text:
William Congreve, (born January 24, 1670, Bardsey, near Leeds, Yorkshire, England—died January 19, 1729, London), English dramatist who shaped the English comedy of manners through his brilliant comic dialogue, his satirical portrayal of the war of the sexes, and his ironic scrutiny of the affectations of his age. His major plays were The Old Bachelour (1693), The Double-Dealer (1693), Love for Love (1695), and The Way of the World (1700).
Early life
In 1674 Congreve's father was granted a commission in the army to join the garrison at Youghal, in Ireland. When he was transferred to Carrickfergus, Congreve, in 1681, was sent to school at Kilkenny, the Eton of Ireland. In April 1686 he entered Trinity College, Dublin (where he received his M.A. in 1696). He studied under the distinguished philosopher and mathematician St. George Ashe, who also tutored his elder schoolfellow and ultimate lifelong friend Jonathan Swift. It was probably during the Glorious Revolution (1688–89) that the family moved to the Congreve home at Stretton in Staffordshire, Congreve's father being made estate agent to the earl of Cork in 1690. In 1691 he was entered as a law student at the Middle Temple. Never a serious reader in law, he published in 1692 under the pseudonym Cleophil a light but delightfully skillful near-parody of fashionable romance, possibly drafted when he was 17, Incognita: or, Love and Duty reconcil'd. He quickly became known among men of letters, had some verses printed in a miscellany of the same year, and became a protégé of John Dryden. In that year Dryden published his translation of the satires of Juvenal and Persius (dated 1693), in which Congreve collaborated, contributing the complimentary poem "To Mr. Dryden."
Literary career
It was in March 1693 that he achieved sudden fame with the production at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, of The Old Bachelour, written, he said, in 1690 to amuse himself during convalescence. Warmly heralded by Dryden, who declared that he had never read so brilliant a first play, though it needed to be given "the fashionable Cutt of the Town," it was an enormous success, running for the then unprecedented length of a fortnight. His next play, The Double-Dealer, played in November or December at Drury Lane but did not meet with the same applause (it later became the more critically admired work, however). Its published form contained a panegyrical introduction by Dryden. Love for Love almost repeated the success of his first play. Performed in April 1695, it was the first production staged for the new theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields, which was opened after protracted crises in the old Theatre Royal, complicated by quarrels among the actors. Congreve became one of the managers of the new theatre, promising to provide a new play every year.
In 1695 he began to write his more public occasional verse, such as his pastoral on the death of Queen Mary II and his "Pindarique Ode, Humbly Offer'd to the King on his taking Namure"; and John Dennis, then a young, unsoured critic, collecting his Letters upon Several Occasions (published 1696), extracted from Congreve his "Letter Concerning Humour in Comedy." By this time, Congreve's position among men of letters was so well established that he was considered worthy of one of those sinecure posts by which men of power in government rewarded literary merit: he was made one of the five commissioners for licensing hackney coaches, though at a reduced salary of £100 per annum.
Though Congreve signally failed to carry out his promise of writing a play a year for the Lincoln's Inn theatre, he showed his good intentions by letting them stage The Mourning Bride. Although it is now his least regarded drama, this tragedy, produced early in 1697, swelled his reputation enormously and became his most popular play. No further dramatic work appeared until March 1700, when Congreve's masterpiece, The Way of the World, was produced—with a brilliant cast—at Lincoln's Inn Fields; though it is now his only frequently revived piece, it was a failure with the audience. This was Congreve's last attempt to write a play, though he did not entirely desert the theatre. He wrote librettos for two operas, and in 1704 he collaborated in translating Molière's Monsieur de Pourceaugnac for Lincoln's Inn Fields. In 1705 he associated himself for a short time with the playwright and architect Sir John Vanbrugh in the Queen's theatre, or Italian Opera house, writing an epilogue to its first production. It is likely that Congreve's retreat from the stage was partly a result of a campaign against the supposed immorality of contemporary comedies. This attack was led most notably by Jeremy Collier, author of the tract A Short View of the Immorality and Profaneness of the English Stage (1698), which specifically censured Congreve and Dryden, among others. In reply, Congreve wrote Amendments of Mr. Collier's False and Imperfect Citations (1698).
The rest of his life he passed quietly enough, being in easy circumstances thanks to his private income, the royalties on his plays, and his not very exacting posts in the civil service. In 1705 he was made a commissioner for wines, a post that he retained by virtue of Swift's good offices at the change of government in 1710 but which he relinquished in 1714 when he joined the customs service; his position was improved at the end of 1714 with the addition of the secretaryship of the island of Jamaica. He wrote a considerable number of poems, some of the light social variety, some soundly scholarly translations from Homer, Juvenal, Ovid, and Horace, and some Pindaric odes. The volume containing these odes also comprised his timely "Discourse on the Pindarique Ode" (1706), which brought some order to a form that had become wildly unrestrained since the days of the poet Abraham Cowley. Congreve's friendships were numerous, warm, and constant, as much with insignificant people, such as his early companions in Ireland, as with the literary figures of his time. No quarrels are attributed to him, except for a very brief one with Jacob Tonson, a publisher. Swift, whose friendship with him had begun in early days in Ireland, was unvarying in his affection; for John Gay, poet and author of The Beggar's Opera, he was the "unreproachful man"; Alexander Pope dedicated his Iliad to him; and Sir Richard Steele his edition of Joseph Addison's The Drummer. As to his relations with the other sex, his affection for Mrs. Anne Bracegirdle—who acted most of his female leads—is well known; they were always close friends, but whether the intimacy was of a deeper nature is undetermined. In his later years he was devotedly attached to the second duchess of Marlborough, and it is almost certain that he was the father of her second daughter, Lady Mary Godolphin, later duchess of Leeds. This would account for the large legacy, of almost all his fortune, which he left to the duchess of Marlborough. He died after a carriage accident.
Congreve's character was praised in Giles Jacob's Poetical Register (1719), where he is described as being "so far from being puff'd up with Vanity…that he abounds with Humility and good Nature. He does not shew so much the Poet as the Gentleman." The last phrase will serve as a comment on the notorious meeting with Voltaire, who in 1726 had come celebrity-seeking in England and wished to extract what he could from the great English writer of comedy. Congreve, failing, fatigued, attacked by gout, and half-blind, did not feel equal to discussing the minutiae of comic writing or a play he had written some 30 years earlier. He told Voltaire that he would be delighted to talk on general subjects, "on the footing of a gentleman" as he phrased it, but not on subjects of which he would be expected to display expert critical knowledge and affect the pundit.
Congreve is the outstanding writer of the English comedy of manners, markedly different in many respects from others of this period of the drama. Taking as its main theme the manners and behaviour of the class to which it was addressed, that is, the antipuritanical theatre audience drawn largely from the court, it dealt with imitators of French customs, conceited wits, and fantastics of all kinds; but its main theme was the sexual life led by a large number of courtiers, with their philosophy of freedom and experimentation. Restoration comedy was always satirical and sometimes cynical. Congreve rises above other dramatists of his time in both the delicacy of his feeling and the perfection of his phrasing.
The latter is strikingly exhibited in the opening speeches of The Old Bachelour, a play that no doubt appealed to the audiences because it handled with a new brilliance themes they were familiar with. Some of the repartee may seem superficial to modern readers, but that was the manner of the time. As Congreve progressed, his speeches became more modulated, more musical, but always sure in their cadence. "Every sentence is replete with sense and satire," William Hazlitt wrote, "conveyed in the most polished and pointed terms." As George Meredith stated, "He is at once precise and voluble…in this he is a classic, and is worthy of treading a measure with Molière." Congreve's most successful work is his last play, The Way of the World. Here he is doing more than holding up to ridicule the assumptions that governed the society of his time. He could not regard love merely as the gratification of lust, a matter of appetite rather than of feeling, but he was equally averse to "rationalizing" love. Congreve goes deeper than any of his contemporaries, has more feeling for the individual, and is far subtler. He was a sensitive craftsman, and nothing came from his hand that was not thoughtfully conceived and expertly contrived. Though not the equal of Molière, he was the nearest English approach to him.
Learn More in these related Britannica articles:
comedy: Rise of realistic comedy in 17th-century EnglandWycherley's
Country-Wife(1675) or William Congreve's Way of the World(1700)—the premium is on the energy and the grace with which the game is played, and the highest dramatic approval is reserved for those who take the game seriously enough to play it with style but who have the…
William Wycherley…own age most admired him: William Congreve regarded Wycherley as one appointed "to lash this crying age."…
The Mourning Bride…tragedy in five acts by William Congreve, produced and published in 1697. It is the source of the lines "Music has charms to soothe a savage breast" and "Heav'n has no rage, like love to hatred turn'd,/Nor Hell a fury, like a woman scorn'd."…
London 1970s overviewAs Britain's finances spiraled downward and the nation found itself suppliant to the International Monetary Fund, the seeming stolidity of 1970s London concealed various, often deeply opposed, radical trends. The entrepreneurial spirit of independent record labels anticipated the radical economic…
Dramatic literatureDramatic literature, the texts of plays that can be read, as distinct from being seen and heard in performance. The term dramatic literature implies a contradiction in that literature originally meant something written and drama meant something performed. Most of the problems, and much of the…
More About William Congreve7 references found in Britannica articles
Assorted References
- association with Doggett
- ideas on comic poet
- "Mourning Bride, The"
- views of Wycherley
- "Way of the World, The"
contribution to
- dramatic literature
- English literature


text:
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — The pastor of a church that let a priest barred by law enforcement from working with children to go on youth retreats has resigned.
The Diocese of Trenton says Father Thomas J. Triggs is no longer pastor of St. Mary's Parish in Colts Neck, N.J. Youth ministers Michael and Amy Lenehan also resigned.
The Lenehans invited Father Michael Fugee to take part in events and overnight retreats with the church's youth ministry.
Fugee was convicted of fondling a teenage boy in 2003. The charges were thrown out by an appeals court.
In an agreement with prosecutors and the Archdiocese of Newark, Fugee could remain in ministry, but was barred from working with children.
The archdiocese says it did not know Fugee was working with kids. Fugee resigned last week.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Hey P.A.,
Recently I've noticed these days there seems to be a great deal of hate towards the Prelude.
Hate from other brand name owners (Nissan, Toyota etc.) it normal but other people that own Honda's seem to just hate them.
I don't understand why there is so much hate towards the Prelude. In saying this I personally know a lot people that like my 5th gen and actually respect it.
What are your thoughts on this?


