forbidden… Why? Because when saved we are now "dead" to sin. How can we then continue to habitually commit sin?
What does it mean to be "dead" to sin? It doesn't mean "unable to sin" or else this section of scripture makes no sense. It is clear from these verses, it is possible for believers to commit sin and this is why we must be warned against allowing sin to dwell in our lives.
As believers, it is possible for us to commit sin, but we should no longer allow sin to rule and commune in our lives. Why? We have been freed from the bondage of sin and we have been given a new nature which allows us to now live for God. This is what it means to be "dead" to sin ( see more details in vs 6-11)
3) Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4) Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5) For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also [in the likeness] of [his] resurrection:
Our baptism was an outward, visible evidence of our death to sin and new life in Christ. If we begin to get confused about our relationship to sin and the service of the Lord just remember our baptism. We are dead to sin (buried in the water) and now alive to Christ (raised from the water).
6) Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with [him], that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7) For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8) Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9) Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10) For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11) Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Here we can see the meaning of being dead to sin… it is like a crucifixion. Our old man (our sin nature that was received at our conception) loved sin, served sin and chose sin. We sinned due to bondage, desire and choice. This was our condition before the Lord saved us. When we were saved, the Lord crucified our flesh with the affections and lusts. (Gals 5:24) The result of this crucifixion of our old man is:
- we would "no longer serve sin". We now have a new Master whom we serve…. The Lord Jesus Christ.
- we are told that we have been "freed from sin" We no longer under the bonds of sin, we are now the servant of our Lord.
- we are told that we now "live with Him" – Our life is now lived to follow His example and by doing so, please Him.
- we are told that death no longer has "dominion over him" We now can look forward to an eternity where we will possess glorified bodies and be in His presence eternally.
We are told that because of the above we are to … "reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God". Although, it is still possible for a Christian to sin, we are to not allow sin to dwell within us. We are dead to sin and alive to God!
12) Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13) Neither yield ye your members [as] instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members [as] instruments of righteousness unto God.
Because the Lord has graciously intervened in our lives, we are to no longer allow sin to control our lives and dwell within our beings. We are not to submit to our fleshly lusts…. We have been freed from their bondage! We are to actively choose and submit to the Lord's desires, laws and commands for our lives and not submit ourselves to sin.
We have been purchased by Christ, we are to glorify Him in our lives. (1 Cor 6:19-20; 1 Pet 1:16-23)
14) For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 15) What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
Is Paul teaching us that we no longer are to allow sin to have dominion over our being is because the law no longer has a role to play in our lives?
If we take these verses in context, we can clearly see that this is not Paul's meaning. What then is meant by the phrase "ye are not under the law". In verse 14 we read that To not be under the law is clearly linked to the concept of sin no longer having dominion over us (being dead to sin).
For those who are dead to sin, a result of being saved by God's grace, they are:
- no longer under the penalty of the law (Christ has paid that penalty)
- they no longer must labor to keep the law as a necessity for salvation (Christ's work has gain their salvation past, present and future.)
It is in these senses that the believer is no longer "under" (slaves to) the law.
Please remember, sin is defined in God's Word as "a transgression of the law" (1 John 3:4). For us to understand sin and to avoid sin, we must be familiar with the law of God and apply it to our lives. If we ignore His commands and simply live our lives in total disregard to His law, we will be allowing sin in our lives at every turn. We saw this clearly in part 2 of this study. So, clearly, based upon context, we are to avoid "transgressing the law" (sin) by living with a full knowledge and application of God's commands for our lives.
16) Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17) But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18) Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. 19) I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
20) For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
21) What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things [is] death.
22) But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
Paul now emphasizes the need to watch our lives and to not allow sin to overtake us. Why? If we find ourselves allowing sin to dwell in our lives, habitually submitting to it, there is a good possibility we have never been saved. Remember, a part of our salvation was becoming "new creatures in Christ" (2 Cor 5:17). A part of this "newness" in Christ is a departure from the bondage of sin and the law. Willful submission to His desires is now a part of our new nature. This is the fruit we are to bear (Phil 1:9-11).
23) For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Paul, now in summary, clearly explains the radical difference between service to sin and salvation through Christ. The earned result of sin is death (both physical and spiritual). The unearned gift of salvation results in the receipt of eternal life through Christ and His work.
This is why it is so important for each one of us take sin our our lives very seriously. If sin is dwelling in our lives it is a sign we have never been saved. If this is the case, we are headed for spiritual death and separation from the Lord throughout eternity.
For every Christian sin should be abhorred and sickening. When we see it appear in our lives we should approach the throne with shame, humility and regret knowing that we have failed our Lord and it is for this very sin that He died on the cross.
Allow me to address one more misunderstanding that has recently come into existance. Please keep in mind that the importance of the commands and laws of God found in His Word cannot be minimized from the standpoint of the Holy Spirit's leadership in the lives of Christians. In other words, we cannot say that all we need is the Spirit's leadership apart from the Word of God to lead and guide us…
Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Here we see that the Spirit simply teaches us and calls to our remembrance what Christ has already spoken to us in His Word. The Spirit does not work indenpendently apart from the Word. The Spirit always establishes and works within the confines of God's Word.
1Pe 1:22-23 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
At our salvation, the Spirit is active applying God's Word to our lives and bringing us into submission to that Word. It is this same Word that is then active in our lives developing a heart of love and obedience.
1Jn 4:1-3 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. (2) Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: (3) And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
Here we are told to be consistently "trying the spirits" to see whether they are testifying God's truth or not. How do we do this? By comparing the message of these spirits with the doctrines God has revealed to us in His Word.
Likewise, how are we to "test" whether the Holy Spirit is leading us or if we are misinterpreting the urgings we are experiencing? Once again, we are to compare these urgings with the Word of God. The Spirit will NEVER lead us to go against the principles of the Word. If we are being led to go against God's laws or desires for us it CANNOT be the Holy Spirit that is leading us. It is a VERY dangerous thing to follow inner "urgings" without testing them with the Scriptures beforehand.
In the preceding verses, we can see that the Holy Spirit ONLY leads a Christian based upon the content of God's Word. The Spirit's ministry is to hold up, accentuate and apply the Word for our lives. The Holy Spirit in no way REPLACES the need for the Word for our lives. To say that we no longer need His Word… we will just let the Spirit lead us, is truly a contradiction. The Spirit's ministry to us is reliant on the laws, commands and desires of God found in His Word.
For those who have been made separate to His service by His wondrous grace….
Let us never fall into Satan's trap and take sin in our life lightly. We are to never use the gracious eternal righteousness given to us by God as a covering for allowing sin to be taken lightly and continually be indwelling us.
For those who have yet to be separated from the bondage of sin ….
Keep in mind, to be able to serve the Lord and follow His dictates requires God's intervention in your life. You are still under the bondage of sin and the law. You cannot make yourself pure and righteous, nor can you go good works to merit the receipt of Christ work on your behalf. As the Lord intervenes in your life, you must come before Christ humbly, understanding that you have sinned and those sins have displeased God and separated yourself from Him and willing to turn from your sins to His service.
If you have any questions about salvation, I have a tab available on my blog that gives in depth information on what salvation is and what you must do to be saved. Please click on this link for more information about salvation.
If you continue to have questions or concerns about your salvation, find a Bible-believing church in your area. The Pastor would be glad to share Christ and the way of salvation with you. If you feel more comfortable communicating through email, you are always welcome to email me at email@example.com.
May the Lord bless you as you seek His truth.
For a free copy of this series in book form pdf version: please go to: http://settledinheaven.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/tcts.pdf
For a free copy of this series in book form docx version: please go to: http://settledinheaven.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/tcts-protected1.docx
Settled In Heaven Ministries Text Blog: http://settledinheaven.wordpress.com
SIH's Think On These Things: Isaiah 6:6
We now continue our devotional series on the two-fold calling (to salvation and to service) of Isaiah. Remember in this series we will be looking to learn more about the One who is calling Isaiah, along with the nature of the calls and an examination of the submission to these calls by Isaiah…
In our previous study we saw that the Lord had revealed Himself to Isaiah in this vision, causing Isaiah to recognize his sinfulness and his inability to merit the forgiveness of those sins. This was the Lord preparing Isaiah's heart to receive His forgiveness and cleansing…
We now see the Lord raising up one of His disciples to take His purifying Word (the gospel message) to Isaiah…
Isa 6:6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
We find four symbols being used in this verse:
1. The flying seraphim (symbolic of a Christian actively obeying God's commands)
2. A live coal (the life giving, purifying gospel message)
3. His brazen altar (Christ's sacrificial work on the cross)
4. The Tongs (the Holy Spirit that applies the Word to the lost individual)
Here is the basic events taking place in this part of the vision… they all revolve around the Christian taking God's Word and preparing to share it with the lost individual who sees his need of salvation…
1. The Christian is now following the commands of the Lord, seeking to take the gospel to the lost.
2. He takes the gospel message (the coal) which is based upon the message of Christ's sacrificial work on the cross (the brazen altar).
3. The Christian takes the gospel message (the coal) through the Holy Spirit's (the tongs) power and enabling. It is only through the Holy Spirit that the Christian is able to take the gospel handle it, teach it, properly apply it and use it effectively. It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that there will be any results borne from the sharing of the gospel.
Folks, this is the preparation that should take place as we prepare to take the gospel to the lost…
1. We should go always be asking God to direct us to the individual He would have receive it. And then, ask Him to open the opportunity for us to speak to them.
2. We should go with the motive of loving the lost wanting to share God's word with them.
3. We should go remembering the work that Christ has done on the cross and in our hearts. This should cause us to witness humbly, lovingly and carefully. We should realize that, apart from God's grace, we would be in the same shape as the lost individual to whom we are witnessing.
4. We should consider that our witness will have spiritual ramifications in the life of the hearer. Our witness is a BIG DEAL we should not take it lightly nor irresponsibly. We need to be sure we are prepared spiritually before going forth to share the wondrous gospel message.
May we all be prepared to be a witness for Him before we leave our "quiet time" with Him today.
May the Lord bless us as we "Think On These Things".
SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org
SIH Text Blog: http://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/
SIH Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/
SIH Email: email@example.com


