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Studying the Word of GodGrowing in Jesus, and enriching ones faith through the study of the Word...http://home.asbzone.com/BibleStudy/atom.aspxCommunity Server2011-07-16T16:42:26ZLessons from the Book of Jobhttp://home.asbzone.com/BibleStudy/archive/2013/02/28/lessons-from-the-book-of-job.aspx2013-03-01T03:19:04Z2013-03-01T03:19:04Z

James 5:11 KJV

Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

There are many lessons that we can learn from the various Bible stories that have been given us, some of which we only review superficially. Today, I'd like us to look at a number of lessons that can be found in that epic encounter recorded in the book of Job.

Here are just five of the key lessons that we can take from Job.

The Perfection of Job

The Bible calls Job perfect. More than that, the Bible records God calling Job perfect.

Job 1:1 -- There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.

Job 1:8 -- And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered My servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

Perfection is not just a state that will be reached when Jesus comes again, but is a state that is achievable only in Christ – only as we allow Him to will and to do of His good pleasure as we go about our daily tasks.

Satan is Watching Us

Not only does God pay attention to all we do, the devil also marks our steps and seeks ways to overthrow and undermine us. And he recognizes God's protective power.

Job 1:9-11 -- Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?  Hast not Thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.  But put forth Thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to Thy face.

Difficulty and Trials Should Not Cause Us to Stumble

Despite the most pressing trials, the Bible records Job's fidelity to God.  We have to be able to trust in God even when things are no longer going well from us from the perspective of human eyes.  If God is only our God in good times, then we will not be prepared to overcome in the final conflict.

Job 1:20-22 -- Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

Job 2:9-10 -- Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

Righteousness Is Not Our Own

Righteousness is ours to claim in Jesus, but if we claim it of ourselves, it is merely self-righteousness, and worth nothing.  We are always to be clothed with the covering of God.  Adam and Eve were first clothed with garments of light made by God, and when they fell, it was He who took away their feeble garments of fig leaves and gave them coats of skin.  Now, He offers us robes of righteousness washed in the blood of Jesus.  We know we have problems when we're too big to let God dress us.

Job 9:20-21 -- If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse. Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.

Friends Should Be Comforters

We owe it to our friends to comfort them in their distress, and not to add unto their burdens and afflictions.  We need to always judge righteous judgment, and not judge by outward appearances.

Job 2:11-13 -- Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.  And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.  So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.

Job 6:25-27 -- How forcible are right words! but what doth your arguing reprove?  Do ye imagine to reprove words, and the speeches of one that is desperate, which are as wind?  Yea, ye overwhelm the fatherless, and ye dig a pit for your friend.

Job 12:4 -- I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn.

Job 16:2-5 -- I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.  Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?  I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you.  But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief.

– CONCLUSION –

Ultimately, God will take away our reproach. He will vindicate us and save us for His name's sake. We just have to wait patiently upon the Lord and bear the trials that He has for us. We know not the impact of the lessons which we will be taught through patience.

Job's understanding of God was greatly improved by his experience, to say nothing of his material benefits.  We all need to exhibit the patience of Job, and pray that we get it by regular practice and not the same circumstances that came upon him.

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ASBhttp://home.asbzone.com/members/ASB.aspxMaking Time for Down Time in Ministryhttp://home.asbzone.com/BibleStudy/archive/2013/01/31/making-time-for-down-time-in-ministry.aspx2013-02-01T04:05:23Z2013-02-01T04:05:23Z
Mark 6:7-32 KJV
(7)  And He called unto Him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;
(8)  And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:
(9)  But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats.
...
(12)  And they went out, and preached that men should repent.
(13)  And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.
...
(30)  And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told Him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught.
(31)  And He said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.
(32)  And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.

Oftentimes, people in ministry fail to recognize that they need time to regroup and recharge.  Without scheduled periods of down time for restoration and recuperation, there will be unscheduled periods of "downtime," borrowing a term from the technology realm.

Not only do those who minister to others need to take a break for physical and mental reasons, but they also need to take special time to recharge spiritually as well.  It is not a sin or an act of laziness to set aside time for recharging.  If anything, the opposite is true: a failure to set aside sufficient periods to be physically and spiritually regenerated will likely lead to breakdowns in health or serious spiritual challenges which could have been avoided.  There are also implications for those with families – being always on the go will eventually lead to problems with relationships.

God expects His people to be wise – after all, He is the source of their wisdom – and they exercise wisdom and prudence by scheduling necessary breaks which will enable them to be more effective when they return to action.  Keeping a grueling schedule might allow one to feel pious and zealous of the cause of God, but the damage that can occur without the necessary breaks could be very difficult to undo.

Let us endeavor to make time for rest and make time for work, and do both in the right season.  Otherwise, we might find ourselves out of commission for longer than desired, due to intemperance of scheduling.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 KJV
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

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ASBhttp://home.asbzone.com/members/ASB.aspxLearning the Lessons of Historyhttp://home.asbzone.com/BibleStudy/archive/2012/12/31/learning-the-lessons-of-history.aspx2013-01-01T03:26:59Z2013-01-01T03:26:59Z
Esther 3:5-10 KJV
(5) And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.
…
(8) And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king's laws: therefore it is not for the king's profit to suffer them.
(9) If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king's treasuries.
(10) And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews' enemy.

It is said that those who fail to learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them.  This is especially true when it comes to Bible Study and last day events.

The history recorded in the Bible holds the key to understanding the prophecy which so many are eager to understand.  Unfortunately for them, the prevailing view is that the Old Testament (OT) scriptures are no longer important, relevant or binding.  As a result of this sentiment, it is very difficult to get a right conception of many of the things presented in the New Testament (NT), for they very directly reference the Old Testament scriptures.

Consider the following:

The only "Bible" which the NT believers had for several decades was the Old Testament.  (The first written book of the NT occurred at least 20 years after Jesus had ascended back to Heaven)

Without the OT, it would have been quite impossible for anyone to prove that Jesus had been the Messiah, for all those prophecies addressing His first and second comings were provided by OT prophets.

Since the Bible is intended to be read and managed as a whole, anything you don't find details about in the NT will have those details provided in the OT.  Some things were emphasized again in the NT on account of disputes or questions or conflicts that arose – the same reasons that some things were reiterated within the OT itself.

Without the use of the Old Testament Bible, the NT believers would have had very little basis for any of the actions they took, as the vast majority of those actions were defined in the OT.

The Bible makes heavy use of types (shadows) and antitypes (fulfillments of types) all the way from the Genesis through Revelation.  If you want to know how a certain thing will play out in prophecy, then look for any situation where types/antitypes are possible.  (Jesus used several, including "As it was in the days of Noah" and "As it was in the days of Lot".)

The persecution and attempted destruction of the Jews by Haman the Agagite, should be of particular note to God's people, as it outlines a path where an individual or group persuades the powers that be for the authority to wipe out God's people for not cooperating with something the individual or group desire/demand.  A similar scenario can be found with Daniel in both chapters 3 and 6.  In chapter 3, a group brings another group of people to the attention of the king because of their own annoyance/discomfort with the group (Daniel 3:9-12), and in chapter 6, we see that a group manages to get a rule put into place that adversely impacts one individual (Daniel 6:11-14).

Looking at Revelation 13, we can see that a similar set of events will unfold, and laws will be contrived by some, and put into place to the detriment of God's people.

As we close out another year, and as we move one step closer to eternity, we need to be more ardent Bible students, that we might understand where we are, what is coming, and what we should be doing.  And, it will help if we use the whole Bible in our studies, and recognize the patterns of the God who changes not.  Failing at history – Bible history – is just not a good option.

Have a blessed year, and endeavor to study more intently than ever before…

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ASBhttp://home.asbzone.com/members/ASB.aspxStop Getting Readyhttp://home.asbzone.com/BibleStudy/archive/2012/11/30/stop-getting-ready.aspx2012-11-30T16:58:32Z2012-11-30T16:58:32Z
Matthew 24:42-44 KJV
(42) Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. (43) But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. (44) Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

Many preach the message of readiness, but they do so from a perspective that subtly differs from that of the scriptures: they talk about "getting ready."   Getting ready might seem to be a noble state of being, but it is necessarily one of incompleteness.  One who is "getting ready" is, in fact, not quite ready as yet.

The reason that many have accepted this view of readiness, is that we have been taught that to claim to "be ready" would imply that we had attained perfection or were in need of doing nothing further.  Well, that's really not how readiness works. A month ago, we were preparing for the lovely Super-Storm Sandy that came barreling up the eastern coast of the US.  We made sure we had food, fuel, water, and other supplies.  We made our list and checked it twice, but we didn't just sit around once we thought everything had been checked off.  Instead, we looked around for things we might have missed.

In other words, while we *were ready* as opposed to merely *getting ready*, we continued to assess and evaluate to ensure that our readiness was not an illusion or somehow deficient.  Certainly, we were more relaxed and less tense that we would have been had we been unprepared.  We still didn't know for sure how things were going to play out, but between preparation and prayer, we weren't going to get stressed about it.

