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John 15:17-25
October 17, 1971
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Our Father, we thank You this morning for the wonderful truths that we have just heard. The Lord is indeed our Shepherd, that we who have chosen to follow Jesus have a tender Shepherd who guards us and keeps us and leads us and feeds us and someday shall lead us through the valley of the shadow of death into His own presence forevermore. We rejoice that we are counted worthy to be disciples of such a Shepherd, of such a Christ. And, Father, we ask that this morning as we look to the Word of God, our hearts will be lifted again to see what is required of us as disciples, to see that we are to be as Jesus was, the antagonist of the world, even though it means to suffer all of the abuse the world may give, that we can do it with hearts that are full of joy knowing that we are blessed when we are reviled because of the sake of Christ. Bless our time in the Word, Father, and meet each need of each heart that is here. We pray in Christ's name. Amen.
About three weeks ago, one of the young college men here at Grace Church by the name of Bob Marriet, 26 year old young man was sharing Christ in a park here in the valley. And he was giving out tracts and confronting people with their sin and the need of Jesus Christ and he was attacked and beaten up by some individuals. Then a week ago last Tuesday, the same young man was out sharing Jesus Christ again, as he usually did, only this time he was at the corner of Seventh and Broadway in Los Angeles. At 4:40 in the afternoon, he was attacked and beaten again. This time the back of his skull was fractured in four places. As best they can tell, evidently by someone antagonized by his witnessing.
In the hospital, three holes were drilled in his skull to attempt to relieve the pressure of the fracture, but without success. And in three days he was dead.
When you read something like that in the newspaper, you say, "Yeah, that's right." When something like that happens to somebody that's a part of your life, it changes. And then you realize that the world is a lot more hostile to the committed Christian than we think it is. Bob was a young man, I understand from our college young people, who would rather walk home than get a ride because he felt that if he walked he would be able to meet somebody with whom he could share Jesus Christ. That's the kind of person he was.
Ed Backe was sharing this testimony with us on Wednesday night and he said that Bob was the kind of a person who never had a bad thing to say about anybody, who never gossiped or anything, but was totally content just to be sharing Jesus Christ. Well, Bob lost his life in confronting the Christ hating world. That was the price that he paid.
Now we've been studying in John 15 that this is the case. And indeed we've seen it illustrated to us as graphically as you could possible see it with one of our own people. The godless people who are a part of Satan's system hate Christ. And they hate those who are committed to proclaiming Christ. We are living in a hostile world. We are living in a world that reacts violently to the message of sin. In Acts chapter 1 and verse 8, Jesus Christ preparing to ascend into heaven said, "Ye shall receive power after the Holy Spirit is come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto Me in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the uttermost part of the earth." And the word "witnesses", "witnesses unto Me" in the Greek is mumarturis and from that word marturis which meant "witness," we eventually got the word "martyr," which means somebody who dies. And the reason is because when somebody became a witness for Jesus Christ, they normally paid for it with their life. And the word marturis soon became far more than just a witness; it soon meant a person who dies for his testimony. And so many died throughout the years of the early church that the word was identified with that.
That's just exactly what Jesus said would happen in John 15. Let's go in our Bibles to John 15 and we'll pick up where we left off last week. Certainly my heart has been so burdened, I'm sure yours has too in just hearing about the account of Bob, perhaps most of you didn't know him. But I think we can go to John chapter 15 and the hatred of the world against a Christian with a little cleaner view, a little clearer understanding than perhaps we would have had last week. Jesus said it would be like this but I don't know whether we believed it, but maybe we believe it now.
And Jesus wanted to warn His disciples because, you see, they were told about all the wonderful promises that were theirs. They were told that they would have power unlimited. That they would be able to do the things that even hadn't been done when Jesus was here. That they would have peace, that they would have joy, that they would experience the abundance that God could give to them. They were told that they would have all the promises that Christ could possibly put at their disposal. They were told they would lack absolutely nothing. They were told that they would have the energy and the power and the ability to confront the world.
Down in verse 26 and 27 of chapter 15, the promise comes to them, "But when the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He shall testify of Me and ye also shall bear witness because you've been with Me from the beginning." He even tells them that they will have Holy Spirit energized witnessing, Holy Spirit energized testimony. But lest they think because they have all these promises and because they have all this power in the Holy Spirit that they can go out into the world and expect no response that is negative and no reaction, Jesus takes all the way from verse 18 clear through verse 25 to tell them that the world is going to hate them for their testimony, the world is going to despise them and the world is going to attempt to persecute them. And down in verse I and 2 of chapter 16, He says the world is going to kill you and think that by doing that they're doing God's service because they'll be so steeped in false religion.
And so, Jesus in the last night before He leaves this world in His crucifixion, this last time with His disciples, not only gives them promise after promise after promise but He also gives them this great warning to be aware of the hatred of the world.
Now we began to see last week why it is that the world hates Jesus Christ and why it is that the world continues to hate those who are Christ's, those of us who have decided to follow Jesus, those of us who are willing to deny ourselves, take up the cross and follow Him daily. Why it is the world hates us, Jesus gives us three reasons, really, here.
Number one, and we're reviewing for a moment, the world hates us because we're not of this world, verses 18 and 19. Now we saw this last week. We saw that because we aren't a part of the evil system of the world, the hates us. Naturally sin hates righteousness and false religion hates true religion. The world is a realm of evil. The world is controlled by Satan himself and his evil angels. The world is a society of wicked men who have set themselves against God, against Christ, against the Kingdom of God and against God's people. That's the world. And the world hates everything that is of God, of Christ or of us who are His. And as I told you last week, the heart of the whole system is false religion, whether it's atheistic religion, whether it's idolatry, cults, liberalism, modernism which is Satanic, whether it's the god of materialism or humanism or whatever it is, they all hate true religion which is that involving faith in Jesus Christ. And so, because we don't fit the system, we stand apart.
Look at verse 18, "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you are of the world, the world would love its own, but because ye are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." Don't be surprised when the world hates you, Jesus said to His disciples, it hated Me. And the reason it hates you, verse 19, is because you're not a part of it. If you were of the world, the world would love its own.
It's kind of interesting that "its own" is a neuter singular rather than a masculine plural. The world loves its own, and "its own" is an individual singular usage. Every individual in the world loves his own things. That's what it's saying. It is not that the world really loves each other; it is that each individual in the world loves himself and the things that are his. And he only loves others insofar as loving others will bring advantage to him. There's no love for the sake of love. It loves in the system to pass ... pacify its conscience, or it loves in the system to gain an advantage. The world loves its own. And it's a selfish kind of love, it's phileo love at best which is natural love, not agape which is deep, divine love. And it's superficial because it's connected to advantage. If ... if you were of the world, the world would love not you but its own, its own system, those who can give it advantage, it loves. And so naturally it would not love us because we are to the world's disadvantage. We discredit the world. We confront the world. We condemn the world. We rebuke the world by a pure life and by the Word of God and thus the world does not love us.
John tells us in 1 John chapter 5 that the whole world lies in the lap of the evil one. That's a vivid picture. The whole world lies in the lap of the evil one. There it rest in the evil one. They're not unhappy, they're relaxing there. The world is self-satisfied. The world is complacent. The world is indifferent to God. The world is unaware of its lostness, unconcerned about hell, alienated from God, lulled into the stupidity of doubting God's judgment, hypnotized by Satan and his evil. The world is asleep in the lap of Satan. And when you and I come along and start rattling the world to wake it up, it's very, very uncomfortable. The world doesn't want to be disturbed. And when we arrive and begin the disturbing message of sin, the disturbing message of judgment, the disturbing message of hell we begin to rattle the world a little bit and they don't like it. They're comfortable in the arms of Satan. And the only response the world has is to hate the message and the messenger.
And that's the attitude of the world toward Christianity. And don't you think it's any different, because it isn't. And if it's different in your life, then the world isn't too sure that you're really committed to Jesus Christ. It's a settled fact. In verse 19, we have what we call in the Greek a first class conditional. If you are of the world, the world would love its own. And the "if" there is if ... if in the purest sense this is how it is, not if possible, but if absolutely probable, absolutely fact. You were of ... if you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you're not of the world but I've chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. It's the if of a settled condition, the world loves its own things, the world is involved in its own things.
Verse 18 is the same thing. "If the world hate you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you." And you can be sure the world will hate you. That's what it's ... it's another first class conditional in verse 18. If the world hate you, and the first class conditional in the Greek means "and it will, mark it," you know that it hated Me before it hated you.
Every man born is born into this world as a part of Satan's system. He is under the headship of Satan. His father is the devil, the god of this world. His life is centered around the things of Satan. You know, and it's hard to get people to understand this but if you read Ephesians chapter 2 and from verses 1 to 3 where it describes it, it says it right there. It talks about the fact that we're all dead in trespasses and sin. It talks about the fact that Satan controls our lives. The unsaved individual is ... has a Satan centered existence and when one man or woman comes to a knowledge of Jesus Christ by personal faith, he is then delivered from the world. And in verse 19 it says the world doesn't love you because of that. You are taken out of the world; you are delivered from the system. As Paul said it in Colossians, you are translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His dear Son. You are taken apart from the world. You have been removed from all the old associations into associates and the old world hates you because of the new liberty that is yours in Christ, because of the new found joy, because of the new kind of confidence and the sense of belonging in an eternal way to God because of the fact that you have answers and that you share those answers. And that you confront them with sin and with judgment.
The response of the world is one, first of all, of antagonism. It's one of envy. It's one of jealousy. It's one of hatred because our freedom and our joy are so real and theirs are non existent. It's an old story. Anybody hates somebody who's got all the answers. And especially satanic godless men in the world hate those who give the answer when the answer is the antithesis of satanic activity, the person of Jesus Christ.
If there isn't any antagonism in the world toward your testimony, then you don't have a visible testimony. So they hate us first of all because we don't belong to the system and we violate the system and we confront the system. And by a pure life, we rebuke the system. And Satan militates against that.
Secondly, and we saw this last week just initially, they hated us ... they hate us, I should say, because they hated our Lord Jesus. That's number two. The world hates us because they hated Jesus Christ and we represent Him. You see, hate isn't something you can store up, hate has to be vented. And the world has always hated Jesus Christ and they have nobody to unleash that hatred on other than those of us who represent Jesus Christ. And so we get the brunt of His ... of really the hatred that is directed toward Christ. The unbelievers who reject Jesus Christ and hated Him and continue to hate Him without a cause, haven't given up their hatred, they've just redirected it to us who represent Jesus Christ. And let me assure you that the hatred of the world is just as virile today as it was two thousand years ago. There are people all over the world dying for their faith in Jesus Christ.
Now notice verse 20. It says at the beginning of verse 20, "Remember the word that I said unto you," and He's referring back to chapter 13 verse 16, "the servant is not greater than his lord." Now back there He was talking about service. Back there He was saying to them, "I'm concerned that you humbly wash each other's feet as I have done to you and serve each other." But here He's using the same principle to apply to persecution and He's saying, "You know, they persecuted Me, you don't think that if they persecuted your Master that you're going to get away without persecution, do you?" It identifies us with Jesus Christ in the fellowship of His sufferings.
In Philippians chapter 3 and verse 10, Paul talked about the fellowship of His sufferings. He knew what that meant. At our house, we have a little trophy case where we have some old trophies from way back that got all smashed in the earthquake. And that's kind of, you know, from my past life about all I have to show for a lot of years of a lot of effort is a whole lot of junk.
But you know, as I was reading in the end of Galatians some years ago, I discovered Paul's trophy case and Paul had a very interesting trophy case. He said, at the end of Galatians, he said, "I bear in my body the marks of Jesus Christ." Paul's trophy case was on his body.
And I can imagine when he was with somebody, it came time to take his clothes off, perhaps to go to bed at night or whatever, he'd take them off and the person would say, "Boy, where did you get all those marks, Paul? They're all over you." And Paul would say, "Well, you see those over there, see, got those for Jesus. You see those stripes across the back; I got those for the sake of Jesus." And I believe he loved every one of them. And he said, "For me to live is ... what? ... is Christ and to die, that's gain ... that's gain." He says, "I count my life as dung, as nothing that I may win Christ."
And see, that was commitment. That was a kind of discipleship that identified him with Jesus Christ and he felt the same kind of abuse that the world gave to Jesus and finally, his head was cut off. Now he knew the fellowship of the sufferings of Jesus Christ, most Christians don't know that. Most Christians don't have the joy of knowing what it is to suffer rebuke, the anger and hatred of the world and in that sense to identify completely with Jesus Christ.
And Peter says, you know, in 1 Peter chapter 2, he says ... you know, he says, "Christ suffered as an example for us," hupogramos is the Greek word, as a copy, or as a pattern for he ought to suffer. How did He suffer? He suffered and when He was reviled He reviled not again. He never reacted to suffering, He took it willingly. And that's the way we're to take it. Christ not only suffered on the cross to bear away our sin, but He suffered on the cross to give us a pattern as to how we ought to confront the world. And if the world abuses us, we ought to take it in silence and count ourselves worthy to have suffered with Jesus.