text:
Need great video to promote your business? We've found the most cost effective source for any kind of video that's professional and of the highest quality! Check out @PromoBySlidely and @Slidely You will be as excited as we are! #promovideo— David J. Bembry (@BembryBusiness) July 3, 2018
Wow! Thank you @PromoBySlidely and @Slidely for helping us get our messaging out quickly. It is so easy to use! #promovideo— Easterseals NGA (@eastersealsnga) July 24, 2018
Really like using @PromoBySlidely video for our marketing videos #canacomm. Recommend @Slidely for easy professional videos #Promovideo pic.twitter.com/AGTy6XkCSU— Pete Kane (@petekane) July 5, 2018
A cool tool for marketing anything with @Slidely! Book trailers, course & site ads, or client contact video start with #promovideo and @PromoBySlidely has you covered! Check them out! Watch the book #promo video I made it in minutes with @PromoBySlidely https://t.co/TLxVFYbif3 pic.twitter.com/fS7UehXUtH— Winged-Women™ (@jan_deelstra) July 1, 2018
I'm currently testing out a new service for promo videos @PromoBySlidely— Pedro Costa (@pedrocostamusic) June 27, 2018
Very intuitive! Easy to use! Here's the video we put together for my company @instylemusic. Let me know your thoughts. pic.twitter.com/cCiPhCApTT


text:
So Supreme - Birthday [Label Submitted]
"The new HOT BOYY from GA is BUZZIN w/ the new HIT single. Check him out on V103 and Hot in ATL right now. The anticipation is building"
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


text:
Simon Cowell is expecting a baby with New York socialite Lauren Silverman, the estranged wife of one of the talent-show judge's good friends — that according to several reports out Wednesday.
Seems that as Lauren, 36, and her real-estate mogul husband Andrew Silverman grew apart, she and the 53-year-old "The X Factor" judge grew closer. Apparently much closer.
But it's not quite as scandalous as all that.
"Lauren and Andrew have been unhappy in their marriage for some time, and their divorce has been in the works for a while," a source tells Us Weekly, which first reported the story.
Cowell told GQ magazine in 2011, when he was engaged to former fiancée Mezhgan Hussainy, that he'd ruled out fatherhood, even though it was something he'd always wanted.
"Truthfully, with the schedule, the crazy hours, I don't think it would work...," he told the mag (via Starpulse). "With the way I live my life, I wouldn't have the patience. I'd sort of want people born at the age of 10."
He sang a slightly different tune to AOL Music last year, saying, "I do really, really like kids, because I can talk to them and listen to them," he said. "The problem has always been how much time you need to devote to bringing up kids and I've always dedicated all my life to work, and at 52, I've probably missed the opportunity."
Lauren Silverman is reportedly about 10 weeks along, so look for Baby Cowell in the beginning of next year — giving Simon that daddy opportunity he didn't miss after all.
'Vampire Diaries' star Paul Wesley, Torrey DeVitto to divorce
'Twilight' alum Taylor Lautner reportedly dating 'Tracers' costar
Mackenzie Rosman of '7th Heaven' shows her grown-up self in Maxim
Follow Christie D'Zurilla on Twitter and Google+. Follow the Ministry of Gossip on Twitter @LATcelebs and on Facebook facebook.com/ministryofgossip.
PHOTOS: Celebrity portraits by The Times
PHOTOS: Royal visit to New Zealand and Australia
PHOTOS: 2013 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show


text:
Vote For Me. Or For Igloo DreamsPSAMP HAS MOVED! CLICK HERE TO GET TO THE BRAND NEW SITE! NOW!
As I said in the MPotD, I'm a #1 seed in Sean's Best Pittsburgh Sports Blog tourney. I'm matched up against the fantastic Penguins blog, Igloo Dreams.
Go vote for me here.
That is all.


text: A Piece of History: Premier Guitar Highlights Marshall Lytle's Epiphone B-5 Bass 04.05.2013 Our friends at Premier Guitar just posted a great photo of Marshall Lytle's '40s Epiphone B-5 stand-up bass. (Currently on display at the Hard Rock Cafe in Orlando, FL.) Marshall was the bass player for Bill Haley and His Comets in their 1950s heyday, and he used the bass to record such classics as "Rock Around the Clock," "Shake, Rattle and Roll," and "Rock the Joint." Premier's Jeff Nolan stated, "If there's one thing we have in abundance around here, it's reverence for the tools of rock 'n' roll. Guitars, drums, basses--we think all that stuff is great. Every once in a while, though, we come across an instrument that's so historic, so iconic, and so badass, that it truly blows us away. This is one of those pieces." Read more at www.premierguitar.com.


text:
WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- The U.S. House approved a bill Thursday that would cut $39 billion in food stamp spending over 10 years, and which the White House has said would be vetoed.
The House passed the Nutrition Reform and Work Opportunity Act on a vote of 217-210, with no Democrats voting in favor and 15 Republicans joined Democrats in voting against.
House Republican leaders said the bill is necessary because participation in the SNAP program has doubled during the past five years.
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., while acknowledging the program helps "many Americans who are struggling," said the SNAP program was not meant "to keep you at the bottom."
The bill includes reforms Republicans have been proposing -- including new restrictions on food stamp eligibility and eliminating states' options to seek a waiver from rules requiring adult SNAP participants to work or get job-training to qualify for extended SNAP benefits, The Hill reported.
Democrats argued during debate on the bill Republican and Democratic governors alike have asked for the waivers.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., said during debate Thursday there had been "a lot of misinformation" about the bill's provisions.
"Because the truth is, anyone subjected to the work requirements under this bill who are ... able-bodied, under 50, will not be denied benefits if only they are willing to sign up for the opportunity for work," he said. "There is no requirement that jobs exist, there are workfare programs, there are options under the bill for community service."
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called the bill "a full assault on the health and economic security of millions of families."
Senate Democrats have already said the bill has no chance of passage in the Senate.
In a statement Wednesday, the White House said the bill "would result in millions of Americans losing access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which is one of our nation's strongest defenses against hunger and poverty."
"These cuts would affect a broad array of Americans who are struggling to make ends meet, including working families with children, senior citizens, veterans, and adults who are still looking for work," the White House said. "Slashing SNAP also weakens our nation's farm and rural economies."
"Today's vote was a highly partisan step that does nothing to promote a bipartisan, comprehensive Farm Bill and stands no chance of becoming law," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement after the vote. "The harmful plan championed today by House leadership would deny critical nutrition assistance for millions of Americans, including working families with children, senior citizens, veterans, and adults who are still looking for work. The Senate has passed a bipartisan Farm Bill two years running. Now it's time for House leadership to do their part by appointing conferees as soon as possible and completing the comprehensive bill that farmers, ranchers and rural Americans deserve."
Republicans Shelly Moore Capito of West Virginia; Mike Fitzpatrick and Pat Meehan of Pennsylvania; Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska; Chris Gibson, Michael Grimm, Richard Hannaand Peter King of New York; Walter Jones of North Carolina; Frank LoBiondo and Chris Smith of New Jersey; Gary Miller and David Valadao of California; Frank Wolf of Virginia; and Don Young of Alaska voted against the bill.


text:
Turn every day into a game
Go Out
Want to meet up with friends? Just open Swarm to see who's hanging out nearby.
Have a better idea? Quickly message your friends to make plans and meet up.
Check In
Every check-in will earn you coins. You'll get more coins when you check in with friends, become the Mayor, extend streaks…and more!
Finish near the top of your leaderboard to earn sweet prizes.
Have Fun!
Earn prizes and compete with friends based on the places you go.


text:
Dietary recommendations for low white blood cell count
Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts,"
Are there any supplements or foods that can help raise a White Blood Cell Count that is too low to allow the next round of chemotherapy? Is there any nutrition advice for a patient on neupogen?
Ellen Sweeney, RD, registered dietitian at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania, responds:
There are no supplements or specific foods known to increase white blood cell counts. People often confuse iron supplementation with low white blood cell count. Iron supplementation is only appropriate with low RED blood cells. The neupogen medication helps increase white blood cell production. There are no nutrition recommendations with Neupogen since it does not affect digestion or interact with any food.
However, when white blood cells are low, a patient is at higher risk for infection so avoidance of uncooked raw fruits and vegetables is important during this time. Raw, uncooked fruits and vegetables may potentially harbor bacteria. Well-cooked vegetables or canned fruits are fine to have. All in all, the best way to insure good immune function and white blood cell production is to eat a well balanced diet with adequate calories to maintain weight and adequate protein through treatment. A person usually needs 1.2-1.5 gram of protein for each kg of body weight and 13-15 calories for each pound of body weight. If appetite is poor, then supplement with Boost� or Ensure� liquid supplements for additional calories and protein to maintain weight and protein stores. For further concerns, ask to speak with a Registered Dietitian at your Cancer Center.


