text:
Take your Bible and let's look together at the fourth chapter of Ephesians, Ephesians chapter 4. We come now to the second great section of this marvelous letter written by Paul to the churches, really, in Asia Minor, one of which was the church at Ephesus.
And we've entitled this first section, "The Lowly Walk of Our High Position." It's a tremendous passage, and we'll be spending the next few weeks just looking at the first six verses, it's importance and its impact, so rich, we're going to take our time in gleaning everything we possibly can.
When a person joins a certain organization or a certain society, he obligates himself to live or to act in accord with the standards of that society. He obligates himself to function according to the aims and the objectives and the goals and the drives and the purposes of that society to which he attaches himself. Now it can be illustrated many ways. As an American citizen, a person who chooses to live in the United States of America, you obligate yourself to abide by the principles, the standards and the laws that govern this society. As a person who is permitted to work in the place where you work, whatever place that is, a business or a plant shop, an office, a school, whatever it is where you work, you work there on the premise that you conform yourself and cooperate with the standards and the goals and the objectives and the principles that are a part of that particular organization. If you choose to join a service club, you obligate yourself to function in reference to that service club in the manner that they prescribe. If you join a secret society, whether it's the elks or the moose or the goats or whatever other things they've got, whatever you happen to join you automatically obligate yourself to cooperate with the standards that make up the organization.
If you want to become a part of a certain cult, a certain athletic team, a certain assembly line, a certain religious order. a certain business, I don't care what it is, there are certain principles that you pledge loyalty to uphold. That's the way human society is made. And if you choose not to cooperate and if you fall out of the line of conformity you will lose your place within the framework of that organization. If a person fails to become what that society feels is necessary, if he fails to fulfill its purposes and aims he becomes a hindrance to that society and is dismissed from it, set aside. It can be seen, for example, in our own situation in government. If you do not conform to the standards of the government, the laws that the government has set down you will be taken out of the society and you will be incarcerated somewhere where you will no longer be able to hinder the ongoing of the function of society.
If you identify yourself with a certain organization in business and you fail to live up to that expectation that the organization sets and you fail to conform to their standards of operation you will be fired. And that's the way it is in society. You are called upon to function in accord with that with which you identify. That's just standard fare. I can't tell you how many lectures I've heard from coaches through the years in athletics that said – "Look, if you're not going to do it our way then get off the team." Now that's a pretty standard approach to anything that we align ourselves with.
The old story of marching along with everybody else in the Army and keeping in step is a part of human society and mentality. Societies which we identify with socially, economically, politically, demand cooperation and conformity if we are to maintain a place within it.
Now this can become so binding on people that it's amazing what they will do to conform. I am utterly amazed at how people will become quote-unquote - the organization man - to fulfill whatever the organization tells them to fulfill if they think it will get them a raise or push them up the ladder a little higher. I'm amazed at the loyalty of some people to the various lodges and secret societies and things that they belong to and service clubs, so if they miss something somewhere they'll walk across a burning desert on hands and knees, twelve hours in a row to get to a meeting to make sure they don't violate the code. It's amazing how people prescribe themselves into such binding things but that's part of human society. We love to belong because belonging gives us acceptance. From the time we're very little we're identified with uniforms. We want to be a Cub Scout, not because we like what Cub Scouts do but because we like to have shirts like other Cub Scouts have with little things hanging on them. We want to be in the Awana Program cause we get a little shirt, we want to be a part of the team because we get to wear the uniform. I've been through it with my kids. The greatest day in our house is the day they give out the uniform for the next thing. Everybody wants to be a part of the team. That's just part of the human desire, to belong and to gain some acceptance in a sense of identity. It's amazing how binding it becomes.
It can actually trap people in a very bad way. Let me illustrate that by having you look at the ninth chapter of the gospel of John. The Lord Jesus Christ had done a wonderful miracle in the ninth chapter of John; He had healed a man who was born blind. And He had healed him for the glory of God and it was a wonderful thing that He had done.
The man had been blind all his life. Jesus spit in some clay and made a little bit of mud and put it on his eyes and told him to wash in the pool of Siloam. And he did and he came back seeing. And it was a wonderful miracle. And then, of course, the leaders began to try to investigate the miracle. It's pretty sad when unbelief investigates a miracle. You never get the right results. And they were very antagonistic to what Jesus had done. And, of course, they first of all wanted to talk to the blind man's parents to find out what they knew. We come to verse 22. "These words spoke his parents because they feared the Jews." What had they said? Verse 2l; "We don't want to answer for him, he's of age. Ask him, he'll speak for himself." In other words, they wouldn't acknowledge anything about how he was healed. They wouldn't discuss how he was healed. They wouldn't give credit to Jesus Christ. They wouldn't give glory to God. They didn't want to get involved in it at all. And the reason is here--they feared the Jews for the Jews had agreed already. That if any man did confess that He was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. They were so structured by the desire for acceptance in the society they had chosen that they would not confess that the sight of their own beloved son had come at the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ for fear that they would lose their social status. Now that's a pretty binding thing, isn't it? They would not confess the reality of the miracle of their own blind son because they feared they would get, the Greek says, unsynagogued, excommunicated. And the thing that mattered most to them was not the truth but it was belonging to the society which they had decided to identify with.
And people can identify with things that become so binding to them that they literally become blind to the reality of what they ought to know, and ought to be a part of. Had they had been thinking they would have immediately wished to identify with the son and with the One who had made the blind to see. For there was the real power.
Over in the twelfth chapter of John and the 42nd verse we find a similar occasion, John l2:42. And, of course, the Lord has come and fulfilled prophecy and all of this and it says in 42; "Neverthe-less among the chief rulers also many believed on Him. But," and that's a tragic but, "Because of the pharisees they did not confess Him lest they should be put out of the synagogue for they loved the praise of men more than," what? "The praise of God." The same thing again. They had made such a firm commitment to the society they had chosen that there was no way that they were going to restrict the function they wanted within that society. They actually damned their own soul to adhere to the code. Incredible. But that's how it is with men's willingness to conform to the standards of the group to which he makes his allegiance and from which he gains a sense of identity. That's the negative.
I can look back in my youth and see myself wanting to belong to fraternities and certain clubs and athletic lettermen's clubs and they made us go through some of the most incredible initiations you can ever imagine, that I wouldn't even talk about cause you wouldn't feel good if I did. You..you...and you look back and you say – "Why would I even bother with that kind of thing?" But the drive in the heart of a man is very strong, and of a woman, to belong, to be a part of something. And in the world it amazes me that when people identify they lock in and they'll do anything to conform. They want to abide by the principles. They want to be what they need to be. They want to get that acceptance. And you know what happens?
When you translate that into the church something goes wrong. You get tons of people who come and a lot of people who want the blessing and the rights and the privileges and the honors but somewhere along the line they never make the commitment to conform to the standards.
It doesn't seem to be nearly as binding. And maybe it's because in all of the world's things Satan is in there holding it together. But in the church they're trying to rip it apart and it's tough to stick with it. But you know, the standard isn't any different. And when you come to Jesus Christ, you enter His church, the body, you receive His salvation, He gives you all the rights and honors and privileges that come with being a Christian, and then He says I want you to conform to My standards, doesn't He? And the New Testament says if there is anybody in your midst who doesn't conform to these standards, put him out. If there is somebody in your midst, I Cor. chapter 5, who is living in an immoral manner in your midst, put him out. If there is somebody, in II Thes., who is walking disorderly, who is doing what they ought not to do and they don't respond to you put them out. If there is somebody, Paul said to Timothy, who is seeking things that are not consistent to what we know to be the truth of God, put him out. Listen, God has it that way in His church.
He says if you're not going to conform and cooperate with what the church is doing then you are better off to be out. In fact, sometimes the Lord puts people out on His own. And He said to the Corinthians get tons of people who come and a lot of people who want the blessing and the rights and the privileges and the honors but somewhere along the line they never make the commitment to conform to the standards.
