text:
Richard Ritenbaugh, reiterating the day-for-a-year-principle, maintains that, as we count the 50 days toward Pentecost, we should reconsider the events of our lives (whether life-changing ones or those we might regard as incidental), coming to understand that they reveal God's on-going maintenance of our spiritual lives. As we study the Megilloth Ruth, we see Naomi, described as a pleasant, attractive personality, a God-fearing, common-sense individual who put others before herself. Yet, for all that, she exhibits the negative trait of bitterness as she responds to a series of experiences which she initially defines as curses. Like Moses, Elijah, and nearly all of God's called-out ones, Naomi found it difficult to see God's hand at work in the "big picture" of things. Naomi's pessimism disappeared once she perceived God's hand behind apparently 'accidental' events, including Ruth gleaning in Boaz's field, or 'circumstantial' ones, such as the attention he showered upon her. Naomi soon realized that God had meticulously orchestrated, towards the accomplishment of His own purposes, the famine, the death of her husband and sons, the loyalty of Ruth, the gleaning episodes, the marriage of Ruth to Boaz and the birth of Obed. Naomi's blessings, the result of God's providence, were far greater than her earlier losses. Let us emulate Naomi in her awakening realization that God choreographs even horrible incidents in our lives in order to fulfill His purposes. Yielding to His purpose will give us the desire of our hearts.
Martin Collins, reminding us that God has designed the human condition to be governed by a series of life-or-death choices, focuses on the life-choices of Gideon as a source of encouragement to us all. Gideon, whom the writer of the Book of Hebrews included in the "Faith Chapter," began his life as a coward, became a conqueror, and ended a compromiser, all the while needing continuous assurances from God to bolster his flagging faith. Gideon wondered 1.) whether God really cared about him, 2.) whether God knew what He was doing, 3.) whether God would take care of him and 4.) whether God would keep His promises. To this anxiety-laden man, God demonstrated His faithfulness and forbearance, in stark contrast to Gideon's continuous tests and childish demands, disturbing traits that some of us also display. We must learn that God always keeps His promises and cares for us so much that He is willing to chasten us to bring us to life-saving repentance. As His workmanship, we receive God's personal attention, guiding us through the baby steps needed as He strengthens our wobbly faith, giving us increasingly more abilities as the scope of our tasks increases. As God answered all four of Gideon's questions in the affirmative, He will do the same for those who are going through faith-testing trials. As God incrementally built Gideon's faith, allowing him to prove it privately before he would take a public stand, God will do the same for us, knowing that our frame is weak and frail, totally helpless without the power of His Holy Spirit.
Richard Ritenbaugh, asking us whether we have ever been around an individual who energetically serves to a fault, offers an example of a woman in a local congregation who assisted Stanley Rader in meeting his appointments. Stanley Rader, though grateful, found this woman "exhausting." God serves infinitely more than this woman, but in such unobtrusive ways that most of the world takes Him for granted. God supplies our food, clothing, and shelter, as well as sustains our health. Without these blessings we would die. On the spiritual level, God has blessed us with the Sabbath, a period of holy time, when He crafts our spiritual identity, redeeming us from the clutches of our carnality and this evil world. In the Deuteronomy rendition of the Ten Commandments, God reminds us that our forebears were slaves in Egypt, just as we too were slaves in bondage to sin. From that time up to the present, God has been working on His called-out ones incessantly, moving them in incremental steps toward the Kingdom. The Feast of Tabernacles reminds us that we are temporary, transitory pilgrims on our journey to a more permanent, glorious state. The Sabbath commandment, which includes the Holy Days, provides a time for meditation on what God has done to redeem us, fashioning us into members of His family. When we thoughtfully tally up all God has done to redeem us, we are compelled to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, responding to His Commandments, reciprocating the love He shown for us. The Sabbath is a time we reflect on our redemption from a previously hopeless state to the prospect of Eternal life as a member of God's family.
James Beaubelle, focusing on the infamous narrative in Numbers 13-14 of the ten timid and two bold spies, referenced in four other books of the Bible, concludes that it behooves us to carefully consider the offenses preventing many ancient Israelites from entering their rest. That evil generation, despite its daily contact with God, refused to trust Him, but complained every step along the way. There was not a single day of rebellion, but a whole series of aggravating incidents, including complaining about bitter water, griping about the lack of food, , attempting to gather manna on the Sabbath, fashioning the golden calf, and the ten spies' dispiriting the people from entering the Promised land. We have the same carnal nature as our forebears and should learn from their example that complaining equates to lack of faith and that we must be ready to listen to and obey the One Who called us.
David C. Grabbe: In Part Two, we considered the first two of the four elements found in God's instructions on the Feast of Tabernacles, particularly in Leviticus 23:40-43. ...
David C. Grabbe: As Part One closed, we saw that Leviticus 23 contains another command to rejoice at the Feast: "And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees ...."
People are often both mystified and fascinated by angels. What do they look like? How many are there? What are their names? What are their powers? What is their purpose? Martin Collins uses biblical texts to show that angels are God's servants whose purpose is to help those He has called to eternal life.
Martin Collins, reviewing the episode of Habakkuk's frustration that God would use an evil people to punish Israel, points us to the prophet's resolve to cease being a fretful worrier and to become a responsible watcher, determined to understand the purpose of God's dealing with His people. Only a faithful believer will ever stand acquitted before God's fearful judgment. While the taunt-song, dealing with the five woes, certainly applies to Babylon, it applies doubly to God's people Israel, who should have known better, but chose to become ignorant. The first two woes in Habakkuk 2:6-8 concerns the woe against greed, avarice, covetousness (a virulent form of idolatry), and selfish ambition, leading to the crime of usury, charging excessive interest on loans, making the debtor a virtual slave, totally against God's instructions in Deuteronomy 24:10-13. The earth metaphorically cries out against the oppressor who garners wealth by stealing from others and amassing fortunes by exploiting the poor. The third woe focuses on a nation's tyrannical oppression of captive peoples, building a city with bloodshed and establishing a town by violence, denuding forests, wantonly slaughtering animals in order to subjugate other defenseless peoples. The fourth woe results from a people corrupting others with drunkenness and lust, having both literal and metaphorical implications; today the intoxicating Babylonian system embraced by Jacob's descendants has caused our nation to resemble, both figuratively and literally, a drunk vomiting over itself, exposing its sins and folly to the entire world, after adamantly refusing to be governed by God's laws. The fifth woe leveled against the Chaldeans, and by extension to the modern descendants of Jacob, results from idolatry, the sin of worshiping the creation rather than the Creator, applying to literal idols of stone and wood as well as to pagan new age religious practices and including anything we might exalt over God Almighty, including our physical possessions, talents, abilities,
David Grabbe, observing that Christ threatened consequences to the Thyatira Church if the congregation did not repent, asserts that God usually grants abundant time for people to repent, but that the recipients of this grace often interpret it as God's tolerance for their sin. The effect is that God's patience can harden people, as they neglect the solemn warning brought by His Word (recorded in the Scriptures) and His messengers, the prophets. For a time, especially as we live in ignorance, God displays patience and forbearance, but God requires repentance, as He did with the people of Nineveh. It is human nature to put off repentance if one does not perceive immediate consequences. Today, people have been so enervated by the effects of sin that they continually disregard God's warning message, oblivious to the cause-and-effect relationship between natural disasters and national sin. Some have failed to understand that Christ scattered the church for its own protection as the Laodicean infection began to destroy vital organs. God's goodness is designed to bring us to repentance, but sometimes He needs to be kind to us by allowing us to experience the consequences of our sins. God's ways to lead us to repentance may occasionally seem offensive, even excessively harsh, but He is always faithful to His covenant and wants only the best for us.