text:
Well, let's open our Bibles to 1 Timothy chapter 2...1 Timothy chapter 2. We are looking at verses 1 through 8. The theme of these verses is evangelistic praying, praying for the lost, those who do not know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And because of the nature of this particular passage and because of the emphasis this month in our church on evangelism, I've been spending some of my time in spare moments reading books on evangelism. And this week I was reading an old book that my dad gave me, a book entitled The Soul Winner. It's a compilation of sermons of Charles Hadden Spurgeon, the great Baptist preacher of England. And I found one paragraph that struck my heart. He said this:
"One thing more, the soul winner must be a master of the art of prayer. You cannot bring souls to God if you do not go to God yourself. You must get your battle ax and your weapons of war from the armory of sacred communication with Christ. If you are much alone with Jesus, you will catch His Spirit. You will be fired with the flame that burned in His breast and consumed His life. You will weep with the tears that fell upon Jerusalem when He saw it perishing. And if you cannot speak so eloquently as He did, yet shall there be about what you say somewhat of the same power which in Him thrilled the hearts and awoke the consciences of men. My dear hearers, especially you members of the church, I am always so anxious lest any of you should begin to lie upon your oars and take things easy in the matters of God's Kingdom. There are some of you, I bless you and I bless God at the remembrance of you who are in season and out of season in earnest for winning souls. And you are the truly wise. But I fear there are others whose hands are slack, who are satisfied to let me preach but do not themselves preach, who take these seats and occupy these pews and hope the cause goes well but that is all they do," end quote.
Any-true hearted pastor can identify with Spurgeon. Sadly the apathy of some in his church is the apathy of others in this church. And it always stifles aggressive witnessing and it always stifles evangelistic praying. And so it is good for us in these days to be reminded of the need to reach the loss. And a very basic and essential element of that is the matter of praying for them, not only for the sake of the communion with the Lord but for the sake of seeing God answer that prayer.
Someone said, "The church is dying from too much self- control. There is plenty of light but there is very little heat." And apparently that was true of the church at Ephesus. Timothy had been assigned, as you know, to set things in order in that church, to make things right for they were very wrong. One of the things wrong in the Ephesian church was the fact that they had designed a new theology of Evangelism. And that theology said that only certain Jews who keep the law can ever be saved and only certain Gentiles who enter into the elite understanding of mystical secrets can ever attain salvation. The consequent teaching was that salvation isn't for everybody, that God did not intend everyone to be saved, that we need not concern ourselves with taking the gospel to the ends of the earth--even though our Lord said that. They had developed a convenient exclusivistic doctrine of evangelism that said salvation was only for a few.
And Paul is deeply concerned about that and so as he begins to write to Timothy in chapter 2 about the matters that must be made right in the church, he begins with this matter of evangelistic praying, of understanding that God's desire is for all men to come to the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. So the first concern is that the church begin to pray for the lost. This is high priority in the church of Jesus Christ. It attacks the narrowness of the error of the Ephesian church, but it also acts as a strong exhortation to us today to the matter of praying for a lost world.
Now we're noting here five elements of evangelistic praying: its nature, scope, benefit, reason and attitude. Remember last week we talked about the nature of evangelistic praying. And we said it is described in the four words for prayer given in verse 1: supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks. Those four terms we saw last time sum up the character or definition or nature of evangelistic praying.
Supplications indicate that there is a need. Supplication rises from a need. So we pray for the lost because of their great need of salvation. The word "prayers" recognizes God's glory. And we pray for their salvation because of the glory it will give to God. Intercessions have to do with feeling deeply the condition of someone and pleading on their behalf. And so we intercede on their behalf because our heart is concerned with compassion about their lost condition. And finally, the word "thanksgiving" indicates that no matter what occurs, we give God thankful hearts and expressions of gratitude. So the nature of evangelistic praying.
Then we talked last time about the scope of it. And we noted at the end of verse 1 that it is to be made for all men. It is a comprehensive mandate given to the church to pray for all men. No limit is set on evangelistic praying. Chapter 4 verse 10, it says God is the Savior of all men specially of those that believe. And again we are reminded in that that we are to pray for all men.
Now specifically within the category of "all men," he identifies a group of people who might be people the church would fail to pray for...for the sake of persecution, or because of abuse or whatever it might be. So he pinpoints that we especially are to pray for kings and all that are in authority. We are to pray for the lost worldwide and among those for the leaders who very often because they're bigger than life escape our prayers or because we see them perhaps as not a part of the church or as somewhat antagonistic to the church or because we get caught up in the attitudes of our society toward leaders that are not liked or respected. We might fail to do that. And so just as a strong encouragement, out of all of the groups we could have identified he identifies leaders and says especially you are to pray for them. And the intent is not so much to pray for their wisdom in leadership but to pray for their salvation. We as a church then are to be involved as a priority in praying for the lost and most particularly those that are lost in positions of leadership, those who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now we come to the third element...the benefit of evangelistic praying. To the church there is great benefit in prayer for the lost. Notice what it says in verse 2, "In order that...as we pray for the lost and particularly leaders who do not know the Lord...it may lead us into a situation where we can live a quiet and tranquil life in all godliness and moral earnestness--would be a proper translation." In other words, as we give ourselves as a church to prayer for the lost and prayer for the salvation of our leaders, it will create a national condition favorable to the life of the church which will expedite our evangelistic efforts.
Now this is an often overlooked passage of Scripture and I want you to think through it very carefully. This is the Word of the living God. As the church prays for the lost, it goes without saying that the intention of that prayer is that the lost may be saved, but as a side effect when a church in a city or a state or a nation pours itself habitually into unceasing prayer for the lost, particularly the unsaved in its leadership, that people begins to see the church as a compassionate caring loving concerned group of people who are all about seeking their best interest and welfare. And thus the church poses no threat to that society but perhaps a welcome friend. And as those prayers for salvation are answered and more and more people may be saved including leaders, the favorable condition of the church is even increased.
Now he says when we pray this way we do so in order that we may lead a quiet and peaceable or tranquil life. The word "quiet" carries the idea of the absence of outside disturbance. The word"peaceable" carries the idea of the absence of inside disturbance or turbulence. So the church has a goal then, and I want you to note this very carefully, the church has a goal in society to so conduct its life in prayer for the lost which involves love and compassion including all of the leaders that it creates by that attitude the absence of external, internal disturbances. To put it another way, the church is never to be the agitator of society by virtue of engulfing itself in those things which disrupt the national life. Conditions of peace, conditions of rest, the absence of strife and anxiety benefit the church in the task of evangelism.
Now I want to expand on this because I don't think this is a well understood thought. In 1 Thessalonians we have a similar word, chapter 4 verse 11, where Paul says that we are to study, that is to be diligent, to be quiet. We are not to be rabble rousers. If we are known for anything, we are known for our quiet demeanor. We do not make disturbances. We do not disrupt society as such, that is not our intent, that is not our overt effort. We are to be quiet, he says, do your own business, work with your own hands as we commanded you in order that you may walk honestly toward them that are outside, the unbelievers. They ought to see us as quiet diligent faithful people.
Second Thessalonians 3 also speaks to the same matter. We hear, he says in verse 11, that there are some who walk among you disorderly, working not at all. They're indigent, they are unemployed, they don't do as they ought. They're busybodies. Command them and exhort them by the Lord Jesus Christ that with quietness they work and eat their own bread.
Now listen, beloved, the church--Paul is saying--is never to be the political agitator. It is never to be seen as the perceivable enemy to national security or national peace. That is not our role. We are to seek to make all the people around us whatever their viewpoint politically, whatever their viewpoint philosophically, we are to seek to make them friends by praying for them rather than enemies by hating them and rejecting them. And sometimes that's difficult because when we're raised in a very clearly defined Christian environment we tend not only to hate the evil system, but we tend to see all the people in it as our enemies. And so we grow bitter against those who deny the life that we believe is so right. The church even today, I'm sure, in the United States is seen by many as an agitating political force endeavoring to disrupt things in our country.
Now I want you to understand what the Scripture is saying in light of that. Christians are to be model citizens. That doesn't mean we're indifferent or apathetic or don't have an opinion. But we are to model citizens in every way. We are to be a blessing and a benediction to every one around us. We are to pray for the salvation of every one. And if they know us, they should know the church not as a strong political lobby group, not as a powerful group with money moving through society for its own ends, they are to know us as quiet peace-loving people who are constantly committed to praying for the salvation of those who are outside. We are to submit to the authority over us and more than just submit to it, we are to pray for the salvation of those very people. If we do that, if the church in this country was just banded together in spirit covenanting together to pray for the lost in our nation and to pray for our rulers and pray for our leaders and not engage in power kind of efforts and power kind of moves and power kind of politics to overturn things and eliminate people and get rid of people, but rather pray for their salvation, we would never be accused or even suspected of disloyalty. Nor would anybody miss the point of our existence. And we would be more likely to be allowed to worship and evangelize without fear or restriction and thus to live our lives in a quiet and tranquil way.
Now notice at the end of verse 2 he adds that the kind of life we live should be marked by all godliness and moral earnestness."Godliness," that very familiar word, eusebeia used all through 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy and even in Titus 1:1, the word "godliness" a very common word in the pastoral epistles, has the idea of an attitude of reverence. We ought to be people who are distinguished because our attitude of reverence marks us, reverence toward God, that we live for the majesty, the love, the holiness, the glory of our God. It ought to be that when someone says the word"Christian," all they think of is holiness, godliness. They think of people whose hearts are turned to the living God.
And secondly he says, not only godliness but...he uses the word semnotes, it's an unusual word. It's used another time in 1 Timothy and then in Titus chapter 2 verse 7. The basic translation of"moral earnestness" says it for me. It's the idea that we not only have right attitude, that's godliness, but right behavior. When that attitude comes out in our living there's a certain moral earnestness in the way we live. There's a certain commitment to morality. You might say that, if we were free with our translation, he would be saying we should do the praying for the lost that can lead to a quiet and tranquil life in all holy motives and holy behavior. That's really what he's after. We are to so live with holy attitudes and holy deeds that we contribute to the peace and the quiet and the tranquility of our lives. We are not to disrupt. We are not to create scandal nationally. We are not as we remember from Matthew chapter 7 to start going around ripping the tares...or Matthew 13 rather...ripping the tares out of the ground and judging all the unbelievers. We are to love them and compassionately pray for them.
Now as I read that verse I thought to myself, "Well, what about...what about the fact that godliness always creates problems? What about the fact that our message is going to be rejected and that's going to eliminate a quiet and tranquil life in some ways?" That's true...that's true. In fact, in 2 Timothy, twice he tells us we can expect that. Paul even says in chapter 1 verse 8 that he's a prisoner because of his testimony. In chapter 3 verse 12 he says everybody that lives godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But the point is this, and I want you to get it, if we suffer persecution and if we bear the animosity of our society and if we are resented and if we are hated and if we are despised, let it be for our holy attitude and our holy behavior, not because we are a problem to our national society, not because we are disruptive, not because we appear the enemy of men. We should live so that we are no threat to the peace and tranquility of our nation or our town, but that they perceive us as honorable, as dignified, as morally committed people, as trustworthy so that no one speaks evil against the Word of God and no one speaks evil against God Himself or the Lord Jesus Christ.
You know, I thank God that Grace Church takes strong stands. We take very strong stands on things. And if we are rejected or rebuffed at all, it is because of the things that we believe. But our society arounds us...around us sees us as a friend. I am always encouraged by the response of the community, not only in this very vicinity of the valley but even around Los Angeles, to the life of the people in Grace Community Church. I'm always amazed that whenever the news media wants somebody to comment on a major issue that needs a religious spokesman, they'll call Grace Community Church because as one reporter said, "When we want a sane Christian comment, we come to Grace Community Church." The society does not see us as a threat.
I'm very grateful that when we went to the city a few weeks ago and asked for permission to lease from them all the land along the wash to put in the parking, they couldn't be happier to give that opportunity to us...which they did, because they see us as a friend to the community. I remember the year they gave us the plaque that hangs on the wall, The Valley Beautiful award for doing more than any other organization in the San Fernando Valley to beautify a region of the valley. I was even thankful that last Sunday morning in the Daily News there was a most interesting article about Grace Community Church and our link with Yoko Ono.
Now I don't know if you know about that, I did not know about that until I read that article. That was an amazing story. Her former husband and she had a child by the name of Kioko(?) and the father against the court order took the child, kidnapped the child and went into hiding and he's been there for 14 years. The child is now in her twenties, her name is Kioko. They came to Los Angeles to hide. We...I did not know this, nor did any of us until we read the paper...they came to Los Angeles to hide. They got involved in a cult down the street, The Church of the Living Word, run by John Robert Stephens whose daughter, by the way, has come to the Lord Jesus Christ and fellowships in our church. But nonetheless they got in this cult, deeply ingrained in this cult and then by the grace of God they were delivered out of that cult and when they wanted to come to true faith in Jesus Christ, this...the daughter of Yoko Ono and her husband...her father rather, came to Grace Church seeking help and money so they could escape the clutches of these people that had them. And the article went on to say how Grace Community Church not having any idea who these people were not only gave them spiritual counsel and so forth, but gave them the money they needed to escape and they have now become involved as born-again Christians in the work of the Lord in another place. And several times it mentioned the church and always in a favorable light as a good Samaritan. That ought to be the way our church is known. That's the way our church should be known, as one who steps in...it doesn't matter who people are but we're there to show the love of Christ and meet the need that is there.
And I was encouraged that the paper put that in in a favorable light. I am very grateful for that. But it ought to be so that if they do not like us and if they resent us, it is clearly because they reject our message, not because they see us as the enemy. You understand that? Jesus Himself was a friend of sinners, was He not? And so it ought to be that we are marked as those who pray for the lost and even our leaders, even the leaders of our city. And we may not agree with them, we may not agree with their life style, their morality or their decisions, the leaders of our state, the leaders of our nation. We may have all kinds of problems with that. But I cannot see that anything ultimately spiritual is to be gained by becoming the enemy of those with whom we disagree. If we are to disagree, let us disagree on the truth of God not on something other than that. And let us with all our hearts commit that if this nation is to be turned around for the sake of God, then let it be that we do it by our spiritual weapons, not carnal ones. And the spiritual weapons are mighty to the pulling down of strongholds, spiritual weapons like praying for the lost and including the lost, those who lead us.
And this prayer brings about the conversion of lost people, the conversion of leaders. Gives the church a reputation of loyalty, honesty, integrity and dignity in the community. They become known as those people with holy attitudes and holy behavior and are not a threat to society but rather an encouragement to the goodness of society. That creates the peace and tranquility that allows evangelism to flourish, makes Christianity attractive and gives the gospel a hearing. And that's the side effect to evangelistic praying.
Now you say, "Well, wait a minute. Doesn't this contradict James 1? Doesn't James 1 say the trying of your faith has a perfecting work?" Yes, but there are all kinds of ways in which God can try us and test us and bring trouble and strengthen us without it having to come from the hostility of our society. You don't need to do it that way. If God wants to put you through the crucible of suffering, He has got a million options. You don't have to create one in the environment and neither do I and neither should the church. Trials come in many ways through many doors and God is not at a loss to find means to do that. And, beloved, from time to time it is true that those trials will be persecution. But if persecution comes, I say it again, let it come because of what we believe about the Word of God. As the Russian Christians have told me so many times, if we are persecuted in Russia, it will be for our faith not for our political, economic attitudes. And not for some animosity toward our people or even our leaders. Georgie Vins(?) told me that. Pray for them.
And even when persecution comes, you say, "What should we do then?" Well, listen to what Jesus said in Matthew 5. And it's pretty clear what we're to do. Verse 43, "You have heard that it has been said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy." No, that's not the way. We've gotten into a little of that in the church but that's not the right way. "I say to you...what?...love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you...and here it comes...pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you." Pray for their what? Pray for their salvation.
And we've all read the story of the martyrs many times in the past who on their knees being killed, their life being taken, were praying for the ones who were killing them and that is the testimony of Stephen, is not...is it not...who is beneath the stones crushing out his life and cries out, "Father, lay not this sin to their charge." Don't hold them responsible. Which is to say forgive them. It's the spirit of Jesus, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."