And so, He says, "Don't be surprised if you suffer because I did and the servant is not greater than his lord." All right, then He says in verse 20, "If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept My saying, they will keep yours also." And you know what He's saying there? He's saying, "You're going to have the same situation that I had. Some people are going to persecute you and some people are going to accept your words, there's going to be a vast majority who will come after you, who will be antagonized, who will be angered at you. Then there are going to be those who accept."
Now you know, most people don't experience this because their whole Christianity may revolve in the church. We don't feel the antagonism here because we're believers here. But you try going door to door on your block and see how it affects people when you get to their door and announce to them that they are sinners in line for the judgment of God and an eternal hell. You see, we aren't really in the business of confronting the world, we usually confine our Christianity to ourselves and that's the problem.
And so, what does He say? He says, "They're going to persecute you. But some as have accepted My word, will also accept your word." And that's the joy of it all. But keep in mind, there's always going to be only a few. Matthew 7, Jesus said, "Broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be that go in there at, but narrow is the way into life everlasting and few there be that find it."
One minister said that there's going to be more people in heaven than there will be in hell. I don't believe that. I don't believe that for a minute. I believe it's always the few, it's always the narrow way, it's always the remnant. But that's the joy of our ministry to be able to confront the world and suffer whatever abuse may come and know that some will hear the gospel and believe.
All right, in Acts chapter 7. I want to show you a little illustration of this, of the attitude of one individual. In Acts 7:52, a man named Stephen turned out to be, in Scripture at least, the first martyr of the church. In Acts ... 52, and all through this chapter he's been preaching a great message, really indicting the people for their sin. And listen to how really powerfully he indicts them. Verse 52, "Which of the fathers have not your fathers persecuted?" He tells them, "You guys have just ... which of the prophets, I mean, have not your fathers persecuted?" He says, "You've just persecuted the prophets from the beginning of your history to the end and they have slain them who showed before the coming of the just one. You killed all the prophets, of whom you have been the betrayers and murderers." He calls them what they are. "Who have received the law by the disposition of angels and have not kept it."
Well, by the time he got done with this sermon, they were really furious. Verse 54, "When they heard these things they were cut to the heart and they gnashed on him with their teeth." They began to grind their teeth they were so mad. "But he being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God."
Well, naturally, this would ... you know, here he was seeing a vision of God Himself in heaven in His glory. And verse 57, "Then they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears." They were so furious at him because he had indicted them and said that he was the one who had a relationship with God, he was the one who had a vision of the glory of God, not them. And they slammed their hands over their ears and they ran on him with one accord. Boy, that's antagonism. "And they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet whose name was Saul, who later became Paul, and they stoned Stephen who was calling upon God and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, Lord; lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep." It's a little bit of the antagonism of the world.
Look at chapter 8. "And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the Apostles, and devout men carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over him." That's a little idea of the pure hatred of the world when confronted with sin.
We were at a conference earlier this week, Paul and I in San Diego, National Youth Workers Conference, and the speaker for the week was Dr. Francis Schaeffer, the author of many books, The God Who Was There, Pollution: The Christian View of Ecology, many other books. And he was saying, in essence, what we have to get rid of are cheap presentations of the gospel and we've got to tell it like it like it is. And he's right. He's right. We have to confront men with their sin openly and f rankly and expect a reaction. Sometimes they'll receive Jesus Christ, more times than not ... than that, they'll violently react. When you confront the world, you get a reaction. And if you're not getting it, you're not confronting the world.
In the fifteenth century in Italy, the church was going great. Organized religion was at its heyday. The Pope was ruling everything. The Catholic Church had extended itself all over the place, and certainly in Italy especially, it was powerful and everybody went to church and everybody believed in God. And everybody was religious. But it was a fake. And the whole system at that point was under the control of Satan.
There came a preacher at that time, in the fifteenth century in Italy, whose name was Savana Rolla. Savana Rolla was, historically, one of the greatest reformers, preachers, prophets, politicians, philosophers the world has ever known. He entered into fifteenth century Italy and began to confront Italy with its sin. He preached on sin constantly. He denounced the sins and the corruptions of the Roman Church and he also denounced the sins and corruptions of individuals. He really prepared the way for the Reformation and had Italy had the kind of soil that Germany has, Savana Rolla might have been the reformer and not Martin Luther.
His preaching, his biographer says, quote: "Was a voice of thunder and his denunciation of sin was so terrific that the people who listened to him went about the street half dazed, bewildered and speechless. His congregations were so often in tears that the whole church resounded with their sobs and weeping. So they burned him at the stake. His body went up in flames and organized religion led the fire."
You never can confront the world without expecting to get a reaction. And false systems of religion are behind it all. Satan operates through false religion. And I'm not just talking about Catholicism, there are some Catholics who know and love Jesus Christ. I'm talking about Catholicism perhaps sometimes in history as a system. I'm talking about liberal Protestantism. I'm talking about modernism. I'm talking about cults. I'm talking about whatever other kind of false system Satan can get, whether or not it has proximity to the Christian faith or is far from the Christian faith, they're all antagonistic to Jesus Christ. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, "You will be hated of all men for My namesake." And the world does hate us because they hated Him. And if He lives in us and lives through us, they're going to hate us ... they're going to hate us.
All right, then thirdly and lastly, not only does the world hate us because we're not part of the system and because they hated our Lord, but thirdly, they hate us now watch this one because they don't know God ... they don't know God. And this is naturally the hardest thing for the world to swallow, especially those in false religions. And you can imagine how this went over when it was constantly the message of Jesus to the Jews. The Jews always prided themselves on their knowledge of God and Jesus repeatedly told them you don't know God ... you don't know God. And that is what infuriated them more than anything else.
Now here's the real deep inner cause of all hate. It is the absence of a knowledge of God. Look at verse 21. "But all these things will they do unto you for My namesake because they know not Him that sent Me."
You see, He says they're going to kill you, they're going to persecute you because of Me and they're going to do it because they don't know God who sent Me. Man is born into the world in enmity with God. He is rebellious. He is full of hate toward God. Men don't love God. Men don't know God.
You say, "What about religious people?" First Corinthians 10:20 says, "What they do is sacrifice unto demons and not unto God." False religion is demonic. Liberalism, modernism, those things that even call themselves Christianity that deny the virgin birth of Christ and the deity of Christ and the verbal inspiration of Scripture, those are not people who love God, those are people who hate God. They are under Satan's control. Whether it's gross kind of atheism or whether it's superficial kind of liberal modern Christianity, they all hate God. They are at enmity with God. They are against God. They are on Satan's side.
And to be honest with you, an individual who doesn't worship the true God through Jesus Christ presented in the New Testament, comes out an atheist no matter what else he may worship. For to worship the wrong God is nothing but practical atheism. And people in our world who think they're worshiping God are worshiping a God who doesn't exist and not worshiping the God who does. And that comes out atheism.
The Jews came along and they claimed to know God and yet they hated God in a body, Jesus Christ. What kind of a strange paradox is that? Jesus said, "You claim to know God and you hate Me and I'm God in human flesh." Their love of God was a facade, it was a fake, it was a lie. They didn't love God. Jesus said you don't even know God; you're of your father the devil in John 8. And they were super, super, super religious people.
Let me just show you a couple of verses in John 8. Verse 19, "Then they said unto Him, Where is Thy Father?" He was talking about the fact that God was His Father. "Where is Thy Father? Jesus answered; 'Ye neither know Me nor My Father. If you'd known Me, you should have known My Father also.'"
Then over in 50 ... verse 54, "Jesus answered, If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father that honoreth Me of whom ye say that He is your God." See. But watch this. "Yet ye have not known Him."
They claim to know God, very religious, tremendously religious. And Jesus says you don't know God. He's not your Father at all. You're of your father the devil. You have no knowledge of God whatever or you would know Me and you would honor Me as God.
The world worships the God who doesn't exist. In Acts chapter 17, you remember Paul arrived in Athens. He stood up on Mars Hill and he said this, "Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are very religious ... very religious. For as I passed by and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD whom therefore ye ignorantly worship."
Now, there they were worshiping some God they didn't even know and yet they were very, very, very religious. Typical of man's approach to religion. He postulates a god who doesn't exist, worships that god and then says he worships God when in fact he's an atheist.
In 1 Corinthians 2:7, Paul said, "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages unto our glory which none of the princes of this age knew, for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." Paul says if men had known God, they never would have crucified Jesus Christ. And if men knew God today, they wouldn't continue to put Him to open shame and crucify Him afresh, but they do and that's proof positive they don't know God at all.
And I've told you so many times throughout our study of John's gospel that if an individual has never invited Jesus Christ into his life and received Him as personal Savior, I don't care who that individual is or what he thinks he knows, he has absolutely no knowledge of God at all. No man ever knew God who rejected Jesus Christ, who is God in human flesh. And here is the deep reason why people hated Christ and why they hate us, they don't know God and they are lulled to sleep by satanic counterfeit religion into thinking that they know God when they don't. That's why false religion is such a curse. I believe Satan spends his time in false religion. The world thinks it is theologically oriented, but it is godless, it is blind.
Now, at this point somebody might pop up and say, "Well, you know, this is kind of a sad thing because after all, it's not my fault, right? I mean, it's not my fault I was born ignorant of God. I came into the world; I don't know God, why are you holding me responsible?"
You are responsible. Let me show you why. In Romans chapter 1 verse 19, read this ... well, verse 18, really, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness." In other words, men know the truth ... men know the truth. Verse 19, "Because that which may be known of God is manifested in them for God hath shown it unto them." Every man that comes into this world, God gives him the basic knowledge that He exists and not only from his inward knowledge, but verse 20, from creation he can know there's a God. "The invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen."
You say, "Well, if all of the information is there, how ... how did man get to the situation where he doesn't know God?" I'll tell you how, verse 21, "Because when they knew God," listen to this, "they glorified Him not as God but became vain in their imaginations, their foolish heart was darkened, professing themselves to be wise they became fools and changed the glory of incorruptible God in an image," and it goes on to describe the image. And finally, they wind up worshiping themselves. And in verse 28 it says, "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, a worthless mind."
Men who enter the world are born in rebellion against God but with an innate knowledge that God exists. And Jesus in John 1 is said to be the light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world. Men know the truth of God. Man willingly rejects the truth of God, is willful. He rejects God and Christ not because of ignorance but because of malice, because of evil, because of wickedness, because he loves the darkness rather than the light. And when the darkness shines like the bug under the rock, he crawls back in the dark. Man doesn't know God, it's truer but not because of anything but man's own malice and man's own wickedness and man's own rejection of God's full revelation. Men have committed the most serious sin possible. Men have committed the sin of rejecting the revelation of God.
Notice verse 22, "If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin but now they have no cloak for their sin." I want you to see what this verse means cause it's absolutely one of the most important verses in the whole book of John.
Jesus says, "If I hadn't come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin but now they have no cloak for their sin." Now He's not talking about general sin because whether Jesus came or didn't come, men were still sinners. He's talking about the sin of willful rejection when you have the total revelation. In other words, the greatest sin that a man could commit is to have all of the specifics of God's revelation and then reject. And Jesus said, "I have come and I have spoken unto you and you have seen My life and when you have rejected Me, then you have committed the sin of total rejection with total revelation. And the cloak of your hypocrisy is ripped off, you can't hide your sin anymore. It's obvious. You proved it by spurning me."
He's talking then about the specific sin of rejecting God and willfully spurning Jesus Christ. The greatest sin possible that a man can commit in the world is the sin of rejecting God's full revelation. When the world killed Jesus Christ, they did it in the face of revelation. God had given them the whole Old Testament. God gave them Jesus Christ. They heard what He said. They saw what He did. They watched His life and then they killed Him. And they had thus reacted to all that God could communicate with hatred, antagonism and unbelief. They rejected every single thing that God could possibly reveal to them. Jesus says, "If I hadn't have come and given you full display of revelation,, you could never have committed the sin of rejection against full revelation, but now that I came and I totally displayed God to you and you rejected, you've committed the sin? The sin of total rejection to total revelation and the cloak is off; your hypocrisy is over with. I came. I completely revealed God to you and you wouldn't have been able to commit the fullest sin if I hadn't given you the fullest revelation. But you've done it. You've done it."
This is the sin of which the writer of Hebrews speaks in a very important passage that many have misunderstood. I've shared it with you before, let me just give it to you again. Hebrews 6:4, "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit and have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they shall fall away to renew them again under repentance, seeing they crucified of themselves the Son of God afresh and put Him to an open shame."