Spiritually, we need to take the same tack. God has outlined what readiness entails.  We have counsel in Matthew 28:18-20, Revelation 14:6-12 and Revelation 18 pertaining to our work and our attitude.  If the goodman of the house in Matthew 24 was "getting ready," he still would have had his house broken into.  He needed to be completely ready.  Not complacent, but well prepared and actively watching/waiting.

Five of the virgins in Matthew 25 were ready, while the other five were getting ready.

1 Peter 4:7-8 KJV
(7) But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. (8) And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

Stop getting ready. Be Ready. Stay Ready.

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ASBhttp://home.asbzone.com/members/ASB.aspxGetting Distracting with Debateshttp://home.asbzone.com/BibleStudy/archive/2012/10/26/getting-distracting-with-debates.aspx2012-10-27T02:36:11Z2012-10-27T02:36:11Z

2 Timothy 2:23-26 KJV
(23) But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.  (24) And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, (25) In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;  (26) And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

It has recently become apparent to me that the primary source of conflict for God's people is now from within the church, not outside the church.  Every day, yet another person rises up seeking new approaches, new methods, or new interpretations of the everlasting gospel.  In the past year alone, I have seen and heard more interesting theories that people claim are supported by the Bible, but somehow, the texts used to support the theory are always a subset of all of the passages that Bible contains on the subject at hand.  When this is pointed out, there is never an acknowledgement of the missing texts, or any attempt to account for what they teach, but just accusations about how people are not listening to truth.

Hint: That's not how Jesus behaved when He wasn't listened to, and He *is* truth!

As a result of all this error and supposition that is creeping – or sometimes strolling – into the church, concerned brethren are readily engaging in debate and rebuttals and confrontations. But what does this serve?  I cannot speak for everyone, but I myself have yet to see that as good, solid rebuttal or debate has caused anyone to say, "You know, I might have been wrong here."  I have not seen any person bearing their "new light" back down in the face of abundant scriptural evidence that their position is not supported by the Word of God.  Meanwhile, lengthy debates generate collateral damage for bystanders in the form of doubt, and also in the deteriorating attitude of those who are engaged in the battle, leading to behavior and attitude that is most unChristlike.  In short, this does not make a good witness for the gospel.  It is no wonder that Paul counseled Timothy to avoid these types of conflicts and debates, for no good will come from them.

It seems that we frequently forget that we are engaged in a very serious conflict with a highly sophisticated and determined enemy.  All this chaos is intended to redirect efforts that should be focused on encouraging our brethren to deep, personal Bible study, and on the preaching/teaching of the 3 angels' messages to the whole world.  There is no time to get caught up in needless conflict.  There is no time to be distracted from the mission.  There is no time to come down from the wall to meet and discuss with those who are looking to use a convenient subset of scripture to promote their theories.

Does that mean that we never challenge a false position, or gently seek to redirect an erring student of the Word? No, we should not casually leave any true seeker in error.  But, once a person has been provided the evidence that their position is unsupported by scripture, and they insist that you are deluded or supporting heresy or are in apostasy, then you need to evaluate your subsequent time in light of the lateness of the hour and your responsibility to be a faithful steward of time.  We cannot afford to get embroiled in needless debates, when there is so much of the Lord's work which remains to be done.

Nehemiah 6:1-4 KJV
(1) Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;)  (2) That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.  (3) And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?  (4) Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.

We have no time for needless conflict.  Let us be prudent and discerning, and use our time wisely.  We only need to correct an error once, and if the person insists on holding on to it, we need to move on.

"I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?"

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ASBhttp://home.asbzone.com/members/ASB.aspxMiscalculating The Timehttp://home.asbzone.com/BibleStudy/archive/2012/06/08/miscalculating-the-time.aspx2012-06-08T23:12:17Z2012-06-08T23:12:17Z

Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. (Matthew 24:32-33)

We have an annoying tendency to be overconfident about our ability to deal with complex situations or to gauge how much time we have left to accomplish major tasks, and the consequences for these miscalculations can range from minor to catastrophic.  And that's just in temporal matters – what about the potential impact in spiritual matters?

That's the question that came to my mind almost 24 hours ago.

My family and I have recently made a major move from the suburbs of northern New Jersey to a small town in central West Virginia.  There are quite a few reasons why we have embarked on this change, not the least of which is that my wife and I are looking to embrace a lifestyle that is more in harmony with Biblical principles.  We have chosen to heed the counsel given us by God and His servants to bring up our children in an atmosphere that is more conducive to their spiritual development.  We also want to move in a direction that enables us to be far more self sufficient for our daily needs than we have been in the past.  And we want to maintain a pace that is more manageable than the typical rat race found in Corporate America today.

In making this move, we prayed and researched and planned for many months, and it was still harder and more complicated to move than we had anticipated.  Nonetheless, I'd do it again in a heart beat.  We have already begun to experience benefits that I would not willingly give up, and we have begun to learn some key lessons as well.

Yesterday evening, somewhere around 6pm, the whole family was outside cleaning up as part of our never ending unpacking activity (it's been 4 weeks already!).  The sun was shining brightly, and there was a nice, soft and cool breeze.  Among other things, the boys were whacking weeds, I was clearing out the porch, and we were all stacking up boxes for the garbage (not counting the time we spent dodging some large spider that had gotten into the pile of folded cardboard).  After a while, we noticed a small dark cloud a little bit north of us.  My wife commented that it looked like the weather was going to change, but we all took a look at that cloud, noted its small size relative to the other clouds, and concluded that because it was a bit far off and not really headed our way, that we were fine.

Back to work we went.

No more than 5-10 minutes later, the wind made a rapid and significant shift and picked up intensity. Major intensity.  Much of the sky also darkened.  This got our attention.

The wind began to blow everything around, including the stacked cardboard and a large tarp I had laying on the ground.  I actually had to run partway down one hill to catch and secure the tarp. We were all scrambling to grab this or that, and to get everything together so we could go inside.  Our labor was much more difficult during this period, which lasted 15, maybe 20 minutes in duration.  The wind was blowing all around, and we had to make fast decisions about what to do and where to go and how to secure everything.  By now, the sky was pretty dark and foreboding, and rain seemed imminent.  We labored as quickly as we could to get everything tied down, put away or covered.

Then, just as quickly as it had started up, the weather shifted back.  The stormy clouds moved off in a different direction, and the sun shone again for a little while before finally setting over the tree line.  We relaxed -- but only a little -- and continued working, with one eye on the sky.  The whole incident felt a great deal longer than the 15-20 minutes it actually lasted.

At this point, a few key lessons began to take shape in my mind:

1. We need to be more attentive to weather conditions, and respectful of any changes we perceive.

2. We received – and ignored – an early warning that could have allowed us to complete our work with less stress and hassle.

3. We thought we had much more time before the weather would actually change. We misread the signs and totally miscalculated the time we had left, thinking ourselves safe when we really weren't.

The good news is that the physical storm didn't actually materialize.  The bad news is that we are prone to making similar mistakes in the spiritual realm, an that storm will most certainly materialize.

For over a hundred years, God has been telling His people that the country is where they should be making their base of operations.  Yes, evangelism is most definitely needed in the cities.  It is needed wherever people are, and plenty of them are in the cities.  But, God's people need not be personally headquartered in the cities themselves in order to effectively work the cities.

The cities are killing us, physically and spiritually.  All sorts of reasons are given for why so many youth are leaving our churches, and little do people realize that the mere influence of the cities is the biggest reason why many of our youth struggle with spiritual growth.  For that matter, many of our older members struggle with spiritual growth for the same reasons.  Like Lot, our tents are pitched towards Sodom, and one day, we will have to leave Sodom – under duress – only to find out that the vast majority of our children, youth and even adults, have elected to remain in Sodom.

Moving to the country is not something that can be done just on the spur of the moment.  It takes time and a whole lot of planning.  Our physical move to West Virginia involved lots of interesting twists and turns, which thankfully, we are not having to experience under duress.  We received significant help from friends in NJ and WV, for which we are eternally grateful, and without which things would have been much harder and discouraging.  And we're not finished yet.  There is still much to be done before we can have our own place and be truly situation as we feel God desires us to be.

There are severe economic problems coming upon the entire world, and while being in the country does not make one impervious to problems, on many levels, the hardships will undoubtedly be greater for those in the cities who are dependent on others for all their needs (food, water, power, transportation, etc) than for those in the country who are much more self sufficient.  If you don't believe me, just look at the chaos experienced in the major North Eastern US cities that were impacted by Hurricane Irene in 2011, and the freak snow storms in December 2010 and October 2011.  What will happen when there are sustained problems that last months rather than days or weeks?

Not everyone sees things the same way, however.  In talking to people about country living over the past ~2 years, I see three distinct groups of respondents:

Group 1: Those who have started moving or are prepared to move rather quickly

Group 2: Those who are contemplating moving, but are not quite ready to move or haven't quite decided how they will do it, or where they will go

Group 3: Those who see no need to move until some major prophetic event occurs (if then).

It is of vital importance that God's people find themselves in Group 1 as soon as possible, because moving to a country living lifestyle involves a lot of work and a lot of change, and it is not something you can just jump into with a moment's notice.