So, the point is that whatever the chaos, whatever the conflict that may come, it should not be a result of the Christians becoming the enemies of the lost. It should be only for what we believe and what we live for. As far as the society around us, they ought to see us as their friends, as compassionate loving people who continually pray for their salvation. Next time instead of writing a letter to your congressman to tell him how awful he is, write a letter and tell him you're praying for him every day for his salvation. And then give him the gospel. Let him know what the church is really all about.
And if we are concerned to pray, I believe God will answer that prayer. And that's why I'm so concerned by those people who insist that this nation or any other nation could never be godly, the church can never flourish, God's work can never be done unless we attack everybody in the society we don't like. And people ask me that so often, "Why don't you preach on issues? Why don't you..." Look, I'll attack sin but beyond that I don't really want to alienate everybody in our society because I think they need Christ. And I don't want them throwing Him away when they reject me. So God says pray for them. And there's a side benefit, you'll create an environment in which you'll be able to flourish.
And I really think in a small way by God's grace this church has enjoyed that. It really has. I'm always amazed when I pick up a real estate section of the paper and see a house advertised for sale by a realtor and underneath it says, "near Grace Church." That's good. I'm glad for that.
So, the realization that we are to commit ourselves to this high priority of prayer is based upon a deep sense of the need of the lost, the severe lack of their souls in facing eternity without God, a reverent petition to God with that need based on His own glory, a compassionate sense of falling into the very need itself so that we feel the lostness of the lost. We are to pray for them. And for all of them whether they're just the people or the leaders. And in so praying we shall see God save them and we shall see conditions rise from the love and compassion of the church toward the lost which will act as a benediction to the church and thus speed the gospel on its way.
That brings me fourthly, and I'm just going to introduce a portion of this fourth point, finish next time, but that brings me fourthly to the reason for evangelistic praying...the reason for it. And that is contained in verses 3 to 7. And this is one of THE most powerful statements of the saving purpose of God given anywhere in Scripture. I cannot rush through this. It is monumental stuff, just powerful dramatic truth about God's saving purpose. I do not want to get into a theological debate. I don't want to talk about systematic theology. I want only to let the text speak for itself. It is so powerful.
Why pray for the lost? Why pray for the souls of men? What is the purpose? Well, the answer comes in verses 3 to 7. "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, man Christ Jesus who gave Himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time. For this I am ordained to preacher and an apostle, I speak the truth in Christ and lie not, a teacher of the nations in faith and sincerity."
Now in that few verses is summed up the reason for the winning of the lost. This has to be one of the greatest evangelistic texts in all the Bible, one of the greatest statements on the mission of the church anywhere in holy Scripture.
Why do we pray for the lost? Point number one, and I'm going to give you several of them, some this week and some next. Point number one, it is morally right to do so. It is right. Look what it says in verse 3, "For this is good." The word "good," kalon basically means excellent, intrinsically morally good. This is good. It's just plain right. God sets it up as being right. Your moral conscience says it's right. I mean, you wouldn't argue that. If I said to you, "Should you pray for the lost?" I mean, everything in you that's right and true and good would say of course...of course, it's good to pray for the lost because it saves them from hell. It saves them from a meaningless life. It brings them into the place where they can glorify God. It allows them to have purpose in life and in eternity. It allows them to reach others. It's good. It's right. The word "this" points back to the praying for all men and for the leaders. This is good. It's right. It's excellent. Since the salvation of others would be the greatest benefit to them and the greatest benefit to the church, it's good, it's excellent.
Now somebody would say, "Well now wait a minute. Jesus said in John 17:9, `I pray not for the world.' If it's so good why did He say that?" Let's find out. Let's look at John 17:9 and I thought of this and I brought it in because I didn't want anybody finding that verse and saying, "Wait, this confuses me." Why in John 17:9 does Jesus say to the Father in His high priestly prayer, "I pray for them...that is for the disciples, those who You have given to Me, My own disciples...I pray not for the world, but for them whom Thou hast given Me, for they are Thine?" And somebody would say, "Well, Jesus didn't pray for the whole world. He says right here I don't pray for the world."
And you know something? That's right...in this particular case, He said I don't pray for the world. What did He mean by that? Well, that's the whole point. Does that mean God doesn't love the world? Well, in John 3:16, "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son," now the whole point of the verse is He gave His only begotten Son to fulfill His love. So God loves the whole world. First John 2:2 says He is the covering for our sin and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole world. So God loves the whole world, gave a Savior to the whole world, a covering for sin is offered to the whole world, why does He say I pray not for the world? And isn't Jesus' mission to go to the whole world? Didn't He say preach the gospel to every creature?
Why in verse 9 does He say I pray not for the world? That's very simple. What He is saying here is I'm not praying for the world's success as the world. You understand that? The cosmos, the evil Satanic system...what He means is, I'm not praying that the world succeed. I'm praying for the disciples to succeed in winning the world, not for the world to succeed in stopping them. He can't pray for His own and pray for the world which is the enemy. As William Hendrickson said, "The salvation of the world lay precisely in its ceasing to be the world." He could not pray for the world as the world, it was set against Him. He's saying, I don't pray for the success of the world, I would never do that. I pray for the success of My people. He's praying for His disciples to be protected from the world. He even says, "Keep them from the evil one, from the one who rules the world system," in order that in their believing they may reach the world, verses 21 and 23.
So, it is good. Jesus prayed for the lost. Moses, David, Samuel, Hezekiah, Isaiah, Daniel, Stephen, Paul, we saw them all last week, they all prayed for the lost. It's good.
Now the second thing, and I'm going to stop with this one, but I want you to listen so carefully, this is a powerful, powerful truth, we are to pray for the lost, one--because it's good, it's right, it's morally excellent; two--it is consistent with God's will. We are to pray for the lost because it is consistent with God's will. Notice verse 3, "This is good and...here it comes...acceptable in the sight of God our Savior who will all...who will have...who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." It is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior who wills all men to be saved. It is the will of God that men be saved. It's consistent with His will. The word"acceptable" which is also used in a similar phrase in chapter 5 verse 4 has the idea...it's a very rich word, it's not just to receive, dechomai, it's apodechomai, it means to applaud, it means to gladly receive, to accept with satisfaction, to heartily welcome. It's a very warm word. It is to say the Lord gladly anxiously eagerly with applause and satisfaction and joy receives this. This is what He wants, the salvation of the world. So praying for all the world is really gladly received by God. He applauds that kind of praying. He accepts it heartily because it is consistent with His character.
And what do you mean by that? Well, notice it in verse 3, "This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our creator," is that what it says? No, "God our...what?...Savior." It's consistent with who He is. It's consistent with His nature, with HIs character. Chapter 1 verse 1, "Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Savior." Chapter 4 verse 10, "God who is the Savior." First Thessalonians, Paul writes chapter 5 verse 9, "God has not appointed us to wrath but to obtain salvation." Titus 1:3,"But hath in due times manifested His Word through preaching which is committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior." Titus 2:10, again, "The doctrine of God our Savior." Titus 3:4,"The love and kindness of God our Savior." And then in that wonderful benediction that closes the little epistle of Jude, "To the only wise God our Savior."
You see, God is repeatedly spoken of as the Savior. That's essential to His nature. He is a Savior as He is a creator, and a sustainer. God our Savior. And that old theory that the God of the Old Testament is an ogre who judges men and the Christ of the New Testament is the Savior is just not so. It is God the Savior who sent Christ to do the work that would save, but the saving purpose is in the heart of God.
Someone might say, "Well, does the Old Testament teach that God is a Savior?" Yes. Listen just for one example to 2 Samuel 22 verse 3, "The God of my rock, in Him will I trust, He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my high tower and my refuge, my Savior," 2 Samuel 22 and verse 3. And read Psalm 106 and remember Isaiah 43:3, "I am the Lord thy God, the holy one of Israel, thy Savior." Verse 11, "Apart from Me there is no Savior." Listen, God in His deepest truest self desires to save men from their sins. And Mary when glorifying God in that beautiful magnificat cried out after learning of the wonder of God's creation in her in Luke 1:47 said,"My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior," and she reflected the deepest warmest sentiment of any Old Testament Jew, any true Jew, that cries out to God wanting to glorify His name by calling Him that name which above all names relates to sinners, God my Savior. God is a Savior.
So, when we go and pray for the lost, we are praying in a way that is welcomed and gladly received and applauded by God because He is first and foremost a Savior God. That's consistent with who He is. That's consistent with His will. And the fact that it's here in the text has a little bit of polemic to it also because in the Roman culture Caesar called himself soter that's the Greek word for Savior. And the cult of the Caesar embodied the idea that Caesar was the Savior. And within the Roman province, he was the great savior of men who provided peace and order, prosperity and protection. And what Paul is saying is over against the cult of Caesar the savior is God our Savior. They have their savior, we have God our Savior. That's His nature. And since He is God our Savior by nature verse 4 says, since He is God our Savior He will have all men to be saved. That figures. He is the Savior of all men. He's our Savior.
But that's not the end of it. He's not saying He's just the Savior of those of us who are already saved. No, no, He will have all men. You say, "You mean God wants all men to be saved?" That's right. He wants all men to be saved. The word "saved" means delivered, rescued from divine wrath and judgment. You say, "You mean God really wants all men to be saved?" That is His desire.
Let me show you that in the Old Testament. Turn to, first of all, Isaiah 45 and I'm going to just give you a very quick look at a few verses. Isaiah 45:22, just listen to this, this can't be missed, "Look unto Me..." well, back to verse 21, I just can't resist this, "Tell ye and bring them near, yea, let them take counsel together, who hath declared this from ancient time? Who hath told it from the time? Have not I the Lord...here it is...and there is no God else beside Me a just God and a...what? A Savior." There's none beside Me. As He is a Savior, look what He says, verse 22, "Look unto Me and be saved all the ends of the earth, for I am God and there is none else." The point is if anybody on the face of the earth is to be saved, there's only one God who can do it. So He must call to all the ends of the earth, for there is no other Savior.
Look at 49:6 of Isaiah. And he says to the people of Israel and really through the work of Messiah, "I will also give thee for a light to the nations that Thou mayest be my salvation unto the ends of the earth, thus saith the Lord, the redeemer." That's God's design.
The invitation then comes in chapter 55 verse 1, "To all the ends of the earth, ho...hey, everybody...every one that thirsts," who is that? How many people in the world thirst for salvation? How many people are thirsting for salvation? Everybody that doesn't have it. It's picturing someone without water, everybody without Christ without water, every one without salvation is without water so everybody's thirsty. All of you that are thirsty all over the world, "Come to the waters, even though you have no money, come by and eat, come buy wine and milk without money and without price." Universal call.
Now look at Ezekiel chapter 18 and I want you to see again from the Old Testament the saving purpose of God is worldwide to the ends of the earth. In Ezekiel 18 verse 23, there's two questions asked here. They appear at first to be rhetorical questions. Later on he answers them. "Have I any pleasure...Ezekiel 18:23...have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die, saith the Lord God and not that he should return from his ways and live?" Do I have any pleasure that the wicked should die? Do I have any pleasure that they should not return and live? Look at the middle of verse 30, "Repent and turn yourselves from all your transgressions so iniquity shall not be your ruin, cast away from you all your transgression by which you have transgressed and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit for why will you die, O house of Israel?" You think that's My will? "For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God. Wherefore turn yourselves and live and then a lamentation is taken up." God does not please Himself with the death and damnation of wicked people.
Look at the thirty-third chapter of Ezekiel. He cries out. Again in chapter 33 verse 10, "Therefore, O thou son of man, the word comes to Ezekiel, speak to the house of Israel and say this," here's God's word, "if our transgressions and our sins be upon us and we pine away in them, how should we then live?" We're going to die. But verse 11, "As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live, turn ye, turn from your evil ways for why will you die, O house of Israel?" It's the same passionate cry.
There is no biblical theology that can teach that God is pleased with the damnation of the wicked. There is no theology that can teach that God does not will all men everywhere to be saved, for God in Acts 17 has called all men everywhere to repent. For God in John 3:16 has so loved the whole world, for God has told His apostles and prophets to take the message of salvation to the ends of the earth. And hell itself, the Bible says, was prepared for the devil and his angels, not even for men originally. No, God's desire is given right here. Look back at our text, 1 Timothy. Since God is a Savior, He will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. That's another way of saying salvation. Salvation occurs when you come to the knowledge of the truth. The word "knowledge" here is epignosis, it means a deep full rich and complete knowledge and that is the knowledge of true salvation.
It is used four times in these pastoral epistles. In 2 Timothy 3:7 it talks about people who have a form of godliness but no reality who are ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth, same word. And in Titus 1:1 comparing faith and knowledge, both elements of salvation, again he refers to the knowledge of the truth.
So, what he is saying here is it is God's will that all men be saved and salvation comes through the true deep knowledge of saving truth, the gospel, the work of Christ. And this may be an answer to some Jews who were saying God willed the damnation of heretics. There were Jews who believed that God willed the damnation of Gentiles in general. And then there was that gnostic pre-gnostic view that God must have willed the damnation of all the non-elite, the people who never attained mystical knowledge. And he takes issue with that. And he says, "Listen, God wills because He is by nature a Savior that all men would be saved through coming to the full knowledge of saving truth in Jesus Christ."
And I want to close by talking about the word "will" and I want you to listen carefully. What kind of will is this? Because somebody looks at this verse and says, "Oh, God will have all men to be saved. I'll tell you one thing, God gets what He wants, He's in charge. Therefore universalism is taught. That is that ultimately everybody will be saved because that's God's will, it says so right here."
Other people say, "No, no, no, no, the Bible could teach us hell and the Bible teaches that people are going to be there forever, so some people aren't going to go to heaven. Therefore when it says God will have all men to be saved, it doesn't mean all men, just means some men because after all, God's got to get what He wants and He can't save everybody because hell's there and some people are there. So He's got to save all the people that He wants to save, therefore He doesn't want to save all people. `All' doesn't mean all, it must means some."
I don't think you need to do either one of those things. I think what you have to understand is the word "will." The word is thelo. There are two basic words for "will," thelo, to will, thelo and boulomai. Thelo reflects the will of desire springing from feeling and inclination. Boulomai speaks of will coming from precise determination. It is not saying that God has willed in the boulomai sense that He has precisely determined the salvation of all men, and that is a sovereign given fact so everybody's going to be saved.
Make it real simple. Are there some things in your life which violate the will of God? Yes. But still we understand there is a will of God that moves inexorably along a track that is unalterable. That's the will of His precise sovereign predetermination. But the will of His heart desire, His moral will is violated all the time by people, even by you and me. Whenever I sin, it is not God's will. God does not will that I sin. Do I sin? Yes. So can I break God's will? Yes, I do it all the time, so do you and so does the whole world. God wills and desires the salvation of all men from the moral viewpoint. That's why He commands all men everywhere to repent. Why else would God cry to Israel, "Why will you die? Why will you die?" It says you don't have to, doesn't it? Ho, everyone that thirsts, come and drink.
And men sin and they go to hell, not because it is God's express sovereign purpose for them. They go to hell because they denied God His will in their life. He calls them to repent. He calls them to be saved. If anyone goes to hell, they go there not because of the predetermined choice of God, but because of the rejection of Jesus Christ. That's what He's saying. He wants all men saved.
I believe in the sovereignty of God, I believe in election, I believe in predestination, beloved, I also believe that God wills men to be saved and by their choice they are not saved and that is their responsibility not God's. And if you ask me how those two things harmonize, I say I'll tell you our first day in heaven, I'll explain the whole thing. But I know this, God has a broken heart because He desires salvation from the ends of the earth, why else would Jesus weep over Jerusalem. "O how often I would, I willed to gather you together but you would not." He said that. You wouldn't do it. Why will you die? Why will you reject?
Well, praying for the lost, essentially. One, because it's right. Two, because it's consistent with the will of God. And so we are to make intercession for all men because God wills all men to be saved and because it's their highest good both now and forever. Let's pray.
Lord God, what a clear word You've given to us. Thank You even for the deep unresolved mysteries of sovereignty and human choice. Thank You that Your mind is so much greater than ours. But thank You, Father, for the clear word that we are to pray for the lost. And even among our leaders, that in being consumed with their good, being consumed with their salvation, having deep compassion, falling into their very lostness, sensing their deep soul's need they might see our love, they might see the holiness of our attitudes and acts that we might live that quiet and tranquil life that can speed the gospel on its way and make it attractive. Help us to do that, Lord, because it's right, because it's good and because it's who You are, You're a Savior and You want all men to be saved. And we grieve with you that so many reject. God, we pray for the lost, for the lost here this morning, for those without the Savior, those in our community, those in leadership all around the world. O Father, billions of people, save them and make the church be preoccupied with this ministry of intercessory prayer on behalf of the lost, the unsaved, those not rescued from eternal punishment. Save them, Lord, that You might be praised, that they might be blessed, that the church might be strengthened. And we'll thank You. Amen.