It says right there that when somebody has been enlightened with the revelation of God, when somebody has tasted the heavenly gift, when somebody has been partaker of the Holy Spirit, seen what the Spirit of God has done, watched the energy and the ministry of the Holy Spirit, tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the age to come, when somebody's had all the revelation God can give, if they fall away there's no way they can ever be renewed again to repentance. Why? Because they had a total rejection at the point of total revelation and God can go no further than that.
That's not talking about a Christian losing his salvation, we know that because further on down in verse 9 he says, "But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you and things which accompany salvation." That comes later in the chapter. These things are not salvation. This the man who has full revelation, he sees it, none of those words in there are salvation words, they're all words about getting the insights into the truth. And if when a man receives all the information God can give, all the revelation, he gets in on everything that's going on, he sees, he hears and he rejects, he has committed a sin for which there's no remedy. He has made total rejection at the point of total revelation and it's all over.
Now, to give you an illustration of how this works, Matthew chapter 12. Here's a group of people who did this very same thing, exactly what they did, they rejected totally Jesus Christ at the point of total revelation and there was no other recourse. Matthew 12:24, the Pharisees came to Jesus who had just cast out demons, they had seen His life, His miracles, heard Him speak, they had it all. God couldn't give these guys anymore revelation. They were students of the Old Testament. They ... everything Jesus had done He had done right in their face. Here's their conclusion. "This fellow doth not cast out demons but by Beelzebub the prince of demons." He's casting out demons because He's demon possessed. They concluded that Jesus was from hell. That was their astute conclusion after all the Old Testament and the whole life of Jesus; they said He's out of hell.
Now that's not just a little off ... that's the whole gambit off. But you see, they did that after they had seen the whole revelation. And Jesus knew their thoughts and so forth and so on. He talks to them about a house divided against itself can't stand.
Verse 31, "Wherefore I say unto you, all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men." He can forgive all sin, all blasphemy. "But the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven men and whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this age, neither in the age to come."
You say, "What happened here? What is the blaspheming of the Holy Spirit." It is this, it is that Christ did everything that He did through the Spirit. The Spirit was working in Christ. He says if you have come through My life and you've seen me and you've seen all the works that the Holy Spirit has done through Me, and you have concluded that they're of Satan, you have blasphemed the Holy Spirit. In other words, blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is attributing the works and words of Jesus to Satan ... to Satan. And He says for that you cannot be forgiven.
You see, what they had done is this, they had seen everything He did, heard everything He said and it was all of the Holy Spirit in Christ doing it and they said it was right out of the pit of hell. You see what they had done? They had total revelation and they made a total rejection. They were so far off; they were at the opposite end completely. And Jesus says, "Man, you've had it. There's no way you will ever, ever, ever, ever be saved." Why? "Because if I gave you all there was to give and I told you all there was to tell and I did all there was to do and you concluded it was out of hell, what ... there's nothing else that can be done." They made total rejection at the point of total revelation. It was over ... it was over ... it's done. That's the sin that Jesus is talking about in Matthew 12.
Now I don't believe that particularly that same experience in Matthew 12 is for this age because Jesus isn't here on earth. But I think it will happen again in the Kingdom when He comes back. But today a man can still make total rejection at the point of total revelation and he walks away like Hebrews 6 and God says, "I'm sorry, fella, that's the end, it's all over with. I can't do anything else', I've done it all."
Listen, people who appear to be religious and appear to worship God who have not received Jesus Christ as Savior and have spurned the total complete revelation of God, don't know God at all. They're hypocrites and verse 22 says that this rips the cloak of hypocrisy and uncovers their sin.
Verse 23, here's as clean a statement as you'll ever hear, "He that hateth Me hateth My Father also." That's uncluttered, crystal clear. He that hateth Me hateth My Father also. He showed them they didn't love God. They couldn't love God and hate Him, it was impossible. They were liars. They were practical atheists. They played the religious game but they were atheists. They went into the synagogue, you know, as today they go to church, go through the motions, but they're atheists. Men who mock Jesus don't know God. Men who like a Jesus that's watered down and not like the Jesus of the Word of God don't love Him, they hate God. John 5:23, Jesus said, "He that honoreth not the Son, honoreth not the Father that sent Him." Don't ever be lulled for a split second into thinking that somebody can love God and not Jesus Christ.
I told you when I got back from Israel, I'll never forget standing on the outskirts of Jerusalem looking over the city in the morning about 6 o'clock, and beautiful sunlight shining on the white city of Jerusalem. And down below me in a cemetery were a lot of little rabbis that were bobbing up and down, praying for somebody. And I said, "That's really pathetic because they don't know God. God doesn't even hear one thing they're saying ... false religion, apart from Jesus Christ."
This lady next to me who was a Christian already said, "Well," she got very antagonistic and very angry, "Well, you certainly don't have any love and compassion." I said, "Yes I do." She said, "You know," she said, "I found it just a wonderful joy to go down there with them and pray and do what they do." She says, "I'm the only one of Christians in a group that I came with before who would pray with them and they're ... they're seeking God in their own way. And God hears them." And she was giving me all this dialogue.
And I said, "Dear lady," I was really getting a little antagonistic, perhaps I shouldn't have, but I said, "Dear lady, they are ... they are talking to the devil before they're talking to God." She didn't like that too well. In fact, most of the rest of the way, she sat in a different section of the bus. Anyway ... I don't think ... if you tolerate that, you can't reach those people. We don't point these people out just so we can stand back and say, "Ha, look at them, they don't know God." But because we have to understand that so we can confront them with the truth. Some people who reject Christ don't appear as violent haters of God, but the facts are there. If you're not for Him, you're against Him. That's the way it is.
And so, some men persecute the followers of Jesus because they don't know God. And it is inexcusable not to know God, my friend; because God has given you full revelation for which you're responsible. Romans 1 says, "So that you are without ... what? ... excuse." God did everything.
Verse 24, in verse 22 He said it was the things I said, I spoke. In verse 24, "If I had not done among them the works which no other man did, they had not had sin but now they have both seen and hated both Me and My Father." He says I've displayed the Father in My works and they've seen the Father working through Me and they've concluded that I'm from hell. They rejected His words and they rejected His works. I don't know how they can reject His works, unbelievable. They must have known about Lazarus, that Jesus walked up ... remember He walked up to the graveside of Lazarus? And He said to Martha, He said, "Roll the stone away." And Martha thought, "Oh no," see. And she made that classic statement, "My Lord, by this time he stinketh." You know, he had been in there four days, it would smell awful. What does He want to roll the stone away, just to say, "Goodbye, Lazarus," you know?
He said, "Just hang on, Martha, and do as I say. Roll the stone away. Jesus said, Lazarus, come out." Now that's the acid test, right? That is. I mean, you can go down to Forest Lawn and say, "come out" till you're purple and nobody's going to ... except the caretaker, chase you away. Jesus said, "Lazarus, come out." And the Bible says, "Lazarus came out." The processes of death were reversed ... reversed and all of the tissue that had decayed and rotted began to reverse itself ... just like the film going backwards and Lazarus stood up and walked out of the grave.
Now they knew about that because they saw Lazarus and the word was everywhere. But it didn't matter what Jesus did, they were so willfully and so determinately hardened in their hearts against Him. They loved their darkness. They loved their sin. They loved their pride and willfully they said no to Jesus Christ and blasphemed the Holy Spirit. And men still do it. The depths of the world's hate, they hear His words, they see His deeds, they see the manifestation of the Father, He says in verse 24, "I've shown them both me and the Father and they've hated Us both."
You see, sin reaches its peak like that when a man makes a total rejection against total revelation. I say this to you in warning. If you're here this morning and you've heard the story of Jesus Christ and you've seen what He was ... what He was on earth and what He did to manifest God and you've never received Jesus Christ, you're moving toward that place where that final rejection may seal your eternity in hell. And I encourage you to receive Jesus Christ while your heart is still fresh and responsive to what you hear.
Then in verse 25, Jesus gives a pointed conclusion. "But this cometh to pass that the Word might be fulfilled that is written in the law; they hated Me without a cause." Those are some kind of words, aren't they? They come from two of David's Psalms, Psalm 35 and Psalm 69. David foresaw that they would hate Messiah. But you know what that verse means? It means this, the first part of it says, "This cometh to pass," what does? Verses 22, 23 and 24, the fact that Jesus spoke enough words and did enough deeds to make them responsible. He did that so that when they hated Him, they would be hating Him without a cause.
In other words, you know what God did in His wonderful grace? God erased every reason for a man to hate Jesus, every one. And if men continue to hate Jesus, they do it for no other reason than their own sin. There's no reason to hate Jesus. God didn't plan this ... some people say the verse means God planned people to hate Him. No. God didn't plan that men would hate Him. God planned that men would hate Him without reason. That's what it says. God designed the full revelation so that if a man hates Christ, he does it without any cause at all, except his own selfish sinfulness. God gave so much revelation. God gave so much grace. God gave so much love. God made Jesus Christ so beautiful, so pure, so attractive, so magnetic, so drawing, so desirable that if a man goes on in sin, he goes on hating Jesus with no reason but his own sin. God did everything to save men, everything to keep men out of hell. And God planned that the coming of Jesus Christ would be so ... such a perfect and complete manifestation that if men hated Jesus, they would be doing it for not cause at all, for no reason other than their own sin.
I'll tell you something. There's nothing in Jesus to make you hate Him, is there? Nothing. There's nothing about Him that could make you hate Him. And anybody who hates Him hates Him without a cause. But God wanted to make sure that He removed every vestige of excuse, leaving a man only with his own sin as the reason.
Well, some thought as we close. The world hated Jesus. They hated Him because He exposed their sin. He showed them who they were and they didn't like it. When Jesus turned the spotlight of His divine holiness on the sins of the people, they writhed and they rebelled and they twisted and squirmed under it because He stripped away the darkness and He laid bare what was in their hearts. And instead of turning to Him in loving faith and receiving the salvation that He had and accepting the cleansing for sin, they turned against Him and they hated Him for exposing their sin. And the world's ... the world still hates Jesus, no different. And the world still hates those who are His and who live for Him and love Him.
And so, if you're going to count the cost and be a disciple of Jesus Christ, you're going to find out that true discipleship necessitates a willingness to suffer the hatred of the world. And if you're not willing to suffer the hatred of the world, then you're not really willing to be the disciple that Jesus wants you to be. That's part of it. The system still hates you.
Many of you, perhaps, feel that you've beaten the problem of the hatred of the world and you kind of go on day by day thinking you're a friend of the world. If you're a friend of the world then you're no friend of God. First John 2:15, "If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." James 4, "Friendship with the world is rebellion against God." If you're wrapped up in the system, you're violating everything that your discipleship stands for ... everything. You can't be a friend of the world and a disciple of Jesus Christ. And the subtle temptation of Satan is to get us to be comfortable in the world, to get right at home with the system and to make the world feel comfortable around us. We don't want to offend anybody. And when we do that, we violate everything that Jesus desires in our lives. He didn't send us into the world to make the world comfortable, He sent us into the world to make the world miserable. Start offending people. Start rebuking and start reproving their sin. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, said Paul, rather reprove them.
Preach the cross. Preach the offense of the cross. In 1 Corinthians, Paul says, "Sure ... sure the cross is an offense, it makes the Jews stumble and it makes the Gentiles stumble and they don't like it a bit and nevertheless I am determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. God forbid that I should glory in anything save the cross of Jesus Christ by whom I am crucified of the world and the world of me."
Paul could have dropped the cross from his message. He could have dropped sin. He could have dropped the blood from his preaching. He could have removed the rebuke. He could have eliminated the stumbling block. He could have deleted condemnation for sin. And he would have been acceptable in the Greek world, the Roman world and the Jewish world. But he wouldn't have been acceptable to God. Where is the conviction of our holy pure living? Where's the conviction of that which confronts sin and calls it what it is?
I say to you, Christian, this morning; stand for Christ. Expose sin. Reprove it. Confront the world. Call it what it is whatever the cost.
And I say to you, unbeliever, this morning; you have no excuse. By what you do with Jesus, you seal your eternity. Let's pray.
Father, we thank You this morning again for truths in Your Word. We thank You for the fact that You want us to be totally committed, that You want us to be willing to face the world. Father, we know how important it is that we do that and that we call sin, sin and that we're not trying to be popular with the ungodly. We're not trying to make friends of the world but that we're trying to reach them for Jesus Christ and we can't do it until we confront them with their sin.
Father, we pray this morning that if there are some who are here who have never received Jesus Christ, that they'll do it this morning, that they'll open their life to Him and that we Christians will live to the glory of God, confronting the world boldly, fearlessly that we might bring them to Christ in whose name we pray. Amen.
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- Wednesday February 2nd, 2011 :: 08:52 a.m. EST
At 0200hrs Mercer County Sheriff Jeff Grey issued a Level 3 snow emergency for unincorporated of Mercer County.
At 0200hrs today's date Mercer County Sheriff Jeff Grey issued a Level 3 snow emergency for unincorporated areas of Mercer County. This includes all State Routes, County Roads and Township Roads in the unincorporated areas of Mercer County. A Level 3 snow emergency means roadways are hazardous with blowing and drifting snow. Roads are closed except for emergency personnel. No one should be out during these conditions unless it is absolutely necessary to travel. Those traveling on the roadways are subject to arrest. You should contact your employer to see if you should report to work. Employers have the descretion tom ake that determination. Sheriff's Office cruisers will not respond to stranded motorists calls unless there is a life threatening emergency.
Mercer County Sheriff's Office
Celina, OH 45822
Emergency: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 419-586-7724
April Gerlach