Those who are in Group 2 had better hope that they do not miscalculate how much time they have to get ready, as we did yesterday, or they might find that their path to move is impaired, or that they have no destination to go to, or that they cannot carry all that they wanted/needed to carry due to the limited time.

Finally, those who are in Group 3 need to wake up, or they might find themselves like the five (5) foolish virgins on Matthew 25, or like Lot's children and in-laws.

There is a reason why Jesus emphasized watching and waiting so very heavily, and it's not because we are good judges of time.

My family and I will be paying close attention to the weather in the future, but we will also give much more heed to our spiritual readiness.  Yesterday was a wakeup call for us, and we intend to pay close attention to the lesson learned.  We have already learned a lot from those who have pursued this course before us, and from our experiences of the past month, and we are thankful for how God has led and preserved us.  (Our experiences are not the worst ones that we've heard!)

We encourage all others who are looking at, or contemplating the country living message to consider that they have less time than they think.  Miscalculation will be unpleasant, to say the least.  Watch and pray.

And accelerate your planning.  You have less time to get ready than you think – and far more work to do than you anticipate.  Watch and pray and plan.  Your salvation is dependent upon it.

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ASBhttp://home.asbzone.com/members/ASB.aspxDo You Know What You Believe?http://home.asbzone.com/BibleStudy/archive/2012/03/31/do-you-know-what-you-believe.aspx2012-04-01T03:12:23Z2012-04-01T03:12:23Z

2 Timothy 1:11-12
11Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.
12For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

When it comes to Christianity today, there are many people who profess to believe many things.  Many of these people, however, they are unable to say "why" they believe what they believe.  Some are even unable to highlight the particulars of what they believe or how it connects with other things they say they believe.

Do you know what you believe?

What is your belief based upon?

How often do you re-evaluate your favorite doctrines to ensure that they are Bible-based and not just based on traditions that you have never questioned?

If you found out tomorrow that one or two of your cherished doctrines was incorrect in some way, which of the following paths would you take?

Would you stubbornly stick to what you had previously accepted without question?

Would you lose confidence in the other beliefs you hold and abandon Christianity?

Would you begin to systematically re-evaluate all your other beliefs to ensure that they are Biblically sound?

In 2 Timothy 2:15, we are told to study to show ourselves approved unto God.

In 1 Peter 3:15, we are told to be always prepared to give a reason for the hope we have in God.

We need to study – daily – to ensure that what we think we know is truly knowledge of God.  Contrary to popular opinion, the true Christian is willing and able to continuously re-evaluate his understanding of the scriptures by dedicated study.  There is always something to learn as we prayerfully study God's Word, but that won't happen if we expect that we have already mastered it all.   Nor will it happen if we approach the study of the Word with doubt concerning what we have previously studied.

Each time we study, we must simultaneously be open to a new and richer understanding of the scriptures, while being sure about what the foundational Bible teachings are.  The proper attitude is neither one of doubt nor of overconfidence.

Ultimately, wisdom comes from God, and that's where we start in our understanding of God's word:

James 1:5
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Make sure you know what you believe, and that it is firmly grounded in the Bible, because that is the only knowledge that will count for anything in the final reckoning/

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ASBhttp://home.asbzone.com/members/ASB.aspxThe Necessity of Obediencehttp://home.asbzone.com/BibleStudy/archive/2011/12/09/the-necessity-of-obedience.aspx2011-12-09T16:11:07Z2011-12-09T16:11:07Z

Now therefore, if ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people: for all the earth is Mine:  (Exodus 19:5 KJV)

Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.  (Deuteronomy 11:26-28 KJV)

It is often said that, "It takes money to make money."

The same can be said of obedience as it pertains to the Christian walk:  It takes obedience to become obedient.

We need to obey the call of God that we might be given the power to obey Him in all things.  Quite illogical sounding, no?

Salvation[1] is not something that just happens.  We don't make salvation happen.  God has made salvation available to all, but in our desire to avoid saying that we do anything to earn salvation, we've quite taken ourselves out of the picture as it pertains to our responsibilities in the matter.

When we discuss obedience, we're not throwing out any other fundamental principle. We're just focusing on a needed one.

Imagine the following scenario:

You are adrift on the water, sitting on some raft, and headed to a waterfall.   Someone comes by in a helicopter to rescue you.  They through down a rope ladder and tell you to grab a hold of it, climb up and hang on.  You can obey them, or disobey them of your own volition.   If you disobey, then you will most certainly perish.  If you obey them partially (you grab hold, but don't climb up; you grab hold and climb up, but let go before the helicopter gets to land; etc) you will also perish.  So obedience is very much a key to your being saved from the water.

Now, no one in their right mind, upon being placed safely on the dry land, would ever consider making the claim that they had saved themselves simply because they held on as instructed.  And it is quite impossible imagining a place where the work of holding on is deemed more important than the work of flying the helicopter, finding the victim, dropping down the ladder, and flying back safely to dry land.  At the same time, one cannot deny that obedience was important for the person being saved, and that a lack of it would have undermined the salvation of the victim (i.e. led to destruction).

When we exercise our faith in God – the faith that God has given us to begin with – it becomes strengthened.  Likewise, as we obey God, we are sanctified (ongoing process) and enabled to render even more obedience which is essential for our character building.

God gives us a new nature – one that loves Him and desires to serve Him – but our characters are built over time, rather than handed to us outright. Character is nothing more than a solid collection of habits, which are built by a solid collection of actions, which are built by a solid collection of thoughts.  We need habits of obedience (among other things) to be fitted for heaven, and it all starts by obeying God.

We submit to God… God empowers us to do His will… we continue to obey… He empowers us to do more of His will… and so on and so forth. (Philippians 2:13)   God cannot be removed from the process, lest it become our own, useless self-righteousness, but obedience must be there.

Obedience cannot be removed from the equation.
Love cannot be removed from the equation.
The grace of God cannot be removed from the equation.
Faith in Jesus cannot be removed from the equation.
The Faith OF Jesus cannot be removed from the equation.
Repentance cannot be removed from the equation.
Various other things that I have left unmentioned (due to considerations of time and space) cannot be removed from the equation of our salvation.

We need God to be able to obey AND we need to obey God to be within His will.  We can quibble about the exact sequence all we want, but given that given that the topic of salvation will be an *eternal* study for us, we need to accept that it's an inherently complex subject, and a lot more interconnected than we often make it out to be.

The Bible shows us both sides of obedience because both sides are true.   We need God before we can obey, and we must obey to get the power to do so.  :)

Let us press towards the mark…

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? (Romans 6:16 KJV)

[1] Big word, broad term, vast concept

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ASBhttp://home.asbzone.com/members/ASB.aspxBe Ye Readyhttp://home.asbzone.com/BibleStudy/archive/2011/11/30/be-ye-ready.aspx2011-12-01T03:00:00Z2011-12-01T03:00:00Z
"We need to be ready."  This is a statement that Christians make quite often.  And there's good reason for that, as we have quite a few Bible texts that enjoin us to do just that.

Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
(Matthew 24:42-44 KJV)

The question then becomes:  What are we waiting for, and in what way must we be ready?

Well that's where things get interesting.  The Bible does prep us for the future – mostly by instructing us about the past.  Jesus indicated that the time just before the Second Coming would be very much like the time of Noah and the time of Lot.  It should be noted that both of these scenarios represent periods before imminent destruction.

Noah was getting ready, and boy did that readiness involve some work.

Lot, on the other hand, was not close to getting ready.  He wasn't exactly laying about being useless, but his lack of preparation showed in the state of his family.  They were not prepared to leave, and their attitudes ranged from outright hostility to highly reluctant departure.

History will be repeating itself, and we have been given an example of readiness and one of unpreparedness.  While Noah had some indication of when the climactic event would occur, Lot absolutely had no idea that the end of his life in Sodom had arrived until he was taken by them outside the city (Genesis 19).

We have been given enough instructions in Matthew, Luke and Revelation to guide us in our great work of preparation.

We must watch, pray and be ready.

Just one month ago, we experienced snowstorm in the NY metro area.  Some areas received up to 19 inches of snow!!  Because the weather had been rather warm up to that time, so many of the trees had all their leaves, and snow covered leaves are heavier than you might thing.  There were so many branches and trees that broke, taking out power and communication lines, that some people were without power or internet services for more than a week!  Even now, one month later, much of the tree limbs and branches remain on the ground throughout NJ.

We had a couple days warning about that storm, and yet many found themselves woefully unprepared when it came.  Will the same be said of us for the earth's final events?

The time to prepare is *before* the events have transpired.  Not during.

Watch.

Pray.

And get ready.

The instructions are all there…

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ASBhttp://home.asbzone.com/members/ASB.aspxDo You See What I See?http://home.asbzone.com/BibleStudy/archive/2011/10/29/do-you-see-what-i-see.aspx2011-10-30T03:00:00Z2011-10-30T03:00:00Z
The signs keep on coming…

And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
(Matthew 24:4-8 KJV)

This year, in the NY/NJ metro area, we've experienced an earthquake, a category 1 hurricane, rampant flooding, and now a snowstorm that has led to power loss for many.

And the year's not finished yet.