text:
Teacher resources and professional development across the curriculum
Teacher professional development and classroom resources across the curriculum
Observing Student Problem Solving
|Introduction | Building Staircases | Student Work #1 | Problem Reflection #1 | Student Work #2 | Problem Reflection #2 | Classroom Practice | Observe a Classroom | Your Journal
By the time students arrive in the high school mathematics classroom, they generally have significant experience in problem solving -- sometimes positive and sometimes negative. Students who have been successful at problem solving in earlier grades may bring a predisposition and, in fact, an expectation that they will continue this success in high school work. In a parallel way, those who have struggled with mathematical problems may be inclined to do anything to minimize engagement with a topic that has been frustrating.
For either type of student, high school mathematics work offers the chance to grow past former limitations. Problem solving can engage the natural curiosity and questioning skills of all students, despite varying backgrounds or skill levels. As the curriculum expands, some students who were reluctant problem solvers may find aptitude in new areas and use this as a basis to shore up overall mathematics skills. All learners should have the chance in high school to work on meaningful problems that increase both their problem-solving ability and their overall understanding of mathematics concepts.
We begin with an example of teacher and student work for you to consider. Ms. Nguyen's ninth-grade pre-algebra class has been working on patterns. Here she sets up a new challenge for the class. Observe what she does, how the students work on the problem, and the role of self-review in the problem solving process.
|Teaching Math Home | Grades 9-12 | Problem Solving | Site Map | © |
© Annenberg Foundation 2017. All rights reserved. Legal Policy


