text:
Open your Bible to Matthew chapter 22. And I want to read for you the first fourteen verses of this chapter which is the setting for our message today in our ongoing study of this great gospel of Matthew. Matthew chapter 22 verse 1:
And Jesus answered and spoke unto them again by parables and said, The Kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who made a wedding feast for his son and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding feast. And they would not come. Again he sent forth other servants saying, Tell them who are bidden, behold I have prepared my breakfast, my oxen and my fatlings are killed and all things are ready. Come unto the wedding feast. But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise. And the rest took his servants and treated them shamefully and murdered them.
But when the king heard of it, he was angry and he sent forth his armies and destroyed their murderers...those murderers and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding feast is ready, but they who were bidden were not worthy. Go therefore into the highways and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage feast.
So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good, and the wedding feast was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who had not on a wedding garment. And he saith unto him, Fellow, how camest thou in here not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot and take him away and cast him into outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth for many are called but few are chosen.
This parable is one of the most dramatic, one of the most powerful of all of our Lord's parables. It is a parable about a royal feast, a royal wedding feast. It is directed in a very specific way in its historical context and yet in general has far reaching complications.
First of all, let me establish in your thinking the historical setting. This is Wednesday of the last week of our Lord's life and ministry. Friday He will be crucified. Sunday He will rise from the dead. This is Wednesday. For three years He has been preaching and teaching the gospel of the Kingdom. He has been proclaiming Himself as the Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior of the world. He has been offering Himself and His Kingdom to the people of Israel, His own people, the very called people of God. And now the three years has ended and the people have rejected Him. And the leaders have rejected Him and are extremely hostile to Him and by Friday will turn Him over to the Romans for execution.
On Saturday, He had arrived in Jerusalem. He had arrived for the festivities of the Passover. He stayed in Bethany in the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus, dear friends. On Sunday when He awoke to greet the day, He found a great multitude of the pilgrims there for the Passover had come to Bethany to see Him and hear Him and He spent Sunday with them. On Monday He arose and riding the colt, the foal of a donkey, entered the city of Jerusalem through the eastern gate to the hosannas and hallelujahs of the people who were hailing Him as Messiah and Savior and believing and wanting to believe with all their hearts that He was the military Messiah they had hoped for who would overthrow the Roman oppression and free them from that bondage. And so, wishing with all their hearts that He would be that kind of military Messiah, they hailed Him as such.
That was Monday. And they waited for Him to attack the Romans. Monday night, He went back to Bethany and in the morning He came into Jerusalem. But He didn't attack the Romans. He went directly to the temple and attacked the Jewish religious system. On Tuesday He cleansed the temple. He threw out all the money changers and all the sellers of merchandise that had turned it from the house of prayer God intended it to be into a den of robbers. And He cleansed it. That was Tuesday. This is Wednesday and He's back in the temple. Now that it's cleansed, He has come there to teach. He has come there to preach again the gospel of the Kingdom, the good news of salvation. He has come to call men to Himself.
And as He teaches, He collects a tremendous crowd. The people are listening. And as the masses of people milled around the great courtyard of the Herodian temple, Jesus is the center of attention. And the religious leaders are tremendously threatened by this because He speaks of an internal righteousness, He speaks of a true salvation that they know nothing about in their external self-righteous religion. And He is a threat to their system.
And so, in the process of moving about the temple and teaching, He is confronted by these religious leaders. And in verse 23 of chapter 21, they stop Him in His tracks and they say to Him, "By what authority doest Thou these things and who gave Thee this authority?" In other words, show us Your credentials. Show us Your rabbinic ordination papers. Show us the approval that You have to go about saying and doing what You do. Who gave You authority to throw out all of the business in this place? Who gave You the authority to end all of the money changing? Who gave You the right to speak a message that is contrary to the tradition which we teach? Who gave You the authority to speak without any rabbinical authority? Show us Your credentials.
And they're angry. And they're bitter. And they're hostile. And they're already planning His death...the Bible tells us. And so He answers them. And He answers them with a trilogy of parables. The first one is in verse 28 to 32 of chapter 21, a parable about two sons. The second one is a parable about a vineyard that was leased out to tenant farmers in verses 33 to 46. And this is the third parable in the trilogy in chapter 22 verses 1 to 14. And each of the parables is alike in that their message is a message of judgment.
The parables reduced to a simple understanding say this: you have rejected Me, all of the Old Testament prophets spoke of Me, all of the miracles that I have done validate My claim to be the Son of God, the Savior, the Messiah, all of the words that I have said affirm that. But you have consistently and for three years repeatedly rejected Me and now God rejects you.
That's the essence of the parables. The table is turned and they are parables of judgment...parables of judgment. They climax in this third parable very dramatically. And I want us to see four scenes in the parable, all right? Scene number one we'll call the invitation rejected...the invitation rejected. Notice verse 1, "And Jesus answered and spoke unto them again by parables and said..." By the way, the word "answered" there doesn't necessarily have to refer to a specific question. It simply means He responded to them. He responded to them. He gave them the message that they needed to hear. And He gave it to them in parables.
Now parables are simply figures, stories, analogies used to convey spiritual truth. And any good teacher knows that you must teach in analogies if you are to convey an abstract thought or an abstract concept or a concept new to someone, the best way to do it is to start with something they're very familiar with. You go from the known to the unknown. And Jesus was the master of analogies and the master of figures of speech and the master of language and the master of articulating truth. He understood everything that His hearers understood. He knew what they knew because He had grown up in their culture. So He started with things they could understand and moved to things they couldn't understand...going from the known to the unknown. And Jesus used all the things of common life, all the things of culture, all the things of daily routine and turned them into spiritual messengers which conveyed profound spiritual truth. And He does so in this case. He draws for them a story which all of them would not only understand but which would set them up for the great spiritual truth it conveyed.
Now it is a story, verse 2 says, about the Kingdom of heaven. Jesus always talked about the Kingdom of heaven, didn't He? He never really got trapped into talking about anything else. I mean, they wanted Him to get involved in a lot of other things, but He never said anything except things about the Kingdom of heaven. Now what is the Kingdom of heaven? It is a sphere of God's rule. It is a dominion where God rules, where God is sovereign, where God is King. To simplify it even further, it is the dominion of redemption. It is the sphere of God's gracious salvation. The Kingdom is that place where God rules, where God's subjects live. It is a spiritual kingdom. It is a community of people who are redeemed, who have come to salvation, who are under the rule and the guiding and the leading of God.
Some people when they come to Scripture and see the Kingdom of heaven want to assign it to a certain period of time. But it can't be that. Oh, there is a present aspect of the Kingdom. There is a future millennial Kingdom when Christ reigns on the earth. There's an eternal element to the Kingdom. There is even a past element where God ruled in the Old Testament through His patriarchs and His kings and His judges and His priests and prophets and so forth. It has different facets. But it is still the Kingdom, the sphere of God's rule by grace and salvation.
And so, this is about God's world, God's dominion. And He says it's like a certain king who made a gamos. Now that is a word from which we get monogamous, or bigamist. It has to do with a wedding or a marriage. But the word itself means a wedding feast...a wedding feast. The wedding was really inseparable from the feast. A wedding in those days was a big long feast. How long? Normal was seven days...seven days. You had the people come to your house for the wedding feast and you fed them and you cared for them for seven days. And if you were a king, it could go on way beyond that. And it wasn't until the very end of the time period that you put the hand of the bride in the hand of the groom and they went off to consummate the marriage. It was one great grand glorious celebration. It was the highlight of life as any wedding is today the highlight of family life. And a wedding made by a king for his son would be the wedding of all weddings. I mean, most of the world was tuned into the royal wedding some time ago, weren't they? And we would have given anything if we could have been there. Even in our culture we understand the grandeur and the majesty and the wonder and the spectacle of that. And so this is a wedding feast and not just a wedding feast but a wedding feast thrown by the king.
And what our Lord is identifying here is the greatest celebration those people could imagine in their culture. It isn't important that it was a marriage because nothing is said about a bride and nothing is said about the actual marriage itself or the wedding. What is important is the Lord wants to identify the greatest celebration that those people could ever comprehend in their culture. And He is saying the Kingdom of heaven is like the greatest celebration imaginable thrown by the wealthiest person imaginable for the most honored person imaginable. He wants to capture all the best that life could ever imagine to give. And so He says there was a king who made a wedding feast for his son. I mean, this was the blowout of all blowouts in that culture.
By the way, the word "wedding feast" appears through here many times. It could be wedding feast, marriage feast, it's translated "marriage" very often, or "wedding." But sometimes...very interesting...sometimes it's singular and sometimes it's plural. It will go singular...it starts out plural, goes singular, goes back to plural. It alternates through the singular and plural and the reason is because you could look at it as one feast or you could look at it as a whole sequence. It was one great feast in which there were many, many feasts. You were banqueting for days and days and days. And so we get a little insight into the culture just by the way the Greek language uses the singular and the plural. It was the event of all events.
Now, let's look at verse 3. "He sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding. And they would not come." Now this introduces us to a middle-eastern custom. In those days, people didn't have watches and they weren't as rigidly tied to time schedules as we are today. And they didn't have the ease that we have in procuring food and all that goes into a long festival for multitudes of people. And so preparation was very difficult. Time was a little bit latitudenous(?). And so what happened was this, notice verse 3, "Sent forth servants to call them that were bidden." Now the phrase "them that were bidden" means the already invited ones.
In other words, there was a preliminary invitation. Certain people had been given invitations to come to the king's wedding feast. And as far as we can tell from the text, they had accepted those invitations. In fact, they probably paraded around saying, "I don't know if you know it, but we've been invited to the wedding feast for the son of the king."
"You have?"
"Yes, we're honored guests. And as soon as the servants come to tell us it's ready to begin..." you know. So they may have sort of gloated about that invitation. We would assume that. So they are the already bidden ones.
Now when the moment is ready to begin, the servants are sent out to these people to say it's now that we begin. And the servants go out to collect the already bidden ones and unbelievably, it says in verse 3, they would not come. I mean, this is mind-boggling. And you can imagine when the Lord's saying this that there's certain gasps in the crowd. It's unthinkable. I mean, if you had been given an invitation to a week or two-week festival connected with the royal wedding, you'd probably go. I mean, you'd surely go. If you were invited in our own society, we don't have a monarchy so we would identify with being invited to the White House for a couple of weeks. We'd probably be prone to go.
They wouldn't come. It's inconceivable. And now we're beginning to see the parable have an impact because the people, including the religious leaders, are going to have to be saying, "That's ridiculous. Nobody in their right mind would do that...not go." For several reasons, one--you would spurn the honor the king was giving you. Two--free food isn't a bad deal. And the kind of food the king serves is pretty good stuff compared to the commoners. And thirdly--you don't mess with middle-eastern monarchs. You understand? You don't show...you may lose your head. I mean, everything said go. It was reasonable. They wouldn't go.
What was the king's response? He's a nice king. He was a kind king. "He sent forth other servants, said, Tell them who are bidden, tell the already invited ones, behold, I have prepared my breakfast." Your Bible might say "dinner" and I'll explain that in a minute. "My oxen and my fatlings are killed and all things are ready, come unto the marriage. I mean, I've got a tremendous extent to collect all this. I have my beef and my calves--that's oxen and fatling--it's all ready, it's all prepared." And he uses the term "dinner" which is ariston. There were two meals in the Jewish culture, ariston...Greek words are aristonand deipnon. Deipnonwas the evening meal which was after sunset. Aristonwas the morning meal that was between dawn and noon. The Jews only ate two meals a day...not a bad idea. We won't get into that. But it's not a bad idea.
But they only ate two meals. They got up with the sun and they worked and then about 9 o'clock they stopped for their ariston. That's why in John chapter 21 where you have the disciples fishing all night, they caught nothing, Jesus shows up in the morning says, "Try the right side of the boat." They dumped their nets and they got a whole lot of fish and they spend, no doubt, a couple of hours trying to get those fish in. By the time they get to the shore, it's time for that morning meal and it says the Lord said to them, "Come and have ariston," it's breakfast, it's their mid-morning breakfast.