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As Dolphins' fans, there is no question the 2007 Miami Dolphins nightmare season is still burned into our memories, no matter how much we try to forget about it. The 2007 Miami Dolphins were only a mere 1-15, and only 3 years ago. But now in 2010 we're talking about about a possible contender to make alot of noise, why? Or better yet, how? It all started 3 years ago, with a man dubbed "The Tuna", an offensive line coach from Dallas, and one very large football player from the University of Michigan.
The birth of this Miami turnaround started on December 20, 2007, when Bill Parcells came out of retirement for the third time and was named the Dolphins VP of Football Operations. Parcells' past has been rich, with his coaching days with the Giants in which he won 2 Super Bowls, and coaching the Dallas Cowboys to a 34-32 record in his tenure. He also instilled discipline into players, and has been known to only draft hard working players, and leaders, these players have there own name when entering the draft, or free agency. "Bill Parcells type players." This gave Miami fans a breathe of hope, but there was still much to be done.
Coming off of a dismal 1-15 record and draft, Cam Cameron got no second chance and was fired after his first season. So after the hire of Bill Parcells, the Dolphins searched for a head football coach. The man they went after had past ties with the already hired Parcells in Dallas, and was a highly sought after coach for many teams. This man being of course Tony Sparano, offensive line coach and play caller of the Dallas Cowboys. Sparano was interviewed during the Cowboys bye-week in the playoffs, and was "the guy" that Bill Parcells wanted, and had formally mentored. After the Cowboys were eliminated from the playoffs by the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants, he was hired by Miami owner Wayne Huizenga, and Dolphin fans had another reason to think things could turn around for them, but much more was still to be done.
The 2007 Miami Dolphins were a team that was injury riddled, Ronnie Brown suffered a season ending injury, as did Zach Thomas who suffered a concussion. With two of the teams best players out, things were pretty bleak. Ricky Williams was suspended, and when he came back, he was also knocked out for the season on a questionable uncalled for cleat to the back, the QB position was as it had since Dan Marino left, with Trent Green being concussed, a rookie in Jon Beck, and a current CFL player in Cleo Lemon. With Ronnie and Ricky both missing from the backfield it was up to Jesse Chatman to carry it for the Phins, and the wide receiver corps consisted of rookie Ted Ginn, veteran and missing a step Marty Booker, and Chris Chambers. The biggest hole in the offense was the offensive line, led in company by players such as Chris Liwienski, Samson Satele, Rex Hadnot, and LJ Shelton. The defensive side was slightly more talented with Jason Taylor, Matt Roth, and Vonnie Holliday. But still gave up points in bunches. How could this mess ever be fixed? It would all be started with one selection in the up coming draft.
Enter the 2008 NFL draft, the Dolphins' Front Office wanted to give the Dolphins a complete makeover, a younger team, and a team with more discipline and leadership. The Dolphins had the first overall pick, and there was speculation on what they would do with it, trade it, keep it and work on the offensive line? The decision became evident, and the Dolphins selected an offensive tackle from Michigan, Jake Long. This pickup was the start of a change that would change the face of the Miami Dolphins.
In the 2008 off-season, the Dolphins would drop players to try and change the identity of the franchise, even if it didn't sit well with the Dolfans. They decided to get rid of Zach Thomas due to injury problems, and traded Jason Taylor, for future 2nd and 6th round picks. These two players were both fan favorites, and seemed strange. But the Dolphins continued to cut players, and pick up players, some being Akin Ayodele, and Anthony Fasano from the Cowboys. And signed defensive back Nathan Jones, also previously with the Cowboys, to a 2 year contract. They signed to ILB's in Reggie Torbor and Charlie Anderson in free agency, and resigned WR Greg Camarillo, S Yerimiah Bell, and RB Patrick Cobbs. The 2008 draft also seen some key acquisitions, along side Jake Long, the Dolphins also acquired Philip Merling, who seen playing time as a rookie, and in the 2nd round selected they went with another Michigan player, QB Chad Henne, who is now the current QB for Miami. Donald Thomas and Shawn Murphy were drafted to add to the offensive line woes, and Lex Hilliard was drafted late to add RB depth. The new look Dolphins were moving in a positive direction, but all the way into the preseason, still lacked that one piece, a field general, a QB. There was no for sure starter, even with new additions in the rookie Henne, and the new addition in Josh McCown. But when Brett Favre chose to sign with the New York Jets, they dropped Chad Pennington, and the Dolphins pounced. The Dolphins looked to be improved, but coming off of a 1-15 season, expectations were still small.
In 2008, the Miami Dolphins finished with a remarkable NFL record turnaround season, finishing the season 11-5, winning the AFC East, and clinching their first playoff game in 7 years. And here we are, in 2010, with a new look defense run by Mike Nolan and new acquisition Karlos Dansby, and an elite WR acquisition in Brandon Marshall, the offensive line has gone from pathetic to punishing, and the Dolphins have gone from doormat to contender, in only 3 years, and it all started with with a man dubbed "The Tuna", an offensive line coach from Dallas, and one very large football player from the University of Michigan.