text:
Xtreme Events Stoke - 42% OFF
Avg. Saving £141.00*
* average saving based on two adults and two children
25 members have claimed this offer
- people are currently joining Kids Pass
- Over a million Kids Pass Members are saving thousands of pounds on 5000+ family offers
- Save up to 40% off at cinemas nationwide, including adult and child tickets seven days a week
- Access to thousands of exclusive family friendly offers
- Enjoy thousands of "Kids Eat Free" offers
- Free App for Android and iOS to make saving even easier
More About This Offer
Essentially we are the guys who make sure you have a good time at your event, whatever the occasion may be. We have a large catalogue of events and experiences that will be sure to keep you entertained.
Offers available: Junior Bubble Football, Bubble Football, BattleZone Archery, Goggle Football, Old School Sports Day, Turbo10 Cricket and Xtreme Dodgeball
Address and Contact Details
- Dennis Viollet Avenue, Off Stanley Matthews Way, Stoke On Trent, West Midlands, ST4 4TN
- Opening Times: Please check website for details
- 01487 465001


text:
In a briefing with reporters today at House Republicans' retreat in Williamsburg, Va., Rep. Paul Ryan said that the House GOP is discussing a possible "short-term debt limit extension," but that the "worst thing for the economy" would be a lift in the debt ceiling without any spending cuts.
Ryan suggested the lift in the debt ceiling could be extremely short, so that it could be addressed with another fiscal battle — the sequester — in March.
Ryan also urged President Barack Obama to prioritize payments under the debt limit to ensure there is no default on the country's obligations.
Some tweets from reporters on the ground in Virginia:
The debt ceiling's "X date" is projected to hit sometime between Feb. 15 and March 1. On Monday, President Barack Obama said that he would not negotiate with Congressional Republicans, who he said were holding "a gun at the head of the American people."
House Speaker John Boehner was the first to suggest that the GOP might look at a series of incremental lifts in the debt ceiling as opposed to a more long-term hike. That means there could be more frequent battles over the country's debt and spending attached to the debt ceiling.
Ryan's comments marked his extensive comments to the press since he and Mitt Romney lost the election in November.


text:
Motor Trend
Best Used Cars for Teens
Used car prices are slowly declining and school has already started in some states, so many parents are on the hunt for a pre-owned ride for their teens. Buying used can be an advantage, as these cars often deliver just as much utility as brand-new vehicles and are a better value. Sometimes they come with simpler cabins that might help…Read More