God's people need to stir and awaken themselves, because now is not the time to be sleeping on the job.  We are entirely too comfortable doing the same old things we have been doing for years.

Things are about to get a lot harder.  There are rumblings all around, and signs in the weather and in nature all across the globe.

It has been an unprecedented year of activity on many fronts, but too many of us have been lulled into a false sense of security because we've been hearing the same things about the Second Coming for generations.

Look closely, because I think that things are not as they have been.

Let no man deceive you.  There is more to go, but we need to be ready.

Remember that it is Jesus that makes the analogy to labor pains – the frequency and intensity of these events *will* continue to increase.

Let us redeem the time, for now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed.

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ASBhttp://home.asbzone.com/members/ASB.aspxWorship: Event, Activity or Lifestyle?http://home.asbzone.com/BibleStudy/archive/2011/09/20/worship-event-activity-or-lifestyle.aspx2011-09-20T11:26:00Z2011-09-20T11:26:00Z
The term "worship", whether used in a religious or secular context, is supposed to reflect an attitude and ongoing experience rather than a specific activity or event.

Sometimes it seems that humanity embraces worship more fully when the object of that worship is not God. For instance, many people worship their possessions, their favorite celebrities, political and philosophical ideologies, and so on, and they are not afraid or ashamed to be focused on these objects of their worship at all times.

In contrast, when it comes to the worship of God, many of us seem to lack the stamina to apply ourselves as fully to the endeavor as the Bible suggests and teaches that we should. Perhaps it is because we see so many examples of misdirected worship that we are afraid to put that same kind of energy and focus into the worship of the only One worthy of worship. Perhaps we are afraid of being perceived as extremists. Whatever the reasoning, all too often, our worship tends to more resemble "activity" or "event" rather than "lifestyle".

The theme of the entire Bible is that of worship. The underlying conflict of the Great Controversy between God and Satan is all about worship. The fact is that the worship of God should be so much a part of our existence, that the phrase "ongoing worship" will seem as pointless to us as the phrase "constant breathing". Just as occasional breathing is of little use to an organism that depends upon air, so occasional worship provides little benefit to organisms that depend upon God.

Part-time worship is not nearly as effective for spiritual growth as it might seem at first glance. Sure, part-time is better than none at all, in the same way that one meal every other day is better than complete starvation, but growth and health and vigor are not really accommodated by one meal every other day, either.

While it is often used in other contexts such as Christian Education and Parenting, Deuteronomy 6:4-9 is actually a good text for emphasizing worship lifestyle and attitude:

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9 KJV)

If angels and other holy beings can live in a state worship (Revelation 4:8-11), how much more we who need the power of God to overcome the evil one?

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ASBhttp://home.asbzone.com/members/ASB.aspxThe Sabbath and the Marriage Bedhttp://home.asbzone.com/BibleStudy/archive/2011/09/05/the-sabbath-and-the-marriage-bed.aspx2011-09-06T00:47:20Z2011-09-06T00:47:20Z
One of the most popular questions that is posed concerning Sabbath observance is whether or not it is proper for a husband and wife to engage in sexual relations during the Sabbath hours. This question was raised in response to a posting I made on the significance of the Sabbath. (Also found on SSNET.org)

Although the Bible doesn't answer this question directly, it does provide some key guidelines and principles that can help each couple come to a mutually satisfaction resolution.

The most commonly quoted texts against sexual intimacy on the Sabbath are Exodus 19:10-15 (especially verse 15) and Isaiah 58:13,14.

The Mount Sinai Experience

I have not been able to determine what day of the week that God came down to Mount Sinai, but the injunction that Moses placed upon the people to abstain from sexual activity as they awaited the appearance of God on the mountain was clearly a special and isolated event. It should be noted that the people had to prepare for God to come three (3) days hence, and that throughout the entire preparation time they were to abstain from conjugal relations. There is absolutely nothing in this passage to suggest that this is a precedent for handling the weekly Sabbath on a continuing basis. Furthermore, if it were, that would rule out Thursday, Friday and the Sabbath. God's visit to Mount Sinai was an extraordinary event, and all the activities associated with it should be considered just as extraordinary.

The fact that only Exodus 19:15 contains a prohibition against it, when none of the many Sabbath commandments do, should be proof enough that the Mount Sinai situation was a very special one, and not a precedent for Sabbath keeping in general.

Doing Your Pleasure

The phrase "doing your own pleasure" of Isaiah 58 would seem to be more applicable, but consider the context of the chapter. Nothing else in Isaiah 58 appears to be covering personal relationships in this fashion. Isaiah 58 is a call to God's people, informing them that, while they are going through the motions of worship and religious experience, they are busy fighting, oppressing the poor and weak, and failing to provide for the needs of others. While there is nothing wrong with evaluating marital relations within the context of these two verses (Isaiah 58:13,14), it does not automatically flow from the context.

Furthermore, while sexual intercourse is intended to be pleasurable for each participant, the goal of each person should be to express love and give pleasure to one's spouse. For Christian's, it is not supposed to be about finding one's own pleasure.

The Sanctity of the Marriage Bed

The Apostle Paul makes several references to marriage and the marital relations. In Hebrews 13:4, he indicates that marriage and the marital bed are honorable. In 1 Corinthians 7, which is a chapter with a lot of counsel pertaining to marriage and relationships, Paul recommends that a married couple should not abstain from intimacy with each other unless mutually agreed upon for some reason, such as prayer and fasting (v5). In Ephesians 5:21-33, Paul expounds on how we should treat one another, focusing primarily on the marital relationship. In verses 31 and 32, he even goes so far as to compare the joining together of a husband and wife, with the relationship between Christ and His bride, the church. The books of Isaiah and Revelation are replete with references to God and His people in a marital context, which is why Israel was said to have committed whoredom whenever they turned to worshiping idols.

When you consider the sacredness of the marriage institution as God gave it to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, and you add the fact that all throughout the Bible, this same level of intimacy between a man and his wife is compared to the relationship that God has with His people, it is hard to conclude that sexual intimacy during the Sabbath hours – particularly during the night-time of the Sabbath – is forbidden by scripture.

There is nothing to suggest that there has ever been any injunction against it, and I personally have a hard time looking at Genesis 1:28 and coming to the conclusion that God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful, but didn't explain exactly how until the first day of the new week.

In that vein, Christian couples should consider how special a gift that God gave to mankind, and engage in it in a way which reflects its precious and holy origins.

Preferring One Another

The Bible speaks extensively about sex and about the Sabbath, but never about the former being inappropriate during the latter. Now, if your options are choosing being sexual intimacy vs going to church during the morning hours of the Sabbath, I might have to question your priorities. But, as for the night time, there is no Biblical prohibition.

Having said all that, please note that 1 Corinthians 7, Romans 12, and Ephesians 5 highlight a major principle that should govern this discussion:

Ephesians 5:21 KJV
(21) Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

1 Corinthians 7:3-4 KJV
(3) Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
(4) The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.

Romans 12:10 KJV
(10) Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

We are to give preference to the needs and desires of our spouses over ourselves. This works best, of course, when both spouses are honoring and preferring one another, so that no one is being taken advantage of. Forcibly persuading or attempting to guilt someone into doing something that they feel is wrong or inappropriate is completely unChristlike.

If your spouse feels very strongly that sexual intimacy on the Sabbath is not in line with Biblical principles, then all attempts to convince her that she is wrong – whether using the Bible or not – would be wrong. And, you have to ask yourself just how much effective it will be to bond with your spouse under those circumstances. This is equally true of a wife trying to convince a husband, lest anyone conclude that this is a one-sided issue.

If the sanctity of marriage were more universally appreciated, and the joy of the Sabbath were better understood, this issue might soon become far less of a contention among Christian couples.

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ASBhttp://home.asbzone.com/members/ASB.aspxSeventh-day Adventists - a Special People?http://home.asbzone.com/BibleStudy/archive/2011/08/29/seventh-day-adventists-a-special-people.aspx2011-08-29T12:19:05Z2011-08-29T12:19:05Z
The Seventh-day Adventist church is a prophetic movement which God raised up for the furtherance of the gospel after centuries of apostasy by His church. This makes us special in terms of responsibility. We're not special because of any intrinsic value that we have, but we have a special message and we are a called people.

The primary purpose of the Seventh-day Adventist church is to proclaim the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ, which includes a remembrance of the Sabbath as God's holy day, and a focus on the ministerial work of Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary. The everlasting gospel reminds us that God is Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer.

While there are many other people willing to preach about the gospel — at least some aspect of it — many of them are missing components, or are willing to suggest that vital sections of the scriptures have been done away with. Whatever their intent and sincerity, they are missing critical pieces of the full, everlasting gospel.

Yes, just as occurred with Israel of old, we could look at our calling as something that makes us better than others, or take our calling to mean that being a Seventh-day Adventist means that we are automatically saved.  It would seem that because of this risk of pride and elitism, many have taken to downplaying our message. Or, stated more accurately, "the special message that God has given us to present to a dying world."