He says if you're not going to conform and cooperate with what the church is doing then you are better off to be out. In fact, sometimes the Lord puts people out on His own. And He said to the Corinthians because of the way you have acted within the church, some of you are weak, some of you are sick, and some of you have died. And in I John chapter 5 He says there is even a sin unto death where the Lord literally excommunicates the believer, not losing salvation but being put out of the church fellowship because they're are more of a hindrance than a help.
Beloved, if people can join athletic teams and do businesses, and the Royal Order of the Goats and everything else and can conform with such rigid conformity, if people can be so fearful of being unsynagogued by the Jewish super-structure of their day that they literally damn their own souls and blind their eyes to the reality of the Son of God, if people can make those kinds of commitments to things that don't matter, do you imagine that we as Christians can make a high level kind of commitment to walk in the fashion that God has asked us to walk within the framework of His own beloved church? I think we should, don't you?
I think that is what Paul is calling us to do in the last three chapters of Ephesians.
He starts out in verse by saying this, and here is the heart of the matter, "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation to which ye are called." In other words, listen, you have in the first three chapters the rights and the honors and the privileges and now in the last three chapters he says - Here are the requirements. If you want to be a meaningful part of God's church, if you want to be somebody that matters in His church, if you want to adorn the doctrine of God, if you want to advance the Kingdom, if you really believe in this then here are the standards by which you are to walk.
And when you and I entered the church of Jesus Christ, and we entered the body of Christ, when by faith one day I put my trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and He became my Savior and Lord, that day I became a part of His kingdom, I became a part of His household, I became a part of His family. I became one of the branches that extends from THE branch, the Lord Jesus Christ. I became a part of Him. It behooves me to live up to it. He gave me the rights and the privileges and the honors, He made me unsearchably rich. He gave me not out of His riches but according to His riches. He blessed me with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus.
He has set aside the future for my benefit and in the ages to come He will pour out His grace and His kindness toward us who believe. He has done all of this for me. And now in chapter 4 there is a "therefore" here and I have to turn the corner and say - On the basis of this kind of promise to me, what are you asking of me? The apostle Paul comes through ringing loud and clear, - Walk worthy of such a calling! This is who you are! Walk in accord with that! Live up to that standard!
The Lord expects us to act like members of His body. He expects us to aim at what He aims at. He expects us to set the goal where He set the goal, to have the objective that is His objective. He expects us to be like Him. I Peter 2:I5, Peter said, "That the will of God is that we with well doing would put to silence the ignorance of foolish men." In other words, we ought to silence the mouth of the critics by the way we live. And I guess that's why I say this so often, it's so sad that most Christians don't walk worthy of their calling.
I remember Dr. Ralph Kipper saying to me one time when I was just young in seminary, he said, "The whole Christian life, John, the whole Christian life is simply becoming what you are. It's simply becoming what you are. This is who you are and this is how you are to live. Living up to who you are." And he's right.
In the body of Christ God expects conformity. Not a conformity to rules and regulations out of fear. Not a conformity to rules and regulations out of legalistic pride but a conformity to righteousness out of deep love and affection for Jesus Christ. But nonetheless, conformity. I want to do what God wants me to do. I want to be what God wants me to be because of all that He has done for me. I want to walk worthy. I want to be a worthy son, a worthy child. The believer calls himself a child of God, a believer has joined God's family, belongs to the heavenly Father and that says something about how he ought to live. If I'm my Father's child then I'll honor my Father. It's a sad failure in our commitment; it is indeed, not to live up to such an identity.
Philippians l:27 Paul put it this way, "Only let," now listen to this, "Only let your conduct be as it becometh the gospel of Christ."
You see, In other words, match your conduct with the gospel. The exalted reality of the gospel demands an exalted life style.
And that is precisely the issue we come to in Ephesians 4. The first three chapters are positional truth. The resources, the riches, the things God has done for us. We've been through them all. Absolutely staggering and incredible things. We found that He blessed us with all spiritual blessing. He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world. He made us to be holy, to be blameless. In love He even predestinated us. He adopted us. He made us to the praise of His glory. He made us accepted in the beloved One. He has given us redemption, forgiveness. He's given us wisdom, prudence. He's made known to us the mystery of His will. He has in the dispensation yet in the future to lift us up to heights we haven't even dreamed of to give us an inheritance that was preplanned before the world began. He has granted to us the Holy Spirit. He's given us resurrection power.
He's made us alive from the dead. He's taken us who are afar off, who are lost, who are cut-off and He's made us one new man in Himself. He's given to us the great mystery, the truth of the gospel, the truth of the church. And He's made it possible for us to capitalize on all of this by giving us His Holy Spirit who can strengthen the inner man so that Christ can settle down and be at home. So that we can be filled with incomprehensible love, so that we can have eternal fullness, the fullness of God. So that we can know the power that is in chapter 3 verse 20. And He's done it all for His own glory. He's done everything for us.
And simply, pointedly, directly does Paul say, "walk worthy!" Live up to it! It's high time that we circumscribe our living to our identity. Great New Testament truth.
Now listen, beloved, the transition here between S and 4 is not a random one. It is the typical pattern of Paul to make this kind of transition. It is a transition from doctrine to duty. From doctrine to duty. From precept or principle to practice. From theology to life.
It is not a random transition. He doesn't say, "Well, that's all for that first three chapters, now I think I've got something else I want to say." It is a transition that is inseparably linked. Doctrine, now watch this, always is the basis of duty. Duty always flows out of doctrine.
There can be no living unless there are principles for it. There can be no lifestyle unless there is a theology at the bottom of it. There can be no practice if there are no precepts. Doctrine and duty are linked as closely as the flower and the stem. As closely as the branch and the trunk. As closely as the trunk and the roots. Doctrine and duty.
Notice the word in verse l "therefore." We know what the therefore is there for. To take us back. It's the transition, on the basis of all of this doctrine therefore this is your duty. That's always Paul's approach. In all of his letters, beloved, he does this. In all of the letters he wrote to churches you'll find these "therefores." In fact, if you want an interesting study sometime just go through Paul's epistles and study all the transitions where therefore appears. Let's go back to an illustration of it in Romans chapter i2.
Romans chapter 12. Now we're all familiar with this great text. It's one that we know and love. This is what it says..."I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God which is your spiritual service or reasonable service." Now I want you to notice something. He is beseeching people and he is beseeching them to present their bodies as a living sacrifice; this is duty he is asking for. He wants duty out of them. In fact in verse 3 he talks about the gifts they are to manifest. Down in verse 9 he talks about the love that they are to manifest. And then further on that they are to not be lazy in verse 1l that they are to rejoice in verse 12. That they are to give to the needy in verse 13. They are to bless their persecutors in verse l4. Rejoice with people who rejoice and weep with those who weep to show sympathy, etc. All of these are practical things.
Then, in l8 he talks about how you are to respond to the government. How you are to respond to God's standards. How you are to respond to the weaker brother, in chapter l4. How you are to respond to the weaker brother in chapter l5. How you are to carry out your ministry in chapter l5. Chapter l6, how you are to relate to people in the ministry. It's all practical. But notice, before he gets into this practical section he says – "Therefore." Now listen to me, in chapter l2 you have the first practical instruction of the book of Romans, the first eleven chapters are theology. Before he ever says anything about what you are to do he gives you eleven chapters of the doctrine. Notice what he says..."I beseech you therefore, brethren, on the basis of the mercies of God."
And what are the mercies of God? They are the great theological truths that he has recited in the first eleven chapters. On the basis of these great realities about God which mercifully have been extended to you, this is your duty. On the basis of the righteousness of God, the uselessness of law and works, the saving power of faith, peace with God, standing in grace, the promise of glory, the gift of love, the indwelling Spirit, adoption, reconciliation, union, slavery to Christ, deliverance from sin, freedom from judgment, sanctification, justification, glorification, security, unfailing promises on the basis of all of these great mercies of God dispensed to sinful man.