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Mosquito Magnet is one of the most well-known Mosquito control products because the product is so effective. You won't hear any testimonials from mosquitoes, black flies, or no-see-ums, though, because they didn't survive your last outdoor gathering. Elite Deals offers this product online.
Canopies are an important part of almost every event, and for good reason. If you need instant shelter, canopies are the solution. The same goes for a need for protection from rain, protection for your stuff, or a place to get out of the sun. In fact, no matter what...
Mosquito Magnet is one of the most well-known Mosquito control products because the product is so effective. You won't hear any testimonials from mosquitoes, black flies, or no-see-ums, though, because they didn't survive your last outdoor gathering. You'll have to rely on your own results and the comments of thousands...
In almost any livingroom you may find collage frames which are a collection of family photographs.
Without the proper fireplace accessories you simply do not have a fireplace.
A good pair of work boots is an essential item for any construction project crew.
Custom wedding guest books and photo albums are necessity for any successful wedding.
Log homes come in an endless array of styles and sizes that can be suited to almost any need.
Cubby shelves I great way to organize and display or favorite collectables without creating a cluttered look.
If you are looking for a way to organize a messy mudroom or entryway then a wooden locker might be the solution you are looking for. One or more lockers, can provide storage for all those things that you would rather keep out of the main areas of your home.
Brand you business by getting your logo out in front of your prospective customers. Customized tents and canopies are a great way of doing this.
If you are looking for a way to hide from the sun, a portable canopy might be for you.
This spring is having a major impact on the streets and hightways in the metor area causing a surge for the need of asphalt repair in Minneapolis.
This blog is closed, but we're going out with a bang, apparently!! On January 14 pageviews spiked from a gentle 60 views per day to 2000 views in one day! My statcounter is completely maxed out, so I have no idea where these viewers are coming from! I suspect it may be generated by the Inside a Wine Scam series, which has enjoyed re-publication throughout the world. Many of you seem to be Australian ... can anyone shed some light?
Scan your favorite wine blogs every day.
Search over 150 wine blogs
Click to visit the blog or browse all of the bloggers intros.
Wine bloggers reach new audiences and readers find new wine blogs and keep up with their favorites.
Link to WineWonks