Richard Ritenbaugh, citing Charles Hughes Smith's pronouncement that the entire status quo is a fraud, emphasizes that the entire western society seems to be invested in corruption and fraud, even as society as a whole is plunging off a precipitous cliff. Gary Sturgeon insists that 90% of everything is garbage, with only 10% possibly salvageable, but Satan has a grip on the entire cosmos and has the capability of damaging everything unless God miraculously intervenes. God's called out ones have been given the priceless gift of God's Word of sincerity and truth which has the power to sanctify (set apart and make holy). We must guard it as a life preserver, never letting it out of our sight. God the Father and Jesus Christ intended to leave us in the middle of all this fraud, providing a protective hedge against the worst Satan can do, sanctifying us with His truth in order that we rise above the deceit and fraud, learning to exercise godly discernment. In this worldly environment, we appear strange, odd, and even alien to society. In the Festival of Unleavened Bread, we recognize that God had to do something extraordinary ("flexing His muscles") to free our ancestors and us from the ruler of this world, redeeming us to be His people. God literally had to pull us out of our worldly prison, a way of life leading to certain death. As a symbol, unleavened bread emphasizes that the ancient Israelites had to leave in haste, totally unprepared for the trek ahead of them, and that they were totally dependent upon God for everything. God fed them manna (something unworldly and a type of the Bread of Life) to them for 40 years to test them, whether they would walk in His Torah. Abundant life comes to those who live by every word of God, ingesting it continuously. Unleavened Bread symbolizes Christ's body, His Words of sincerity and truth, and most importantly His Spirit, our portal to an eternal relationship with God, transforming us into what God is.
John O. Reid (1930-2016): In a conversation with a friend sometime back, we could not help but notice the difference in people in both the world and church over the last forty or fifty years. ...
Ryan McClure, cautioning us to regard neither the trials of ancient Israel nor our present trials as an oddity, reminds us that God uses trials to test and humble us, but He never impedes our ability to move forward toward His goal of creating us as a family in His image. God never inhibited the ancient Israelites; their own sins inhibited them, just as our own sins inhibit us. God continually protected them, providing a pillar of cloud and fire to guide them, manna to feed them, miraculously preserving their clothing for 40 years. All God required of our forebears was that they keep putting one foot ahead, maintaining their walk with Him; the same dogged persistence is required of the Israel of God. We cannot allow ourselves the 'luxury' of injustice collecting that characterized our forebears, resorting to temper tantrums when trials hit us. God understands our thoughts from far off, and will never leave us without a spiritual escort.
Bill Onisick, reminding us that we have experienced a taste of the Millennium, announces with the blast of the shofar that freedom and liberty will abound with the approach of the 50th year Jubilee. People will be released from their debts and land will be returned to its original owner. The Jubilee was designed to keep the family whole. When Israel went into captivity, God provided a land Sabbath for the land they had left behind. The Jubilee provided guardrails to prevent them from obsessing about acquiring wealth. In Jesus Christ's inaugural message, He trumpeted the arrival of the Jubilee Year, preaching deliverance to those in bondage to sin, and to restore oneness so that God can be all in all. We must be holy as God is holy. Through God's foresight, He built the Sabbath to give us God-confidence. When we keep the Jubilee, we must trust God to provide. When Satan is removed, we will have ultimate universal freedom. Can we hear the sound of the Jubilee shofar in our lives?
Richard Ritenbaugh, reflecting on Malachi 3:13-15, which does not describe Israel's greatest moments, reminds us that God has never said the Christian life would be easy and that life would always be fair. Jesus Christ urged all of us to count the cost. Difficulties and tests are given to test our hearts and promote humility, a valuable nutrient for spiritual growth. David's experience with the successive stages in defeating the Amalekites, in which the 200 of the 600 men who became battle-fatigued received their share of the booty, indicates that God doesn't deal in favoritism. God judges everybody equally; to whom He has given more, much more will be required of him. The book of Numbers, considered incoherent and incomprehensible by proponents of the Documentary Hypothesis, is definitely logically ordered by Almighty God to demonstrate the cause and effect nature of sin, recording the death tolls until the entire first generation of stiff-necked rebels had their carcasses strewn throughout the desert. The second generation survived and was protected by God for 40 years. God provided them supernaturally food and drink, just as the Israel of God receive spiritual food and drink. Miraculously, the clothing of the Children of Israel did not wear out. As they complained about the 'boring' manna, God flooded them with 110 bushels of quail per person until the gluttonous lusts brought about death. Similarly, the Israel of God cannot yield to the intense craving for the world or go back to the 'good old days' before our conversion. Murmuring and complaining about God's servant, as Miriam had done, brought about the horrendous curse of leprosy. In the Israel of God, we are warmed not gossip, slander, or malign the character of our teachers or our brethren. As ancient Israel feared the Anakin more than they trusted God, we have to learn to fear God more that the problems and people we confront. Our hearts must be fixed on God as He tests us and prepares us to lead.
Richard Ritenbaugh, acknowledging that it is tough to be a Christian, especially during a time when the United States Supreme Court, staffed by a majority of justices who have been given over to a reprobate mind, have deemed murder) the law of the land, caving into radical Feminist and Homosexual lobbies, while removing God from the equation. In so doing, the Court has attempted a de facto annulment of the Fifth Commandment in the name of women's rights by authorizing the death, through abortion, of some 58 million babies—to date. This death toll is higher than that of all the 20th Century holocaust, pogroms and gulags combined. Furthermore, the Court has perpetrated a frontal assault on God's sacred institution of marriage by sanctioning "same-sex marriage," in effecting putting its stamp of approval on (homosexual) sodomy, thereby attempting to abrogate the Seventh Commandment. When the Supreme Court so totally perverts justice, pushing a toxic liberal progressive agenda, it demonstrates the hopelessly debased state of this nation's ethics. What compounds the gravity of the matter is that these justices should have known better. Psalm 75 reveals that God both promotes and removes individuals from positions of power and He has the final say as to how power will be administrated. If an aggregate of 'justices' continue their collision course with the will of God, these evil men and women will bring a curse on our nation. As God's called-out ones, let us show gratitude to Almighty God for our calling, and for our understanding of His purpose for us (especially, since this knowledge seems to be out of grasp for 7 billion others). God promises to have our right hand; He has given us an iron-clad promise never to leave us as along as we remain true to His Covenant. God is the only one who decides the fates of mankind and He will ultimately bring true justice to the entirety of mankind.