"Therefore, brethren, I beseech you, present your body." See? It's always that way. Duty is always a response to doctrine. Behavior is always a response to precepts. Life is always a response to theology.
And I want you to know this because I want you to know why we teach doctrine. People say, "Well, you know, you get into such heavy teaching, you're teaching doctrine." Well, listen, I have to do that. That's what God has called me to do. To teach you the principles of life so that you can live life. The therefore is there for a reason. Look at Galatians chapter 5 and I'll give you another illustration. And we could go to any of Paul's epistles, really to do it, but I'll pick out a couple here. Galatians...in the first four chapters of Galatians Paul is discussing the liberty of the believer, he is free from circumcision, he is free from the Mosaic Code as a way of salvation. He is free from the ceremonial law. It doesn't mean that God's righteous moral law has changed at all. But he's not to look at laws as a way of salvation, he's free from that. He's free from circumcision. He's free from having to keep the ceremonies. And he said all of this. He said we have freedom in Christ. That's all first four chapters, heavy on that. In fact, he closes out chapter 4, "So then, brethren, we are not children of the bond woman, but of the free." He gives that great allegory of Sarah and Hagar. And then he closes with this great statement – "We are free." Great thing. Liberated for life.
Free. And then immediately his therefore comes in verse l. And I'll read you the way the Greek renders it. "For freedom, Christ has set us free." That's the summary of the first four chapters. For freedom Christ has set us free. Now the next word, "therefore," stand fast and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. You see the therefore is based on the theology of freedom. Therefore - don't go back to legalism, don't go back to that and get tangled up again. And then in chapters 5 and 8 he discusses the practical aspects of the life of freedom.
Look at Philippians chapter 2 verse l. And don't worry about the time, we're not going to get anywhere anyway so we'll just...like link sausage, you whack it off anywhere and get the whole thing. Phil. 2:1; "If there be therefore," there's that therefore. He's given some great, great theological truths in the first chapter. Great realities about Christ and what He has done in His life. About Christ's consolation.
About Christ's love. All of these things and now he says - "If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, any comfort of love, any fellowship of the Spirit, any tender mercies and compassions fulfill ye my joy that you be like minded having the same love being of one accord and of one mind. In other words he says, "Look, if our theology is this then, beloved, our behavior has got to be this." See?
We've got to have a therefore based on theology and doctrine to live by. Look at Colossians chapter S verse 5. Well, actually, let's look at verse 5. The first two chapters of Colossians, boy, one of the most exalted presentations of Jesus Christ and the truth of the gospel anywhere in the Bible. Fabulous statement. The end of chapter 1 is absolutely unparalleled as a statement of the glory of Christ. The only one that can rival it perhaps is Hebrews chapter 1. Tremendous statement about Christ. And then he goes on into the great truth about how Christ is all and all, in chapter 2. And you don't need anything but Christ. Christ is everything. Tremendous!
And then at the beginning of chapter 3 he says, "Look, you are risen with this Christ, what a great doctrine that is. You are risen with Christ, you are seated at the right hand of God. When Christ shall appear you're going to appear with Him in glory." Do you realize you've been exalted to the heavenlies? You have been given a citizenship that is trans-earthly, that is up there in the heaven of God, in the heavenlies as Paul calls them. Do you realize that you have ascended beyond? Your life is hid with Christ in God and then he says in verse 5, "Kill therefore your members which are on the earth." Do you see the point? Clear through chapter 3 verse 4 it's doctrine, doctrine, doctrine. Finally, therefore here's the duty. And, beloved, you need to know this. This is a constant principle of the New Testament. It's everywhere. Basic to teaching principles for living.
We are to walk worthy of our calling. We know what He's done for us. We know who we are. We know the principles. We are to walk worthy. I Thes. chapter 4 verse l says this, "Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus that as you have received of us how you ought to walk and to please God so you would abound more and more." Now do you get the point? We have taught you how to walk and oh, I exhort you now to do it. To do it.
You see, first there has to be the teaching. You can't expect the believer to function on what he doesn't know. You can't live a principle you don't know. You can't behave in a way you don't understand, and you must search the word of God to know the principles.
Proverbs tells us that you'll know the wisdom of God when you desire that wisdom like you desire gold, like people search for silver, when you search to know God's wisdom, you'll know it. The 28th chapter of Job, I was reading yesterday, it describes the first part of the chapter describes how ok men will work to mine out treasures. And it talks about the fact that they will go to any length conceivable to get treasure out of the ground.
In fact, let me show it to you. Look at Job chapter 28. He says here, "Surely there is a vein for the silver and a place for gold where they refine it. Iron is taken out of the earth and bronze is smelted out of the stone. He setteth an end to darkness and searcheth out all perfection; the stones of darkness and the shadow of death." In...what Job is saying here is that it's incredible that man will literally go down into the pits to find treasure, to find gold. He'll uncover the stones of darkness, he'll go into the shadow of death. He searches out everything to find silver, to find iron, to find bronze. He talks about, verse 6, the stones are in the...are the place of sapphires and it has dust of gold. And there is a path which no fowl knows, which no bird knows, which the falcon's eye has never seen. And the lion's whelps have never trod, nor the fierce lion passed by. In other words, this stuff, these sapphires and diamonds and rubies and gold and silver are hidden in places that the animals don't know, and the birds don't know, in dark places, in deep places, and man will go to find them there. "He puts forth his hand," verse 9, "On the rocks and overturns the mountains by the roots. He cuts the rivers among the rocks. And his eye sees every precious thing. He binds the floods from over-flowing." He sets up a dam and then he pans for gold. Man will do anything. And Job says, when it's all said and done, you know what he never finds? He never finds the wisdom of God. And then when you come to Proverbs chapter 2 you hear the writer of Proverbs say this, "When you put as much effort to know the wisdom of God as men will do to find gold and silver then you'll know God's wisdom." And listen, until you know God's wisdom, until the basis of doctrine is there, you don't know how to live. You have to know God's wisdom.
Back to Colossians for a minute. Verse l, or chapter 1 verse 9, "For this cause, we also, since the day we heard it do not cease to pray for you. And to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will." Now listen, "In all wisdom and spiritual understanding." Paul says - Oh, I want you to be filled with the knowledge of His will.
That's in your mind. All wisdom, all understanding, the result, verse l0, "In order that ye might walk." what's the next word? "Worthy." You see again, the worthy walk is predicated on knowledge. Being fruitful in every good work, predicated on knowledge. Strengthened with might, predicated on knowledge. Giving thanks, predicated on knowledge. That's why we teach the Word of God, beloved. That's why week after week after week I stand here and teach principles of the Word of God.
I don't spend a lot of time telling stories. Don't spend a lot of time just trying to whip you into emotional frenzies. I just want to teach you the principles of the Word of God so you can live them out. Now we could do that. We could have sanctified pep talks. And I could come in here and pull out some of my oldies but goodies and we could tell you all the jokes I know and we could laugh and scratch the whole time. And we could get all traumatized emotionally and I could tell you a tear-jerking stories and we could just really have a real emotional bath.
And you know what? You'd get all emotionalized and then l5 minutes later you'd forget everything you ever heard. There wouldn't be any principles there. You know, pastors and teachers weaken the Word of God when they come to people and exhort them about duty and they've never taught them doctrine, because they've sucked the motive out.