And so, the wedding festival began with a morning brunch, if you like. And then they would have a post-sunset evening meal. And that's the only two meals they had. So it's kind of like the old English wedding breakfast that he invites them to. It's all ready. You have to come. Everything is prepared.
Verse 5, "But they made light of it." They made light of it? They treated it with indifference. The Greek word means to be unconcerned. They were utterly indifferent to that. How could you be indifferent to this? They were indifferent. "And went their ways." They just walked away from it. And you can know the people are saying, "Oh, they're stupid...these people are out of their mind...why would they ever do such a thing? This story is impossible to believe. No one would ever do this. This is a very far-fetched story." And the Lord is just setting them up, see.
"And one went to his farm, and another to his...and the Greek word is emporion...to his emporium, to his place of merchandising, to his store, to his business." It's inconceivable. "No, we're not coming to the great grand glorious royal wedding feast, we're going to go to the farm and over to the store." It doesn't make sense. Such indifference. Such selfish preoccupation with your own enterprises. Such a forfeiture of joy, such a forfeiture of grandeur and glory and beauty and celebration and such an insult to the king. Such an affront to his graciousness. For such an invitation was the highest honor in a country.
Now if you think that's bad, look at verse 6. "And the rest took the servants, treated them shamefully and murdered them." Now you say, "Boy, it's really getting foolish now. I mean, the parable is really ridiculous. They killed the guys who came to call them to the feast?" That's what it says. Outright hostility is added to indifference. And both reflect a certain rebellion against the king. Now we'll stop there.
What does this mean? What really does this mean? The story's clear. The Kingdom of heaven is the sphere of God's rule by salvation. It's the community of the redeemed. It's the place of divine blessing. Salvation by grace. The king is whom? Who is the king? God. Who is his son? Jesus Christ. And the idea of a great banquet is a Jewish idea. You can read it in the Talmud that the Jews said that when the Messiah comes, God will put on a banquet to end all banquets and we'll feast with the Messiah. So Jesus even picks up a very Messianic concept out of the Jewish thinking. And God is calling people to His Son. He's calling people to come to His Kingdom and honor His Son.
And who are the invited guests? Who are these people that are called in verse 3 and called in verse 4? Well, they are the already having-been-bidden ones. You mean He's calling a people who've already been called? Let me ask you the question...who are the already called people of God? The Jews, Israel. You can start in Genesis chapter 12 where God called out of the loins of Abraham the people of Israel and said "I'm going to make out of your loins a great nation, a nation through whom the earth will be blessed. And anyone who blesses them will be blessed. And anyone who curses them will be cursed. And they shall be as the sand of the sea and the stars of the heaven." And God was going to multiply and all of this. And He called out that special nation. They were the called.
In Hosea 11, there's that wonderful wonderful word of the prophet Hosea in reference to Israel. It says, and we ought to be reminded of it, "When Israel was a child, then I loved him and called My son out of Egypt." They were in Egyptian bondage and God called Israel to be His people. He called them and carried them for 40 years through the wilderness and carried them into the promised land and gave them a land that flows with milk and honey. And God had a special design for that already called people. In Amos, the prophet writes in chapter 3, "Israel only, says God, have I loved, have I known." And then that great, great picture in Ezekiel chapter 16, it's just a dramatic picture, a picture of a baby torn from a womb and thrown bloody on the ground and left there destitute. And God comes by and sees this infant still bathed in its blood and washes it and makes it His own. Beautiful picture of the calling out of Israel to God's own heart. They're the already having been called. They were the unique people of God. They were God's channel to reach the world, God's point of contact with the doctrine of salvation and the truth of righteousness. And so, it was the already-having-been-called ones that were called.
Who are the servants that go out to call the already-having- been-called ones? Preachers like John the Baptist, like Jesus Himself, like the Apostles, right? Sent out two-by-two to preach the Kingdom...and so here were the already-having-been-called ones, the nation Israel, the Kingdom is offered to them. The King says, "Here's My Son, here's My Kingdom, come and honor My Son," and He sends out His preachers.
And what do they do? Some of the people treated them with what? Indifference. And some of the people did what? Murdered them. They killed John the Baptist, cut his head off. They killed Jesus Christ. James was the first of the Apostles to go, right? He was beheaded. And the rest of the Apostles is a list of martyrs, isn't it? They killed the preachers. I mean, there are some people who are indifferent and there are some people who are hostile. You want to know something? The indifferent people in the parable are the people who were preoccupied with the farm and the merchandise. Most people who are indifferent to the gospel...may I suggest to you...are secular people. Their preoccupation is with stuff...stuff. I mean, they're more into the physical than they are the spiritual. They're more into earthly possessions than heavenly realities. They hang around the stuff, the passing stuff that you pack in a casket and haul out with you, the stuff. That's the indifferent people. So interested in earthly matters, they had no time for heavenly issues. So swept up in material things, they had no thought for spiritual things. So busy with business, they couldn't understand salvation was offered to them. So trapped by the farm and the shop that they couldn't go to the celebration. Finding their satisfaction in the pursuit of gain, finding their satisfaction in wealth, seculars.
And I would like to suggest to you that secularism is usually indifferent. False religion is hostile. Secularism is usually indifferent. False religion is hostile. You look at the history of persecution around the world and the persecutors of the truth are the purveyors of error, inevitably. And that is why in Revelation 17 when you see the final world system of religion that comes together in the end times, it says that final world religious system is drunk with the blood of the martyrs because it is false religion that stamps out the truth in hostility. Secularism is indifferent. It's not interested.
And so, when Jesus came and God called His people Israel, the already-having-been-called people to a glorious celebration, there were the secularists, they were indifferent...they were indifferent. And there were the religionists and they were hostile.
It's still so...it's still so. I just came back from Israel. I found there the secularists there, many of them wonderful people...just as people go. And I enjoyed so much meeting them. And when you speak of Christ, they're completely indifferent. But you talk to those who are firm religionists and you mention the name of Jesus Christ, they become very angry. That's always been because error seeks to stamp out the truth.
So the parable is simply understood. The invitation was rejected. You say, "You think those Jews knew that He was talking about that? You think they got the message?" Go back to 21:45, Matthew 21:45, "And when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He spoke of them." Sure they knew. Sure they knew. Couldn't escape it. No way could escape it.
Let's go to the second point, the rejectors punished, verse 7, "When the king heard of it, he was angry." He had been gracious. The first group of servants and the second group of servants shouldn't be distinguished as if one was Old Testament prophets and one was New Testament preachers. It shouldn't be distinguished as if one was John the Baptist and Jesus and second group was the Apostles. It isn't that that's the point. The point of sending out group one and group two was only to show not some kind of distinctiveness in the two groups, but to show the generosity kindness, forgiveness, grace and mercy of the king, right? It's only meant to demonstrate how gracious this king is. And how willing he is to call again and again and again as Jesus did, as John did, as the Apostles did, calling again and again over and over day after day, month after month, year after year, for the duration of ministry...even for the duration of time until the great devastation and destruction came in the land of Israel.
So, the first group, the second group, I don't think we need to pin down to some specific group. I think all of them have to be New Testament preachers because they're pointing to the Son and calling to the Kingdom of the Son. So I see them as New Testament preachers. And the reason there are two groups is to demonstrate to us the grace, the kindness, the mercy, the patience of the King.
But his patience has a limit. His patience has an end. And when they have killed, he responds in anger. And it is justified. For unrighteousness has slain righteousness. And any man who understands good and what is right would react as he reacted. "He sent forth his armies." The word in the Greek strateumatais really troops, it's not like he had massive armies as we think of huge armies of nations, but troops, a smaller group than perhaps armies conveys. "And destroyed those murderers and burned up their city."
Even in our society today we understand that murderers pay with their life. For the most part we understand it, even though we struggle with that capital punishment issue. At least it's enough of an issue to indicate that many people feel it's right. And, of course, the Bible articulates that it is. And so what was done was just. The murderers were destroyed. And their city was burned up. Very dramatic.
The order was given for the burning of their city. Why? Verse 8, "Then he said to his servants, The wedding feast is ready, but they who were bidden were not worthy." They weren't worthy. Why? Why weren't they worthy? Weren't they worthy because they weren't good enough? Because they weren't moral enough? Because they weren't ethical enough? Because they didn't do enough good deeds? No. They weren't worthy because they wouldn't accept the invitation. Did you get that? That's all it says. Worthiness is not dependent on moral virtue. They would have been worthy if they had just accepted the invitation. You understand? It's a very important point. You see, when he goes back to call another group in verse 10, he calls those that are bad and good, it says. So it isn't that he's looking around to find the most noble and the most moral and the most self- righteous people in the world and say, "Ah, they're worthy...they're worthy." No, no, worthiness is tied to saying yes to the invitation. They weren't worthy because they wouldn't come. And that which makes a person worthy to enter the kingdom and commune with the son and celebrate at the wedding feast is not some self-designed morality, but saying yes to an invitation. They weren't worthy. Because they refused salvation in the Son, they couldn't come. There's a limit to God's patience...to His endurance. And they had reached the limit.
Back in chapter 21 verse 43 in the prior parable, He said very similarly, "The Kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits of it." It's going to be taken away from you, and the word "nation" means "people" and given to a people who will appreciate it and demonstrate its fruits.
In other words, here you have historically the casting off of Israel as a nation in the unique place as God's called people which they had enjoyed. Why? Because they rejected the Messiah. They rejected the Savior. And they were set apart...set apart. And He says your city is going to be burned. Boy, was that prophetic. Seventy A.D. it happened. Titus Vespasian, the Roman general came to Jerusalem, conquered the city, murdered one million, one hundred thousand Jews, threw their bodies over the wall, slaughtered beyond that multiplied thousands, all around Palestine. And Josephus, who was an eye witness to the whole thing, wrote in his history of Jewish war these words, translated, "That building the temple at Jerusalem, however God long ago had sentenced to the flames, but now in the revolution of the time periods, the fateful day had arrived, the tenth of the month Loos(?), the very day on which previously it had been burned by the king of Babylon, one of the soldiers neither awaiting orders nor filled with horror of so dread an undertaking but moved by some supernatural impulse snatched a brand from the blazing timber and hoisted up by one of his fellow soldiers, flung the fiery missile through a golden window. When the flame arose a scream as poignant as the tragedy went up from the Jews. Now that the object which before they had guarded so closely was going to ruin. While the sanctuary was burning, neither pity for age nor respect for rank was shown. On the contrary, children and old people, laity and priests alike were massacred. The emperor had ordered the entire city and sanctuary to be razed to the ground, except only the highest towers and that part of the wall that enclosed the city on the west." And that's why today remains the western wall, the rest of the thing was burned. Jesus said the king burned up their city.
It hadn't happened, but it would. It was prophetic in a parabolic form. Objectors to the Son, rejectors of the Son are judged in a fiery judgment. So accurate is our Lord's statement here.
What was He saying? He was saying because Israel has rejected the Messiah, God rejects them. And those who hostilely killed the Son will be severely judged by God and their city will be burned. It was.
The third facet of the parable in verses 9 and 10 we'll call "new guests invited." We've seen the invitation rejected, the rejectors punished and now the new guests are invited. "Go therefore into the highways and as many as ye shall find, bid to the wedding feast." I mean, everything is ready and there's nobody to come. So something new has happened. It's been taken away from the nation that rejected and now it's going to be given to a new people. And who is this new people? He says, "Go into the highways," the Greek word literally means "the crossroads," or "the forks in the road," go everywhere, just go to the crossroads where people are milling, to the byways and the highways and get everybody. So the point is, go everywhere and get everybody that will come. Go into all the world and what? Preach the gospel, make disciples. That's the mandate.
That's what Paul says in the book of Romans when he says, "The fall of Israel is the rising of many." Through their fall we have come to salvation. We have replaced them in this particular time and God yet has something for Israel. They're going to come back into His favor. They're going to come back into His redemptive plan. They're going to yet come back. That's why they're regathering in the nation today. But in the meantime, He has stretched out His arms and He has sent His message into everywhere to everyone, as many as you can find, invite them all to come. Now isn't that the heart of the gospel message? That's where we are now, isn't it? Their fall became our rising. God will not be frustrated, beloved. The festival's going to have some guests. The celebration's going to go on. And if it isn't going to be one group, it's going to be another one.