John Ritenbaugh, cuing in Romans 11:26, which states that the calling of God is irrevocable and eventually the vast majority of Israel will be saved, suggests that the conversion of the Gentiles is part of God's plan to bring maximum conversion. As God's called-out ones, having been gifted with special spiritual gifts, we must learn to see ourselves and our function as God sees us—as a distinct, unique entity—a holy people, a special treasure above all people on the face of the earth. God loves the church in a way He does not love the world. Among the billions of people, we are separated out, set apart from the aggregate of people, identified as a special people gifted for a special purpose, and called to His marvelous light. God has chosen the weak and base things in order that nobody would glory in the flesh, but God would receive all the glory. We received our calling before the foundation of the world, children of the Promise to Abraham and Isaac, part of the Great Creator's personal selection. We should know and appreciate that we have been called, walking by faith rather than sight. As we walk in humility, God gives us spiritual gifts to accomplish His purpose, preparing us to live by faith. God actively involves Himself in the process, giving us life, education, conversion, faith, gifts, His Word, and the resurrection to come. Very few people, apart from the Church of God, are living their lives by faith, allowing our worldview to change from the perspective of the flesh to the perspective of Christ. The world should be able to marvel at the drastic transformation in our orientation and behavior. God will be holding us responsible for the gifts He has entrusted; we have no excuse to fail.
Richard Ritenbaugh, acknowledging that we live in a changing, uncertain world, reminds us that human nature dislikes and resists change. The blatantly evil changes brought about by secular progressive legislation and federal judges declaring that sin is righteousness and righteousness is sin threaten to upend even the most stalwart. If it weren't for our calling and God's special revelation, we would all have ulcers and nervous breakdowns. The fact that God has handpicked us from the billions that live and have lived on the earth should give us a quiet confidence that God Almighty is providentially caring for us. The key to our abiding sanity is to dwell on God's plan for us and humanity, following Jesus Christ's example to focus on the future when God's Kingdom will bring to an end the foolishness of man's rule. In the meantime, we are instructed to be strong, bold, and of good cheer because Christ has already overcome the world and has promised to never leave us in our perilous but highly rewarding spiritual journey. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ .The forces that are with us are greater than the combined strength of the world's forces. It would be more profitable to ruminate on our blessings rather than the world's problems.
Ted Bowling, recollecting a conversation with his late mother about the identity of Philip, the individual who ministered to the Ethiopian eunuch, affirmed that this same Philip was one of the first seven deacons chosen to serve the neglected Grecian widows, providing sorely needed administrative relief. These men were chosen not only for their administrative savvy, but for their good reputation, character, wisdom, fullness of the Holy Spirit, and humility to serve in lowly and thankless positions. Philip served with Stephen, the first New Testament martyr, whose example was evidently instrumental in the calling and conversion of the apostle Paul. With the death of Stephen, Philip stepped in to fill the gap, preaching and serving the needs of the congregation in Samaria, evidently swelling the size of the fellowship with his dynamic preaching, providing Peter with a large number of candidates for baptism. At the peak of this accomplishment, he was removed from this responsibility and sent on another assignment, involving more uncertainty and arduous travel; Philip accepted this charge without complaining or grumbling, being willing to serve in any assigned capacity. When he encountered the Ethiopian eunuch, an official of Queen Candace, he approached the task of helping this single individual to understand with the same alacrity as teaching a multitude, leading to the baptism and conversion of this man. Philip teaches us that we do not have to preach to multitudes in order to be used by God; we never know in what capacity God may use us. As long as we humbly are willing to serve in any capacity, being willing to wash feet, God will find a use for us.
Richard Ritenbaugh, reflecting on the life of Ryan Leif, an athlete who had all the advantages, suggested that his stupidity ended up mitigating his advantages and achievements. As he started his rookie year, he fumbled and made many errors, destroying his reputation as a sterling quarterback. His subsequent life went downhill, as he succumbed to controlled substances, leading to burglary and other crimes. He sits in a jail cell in Montana, deemed a failure, down in the gutter. If we do not establish a relationship with God, we will also be failures. Thankfully, in the Great White Throne Judgment, these failures will be turned into successes if those God resurrects establish a relationship with God. Access to God is made possible only through His calling. Everyone alive has sinned; without God's Spirit, it is impossible to access God. The world will be in a debased state until the time of Christ's return, when God's Spirit will be generally available, poured out on all flesh. The Great White Throne judgment will feature a mass physical resurrection, beginning with the House of Israel followed by the rest of humanity. God will convert all of humanity from all time since the Garden of Eden. Psalms 105 and 106, considered teaching Psalms, set the ambience for this time period, expressing the yearning desire to be included in His Kingdom, and declaring God's praises to everyone, exhorting everyone to seek the Lord. We are encouraged to see God at our side through our spiritual wilderness journey, a parallel to the wandering of our forebears on the Sinai. Those in the Great White Throne Judgment will undergo the same process, but will not have Satan and a corrupt world to contend with. They will have to contend with carnal nature. Priests and Levites will be reprogrammed to do their jobs right, distinguishing between the sacred and the profane. God has always been faithful with His part of the Covenant; sometimes our forebears totally forgot His faithful providence. Psalm 106 indicates that Israel's sins eroded th
Richard Ritenbaugh, asking us what we have that we did not receive, concludes that 100% of what we have received has come from God (and to a degree, other people). Even though we have good looks and a sparkling personality, even though we have attained a certain degree of material success, a certain amount of knowledge, a certain set of skills, we did not accomplish these things alone. We had nothing to do with our calling, redemption, or salvation; God gave us all these things. Ultimately, it all goes back to God. We have nothing to boast about; we are totally obligated to God. We have good reason to be humble and grateful. The Day of Atonement points out how needy and dependent we are. We are to afflict our souls by fasting. Because we are so incredibly frail, 24 hours with no food or drink makes a deep impression upon us, showing our total dependency upon a merciful God to which we are eternally obligated. This humble attitude leads us to subject ourselves to God. On this day, the Sabbath of Sabbaths, we are to do no work at all, forcing us to turn our total attention to God, refraining to speak our own words or think our own thoughts. God's atoning work is unmerited grace, for which we remain eternally grateful. The atoning work is applied universally until all sin is atoned for, and everything is made holy. Psalm 102 reminds us how weak, destitute, and temporary we are as compared with God's sovereignty, eternal power and changelessness. God allows us to go through a trial to bring about a change in us. Thankfully, when God's people renounce their sins and repent, God will show mercy. Death is no impediment to God; He will resurrect us from the grave. Psalm 103 extols God for all His benefits; everything good, both physical and spiritual, comes from God. Foremost among all these benefits, he forgiveness of our sins. God extends these benefits to those who fear and honor Him, keeping His commandments, practicing His way of life.
John Ritenbaugh, focusing on the Year of Release which falls on the Feast of Trumpets, relates that the Year of Release has ushered in major historical events, such as the September 11th attack and two financial collapses in 2001 and 2008. The Year of Release reminds us that God gives land as a gift to mankind to produce wealth. God is the Owner; we are the tenant as long as we exercise responsibility to dress and keep it. The Year of Release cancels, drops, and remits debts. The land continues to be God's. This year reminds us that God is the Creator, and we must trust God for sustenance every day. Man does not hold land in perpetuity, but only under the Eternal's trust. We own nothing until God entrusts us with His spiritual gifts. The Year of Release is a time lenders should forgive debts, mirroring God's forgiving our sins. The ancient Israelites had a difficult time forgiving debt. When we left spiritual Egypt, we were on death row, but all our sins were forgiven and the penalty dropped. The land Sabbath is a type of the weekly Sabbath wherein the land is given time to regenerate and restore its fertility. There was to be no sowing, no reaping, no pruning, and no storing, but the farmer, the animal, and the poor could glean the produce. The seventh year was also the time to release those who had fallen into servitude for monetary ineptitude.