They've removed the principle. I can illustrate it this way. Ummm we'll assume this. You all drive 55 miles an hour. I say we'll assume that. Why do you drive 55 miles per hour? You don't say, "Well, you know, I - I was just praying about it one day and it seemed to be right, to just drive 55 miles an hour so I've just decided I'll do that." No. The reason you drive 55 miles an hour is because there is a doctrine and that doctrine says you will drive 55 miles an hour. Your duty is predicated on that doctrine. Around the first of April you don't say to your wife, "Honey, I wouldn't...let's send a large check this year to the government. They've done so much for us, the lovely parks that we enjoy, the highways upon which we take our vacation, the wonderful programs they have to provide for the needy, this government is so great let's just...let's..several thousand dollars. In fact, let's borrow to do it, honey. Because I just...I feel there is something in me that wants to do this." No, the reason you send that in there is because there is a doctrine that says you're going to send it.
That's one of the rules. And that's the way it is in the Christian life. You don't arbitrarily do things. And unless people know the reason you, you have a hard time getting them to make a commitment to the duty. Do you understand? And so what happens is you...you can become a sort of a, a sort of a theological, not really a theological but a sort of a Christian cheerleader. And you get everybody in there and you get them all committed to doing stuff - they haven't got the faintest idea why. Unless you teach them doctrine.
You know, even when we're on the radio, we have our radio program now and the Lord is really blessing, it's really exciting. We get great mail. People are coming to Christ...it's just really great. I got a letter from a guy the other day, he was very upset with me teaching doctrine. Boy, he was really...he was rip-snorting mad, two pages worth, single spaced typed. And he let it all fly about he was angry at my doctrine, you're just regurgitating a bunch of lousy theology. He went on and on. And boy, he let me have it from front to the back. And he was a minister. But he went on..at the very end his last line was - please excuse the typographical mistakes, at least I won't be held accountable for these in that day. And then he signed his name. Well, the Lord used that, and I'm thankful the Lord allowed that to come because the Lord reminded me that I will be accountable.
James 3:l says - "Stop being so many teachers for theirs is a greater condemnation." And you know what I'll be accountable for? The Lord's only going to ask me one thing. Did you dispense to My people My truth? Isn't that right? That's all. And I want to discharge my ministry to the full and discharging my ministry to the full means that I must teach you the principles of the Word of God. Now first I've got to get you here to get you to listen, and then I've got to convince you that you ought to operate on those things. That's God's calling to me. I'm not interested in getting you to conform legalistically. I'm not interested in getting you to conform emotionally. I'm not interested in intimidating you into that. I feel that my responsibility is to give you the truth of the Word of God and to allow you the responsibility to obey it or not obey it. And l think if we just get in the pulpit and just try to whip people into emotionalism, or we just tell them to do things all the time without giving them a theological reason for doing it we leave them empty and we miss the point. Doctrine, people, is the key to Christian living. People, they say, "Well, we just want to love everybody, and we don't want to make doctrine an issue." That is the dumbest statement. You know, in fact, down the street, down Roscoe Boulevard about at Haskell, there is a little green church with no sign on it that is The Church of L.A. They call it that because years ago Watchman Nee wrote that each, according to the New Testament, every city had one church so that should be still true. And a guy named Whitnus Lee picked this up and started a movement out of it and they say there should be only one church in each city, Church of Los Angeles, Church of San Francisco, Church of Pittsburgh, you know, that approach. And, of course, since they have several branches they all call themselves the Church of L.A. even though it's in Sepulveda. I don't know how that works with their theology but that's what it is. Anyway, it's called the Church of L.A. Well, the book that spawned this movement is written by a man named Whitnus Lee and the title of the book is "CHRIST VERSUS DOCTRINE." That's the title of the book, I read the book. And in it he says - "Christ is against all doctrine." They do not believe in doctrine. And that, of course, is one of their carnal doctrines. The word doctrine simply means principles. One of their principles is not to believe in principles.
You can't say...and then you have everyone today who comes sort of on the border line of liberalism in saying, "We've got to forget theology and just set it aside and just…we just have to love everybody and let's not talk about theology, we'll just all get together on the basis of love." It's a wonderful thought it's just not biblical.
Let me show you some verses. Ephesians 4:23, you know, I've been reading a lot in that last few years about church renewal. And there's a lot of books coming out on church renewal, some of them are good and helpful and I've appreciated them very much. But in all of the talk about church renewal it's kind of interesting, because there's a lot of suggestions about how to get the church renewed. We've got to renew the church. Renewal is the...sort of the new word, you see. And there are suggestions. The way to renew the church is to change the structure. We've got to kick against the traces, we've got to get rid of all of the old patterns, dump this, get rid of that. We've got to do it in small groups. We've got to have little groups of interaction and sharing. We've got to have it oriented this way and we've got to do it this way, and we've got to rearrange the furniture and make people face each other and we've got to get people to spill out their problems to each other. And we've got methods and manners and solutions. And a lot of it is very kind of exterior and superficial. Some of it is more ahhhh deep and meaningful but they're all suggestions of the new methodology for renewal. There's new methods for it. New ways to do it.
Well, you know something? You can do that till you're purple. You can reorganize the church every six months for the rest of your life and never know renewal. You can change the furniture all you want. You know the first principle of Christian education - move the chairs. You can do that as much as you want. You can reorganize and restructure and reset and change the format and the methods and the plans and the programs until you die and never have renewal. Because Ephesians 4:23 says, "You are renewed in the spirit of your," what? "Your mind." If the church really wants renewal it will find renewal when it imparts to the people of God the truth of God so that their minds can know it. That's the basis of renewal. And then, frankly, it matters little how you arrange the furniture, or what method you use because you've got a whole lot of renewed people and renewed people are going to carry on the work of the Lord in whatever framework.
But notice, it is the mind that is the source of renewal. The renewal that comes to the church comes in the mind, the thinking process. That's why in Ephesians 1:17 the apostle said that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, would give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened. In other words, God knows that the heart of the matter is to know His truth in your mind. We must know doctrine, beloved, before we can ever know duty.
Philippians, again, chapter l verse g, I just want to make this point solid this morning. And here's a verse I hear a lot but a lot of times people don't quote the whole verse. "And this I pray that your love may abound yet more and more," and they stop there. They say, "Oh, yes. We must love more and more and we've got to forget about all of these things about doctrine." But you didn't read the verse, it says "I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment that you may test things that are excellent." See? You've got to be discerning. You've got to make judgments. You've got to know doctrine and theology or your love is less than God's love, which is discerning, knowledgeable, makes judgments.
In Colossians chapter l and verse l0 he says, "That you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitful in every good work." That's the goal. How? Increasing by the knowledge of God. The best rendering of the preposition - by the knowledge of God. As you know God you walk worthy. As you know God you're fruitful in every good work. Colossians 3:10, "Put on the new man that is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him." To know God, to know Christ, to know His word, that's the issue. Peter says at the end of his second epistle, chapter 8 verse 1S, "Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." Knowledge, people, knowledge, you've got to know the Word of God. You should hunger for it and you should search for it and you should seek for it as treasure the way men will go to the pits of the earth to seek gold and silver. Paul wanted people to be perfect, mature, complete. Colossians 1:27 he says, "Christ whom we preach, warning every man. teaching every man that we may present every man perfect." We want mature saints. You say, "That's great, Paul." Chapter 4 verse 12, Epaphras is praying that everybody would be perfect and complete in all the will of God. They wanted mature, perfect, complete people. And, of course, the answer came in II Timothy 3:16, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God that the man of God may be perfect. Thoroughly furnished unto all good works." You can't do the good works without the knowledge of the Word of God. And so, beloved, we teach you the principles.
I think one of the reasons Christianity was in so much trouble, it's kind of coming out of it now and I thank God for the revival in study that's going on but a few years back the reason Christianity was in such terrible straits was because it was so ignorant. Walter Martin told me one time that the average 90 day wonder out of the Jehovah's Witnesses could take apart a seminary graduate in 30 minutes because he didn't know his theology. I've talked to seminary students recently coming from seminaries across our country. I talked to one two weeks ago in Chicago who told me he just graduated from seminary and felt that what he needed now was to get some content for his ministry. That's a quote. We must know the Word of God.