text:
Who needs morality when you're the CIA?
Exclusive: Drew Zahn examines how ethics have lost their anchor in 'Bourne Legacy'
The Jason Bourne films have never been friendly to the CIA, painting America's intelligence community as a deeply corrupted hotbed of scrupulously questionable, ends-justifies-the-means power brokers.
"The Bourne Legacy" continues the, well … legacy.
"We're the sin eaters," would-be agent Aaron Cross is told when he questions a CIA action. "We take moral excrement and bury it deep inside so that our cause can remain pure. It's morally indefensible and absolutely necessary."
That summary of the CIA's mission is more than a little scary.
Then, true to the franchise (this is the fourth "Bourne" film), the lone operative Cross turns against the corrupt CIA to secure both his conscience and his liberty.
But whether the writers know it or not, the central conflict of "The Bourne Legacy" reveals one of the central conflicts in Western civilization today – namely, on what basis do we determine whether anything is ethical or not?
The pivotal moment comes when Cross (hmm, with the name "Aaron Cross," could he be a messianic character, perhaps?) confronts one of the government scientists who has produced a viral drug that not only makes Cross a genetically enhanced soldier, but also a chemically dependent junkie. The doctor has been playing with the human genome without asking what the government was using it for, and the CIA has consequently twisted the science into a spy-and-slay program for intrigue and murder.
"Who tells you this is OK?" Cross challenges the scientist.
"I do research! … I don't make policy!" the scientist objects. "I was there for the science. We were all there for the science. I thought I was there for my country!"
But is anything justifiable if it's "for my country"? Or "for science"? How we do determine what's ethical?
Profoundly, Cross asks exactly the right question: "Who tells you this is OK?"
For ethics requires a moral authority – the role traditionally played by God. No other system is sufficient for establishing what is ethical and moral.
Popular opinion is a lousy determiner of ethics. Wasn't racial slavery once considered "moral" by the majority?
Moral relativity and what "feels right" is no better: "Well, I believe," the pedophile says, "that sex with children is morally beautiful, and why are you pushing your morality down my throat?"
Even utilitarianism, sometimes summarized as doing the most good without doing harm, falls short as an ethical standard, for who has the wisdom and – there it is again – authority to determine what is "good" and what is "harm"?
Eventually, all determinations of morality and ethics really do come down to a simple question: "Who says?"
In other words, what's your moral authority? Or as Aaron Cross puts it, "Who tells you this is OK?"
"The Bourne Legacy" may have been meant as nothing more than a summer action flick, or maybe it's a shot at government corruption, but regardless of its intent, the film is a reflection of the quandary our society is in: If science or secularism succeed in slaying divine revelation as the source of morality, if they loose the only anchor of ethics Western civilization has known for centuries … the ship of society will be free to crash on an any number of reefs – and we'd better be afraid of the CIA. An entity that powerful that has no moral authority? Yikes.
As for the movie itself, alas, I recommend exploring its presentation of the moral dilemma only after it comes out on video, if then.
The first hour of the film is filled with so many frayed fragments of plot, so many unfollowable snippets of story that a couple behind me in the theater actually started snoring … and I was tempted to join them. It's confusing, vague and the story never really comes together, even when the action picks up in the movie's second half.
Most of the film, you'll be asking, "What's going on?" and, "Who are these people"? – and you'll leave the theater with your questions unanswered.
The performances are solid, but Jeremy Renner as the new super agent just lacks the charisma of Matt Damon as Jason Bourne, and the film's constant teasing that Bourne will actually show up makes everything else on screen just a bit disappointing.
"A bit disappointing" – a good summary statement for "The Bourne Legacy" as a whole.
Content advisory:
- "The Bourne Legacy," rated PG-13, contains roughly 25 profanities and obscenities.
- The film is remarkably light on sexuality, with no romantic relationships at all and the only significant skin is a bare-chested man in several scenes.
- The movie, as should be expected, is heavy on violence (though perhaps not as heavy as previous "Bourne" films), including brutal hand-to-hand combat, shootings, a dozen or more killings and an extensive car chase scene. There is some gore, particularly when Cross performs a minor surgery on himself.
- Save for the brief line about being "sin eaters," described above, the film has no significant religious or occult themes.


text:
Semi-permanent (heat) or Temporary (no heat)
Perfect for permanent waved or relaxed hair
Use immediately after relaxer service
Enhance, refresh, brighten, shine
No ammonia or peroxide
Lasts 1 to 2 shampoos
Clairol Jazzing translucent hair color shades spice up colored, permed, and relaxed hair with temporary or semi-permanent results. These dramatic shades add sizzling, vibrant color to African American hair. Soft shades are subtle, adding richness and depth to natural hair color. Shines, conditions and all that jazz. For natural, colored, permed, or relaxed hair.
Orders received before Noon ET, Mon-Fri are usually shipped the same day depending on product availability.
Standard Shipping (2-6 days): Flat Rate of $5.95 for any purchase under $55.00. FREE for orders over $55.00. Delivery is made by USPS.
UPS Ground (1-5 business days): Flat Rate of $10 for any purchase under $55.00. Orders between $55 and $100 it is a $3.00 Upgrade. Orders over $100 receive FREE UPS Ground Shipping.
2nd Day Air (2 business days): Shipping rate is calculated based on weight and location.
Next Day Air (1 business day): Shipping rate is calculated based on weight and location. Saturday delivery is available at an additional charge and must be requested via e-mail after the order is placed.
Shipping to Military, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Alaska and other territories are subject to an additional shipping charge. Rates are provided at checkout.
International Shipping please find rates at checkout.
Returns are accepted within 30 days of purchase. You must first contact us to receive a return authorization number before making a return. Unauthorized returns will be refused.
Refunds can be obtained within 30 days of purchase for any unused merchandise, EXCEPT ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES, in its original purchase condition and packaging.
Image Beauty does not provide refunds on electrical appliances (blow dryers, flat irons, etc..). Appliances are eligible for store credit in the form of a gift certificate, or exchange only within 30 days of purchase.
Used product, if still in reasonable condition, can be returned for exchange or credit within 30 days of purchase.
We do not accept returns on used hair color or personal items such as hair brushes, hair ornaments, hair extensions, accessories, nail clippers & more.
Please view our entire shipping & return policy here


text:
This true, riveting story documents a North Korean family's improbable journey from life under the brutal regime of the late Kim Jong-Il to freedom and newfound faith in Jesus Christ.
Escaping North Korea: Defiance and Hope in the World's Most Repressive Country
The author vividly describes his work with refugees along the North Korean/Chinese border and Christians' role in bringing light to this dark country.
The Orphan Master's Son: A Novel
This secular narrative reveals that Christian ministries impacted Kim Jong-Il's innermost circles. It poignantly describes a woman captured smuggling Bibles who sings Jesus songs while tortured.
Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea
Demick, the Los Angeles Times's Seoul bureau chief, narrates North Korean defectors' lives over 15 years. An Open Doors colleague recommends this as a primer on the world's number one persecutor of Christians.
The Good Doctor: Bringing Healing to the Hopeless
This hope-filled story of a Christian Korean American doctor who built and staffed a hospital in Pyongyang offers proof that Christians can still significantly impact the people of the world's most restricted country.
Copyright © 2012 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.
Related Elsewhere:
Carl Moeller is coauthor of the book The Privilege of Persecution.
Escape from North Korea, Escaping North Korea, The Orphan Master's Son, Nothing to Envy, and The Good Doctor are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Christianbook.com, and other retailers.
Previous Christianity Today coverage of North Korea includes:
North Korean Christians Unlikely to Fare Better Under ...1


text:
Iced Cinnamon Biscuits
In Grand Valley, Ontario, Wendy Masters serves these biscuits oven-fresh for breakfast or brunch. "They are wonderfully light and have an appealing cinnamon flavor," she says. "The plump raisins and simple icing add the right touch of sweetness."
Total TimePrep/Total Time: 30 min.
Makesabout 1 dozen
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/3 cup shortening
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 to 2 teaspoons milk
- In a bowl, combine the first six ingredients; cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in raisins. Add buttermilk; stir just until moistened. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead 4-5 times. Roll to 1/2-in. thickness; cut with a 2-1/2-in. biscuit cutter. Place with sides barely touching on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 12-17 minutes or until golden brown. Combine the icing ingredients; drizzle over biscuits. Serve warm.
Nutrition Facts1 each: 179 calories, 6g fat (1g saturated fat), 1mg cholesterol, 340mg sodium, 29g carbohydrate (12g sugars, 1g fiber), 3g protein.
Originally published as Iced Cinnamon Biscuits in Quick Cooking July/August 1998
Follow along as we show you how to make these fantastic recipes from our archive.


text:
Bluey's old Blog
THis blog has been replaced by my new blog and can be found at: http://www.blueyandbaloo.co.uk
Heroes of the city review and giveaway
The team behind the Heroes of the City collection recently contacted me and asked if I would like to
The stories are absolutely delightful and promotes the positive message that anyone can be a hero, what I liked is that the message really does promote helpfulness which is a good message for children and parents to focus on.
Watch an episode - Camping Troubles - Heroes of the City
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The stories are absolutely delightful and promotes the positive message that anyone can be a hero, what I liked is that the message really does promote helpfulness which is a good message for children and parents to focus on.
Watch an episode - Camping Troubles - Heroes of the City
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Posted by Blueybaloo at 21:48 1 comment:
Managing children's behaviour at Christmas
Christmas is a great time for many, the excitement, presents, looking forward to seeing family and of course the food and wine! The unfortunate side effect is that routine is broken, the excitement can affect sleep and eating patterns and children with special needs can find Christmas a very challenging time.
Please find listed some ideas that should help us to get through the festive period, minimise the distress and disruption and enable our children to enjoy the festival in their own way.
1. Keep to a routine as much as possible and remember all the tricks available for bedtime such as bath time, story and bed, there are many great Christmas books that help children to understand the story of Christmas, talk about what will happen and explain present giving as well as receiving.
2. If you are involved in charitable giving, talk about why you are giving, use the subject of Christmas to explain about people worse off, Baby Jesus is an ideal example! Concrete examples are a help – books or magazine articles.
3. For younger children, try to celebrate at a time that enables them to keep to their routine, use a visit to Father Christmas or a Christmassy treat to give incentive for good behaviour. It helps if you tell them the sort of "good behaviour " that you want to see. Just describe it simply "I want to see you holding my hand" " I want to hear your quiet voice" and make sure you notice when they are doing these things.
4. If you have to take your children shopping, give them a small amount of pocket money, ask if they would like to be very kind and buy a gift for a friend, still focus on giving rather than receiving, if they disagree the money is taken away before you leave the house.
5. Crafts are a great way for your child to make their own contribution to the celebration it promotes sharing and turn taking and children love to make things.
6. On the day itself don't rush to open the presents, give a small stocking or large sock with an assortment of pocket money items and after breakfast open the presents one at a time, this enables the present opening to last a good amount of time and you can note which present has been received by whom. Make sure you have a pen and paper ready! It is also a good lesson for patience in this time of instant gratification.
7. Look after yourself in a time of great stress, especially if you are having to cutback due to finances, catch up with friends, treat yourself to a night out, things will be so much easier to deal with, including tantruming children. Try and get a few good nights sleep before the festive period.
8. If you have a little one with special needs, think about what might trigger a response, again keep to routine as much as possible, if it is new to them avoid having your entire family round and keep the celebration low key, if they find Christmas difficult have a favourite toy nearby, play calming music, let them play. If present opening upsets them and you have other children keep present opening to one at a time. Your child may find decorations upsetting, allow siblings to decorate their own room. You will know your child's needs the best.
9. Parents are not superhuman and arguments and squabbling will happen, making sure you prepare as much as possible will reduce the stress and help you to get through this very busy time. If things don't go according to plan don't beat yourself up – just hope it goes better next time and have a little think if there is anything you would change.
Posted by Blueybaloo at 07:50 2 comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
Cocktail ottomans help complement just about any living room setup with their versatility and comfort. Similar to traditional ottomans, cocktail ottomans are multi-purpose pieces of furniture. People often use these oversized ottomans for seating or lounging. Most cocktail ottomans stand about the size of a coffee table, with enough stability to hold trays, plates, drinks, and servers. The Rooms To Go cocktail ottoman inventory consists of round, square, and rectangular designs. We offer cocktail ottomans featuring useful accessories, such as storage compartments and even pull-out mattresses for visitors and overnight guests.
Many of our top-selling cocktail ottomans make a luxurious footrest or attractive coffee table for parties. Popular pieces come covered in blended leather, with tufted top cushions and sturdy wooden legs. We also carry cocktail ottomans made with faux leather and Microfiber fabric. Our cocktail ottoman color options include multiple shades of brown, gray, black, red, blue, green, and white. Some models also feature unique and intricate designs for extra atmosphere. For added convenience, certain cocktail ottomans hold a full-size, pull-out mattress. Hold blankets, pillows, and other accessories with built-in storage compartments found in select cocktail ottomans.
At Rooms To Go, you may find plenty of large square and round cocktail ottomans, made with a variety of materials. We offer cocktail ottomans to match any living room. With upholstery like leather, Microfiber, and other fabrics, our ottomans feature limitless options at affordable prices. Many cocktail ottomans come with matching pieces, such as sofas, loveseats, or sectionals.