And notice what it says, "So," verse 10, "the servants went out into the highways, the crossroads, the forks in the road, and they gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good." Both bad and good? You mean, bad people can come? Yeah, oh yeah. What kind of bad and good is this? This is bad and good in terms of morality, human morality. I mean, let's face it, in life there are certain people that are bad and there are certain people that are good. There are criminals and non- criminals. We're not talking about religious things, we're not talking about spiritual things, we're not talking about Christians and non-Christians, it's just general in life that there are humanly good people and humanly bad people.
But when it comes to calling people into the Kingdom, there's no discriminating, is there? God isn't going around looking for the moral people. I mean, God is calling everybody bad and good. And the thing that makes them worthy is not their inherent goodness or badness, but their willingness to accept what? The invitation. And the wedding feast was furnished with guests. When he wrote to the Corinthians he said, "Well, you can't bring into the Kingdom," it says in chapter 6, 1 Corinthians, "fornicators, idolators, adulterers, effeminates, homosexuals, thieves, covetous, drunkards, people who engage in wild orgies, extortioners, they can't come." He says, "And such vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvve," he says. "And such were...what?...some of you." They can't come in if they're still like that. But they can come if they're willing to come on God's terms. He calls the good and the bad, the moral and the immoral, the criminal and the non-criminal.
I got a letter this last week, it was a Christmas card, it came late, opened it up, had about 50 signatures from all the guys in Cell Block...somewhere...who listen to the tapes and are growing in the Lord. I thank God for that...for bad people called into God's festival in honor of His Son. He calls the worst of people and the best of people. Everybody everywhere who will come.
And then finally, the last little scene in this parable is very, very important...the intruder expelled. We've seen the invitation rejected, the rejectors punished, the new guests invited and now the intruder is expelled. Now watch this, verse 11, "And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who had not on a wedding garment." I mean, this is pretty tacky...a seedy character. You go to a wedding at the king's place, you've got to do what's right.
You say, "Well now wait a minute. When you just go out in the highways and byways and start sweeping in people off the street, you can't expect a whole lot." But the point that's interesting to make here is that there was only one guy who wasn't properly garmented. Now we don't know whether they get...had time to go home and get a garment or whether the king provided garments. There's a big debate. Sometimes people say, "Well, they had time and they went home and got their Sunday best and wore it." And others say, "No, the king gave them a garment." The parable doesn't say anything. So you're better off not saying anything. Jesus intended to say what He said, not what you think He didn't say. And so the best thing...the best thing is to assume that everybody had access to the proper garments, whether they went home and got it, or whether it was provided for them or whatever...they had access to it.
And one guy comes in there and he's...he's not properly attired. And there was a proper way to be attired. And you know something? He was easy to spot, right? I mean, you've got a whole mob of people all in their best and then a guy in rags. The king saw him. He can't hide. Listen, there are no gate crashers in the Kingdom. That's right. No party crashers. They're going to stick out.
"The king goes to him in verse 12 and said, Fellow, how camest thou in here and not having a wedding garment?" What do you think you're doing here without proper clothing? "And he was...what?...speechless." You'd think if he had an excuse he would have given one? Sure...he would have said, "Hey, you know, my wife took the deal to the cleaners, it isn't coming back till Tuesday...I mean, what am I going to do, right?" Or, "You know, I was coming and I had that deal under my arm and a guy went by me in a cart and the thing fell in...I mean, it's a sad thing, but I'm..." Or he could have said, "This is all I have," played the pious deal, you know. He was speechless. Why? He had no what? No excuse. Had no excuse. Which means that everybody could have had a garment, including him. He just didn't do it. I mean, he came in there saying, "I'm just going to be myself," see. "I mean, I'm not going to do anything different than I normally do, I'm just going to come to the party just like I am." Very proud, very insulting, very thoughtless.
"So, the king said to the servants, Tie him up hand and foot, take him away." You say, "Why did they do that?" Because if they didn't do that, he'd come back again. So they tie him up so he can't come back in again. "Put him in outer darkness." Apparently the lights had been turned on in the middle of the festival, it was evening by now, put him out...put him out. "There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." He'll have great regret, oh, he'll have great regret to miss the celebration. Oh, he'll be so sad...weeping...gnashing his teeth, put him out.
You say, "Well, what is this saying?" It's saying that there's going to be people who try to crash the Kingdom. And they come in and they hang around and they join the church and they get involved and they're a part. I mean, they've been out there on the highways and byways and the preachers go out and they call them to come and they come in...and they come in and they don't have the proper garment, but they want to stay. And in order to keep them out, you've got to tie them up, put them out.
You say, "Who are these people?" Oh, they're sort of like the people in Matthew 7 who say, "Lord, Lord, have we not cast out demons, have we not done many wonderful works in your name? Lord, Lord, we preached. He says, Out, I never knew you, who are you?" These are Kingdom crashers, these are tares among the wheat. They're not properly garmented.
You say, "What's the garment?" That's easy. Go back to Matthew 5:20 for a moment, I'll show you the garment. In Matthew 5:20 it says, "For I say unto you that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of heaven." What is it that is necessary for entrance into the Kingdom of heaven? What is it? Righteousness. And a righteousness different than the Pharisees which was a self-righteousness, a God-given righteousness. It's just what Hebrews 12:14 says, "Holiness without which no man shall see the Lord." You don't go into God's presence without manifest righteousness, without manifest holiness. Job 29:14 the text says, "I put on righteousness and it clothed me."
The Jews would understand this who were listening to Him because they would remember one of the most beautiful texts of the entire Old Testament. It would be very familiar to them. It is Isaiah 61:10 and it says this, "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God, for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness." They knew that. Righteousness was the robe.
And the king looked at this man, he saw no righteousness. That is no right living, no right thinking, no right speaking. He saw no holiness, no godliness. He said you don't belong in here, you can't crash the Kingdom on your own terms. "That which proves you belong is manifest righteousness." Beloved, this is a repeated truth in the gospel of Matthew over and over and over and over. That which marks a true believer is manifest righteousness, not that he hangs around other believers, not that he identifies externally with the ongoing activity of the Kingdom.
And you know, it would be easy to read this text and say, "Boy, we condemn Israel for what they did...." but listen, we're pass that when we get to this part. And what we're looking at here in verses 11 to 14 is us. We're looking at the Gentiles. Yes, Israel treated Jesus Christ with indifference and hostility. Yes, they too were set aside of the judgment. Yes their city was destroyed and their nation and they've never yet been able to rebuild their temple. And yes they've lost for all the time since that their sacrificial system. Yes they've been set apart. And yes we've been brought in by the gracious preaching of the salvation message that extends to every one everywhere. But at the same time, if they have been guilty of indifference and hostility, then we have been guilty of gate crashing. And in Christianity we have a lot of people who hang around and who push their way in and who want to belong but they have no manifest holiness which is the robe of salvation. You understand? And some people say here, "Well, this means the imputed righteousness of Christ." Don't get too Pauline on me here, we're still talking about the parables of Jesus. It's talking about yes imputed, but yes imparted righteousness. It's talking about internal righteousness and external manifest righteousness. For the only way that a person is ever marked out as a member of the Kingdom is by manifestation of holy living.
And so, if the Jew has been guilty of hostility and indifference, and so have many of us, so have many of us, for the world is filled today with people who in their secular pursuits are utterly indifferent to Christ, true? And there are others in their religious persuasions who are utterly hostile to Christ. But there are a myriad of people who on the outside identify but have no manifest holiness. They've tried to come on their own terms, on their own ground, on their own self-righteousness and be okay and it isn't so.
You say, "Well, John, how do you get that righteousness?" I believe that that's what Jesus would wish they had asked. How do you get the robe? Because in 2 Corinthians 5:21 it says, Jesus Christ is the one in view, "He who knew no sin was made sin for us that we might be made...what?...the righteousness of God in Him." When we come to love Christ and receive Christ, we receive the righteousness of God. And that's our robe, isn't it? That's our robe. Good and bad people come but once you come in, you have a robe. And you could be a moral person, without a robe you'll be thrown out. You could be a formerly immoral person, clothed in the holiness of Christ, welcome to stay. That's the issue.
Jesus is saying to these people, "God rejects you because you've rejected the celebration in honor of His Son." And then He says, "And to all of the rest of you in the world, come, come." But don't think you can come on your own terms. You must be clothed with His righteousness by faith in His death and resurrection.
And the whole thing closes with a very simple statement, "For many are called but few are...what?...chosen." The call goes out to so many, but only a few are chosen. Paul often talks about the call in Romans and when he does so, it is an internal call, it is the true call to salvation. Don't confuse Paul's discussion there with this. Obviously, from the parable and the context, the call referred to here is an external call. The gospel invitation is sent out to everywhere. Some are indifferent, some are hostile, some try to crash the Kingdom on their own terms. But few...oh my...are chosen. And with the word "chosen" we're introduced to the sovereignty of God. Yes there is the will of man in receiving the invitation. Yes there is the will of man in rejecting the invitation. But the perfect balance to that is that God is sovereign. And those who come choose to come, the Bible says, because they're chosen by Him. That's a mystery we'll never fathom. But we believe it. So many are called, few are chosen. The broad road, many go in that way. The narrow, few there by that...what?...find it. Let's bow in prayer.
Father, we know that the Gentiles who dare to come before the King while stilled defiled with all their pagan sin are condemned as decisively as Israel who persistently refused to come at all. May we not think better of ourselves. And may we know that Jew and Gentile can come...any and all...on God's terms--faith in the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
While your head's bowed for just a closing moment, I know that you have understood the parable if you've listened and the Spirit of God has taught your heart because it's so simple. And its application historically is very clear, so is its application to our contemporary moment. There are people in this church this morning who are indifferent, who are hostile, who are inside superficially clothed in the rags of their own unrighteousness, their own self-righteousness which are but filthy rags, says Isaiah. And the call today would come again from the King and the King would say, "Come, please accept the invitation, it's open to everyone, everywhere, Jew or Gentile." But when you come, you must be clothed with the robe of righteousness provided as a gift of God to those who believe in Christ and receive Him as Lord and Savior.
The heart of Christ, the heart of God still reaches out in a loving invitation to a world of men and women that He wants in the celebration. He's not inviting you to suffer here in this parable. He's not inviting you to pain. He's not inviting you to deprivation. He's not inviting you to a monastic existence. He's not inviting you to self-immolation. He's not inviting you to some kind of arduous work. He's inviting you to a celebration of all celebrations, the glorious and eternal royal feast that is all that the best of life could ever ever be imagined to bring. And it's all in Christ. Won't you come?
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:
Former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop—known for his medical advocacy and his evangelical Christian faith—died today at age 96. This profile, originally published in CT's October 20, 1989, issue, was published shortly after Koop resigned from the Department of Health and Human Services.
* * *
In the first of a two-part series, CT's editor at large recounts the setbacks and triumphs of C. Everett Koop's eight-year term as U .S. Surgeon General. Part 2, an interview to appear in the next issue, will present Koop's own words about his concerns as he returns to private life.
In three decades of surgery at Philadelphia's Children's Hospital, C. Everett Koop pioneered techniques that saved the lives of premature and malformed babies. Meanwhile, in another wing of the hospital an abortion clinic opened, capable of eliminating 10 to 15 lives in the time it took Koop to save 1 or 2. Abortion increasingly became for Koop a simple, black-and-white issue. When he finally spoke out on abortion, he spoke with conviction, calling the Roe v. Wade ruling "the most important event in American history since the Civil War."
For a time Koop even suspended his brilliant career in pediatric surgery to go on the stump with L'Abri founder Francis Schaeffer. In a dramatic scene from the Schaeffer-produced film series Whatever Happened to the Human Race? Koop looked out on a thousand naked dolls strewn across the salt wastes of the Dead Sea and proclaimed, "I am standing on the site of Sodom, the place of evil and death."
Koop tends to see faith, too, in shades of black and white. He became a committed Christian as an adult while attending Donald Grey Barnhouse's Tenth Presbyterian ...1