But the church for years has not approached it that way. We've gotten all wrapped up in the follies of relationalism and we've missed the point. We're so busy worrying about relating to one another that we don't even know what the foundation of a relationship is.
People, you can't live what you don't know. Right? You can't play the game if you don't know the rules. You can't live within the framework of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ and walk worthy of it unless you know the standards. We must know the Word of God.
Paul, bless his heart, he knew so much and yet the great cry of his heart was, - Oh, that I may know Him. Remember that? Philippians 3. And James great cry was - That I might receive the engrafted word. James l:21. And Peter - That we might desire the pure milk of the word that we might grow thereby. And so it is that the standard of God is the basis of behavior.
Now listen, go back to Ephesians 4 and I'll close. "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation to which you're called." Beloved, God is calling by His Spirit for you to walk worthy. Did you get that? To walk worthy.
Now let me tell you something in closing. You know what happens when you walk worthy? Look at Hebrews chapter 11. You remember the great heroes of faith in Hebrews 11, so wonderful, so wonderful? First there was Abel in verse 4 who offered to God a more excellent sacrifice. And then there was Enoch, why he walked so worthy one day he ...he took a walk with God and God liked him so much and their fellowship was so sweet he just kept on walking and the two of them walked right up to glory. And he never even died. And then there was Noah and Noah walked with God for 120 years while he built that boat. And then there was Abraham and Abraham and Sarah they walked with God and they walked a worthy walk, a walk of faith. Then there was Isaac and then there was Jacob and then there was Joseph and then there was Moses. Against the opposition and against the system, they walked with God and theirs was a worthy walk. They lived up to what they knew.
And then there was Rahab the harlot in verse 3l. And then there were a lot more, look at verse 32. "What shall I say more? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephtha and David and Samuel and the prophets who through faith subdued kingdoms and wrought righteousness and obtained promises and stopped the mouths of lions." Hey, wouldn't you like to be a part of that crew? Isn't that a great group to align with? "Who quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in light, turned to fight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again and others were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection. And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment; they were stoned and they were sawn in half and they were tested and were slain with the sword and wandered about in sheepskin and goatskin, being destitute, afflicted and tormented."
What a group! What a group! But look at the next line, verse 38; "Of whom the world was not," what? "Worthy." Listen, you walk worthy and the world won't even be worthy of you.
Well, let's pray together.
Father, we come with a great deal of conviction in our hearts to You because we know that such a high calling demands such a worthy walk. We want to live, walk daily life style, conduct in accord with Your standards. We've chosen to belong to Your society, be a part of Your family. We want to be an honor, we want to adorn the doctrine of God, we want to put to silence the ignorance of foolish men, we want to silence the critics, we want to live to Your praise, want to live to Your glory, we want to conform to Your standards out of love. Help us to walk worthy. And in so walking transcend this world and be among those of whom the world was not even worthy. That was true of You, Lord, more than anybody else. And we want to be like You. Thank You.
Father, for the fact that we can walk worthy as we are strengthened in the inner man by the Holy Spirit as Christ settles down to be at home in us, sheds in us His incomprehensible love as we are filled with the fullness of God and we become exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think. And, Father, we know that thus we can walk worthy. So may it be that we commit ourselves to that and that we study to know the truth so we can live it. We pray in Christ's name. Amen God bless you.
This article is also available and sold as a booklet.
This sermon series includes the following messages:
Please contact the publisher to obtain copies of this resource.Publisher Information


text:
Table ofContents
The attack on Pearl Harbor thrust the United States into World War II. The attack had significant and far-reaching political effects on the United States, changing the minds of many who had been philosophically opposed to war or who had taken a passive stance towards the war in Europe. The increasing diplomatic confrontations and economic sanctions against Japan by the United States and others, compounded by Japan's undeclared war in China and the weakening of European control in Asian colonies, precipitated the war in the Pacific. The Japanese felt that the time was opportune to conquer British, American, French, Chinese, and Dutch territories in Southeast Asia. This belief pushed militaristic factions in Japan to provoke war with the United States. Fearing that the United States Pacific Fleet would pose a formidable obstacle to Japanese conquest of Southeast Asia, Admiral Isoruko Yamamoto, Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet, visualized a bold attack on the Pacific Fleet while it lay at anchor at Pearl Harbor. Such a surprise strategical attack, bold and daring in its execution, would, he believed, secure the Pacific.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Use mouse scroll wheel over image or pinch-to-zoom on touch devices. You can also click and drag around on image.
Recent installs by Metropolitan Detail
Parked toNorthWest Auto Salon
byXPEL Protective Films
xpel clear bra clearbra paint protection film self-healing ppf film cars n coffee cars and coffee stealth ultimate clearSign up to add your own keywords
More from this Profile:
Project Hennessey Performance Tuner School
Project ULTIMATE BMW X5M
Garage STEALTH Huracan


text:
Andreenos has quite a number of named characters, and I hope we'll see them all in MOTUC.
Buzz-Off is probably a given in the line, provided the line survives for another year or two. I'm sure the 4HM will make him look really great.
Stingrad would just be a repaint of Buzz-Off with a different head and offered as a bonus character. That way those who don't want him could pass on him.
Queen Andreeno is a character I'm looking forward to. Not only does she adds another female to the line, but with her, it'll mean we're another character (after King Randor) down to completing the Eternian council.
Edit: Bumblor is a bit on the wide side and would probably require new parts, so I don't see it anytime soon.


text:
Related Topics : LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Electronic Surveillance
When phone calls, video conference information, pictures, chat logs, etc. are all stored in a central location via social media, a potential hacker has access to just about everything, quickly and easily. ... More >>
Social media listening combines technology, data and analytics to become the latest addition to the marketing toolbox. ... More >>
Mobile devices are fueling the biggest revolution in how we live and work since the development of the PC and Internet. ... More >>


text:
Fowler lifts Rockies over Padres in extras
Denver, CO – Dexter Fowler hit the game-winning single in the bottom of the 10th inning and the Colorado Rockies split a four-game series against the San Diego Padres with an 8-7 win on Sunday.
With Tyson Ross (0-3) pitching for San Diego, Todd Helton walked to lead off the inning. After Yorvit Torrealba bunted out, Jonathan Herrera singled to right. Joe Thatcher came in to replace Ross. DJ LeMahieu pinch-ran for Helton and advanced to third when Tyler Colvin grounded into a fielder's choice. Fowler then connected on a 1-1 pitch to end the game.
Rex Brothers (2-0) allowed one hit in the top of the 10th inning to pick up the win.
Carlos Gonzalez drove in three runs and Troy Tulowitzki had a two-run homer for the Rockies, who saw starter Juan Nicasio allow two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out seven over six frames.
"It's as good as I've seen Juan this year. He was at the bottom of the zone, his good fastball, and he was up to I think 95 or 96," said Rockies manager Walt Weiss. "Threw some good changeups today and then the slider, all three were working for him. Just that sixth inning they got some balls up, it looked like."
Mark Kotsay had a two-run home run while Nick Hundley and Cameron Maybin each hit a solo shot for the Padres. Starter Clayton Richard gave up four runs on eight hits and a walk in six innings.
Fowler singled to lead off the home half of the first, setting up Tulowitzki's two-run shot three batters later.
In the third, Fowler opened up the inning by ripping a double to right and scored on a groundout by Gonzalez. After Tulowitzki drew a walk, Nolan Arenado delivered an RBI triple.
Nicasio was perfect through the first 5 1/3 innings before finally making a mistake and giving up a home run to Hundley. Richard, Everth Cabrera and Alexi Amarista connected on three straight singles, the last of which scored Richard. Cabrera stole third and Kyle Blanks drew a walk to load the bases.
The next batter, Will Venable, hammered a shot to left, but Gonzalez grabbed the ball as he collided with the wall to end the inning and stop the rally.