subset: commoncrawl


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Fragrant pork with fennel slaw
Cooking timePrep: 10 mins Cook: 6 mins
Skill levelEasy
ServingsServes 4
This fruity, fresh coleslaw goes beautifully with pork, or it's great as part of a buffet
Nutrition and extra info
Nutrition info
Nutrition per serving
- kcalories
- 366
- protein
- 36g
- carbs
- 7g
- fat
- 22g
- saturates
- 4g
- fibre
- 0g
- sugar
- 6g
- salt
- 0.35g
- 4 pork chops, trimmed of fat
- zest and juice 1 lemon
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 1 large fennel bulb, finely sliced
- 1 red apple, cored and sliced
- 1 small red onion, finely sliced
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise and 1 tbsp natural yogurt, mixed together
- 50g chopped walnuts
Buy Ingredients
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Want to know how this works? Read all about it here.
- Rub the pork with the lemon zest and fennel seeds, then heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan. Brown the chops for 3 mins on each side, then remove from the heat. Splash over half the lemon juice, season, then leave to rest while you make the salad.
- Mix together the sliced fennel, apple, onion, mayo mix and nuts. Season with black pepper and squeeze in the remaining lemon juice to taste. Serve the pork with the pan juices spooned over, and the fennel slaw on the side. Great with jacket potatoes.
Recipe from Good Food magazine, November 2008
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Construction is in progress on the new UTMB Multispecialty Center and Stark Diabetes Clinic, which will consolidate several UTMB clinics in one convenient permanent location on the mainland.
The new 46,600 square feet of clinic space at 2660 Gulf Freeway South, League City, will focus on chronic disease management, with several services related to diabetes management. It will feature a peaceful, park-like atmosphere with LED backlit photos of natural themes and seasons. It is located in Victory Lakes Town Center, between Sports Authority and Hobby Lobby.
According to Diana Browning, chief ambulatory operations officer, clinics will begin seeing patients in the new space on Aug. 1, with the moves completed by Aug. 15. The clinics are expected to handle more than the annual 45,000 patient visits at the current clinics. A grand opening is scheduled for the fall.
Specialties will include:


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Oct. 28, 2013
Editor's Note: The following first appeared in the University of Iowa's Hawk Talk Daily, an e-newsletter that offers a daily look at the Iowa Hawkeyes, delivered free each morning to thousands of fans of the Hawkeyes worldwide.
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Win or lose, Mike Meyer is typically the first Hawkeye football player to meet with media for postgame interviews. Win or lose, Meyer is typically the most soft-spoken of the bunch, keeping an even keel regardless of his performance or outcome of the game.
Perhaps that consistent demeanor contributes to his success. He understands how to pick himself up after a miss and he stays grounded after a crucial make.
Meyer has been doing it that way for the Hawkeyes for four seasons after joining the team as a walk-on from Wahlert High School in Dubuque, Iowa. On Saturday, during a 17-10 overtime win against Northwestern, Meyer converted a 38-yard field goal and tacked on two extra points for five points. That gives him 291 career points and moves him ahead of Rob Houghtlin for second on Iowa's all-time scoring list.
"It is pretty cool to hear now," Meyer sheepishly told a reporter, confessing he was oblivious to the mark.
But Meyer wasn't in the Kinnick Stadium interview room Saturday to revel in personal milestones. He wants to focus on the final four or five games of his career.
"I haven't given much thought to it," Meyer said. "We are still in the middle of the season and every game means a lot. There is time for that after the season. Right now I have to focus on getting better after this game."
"I haven't given much thought to it. We are still in the middle of the season and every game means a lot. There is time for that after the season. Right now I have to focus on getting better after this game."
Mike Meyer
UI senior kicker
This season the Hawkeyes are 5-3 overall, 2-2 in the Big Ten Conference and Meyer is the team's leading scorer with 56 points. He has made 10-of-14 field goals and all 26 point-after kicks. That gives him 107 consecutive PATs, the fourth-longest active streak in the nation and fifth-best all-time in the Big Ten.
Still, you are more likely to hear the sound of a Nike shoe striking a leather football above the roar of 70,000 fans in Kinnick Stadium before you would hear Meyer boast.
He is 3-of-4 this season on field goal attempts of 44 or more yards, but misfired from 42 yards Saturday into a stiff and swirling north wind late in a tie game.
"I got ahead of myself," Meyer said of the rare miss. "The snap and hold got down, I got ahead of myself and lost concentration at the end."
He was eager for another chance at a game-winner. With 15 seconds left, the Hawkeyes opted against a 52-yard field goal attempt and tried to convert on fourth-and-11.
"Redemption would have been good, but we won the game in the end," Meyer said. "I was back there waiting if they called my name. Whatever decision coach (Kirk) Ferentz went with, I was going to take it and go with it."
At the time, the ball was on the Wildcat 35-yard line and Ferentz wanted to get at least a first down to the 24 before calling on the kicking unit.
"We figured let the clock go down, try to convert, and if we did, we had two timeouts to get the field goal then," Ferentz said. "(Meyer) would have nailed it. I'm confident of that."
Meyer returned to the field one more time Saturday, kicking a PAT after a Jake Rudock-to-C.J. Fiedorowicz 8-yard game-winning touchdown pass in overtime.
"That was good to get one under my belt after the miss," Meyer said. "It was good to get that out of the way."
Only Nate Kaeding, who scored 373 career points from 2000-03, has totaled more as a Hawkeye than Meyer.
Meyer has an opportunity to add more points when Iowa hosts Wisconsin (5-2, 3-1) on Nov. 2 with an 11 a.m. (CT) start in Kinnick Stadium.


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SULPHUR -- A six month investigation led to six arrests, each accused of using patient names from the Callaway Nursing home to order narcotic prescriptions."You also wonder were they selling them? Were they trading some for other drugs like meth? You never know what the actual economic gain from them was, but there certainly is a market for them," Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics spokesperson Mark Woodward said.
When OBN was alerted to the issue, they launched a full investigation in cooperation with the Sulphur Police Department and Murray County Sheriff's Office. For Woodward, the crime is hard to digest.
"We're very concerned that someone in this position- in these positions who families trust with their loved ones would be doing something like this, so it is very troubling. I hope it sends a message that this is not going to be tolerated," said Woodward.
Woodward says he does not believe anyone in administration was involved at that it was only some members of the nursing department who were ordering the fraudulent prescriptions. He adds that all of the prescriptions ordered were in addition to the ones already needed for the patients there and that no resident went without the needed medication.
We tried reaching Callaway. Our request for an interview was denied Thursday, but they did ask us to contact them again when their director was available.
The pills could bring a big profit.
"8,400 out of the 9,000 pills were for hydrocodone and those are going for anywhere from two to ten dollars, so you could be looking at, potentially, anywhere from 40 to 80 thousand dollars, street value," explained Woodward.
He calls the investigation a terrific cooperative effort."It's been critical to work very closely with our local law enforcement. They know the people, and really, the boots on the ground, so we couldn't do a lot of these investigations without the help of our partners," Woodward said.
Six are behind bars, with the possibility of more arrests being made.