Richard Ritenbaugh, reflecting on the holiness movement of the 19th century which led to the emergence of Pentecostal and charismatic congregations, persuasions which have engulfed one-fourth of the entirety of Christian denominations and 8% of the world's population, warns that "Pentecostalism," with its emphasis on the emotions, the intuitive, the sensational as being more important than the intellectual, meditative, and reflective, carries some serious dangers to a true believer. When examining the early ministry of the prophet Elijah, it seems that he had succumbed to a kind of emotional, self-centered, charismatic "Pentecostal" mindset, petulantly assuming God would provide a cornucopia of miracles for him. Elijah really felt on top of his game after God consumed his sacrifice in the contest with the prophets of Baal, indicating (to Elijah) that God would intervene at his will and desire. Elijah needed to learn that God was in charge of the relationship, not the other way around. Our forebears on the Sinai were stiff-necked, imposing their will on God, practicing wrong-doing to see if God were watching, acting carelessly (presumptuously), assuming God was duty-bound to take care of them, all the while twisting God's word to suit their plans. Elijah evidently was up-ended by Jezebel's threatening response, and felt a compulsion to run for his life, drifting ultimately into a near-catatonic depression, evidently indifferent to God's intervention and protection. God is more interested in quietness and meekness than in bombastic displays of power.
Martin Collins, reiterating that Joseph is a type of Jesus Christ, moves to the climactic point of the narrative in Genesis 45, in which Joseph reveals himself to his brothers. Joseph knew and recognized his brothers before they knew him. God knows our guiltiest secret sins which we think we have effectively hid. All things are open before God the Father and Jesus Christ. Joseph loved his brothers before they loved him, using tough love to bring them to repentance. Like Jesus, Joseph saved his brothers before they realized they were being saved. Actually the brothers thought they were lost. Sin cannot be hidden; we cannot escape its consequences. Like Jesus, Joseph called his brothers when they would have preferred to run from those. Joseph treated them with compassion as a loving brother; Christ calls us in the same manner. As a type of Christ, Joseph was more concerned about God's will than anything else, giving him a stable perspective, seeing God's providence. God prospered Joseph, making him governor of all Egypt. God saved the lives of Joseph's brothers, indicating that He plans well in advance. God saved other lives in the process of saving Joseph's household. God can use our errors to further His ultimate good; God's purpose will be done, and He is sovereign. Joseph, as a type of Christ, had the ability to forgive, in contrast to the anger and vindictiveness of Simeon and Levi, assuring them that he held no bitterness. Forgiveness is love fused to grace.
Richard Ritenbaugh, acknowledging that the Psalms have been divided into five books, suggests that there is methodology in the organization, reminding us of the number of Divine grace, as well as a number of handy organization emphasizing groups of five, including the summary Psalms (Psalms 146-150), the Pentateuch, the Megilloth, and the Israelite's division of the year into five seasons. The Pentecost season generally corresponds to Book II of the Psalms, the Book of Exodus, and the story of Ruth, typifying counting to Pentecost (the 50th day commemorating the harvest), in which wave loaves baked with leaven (a symbol of corruption) would be offered. Themes of the Pentecost season include leaving the corners of the field un-harvested, the trek of the Israelites to Sinai to receive the Law and the Covenant (a marriage covenant occurring on the same day as Pentecost, depicting another marriage covenant), and the giving of the Holy Spirit on the anniversary of the giving of the Law. Exile, leaving, departing, separation, and redemption are also major themes of this season and Book II of the Psalms. The Book of Exodus also provides instructions for construction of the Tabernacle (prefiguring the church and a future nation of priests). The summary Psalm 147 indicates that God gives His Law and Spirit, building up the Heavenly Jerusalem through the redemption of a remnant (the redeemed outcasts transformed through trail and distress into the Israel of God), the Bride of Christ.
John Ritenbaugh, reflecting on the "blessings of the Lord" descriptor in Deuteronomy 16:16, reminds us that though many of us are not well off materially, nor are we counted among the great of the world, we have nevertheless been given a priceless calling and a spiritual conduit (through His Holy Spirit) which more than compensates for our base and foolish position from which we were called. Because we do not have an abundance of material blessings, we are gently forced to go back to Almighty God for our sustenance, much the same way as He did for our forebears on the Sinai. To the world, we are anonymous numbers: to God we are family members who share in the blessings. When King David went into battle, he made sure the entire family (or body) shared in the spoils of the enemy. Each member of the body is a vital necessary part. One of the primary blessings we receive from God is the intimate relationship He has created with us. Bearing the name Christian is the highest honor ever conferred on anyone. We are co-heirs with Jesus Christ of every imaginable blessing.
Among God's many names and titles is one that proclaims His supremacy over all others: "Most High God" or "God Most High." This name is first used when Melchizedek meets Abram after his victory over the kings who had taken Lot and his family captive. David Grabbe traces the usage of this divine name through the Bible, illustrating how it should give us confidence in God's governance over our lives.
Martin Collins, referring to Hosea as the deathbed prophet, the prophet who was ordered by God to make a symbolic marriage to a harlot, declares that this heartbreaking marriage was to portray Israel's unfaithfulness to God. Interestingly, the Book of Hosea was written to people who considered themselves spiritual when in actuality they were severely spiritually challenged. We are able to understand God's love for Israel by Hosea's care for his spouse. Christ has purchased the church as His Bride, even though she has been unfaithful from time to time, seeking after signs, rejecting what He says, and going into apostasy. Because of Israel's unfaithfulness, it would be scattered (as symbolized by the naming of Hosea's offspring "Jezreel"). Gomer's second child Lo-Ruhama (meaning, "not loved" or "not pitied") was a child of harlotry. Her third child, Lo Ammi (meaning "Not my people") suggests that physical Israel would be broken off, enabling Gentile branches to be grafted in. Eventually, the millennial resolution will convert the term Jezreel from "scattered" to "planted." The negative prefix "lo" will eventually be dropped making the remaining words "loved" and "my people." The grief of Hosea gives a glimpse of God's grief over His people, providing for his wife, but receiving no credit for providing. God provides for His people even when they run from Him. Eventually God provides corrective discipline, metaphorical thorns, preventing further plunges into evil, in hope that Israel will come to her senses. Jesus Christ has taken our troubles onto Him, and will betroth Himself with a repentant Bride.
Jesus Christ's miracle of feeding the five thousand people who had assembled to hear His message is the only miracle that all four gospels record. Martin Collins explains how Jesus used the circumstances to teach His disciples lessons that they would be able to use in their ministries after His death.
Too many Americans confine their giving of thanks to the one day on which their national holiday occurs—and many of them spend their Thanksgiving merely eating too much and watching football. Four vital questions about thanksgiving help us to evaluate our approach to this spiritual duty.
John Ritenbaugh focuses on the remarkable accomplishments and honor bestowed on God's servant Moses, who sacrificed immense worldly honor and fame to become a servant of God, demonstrating real servant leadership in action. The greatness of a nation depends on its responsiveness to God's preachers. If a preacher fails in his responsibility, the nation goes down the drain. Although Moses was highly educated, he was very humble and meek, driving him continually to God for sustenance and power. God commends Moses for his trustworthiness and faithfulness, comparing him favorably with Jesus Christ, who always did things to please His Father. We need to emulate Moses, being faithful in using the gifts God has parceled out to us. After he was cast out of Egypt, he learned to be humble, reflective, and wise as he tended sheep in Midian. The combination of his life experience made him ready to lead a rebellious, complaining slave people. As God knew Moses, David and Jeremiah from the womb, God has also predestined us for a unique calling. As can be seen in the intricacies of a blueprint or schematic diagram, no part of God's creation escapes His mind. We must emulate Moses in his faithfulness, doing our best with what God has given us, remembering that the road to leadership commences with humility and submissiveness, a virtual bond-slave to God. As God continually enabled Moses, God will always provide us what we need to succeed as long as we are faithful.