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Men's Basketball
News: Martin's Big Game Not Enough For Men's Basketball
Sophomore center Lorelle Martin put together his most productive performance as a Lancer, but in a losing cause as host El Camino College-Compton Center won a shootout over the Pasadena City College men's basketball team, 95-91, Friday night in a South Coast Conference game.
For the sixth time this season, PCC followed a victory with a loss as it dropped to 6-11 overall and 2-2 in conference action. Compton bolted to a 20-1 run early in the game and the Lancers were forced to play catch-up the rest of the night.
Martin, a 6-foot-8, returning post player, scored his PCC career high of 24 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked five shots. Mike Swanegan added 21 points while Jeffrey Dockett had 17 points and five assists. Off the bench, Gary Matthews totaled 12 points.
PCC got to as close as four points in the second half, but the team's overall 28 turnovers proved to hinder the team's comeback.
The Lancers host state No. 7-ranked East Los Angeles College on Wednesday in a 5 p.m. conference tip-off at Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium.
[Photo--Lorelle Martin blocks a shot with help from teammate Gary Matthews (23) during the Lancers' loss at El Camino College-Compton Center Friday, image by Richard Quinton, sports information photographer.]
Release Date: 01/19/2013


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Stabbing victim, unborn baby, stable
Published: Wednesday, March 6, 2013 at 5:50 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, March 6, 2013 at 5:50 p.m.
The pregnant woman who was stabbed numerous times during a dispute on Monday remained hospitalized in stable condition on Wednesday, according to Ocala police.
Jill Feingold's unborn child also is listed in stable condition.
Officials said they plan on talking with the 40-year-old woman, who's 22 weeks pregnant, soon.
Samuel Roy Cone II, 59, has been arrested and charged with attempted murder in connection with the attack. Officials said he stabbed Feingold more than 30 times.
Cone was still being held without bail at the Marion County Jail. He is Fengold's husband's uncle.
The attack happened at a home at at 1025 NE 12th Ave. Police said it appears there has been an ongoing dispute about who will inherit the homeowner's estate.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