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Climate Change Threatens Our Big Cat Mascots
From intimidating bears to fierce gators, mascots across the country are the face of any college athletic program. It is hard to not feel a surge of school spirit when you see your beloved mascot take the field. But mascots […] Read more >


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After weeks of being the only UFC game in town, The Ultimate FIghter Live is stuck taking a backseat this week to UFC 145 and Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans. It's hard to get too amped up for the continuing antics of Urijah "short-contest champion" Faber and Dominick "bad one liners" Cruz this week. Which is a shame as the featured fight this week pits Team Cruz #6 Vinc Pichel vs. Team Faber #6 John Cofer in what could be a pretty great fight. As always, here is our in-depth breakdown, plus fight videos. The Ultimate Fighter airs live on FX Friday night at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.
Neither Pichel nor Cofer have been featured much on the show, which is often the kiss of death in pre-taped reality shows that set up a narrative for the winner early on. But thanks to the live format, that's not the case here - it just shows that these two men have remained relatively quiet. They're an intriguing contrast - Pichel is the dynamic fighter "From Hell" while Cofer is the more laid-back Southern folk potter. Yes, you read that right - in case you missed it on the premiere, Cofer's non-fighting life is making folk pottery in Georgia. Which is a first for TUF, and kind of makes me root for the guy. But let's see what each man brings to the Octagon.
Breakdown of Pichel and Cofer, plus fight video and prediction in the full entry.
5'10" | 29 years old | 72" reach
TUF record: def. Cody Pfister (Sub, R1)
Vinc "From Hell" Pichel hails from California where he trains under Big John McCarthy at his BJMUTA training academy. He's a perfect 7-0 and has won all 7 of those fights via TKO or KO stoppage from strikes, with 6 of those 7 wins coming in the second round, where he likes to come out heavy and hunting for the stoppage. There's a bit of confusion over his record, as Sherdog lists him at 6-0, but video of a fight not included on his record exists, which I suspect accounts for #7.
Last week, Joe Proctor was presented as the show's dark horse, but honestly, I think that distinction goes to Pichel. He's an excellent, well-rounded talent with a great finishing ability. On the feet, he's a good striker who likes to blast his way to the inside, then put strikes together into vicious combos. He's less comfortable fighting at range, but still not totally out of his element there. On the mat, Pichel has a highly active guard, constantly working for numerous submission attempts. That also makes him very hard to submit. On top, he has nice ground and pound, highlighted by absolutely brutal elbows - he used one such elbow to slice open Pfister on the TUF premiere, opening up a serious gash. And once he has an opening he capitalizes - this guy is a finisher.
For this fight, look for Pichel to try and rough Cofer up standing, keep very active if he gets taken down, and try to reverse for the top position to land some ground and pound.
5'10" | 27 years old | 72" reach
TUF record: def. Mark Glover (UD)
Souther folk potter John Cofer (sorry folks, but I find that endlessly fascinating) is a tried and true wrestler. He trains with Rory Singer at his Hardcore Gym where he has put together a nice 7-1 record. That record shows a good mix of decisions, submissions, and TKOs, which is a nice thing to see in a fighter.
Stylistically, Cofer's game is very straight forward - he's coming to outwrestle you. His gameplan is generally to use strikes to close the distance, secure the clinch, and take you down. He has nice takedowns in his arsenal, and is able to use them well to gain top position. From there, sorry to say, he's a bit from the "lay and pray" school of wrestling. He's not always actively looking to pass the guard or get the stoppage, but instead dominates with his smothering control. That can be incredibly frustrating for his opponents - Glover was visibly upset throughout their fight. On the feet, Cofer fights southpaw. Again, his strikes are there to set up his wrestling. And they do a good job with that offensive goal in mind. Defensively, his strikes are a concern. He keeps his hands very wide, inviting his opponent to come inside, but he doesn't have the technical skill with his hands to get away with that, and as a result, he is wide open right up the center. But if he gets you down, he's very good at keeping you there.
Against Pichel, I expect he'll stick to his basics: take him down, smother him for as long as needed.
Prediction: Vinc Pichel, Decision
I like Pichel a lot, but this is a tricky fight for him. He's not someone who picks his opponents apart standing at range, which means he'll get inside with Cofer. That opens him up to the takedown and ground control. And in 10 minutes, it's entirely possible Cofer can get enough ground control to eek out a decision. But I think Pichel will be too active on his back and will take this. Though I fear a close judgement going Cofer's way.
Video Footage:
Vinc Pichel vs. Rodney Rhoden
This is not on his record, but I believe is Pichel's 4th pro fight. Great action here.
Vinc Pichel vs. Matt Bahntge
March 25, 2011
Pichel's in red here. Part of round 1 is missing.
John Cofer vs. Marius Cujba
October 1, 2011
Highlights here from Cofer's final pre-TUF fight


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The Vita L200/ L700 R is a compatible replacement for the following pool and spa filters:
The Vita Spas L200/ L700 Comp. Replacement Pool Filter has a diameter of 8 1/2 inches, and a length of 7 inches. This pool filter has a closed top with a square handle, and an open bottom which has a diameter of 2 inches and Male Pipe Threads (MPT). This pool filter cartridge will keep the water in your pool or spa clean and clear.


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Gun stores across metro Atlanta and the nation are seeing an uptick in gun sales after the movie-theater shootings in Colorado, according to the
Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Some people are buying weapons for protection and some say they are buying weapons for fear there could be restrictions on weapon purchases in the future, according to the report.
The uptick in gun sales around Atlanta is based on interviews with gun shops.
What do you think? Are you more likely to buy a weapon for protection in the face of the tragedy or would you like to see gun-control reform?
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Daric Barton went 1-for-4 and is in a 7-for-59 slide. He also is 10-for-69 (.145) in May. The Oakland record for the lowest average in the month of May (minimum 75 plate appearances) is .134 by John Donaldson in 1968.
Now what do you take from these numbers if your the A's brass?
Is there anything that can explain why the drop off from his dwindling potential?
How long before we option him to triple A?????


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As the defending champion of the 'official' Cincy Jungle fantasy football league in 2011, I was excluded from the 2012 league...the whole eliminate the tough competition strategy. So I started my own Cincy Jungle fantasy football league with 11 fellow Cincy Jungle challengers.
It was good fun. Our league was a very competitive, active league with many of the teams making many add/drops, and over the course of the season, 9 of our 12 teams ended up scoring within +/- 6 points per game of each other. Plus, we had no horrible teams, which was a plus, so every game was a good matchup.
The teams included:
+ Brown's Pocket Lint
+ Nihil Obstat
+ Dalton's gang
+ The Burfict Storm
+ Master of Disaster
+ Brazillian Bengals
+ The Infamous
+ Green Envy
+ Show me your TDs
+ MCSubtext
+ Burfict Strangers
+ Peko's Problem Child
(sorry I don't know their CJ screen names)
Our league just ended yesterday with Nihil Obstat defeating Brown's Pocket Lint 121.78-79.52 to take home the title. The Burfict Storm ran away from Dalton's gang 136.44-88.30 to finish third.
So congratulations to me for winning my second consecutive Cincy Jungle fantasy football league.
Woo hoo! :-)
So I must thank A Rodgers & Dez Bryant for their huge games yesterday, and I must thank all the backup RB's I added during the season who replaced my starters who went on IR.
Looking forward to next season!!!!!