Men discovered long ago that religion can be big business. ...
Having a goal is a wonderful thing, but it is worthless without a plan for achieving it. John Ritenbaugh contends that Christians also need to have a conscious plan in seeking God, recommending several essential qualities that must be included in any successful course of action.
Human beings, even those who have been called to be children of God, have an innate fear that God will not always provide for us. John Ritenbaugh contends that this fear originates in doubt about God's power—a doubt that falls to pieces before God's revelation of Himself in the Bible.
As the return of Jesus Christ marches ever nearer, Christians need to be sure of one critical matter: Where does real power reside? John Ritenbaugh shows that all power has its source in God—and not just the kind of power we typically think of.
John Ritenbaugh reminds us that all power belongs to God, including health and wealth. We must perceive ourselves as part of God's plan; we are being brought to a state where we will see ourselves as transformed in Christ's image. At the present time, we are going through a period of hopelessness, but must believe that all things work together for those who believe and are called for His purpose. Even though being fearful is natural, God has the necessary power to fulfill His purpose. As very difficult times are coming, we will need to draw close to God for a more intimate relationship with Him. Satan cannot do anything except as God permits. There is no authority except as God ordains. For God, things are not out of control. The events which currently take place in the world are under God's direction. All power was given from the Father to Christ. When Jesus needed help, He went directly to the Father. God calls us, gives us repentance, faith, His Spirit to overcome, His love, and sanctification, writing His laws on our mind, preparing us for membership in His family. God is the source of everything pertaining to our salvation.
John Ritenbaugh gives statistics from an army quartermaster who calculated the logistics of supplying food, shelter, and water for 2-3 million Israelites on their 40 year trek across the Red Sea and the wilderness—a task only an omnipotent God could fulfill. As was true in the physical journey of ancient Israel and the spiritual journey of the Israel of God, we have the powerful assurance that God will never leave nor forsake us. When God parted the Red Sea, the problems did not disappear. On our spiritual journey, once we have the benefits of Christ's Passover sacrifice applied to us, our problems do not instantly disappear. Our position is just as precarious as ancient Israel, if not more precarious. As ancient Israel was called out of Egypt, we are called out of spiritual Egypt. We have been in abject bondage to the world's corrupt systems and our own carnal desires, having lived our entire lives under Satan's dominion. Christ stated His intention in Luke 4 to preach the gospel to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, to recover the sight to the blind, and to set them at liberty. Jesus explains that the truth is the only thing that will set us free. A major player in our lives or spiritual journey is the truth and how we use it. Though Christ does not do our overcoming for us, He gives us abundant resources to accomplish this daunting task. He gives us in addition to the assurance that He will never abandon us as we struggle in our journey to the Promised Kingdom of God.
Richard Ritenbaugh urges us to look upon the Passover as a beacon of hope in an otherwise hopeless milieu. The book of Job, initially a seeming extended treatise of hopelessness, turns into Job"s speculation about a possible resurrection, realizing from his prior experience that God enjoys the company of men and wants men to be like Him. Hope can be defined as "confident, enduring expectation," and the heart of hope is faith in God. The strength of our hope depends upon how deeply we know God. Abraham, after 50 years of experience trusting God, knew He would provide despite the visible circumstances. Jesus provided hope to His disciples at His last Passover, exuding confidence and hope, despite His knowledge of what was immediately ahead. In Hebrews, we are counseled to emulate Jesus, who endured due to the joy before Him. We can have rock-solid hope that God will provide despite the intensity of our trials.
The first commandment sets the stage for Mike Ford's review of Genesis 22, Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac. He suggests that God wanted to know one thing: Would Abraham put Him first and have no other god?
John Ritenbaugh, reflecting upon the admonition of Christ that we must take the straight gate or the narrow way (symbols of grave difficulty), indicates that our experience in overcoming and developing character will be fraught with difficulties. Nevertheless, God will provide the power to get through all this difficulty and anguish of spirit if we have true faith. Murmuring and grumbling are clear indications of lack of faith, and are in the same category as murder, idolatry, and fornication. Godliness with contentment is something we have to learn, stemming from absolute confidence in God's providence- beginning with the sacrifice of His Son-to each of us individually. The sacrifice of Jesus was the idea of God the Father.
Many Christians today believe that killing in self-defense is sanctioned by the Bible. David Grabbe explains that this is a terrible misunderstanding of Christ's teaching.
The Bible frequently uses analogies from physical life to explain spiritual principles. Food and eating are no exceptions. In fact, there are over 700 references to eating in Scripture. The lessons we can learn from them must be important!
John Ritenbaugh points out 700 references to the act of eating, all providing contexts or vehicles of serious spiritual instruction. Banquets invariably provide springboards for instruction, from Abraham's entertaining of angels, to Joseph's banquet for his brothers, to Esther's banquet for Haman to Belshazzar's feast featuring the handwriting on the wall to the marriage supper of the Lamb. Banquets- eating or refraining from eating- not only display God's faithful provisions and human righteousness, but eating (or refraining from eating) displays tests of a person's morality such as Adam and Eve's eating of the forbidden fruit, the sign of keeping the covenant (Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14) and Christ's refusal to be tempted by food (Matthew 4). Eating reminds us that God's provision and human need also apply on a spiritual level.
In this Pentecost message and the conclusion for the "What Does God Really Want?" series, John Ritenbaugh insists that God's Spirit comes first before anyone is empowered to do anything. God's gifts are in reality tools to do His work. In every situation, God provides the gift before it is actually needed so that when it is needed, everything is prepared for the person to do as he has been commissioned to do. As God had handpicked Bezaleel and Aholiab, He knows exactly whom He wants to do His work and will empower that person with spiritual gifts to carry it out.
John Ritenbaugh focuses upon the atmosphere of disorder which has emerged in the greater church of God, caused by individuals (ministry and lay members alike), obsessed with the urge to change doctrine, convinced that God was too weak to control Herbert W. Armstrong. The unspoken accusation is that God raised up a messenger, sent him with His gospel, and then allowed us to use a faulty calendar. Because no proponents of the calendar change are in agreement, any calendar change will produce more confusion. The priorities in Matthew 6:33 (The Kingdom and His righteousness) indicates that the primary emphasis should be on repentance and overcoming rather than mastering some inconsequential technicality.
John Ritenbaugh reiterates that if God had accepted the calendar for 1600 years, it would be presumptuous for one living at the end of days to call it flawed. This calendar issue had surfaced during the tenure of Herbert W. Armstrong's apostleship and was thoroughly studied and systematically resolved. God assigned the tribe of Judah to be the caretakers of the calendar (as part of the oracles; Romans 3:2) The real issue in this controversy is faith in God's sovereignty and His faithfulness. The church does not exist in a vacuum, but as a subset of, subject to the ordinances of the Commonwealth of Israel (and Judah), with whom the Covenants were made. The need for precision, consistency and predictability censures any misguided attempts at establishing home made calendars.