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You searched for: Subjects Addresses Remove constraint Subjects: Addresses Subjects Character Remove constraint Subjects: Character Start Over
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1. Valedictory to the graduating class of the Philadelphia College of Medicine: at the annual commencement, March 3d, 1858
- Author(s):
- Taggart, Wm. Hembel.
Philadelphia College of Medicine.
- Publisher:
- Philadelphia : Bryson's Printing Rooms, 1858
- Subject(s):
- Physicians


text:
At the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), they have three datacenters. The first is 7,500 square feet, the second is 6,000 square feet, and the third is just 800 square feet to hold their "off-site tapes."
- "There are three full data centers running all the time ," says Rick. "I've got a shadow read-only system so if the data centers are down, the care givers can at least get in and read the information that's sitting in there. Then I've got something called Web Access read-only sitting in the third data center with back-up data that's away from all of the data centers and it's available when people in the hospitals can't reach the first three systems (four counting the shadow system), they now have information on the Web read-only system." There are also stand-alone DRCPs containing the hospital's census information in each unit. Constant journaling and back-up is continually happening. Rick's data planning blueprint provides the Medical Center with a number of ways to ensure patient care via well-stored data.
Downtime due to outages caused by disasters can cost organizations millions of dollars – and some may never recover. The key to ensuring business continuity is a detailed recovery plan, including tape-based back-up, as well as multi-site clustering, disk mirroring and back-up servers. The webcast will explore new approaches to building a Disaster Recovery plan--before a catastrophe strikes. You'll hear from a panel of speakers, featuring Rick Haverty, Director of IT Infrastructure at University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), and IBM experts.
Listen to this webcast to hear:
|Principal lessons learned from disasters like Hurricane Katrina and the World Trade Center
|Local and regional considerations for Disaster Recovery Planning
|A case study on URMC discussing how this hospital ensures business continuity via contingency planning, using IBM Power Systems
|Best practices for automation, mirroring and multiple site operational efficiencies


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Variable HA18 : Know a place to get HIV test
Type: Discrete
Format: numeric
Width: 1
Decimal(s): 0
Range: 1-9
Valid case(s): 2100 (2110.3)
Invalid: 285 (295.5)
Minimum: 1
Maximum: 9
File: wm
Women aged 15-49
Source of information
The eligible woman selected for interview
Warning: these figures indicate the number of cases found in the data file. They cannot be interpreted as summary statistics of the population of interest.
Literal question
At this time, do you know of a place where you can go to get such a test to see if you have the AIDS virus? A. If tested for HIV during antenatal care: Other than at the antenatal clinic, do you know of a place where you can go to get a test to see if you have the AIDS virus?
Interviewer instructions
Note that some women will be asked HA18 and others will be asked HA18A, but the same set of response codes will be used to indicate the woman's response. Specifically, women who have not been tested for HIV during antenatal care ('No' marked in HA14) or any other time ('2' circled in HA15) are asked HA18. For women who have been tested for HIV during antenatal care, you should ask HA18A. Even if the respondent has been tested for HIV during antenatal care, we still ask this question, since the original testing place may no longer be accessible to the respondent. Circle the code corresponding to the response. When you have finished asking HA18 or HA18A, thank the woman. Check whether she is the mother or primary caretaker of any children that live with her and that are under the age of five by checking the Household Questionnaire, column HL8, for the woman's line number. If so, start interviewing her with the Questionnaire for Children Under Five for those children. If this woman is not the mother or primary caretaker of any children under five in the household, check if there is another eligible woman residing in the same household. If so, go on to administer the Questionnaire for Individual Women to the next eligible woman. Continue until you have completed questionnaires for all eligible women and children in the household.


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And now? We wait.
The State Department comment period for the Keystone XL pipeline closed this week. The question remains: Will President Obama agree with us that the pipeline is in the national interest? Will he finally approve the Keystone XL pipeline? The Keystone XL pipeline is not a political issue. It is not – in spite of the multi-billion dollar investment and thousands of jobs it represents – | Read More »


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Popular joint supplements like glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM and tart cherry help you stay active by promoting strong, healthy joint function and mobility. Maintain your mobility by nourishing your body, and keep doing the things you love without limitation.
†Ratings based on results of the 2016 ConsumerLab.com Vitamin and Supplement Users Survey. More information at ConsumerLab.com.
Notice: The products and information found on www.swansonvitamins.com are not intended to replace professional medical advice or treatment. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Our dietary supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or medical condition. Individual results may vary. SwansonVitamins.com urges you to seek the advice of a qualified professional for any health concern lasting more than two weeks, and to share with your provider any information pertaining to your health and well-being, including the use of supplemental nutrition. Read complete terms of service.
© 2016Swanson Health Products


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Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Kyle Korver helped bring the Hawks back from a 27-point hole with eight 3-pointers, and Atlanta held the Celtics quiet in the second overtime to earn a hard-fought 123-111 victory at Philips Arena.
Boston was well on its way to snapping a five-game losing streak, but folded after halftime in stumbling to its worst losing streak since the 2006-07 season -- the last time the Celtics failed to win the Atlantic Division.
Korver netted 24 of his 27 points after the break, while Josh Smith and Al Horford each chipped in double-doubles in Atlanta's third straight victory.
Rajon Rondo totaled 16 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for his second straight triple-double in a losing cause, and Kevin Garnett provided 24 points and 10 boards before fouling out early in the second OT.
The Sports Network


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Little Farm
by MumboJumbo
Have a little down-home fun on the Little Farm. Help the Normans adjust to farm life and grow truckloads of vegetables. First you must battle insects, animals, and weather as you race against the clock to grow your harvest. Match like-colored patches in your farm field to water plump pumpkins, eggplants, and tasty tomatoes. The further your territory expands, the more veggies you can sell. Make matches quickly to find the wild patches of fertilizer that will help expand your Little Farm into one of the great U.S. family farms.
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Humble, TX (Sports Network) - D.A. Points carded an 8-under 64 on Thursday to
grab the lead following the first round at the Shell Houston Open.
Points holds a 1-stroke edge over Cameron Tringale and John Rollins, who each
fired a 7-under 65 at Redstone Golf Club's Tournament Course to share second
"I mean, they're not super difficult holes, but if you hit it where you're
looking and you leave it in the right spot, you make a good stroke, you give
yourself good chances to make birdies," Points said about the course. "And
today I finally saw some balls go in the hole and I played the par-5 real
Jason Kokrak and Angel Cabrera are tied for third place with matching 6-under
Steve Wheatcroft joined Tringale and Rollins at 7-under after a stretch of
eight birdies in 10 holes starting at the fourth, but bogeyed two of his final
five holes to fall three strokes off the pace.
He is joined by Jeff Overton and Brian Davis in sixth place at 5-under 67.
The Sports Network


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Our entire care team are recognized experts in caring for children; it's not part of what we do, it's all we do. Primary care at Children's National is available to children throughout the Washington, DC region through two comprehensive networks: the Children's Health Centers or Children's Pediatricians & Associates (CP&A).
There are seven Children's National Health Centers located throughout Washington, DC. Our health centers are recognized as National Committee for Quality Assurance Level III Patient-Centered Medical Homes, the first in the District.
With more than 40 providers in Washington, DC, and Maryland, CP&A practices offer quality care at convenient locations. CP&A primary care providers also take a team approach to care for children.
We accept insurances including Medicaid. We offer discounted fees for patients who qualify. We do not deny services based on a person's race, color, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or inability to pay.