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Desalination Companies
Investing in the Future: Desalination Companies
In the rush of headlines about looming water shortages associated with climate change, increased population and falling water tables, many have been discussing options and looking to find the best investments to exploit the water crisis.
And, more times than not, desalination emerges as the potential solution to the world's water woes. But for all the hype and chatter surrounding this expanding industry, what, if any, are the best ways to play it?
As I've said before, the first wave of investing in desalination companies has come and gone. The available plays at that time—the first half of this decade—were bought up and merged into global conglomerates that knew exactly where the water industry was headed.
Zenon Environmental Inc. is a prime example. Their advanced membrane technology, used for wastewater treatment and desalination, made them one of the leaders in the fledgling desalination market of the early 2000s. From 2001 to early 2005 the stock rose more than 270% as they gobbled up large contracts in the US and Canada, and began to expand into Asia.
And at that point, the big boys had had enough. They were quickly bough out by GE and merged into its water division.
Since then, as I've reported before, investing in desalination stocks has offered few pure plays. One of the best ways to get in now may be through Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: CWCO).
I was bullish on that stock back in '07, when it was trading just above $30 and before Barron's warned that its shares could lose half their value if a dispute over desalination revenues was not settled with one of its largest customers, the government of the British Virgin Islands.
The dispute went on and shares fell to $24.60 on Christmas Eve. The stock has since started to rebound, and now may be a good time to pick up a few shares in this market of limited options.
But another option may be on the way.
Desalination IPO
IDE Technologies Ltd., a joint venture between Israel Chemicals Limited (TLV: ICL) and Delek Group Ltd. (TLV: DELEKG), may soon have its shares floated on the London Stock Exchange.
In fact, the initial public offering (IPO) was supposed to happen in November 2007, but was postponed because of "global market conditions."
Nonetheless, on December 30, it was announced that IDE won a $100 million contract to build a desalination plant in Australia, with construction to begin this year. And they've got plenty more experience under their belt.
In 2005, the company, along with Veolia Environment (NYSE: VE) and Dankner-Ellern, built the world's largest desalination plant in Ashkelon, Israel, capable of delivering up to 6% of Israel's water needs. In 2006, less than a year after initial production, it won Desalination Plant of the Year at the Global Water Awards.
And it doesn't hurt that IDE has its home in a country that is a world leader in desalination technology. Israel—along with the rest of the Middle East—will be a hotbed of desalination investment in coming years, and IDE is a leader in reverse osmosis technology.
Rest assured, I'll be covering desalination and other water-related opportunities as they continue to develop in our latest publication, Alternative Energy Speculator. And while we don't have a desalination company worthy of our investment dollars just yet, you may be interested in taking profits from this other salt-water related opportunity.
Until next time,
Enjoy this article? Get more in our Free Newsletter
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Get the inside track on the most lucrative stock plays in today's scorching-hot alternative and renewable energy markets.
Sign up for the FREE Energy and Capital daily e-Letter from alternative energy experts Jeff Siegel and Nick Hodge. We'll also send you our latest report on Wind Investing straight to your inbox.
Related ArticlesInvesting in Water
This week, Nick looks at some of the recent world headlines about water. Along the way he divulges some tips about investing in the looming water shortage and offers his Green Chip Water Index.
Investing in Water
In past issues I've talked about various ways to take advantage of a looming water shortage. I've talked about everything from desalination to meter manufacturers. And although there are definitely ways to profit from all the opportunities I've talked about, the market has been extremely favorable to purification technologies of late.
Desalination Stocks
Green Chip editor Nick Hodge reviews today's desalination stocks and the technologies behind the sector's leading companies.
Green Building Stocks
This week, editor Nick Hodge take a look at the convergence of the green building and carbon markets, and discusses the future of each.


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(WMC-TV) – A man who made history for being one of the first African-American pilots to fly in the United States armed forces is making history again.
A memorial is being dedicated in honor of the Booker T. Washington graduate, who first made history as a Tuskegee airman.
Lane College will dedicate a memorial in honor of Colonel Luke Weathers.
"Tuskegee airmen are a big part of aviation history and American history for that matter," said Nick Fleming, Tennessee Technology Center.
Students at the Tennessee Technology Center are working to fix up a plane that will soon be seen at the monument honoring Colonel Weathers.
A ceremony presenting the restoration project will be held at Lane College's homecoming.
The plane was brought to the Tennessee Technology Center in pieces. Student say it took them about four months to put it back together.
For the students working on the project, the work is an honor.
Weathers joined the famous Tuskegee airmen group when World War II broke out.
"He went into the services, he wanted to be a pilot. He said, 'If I die I don't want to die peeling potatoes. I want to die fighting,'" said LaSimba Gray, Lane College Alumni Association.
Colonel Weathers was buried with full honors at Arlington Cemetery in January.
His son, Luke Weathers III, says his father left a lasting legacy.
"He portrayed the example that if you want to do it you can," he said.
On Friday, Colonel Weather's courage and the courage of other airmen will be saluted when the restored plane is put on permanent display in Jackson.
Copyright 2012 WMC-TV. All rights reserved.
View more photos of the plane restoration
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here you go
2 lbs lean ground turkey
• ¾ tsp ground ginger
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp dried sage
• 1 tsp fennel seed
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (or red pepper flakes)
• 1 ½ tsp ground black pepper
1. In a large bowl, mix together the ground turkey, ginger, salt,
sage, cayenne pepper, and black pepper until well blended. 2. Heat a
skillet over medium-high heat, and coat with nonstick cooking spray.
Form the turkey sausage into patties, and fry until browned on both
sides, and no longer pink in the center. This should take about 15


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Mayock Drops Poe to #4 in DT Rankings
For any of you that may have thought of taking Dontari Poe @ #14 or even in the first round, allow Mike Mayock to pump your breaks a bit. All of you out there that were skeptical about this to begin with, rest easy now. This would suggest that Poe would be there in the second round for us. Fletcher Cox is the #1 DT now followed by Jerel Worthy and Michael Brockers.


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The Oakdale man charged with six felonies after randomly shooting at cars outside of his home was deemed mentally incompetent to proceed with a trial by a court psychologist.
Nhan Tran, 34, was arrested in February after open-firing near the Rainbow Foods grocery store in Oakdale. Police said Tran fired multiple rounds at four vehicles and killed a 9-year-old boy. He claimed the noise of the cars was bothering him and prompted him to shoot.
The St. Paul Pioneer press reported a note found in his bedroom at the time of arrest read, "Random Kill, Fake Plates." The date "12/12/12" was also written all over the walls of his bedroom, the affidavit filed in Washington County District Court said.
The Washington county prosecution disagrees with the findings and will have Tran reviewed by their own independent psychologist. They are set to revisit the case on May 10.
Read more:
OAKDALE SHOOTING: Police say 'noisy cars' prompted fatal spreeTran charged in Oakdale shooting
KMSP-TV11358 Viking DriveEden Prairie, MN 55344
Phone: (952) 944-9999Fax: (952) 942-0455


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Established in 1957, Huntsville Art League is a nonprofit artists' cooperative with a mission to promote understanding, appreciation, participation and general interest in the visual arts. We are supported through the countless volunteer hours of our members, corporate and private sponsorships, and grants.
We accomplish our mission through our many programs, classes, and events including:
- quarterly class offerings & workshops
- peer critiques
- life drawing sessions
- gallery shows and events
- gallery space
- off-site exhibit opportunities
- artist mentorship program
- juried competition
- fellowship and fun