John Ritenbaugh reiterates that the calculated Hebrew calendar reflects God's faithfulness in providing His Spiritual offspring a reliable calendar. To concoct one's own calendar with errant human reason and assumptions equates with the presumptuous way of Cain. Some of the bedrock American values such as competition and individualism, when applied to changing established doctrine and established ordinances, bring an automatic curse of scattering and a seared conscience upon those who do these things. We cannot take the community's laws into our own hands, tweaking them for our own advantage, and still be a good Christian. Challenging the calendar is tantamount to challenging the laws of the Commonwealth of Israel (including its calendar) and challenging the sovereignty of Almighty God.
John Ritenbaugh takes issue with those who feel that the perennial calendar controversy was never understood, investigated or resolved by Herbert Armstrong. After a lengthy study in the 1940s, he concluded: (1) there are not enough rules in the Bible to establish a calendar. (2) God had given no authority to anyone outside the Bible to establish a calendar. (3) The oracles of God had been committed to the Jews (Romans 3:1-2), and nobody else. The issue is not mathematical or astronomical, but instead a matter of trust in God's faithfulness, authority, sovereignty, oversight, or ability to govern. If we did not have revelation (including the provision of a calendar) from God, presumptuously trying to establish a calendar independently has led to, and will continue to lead to chaos and confusion.
Richard Ritenbaugh asserts that the world with all its Christmas celebration, has depleted all the precious meaning from the actual event, depriving us of the glory of what really happened in the announcement of Christ's birth. Luke, having incredible literary skills, gives us the journalistic "who," "what," "when," "where," and "why" of Christ's birth in a concise and palatable form. A fresh reading of Luke's account reveals the rich prophetic significance of this event, unraveling some doctrinal heresies of the world's religions (Mary worship, nature of Holy Spirit, and time of Christ's birth) and the comfort of the overshadowing presence of God. Mary's and Joseph's thoughtful, reflective, humble, obedient, and submissive examples provide a sterling pattern for us to emulate.
John Ritenbaugh emphasizes that both Jesus and Abraham rose above their emotional pulls by exercising living faith- a faith built on a foundation of incremental acts of obedience. Living faith can never be separated from works, nor can it ever stand independently or inertly as if in a vacuum. James points out that as the body without the spirit is a lifeless corpse (James 2:26), faith without works is equally dead. God's Holy Spirit (given as a part of the New Covenant) provides the primary driving force or the motivation for obedience (good works) which pleases Him, causing us to be regarded as a new creation.
John Ritenbaugh emphasizes that a spiritual Israelite, following Jacob's example, undergoes a metamorphosis in which his own stubborn, self-centered will is broken so that God's creative work can be completed within him. Abraham, whose very name connotes faithfulness, learned to work through fearful catch-22 dilemmas, walking by faith rather than sight, carefully calculating on the basis of his previous and on-going relationship with God. Likewise, God today, as master teacher, carefully and methodically guides His students to higher levels of understanding and trust. We need to exercise devotion to God (faith, works, and worship) in every area of our life, from marriage, work, or human relationships- coupling iron clad faith with concrete works of obedience.
John Ritenbaugh reminds us that God is not in the torturing business but in the creating business, using calamities as part of His creative process. As Jacob's spiritual descendants or the Israel of God, we possess some of the same faithless proclivities as Jacob had before the decisive wrestling match at which time God prevailed. The scattering of the greater church of God has been brought about by casual indifference, deceit, and ultimately spiritual adultery (idolatry), leading to a fatal deterioration of first love. Like Jacob, who initially succumbed to weak faith and fear, we, as Jacob's spiritual seed, have to do what he did and repent of our loss of devotion to God and His purpose.
John Ritenbaugh, citing the maxim that 'the apple doesn't fall very far from the tree,' suggests that the nation of Israel and the Israel of God, having the same aggresive, controlling, and contentious spirit as their forefather Jacob, must learn to let God provide blessings rather than, through crafty scheming, grabbing them from others for themselves. As Jacob had to pay with a lame hip, his offspring may have to suffer privation, scattering, having their pride of their power broken, and eventual captivity until they learn that Israel means 'God prevails' and it is God who orders life.
John Ritenbaugh reiterates that to the called, nothing happens in a vacuum and "time and chance" no longer applies. Like a proactive, responsible parent, God restricts free moral agency to keep His children from getting hurt. Through His foresight and foreknowledge, God provides the perfect timing for what He wants to bring about. We have to exercise faith, realizing the timing will be right for us, enabling us to accept His provisions and decisions for us without fear or anxiety. We need to realize from the example of our forefather Jacob, that manipulation, deceit, and contentious struggle will not prevail against Almighty God. When properly translated Israel means "God prevails."
God provided physical Israel manna to eat every day for forty years. Now we, as spiritual Israel, have the Bible, God's Word, as our daily bread. Are we taking advantage every day of this wonderful blessing God gives us, or are we allowing God's Word to spoil through neglect?
John Ritenbaugh emphasizes that nothing takes place in a vacuum for those who are called; moreover "time and chance" no longer apply in the normal sense. Even when we exercise free moral agency, God engineers circumstances and outcomes so that we are virtually forced to make the right decision. Realizing that all things work together for good to those that love God, we must exercise our responsibility to the whole creation and to the body of Christ by improving our relationship with God regardless of the circumstances in which we find ourselves.
John Ritenbaugh, defining providence as the protective care of God, suggests that the providence of God also touches on the pains and sufferings of persecution. To the elect whom God foreknew, all things- pleasant or unpleasant- happen for ultimate good (Romans 8:28). Tragic things, calamities, trials, anxiety, evil, and curses happen to Christians too, as well as blessings, in order to become fashioned and molded into the glory of God's image. As Christ learned from the things He suffered (Hebrews 5:8), we must also develop patience, refrain from murmuring, and realize that "time and chance" no longer apply to those whom God has called. Whatever it takes to bring God's purpose to pass, we need to develop the humility, obedience, and faith to accept.
John Ritenbaugh again warns that anxiety and fretting (symptoms of coveting, lusting, and idolatry) in addition to cutting life short, erode and destroy faith, destroying today's serenity by borrowing tomorrow's troubles, bartering away eternity for cheap, perishible items. Jesus uses the argument from the lesser to the greater (because God meticulously takes care of the smaller forms of life (birds, flowers, etc.) He will also take care of humans. In order to avoid yielding to Satan or the world, we must place as top priority seeking God's kingdom today (Matthew 6:33). As we use faith, God increases the supply for upcoming trials. God provides both the will and the power to grow toward spiritual maturity and sanctification (Phillipians 2:12)
John Ritenbaugh, soberly reflecting on the $19 trillion dollar national debt and with 25% of American private citizens two days away from bankruptcy, he warns that the prudent shouldn't continue to live in a fool's paradise, but should make common sense preparations, like the ant, (Proverbs 6:6-8) storing up provisions for at least a season. Prophetic warnings are given to motivate preparation. Both the watchman and the one who hears (Ezekiel 3:17) have a grave responsibility to make prudent economic and spiritual preparations for bad times, tightening belts, helping themselves and others through the tough times.