Revelation 14:6-12 is not some random message given by some random people. It is our entire reason for existence at this time, and by taking a stance that essentially has us blending in with the world (or, with the rest of Christendom), we (however you choose to define "we") fight against the purpose that God has designed for us. Sitting on the message that God has given us will get us in the trouble described in Ezekiel 3.

We don't need to pretend that we are anyone other than who God has called us to be: Seventh-day Adventist Christians.

We don't need to be ashamed of who God has called us to be, nor should we pretend that bearing the name Seventh-day Adventist will automatically result in our salvation. Our salvation comes only in Jesus and His sacrifice, and that is the essence of the message we need to share.

While it is true that many will enter heaven who were never called by that name, and that many who are now called by that name will eventually fall away, that does not mean that bearing the name doesn't matter. It does. Being a Jew did not automatically result in salvation either, but Jesus did point out that salvation was of the Jews (because they had the message of Jesus which should have *led* to salvation, and it was because the Redeemer would come by way of the Jewish nation).

We have been given a great responsibility, and the message we have been given has power as it is prophetically mandated by the God who is the source of all salvation.

As a church, we have been given so much material — so much!!! — that we should not have to worry about whether or not there will be another prophet. Between the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy, my family and I can't even find enough time to get through all the key manuscripts, even with us using some for personal devotions as well as others for family worship.

The first Christians embraced the name they were given, even though it separated them from everyone else. We need not go out of our way to be different just to be different, but it is inevitable that the more we behold God we will look and act like Him, which will make us contrast more and more with those who are following a different leader.

That doesn't make us better than anyone else, mind you. It just makes us different by the power of God.

And we should not be ashamed of that kind of difference at all…

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ASBhttp://home.asbzone.com/members/ASB.aspxWhy We Worshiphttp://home.asbzone.com/BibleStudy/archive/2011/07/31/why-we-worship.aspx2011-08-01T02:30:00Z2011-08-01T02:30:00Z

As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: He is a buckler to all them that trust in Him. For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God? God is my strength and power: and He maketh my way perfect.  (2 Samuel 22:31-33 KJV)

While it might often seem that we worship God because of what He has done or is doing for us, in reality, our primary reason for worshipping God should be simply because of who He is.  He is our Creator, Sustainer and Redeemer.

What God does for us is a by-product of who He is.

He created us because He loves us.

He sustains us because He loves us.

He redeemed us because He really loves us.

Worship is not about us – it is about God and who He is.  He alone is worthy of our adoration and praise.

When we focus on what He has done for us, it becomes a "what's in it for me" game, and that soon has us focusing on our own achievements.

While worship should bring us joy, the purpose of worship is not our happiness.

While worship should generally be done in a lively fashion, expressions of liveliness and excitement are not necessarily indicative of true worship.

While worship should cause us to recognize our sinful condition and dependence upon God, it is not the goal of worship to cause us to be downtrodden and sorrowful.

Worship is the recognition of who God is and what He is about.

It is interesting that when we worship celebrities, athletes, politicians, or other people/things, we tend to give more of ourselves – and give more freely – than when worship God.

Worship is not about getting – it's about giving.  If we were doing worship correctly, we wouldn't have time to fight about the right music, the right attire, the right timing, or the right format.  We wouldn't have time because we wouldn't need to fight about these items – we would be praising God as He desires to be praised, and all these other items would fall into place.

Because we would realize that it's not about us.  Not in the least….  It's about God.

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ASBhttp://home.asbzone.com/members/ASB.aspxWhere is God's Storehouse?http://home.asbzone.com/BibleStudy/archive/2011/07/16/where-is-god-s-storehouse.aspx2011-07-16T21:42:26Z2011-07-16T21:42:26Z
Many today are dissatisfied with organized religion for one reason or another.  One aspect of organized religion that bugs people the most is the collection of funds.  Yes, money is needed to keep buildings operating and pay for workers of the ministry, but we are all too acquainted with ministers and clergy of various denominations and churches that seem to be living the life on the backs of their congregations who are funding them.

The Bible calls for systematic giving, the rules of which are relatively easy to envision in the agricultural society of the Old Testament believers, and seem to archaic to those of our time. Malachi 3:6-10 (we usually start at verse 8) highlight's God's call to His people, where He points out that they are robbing Him by not returning His tithe, or presenting a free-will offering.  As I mentioned in a previous post, this requirement is still binding.

Even among those who do not disagree that tithing is still valid, there are many who question where God's storehouse is.

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.  (Malachi 3:10 KJV)

As we can see from verse 10, God's storehouse is very much connected to His house – the church – especially since they money which goes into the storehouse directly benefits the church.  (Here are some texts indicating the church as God's house: Exodus 25:8; Deuteronomy 12:5; Matt 21:13)

Just because we are no longer in an agrarian society, doesn't mean that the principle of bringing the tithes and offerings into the church has changed.  As God mentioned in verse 6, He has not changed, and thus his principles don't change.

Aha, some might say: What about the wickedness and corruption of the times?  What about the fiscal mismanagement that we hear about?  What if the leadership (at whatever level) is inept?   Why would God want me to just through away the tithe?

During the entire existence of God's people, there have been notable periods of corruption, ineptitude, and apostasy, and never did God tell the people that they did not have to return to Him what was His during those periods.

When Hannah pledged her son to the Lord, she brought him right to the very temple where all sorts of vice and iniquity was taking place.  (1 Samuel 2:12-36)  The temple was the only place designated to give an offering to the Lord, and she did so with her most precious offering.  She did not start an independent ministry, but worked with God's established system.  And God blessed her, blessed Samuel, and took care of the corruption that Eli should have addressed as the man of God.

Likewise, when Jesus sat near the church treasury and watched people returning their tithes and offering (Mark 12:41-44), He did not warn the people to give their money to a better cause on account of the wickedness and misappropriation of the temple authorities.  Rather, He commended the widow's gift as being far more meaningful and substantive than anyone else's, due to its relative worth to her.  This would have been a fine time to abolish the system of giving into corrupt churches, but Jesus did not undermine the system He had created.  Also consider that when Jesus did bother to interfere with those manipulating money in the church, He:

A – Did so directly, rather than through any earthly intermediary

B – Only addressed the man-made systems that interfered with the sacrificial system

The reason we don't have to worry about the tithe is that it is God's.  It is not ours, just like the Sabbath is not ours.  In the Levitical system, one did not even get to choose which lamb or fruit to give for the tithe.  You counted to the 10th one, and that was God's – regardless of its condition.   It was only the offering for which you needed to take care of the condition before presenting it to the Lord (see: Leviticus 27:30-33)

And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD'S: it is holy unto the LORD. And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof. And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD. He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it: and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.  (Leviticus 27:30-33 KJV)

Let us get back to the basics, and return to God what is His, to the place that He has instructed us to return it unto.  There are plenty of things we need to worry about, but not about the things that are God's, for He keeps the best possible records…

It is not for us to determine where the Lord's storehouse should be for safe keeping, any more than it was Uzzah's job to try and steady the Ark of the Covenant…

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text:
Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart Talk Parenting and 'Breaking Dawn' in 'Entertainment Weekly'
Robert Pattinson is revealing secrets of Breaking Dawn- Part 2 — and he says the flick is "stranger than all the other films put together." His co-star Kristen Stewart more than agrees.
"Let me tell you, this movie is so weird," the 22-year-old actress tells Entertainment Weekly. "It. Is. Bizarre."
There is at least one sweet element at the focus of the final Twilight installment: fans will see RPattz's on-screen child, Renesmee, as played by 11-year-old Mackenzie Foy.
According to the film's director Bill Condon, having Foy on-set prompted something "amazing" from both Pattinson and Stewart:
"It really brought something paternal out in Rob, and Kristen was especially protective," Condon recalls. "I'd have to interrupt them when they were in deep conversation to get going with a scene."
Stewart agrees that Foy helped her channel her inner-mama. "I loved chatting with Mackenzie," she says. "I'm always curious about what's going on in the minds of kids on set. She's really close to the age I was when I started."
Renesemee isn't the only highly anticipated aspect of Breaking Dawn- Part 2 – fans will finally see Stewart as a vampire.
"That's kind of the huge thing that fans are waiting for – to see the clumsy teenage Bella that Kristen did so well suddenly become this super-sexy vampire who's athletic and graceful," costar Taylor Lautner says. "She took it very seriously and pulls it off."
Condon agrees:
I don't think you can grasp how major an achievement it is till you see it. Her transformation from high school girl to fierce warrior is amazing. She's a different species now."
"Kristen complained about 500 times more than I have," the 26-year-old said of the uncomfortable contact lenses that the "vampires" wear. "She condensed four years of complaining into a few months."
But Pattinson may be stretching the truth – at least, according to Twilight star Jackson Rathbone. When Celebuzz recently talked to the actor, he said it was actually Pattinson who grumbled more than his better half. Watch the interview below:
No changes are to be made to this player