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Legal Ethics
Bar Judge Asks 3-Year Suspension for Lawyer Who 'Badgered, Berated, Screamed, Yelled'
Posted Dec 17, 2009 4:34 PM CDT
By Martha Neil
A California plaintiffs lawyer should be suspended for three years, a State Bar Court judge recommends, because of his "outrageous" and "insolent" behavior.
The judge also found that Philip Kay, who practices out of San Francisco, entered into an illegal fee-sharing arrangement in a high-profile sexual harassment suit against Baker & McKenzie that reaped a $3.5 million judgment more than a decade ago, reports the Recorder in an article reprinted in New York Lawyer (reg. req.)
Dialing down from the prosecution's recommendation of disbarment, however, Judge Lucy Armendariz recommended a three-year suspension from practice followed by probation, the legal publication recounts.
Armendariz said Kay engaged in a "pattern of abuse" against multiple judges. "He repeatedly badgered, berated, screamed, yelled and/or raised his tone at witnesses and the court, despite court warnings, admonitions and orders not to do this," she wrote.
Kay has denied this throughout the case. If his conduct was as bad as described, he should have been held in contempt at the time by the trial court, he argues.
The California Supreme Court must decide on the correct attorney discipline for Kay before it becomes final.
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Deputies have taken 24 undocumented immigrants into custody after they found them hidden inside a house in northwest Harris County.
One immigrant had spoken with a pastor almost two weeks ago about the conditions he had been living in inside the small wood frame house on Breen Road near Antoine Drive, FOX 26 News has learned.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will take over custody of the undocumented immigrants.
KRIV FOX 264261 Southwest FreewayHouston, TX 77027Phone: (713) 479-2801Fax: (713) 479-2859


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Dear Friends and Fans of Little King Hunter,
For a combination of personal and artistic reasons Little King Hunter is disbanding. It is with great regret that we announce our break up, having been a group for more than 5 years.
We would like to extend our greatest and most sincere appreciations to everyone who supported us through show attendance, music and merchandise sales, radio requests and online votes. We also want to thank all of the great bands for sharing the stage. Thanks to all the venues who booked us and thanks to everyone who collaborated with us to take photos, draw artwork and build online resources. A special thank you goes to Chance Gillis and Fred Lee of Omni Art Studios because without their knowledge and patience our music would have never seen any kind of medium.
Our music will continue to be available for stream and purchase online (ReverbNation, iTunes, etc.) and our Facebook/Twitter/Websites will remain active for some time.
Although we are going our separate ways, we are all going to stay committed to the industry in some way. Feel free to reach out to us, stay connected and see where the music takes us.
We couldn't leave without going through the archives and bringing you all one last song. Please enjoy "Lie Down to Die"; originally intended for our first EP.
Little King Hunter


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Latest World Record News
Aloha! 10 Hawaiian world records for the state's 55th anniversary
From the largest collection of surfboards to oldest woman to complete a marathon, the 50th state has long been a record hotbed
Japan's Sakari Momoi confirmed as oldest living man, aged 111 years, 196 days
Guinness World Records can today confirm that Japan's Sakari Momoi is the world's oldest living man at 111 years, and, as of today, 196 days old
Asian star LUHAN sets the record for most comments on a Weibo post
Social media record verified with 13,163,859 comments on EXO boy band star's post.
Fan Choice: August 15 - Vote now!
The longest line of tacos and a giant, trippy tetrix are some of the records vying for your vote this week
Power ranking the cast of The Expendables 3
We count down all 17 main cast members by achievement in the third installment of Sylvester Stallone's ballooning action franchise
8 roller coaster records for National Roller Coaster Day
From the tallest and fastest to the most naked riders on a ride, we celebrate National Roller Coaster day with some of our favorite records


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Welcome to YIS Middle School. I hope that current YIS students and parents as well as those considering the school in future will find the information in this section of the website helpful.
I would like to extend a very warm welcome to students and parents. Here in the middle school, we believe these years to be crucially important for students, a time of change and a time for increased independence in their learning. Reflecting these changes, our program in the middle school is both challenging and creative, developing the skills and understandings needed to meet the demands of high school while continuing to inspire enjoyment of and thirst for learning.
We are conscious of how rapidly technology is changing our world and as such it is vital our students are exposed to what is current and become adept at using the latest tools for learning. We are confident that our newly implemented Connected Learning Community, in which every student is equipped with his or her own laptop computer and teachers integrate a wide range of applications in the teaching and learning process, will help ensure that students are well prepared.
We are in the third year of a phased implementation of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program, a process that will continue with a grade level each year until we reach full implementation across grades 6 – 10 in the 2014-15 academic year. The program provides a framework of academic challenge that encourages students to embrace and understand the connections between traditional subjects and the real world, and become critical and reflective thinkers. There are now nearly 800 – and increasing annually - schools worldwide offering the program to almost 10,000 students. Please also see our MYP Frequently Asked Questions page for a fuller explanation of the implementation of the program at YIS.
The middle school years are also a time when children are exploring who they are and where they fit into the scheme of things. They want to increase the level of independence in their own decision-making. Our task as educators, in partnership with parents, is to guide them along this road with both patience and understanding.
As an international school, with a student body comprising over 40 nationalities, we are in a culturally rich environment and one that is very relevant in today's world. Not only is it a rewarding experience to live with and learn about so many other cultures, it is also important that our students know about their own cultures. The mix of these two experiences is tremendously important in developing tolerant world citizens, something that is so vital in the 21st century.
Finally, when young students are away from their home countries, we believe it is important that they find a new community to nourish them. Here at YIS we provide a vibrant, welcoming and friendly atmosphere. Opportunities for sports and fine arts abound in our extra-curricular activities, and we have a strong emphasis on the wellbeing of the student. All in all, I am very pleased and proud of the well-rounded and holistic program we offer at YIS, and I am confident that you will feel the same too.
Best regards,


text: Alice in Chains music is a dark but emotional experience and this unplugged setting instead of downplaying the music brings it to a new level. In fact this is one of the best unplugged albums from the 90's in terms of performance. Hard rock bands have a tendency to sound cheessy in an unplugged settings as the songs structure is most sensitive to the acustic instruments and bad songs sound even worst without the electric setting. In this case AIC's songs come through as powerful and hypnotic showing the excelent quality that they have. In a way, the overall feeling is that of deep delta blues band in an intimate concert. Every band members contributes to this recording with a flawless performance and the songs arregements are inventive and interesting.