John Ritenbaugh again warns about the debilitating faith destroying consequences of anxious care and foreboding. If we "put on" (assume the disposition and the way of life of) Christ, we will through continuous practice learn the processes which produce spiritual success. Two major antidotes to foreboding and anxiety include (1) the argument from the greater to the lesser. If God has already taken care of the major responsibilities (i.e. giving us life and a calling), He can also be trusted for providing sustenance, and (2) meditating upon God's works around us (Romans 1:20) will provide an insight into the meticulous care He places on the most minute aspects of His creation. Meditating on these things strengthens our faith and trust in the one who supplies all our needs.
John Ritenbaugh warns that having anxiety, foreboding and fretting about physical provisions (food, clothing, and shelter) and to be distracted or distressed about the future (Matthew 6:34) demonstrates a gross lack of faith and is totally unworthy of our relationship with God. If our children showed the same lack of trust in us, we would feel hurt and angry. Using the greater to the lesser argument, we should realize that if God has provided us with a body and has called us, He will sustain us if we, taking normal precautions and foresight, commit our lives to His service (Psalm 37:5-6), involving Him in every aspect of our lives through unceasing prayer and obedience.
Why does God want us to keep the Feast of Tabernacles? John Ritenbaugh shows that the Feast is far more than a yearly vacation!
In this comprehensive overview of tithing, John Reid explores the attitudes we should have toward tithing, the purposes of the tithe, and the benefits of tithing. Tithing expresses both our honor and love for God (the Supplier and Sustainer of all things) and our love for our neighbor, actively expressing God's great law. The first tithe is reserved exclusively for God's purpose, enabling the ministry to perfect the saints. The second tithe is reserved for festival purposes, enabling us to learn to fear God. The third tithe is used to show love for the helpless and people who have fallen on bad times. Incredible blessings accrue to those who keep these tithing principles.
John Ritenbaugh reveals that taking God's name in vain is far more serious than swearing or profanity. To appropriate the name of God means to represent His attributes, character and nature. God's names are the signposts or revelators of His nature and descriptors of His activities. The glory of God was revealed through Christ by what He said and did- His entire repertoire of behavior. Our daily behavior, likewise, must imitate Christ just as Christ's behavior revealed God the Father. Behaving in a Godly manner enables us to know God and live a quality life. The third commandment has to do with the quality of our personal witness to everything the name we bear implies. Profaning or blaspheming God's name implies living in a manner inconsistent with God's name.
John Ritenbaugh stresses that being persistent in prayer does not mean incessant pestering, whining, or cajoling God into action. Luke 11:1-13 purposefully contrasts the generous nature of God with that of a reluctant stranger or a malicious tyrant. Because His timeframe is different from ours, we sometimes feel that we have totally lost control. God always looks at our petitions from the vantage-point of His purpose, sometimes testing our fervency or sincerity, sometimes flatly refusing our requests because they would harm us. We must persevere in prayer, realizing that faith always works toward what it asks for while it waits. God has promised to give us the desires of our heart (Psalms 37:4), provided we cooperate with Him, letting Him work out His purpose in our lives.
John Ritenbaugh reiterates that love is not a feeling, but an action- defined by John as keeping God's commandments (I John 2:3), the only means by which we can possibly know Him, leading to eternal life. While what humans consider love is self-centered and carnal, God's love is essentially others-centered. When God begins the love cycle, by His Spirit, He gives us His love; then it only becomes matured in us as we use it (loving God and loving our neighbor by the keeping of His Commandments). If we don't use it, then it bounces off from us and nothing is accomplished. Using God's love may be compared to learning to skate; the more we use it the stronger it gets. Beginning as a feeling, it doesn't become love until an action is taken.
John Ritenbaugh warns that Satan's modus operandi has always been to use a lie to promote self-satisfaction over obedience to God. Like the Messiah, we must learn that the way to the kingdom is through self-denial rather than self-satisfaction. We are particularly vulnerable to Satan's disinformation when we feel we are not getting what we deserve or are being treated unfairly. In a world we perceive to be unfair, we need to emulate Christ who endured unfair treatment, suffering for righteousness sake all the way to his death, without complaining (I Peter 2:20-21) The major cause for the confusion and division of the Corinthian church (and the greater church of God) was Satan-inspired self-exaltation, finding excuses other than sin not to fellowship. The opposite of love is not so much hate ? but self-centeredness.
Of all animals, the sheep is the most dependent on its owner for its well-being. From the viewpoint of the sheep, the extraordinary care of the shepherd comes into sharp focus. If sheep are not provided with fresh, flowing water, they will drink from stagnant puddles, contracting diseases. Likewise, if we attempt to drink from sources other than God's Word, we risk spiritual contamination. Sheep left to self-indulgence become cast down (immobile, unable to get up) and must be turned over—set again on the right paths. Similarly, habit-driven humans, because of our self-indulgent constitutions, can also become immobilized both physically and spiritually. Fortunately, our heavenly Father uses various means to exercise us spiritually to keep us from becoming cast down. To safeguard the health of the sheep, the shepherd must keep the flock moving—in paths of righteousness.
John Ritenbaugh, drawing from his own experiences at taking care of sheep and from Philip Keller's book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, points out that animal metaphors are better understood if one has had real-life experiences with them. Of all the animals, sheep need the most care and are extremely vulnerable to predators, pests, and fear, leading to an extremely dependent and trustful behavior. From the viewpoint of a sheep, the narrator of Psalm 23 expresses gratitude and contentment for the shepherd's watchful care and continuous providence. Occasionally a sheep may not show contentment, "worrying a fence" to look for greener pastures, leading other sheep astray in the process. Shepherds have to deal decisively with this potential hazard. A shepherd realizes that a flock may be made to lie down only if they are free from fear, friction in the flock, pests and insects, and hunger.
John Ritenbaugh reiterates that everything about the Priesthood of Jesus Christ is superior to that of the Levitical system, which was only intended to serve as a type (a forerunner, shadow, or symbol) of the access to God that Jesus would later fulfill. As splendid as it was, there was neither provision for the forgiveness of sins nor a purging of guilt in the Old Covenant. The real barrier that separates us from or denies access to God is our guilty and defiled conscience, which cannot be cleared by a repetitious sacrifice of animal blood. Only Christ's voluntary sacrifice (done on a totally moral and spiritual plane) can purge our consciences of guilt. We should remember that unless the sacrifice of Christ transforms us (leading us to emulate Christ's sinless life), we have not really repented. The chief difference between the Old and New Covenants is that the letter kills while the Spirit gives life.
Receive Biblical truth in your inbox—spam-free! This daily newsletter provides a starting point for personal study, and gives valuable insight into the verses that make up the Word of God. See what over 145,000 subscribers are already receiving.


text:
Venture capitalists have been sounding more and more optimistic about the I.P.O. market for venture-backed companies.
OpenTable, the online restaurant reservation service, could soon become the first venture-backed company to be brought to the public markets in nine months.
On Wednesday, it said it would price its shares from $12 to $14, a sign that it could go public within weeks. OpenTable filed to go public in January.
Fred Wilson, a partner at Union Square Ventures and a blogger about venture capital, recently wrote that the I.P.O. drought for venture-backed companies would end in the next year and perhaps by the end of this year.
For one, he said, venture capitalists have been punished long enough for selling shares of so many undeserving companies during the dot-com bubble. There are many high-quality companies sitting in the pipeline, ready to go public as soon as they can, he said. He argued that many of them — including OpenTable — have business models such as subscriptions, which make for strong public companies.