However, the Padres took the lead in the seventh. Maybin's solo shot off Edgmer Escalona cut the deficit to one. Following a Hundley single, Kotsay, pinch-hitting for Richard, smashed a 2-1 pitch over the center field wall.
San Diego added two more runs in the eighth. Blanks hit a one-out infield single and scored on a triple by Venable and Chris Denorfia drove in Venable with a run-scoring single.
Luke Gregerson came out in the ninth for the Padres. Herrera singled to left with one out, reached second on a fielder's indifference and scored on a single by pinch-hitting Colvin. Fowler delivered a single to center and stole second base. Two batters later, Gonzalez took an 0-2 pitch and knocked a double to right, plating Colvin and Fowler.
Tulowitzki was intentionally walked and Gregerson was replaced by Ross, who got Arenado to fly out to right, sending the game into extra innings.
"That was probably one blip on the radar for him," Padres manager Bud Black said of Gregerson.
Game Notes
Fowler went 4-for-6 and scored three times ... Brothers has thrown 25 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings, second-most in the majors ... Cabrera is on a 10-game hitting streak ... The Rockies were 4-for-14 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base.


text:
Extra Points: Freeney is off base with collusion charges
Philadelphia, PA – Dwight Freeney recently uttered the one word that can put a scare into any billionaire -- collusion.
The new San Diego Chargers defensive end was reacting to the soft market for this year's veteran free agent class, one which had players like Freeney and Charles Woodson twisting in the wind for weeks until they finally signed modest deals.
"I basically think the owners got together and decided not to spend the cash on free agents," Freeney told CBSSports.com. "I definitely think that's part of it. I think the owners made a pact. There's only 32 of them and none of them broke ranks. I think they all decided not to spend money."
That of course is a very serious charge and one which could result in a significant financial penalty for the league's owners if proven.
Collusion is defined as an agreement between two or more parties to limit open competition by deceiving, misleading, or defrauding others of their legal rights, or to obtain an objective forbidden by law typically by defrauding or gaining an unfair advantage.
In sports, it's when owners begin working together in order to avoid competitive bidding for players.
Back in the mid-1980s, Major League Baseball owners were accused of collusion after then-commissioner Peter Ueberroth called them "damned dumb" for the trade off many were making, losing millions of dollars in order to compete to win a World Series.
In the MLB free agent market following the 1985 season, only four players changed uniforms and significant stars like Kirk Gibson and Tommy John didn't even receive offers. The next year featured more of the same and for the first time since the advent of the free agency system in baseball, the average salary for a player on the market dropped.
Grievances were filed by the MLBPA claiming the owners violated the sport's collective bargaining agreement which read: "Players shall not act in concert with other Players and Clubs shall not act in concert with other Clubs."
By 1988, damages began to be awarded to the players and when a final settlement was finally reached in 1990, the owners agreed to pay the players $280 million, with the MLBPA deciding how to distribute the money to the damaged players.
In case you are wondering, $280 million back in 1990 ranges from $447 million to $757 million today depending if you are looking at a historic standard of living rate or actual economic power -- either way a significant chunk of change and something NFL owners certainly wouldn't want to be handing out in what is still a sluggish recovery from a massive recession.
Freeney's accusation, though, is a lot tougher to prove than the gripe MLB players had nearly 30 years ago.
According to Mike Garafolo of USA Today, NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith requested that agents who had knowledge of collusion bring those cases to light back in April, so while there may be some smoke, it's going to very tough to fan that into any flames.
Sure you can argue Freeney and the top free agents at his position, like Seattle's Cliff Avril and Baltimore's Elvis Dumervil, were underpaid based on previous benchmarks, but at the end of the day they actually did receive offers, unlike Gibson and John when baseball owners were colluding.
Meanwhile, a player like Mike Wallace had to back up the Brink's truck when he signed with Miami, and quarterbacks like Joe Flacco, Aaron Rodgers and Tony Romo now possess the gross national product of a third-world country after inking new deals this offseason.
A certain level of collusion is probably happening in the NFL right now, but it stems from a groupthink mentality not a Deep Throat-like economic conspiracy spearheaded by the Illuminati or the Bilderberg Group.
While he is a four-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowl selection, Freeney is also 33 years old, three years north of a barrier that has basically turned into leprosy for NFL personnel people.
Instead of arguing collusion, Freeney might want to tap into ageism -- that's the discrimination he was facing this offseason.


text:
"SurveyMonkey helps us get the real-time insights we need to understand our customers, prospects, and employees, so we can provide better solutions and experiences for them."
Aaron Goldman
Most organizations have access to big data. But that only tells you "what" happened, not "why." Get the story behind the numbers with People Powered Data: the key to better understanding your customers, markets, employees, and anyone else who matters to your business.
Need help with account issues, including invoicing, renewals, cancellation, or something else? Visit the Help Center or contact support directly.
Improve your CX
Learn how we can help you delight customers, boost loyalty, and create a culture of customer centricity.
Build a better workplace
See how we help HR professionals recruit, onboard, develop, and retain employees.
Be a better marketer
Learn about how our marketing solutions help you get the insights you need to drive growth and boost ROI.
of customers will permanently stop using a product or service after 1 bad experience.
See how to understand and delight your customers.
of the 30,000 new products launched each year will fail.*
Learn how to stay tuned in even as the market changes.
of employed people said they'd take a job at another company if offered one.
Build a happy, productive workforce with staying power.
53 trillion gigabytes of data will be created by 2020.**
Get data that actually works for you.
Capture the opinions of customers, employees, prospects, or anyone who matters to you. Our products get you up and running fast.
Get valuable feedback into your existing systems. Track business-critical changes and spot trends across your organization.
Turn insights into results. Discover how to create experiences that build trust and loyalty with the people who shape your business.
Want more information about our products?
Enterprise-grade security. Unrivaled scalability. User-friendly design. SurveyMonkey's suite of business solutions makes it fast and simple for your organization to conduct market research, create a first-class customer experience, build a more productive workforce, and more.
Customer satisfaction. NPS® automation. New case studies. Know what your customers are thinking at every touchpoint and transform them into advocates.
Customer satisfaction
Looking to increase happiness? Great things come to those who listen. Get actionable feedback at scale from your customers with SurveyMonkey.
NPS automation
Deliver on your promise to your customers. Automate, monitor, and improve your NPS to boost loyalty and long-term revenue with SurveyMonkey CX.
Social proof
Turn your customers into your best spokespeople. Transform customer feedback into case studies, testimonials, and more with TechValidate.
Market research. Concept testing. Brand tracking. Tap into markets around the world and get the fresh insights you need to succeed.
Powerful platform
Conducting market research is simple with our user-friendly, feature-rich platform. Get actionable feedback at scale from consumers with SurveyMonkey.
Global panel
Reach consumers in over 100 countries for real-time feedback. Survey the general population or a specific demographic using SurveyMonkey Audience.
On-boarding to exit feedback. Employee engagement. Application management. Invest in your company's most valuable asset and reap the rewards.
Employee experience
From recruitment to retention, get the expertise, speed, and scale you need to understand the entire employee lifecycle with SurveyMonkey.
Employee engagement
Create a happier, healthier, more productive workforce. Get a user-friendly experience and a modern engagement methodology with SurveyMonkey Engage.
Application management
Easily manage employee and community scholarships, innovation awards, research grants, sponsorships, and more with SurveyMonkey Apply.
"SurveyMonkey helps us get the real-time insights we need to understand our customers, prospects, and employees, so we can provide better solutions and experiences for them."
Aaron Goldman
Net Promoter Score and NPS are registered trademarks of Bain & Company, Inc., Fred Reichheld and Satmetrix Systems, Inc.
*Source: Harvard Business School (Nobel, Carmen, Clay Christensen's Milkshake Marketing).