subset: commoncrawl


text:
CATEGORY: Videos, Wine Country | DATE: February 29th, 2012
CATEGORY: Wine Country | DATE: February 24th, 2012
Last time, we ranked and polled the top 10 questions asked about wine in tasting rooms everywhere and answered them in no-nonsense, easy-to-understand language with no convoluted wine-speak! We made it to number six! For the remaining top five, read on! Top Ten Tasting Room Questions of 2011 #5 What is the varietal __________(fill
CATEGORY: News & Events, Videos | DATE: February 23rd, 2012
CATEGORY: News & Events, Videos | DATE: February 22nd, 2012
Red Wine Sweepstakes Winner On Saturday, thousands of Wine Oh's from across the country packed Fort Mason in San Francisco for the public tasting of the largest competition of American wines in the world. This year, the stakes were even higher for winemakers as the 2012 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition had a record breaking
CATEGORY: News & Events | DATE: February 21st, 2012
Charles Krug Winery is throwing a birthday party for the Prussian revolutionary, entrepreneur, and the founder of Napa Valley's first winery – Charles Krug! Special guests at the dinner will include family proprietor Peter Mondavi Jr., Charles Krug winemaker Stacy Clark, and spirit medium Leanne Thomas. The birthday celebration will feature appetizers followed by a
CATEGORY: Wine Country | DATE: February 17th, 2012


text:
Political sensitivity? Got it beat, says team US
AS YOU might expect from a nation that refers to the winners of its domestic sporting competitions as "world champions", American athletes generally possess the global vision of an earthworm with cataracts.
However, entering a match tomorrow night against hosts China that is likely to be the most widely viewed in basketball history, USA guard Jason Kidd makes it clear he and his fellow Dream Teamers have the occasion in sharp perspective.
"You can take game seven [of the NBA play-offs] and times it by seven," Kidd said. "It's going to be something that nobody has experienced before."
The mere fact that America's collection of NBA superstars is taking on the host nation, led by China's highest-profile - and, at 229 centimetres, just highest - athlete Yao Ming would be sufficient to attract the anticipated worldwide audience of 1.7 billion viewers.
And, if the less political savvy members of Team USA were not already aware of the political, economic and cultural resonance of this clash between a struggling world power and an emerging rival, then a peek into the crowd should set them straight.
George W. Bush's appearance courtside will be, according to American officials, the first time a serving US president has watched the American team.
However, it will not be the political skills of the outgoing First Fan that are paramount tomorrow night, rather those of the players. Which, given the Dream Team's reputation, could make for nervous viewing at the US embassy.
The first group of American athletes to play a role in building bridges between the US and China were no-name table tennis players whose trip behind the bamboo curtain in 1971 was an important precursor to President Richard Nixon's historic visit the following year. They called it ping-pong diplomacy.
A lot of terms have been used to describe the various assemblies of multimillionaires that have, since 1992, carried the Dream Team label. But "diplomats" is not one that springs to mind.
Indeed, from the moment Charles Barkley elbowed an over-matched Angolan opponent in Barcelona through to the decision by the humbled 2004 version to lodge in the QEII anchored near Athens, the American basketball team has been cast as the personification of the ills and excesses of modern professional sport - even modern society. Seemingly aware of both the tough competition they face to win the gold medal and the political sensitivities of their match against the Chinese, this latest Dream Team is striving to present a humble public face.
While they chose a five-star hotel instead of the athletes' village, Dream Team 2008 at least rubbed shoulders with other athletes in the dining hall one day. And, at a chaotic press conference here yesterday, everyone from coach Mike Krzyzewski through to his roster of 12 superstars had been as well drilled in the art of modesty as they had in the unfamiliar "international" rules under which the Olympic tournament is conducted. So
much so that Krzyzewski was almost affronted when asked if his team would be conscious of not doing anything to offend the Chinese on Sunday night.
"In saying that, it means we do create those incidents," he said. "I don't think we create those incidents. So we will not do that because we are playing China. We just don't do that."
Kidd said: "This is is a well-behaved team. We won't show anyone up. We are here to play basketball at a high level. There won't be any showboating."
Being forced, both literally and metaphorically, to look up to their famed opponent Yao Ming might help deflate any overinflated Dream Team egos. Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and their teammates are feted at home. But, compared with the massive expectations placed on Yao, they might as well be reserves on the women's softball team.
"That would be tough," said Kidd when asked about dealing with Yao's celebrity. "I would have to be his height. He needs those big shoulders because he is carrying a lot of people. He's carrying a country."
Yao is joined by another NBA star, the New Jersey Nets' 213cm Yi Jianlian, in an imposingly tall Chinese line-up.
However, assuming the Dream Team is as dedicated as it claims to once-foreign concepts such as teamwork and defence, they should win comfortably.
"Kobe, Le Bron, they showed they could play with one another," said Kidd of the team's performances in qualification last year.
"Kobe didn't have to go for 40 for us to win. Kobe didn't take every shot. We played defence at a high level and we won as a team."
But, before a massive audience tomorrow night, it could be how they behave as a team that creates a lasting impression.


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ST. LOUIS -- The Dallas Stars' drive for a third straight Stanley Cup finals appearance is in serious jeopardy.
Cory Stillman scored at 9:26 of the second overtime as the St. Louis Blues won 3-2 to take a 3-0 series lead Tuesday night in the Western Conference semifinal series.
After winning the first two games at Dallas, the Blues can advance at home, where they had the NHL's best regular-season record, in Game 4 Thursday night.
The Blues are looking for their first trip to the conference finals since 1986, when they lost in seven games to Calgary.
St. Louis outshot the Stars 6-1 in the second overtime. It was the first of 19 overtime games in this year's NHL playoffs to require a second extra period.
Dallas won the Stanley Cup two years ago and lost in the finals to New Jersey last year. The Devils closed out the finals last year with a double-overtime victory.
Stillman, a late-season pickup from Calgary, scored his third goal of the postseason. Scott Mellanby left a drop pass for Stillman, who put a wrist shot between Ed Belfour's pads.
Alexander Khavanov's first career playoff goal, with 2:15 left in regulation, capped the Blues' comeback from a two-goal deficit and forced overtime. Khavanov, a 29-year-old first-year player who had seven goals in the regular season, was alone at the left circle even though Jamal Mayers flubbed his centering pass, and beat Belfour with a high drive.
After Brett Hull's power-play goal at 7:53 of the second period, the Blues outshot the Stars 22-5 the rest of regulation.
The Stars and Blues both got off nine shots in the first overtime, and each team had several good scoring opportunities. Richard Matvichuk nearly ended it at the horn for the Stars with a rink-long drive after the Blues pulled goalie Roman Turek with 2.9 seconds to go before a faceoff in the Dallas end.
Jochen Hecht also scored for the Blues, who have won five straight playoff games, and Mayers had two assists.
The Stars lost despite inspired efforts from Mike Modano, whose sprained left ankle got a lot better in a hurry, and Belfour. Modano, who missed Game 2, set up both of the Stars' goals. Belfour made 45 saves.
Brett Hull scored his 90th career playoff goal to end a dominant stretch by Blues penalty killers, whose streak ended at 34 in a row. Mike Keane also scored for the Stars.
The Sharks were 0-for-23 against the Blues in the first round and the Stars had been 0-for-11.
The Blues also are having a hard time on the power play. They were 0-for-4 in Game 3, going without a shot after the Stars were whistled for too many men on the ice in overtime, and are 0-for-14 in this series.
This article published in the Athens Daily News on Wednesday, May 2, 2001.
© 2017. All Rights Reserved. | Contact Us


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As business people, politicians and consumers nationwide weigh in on comments from Chick-fil-A's leader about gay marriage, local residents also have a range of opinions.
Some are vowing to boycott the company, while others applaud the support of traditional marriage.
Chattanooga resident Whit Gardner said via Twitter she always avoids Chick-fil-A because of leaders' views.
Another local resident, Britton Stansell, said he will be eating more Chick-fil-A because company leaders are "operating with standards they believe in, when most companies would fold."
Last week, Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy said the company was "guilty as charged" in its opposition to same-sex marriage.
This prompted Boston Mayor Thomas Menino to express displeasure with the stance. He promised to make it "very difficult" for the company to get the needed business licenses to open in Boston, according to the Christian Science Monitor.
Leaders of the Jim Henson Company also denounced Chick-fil-A's comments and said they will not be partnering with the company anymore.
Former presidential candidate and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has called for a Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day.
Local resident Jason Wright said via Facebook he doesn't understand why people are surprised by Cathy's comments.
Company leaders don't make their Christian values a secret, he said, using the example that the company is closed on Sundays.
"They have always held fast to their Christian beliefs and have been quite public about it," he said. "I always want a [chicken] biscuit on Sunday morning, then think, 'Crap, they aren't open on Sundays!'"
Another area resident pointed to this graphic as evidence that Chick-fil-A's business will not be harmed by the president's comments.
Local Chick-fil-A spokeswoman Linda Lim said she hasn't heard any local feedback about the situation yet, but she said she would check with area managers to see if they have heard any comments.