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Mortar and pestles are classic and handy tools to have in the kitchen. Although Savory Spice Shop grinds product in-house, creating incredibly fresh results, there is nothing that can beat the freshness of grinding your own spices as needed when cooking.
Use your mortar and pestle to crush or grind toasted seeds and other spices. Larger mortar and pestles can also be used to make guacamole or pesto. Because these are made of natural marble, your mortar and pestle may have slight variances in color and pattern from the one in the photo here.


text:
Travel Guide of Old Centre, Amsterdam for: Boogaard's Bed and BreakfastOld Centre, Amsterdam, North Holland Province
Old Center Summary
- Beautiful medieval architecture
- Tons of restaurants and bars, particularly surrounding Dam Square
- Home to Central Station, the main hub of transportation
- Numerous museums and markets, including the famous Flower Market
- Lively nightlife (but not as crazy as some spots in other big cities)
- Range of hotel styles and prices
- Significant petty crime, such as pickpocketing
- Some areas, like the red light district, are not kid-friendly
- Crowds, lots of noise, and several tourist-trap museums and shops
What It's Like
Its name may suggest otherwise, but Old Center remains the bustling center of Amsterdam's activity today. It is a popular tourist destination with museums, shops, restaurants, and the infamous red light district.
Once divided by a now dried-up river, Old Center has two main parts: the Old Side and the New Side. Both sides feature gorgeous medieval architecture, and they overlap in places, but each side has its own vibe. The New Side is home to the most activity. Dam Square, which some consider to be the connector between the New Side and the Old Side, technically sits in the New Side and is surrounded by great shops and bars, as well as the beautiful Royal Palace. The Old Side is home to a burgeoning Asian district (Amsterdam's version of Chinatown) as well as the historic De Wallen neighborhood. Parts of De Wallen are lined by quaint bookshops, but it is most famous for it's red light district. This area, with it's glass storefronts and suggestive signs, is not family-friendly, but it's a small area, making it easy enough to peruse Old Center without stepping foot into the district.
As the main tourist area in Amsterdam, Old Center has plenty of tourist traps such as the Hash Museum and the Sex Museum. However, it is also home to some cultural museums, such as the Amsterdam Historical Museums, as well as the must-see Flower Market; the market may also be tourist-y, but it's worth braving the crowds for the only floating flower market in the world.
All of Old Center is usually crowded, so visitors must keep a watchful eye over their belongings, as pickpockets run rampant. Plenty of locals can help lost tourists find their way, and travelers can always head back to Dam Square, where it's easier to get your bearings.
Where To Stay
Most hotels in Amsterdam can be found in Old Center. As long as you stay away from the red light district, which can get particularly sketchy at night, anywhere in the area should be safe and convenient. To avoid a lot of traffic noise, stay farther away from the Central Station.