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Prices, promotions, styles, and availability may vary. Our local stores do not honor online pricing. Prices and availability of products and services are subject to change without notice. Errors will be corrected where discovered, and Lowe's reserves the right to revoke any stated offer and to correct any errors, inaccuracies or omissions including after an order has been submitted.
Whatever your project, Lowe's can show you how. Search our library for ideas and inspiration.Get Started
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Dive Travel Deal: Island Dancer Fiji, Suva/Suva, OTHER, Fiji
July 27 – August 3 2013 Island Dancer Fiji, Suva/Suva, OTHER, Fiji
Throughout the week aboard the Island Dancer II guests will depart Suva to explore the reefs, bommies and walls of Nigali Pass, Wakaya, Koro and Namenalala Islands. Known as the soft coral capital, the brilliant colors on display will dazzle even the most experienced divers and photographers. Drift dives with eagle rays, mantas, turtles, sharks and giant groupers are also on the itinerary.
Clownfish, pygmy seahorses, ornate ghost pipefish, and a multitude of nudibranchs bring smiles to every dive! With direct flights from several major cities worldwide, it is an easy destination to add to your dive log.
To top off the exiting diving and experience some of Fiji's local culture, a visit to a Fijian village on one of the remote islands is arranged including a Kava ceremony and warrior dance. All guests are required to wear a traditional sulu (sarong or wrap) so either bring your own or we will gladly provide one for you!
The Island Dancer II appeals to those discriminating divers who prefer a smaller group and is perfectly suited for Fiji and the diving itinerary. All indoor areas are air-conditioned and each of the guest cabins feature ensuite facilities. The beautifully appointed salon has ample room for divers to view their photos and videos or to enjoy a movie on the entertainment system. The sundeck features covered and uncovered lounging and is a perfect place to relax with a book during surface intervals.
Getting There:
Republic of the Fiji Islands is an island nation in the South Pacific Ocean east of Vanuatu, west of Tonga and south of Tuvalu. The country occupies an archipelago of about 322 islands, of which 106 are permanently inhabited, and 522 islets. The two major islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu account for 87% of the population.
Air Pacific provides non-stop flights (only approx 9 –9 ½ hours, overnight) every day of the week except Wednesdays & Fridays from Los Angeles to Nadi w/ connecting flights on Sun Pacific to Suva.
The Island Dancer II operates out of Suva, Fiji. A group transfer from the airport to the Island Dancer II is provided to guests flying into Suva Nausori Airport (SUV) on the scheduled day of embarkation. This transfer to the yacht, which is about a 45 minute drive, is scheduled between 6 – 8am.
If you are arriving in Suva on a later flight and unable to join the group transfer, then you will need to take a taxi to the Island Dancer II which docks next to the Novotel Hotel (formerly the Trade Winds hotel). If you are already in Suva, please make your way to the Island Dancer II anytime after 12 pm The Island Dancer II typically sails immediately. Check out is Saturday morning at 7:30 am.
Diving Environment:
• Known for brilliant soft corals, sharks, turtles, mantas, anemones, clownfish, and multiple macro critters
• Dives from mothership and or tender
• Water temperature: Nov – April (Fijian summer) 80-84F (27-29C)
May – Oct (Fijian winter) 76-79F (25-27C)
• 3-5 mm wetsuit recommended
Taxes & Fees:
Park Fee $14.69 and $200 VAT taxes (paid onboard).
Note: All purchases onboard are subject to 20% VAT tax.
Group transfers included to/from Suva (SUV) airport at designated times.


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Here's a video fix (in Spanish) for all you ravenous Rafanatics out there: your boy attended the opening of the new Nike store in Barcelona's Corazón del Paseo de Gracia.
The new store will take over more than 1,000 square meters and will occupy 3 of the building's floors.
Blah blah blah. Okay enough about the store, right? Fine - heeeere's Rafa!
PS - If you can translate the video, please feel free to do so in the comments section of this post.
UPDATE: Thanks to DtL reader Sara for the translation of the subtitles (first) followed by Rafa's comments. Enjoy!
Rafa doesn't enjoy losing. In the midst of the crisis that Real Madrid is facing, he has decided to surround himself with players from Barcelona at the inauguration of a new store from the brand that sponsors him.
Rafa: The end of the season hasn't been what I hoped for but the year has been really good. I'm beginning to train,trying to prepare for next season, which is my next objective, and attempting to begin Australia well; that's where we are. The last four years have gone well and my objectives have been able to change, I've been able to become more ambitious hopefully it will be like that but I'm always cautious because everything is very difficult.


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See the top 20 most helpful scuba gear reviews
Average Customer Review: based on 6 reviews.Rating: This works great
Exposure Suit Hanger 5.0
The Exposure Suit Hanger is built to optimally dry and store the heaviest gear. Its 5 inch shoulder width and heavy duty stainless steel hook will support over 100 pounds of outerwear. Its designed to hold open suits, vests and gear for improved air circulation while drying. Its durable, broad shoulder also prevents creases and damage to foam suit material and seams.


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Fun-loving film fans want to be superhero Thor and "The Hunger Games'" Katniss for Halloween in America this year.
Bosses at movie ticket website Fandango have surveyed movie buffs to find out which costumes are most popular for parties and trick-or-treating and Chris Hemsworth and Jennifer Lawrence's characters have come out on top.
Among men, Henry Cavill's Superman and Iron Man are also popular, while Theodora, the Wicked Witch of the West from "Oz: The Great & Powerful" and Elizabeth Banks' "The Hunger Games" character Effie Trinket come in second and third, respectively, for women.
Meanwhile, "Despicable Me's" Minions have topped Mike Wazowski from "Monsters Inc." and "Monsters University" as the most popular kids costumes this year.


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Paula Wolfson
November 14, 2014 9:01 pm
Download audio
WASHINGTON – It began as a "perfect storm."
Two young entrepreneurs from Virginia, Justin Kauszler and ACe Callwood got their hands on some scientific research that described how mid-level ambient noise can help boost creativity.
At the time, they were hanging out often with their laptops at a Richmond-area coffee shop, searching for their next great opportunity.
Kauszler was having a tough time concentrating with the rather sterile background noise at his day job, and suggested recording some coffee shop audio to listen to at the office. Callwood pointed to the research.
"Coffitivity" was born.
They found some techie friends and put together a website featuring the ambient noise recording.
"Coffitivity was always supposed to be a side project for us," says Callwood, who is the company's creative director.
On day one, they got 120 page hits. On day two, they got 49,000 and crashed the host server.
Since then, the site has become an online community, with comments from around the nation and the world.
"It's a talking point between creatives, entrepreneurs and just, as we call them, 'cubicle crusaders' or 'stay-at-home hustlers,'" says Callwood.
Callwood says site visitors are usually people who work alone but feel the need to connect with others.
On an average day, between 10,000 and 15,000 people use the site, with the most visitors coming from Seoul, South Korea.
Washington, D.C., ranks No. five among American cities.
The company has developed a mobile app that is currently only available in Apple's app store.
Callwood says 80 percent of Coffitivity's users are on iOS, but developers expect to release an Android app in the near-future.
Time Magazine has named Coffitivity one of the 50 best websites of 2013.
Callwood says they never got a heads up from Time and didn't learn of the honor until a few days after the list came out, when Coffitivity noticed a bump in web traffic.
"We did a little digging and found out we were on the list and that was mindblowing," says Callwood, who notes the site got the award from Time for its quirkiness.
"We are quirky as a team and as a project," but Callwood says they took a simple, but effective idea and came up with a site that just makes sense.
Follow @WTOP and @WTOPtech on Twitter.
Sure, you could grill another hot dog. Or, you could try one of these 30 recipes for foods you never knew you could cook on the grill.


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Win at Chess
New Algebraic EditionProduct Code: B0051DV
Book Description
New Algebraic Edition
Players at all levels of ability will welcome this new edition of a classic, now completely revised by chess authority Fred Wilson and converted into the current algebraic chess notation. The 300 practical chess problems included here, taken from actual tournament play, contain scores of traps, sacrifices, mates, winning combinations, and subtle exchanges that will help sharpen players' eyes and test their skills against the masters. Helpful hints are given for each problem, and a table of solutions and alternative moves shows players how to evaluate their attacks. 300 black-and-white illustrations.
Media Mail Eligible
Media Mail® shipping from the US Postal Service is the cost-effective way to ship Books, Software and DVDs. With shipping rates starting at only 4.00, it's the most affordable shipping method available.