**Source: IDC via eetimes


text:
Miley Cyrus Disses Taylor Swift: People Who Call Me A Slut 'Are Idiots'
After reporter Ken Baker tweeted an incredible comparison and contrast between Miley Cyrus & Taylor Swift that highlights their relationship history, Miley blasted her detractors by calling them all 'idiots!' Fair or foul?
For all the people that call Miley Cyrus a slut, she has a few choice words for you! Take a look at what she had to say via Twitter — you may be surprised!
When Ken Baker recently tweeted a picture to both Taylor Swift & Miley, the former Disney star was quick to respond, and better yet — she is probably right!
The picture in question shows Taylor and Miley together. The caption states, "[Miley] is called a slut or bitch everyday. Has been with the same guy for more than three years and is engaged to him," while the caption next to Taylor clearly points out: "is called sweet, elegant, inspirational. Has been with more than 13 guys for the past three years!"
Miley's comments were straight and to the point when she said in a response tweet, "people are idiots and call me a SLUT when I am engaged at 20 cuz I am madly in love with ONE man. Just happy someone admitted it."
And based on the comparison, she is 100% correct! But, she was also quick to settle down any drama that would come from an ensuing Twitter war with Taylor when she added, "haha there is no tweet heat! Don't go trying to make this look like I started any kinda drama. I laughed because I know."
So HollywoodLifers, do you think Miley is being misjudged? Sound off below!
Russ Weakland
More Miley Cyrus News:
- Meet Miley Cyrus' New Love: Puppy, Lila
- Miley Cyrus Adopts New Dog 'Mary Jane' — Named After Weed?
- Miley Cyrus & Liam Hemsworth's New Baby: Meet 'Happy'


text:
Pheasant, Grouse, Partridge, Other Seasons Close
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - South Dakota's pheasant season isn't the only one coming to a close Sunday.
Hunting seasons for prairie chicken and grouse, partridge and bobwhite quail also close this weekend.
The extended "antlerless tags only" season for East River and West River firearm deer hunting, which opened Saturday, Dec. 29, closes on Sunday as well.
Pheasant hunting guides say dry conditions have made for a difficult season despite summer brood counts showing that bird numbers were up across the state.
Huron-area guide Steve Bublitz says early-season hunts were tough because the birds would escape into the dry, heavy weeds and the hunters' crunch gave pheasants a heads-up.
Hunters killed more than 1.5 million pheasants last year, when brood counts showed a pheasants-per-mile index of 3.57. Surveys this summer show an index of 4.21.
Mitchell-area guide Mike Kuchera says bird numbers seemed down in his area due to the summer's extreme heat and drought.
State game biologist Travis Runia says the department will wait to speculate on the success of the hunting season until it gets its harvest data.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
Availability: Out of stock
We like creating swimsuits with playful messages and energetic colours like this spirited take on a classic Latin phrase. Our Aqua one-piece is embellished with multicoloured Roman lettering and geometric shapes. Contrasting logo at back. Arena, in aqua veritas.
Maxlife is a multitasking swimwear fabric that delivers amazing results underwater and over time. With built-in resistance to chlorine and sunlight, our pioneering textile retains shape and won't fade. Super smooth and anti-pilling, feel great in a suit that looks like new length after length.
Design + Fit
We believe in technology for a tailored fit. This state-of-the-art suit moulds perfectly to your body. Our sporty Bullet back design provides excellent upper body support for fast swimming across different styles. Enjoy added coverage with front lining and a medium-cut leg.
In order to ensure that your Arena swimsuit provides you with the best possible performance for a long time to come, we recommend you take the following precautions:
- rinse immediately after use, in non-chlorinated water;
- do not leave the wet swimsuit in a bag or other container for a long time;
- do not expose the wet swimsuit in a bag or other container to direct sunlight;
- wash with detergents suitable for delicate clothes;
- air-dry away from heat sources.
Follow the washing instructions given on your product label.
The label provides useful symbols giving information on how to take best care of it.


text:
"To lead and represent the most informed, enthusiastic, involved, and supportive alumni/ae body in the world."
When the Deerfield Academy Alumni Association was officially established in 1969, an Executive Committee was formed to serve as the continuing governing body of the association. According to the written constitution of the Alumni Association, the purpose of the committee is "to serve as a clearinghouse for the expression of alumni sentiment and interchange of ideas; to determine the general directions and nature of the association and its activities; and to seek to improve the relationship between the academy and its alumni in such other ways as it considers advisable. It shall make recommendations to the association or to the Board of Trustees…it may establish such committees in the furtherance of its functions as it may deem necessary."
The present-day Executive Committee is composed of 20-30 members. Members are elected for a term of three years and are eligible for re-election to a second three-year term. The committee is led by the president, who serves a single three-year term and also sits on the Board of Trustees during his/her tenure.
Candidates for election to the committee are suggested by the staff of the Advancement Office and by current Executive Committee members to the Nominating Committee. New members are nominated to fill existing vacancies by vote of the Executive Committee. The chief criteria for membership on the Executive Committee are a demonstrated interest in the welfare of the Academy as evidenced by prior volunteer service or other activities on behalf of the school, and to have attended at least two of the three Executive Committee meetings each year (although it is unusual for members not to attend all meetings), with participation via conference call if unable to attend a meeting. (Members are also chosen with some eye toward a broad representation of alumni generations and geographic diversity.)
The committee meets three times yearly, twice in Deerfield (fall and spring) and once in New York or Boston.


text:
Faith and Acting Against Conscience
John Calvin comments, "Every work, however splendid and excellent in appearance, is counted as sin, except it be founded on a right conscience; for God regards not the outward display, but the inward obedience of the heart." If we ...Read More
Passing Judgment on Ourselves
Though we sometimes feel guilty for things that are not actually sins, we should always pay attention to the voice of our consciences when we experience guilt. When we feel guilt, we must endeavor to understand, according to God's Word ...Read More
Keeping Faith to Yourself
Commentators on this passage also note that the idea of keeping our faith to ourselves does not mean we may never share with weaker believers our convictions regarding matters where God has left us free. We may, and indeed must ...Read More
Partaking and Abstaining
As fallen people, we are tempted to pass judgment all too quickly on others without first seeking to understand why they do what they do. As we will see, this is part of what was plaguing the Roman church, as ...Read More
Shadow Versus Substance
We might envy the old covenant saints because we do not usually see great seas parted, manna falling from heaven, and other "spectacular" displays of God's power. But we are in a far better position than the old covenant ...Read More
Natural Law
There are no consistent moral relativists. Since moral relativists say there is no universal right and wrong, they invalidate their beliefs when they complain about being treated unfairly. The fact that no one is a moral relativist guarantees that we ...Read More
Natural Law
Without a supreme authority, individuals decide what is right and what is wrong. However, we cannot reasonably expect others to submit to standards not based on a higher, eternal, and universal authority. Though moral relativism is confessed, the cry, "That ...Read More
Saul "Troubles the Land"
Saul was something of a Pharisee—he required more from his men than God did. We, of course, are prone to the same sort of behavior, dreaming up guidelines for ourselves and others that God never lays upon us. Beware ...Read More
Dealing with Guilt
To ask "What do we do with our guilt?" is to ask "How can we live with ourselves?" Few unbelievers want to know the truth about humanity; they prefer to live a lie than address their guilt head-on. Our task ...Read More
The Weak Conscience
Has anyone ever called you judgmental? Do you consider something to be sinful that God has not? Do you try to be another's conscience? Are you too loose with God's Word? Do you feel uncomfortable around more conscientious Christians? If ...Read More
The Awakened Conscience
Write a brief account of how God awakened your conscience. If you were converted as a child, you might not remember. If this is the case, write a brief account of a time in your life when God used your ...Read More
The Echo of Conscience
If God has given all people a conscience, why is there so much moral decay in our society (Rom. 1)? What role does the church play in restraining sin (Matt. 1)? What role does the individual Christian play? During the ...Read More
The Practical Syllogism
Take the one area in your life that you selected yesterday and apply the practical syllogism. Once again, look up passages that deal with this subject. Use these verses to write the first premise. Then prayerfully examine your own life ...Read More
Knowing Yourself
Are your work habits, spiritual duties and beliefs, recreational habits, etc., in accord with God's will? Choose one area in question to focus on this week. Search the Scriptures for biblical principles to guide you. After you've studied relevant verses ...Read More
The Weak and the Strong
Pressuring a weak believer to do something he perceives as wrong is the wrong way to help the weak become stronger. The right way is to teach the principles of biblical religion, and address the specific issues in an atmosphere ...Read More


text:
Accessibility tools
Service tools
Language selector
Navigation path
Left navigation
Additional tools
Other available languages: none
Brussels, 29 September2011
EU law: Commission acts to ensure that European legislation is fully and properly implemented
In its monthly package of infringement decisions, the European Commission is pursuing legal action against 27 Member States for failing to comply properly with their obligations under EU law. These decisions cover many sectors. They aim at ensuring proper application of EU law for the benefit of citizens and businesses. The Commission has taken today 500 decisions, including 5 decisions to refer Member States to the European Union's Court of Justice. In this package there are no decisions related to failure to respect a previous Court ruling.