text:
The Inter-Continental Rubber Exchange (IRE) is a member based world wide information exchange designed for companies and individuals who
BUY / SELL / TRADE goods and commodities.
Back to :IRE Neoprene (Polychloroprene) Index |
View Listings: All Listings
Send inquiries, questions, comments, news, etc. by mail to the Neoprene (Polychloroprene) email group.
(student inquiries welcome)
If you are active in the Neoprene (Polychloroprene) Industry, add your name to the E-mail group to receive current news, views, etc..


text:
The Winning Entity
2017.02.08 The Winning Entity by Ken Linehan, AIA, LEED AP In the course of 3 years, we have completed the renovation of 1590 low income units (HACEP RAD), 96 new build affordable (HACEP Haymon Krupp), and 262 new build market rate apartments (Bohannon Desert Pass) all within Metro El Paso. The Housing Authority for the City of El Paso has approximately 6,600 units (4th largest in the US). Our client Hunt Development put us on a response in an RFP for the RAD project. They just so happened to be the winning entity and originally it was a design-build project with Hunt leading the way, at the last minute closing they went to a typical design-bid-build, with the Housing Authority being the General Contractor. The average resident income for the 1,590 units is around 39,000 per year, for a family of 4. This is 80% of the median income for the area. Bohannon Development has been a client of ours for almost 40 years and has their largest massing of apartment projects in El Paso (Desert Pass, Desert Springs, Hueco Club, Resler, Edgemere, etc...) We are currently working on 2 projects for them another in El Paso and one in Houston. They have been and always will be an extension of work in the wild west as they are now branching out to Albuquerque and Phoenix. Follow Ken: @KenLArch Follow Us: Twitter & Facebook


text:
Additional Source for Black Bear Information Now Available
April 10, 2014 -- The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is pleased to announce that a new, award-winning online black bear education website is now available to teachers, students and the general public.
This new bear education portal -- http://blackbearinfo.com/ -- offers a vibrant assortment of bear education movies, images and text that cover almost every aspect of understanding and living with black bears. Many of the online video clips come from the award-winning film, Living with Black Bears. This film earned international attention winning a Silver Telly Award for a wildlife production while also earning Honorable Mention at the prestigious International Wildlife Film Festival.
This new website reflects six years of work by a coalition of bear states partnered with bear education non-profits and wildlife educators to develop a two-tier bear education program that educates the general population on Living with Black Bears, while also formally educating our next generation of students about Understanding Black Bears.
Now students and teachers can access an entire year's worth of exciting black bear education for learning at home and in classrooms. Though anyone can download the free program and access the Student's Section, Louisiana state teachers will need to register to receive their exclusive access code. The teacher's section of the program contains 29 lesson activities and related classroom support materials. The free access code can be obtained by all Louisiana educators at http://blackbearinfo.com/teachers/.
Two decades ago, the Louisiana Black Bear was on the brink of extinction, but today it is on the rebound. When the Louisiana Black Bear was listed as threatened in 1992 under the Endangered Species Act, there were estimated to be fewer than 300 of them left in the world. Today, innovative programs to reestablish these animals and restore their habitat through improved land management, high-tech monitoring, and public education are enabling the recovery.
For more information on the Louisiana black bear visit www.wlf.louisiana.gov. For more information on the Understanding Black Bears website portal, contact Carrie Salyers at email@example.com or 337-262-2080.


text:
Dr. Virginia Beard, associate professor of political science at Hope College, will present "Grace and Beauty, Death and Life—Now and Yet to Be" on Monday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m. in the Maas Center auditorium through the "Last Lecture Series" organized by the college's Alcor chapter of the national Mortar Board honorary society.
The public is invited. Admission is free.
Beard has been a member of the Hope faculty since 2007. Her areas of specialization are comparative politics, focused on Africa, as well as public policy. Her research interests are in the areas African political development; democratization; conflict and stability; land rights in Africa; the role of institutions in political development; identity politics with a focus on gender, religion and ethnicity; public policy in political development; homelessness policy; and public policy and poverty. She has spent much time in Kenya and has language experience in both Swahili and German.
In 2012, she was one of only 15 scholars nationwide chosen to participate in the 2012 Lilly Fellows Program Summer Seminar for College and University Teachers, "Teaching Peace and Reconciliation: Theory and Practice in Northern Ireland." She also serves as the book review editor for the "Journal of Poverty and Public Policy."
In addition to her teaching, she mentors students as collaborative participants in her research projects. Most recently, Beard was one of three GLCA faculty chosen to work collaboratively with students and librarians at the Library of Congress through the GLCA's Library of Congress Digital Humanities grant on her research regarding the political history of homelessness in the United States.
Her involvement in the life of the college has also included presenting a focus session during the college's 2012 Critical Issues Symposium focused on reconciliation, and serving as faculty mentor for the Hope students coordinating the annual Model United Nations held for high school students.
Beard earned a bachelor's degree in political science with a focus on African Politics and Third World Development from Calvin College in 2000. After a year living in Dallas, Texas, as an AmeriCorps VISTA working on affordable housing and microlending projects, she returned to Michigan and pursued graduate studies at Michigan State University, where she earned a master's degree in public policy and administration in 2005 and her doctorate in political science with a focus on international development and African politics as well as public Policy in 2006.
As a graduate student, Beard worked on the Afrobarometer Survey Research Project, a nationally recognized and awarded dataset that covers economic and political opinions among citizens across 18 African nations. She continues to conduct research and evaluation work in East Africa, primarily in Kenya, but also in Rwanda and Uganda.
Prior to joining the Hope faculty, she worked for a year at Public Policy Associates Inc., a Lansing-based policy research and evaluation firm. She also has served as a commissioner on the Greater Lansing Commission on Race and Diversity and is committed to racial reconciliation and being part of community initiatives to combat institutional forms of exclusion and oppression.
Beard is a long-distant runner, completing the Boston Marathon in 2011 and 2013, and enjoys traveling, spending time investing in local community, and visiting family around Michigan as well as in her homes of Texas and Mississippi. She lives in Holland with her husband, a University of Michigan Law School graduate and attorney in Grand Rapids.
The title of the lecture series, which the chapter initiated during the 2008-09 school year to feature members of the college's faculty and staff, is rhetorical. The lectures are not literally presented as the last that the speakers will deliver at Hope, but are meant to highlight the advice that they would most want to share if the event was indeed the final opportunity for them to address the college's students. The speakers are asked to reflect on their careers and lives, and to think deeply about what matters to them and about what wisdom they would like to impart.
The concept was inspired by the "Last Lecture" delivered at Carnegie Mellon University by Dr. Randy Pausch on Sept. 18, 2007. Pausch, a member of the Carnegie Mellon faculty who had terminal pancreatic cancer--a fact known at the time that he spoke--presented "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams." He died on July 25, 2008, at age 47.
Mortar Board is a national honor society that recognizes college seniors for outstanding achievement in scholarship, leadership and service, and provides opportunities for continued leadership development, promotes service to college and universities, and encourages lifelong contributions to the global community. Since its founding in 1918, the organization has grown from the four founding chapters to 230 collegiate chapters with nearly 250,000 initiated members across the nation.
The Alcor chapter has existed at Hope since the 1936-37 academic year, although it did not become part of the national Mortar Board organization until 1961. The chapter has received multiple awards at the Mortar Board National Conference during each of the past several years, including being named the top chapter during the national conference in July 2010. During the conference this past summer, the chapter received a "Golden Torch Award" and 19 "Project Excellence" awards, with long-time co-advisor Dr. Dianne Portfleet of the English faculty receiving one of only two top advising awards.
The chapter also sponsored a "last chance talk" during the 1960s. The idea back then was to invite a faculty member to express his/her ideas under the hypothetical assumption that this would be the last opportunity to address the student body. The late Dr. D. Ivan Dykstra, professor of philosophy, delivered the first "last chance talk" in the spring of 1962.
The first 150 attending will receive one of the following three books, "The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born," by Ayikwei Armah, "Grace Eventually," by Anne Lamott, or "14 Minutes: A Running Legend's Life and Death and Life," by Alberto Salazar. The chapter will also distribute copies of the "Last Lecture" to audience members following the address.
There will also be a freewill donation box, with all gifts supporting Mortar Board's many service projects.
The Maas Center is located at 264 Columbia Ave., on Columbia Avenue at 11th Street.


text:
New from ZendCasts.com there's a webcast about testing models in your Zend Framework applications.
A walkthrough on how to build up a simple model layer using a test-driven development approach.
You'll need a project already set up to follow along (he doesn't walk you through the creation of one or the setup of PHPUnit) but the process is pretty simple. He shows how to create some unit tests with the TDD method to help create better code through anticipated feature testing.