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Presidential Solaris GOLD is a steep-slope, solar reflective asphalt roofing shingle which contains advanced colored granules that reflect the sun's rays. Designed to replicate the look of authentic wood shakes, Presidential Solaris shingles feature 25 percent solar reflectivity and deliver the charm of hand-split wood shakes with durability and strength that outperforms wood.
Applying a roof system correctly is essential to the warranty and performance of the roof. Backed by over 100 years of excellence in the roofing industry, CertainTeed developed a complete set of installation instructions for their roofing products in both English and Spanish. These installation instructions describe and illustrate the steps involved in installing CertainTeed asphalt roofing products.
Click on the link to the right for the installation instructions on Presidential Solaris solar reflective shingles.
NOTE: To view a listing of credentialed roofing companies in your area who install CertainTeed products, click on the "Find a Roofing Contractor" link located in the left navigation bar.
CertainTeed warrants that its shingles will be free of manufacturing defects, and provides the extra assurance of SureStart™ protection. Below are highlights of the warranty for Presidential Solaris™. See CertainTeed's Asphalt Shingle Products Limited Warranty document for specific warranty details regarding this product.
Using cool roofing technology has been recognized as one of the easiest, most cost-effective ways of lowering energy consumption. But until now, going green meant going white.
While white is naturally reflective, Presidential Solaris' innovative technology puts color where white used to be and produces a shingle that reflects solar energy.
Presidential Solaris solar reflective shingles form a barrier between the sun and your energy bills with a solar reflective shingle that can reduce your roof's temperature in the summer. And that means lower energy costs and greater savings over the life of your roof.
Presidential Solaris solar reflective shingles are ecologically smart, beautifully durable, and architecturally ideal for sunny climates or anywhere solar heat is a challenge.
So cool, it's rated for rebates.
Presidential Solaris solar reflective shingles are ENERGY STAR® qualified roofing products that meet both solar reflectance and thermal emissivity requirements. The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation ACT of 2010 extends tax credits for energy efficiency into 2011. The new tax credit allows for 10% of the cost of the improvement, up to $500 for insulation, roofs and doors.
Presidential Solaris shingles are also rated by Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC) for cool roofs and meets California's Title 24 requirements for cool steep slope roofing.
And some utility companies offer a rebate for Presidential Solaris that can put as much as $300 back into a homeowner's pocket for an average 3,000 sq. ft. roof.
Add a unique touch to your home with trim products from CertainTeed. Explore your options with our interactive Trim-It visualizer tool.


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|Paul Rhoads
Courtesy: cyclones.com
Release: 12/23/2008
"I'm not just a football coach. I'm not just here to win games and neither is anyone else (in our program). I could not be prouder of who you are and what we are becoming together... (doing things the right way every day) is our culture, that is what makes us Cyclones."
Paul Rhoads, who was born 10 minutes from Jack Trice Stadium and went to high school 20 minutes from Iowa State's home field, has proven to be the perfect leader of the Iowa State football program.
Through hard work, determination and fiery passion, Rhoads has catapulted Iowa State football into the national spotlight. The personable Rhoads has led the Cyclones to three bowl game appearances and multiple "signature" wins in his first six years as the Cyclone mentor.
Setting new standards in Cyclone football has become the norm for Rhoads. In his short period in Ames, Rhoads has recorded three victories over ranked opponents on the road, half of the school's all-time total of road triumphs over rated teams (six). In all, Rhoads has registered four wins over ranked opponents in his six seasons.
In the 17 seasons prior to Rhoads' arrival (1992-2008), the Cyclones won just nine conference road games. The Cyclones have already recorded six conference road victories under Rhoads. Rhoads has also shown an uncanny ability to scout and develop talent. A slew of Cyclones have earned First-Team All-Big 12 honors, including four linebackers (Jesse Smith, Jake Knott, A.J. Klein, Jeremiah George) and one tight end (E.J. Bibbs), in his brief time at ISU.
Knott, Bibbs and Kelechi Osemele (offensive lineman) all earned All-America honors under Rhoads' watch.
Perhaps Rhoads' greatest accomplishment as the Cyclone head coach is his ability to energize an entire fan base. This was no more evident than the nearly 30,000 Iowa State football fans which swarmed Memphis, Tenn., leading up to the Cyclones' 2012 AutoZone Liberty Bowl game on New Year's Eve. The massive gathering of Cardinal and Gold affirms that Iowa State football is flying at an all-time high, piloted by a head coach whose popularity in his home state transcends the program's fan base and has earned the Cyclones national recognition. Iowa Staters know that Paul Rhoads is one of their own.
Rhoads' enormous popularity has made Jack Trice Stadium the place to be in the fall. Eight of the top-10 most attended games in school history have occurred in the last three seasons (2012 and 2013). ISU's top-three single-season attendance figures occurred in the last four seasons, including a school-record season attendance average mark of 55,361 set in 2013.
A total of seven Cyclones who competed for Rhoads at Iowa State have played a game in the NFL, including Osemele, who earned a Super Bowl ring and was named to the NFL's All-Rookie team as a Baltimore Raven in 2012.
Rhoads and the Cyclones capped off his fifth season (2013) with a pair of Big 12 victories, marking the first time since 2000 where ISU ended the season with back-to-back league wins. ISU blanked Kansas (34-0), the first shutout involving a pair of Big 12 opponents since 2011 and the fourth-largest shutout over a conference opponent in school history.
The Cyclones then went on the road to defeat West Virginia in a triple overtime thriller (52-44). ISU was down 24 points in the game, staging the biggest come-from-behind win in school history and the largest comeback among all FBS teams in 2013.
First-team All-Big 12 linebacker George led the league and ranked fourth nationally in tackles (11.1), joining Smith (2009) as Cyclones to lead the Big 12 in stops under Rhoads.
The 2012 AutoZone Liberty Bowl was Iowa State's third postseason appearance in four years under Rhoads. Against TCU during the regular season, Rhoads' players ended the nation's longest winning streak at 12 games, with a 37-23 victory over the 13th-ranked Horned Frogs. The win marked the first time in school history that the Cyclones had beaten a ranked team in three consecutive seasons. Each of those games was one of Rhoads' "signature wins" since coming to Iowa State in 2009.
The linebacking duo of Knott and Klein were first-team All-Big 12 selections for the second straight season in 2012. Both are now playing on Sundays in the NFL. Defensive tackle Jake McDonough was a first-team all-league choice and strong safety Durrell Givens was a second-team honoree.
The 2011 season was highlighted by the biggest win in school history. On Nov. 18, 2011, Iowa State stepped up on to the biggest stage it had ever played upon. The Cyclones played host to No. 2 Oklahoma State in prime time. The game was nationally televised. It was a game with huge BCS implications further stoking the rapt attention this contest commanded.
Jeff Woody rambled into the Oklahoma State end zone at 10:51 p.m. CDT for a 37-31 victory on ESPN. Announcer Joe Tessitore emphatically shrieked, "touchdown, they did it!," telling the world what Rhoads' fellow native Iowans already knew. Rhoads' Iowa State football program has gone where no Cyclone team has gone before.
Rhoads' team, which was an underdog in 11 of its 12 BCS games in 2011, capped off a memorable season by playing on the biggest stage in the nation's biggest city, Yankee Stadium in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl in New York. This was accomplished despite playing the second-toughest schedule nationally.
The 2010 season saw the Cyclones go 5-7. Iowa State was picked for the cellar of the Big 12 North Division. On Oct. 23 before more than 100,000 Texas fans in Austin's Memorial Stadium, Rhoads' team did what no Cyclone football squad had ever done, beat the Longhorns, 28-21. For the second straight year, a Rhoads-led unit had slain a dragon on the opposing field.
Born in Nevada, Iowa, just 10 minutes from Jack Trice Stadium, Rhoads came back to Iowa State after a year as defensive coordinator at Auburn. His stellar track record complements his Iowa roots. The man who was valedictorian at Ankeny High School, one of the largest schools in the state (located just 20 minutes south of Ames), Rhoads was the ideal individual to take control of the ISU football program.
Coaching Experience
Bowl Games


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Frequently Asked Questions
Will MI Windows and Doors contact me if my package was damaged during the shipping process?
If we receive notification from Federal Express for a damaged shipment, MIWD will place another order for the damaged package. If you have not received your replacement package, please email us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Why do I have condensation on my windows?
Windows do not cause condensation, but excessive humidity levels can. Condensation is a visible evidence of excessive moisture in the air. For more information on condensation, please visit our Product Care page or visit AAMA's website.
What is the difference between tempered and laminated glass?
Laminated Glass
Two or more panes of glass are bonded together by a durable plastic interlayer with a resin called PVB (polyvinyl butyral). This technique is used to create single sheets of glass with multiple layers. The PVB keeps the glass from breaking apart easily and provides high sound insulation. However, if it should break, the glass will tend to remain in its frame, minimizing the risk of injury from sharp edges and flying or falling glass particles.
Tempered Glass
Tempered glass is often referred to as safety glass because it is more resistant to breakage than normal float glass. Yet if it is broken, it usually breaks into relatively small pieces, which are less likely to cause serious injury. Tempered glass is known to be several times stronger than laminated glass. Tempered glass is created using chemical and thermal treatments.
What is STC?
Sound Transmission Class is a single-number system used to rate the airborne sound transmission performance of a window, wall, panel, ceiling, etc. The higher the STC number, the better the product's ability to block sound transmission.