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- 1 of 1 Photos | View More Photos
NORMANDY, France -- Army Reserve Sgt. 1st Class Chad A. Clark, son of Allan and Tiah Clark of Cambridge, recently stood on hallowed ground, as he and hundreds of other American service members commemorated the 70th anniversary of the Normandy D-Day invasion in 1944.
The invasion changed the course of World War II and history.
Clark, a member of 412th Civil Affairs Battalion from Columbus, spent approximately a week in the Normandy region, participating in ceremonies and representing the Americans who fought here 70 years ago.
"This is an honor and privilege getting to hear the stories while at the actual location ... it really brings it to life," said Clark. "Talking to those that were here was the best part. The French were very welcoming and friendly. The 6th of June really means something to them," Clark said.
Soldiers such as Clark remain indebted to the veterans whose service demonstrated the selfless actions of the "greatest generation," who not only served to protect and defend our nation, but were part of a global force to defend peace and strengthen our ties with an emerging Alliance.
The selfless actions by all allies on D-Day continue to resonate 70 years later as U.S. forces in Europe remain steadfast in our commitment to our European partners and NATO Allies.
Clark is a 2000 graduate of John Glen High School. In 2008, he earned an bachelor's degree from The Ohio State University.


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When Irvin Rosenfeld, 56, picks me up at the Fort Lauderdale airport, his SUV reeks of marijuana. The vice president for sales at a local brokerage firm, Rosenfeld has been smoking 10 to 12 marijuana cigarettes a day for 38 years, he says.
How marijuana became legal
Current Status: Blessed (1)
Seeded on Mon Sep 14, 2009 9:27 AM
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The Utah Utes want consistency along their offensive line in order for it to play well. Problem is, time is running short for the Utes to get that kind of play in camp.
Latu Heimuli, a junior who was moved to right guard, sat out part of Wednesday's practice with a sore foot.
He is the latest offensive lineman to be sidelined with injuries, joining Miles Mason (foot), Sam Brenner (shoulder) and Vyncent Jones (hamstring).
While most of the injuries are minor, they are enough to make coach Kyle Whittingham concerned as the Utes near the end of camp.
"The offensive line is like the secondary," he said. "They need to play together, sooner rather than later, but I don't see that happening before Monday."
The tackles continue to be a concern with freshmen Jeremiah Poutasi and Kala Friel listed on one side and junior Percy Taumoelau and Mason listed at the other.
"Both of them have improved," Whittingham said of the tackle spots, "but we still have a lot of ground that has to be covered."
No changes
Not much has changed with Utah's depth chart after the coaches reviewed Tuesday's scrimmage, including the quarterback situation, where freshman Travis Wilson is pushing returner Jordan Wynn.
"Jordan is still No. 1," Whittingham said. "Like I said from the onset, it's a competition, but it doesn't mean it's a controversy. Jordan, until someone unseats him, is our guy."
Whittingham said there was no separation among the linebackers, with five or six guys competing for the spots.
Overall he saw improvement from the first scrimmage.
"The route structures were cleaner and the run game was good and we made fewer mental mistakes," he said. "Defensively, we made fewer mistakes, but we still made too many."
New RB
The Utes received a commitment from an interesting running back Wednesday. Charlie Salesi Eteaki, a 6-foot-1, 210-pound running back out of Servite High School in Anaheim, Calif., committed to the Utes as part of their 2013 class. He had offers from Nevada and Sacramento State, but may not have been a hot commodity for other Pac-12 schools since he missed much of the season with a broken collarbone.
He rushed for 494 yards and four touchdowns on 60 carries in the five games he played.
Captains named
Defensive linemen Dave Kruger and Star Lotulelei were named team captains along with receiver Luke Matthews and running back John White.
Whittingham said the team takes its selection of captains seriously because they set the tone for the team.
"It's my experience in coaching that if you have to have all the leadership and experience coming from the coaches, you probably aren't going to be very good."


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I65 revs up Canadian tour at The Pawnshop
Wednesday, Nov 06, 2013 06:00 am
You can sell a double platinum album. You�re adored by screaming fans. Your band is on the national front and you�re nominated for two Juno Awards.
Then a chunk of your fan base ditches you and the label isn�t far behind. It�s a common story and most bands simply do a slow fade.
Stereos, the pop darling of the 2010 music industry, suffered band collapse syndrome in March 2012. Taking the lessons they�ve learned from a bittersweet rollercoaster ride, three former members Daniel Johnson (bass), Robb Chalifoux (guitar) and St. Albert�s Pat Kordyback (lead vocals), have reinvented themselves as I65.
Now on a month long cross-country Canadian tour with Zerbin, they stop at The Pawnshop on Thursday, Nov. 7.
Once more their star is ascending. The single Another Summer is gaining traction on radio, MuchMusic has put their video in heavy rotation and they�re planning a release for a 10-track with 604 Records, a label co-founded by Chad Kroeger and Jonathan Simkin.
The music is still pop-oriented; interwoven with a stronger rock vibe and meatier lyrics that Kordyback likens to Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, U-2.
�Our new album is basically like a diary entry. It�s not a happy album. It was written from the perspective of every high and low Dan, Robb and I went through in the past years. We lost significant relationships. We thought we were going somewhere and didn�t. In this album we�re not trying to impress anyone. In fact, we�re our own toughest critics,� says Kordyback.
The word �impress� is a descriptive word to trace the Stereos era. The five-piece won the nationally televised Disband battle of the bands in 2008 winning a contract with Universal Music.
A year later MuchMusic premiered a video and they performed their biggest catchy single Summer Girl. Living the road life, they travelled in luxury tour buses and opened for big names.
To the outside world, Stereos was living the dream. But behind the flashy stage lights, things were falling apart. Kordyback humbly admits to letting ego interfere with his better judgment and living every rock star clich�.
�Before a set, I wasn�t thinking about the fans and the music. I was thinking about where I�d go party after the concert.�
An over-consumption of alcohol took a toll on his voice and he lost it multiple times.
�Alcohol dries the voice out. Combine that with being in a club where you�re shouting and singing concerts, and technique goes out the window.�
In Kordyback�s words the band had become �dysfunctional� and at one point the members were no longer friends. Johnson and Chalifoux, long-time amigos since their early days in Edmonton as Stand By Me, persuaded Kordyback to join them for a road trip to Nashville.
Arriving during the CMA Music Festival at peak season with every hotel booked, they were able to find accommodation at the Stadium Inn, a notorious drug haven. But they didn�t care.
�We drank a lot of beer, attended concerts and connected as friends. And we realized Stereos couldn�t continue to be what it was if we were the people we wanted to be.�
The upshot was Miles Holmswood and Aaron Verdonk left the band.
�We tried to continue as Stereos but we were writing different material and our sound was completely different. It became very obvious it was a new book, not just a new chapter in our life.�
The threesome renamed the band I65 after Interstate 65, the highway that leads to Nashville.
In looking back, Kordyback says, �Stereos feels like we went to college and now we have to focus on the real world. We saw everything that was good and everything that was bad. What we learned is that we have to focus on making music.�
Although the partnership with Universal fell through, it could be considered a rite of passage � one that provided incredible insights and contacts.
Kordyback was sitting in his car the other day and the I65 single Another Summer started to play.
�It hit me how many bands struggle and how unbelievably lucky we are.�


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Just Relations : Indigenous families in Australian lifestyle media
King, Andrew S. (2009) Just Relations : Indigenous families in Australian lifestyle media. Australian Journal of Communication, 36(2), pp. 17-33.
|Accepted Version (PDF 212kB)
This paper argues that the increasing visibility of Indigenous families in the mainstream Australian media over the past ten years has produced new opportunities for addressing national injustices of the Stolen Generations. It shows how, as certain celebrities like Ernie Dingo, Nova Peris and Cathy Freeman, have become popular household names, a concurrent public interest in their family backgrounds has grown. Descriptive accounts of relationships and shared histories – propelled by the expansion of the lifestyle television genre in this context – has enabled some stories of the 'Stolen Generations' to be seen as 'ordinary', and part of a broader sense of everyday Australian life for the first time. With the aid of recent sexual citizenship research, the article illustrates that such middle-class representations give voice to new embodiments of citizenship in the post-apology era, making Indigenous justice more subjectively interconnected with life in the white Australian public sphere.
Impact and interest:
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|ID Code:
|Item Type:
|Journal Article
|Aboriginal, Reconciliation, Television, Lifestyle, Justice, Stolen Generations, Celebrities
|Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification > LANGUAGES COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE (200000) > COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA STUDIES (200100)
Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification > STUDIES IN CREATIVE ARTS AND WRITING (190000) > FILM TELEVISION AND DIGITAL MEDIA (190200)
|Copyright Owner:
|Copyright 2009 Australia and New Zealand Communication Association
|Deposited On:
|07 Mar 2010 22:57
|Last Modified:
|09 Jun 2010 14:23
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text:
Small Engine
Small Engine Troubleshooting Problems? Ask a Mechanic Now.
Could you take a look at the engine for me and pull the engine's identifying numbers for me. The engine's model and/or spec/type number will give me a parts breakown that will clue me in on what make and type of carburetor we are dealing with here. That will allow me to walk you through the process of installing your carburetor kit. Also, the package that your carburetor kit came in will have a part number on it. Let me know what that parts number is XXXXX


text:
Tension is often held in the shoulders, especially among those who are trying to blend in with society by binding their beautiful wings. Soar away from stress with this Groupon.
Choose from Three Options
- $35 for one 45-minute relaxation massage, one 20-minute EMS massage, and one 45-minute aromatherapy session (a $187 value)
- $99 for three 45-minute relaxation massages, three 20-minute EMS massages, and three 45-minute aromatherapy sessions (a $561 value)
- $119 for five 45-minute relaxation massages, five 20-minute EMS massages, and five 45-minute aromatherapy sessions (a $935 value)
A massage specialist employs moderate pressure during relaxation massages to improve circulation and relieve minor muscle pain throughout the body. The EMS muscle-therapy massage helps soothe chronic pain with gel pads and electrodes specifically designed to treat aches on the head, neck, back, and thighs.
EHL Canada
Losing weight or inches can be a frustrating task, and EHL Canada offers a full menu of services, treatments, and programs that can kick-start or power the process. One available option is EMS Systems, a set of systems that combine electro muscle stimulation with heat diathermy to tone the body, reduce fat, and diminish the appearance of cellulite. The centre also offers HCG, a dietary supplement endorsed by Mark Donnelly that transforms fat into nutrients and nutrients into human rocket fuel. For tension relief, massage specialists perform relaxation massage with gentle kneads and EMS massage with the application of electrodes and gel pads.