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- Sat
- Aug 23, 2014
- Updated: 9:54am
Government subsidies proposed to end shortage of skilled labour
Proposal for subsidies to help industries hit by a shortage of skilled labour bring in trainees set to be outlined in chief executive's policy address
Most Popular
Industries hit by a shortage of skilled labour could be offered government subsidies to attract trainees by raising wages.
The idea has arisen with more school-leavers shunning manual jobs to attend university.
A source close to the government believed Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying would address the issue in his policy address on January 15.
Sectors set to benefit include electrical work, lift maintenance and car and aircraft repairs.
These are identified as industries struggling to attract young people because of the relatively low starting wages and harsh working environment.
The extent of the subsidies needed was unclear, but the source said the extra costs would be shared by both the administration and employers. "Companies should shoulder some of the responsibility for grooming fresh blood," the source said. "It will alleviate their staffing problems in the long run."
A trainee electrician makes about HK$8,000 a month, less than half the wages of a fully trained and registered colleague.
Typically, it takes about six years to complete the training and apprenticeship.
But demand in the industry is rising because of the many new jobs being created by the expansion of the MTR and construction of the high-speed-rail link to Guangdong.
Wong Kam-fai, chairman of the Electrical Engineering Professional Employees Association, welcomed the idea of subsidies.
He said the industry, which employs about 70,000 people, would have to rely on imported labour if no effort was made to train young locals.
Wong attributed the labour shortage to the increasingly common practice of big companies outsourcing work to contractors.
"Small companies with limited resources don't bother to train newcomers. Their contracts are project-based so they don't have long-term vision," he said.
"On the other hand, parents don't like their children giving up academic study for vocational training. Youngsters don't like working in buildings without air-conditioning or works involving heavy labour."
In the UK, a planned upgrade to utilities infrastructure is set to see spending in the sector surge by £100 billion (HK$1.28 trillion) up to 2023, but companies in the industry say the county lacks the 200,000 skilled workers needed to do the jobs. The UK government has now injected more than £1 billion into a scheme to create 100,000 apprenticeship places.
The Hong Kong government has noted in its population policy the need to change the mentality of Hongkongers who place academic education before vocational training.
It will encourage employers to take a more active role in technical education.
The government hoped to revamp a four-decade-old apprenticeship scheme and tackle challenges brought by an ageing population and shrinking workforce, the source said. It is also determined to use all available local labour before considering importing workers.
The unemployment rate of 15- to 24-year-olds remained high at 9.7 per cent in 2012, compared to the overall average of 3.5 per cent. The figure does not take into account about 30,000 not engaged in employment, education or training, a population policy consultation document released in October showed.
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The same thing applies to importing cheap labour - how will these people find anywhere affordable to live? Will Paul Chan Mo Po's wife rent them cubicles at rack rents?
All points are valid. More, the government's subsidy should be a temporary measure to jumpstart the revitalization of local labor supply. The government should maintain its stance stopping importing cheap migrant workers forcing and allowing the business and workplace to take in less profit and pay more to labors respectively. I would also go along that consumers should pay more for businesses that profit margin already are low. We should be ashamed for exploiting cheap labors otherwise.
With CY Leung's bold step, some of our young folks will have a future. Remember not everyone can be a stock broker or a real estate broker. Besides, how problematic already it is with 30,000 of the latter.
It is the expectation of parents that pushes youngsters away from labor work especially those who have spent inordinate amount of money on education. Innate inclination and ability are overlooked. Such expectation may have the root planted in Chinese culture where education is seen as a means for a prosper living. Despite 2000 years in exalting education, the narrow practical purpose of education in Chinese culture can be deemed as still in its very primitive state.
The contrast with US is just too big. Just reported in WSJ, waiting on tables in upscale restaurants nowadays include Harvard graduates. They see themselves as professional and building their career in food business by working from the bottom up. Anecdotally, my friend's neighbor who is a builder (houses) with a hammer in hand is a Harvard graduate too.
I would say Hong Kong parents should free their children. Let the purpose of education has a wider scope in meaning and application. Only a restrictive way seeing education would make education useless.
Nowadays "graduates' with their watered-down and debased "degrees" are instilled with the mentality that they are all trained as "managers" and shouldn't get their hands dirty. Only the best and intelligent workers, who have proven themselves within industry over a number of years should be selected to go back to do a degree course in management training. The old-fashioned way was far superior and produced highly skilled workers worthy of salaries which were little below that of their foremen, superintendents and managers.
This is because of the gradual slide into decadence by the education "industry" who are now driven by mainly financial motives, emphasizing quantity rather quality of education.
Let us all say no to corporate welfare!


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3-in-1 Individual Battery Charger for Olympus LI-80B
- Category: Battery Chargers
- Model Number: XC-O80
This high-power 3-in-1 battery charger provides a speedy power-up for the Olympus LI-80B battery and all similar models. Its 110v-240v capability supplies you with worldwide compatability and it also includes an AC/DC car charge adapter and European wall adapter.
- Package Height: 4.25
- Package Length: 6.75
- Package Width: 2.5
- Package Weight: 0.3
- UPC Code: 636980410586
- Product Warranty: 3 year limited manufacturer's


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Bad Boy Bennett does good (From Swindon Advertiser)
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Bad Boy Bennett does good
5:30am Monday 9th June 2014 in Sport By Michael Reeves, Sports reporter, firstname.lastname@example.com, @michaelreeves78
LAWRENCE Bennett has put himself in line for a shot at the British cruiserweight title after split decision victory over Chris Keane.
Swindon's Southern Area champion came out on top in a war of attrition that saw neither men really willing to engage over the 10-rounds of this eliminator contest at the Oasis Leisure Centre on Saturday night.
The 31-year-old Bad Boy was jumping for joy as the judges scorecards were read out with Jeff Hinds and Howard Foster scoring the bout 99-92 and 98-94 in Bennett's favour, while Mike Alexander felt Keane edged it 96-95.
The win for the Swindon southpaw has opened up the door for a possible Jamaican showdown after Derby's Ovill McKenzie knocked out Jon-Lewis Dickinson to add the British title to his Commonwealth crown.
But on the evidence of Saturday, Bennett is going to need a big improvement if he to claim those belts.
Having found success with the single jab to claim the Southern Area title in March, he relied on that tactic again.
Keane came into the contest with one thing on his mind, ending the fight with a booming over the top right hand.
But in trying to land it, Bennett was cute enough to stay out of range and the West Midlander hurt his bicep that required icing between the rounds.
Referee Terry O'Connor had to bring the boxers together in the first and ninth rounds to remind them that they were supposed to fight, but when this contest is long forgotten, the records will show a victory for Bennett.
"It feels brilliant," said a jubilant Bennett. "I have gone and beaten the Midlands champion, I'm the Southern Area champion and I beat a guy who stopped (former British champion) Shane McPhilbin.
"I keep telling you guys I don't know how good I am, I just taking it step by step - I'm winging it.
"I'm not supposed to beat those guys, he was an ex-ABA champion, he has got pedigree, I had two amateur fights and I beat him."
Bennett admits that the contest wasn't a fight to be remembered, but said that there had been disagreements in the dressing room before the contest with the gloves.
However, the Swindonian kept his focus and got the job done to continue an incredible 2014 which has seen him bounce back from defeat to Courtney Richards to secure the Southern Area title and by the end the year he could find himself facing McKenzie for the British and Commonwealth crowns.
"It wasn't the greatest of fights, but most people are still fighting journeymen in their seventh fight," Bennett said.
"I'm Southern Area champion I've just beat the Midlands champion and I'm fighting for a British title next.
"I want it, Ovill has knocked out Jon-Lewis Dickinson, I thought Jon-Lewis Dickinson would be a tougher fight.
"But Ovill is going to be another tough one, he is a puncher, I don't mind punchers I can take a shot, they have to catch me first, I've got fast feet."
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Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
"Sin City: A Dame to Kill For" doesn't have the electricity of the original, mainly because we've already seen it. Nothing more is really revealed…
"Sin City: A Dame to Kill For" doesn't have the electricity of the original, mainly because we've already seen it. Nothing more is really revealed…
"To Be Takei" is a conventional documentary that has a surprising emotional heft. A fun, informative exploration of the life of actor, activist and Trekkie…
"The Ballad of Narayama" is a Japanese film of great beauty and elegant artifice, telling a story of startling cruelty. What a space it opens…
Patrice Leconte's "Monsieur Hire" is a tragedy about loneliness and erotomania, told about two solitary people who have nothing else in common. It involves a…
Roger Ebert loved superhero movies but he was a superhero himself to me.
Chaz and Roger Ebert will be awarded the Deloris Jordan Award for Excellence in Community Leadership at the 20th Annual Black Harvest Film Festival.
White privilege, lived.
An FFC Review of Kim Beyong-seo and Jo Eui-Seok's South Korean thriller "Cold Eyes."
An FFC Review of Kim Beyong-seo and Jo Eui-Seok's South Korean thriller "Cold Eyes."
An FFC looks at the horrible situation in Ferguson, MO and what it says about where we are and where we're going.
Much progress has been made in representing African-American life onscreen, but there's a long way to go.
An updated list of the theatrical venues and VOD platforms currently screening "Life Itself."
Rian Johnson's "Looper," a smart and tricky sci-fi story, sidesteps the paradoxes of time travel by embracing them. Most time travel movies run into trouble in the final scenes, when impossibilities pile up one upon another. This film leads to a startling conclusion that wipes out the story's paradoxes so neatly it's as if it never happened. You have to grin at the ingenuity of Johnson's screenplay.
The movie takes place in 2044 and 2074, both of which look like plausible variations of the American present, and then there are a few scenes set in a futuristic Shanghai. We learn that although time travel is declared illegal once it has been discovered, a crime syndicate cheats and uses it as a method for disposing of its enemies. Imagine this. A man with shotgun stands by himself in a field. A second man materializes out of thin air. The first man blasts a hole in him.
The thin-air guy, who was bound and hooded, is a man from the future who has been sent back in time to be assassinated. The shotgun guy is known as a "Looper." He has been sent back into time to be the trigger man. Eventually, when he grows old enough, he will be sent back in time to be killed by his own younger self. This is known as "closing the loop."
Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Joe, the triggerman in 2044. Bruce Willis plays Old Joe, sent back from the future. The loop is not closed, however, because Old Joe arrives without a hood, and Young Joe hesitates when he realizes his latest target is … himself. He knew that would happen eventually (it's part of the deal), but a hood would have prevented him from knowing which victim was himself.
This leads to the kind of weird scene that only time travel makes possible. The two Joes go to a nearby diner, grab a booth, and have a conversation. Imagine that you're sitting across from yourself with a three-decade age difference. This is an opening for an endless conversation about the emotional and metaphysical implications of the meeting, but Johnson perhaps wisely makes their conversation more pragmatic. Perhaps professional hit men aren't inclined toward philosophy.
The story gains depth with the introduction of romance. In most thrillers, female characters tend toward eye candy and are extraneous to the plot. Not here. Young Joe meets Sara (Emily Blunt), a fiercely independent woman who lives on a Kansas farm with her son, Cid (Pierce Gagnon). Although Young Joe has literally come from nowhere, they slowly grow close. In the future, we learn, Old Joe was married, and his wife (Summer Qing) was murdered by a figure known as The Rainmaker.
It's not revealing too much to tell that Old Joe has reason to believe that young Cid may grow up to become The Rainmaker, and so Old and Young Joe are trapped in a situation with no pleasant prospects. The film is further enriched by the performances of Jeff Daniels as Abe, the future boss of the crime syndicate, and by Paul Dano as Seth, a friend of Old Joe who fears the loop is about to be closed on him.
Think this through. If the loop is closed on you, did you never exist? Or did you live your younger life up until the point you kill your older self? "Looper," to its credit, doesn't avoid this question. It's up to you to decide if it answers it. Time travel may be logically impossible, but once we allow a film to use it, we have to be grateful if it makes sense according to its own rules.
Rian Johnson's first feature was the well received, low-budget indie titled "Brick" (2005), which told a high-school story in a film noir style, narrated by Gordon-Levitt. The second was the con-man puzzlement "The Brothers Bloom" (2009). Now time travel. In all three, he begins with generic expectations and then confounds them. The key is in his writing. "Looper" weaves between past and present in a way that gives Johnson and his actors opportunities to create a surprisingly involving narrative.
White privilege, lived.
This message came to me from a reader named Peter Svensland. He and a fr...
An FFC looks at the horrible situation in Ferguson, MO and what it says about where we are and where we're going.
An examination and appreciation of one of Robin Williams' greatest films, "The Fisher King."