Failure to respect deadlines for implementing Directives
The Commission has adopted several decisions to request Member States to adopt implementing measures for Directives where the deadline has already passed and warned Member States that if they fail to do so they may not only be referred to the Court but also that the Commission intends to request the Court to impose a financial penalty on the Member State concerned. Since the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, the Commission may now request the Court, the first time the case is referred to the Court, to impose financial penalties in cases where Member States have failed to implement Directives within the deadline agreed by the EU's Council of Ministers and the European Parliament.
Formal complaints before the Court of Justice (Art 258)
In accordance with the provisions of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), the Commission has decided today to take several Member States to Court for failing to comply with their legal obligations under EU law. Before referring a Member State to the Court, the Commission first requests information from the Member State concerned and then, if necessary, formally requests the Member State to comply with EU law. Around 95% of infringement cases are resolved before they reach the Court.
Fiscalité (France). La Commission a décidé de saisir la Cour de justice au sujet de l'exonération de TVA appliquée par la France à certaines opérations concernant les bateaux en violation du droit de l'UE. La directive TVA autorise, dans certaines conditions, l'exonération de TVA pour la livraison de biens destinés à l'avitaillement des bateaux affectés à la navigation en haute mer ainsi que les livraisons, transformations, réparations, entretiens et locations de ces bateaux. Or la législation et la pratique administrative française va au-delà de ce qui est prévu par cette Directive et applique une exonération de TVA aux bateaux assurant un trafic rémunéré de voyageurs ou utilisés pour une activité commerciale, sans exiger qu'ils soient affectés à la navigation en haute mer. See IP/11/1126
Free movement of goods (Poland): The Commission decided to refer Poland to the EU's Court of Justice because it maintains obstacles to the registration of right-hand drive vehicles in Poland. National legislation requires that the steering wheel is placed on the left-hand side of the vehicle. That means that, in practice, new and used cars with right-hand drive cannot be registered. The Commission considers that these restrictions constitute a disproportionate barrier to the import of such vehicles from other EU Member States (e.g. by citizen returning to Poland after having worked in the United Kingdom). In September 2010 the Commission requested the Polish authorities to put an end to these restrictions, but they are still in place. See IP/11/1111
Distance marketing of financial services (Italy): The Commission has decided to refer Italy to the EU's Court of Justice for inadequate transposition of the Directive concerning the distance marketing of consumer financial services into its national law. Italy has not respected the timeline for adopting amendments to its national law and thus failed to adequately protect some consumer rights. This Directive grants consumers, amongst other rights, the right to withdraw from a contract with a service provider within 14 calendar days of its conclusion. It would appear that in Italy a consumer cannot withdraw from a car insurance contract if during these 14 days an accident covered by the insurance has taken place. This is contrary to the Directive. See IP/11/1091
Consumers (Belgium): The Commission has stepped up legal action against Belgium for non-compliance with the Unfair Consumer Practices Directive. This Directive aims to facilitate trade by creating a single set of rules for commercial practices in the EU's Single Market. Despite amending some aspects of their law following action by the Commission, Belgium has not yet brought its national provisions fully in line with EU law. Since Belgium did not comply with the Commission's reasoned opinion sent in March 2011, the Commission has decided to take the matter to the Court of Justice. See IP/11/1096
Environment (Spain): The Commission is taking action against Spain over shortcomings in its transposition of EU water legislation, especially as regards River Basin Management. In Spain's legislation, a number of the obligations contained in these plans only apply to rivers that flow between different regions, and not to rivers that are completely within the territory of one region. The obligations in question cover matters like the conditions for granting exceptions, waters used for the abstraction of drinking water, and the monitoring of the ecological and chemical status of surface waters. Additional legislation will therefore be needed to ensure that Spanish legislation fully complies with the Directive. See IP/11/1105
Background on legal process
Article 258 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFUE) gives the Commission the power to take legal action against a Member State that is not respecting its obligations under EU law.
The infringement procedure begins with a request for information (a "Letter of Formal Notice") to the Member State concerned, which must be answered within a specified period, usually two months.
If the Commission is not satisfied with the information and concludes that the Member State in question is failing to fulfil its obligations under EU law, the Commission may then send a formal request to comply with EU law (a "Reasoned Opinion"), calling on the Member State to inform the Commission of the measures taken to comply within a specified period, usually two months.
If a Member State fails to ensure compliance with EU law, the Commission may then decide to refer the Member State to the Court of Justice. However, in over 90% of infringement cases, Member States comply with their obligations under EU law before they are referred to the Court. If the Court rules against a Member State, the Member State must then take the necessary measures to comply with the judgment.
If, despite the ruling, a Member State still fails to act, the Commission may open a further infringement case under Article 260 of the TFEU, with only one written warning before referring the Member State back to Court. If the Commission does refer a Member State back to Court, it can propose that the Court imposes financial penalties on the Member State concerned based on the duration and severity of the infringement and the size of the Member State (both a lump sum depending on the time elapsed since the original Court ruling and a daily penalty payment for each day after a second Court ruling until the infringement ends).
In the specific case of Member States that have failed to implement Directives within the deadline agreed by the EU's Council of Ministers and the European Parliament, the Commission may request the Court to impose to impose a financial penalty on the Member State concerned the first time the Court rules on such a case, rather than when it is referred back for a second time. This possibility, introduced by the Lisbon Treaty, is laid down in Article 260 (3) of the TFEU.
For current statistics on infringements in general, see:
Side Bar


text:
'X Factor' Results: Was Rachel Crow Or Marcus Canty Eliminated?
Was it America's sweetheart or the triple threat who got the boot before the semi-finals?
The X Factor results were as dramatic as ever Dec. 8. After an incredible night of performances, it was anyone's guess who would be in the bottom two. Unfortunately, we had to lose someone — and Rachel Crow and Marcus Canty were on the chopping block.
After the judges were in a deadlock — Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul voted for Rachel and L.A. Reid and Nicole Scherzinger wanted Marcus — it went to America's vote. And America voted for Marcus to make it to the semi-finals, leaving 13-year-old Rachel sobbing on the floor. In fact, her mom rushed to the stage to help her and she could barely speak. Nicole felt responsible and was bawling too.
Before choosing Marcus, Nicole explained she didn't want to choose either of them, which was why she decided to let America vote. However, after hearing the crowd's 'boos' over her decision, it looked like she wished she could have changed her mind. Viewers were so upset, in fact, #firenicole was trending on Twitter for more than an hour!
What did you think of tonight's results? Were you upset by the judges' choices? Sound off below!