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Bill Simmons
» Click to list general statistics » OR, select a date :
The Words We Say
She took her heart and laid it out
Professed her love, can't live without
Then waited for the words he would say,
Then suddenly like from the blue
read more >>
- Hits: Number of visitors who read the poem on the given date.
- Posts: Number of visitors who posted the poem to a friend (via e-mail) on the given date.
- Dates that have "0" hits may not be shown on the list.
- Dates, poems and poets that have "0" hits may not be shown on the list. Statistics are generated daily.


text:
A Debt Defying Drop
Oil prices fall and gold prices surge as the US debt talks appear to be going nowhere. The Democrats and the Republicans have gone their separate ways and hot money is running to Asia, Switzerland and the safe haven place of their choice. The odds of QE3D may be rising, the dollar is falling and stocks and oil could take a debt defying drop.
As the so called debt deadline comes close the Republicans and the Democrats are falling further apart. Yet the markets action is showing some restraint as it believes that a deal should be cut and at the end of the day the Treasuries are still a safe place to be. Oil is under pressure as it is concerned that the uncertainty can reduce demand. At the same time the dollar seems not to be as weak as one might think.
The market obviously believes that this political "high noon" will end with Democrats and Republicans walking hand in hand into the sunset. Yet despite a short-term drop in oil, a debt default will be bullish! The Fed will be forced into a QE3 and the dollar would get trashed. Hot money would cause a surge in demand as the Chinese and emerging economies would seek to spend all of that money that is being thrown at it. Of course it is also likely that a US default may cause the International Energy Agency to reconsider its stance on an oil release. With central banks already flooding the market with liquidity they may want to try to flood it with oil as well.
The Financial Times reports that the Iranians and the Chinese are getting even chummier and have created a trading system where the Chinese get oil and the Iranians get goods. No word on whether the goods will be knockoffs or officially licensed. The FT says that some Iranian officials are growing increasingly angry about the inability of the country's largest oil customers to pay cash, a problem that has contributed to a shortage of hard currency and has hindered the central bank from defending the Iranian Rial, which has been sharply devalued over the past month. So instead of cash I guess the Iranians will accept Ironic Phones.
The FT says that those problems with payments caused Iran to threaten India which owes Iran $5bn for oil but has not been able to move the money out of an escrow account to Tehran. "Unlike India, which exports almost nothing to Iran, China is dominant in Iranian business and could use a barter system to balance trade between the two countries."


text:
Evaluation of the Bio-Seal Biopsy Track Plug
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- Study Results
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
|Lung Cancer
|Device: Bio-Seal Track Plug Other: No lung plug
|Phase 2 Phase 3
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Open Label
|Official Title:
|A Prospective Randomized Multi-Centered Study and Efficacy Evaluation of the Bio-Seal Biopsy Track Plug for Reducing Pneumothorax Rates Post Lung Biopsy Procedures
- Number of Participants With Absence of Pneumothoraces [ Time Frame: X-Rays at 0-60 minutes, 24 hours and 30 days ]Treatment Success defined as absence of pneumothoraces to measure the effects of the hydrogel plug in three follow-up radiographic assessment (x-rays post procedure by 0-60 minutes, 24 hours and 30 days).
|Study Start Date:
|September 2005
|Study Completion Date:
|December 2008
|Primary Completion Date:
|December 2008 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Assigned Interventions
Experimental: Pleural Plug
Experimental lung plug after the lung biopsy.
Device: Bio-Seal Track Plug
The lung plug will be inserted into the left track when the biopsy needle is removed. The smaller sampling needle is removed, and the lung plug is inserted through the larger needle using a delivery tool that has a plunger to push the plug in place. The lung plug remains in the track left when the larger needle is removed.
Active Comparator: No Pleural Plug
The standard lung biopsy without placement of the plug.
Other: No lung plug
Standard lung biopsy without placement of the plug.
Detailed Description:
Air leaks are the most common problem after a lung biopsy. Air leaks can be mild to severe. Mild air leaks are monitored by chest x-ray and may go away by themselves. Air leaks can cause pain and require repeated x-rays, and in some cases the need for a tube to be inserted into the chest for drainage of the air.
If you agree to take part in this study, you will be randomly assigned (as in the toss of a coin) to 1of 2 groups. Participants in one group will receive the experimental lung plug after the lung biopsy. Participants in the other group will just have the standard lung biopsy without placement of the plug. There is an equal chance of being assigned to either group.
All participants will have the routine lung biopsy performed by their doctor with the aid of a computerized tomography (CT) scan. During a lung biopsy, a needle is inserted into the mass in the lung using the CT for guidance. A smaller needle is then inserted through the first needle to collect a sample of the tissue.
If you are assigned to receive the lung plug, it will be inserted into the track left when the biopsy needle is removed. The smaller sampling needle is removed, and the lung plug is inserted through the larger needle using a delivery tool that has a plunger to push the plug in place. The lung plug remains in the track left when the larger needle is removed.
Regardless of which group you are assigned to, you will be receive the same follow-up treatment. The rates of air leaks after the lung biopsy will be compared between 2 groups of participants. This will provide researchers with the data to learn if the lung plug should be used for all patients receiving a lung biopsy to decrease the number of air leaks.
Your doctor will watch you carefully for air leaks. You will have a chest x-ray about 1 hour after the procedure to again check for air leaks. If a leak is detected, you will receive the normal treatment for air leaks, which includes chest x-rays on a regular basis. If the air leak grows, you may need a chest tube placed for drainage. It is possible that this may require you to stay in the hospital overnight. In the most extreme cases, additional surgery may be needed to stop the air leak. Over time, your body will absorb the plug. A final x-ray will be taken 1 month after the biopsy to be sure that an air leak has not developed.
You will be asked to be in the study for 30 days. This will include the time you spend in the hospital for the biopsy and, if you have an air leak, the entire time you spend in the hospital, if it needs to be treated. In addition, you will return to your doctor the day following the biopsy and 30 days later to have a chest x-ray to look for any late air leaks.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- The patient, or legal representative, must understand and provide written consent for the procedure
- The patient has a non-calcified, radiologically suspicious opacity or lung nodule, including a metastatic lung module, or mass of at least 1.0 cm in size; as determined by CT scan equipped with measurement software. Suspicious nodules observed by CT scan are defined as non-calcified masses with convex borders, not known to be stable. Suspicious nodules can also be defined as masses demonstrating opacity on x-ray that are suspicious by radiographic or clinical means and require biopsy.
- The patient must meet all medical conditions for lung biopsy;
- The patient must be at least 18 years of age;
Exclusion Criteria:
- Patients with radiological findings of bullous emphysema, and the bullae are located near the intended area for biopsy. (Patients may enter the study who have radiological findings of bullous emphysema, as long as the cysts, blebs, or bullae are not in the area of the anticipated biopsy, and biopsy needle track).
- Female patients who are pregnant. Note: patients of childbearing potential should have a pregnancy test no more than one week prior to the biopsy procedure, and be instructed to have no unprotected sexual intercourse after the test until the biopsy procedure is completed
- Patients who are uncooperative or cannot follow instructions
- Patients who are currently enrolled in another Investigational New Drug (IND) or Device Exemption (IDE) clinical investigation that has not completed the required follow-up period
- Patients who cannot tolerate mild sedation, possibly secondary to poor respiratory status;
- Patients with fungal infections (Patients with known or imaging evidence highly suggestive of pulmonary fungal infection)
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00527722
|United States, Texas
|U.T.M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
|Houston, Texas, United States, 77030
|Principal Investigator:
|Sanjay Gupta, MD
|M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Additional Information:
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
|Responsible Party:
|M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00527722 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|September 10, 2007
|Results First Received:
|May 10, 2011
|Last Updated:
|August 1, 2012
Keywords provided by M.D. Anderson Cancer Center:
Lung Cancer
Bio-Seal Track Plug
Lung Biopsy
Lung Plug
Air Leaks
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on July 21, 2017