text:
On a winter's day at Fort Snelling, it's not hard to hear the soldiers' ghosts.
As the wind whips through the cracks and broken windows, their voices can be heard in cavernous Building 210, the old quartermaster stables, where horses for cavalry officers were kept. Or in Building 211, with its high beams and wide doors where grease-stained GIs, most likely smoking and probably swearing, once toiled fixing tanks during World War II.
All but abandoned for decades, five military buildings on what is known as Fort Snelling's Upper Post are scheduled to be rehabbed. The buildings, which date to the turn of the 20th century and saw service from the Spanish-American War to World War II, will be repurposed to combat one of the military's most nagging of contemporary issues: homelessness. Plans call for 58 affordable apartments for homeless veterans and their families.
"It's a perfect fit," said Andrew Michaelson, who will be the project manager for the nonprofit that will run the development. "To put homeless vets in a place like this, with its military history, it's a hand-in-glove fit."
The Fort Snelling plan is part of a larger effort by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to address two goals: End veteran homelessness and reduce its inventory of vacant and underutilized properties.
The VA has entered into agreements to provide more than 3,000 units of permanent and transitional housing for veterans at 25 VA Medical Center campuses nationwide, and another 1,000 units are pending or underway.
The $15 million plan is to construct 58 apartments in the five buildings on 6 acres, which sit west of Hwy. 55 adjacent to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. The land and the buildings won't be sold but will be managed and leased by a St. Paul-based nonprofit developer of housing services, CommonBond. Construction is expected to start this summer and be complete by the summer of 2014. Three-quarters of the cost will be paid for from private investment leveraged through housing and historic tax credits.
Permanent housing
A veteran with anything other than a dishonorable discharge will be able to apply for housing. These won't be homeless shelters, but permanent housing. Multi-bedroom units are expected to appeal to veterans with families and a growing number of female homeless veterans who may have children.
Many of the buildings were constructed at the turn of the 20th century to house infantry, cavalry and artillery units garrisoned at the post for the Spanish-American War and the Philippine-American War. During World War I, Fort Snelling became a processing center for thousands of Minnesota recruits. Once known as "the country club of the Army" for its lavish swimming pools and polo matches, Fort Snelling was officially decommissioned as an active-duty military post in 1946. The VA took over some of the properties and various other groups, including the Boy Scouts, have divvied up the rest over time.
With many windows boarded and the paint on trims blistered by weather and neglect, the buildings up for rehab look tired. But most remain structurally sound, a testament to the construction standards and the military demands of the day. The slate roof on one of the old horse stables, built in 1909 after all, was supposed to last only 100 years.
"The brick and even the roofing for its age, as an engineer, I'm impressed with how well it's held up," said Steve Challeen, chief engineer of the Minneapolis VA.
Building 227, which was built in 1904 and served as housing for noncommissioned officers, for instance, would certainly qualify in real estate parlance as a "fixer-upper." Two wooden additions droop with fatigue and will be removed. A metal door has long lost its steps to the ground. But with basic upgrades, including adding an American with Disabilities Act-compliant restroom, it will become a two-bedroom duplex.
Next door, the original doors and windows of another duplex have remained square and will be refinished and reinstalled. After 106 years, there is barely a squeak when a visitor walks on the floor, but a few spent shotgun shells lay on the carpeting in a second-floor bedroom.
Keeping it historic
CommonBond plans on retaining much of the historic integrity of the structures. The design of the exterior of the one-time tank garage will have what look like garage doors. An old hayloft will be converted into office and lab space. But given its proximity to the airport, the design will include noise-mitigation measures.
There have been few objections to the plan. When the VA sought public comments, an 89-year-old man who identified himself as a onetime acting first sergeant, e-mailed that he had learned about the proposal and recalled driving Gen. Omar Bradley around the buildings in 1945 when Bradley was the head of the VA. He was elated to hear the buildings might be saved.
Representatives of the Santee Sioux Nation have asked to be consulted on the project. The Indian tribe was imprisoned on the grounds after the 1862 uprising and has asked to be able to have a ceremonial prayer when the development is completed.
Not all buildings will make the cut. A garage built in 1917 will be demolished. A quaint quartermaster's one-room gas station built in 1932 will be mothballed but won't be torn down.
Some of the buildings were used up until the late 1970s and early 1980s for storage by the nearby VA Medical Center. But it has been 67 years since the last soldier fixed the last tank inside Building 211.
"They haven't come to me to talk about their experiences," said Challeen, the VA engineer. As he spoke recently inside the darkened tank garage, an old door behind him slowly opened and then quietly closed.
It must have been the wind.


text:
Justin Bieber Is Going to Take a Paternity Test
The Justin Bieber baby daddy case is becoming more and more like an episode of 'Maury' with each passing day. The Biebs wants to prove he is not the father of Mariah Yeater's son, and he has agreed to submit to a paternity test in order to clear his good name.
The New York Post reports that The Biebs will take the DNA test in two weeks time, once he returns from Europe. Sources told the Post that the singer's "lawyers are making arrangements for him to take the test, which will be done in accordance with all legal requirements." The source went on to say, "I cannot say where or when the test will take place, but it will prove that Yeater's claim is completely false."
"We intend to be very aggressive about this and make an example of [Yeater's] lawyers," the Bieber source said. Yeater's lawyers, Matt Pare and Lance Rogers, said, "We are encouraged that Justin Bieber will voluntarily take the paternity test."
Bieber's lawyer, Howard Weitzman, did not return the paper's calls for comment. However, Bieber's rep Matthew Hiltzik did issue a statement on the matter, declaring, "We are going to take every step to defend and protect Justin." The Biebs and his people are in full on crisis management mode. Damn that Mariah Yeater.
Yeater, 20, claims that she snatched The Bieb's virginity in a Staples Center bathroom in L.A., after his concert. She claims she got pregnant with his son during the 30-second sex sesh. We find it all highly unlikely, but Yeater is aggressively seeking child support for her son, Tristyn, 4 months. He was born July 6.
Last week, The Biebs said that he never even met his accuser, telling the 'Today' show that none of the allegations are true. He said, "It's crazy that people want to make up such false allegations." Welcome to the wild, not-always-wonderful world of celebrity, Biebs!
Also mucking up matters is the fact that The Biebs would have been underage at the time of their encounter, making their relations a case of statutory rape! We bet Miss Yeater didn't think about that when she dreamt up this scheme.
Yeater also told the Daily Star that "there's not a shred of doubt in my mind . . . Justin is definitely the father" and even pointed to a resemblance between her son and the man she says sire him! "Look! Just look at his mouth. Look familiar?" she said. A mouth is all we need as proof? Really?
Zap2It posted footage of an interview Yeater conducted an interview with 'The Insider,' which airs today.
"I have provided evidence to my attorneys and it'll show in court to prove that my allegations are true," she promised. Word is that her attorneys want to settle out of court, too. That sounds like she wants a cash grab by capitalizing on Bieber's desire to make this headache go away.
Watch a Clip of Mariah Yeater Speaking to 'The Insider'