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Save The Date & Set Your DVR!
We are honored to have been asked to appear again on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and to design and install custom technology for Audrey Gibbs and her family for this special show.
In conjunction with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,
SimplyHome invites you to tune in on
Friday, January 6th
8/7C on
for the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Friday Night Premiere
The Gibbs Family from Iowa
Ty, Paulie & the EMHE Gang
and The Staff of SimplyHome


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It's time to welcome the Fall. Celebrate the 22nd annual Danville Fall Crafts Festival on the beautiful, tree-lined Hartz Avenue. Enjoy this family-friendly event with 200 talented artisans, a glass pumpkin patch, children's costume parade, as well as classic car and BMX shows.
Prospect Avenue will be home to activities, entertainment and much more. This event will be from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 26-27. Contact 837-4400 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Go to www.mlaproductions.com.


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Dozens of schools with leaky roofs. A high school that lacks its own auditorium. Classroom computers from 1996.
Broward school district leaders say those issues are only a few examples of the more than $2 billion in current unfunded capital improvement needs — and the district is leaning toward asking county voters for help.
On Thursday, Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie pushed board members to propose a $800 million, 30-year bond issue, which would go before voters in November. If voters approve, the bond issue will add about $50 to the average homeowner's annual property tax bill, district officials said.
The money would be spent on construction repairs, technology upgrades and school safety improvements such as ensuring Broward schools only have a single point of entry for visitors.
"I see it as the beginning of the future for us," Runcie told board members. "It's ultimately, I think, going to define our legacy, the legacy of this board."
School Board members didn't take a formal vote on the idea — that vote will come on Tuesday. But since most board members are strong supporters of the superintendent, it's likely to get the go-ahead next week.
"If we're really serious about moving our children forward, it's not just our responsibility, the community has to help us with this," School Board member Rosalind Osgood said. Osgood said the average tax increase of $50 was well worth it.
"That's what, a pair of shoes?" she said.
A detailed spending plan, to be unveiled at a series of community meetings, would be released in the coming months.
The decaying condition of some Broward schools is due to a variety of factors: the natural wear-and-tear of older buildings, the failure of previous school district leadership to maintain schools properly, and deep state budget cuts in recent years.
Should the bond issue become official next week, it would kick-start a high-stakes six-month political campaign to convince voters to voluntarily increase their taxes. Miami-Dade's school district successfully pulled off that feat in 2012, when its voters approved a $1.2 billion bond issue. The Miami-Dade ballot referendum passed by an overwhelming margin, with more than two-thirds of voters saying yes.
Miami-Dade's sales pitch to voters was aided by its charismatic, politically-savvy superintendent, Alberto Carvalho, and also by the fact that Carvalho had a lot of achievements to brag about. The district had successfully turned around some of its most problem-plagued inner-city schools, and student achievement overall had improved.
A month before the vote, Miami-Dade schools won the prestigious $1 million Broad Prize, which only further fueled the positive momentum.
In Broward, the task of selling a bond issue is arguably more difficult. A little over three years ago, Broward's schools were blasted for "reckless spending of taxpayer money" by a statewide grand jury. The 2011 report found the district had a culture of corruption, and that its facilities and construction department operated "with little regard for quality, accountability, or fiscal responsibility."
Four months before the grand jury report, a Broward School Board member had been arrested on corruption charges. A year before that, another School Board member was arrested for corruption.
These days, most Broward School Board members have been replaced. The district insists it has started a new chapter, although some in the public have their doubts.
"We're up against things that happened in the past that we all were not here for," said School Board member Laurie Rich Levinson.
Runcie — the new superintendent and an outsider from Chicago — was selected in the aftermath of the grand jury, and tasked with restoring credibility.
He says he has done just that. Broward's former director of facilities was forced to resign back in 2012, and the school district has adopted an array of new contract procedures and safeguards designed to protect taxpayers.
Is that enough to gain voters' trust this November? That may end up being the $800 million question.