text:
Sparrow iPhone / iPad
- 类别: 移动应用
- 开发者: Sparrow by Google
- 参考价格: 68.00 元
简介 · · · · · ·
Discover a new way to mail on your Mac.
Sparrow is a minimal e-mail application designed to keep things simple and efficient.
No gimmicks here... just your mail and nothing else.
Sparrow supports IMAP and POP:
You can use the following mail providers with Sparrow:
- Gmail (classic and Google apps)
- MobileMe
- Yahoo!
- Any custom IMAP server
- Hotmail, MSN, Live ...
Quickly flick through threaded conversations on your Mac like never before.
Quick Reply:
Responding to your mail as never been so simple. Click, write, and send in the same window.
Facebook Integration:
See the profile picture of your friends and even 'Add friends' directly from Sparrow.
Unified Inbox:
All your mail in one place.
Labels and Folders:
Create and edit labels and folders right from Sparrow. Easily keep a clean and tidy inbox.
Formatting Bar:
Change fonts, add bulleted or numbered list. Sparrow makes it easy to customize your mail.
Quick Look:
Simply press space to preview all your attachments.
Inline Attachments:
Drag & drop images and documents straight into your mail.
Cloud Attachment:
With Dropbox & CloudApp, sending a mail with attachment has never been simpler. Drag, Drop and sync.
Stay up to date with your mail stream on selected accounts.
Sending mails from different addresses has never been this easy.
Priority Inbox:
If you use Gmail, Sparrow supports Priority Inbox.
Minimal Mode:
Hide message previews and the sidebar. See more mail at a glance.
Extended Sidebar:
View all your folders, labels, and mail accounts straight in the main view.
'We recommend giving Sparrow a try' - Ars Technica
'Sparrow is an awesome first step to a true native Gmail client for Mac' - TechCrunch
'I am insanely pleased with Sparrow' - Stephen Fry
'Sparrow aims for simplicity in a way that is rather inspired' - TUAW
Learn more about Sparrow on www.sparrowapp.com


text:
If your marketing strategy has been to sell wheat in one-third increments between harvest and January 1, this may be the year to sell a higher percentage at harvest. You may want to sell 50 percent at harvest and the remainder in one-fourth increments between August and January.
Price movements during the last five years have humbled most market analysts and prognosticators. At times, price movements have appeared random and contrary to current supply and demand conditions. Many market analysts have switched from predicting prices to managing price risk.
The current U.S. and foreign wheat supply situations are of adequate but below average supply and relatively strong demand. The strong demand is partially the result of extremely short supply of the feed grains. Above average wheat demand is from both the food market and the feed market.
Below-average supply and above-average demand has resulted in above average prices. At this writing, Oklahoma and Texas Panhandle wheat prices are in the $7.15 to $7.35 range. The KCBT July contract wheat price is about $7.38.
Oklahoma and Texas Panhandle June wheat prices for the years 2008 through 2012 averaged $6.40. The average June prices have ranged from a high in 2008 of $7.93 to a low of $3.75 in 2010. The average June price in 2012 was $6.48. Since June 2008, wheat prices in June have ranged from a low of $3.39 to a high of $9.05.
Each June from 2008 through 2012, the difference between the high price for the month and the low price for the month was calculated. The average low to high difference (range) for the five Junes was $1.35. The largest June price difference was in June 2011 at $1.97 and the smallest price difference was 52 cents in June 2010.
If you are enjoying reading this article, please check out Southwest Farm Press Daily and receive the latest news right to your inbox.
A cash price that is 90 cents above the five-year average supports selling a larger than normal percentage of wheat at harvest.
Market information indicates that tight corn stocks resulted in wheat prices being 80 cents to $1 above what they would have been with an adequate supply of corn. With a predicted 14 billion bushel crop and with 2013/14 U.S. corn ending stocks predicted to increase from 759 million bushels to 2.0 billion bushels, feed demand for wheat will decline.
The result will be relatively lower wheat prices. Rain-delayed corn planting will delay the corn harvest. It may be September before the wheat price impact from tight corn stocks will completely disappear.
World wheat ending stocks for the 2013/14 wheat marketing year are projected to increase 3.4 percent and remain below the five-year average. Wheat ending stocks for the U.S. are projected to decline about 8 percent and remain below average.
Below-average wheat stocks should result in above-average wheat prices. The five-year average annual Oklahoma and Texas Panhandle wheat price is about $6.37. Wheat prices can decline from the current $7.25 and still be above average.
There is no market indication on which direction wheat prices will go. What the market does know is that prices will change and that the change can be dramatic. What each producer must decide is which will hurt worse: "Sell now and not have the opportunity to receive a higher price," or "Not sell now and have to receive a lower price."
Dollar cost averaging (selling across time) tends to work relatively well. But when prices are above average the odds favor selling a higher percentage than normal.
You may also like:
Good marketing takes price savvy


text:
Bisping bout against Belfort 'not a done deal'
UFC president Dana White has warned that Michael Bisping's rumoured upcoming bout against Vitor Belfort "is not a done deal".
White made the announcement on Tuesday, after speculation that middleweight Bisping was set to face the former light-heavyweight champion as the main event of a January card in Brazil.
But White has now cast doubt on the match-up - after asserting that a deal that would see Belfort, who fought for the middleweight title at the start of 2011, face the Englishman has not yet been sealed.
Belfort also denied any knowledge of an impending announcement over the weekend, saying: "I don't have anything confirmed about fighting Bisping. It's all rumours. When I know about it will let you guys know."


text:
3. How will the Ravens match up against a big receiving corps?
Chargers general manager A.J. Smith loves creating instant mismatches by acquiring big wide receivers. Malcom Floyd is 6-foot-5, 225 pounds. Danario Alexander is 6-5, 217. Robert Meachem is 6-2, 215. And Seyi Ajirotutu is 6-3, 215. Plus, tight end Antonio Gates is athletic and large at 6-4, 255 pounds. The Ravens will need to be physical and time their leaps well when contesting jump balls in order to slow down an explosive offense. "Every one of their guys is a threat," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "I can start listing them, but we would probably run out of time. They have a lot of great players, not to mention their tight end, who is pretty good, too. Every one of their guys is a threat downfield. I think Philip [Rivers] has a lot of confidence in them, where he'll throw to spots and let those guys try to go make plays."
Harry How, Getty Images
Copyright © 2019, The Baltimore Sun, a Baltimore Sun Media Group publication | Place an Ad


text:
BRENTWOOD — A 67-year-old San Ramon man who was killed in a three-car crash Monday afternoon on Vasco Road was identified Tuesday morning.
Antun Niksic was killed when he 1998 Mercedes was struck head-on by a southbound 1999 Subaru Outback that had crossed into the northbound lane around 1:48 p.m. Monday.
The Subaru, driven by a 21-year-old Oakley man, had drifted into opposing traffic as the road curved to the right, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The Subaru struck the guardrail on the northbound side of the road and collided head-on with Niksic's car, the CHP said. A 1983 Pontiac Trans Am driving behind the Mercedes was also struck by the Subaru, then sideswiped the Mercedes.
The Subaru caught on fire and was engulfed in flames before firefighters could extinguish the blaze. The driver was taken to John Muir Medical Center with major head injuries; his condition was not known Tuesday.
A 67-year-old woman in the Mercedes' passenger seat was seriously injured. She was airlifted to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, where a nursing supervisor said she was in serious but stable condition Tuesday morning.
The 20-year-old Watsonville woman driving the Trans Am was not injured.
The crash forced the closure of Vasco Road between Camino Diablo and Dalton Avenue for about three hours.
Alcohol and drugs do not appear to be factors in the crash, according to the CHP. The investigation is continuing.
Contact Daniel M. Jimenez at email@example.com. Follow him at Twitter.com/DMJreports.