text:
Career Notes
High School
USA Basketball
- Named team captain for the second straight year in 2012-13
- Has the skill set to be an All-ACC and All-America performer ... polished offensive game allows him to be an efficient scorer
- Enjoyed a breakout season as a junior, averaging 11.8 points per game and 5.3 rebounds per game while shooting 40.8 percent from three-point range
- A matchup nightmare with the ability to shoot from the perimeter and post up under the basket ... one of the top perimeter shooting big men in the ACC
- An underrated defender who has emerged as a shot-blocking threat ... possesses good instincts and length
- Has worked hard throughout his career to improve his strength and agility ... spent the offseason recovering from offseason foot surgery
- A smart player with a knack for being in the right place at the right time ... has taken 37 charges over three seasons
- The 28th player in Duke history from the Triangle area (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill) ... the fourth local product under head coach Mike Krzyzewski and the fifth Blue Devil (joining Kenney Brown, Randy Denton, Shavlik Randolph & Carl Sapp) to come out of Raleigh
- Played in 31 games with 19 starts ... averaged 11.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists and and 1.1 blocks per game ... missed the ACC and NCAA Tournament after suffering a foot injury in early March
- Ranked third on the team in points per game, rebounds per game and blocks per game
- Scored in double figures 18 times with three 20-point efforts
- Ranked 17th in the ACC in scoring, 16th in rebounding, ninth in free throw percentage and 10th in blocks
- Named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll
- Shot 40.8 percent (40-of-98) from three-point range ... hit a three-pointer in 23 of 31 games ... hit multiple three-pointers in 12 contests
- Shot 80.7 percent (113-of-14) from the free throw line, the second highest clip on the team ... hit 18 consecutive free throws to start the season ... also hit 19 consecutive free throws from Jan. 4-12
- Named MVP of the Maui Invitational and to the all-tournament team ... scored 17 points in all three games
- Led the team with 14 charges drawn
- Posted two double-doubles, scoring 18 points with 12 rebounds against Penn (1/1), and scoring 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds against Wake Forest (1/19)
- Scored a career-high 23 points to go along with eight rebounds and two blocks against Wake Forest (2/28)
- Played in his 100th career game at Florida State and contributed 13 points, six rebounds, two assists and a block in 30 minutes off the bench ... also notched his second four-point play of the season in the game (2/23)
- Scored 15 points in the win over North Carolina, including 10 in the second half ... scored eight points over the final seven minutes, including a long-range jumper with 14 seconds left that cut the deficit to 83-82 ... also took two charges in the game (2/8)
- Scored 15 points against Virginia Tech for his fifth consecutive double-figure scoring game (2/2)
- Scored 16 points and fell one rebound shy of recording a double-double against St. John's ... went 10-of-12 from the free throw line against the Red Storm (1/28)
- Went 5-of-7 from the floor and 2-of-3 from three-point range on the way to 14 points against Maryland ... also blocked three shots (1/25)
- Came off the bench to score 20 points against Wake Forest in his second career double-double ... went 8-of-11 from the floor and pulled in 10 rebounds ... also handed out four assists (1/19)
- Scored a career-high 21 points against Georgia Tech while posting the second best free throw performance in school history ... went a perfect 14-for-14 from the charity stripe and hit all eight free throws in the final 40 seconds of the game (1/7)
- Swiped three steals and scored 16 points in the win over Washington ... neared a double-double with eight rebounds in the victory (12/10)
- Did not miss a shot against Michigan State ... went 3-for-3 from the floor, 2-for-2 from behind the three-point line and 6-for-6 from the free throw line (11/15)
- Scored 17 points in a win over Kansas to clinch the Maui Invitational Championship and Maui Invitational MVP honors ... also chipped in three assists (11/23)
- In round two of the Maui Invitational, hit 9-of-10 free throws against Michigan to score 17 points ... also added two assists, two blocks and two steals (11/22)
- Against Tennessee in the Maui Invitational, went 5-for-9 with two three-pointers for 17 points (11/21)
- Member of the ACC All-Academic Team
- Averaged 6.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game ... played in 37 contests with 27 starts
- Posted a .516 field goal percentage (95-of-184) and .805 free throw percentage (33-of-41)
- Reached double figures in scoring in nine games with one 20-point game
- Second on the team with 51 blocks ... tied for ninth in the ACC with 1.4 blocks per game
- Blocked a shot in 26 overall contests with three or more blocked shots in eight outings ... blocked a season-high four shots against Saint Louis (12/11), UNC Greensboro (12/29), Boston College (1/27) and Virginia (2/16)
- Led the team with 19 charges taken
- Grabbed five or more rebounds in 11 games
- Made 18 consecutive field goal attempts, including seven straight three-pointers, in a four-game stretch from Jan. 15 through Jan. 27 ... the 18 straight made field goals are the second-most in Duke history
- Scored 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field against Michigan (3/20) in the third round of the NCAA Tournament
- Averaged 9.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and 1.3 steals per game in the ACC Tournament while shooting 12-of-18 (.667) from the field
- Had nine points, three rebounds, three blocks and three steals in the ACC Tournament title game win over North Carolina (3/12)
- Was a perfect 5-for-5 from the field for 11 points against Maryland (3/11) in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals
- Tallied eight points, seven rebounds and two assists against No. 24 Temple (2/23)
- Recorded a career-high nine rebounds to go with seven points and three blocked shots at St. John's (1/31)
- Scored a career-high 20 points on 6-of-6 shooting from the field, 4-of-4 from the three-point line and 4-of-4 from the foul line against Wake Forest (1/22) ... 20 points on just six field goal attempts are tied for the second-fewest field goal attempts to score 20 points in school history ... also tied for fifth at Duke for most points scored with 100 percent efficiency
- Shot a perfect 4-of-4 from the field, including 2-of-2 from behind the three-point line for 11 points at N.C. State (1/19) ... also had eight rebounds to go with two blocked shots in the game
- Grabbed six rebounds to go with eight points and three blocked shots against Miami (1/2)
- Had 13 points and a career-high six assists against Elon (12/20)
- Member of the ACC All-Academic Team
- Played in 35 games on the season, including 15 of the 16 conference games
- Averaged 1.2 points and 1.1 rebounds per game ... also blocked 14 shots on the year
- Had three games with two or more blocks and at least one block in nine games overall ... recorded at least one block in the first four games of his career
- Made two free throws against No. 10 Purdue (3/26) in the NCAA Sweet 16
- Had one assist and two rebounds against Arkansas-Pine Bluff (3/19) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament
- Made one three-point field goal for his first career points in ACC play and grabbed four rebounds against No. 21 Georgia Tech (2/4)
- Blocked four shots to go with five points and three rebounds in 11 minutes against Gonzaga (12/19)
- Posted two points, three rebounds, one block and one steal in only six minutes against St. John's (12/5)
- Recorded nine points, five rebounds, one assist, two blocks and two steals against Radford (11/21)
- Tallied eight points, three rebounds, one assist and one steal in his collegiate debut against UNC Greensboro (11/13)
High School
- Four-year letterwinner at Ravenscroft School
- Played for former Blue Devil Kevin Billerman
- 2009 McDonald's All-American ... scored six points and grabbed two rebounds to help the East squad to a 113-110 win in the McDonald's All-America game
- Won the three-point contest at the McDonald's All-America Powerade Jam Fest ... scored 20 points in the final round to win the competition, becoming the seventh Duke commitment to win the three-point shootout at the event
- First team Parade All-America pick in 2009
- 2009 Jordan Brand All-American ... had two points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots in a 110-103 Black victory at the 2009 Jordan Brand Classic
- North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior
- Two-time first team all-state and TISAC player of the year honoree
- Two-time GlaxoSmithKline all-tournament team pick ... also named to the Chick-fil-a Classic all-tournament team in 2009
- Raleigh News & Observer Player of the Year in 2009
- Led Ravenscroft to three conference championships and a 70-24 record during his career
- Holds school career records in points (2,065), points per game (17.5), blocks (379), rebounds (950), free throws (312), field goals (864) and field goal percentage (.600, 864-of-1441) ... also has single season records in points (882), points per game (25.2), rebounds (356), free throws (134), field goals (336) and field goal percentage (.620, 297-of-479)
- Led Ravenscroft to a 28-7 record as a senior ... posted 25.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.8 blocks, 2.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game on the year
- Averaged 23.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 3.1 blocks while leading his team to a 24-6 record and fifth place finish in the state as a junior
- Registered 14.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game while leading Ravenscroft to an eighth place finish in the state and an 18-11 record as a sophomore
- Named "Most Promising Prospect" at the 2008 NBPA Top 100 Camp in Charlottesville, Va.
- Made AAU all-tournament teams at the 2008 Pitt Jam Fest and Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions
- Ranked 14th by the Recruiting Services Consensus Index
- Rated in the top 20 overall by Scout.com (No. 12), ESPN.com (No. 17) and Rivals.com (No. 20) ... listed as the No. 4 power forward by Scout.com and No. 8 power forward by Rivals.com
USA Basketball
- Earned a silver medal with the 2008 USA U18 National Team at the 2008 FIBA Americas U18 Championship in Formosa, Argentina
- Started all five games, while averaging 8.6 points and a team-high 7.4 rebounds per game
- Posted two double-doubles with 12 points and 10 rebounds against Venezuela and 12 points and 10 rebounds against Canada in the semifinals
- Born Ryan Matthew Kelly on April 9, 1991 in Carmel, N.Y.
- Son of Chris and Doreen Kelly
- Father, Chris, played basketball at Yale from 1981-85 ... also played professionally in France for three years
- Mother, Doreen, played volleyball at Pennsylvania and toured with Athletes In Action to South America ... also the Head of School at Ravenscroft
- Has a younger brother, Sean, and a younger sister, Erin
- Grandfather, Richard Casey, played basketball at Fordham
- Uncle, Ray Casey, played basketball at Kings College and coaches at Westminster Catawba Christian School
- Uncle, Sean Casey, played basketball at Hobart College and coached at Peddie School
- Member of the National Honor Society and the honor roll
- Semifinalist National Merit Scholar
- National Latin exam magna cum laude
- Member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes
- Volunteered with the Special Olympics of Wake County
- Played AAU basketball for three years with D-One Sports
- Enjoys Seinfeld, video games, movies, reading and listening to music ... favorite athlete is Tim Tebow


text:
Our little princess Hanaayame isn't as sweet and girly as she seems. In her spare time, she is taming the dangerous river dragons. Here she is with Haku.
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
Find us on Google+
Welcome to my page!
I always want to do as many outstanding things as possible.
That can be about Traveling all around the world... about Creating amigurumis... about Learning new languages... about my work in Atomic Physics... and a lot of other stuff...
I'm sure you will find an interesting topic.
Please feel free to look at my articles and leave me your comments.
Welcome to my crazy world!


text:
THE deaf and mute manager of a Blackburn nursery has called for action to tackle drunks fighting and swearing outside the nearby Salvation Army hostel.
Chantelle de la Croix appealed in person to senior councillors for a crackdown on bad behaviour on King Street and Heaton Street.
She told Blackburn with Darwen Council's executive board about problems outside Bramwell Lifehouse upsetting infants at King's Nursery and St Anne's RC Primary School on Feilden Street.
Speaking through a sign interpreter, Ms de la Croix said: "I am concerned about the behaviour of some people from the Salvation Army hostel on Heaton Street.
"Many are alcoholics drinking on the street, sometimes fighting and shouting, using bad language. It is not good for nursery children, especially when they play outside.
"The problem seems to be getting worse."
St Anne's head teacher Barbara Cuff said: "It is not good for children in the playground. It's definitely getting worse."
Borough lead member for neighbourhoods Arshid Mahmood said: "We have asked police for a greater presence and will approach management at the THOMAS drop-in facility to agree a process of moving people on.
"We will no longer tolerate such behaviour and are taking action against owners of hostels and houses of multiple occupation to reinforce the message."
A Salvation Army spokesman said: "We work with some of the most vulnerable people in society. Our staff have been in contact with the local authority to 'safe clean' the area. We have taken steps to make service users aware of the feelings locally and to work out the best way of eradicating any problems."
A Lancashire Police spokesman said: "We are aware of the concerns and we will work with partners to address them, taking appropriate action where necessary."


text:
I would like to hire an eBook Writer - 09/11/2016 03:01 EST
Presupuesto $30-250 USD
20 freelancers están ofertando el promedio de $157 para este trabajo
Hi there, I am a professional writer. Please check my reviews and portfolio (https://www.freelancer.com/u/revival786.html) and ask me for more samples to have an idea about the quality of my service. I am highly in Más
Hi! With the best-proven records on freelancer.com, I can definitely assure you that I will provide you with grammatical-error-free, interesting-to-read, informative, and 100% original content for your ebook. Más
Hello, I am a published author with over four years experience developing gripping content for fiction and non fiction. Attached to my application is a first draft sample of my previous work in the same genre. I have Más
Hey, I've 5 years of experience in content writing, editing and proofreading. I'm also well versed in SEO techniques, and best practices for content while adhering web standards or have a working knowledge of websit Más
"Greeting! With abundant ideas, nearly-perfect organizational skills, and a thorough understanding of grammar, I have the ability to write a well written and intriguing book/eBook. Not only do I transform boring simpl Más
Hi, I am a conscientious worker with a focus on quality and client satisfaction. I have good writing skills will complete all your work on time and I assure you quality work within deadline with 100% copy free. I am a Más
Hi, I'm a creative and proficient native writer with more than three years experience in English Language and its vocabularies. I also have vast experience in writing error-free and plagiarism-free articles. You ca Más
Writing Services at Its Best Greetings, Looking for Content Writing Services, You are at the right place. When it comes to Content Writing, I'm 'The Best' here. Feel free to hire me for the following writ Más
Hi, I would like to use my experience to serve you better. You can trust my sincere indulgence both in quality and time frame. If you will give me a chance, I will ensure that you're satisfied. I'm really interested in Más
creative writer, journalist, have experience in writing books, poems, prepared to work hard to get the best results
Hello, This is Ajay. Thanks for this job posting. I am an experienced content writer, writing for 7 years. I have attached a sample in word document format. I am an active freelancer in Upwork, a leading freelance Más
I am a Freelance ghost eBook writer and has been working since 2013 but I am new to freelancer site, looking for making some good reputation here as well. I have got a lot of experience in writing cookbooks, You can gi Más
i am happy with your project budget, and it will be my honor to do this job in that budget. i am 3rd in Punjab, Pakistan in typing with 65WPM speed. i can write your e-book faster than anyone else can.


text:
One Piece Episode 672
One Piece Episode 672 English Subbed
Watch Mode
If the video doesn't work for you, then try reload page (F5) or a different mirror from the list below
Added: 3 years ago
You are watching One Piece Episode 672 in HD quality with professional English subtitles. This video is part of the anime One Piece , if you did enjoy it please share it with your friends. Please note that One Piece Episode 672 is hosted on a third-party video sharing website and is not affiliated in any way with AnimeShow.tv
If you missed any episodes, you will find them here: One Piece.
Episode 672
- Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2
- Bakumatsu Crisis
- Black Clover (TV)
- Bokutachi wa Benkyou ga Dekinai
- Boruto: Naruto Next Generations
- Bungou Stray Dogs 3rd Season
- Carole & Tuesday
- Chou Kadou Girl ⅙: Amazing Stranger
- Diamond no Ace: Act II
- Dororo
- Fairy Gone
- Fairy Tail: Final Series
- Fruits Basket (2019)
- Gegege no Kitarou (2018)
- Gunjou no Magmel
- Hachigatsu no Cinderella Nine
- Hangyakusei Million Arthur 2nd Season
- Hitoribocchi no Marumaru Seikatsu
- Isekai Quartet
- JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken: Golden Wind
- Joshikausei
- Karakuri Circus
- Kenja no Mago
- Kimetsu no Yaiba
- Kono Oto Tomare!
- Kono Yo no Hate de Koi wo Utau Shoujo YU-NO
- Mayonaka no Occult Koumuin
- Midara na Ao-chan wa Benkyou ga Dekinai
- Mix: Meisei Story
- Namu Amida Butsu! Rendai Utena
- Nande Koko ni Sensei ga!?
- Nobunaga-sensei no Osanazuma
- One Piece
- One Punch Man 2nd Season
- RobiHachi
- Sarazanmai
- Senryuu Shoujo
- Sewayaki Kitsune no Senko-san
- Shoumetsu Toshi
- Strike the Blood III
- Strike Witches: 501 Butai Hasshin Shimasu!
- Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari
- Yatogame-chan Kansatsu Nikki
- Yu☆Gi☆Oh! VRAINS


text:
Search News
MDB climate finance hit record high of $43.1 billion in 2018
Thursday, June 13, 2019 - 11:26
An increase of over 22 percent on the previous year, boosting projects that help developing countries and emerging economies cut emissions and address climate risks – joint report.
IDB launches US$2.1 billion 2.250% 10-year Fixed Rate Global
Wednesday, June 12, 2019 - 16:54
The Inter-American Development Bank ("IDB" or "IADB"), rated Aaa/AAA (Moody's/S&P),priced a new US$2.1 billion 10-year global bond. The transaction pays a semi-annual coupon of 2.250% and matures on 18 June 2029. Priced with a spread of 12.25 basis points over the UST 2.375% May-29, this represents a yield of 2.270%.
The IDB honors Peruvian chef Gastón Acurio
Tuesday, May 21, 2019 - 17:47
The ambassador of Peruvian cuisine will deliver the Cátedra Enrique Iglesias of Culture and Development on May 21, 2019. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) announced today that the chef Gastón Acurio was recognized with the Cátedra Enrique V. Iglesias of Culture and Development. This award was created by the organization to distinguish those who have excelled in their work of promoting the progress of Latin America and the Caribbean through the arts and culture.
IDB Launches GBP 500 Million 1.250% Benchmark Due December 2025
Thursday, May 2, 2019 - 15:27
The transaction pays an annual coupon of 1.250% and matures on 15 December 2025. It priced with a spread of 40 basis points over the 2.000% UKT due September 2025, which represents a reoffer yield of 1.305% annually.
Inter-American Development Bank Prices AUD 500 Million 5-Year 'EYE' Bond
Monday, April 15, 2019 - 13:07
The Inter-American Development Bank ("IADB" or "IDB"), rated Aaa/AAA (Moody's/S&P), priced a new AUD500 million 5-year fixed rate Kangaroo offering under the Education, Youth, and Employment ("EYE") Bond program...
IDB selects CastleOak Securities to its Discount Note Dealer Group
Tuesday, April 2, 2019 - 10:25
To partner with the IDB to broaden the distribution of its debt securities.
Spain makes contribution to IDB's migration initiative
Wednesday, March 20, 2019 - 16:02
Event on migration analyzes impact on Latin America MADRID - Spain has made a $5 million contribution to help the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) tackle urgent development challenges posed by the rise of transborder migrations in Latin America and the Caribbean. The contribution was announced at the conference Migration and Cities: The Road to Inclusive Integration held March 20, 2019 in Madrid.
Standard & Poor's affirms IDB's AAA/A-1+ ratings and upgrades SACP to 'aaa' from 'aa+"
Monday, February 25, 2019 - 17:51
Standard & Poor's has affirmed the Inter-American Development Bank's 'AAA' long-term and 'A-1+' short-term issuer credit rating with a stable outlook. Also, following a review under the revised criteria for multilateral lending institutions, the IDB's stand-alone credit profile was upgraded from 'aa+' to 'aaa', due to its extremely strong enterprise risk profile and very strong financial risk profile.
The IDB and Mastercard launch a new Resource Center for Digital Transport in Cities
Thursday, February 21, 2019 - 11:10
The IDB and the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth launch a new Resource Center for Digital Transport WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new Resource Center for Digital Urban Transport in Latin America has been founded, with the support of the Inter-American Development Bank and the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth.
IDB and CDB to expand the Sustainable Energy Facility (SEF) for the Eastern Caribbean
Monday, December 17, 2018 - 11:21
US$ 85.6 million programme will fund geothermal power and institutional capacity projects in five Eastern Caribbean nations The Sustainable Energy Facility for the Eastern Caribbean (SEF-Expanded) is designed to reduce the financial, technical, and institutional barriers to geothermal energy development in five Eastern Caribbean nations. It will also aid in institutional strengthening and capacity building for those five governments and in partnering with the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).


text:
VIDEO: Bucks bring Jason Kidd on board as its next head coach
The first thing Marc Lasry is going to have to do is apologize.
Apologize, not for his actual hiring of Jason Kidd to be the Milwaukee Bucks' new head coach – though that might be in order soon enough, based on the NBA's time-honored W-L standards – but for the manner in which he did it.
That is to say, the abrupt, secretive and unprofessional way Lasry, one of the team's new co-owners, went courting his buddy Kidd, trampling all over business etiquette and even ethics by filling one job that wasn't vacant and throwing several more held by longtime respected basketball executives into immediate limbo.
Lasry, who bought the Bucks this spring with hedge-fund partner Wesley Edens, already has apologized to Larry Drew, NBA sources confirmed, for the public undercutting that played out over about 48 hours. Actually the process took a little longer: Drew was in the Bucks' war room on Draft night Thursday in suburban Milwaukee while Lasry and Edens were at the event at Brooklyn's Barclays Center. Drew was at No. 2 pick Jabari Parker's introductory news conference Friday while the owners clandestinely interviewed Kidd in New York. The ham-handed maneuver leaked out Saturday and finally, on Monday, the Bucks and the Nets agreed on compensation in the form of two future second-round draft picks.
Drew still has about $5 million coming over the next two seasons, which could soothe bruised feelings from rude treatment for a lot of us. Still, there's a right way and a wrong way to do things, and Lasry, the point man on the hire, botched this badly. He rewarded Kidd for all the wrong reasons – the former All-Star point guard wanted more money and power within the Nets organization but got rebuffed, so he turned to his former financial adviser with the shiny new team – and he violated an unwritten code against hiring before firing by which even sports' most ruthless power brokers abide.
Lasry might claim ignorance on that, being new to this fish bowl, but then Kidd should have informed him. Frankly, Kidd owes Drew an apology too because crossing the informal but well-understood line among coaches.
Lasry needs to come with some fat, sincere mea culpas to Bucks general John Hammond and front-office execs David Morway, Dave Babcock and Billy McKinney. They all might find it harder to work this season, constantly glancing over their shoulders, than it was enduring last season's 15-67.
Contract extensions, along with the apologies, might help. You say Kidd has been hired only as the head coach? That's what the Nets thought they were doing 12 months ago, and look where we are.
For all we know, plans already are in place for a more complete coup. But it would be nice if Kidd – looking like a me-first person after a Hall of Fame-worthy career as a pass-first point guard – proved for a couple more seasons that he can do one job well before grabbing at a cpuple more. Ditto for staying out of trouble in the domestic abuse and DUI categories. (It's between him and his bosses, meanwhile, whether he gets an escalator clause in his contract guaranteeing him a raise every time some other team hires an ex-point guard as a coach.)
Parker probably is good without an apology. The forward from Duke and Chicago native has been so gracious and humble since the Bucks selected him that he'll no doubt let Lasry off the hook for squashing the excitement of his arrival, the franchise's giddiest point since the spring of 2010's "Fear The Deer" playoff run.
But Lasry and Edens should reserve their biggest, gooiest admissions of wrongdoing for Bucks/NBA fans in Milwaukee. As much as the two private-equity billionaires have done in securing the team in the community – purchasing it for a price ($550 million) that's whopping by anyone's but Steve Ballmer's standards and moving ahead with new arena plans – this was a stylistic faux pas of the highest order.
And hopefully, only that. If this is indicative of the way the co-owners plan to operate going forward – pushing into basketball decisions simply because they can – the Bucks likely are headed sideways more than up. That's been proven time and again as owners across all sports try and fail to replicate the George Steinbrenner model.
The Bucks are Lasry's and Edens' toy. They can do what they want. No one questions the chain of command. But this isn't a board room, executive suite or trading floor, the venues where they amassed their fortunes. There's a huge public trust and ownership involved, from season-ticket holders in VIP seats and the folks who dig deep to attend one Bradley Center game each season to the lowliest concessions worker. Milwaukee mixes in a little bit of paranoia, too, and simple expectations.
The fans deserve to know, in making their Bucks buy decisions, whether this is going to be standard operating procedure for two exuberant owners, or a hard lesson learned that won't soon be repeated.
A few "I'm sorry" remarks delivered in a sincere, timely and public fashion – perhaps at Kidd's introductory presser in the coming days – could smooth this over, along with some time and a sense that Kidd is focused on coaching rather than career-climbing.
Otherwise, the Bucks situation simply will remain sorry.