The picture is not yet rosy. I.P.O. filings are down 94 percent compared to last year and there have been only four I.P.O.'s this year, versus 28 by this time last year, according to Renaissance Capital's IPO Home.
Still, there are some good signs for technology companies in the pipeline. Over the last 12 months, tech I.P.O.'s have been the most popular. Technology I.P.O.'s have returned on average 28 percent and health care and biotech I.P.O.'s have returned 24 percent, while all other sectors, including clean energy, have posted negative average returns, according to IPO Home.
The last venture-backed company to go public was Rackspace Hosting, a Web hosting company whose shares fell 20 percent the first day it was listed last August. Bridgepoint Education, which operates online universities, went public in April. The National Venture Capital Association says it was the official end of the I.P.O. drought for venture-backed companies, though it was backed by Warburg Pincus, the private equity firm, in a growth-stage investment, not a typical early-stage venture investment.
April brought a few other signs of a thaw. Rosetta Stone, which makes language learning software that is heavily advertised, went public. So did ChangYou.com, a Chinese online gaming company that sells virtual goods, on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. The only other company to go public in 2009 was Mead Johnson Nutrition, which makes formula for infants and went public in February.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The best way to fix Softice Win7 error message
Simply click here to perform a fast scan for Softice Win7 and associated errors.
Softice Win7 error codes are usually brought about because of corrupt system files inside your Windows OS.
To Fix (Softice Win7) errors you'll need to follow the 3 steps below:
Step 1:
|Download (Softice Win7) Fix Utility
Step 2:
|Click the "Scan Now" button
Step 3:
|Then click 'Repair'. The Repair done.
*File size: 1MB
If you have Softice Win7 error message then we definitely advise that you run an error code scan.
This article provides help and advice that demonstrates to you how you can successfully treat your MS windows Softice Win7 error codes both manually and automatically. Furthermore, this document can allow you to resolve most regularly occurring error messages to do with Softice Win7 error which you may perhaps be sent.
Notice: This specific guide was previously written and published under WIKI_Q112009
What is Softice Win7 error code?
A Softice Win7 error message is the Hexadecimal format of the error message generated. It's the the most common error format used by Microsoft Windows in addition to other Microsoft Windows compatible applications and driver manufacturers.
This type of code is required by the merchant to ascertain the error made. This unique Softice Win7 error message includes a numeric number in addition to a practical description. Sometimes the error message may have more variables in Softice Win7 formatting .This additional number and letter code are the location of your memory locations in which the directions are filled during the time of the error.
The cause of Softice Win7 error code?
Typically, the Softice Win7 error message is often brought on by Windows system file damage. Corrupted system data files are usually a serious threat to the performance of your computer.
There are lots of situations which may have resulted in a system file error. An incomplete installation, an unfinished uninstall, bad deletion of applications or components. It could also be caused if the machine has caught a a pc virus or spyware infection or through an incorrect shutdown of the laptop or desktop. Any of the aforementioned activities could very well result in the erasure or corruption of Windows system data files. This corrupted system file will give you missing and wrongly linked data and records essential for the correct operation of the software.
Find out how to successfully resolve Softice Win7 error code?
There's two types of methods to fix Softice Win7 error message:
Expert Solution (manual):
1) Switch on your laptop or computer then log on as the admin.
2) Click the Start button then select All Programs, Accessories, Tools, after which select System Restore.
3) In the new screen, click "Restore my personal computer to a prior period" then press Next.
4) Pick the most up-to-date system restore date in the "click a restore date" list, then click Next.
5) Click 'Next' within the confirmation screen.
6) Restart your computer system whenever the rescue is done.
Beginner Solution (totally automated):
1) Download this (Softice Win7) fix tool.
2) Install application and simply click on Scan button.
3) Click on the Fix Errors button when the diagnostic scan is completed.
4) Reboot your pc.
Here is another Softice Win7 repair program you can try if the previous tool doesn't work.


text: I updated BF2142 today to V1.5. The intro animation runs fine and displays correctly. Now, when I launch, the login screens are a jumble of the standard text, but it is gray and not structured (not sure how to describe it). I need to hunt around for selections and you can't see any color (other than gray and white). On the game loading screen it shows the map in color and the server info in color (everything else is gray). It quits to the desktop when I try and launch a game. I am running: 24" imac, 4GB RAM, OSX 10.5.4.


text:
If you can't see the video and only hear the sound, please switch to Firefox/Chrome/Safari for better performance.
Parasyte Part 1
The humanity is suffering from murders all over the globe, called "Mincemeat murders". High school student, Izumi Shinichi has a parasite living off him, having replaced his right hand, and he might be the discoverer of truth.
Genres: Action, Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
Actor: Shôta Sometani, Eri Fukatsu, Ai Hashimoto, Kazuki Kitamura, Masahiro Higashide, Tadanobu Asano, Miko Yoki, Jun Kunimura, Hirofumi Arai, Pierre Taki, Sadao Abe, Satoshi Araki, Nao Ohmori, Kimiko Yo
Director: Takashi Yamazaki
Country: Japan


text:
Demo Owner: Eduardo Montanez
Watch how Kinetis K Series and Kinetis L Series MCUs beat out the competition.
- Latest Kinetis K2 microcontrollers running a CoreMark benchmark from EEMBC
- 4 different Microcontrollers are put to the test.
- Running all the same iteration benchmark with same capacity for all of the products


text:
Growing Up In The 90s – Billboard Tops Edition 1999 Vol 1 Listen to Growing Up in the 90s – BillBoard Tops edition 1999 vol 1 by DeeJay Iggy Ignishun for free. Follow DeeJay Iggy Ignishun to never miss another show.
Up & coming DJ from NYC, DJ EQ, released his first soundcloud project today at noon [started my morning off right though (Cali baby)], titled: V.S.C.O. CAM VOL. 1. Nothing but great vibes on this mix, solid transitions & stupendous selection. I love to groove, so check it out if you do, too!
This is a Mix by House DJ Danny Dunez A Tribal Tech House set filled with a whole lot a drums and great energy enjoy =) ! a tribalicious and drumtastic set for those who like that hard House stuff enjoy =)


text:
"There weren't any pictures of us sitting on top of elephants were there?"
Personal Finance Society Fay Goddard fears the worst on hearing that industry consultant Peter Williams referred to their recent holiday during a presentation on the RDR.
"Someone was going round with Mastic for two years."
Standard Life strategy and business development director David Tiller reveals the patch job carried out on the Gherkin in London after it opened with a leaking roof.
"I wouldn't describe it as like being in a police interview, for fear of sounding like I get interviewed by the police regularly."
Plan Money principal Peter Chadborn talks an MM hack through the protection tele-underwriting process.


text:
Browse by Categories
About Sz-wholesale
- Buy Wholesale from China- A Guide
- Tips to Buy Wholesale from China
- Things to Consider When Buying from China
- How to Ship From Shenzhen, China to the US?
- How To Select Promotional Gifts ?
- How to Calculate Shipping Cost?
- How to Place Orders
- Shipping Methods from China
- Branding & Logo Imprint
- Payment Methods
- OEM & ODM Services
- Ordering Samples
- Promotional Products Industry Stats
- sz-wholesale.com supports selected nonprofit organizations and educational institutions with free promotional products. Call us to find out if your organization qualifies for this program.
72 items found in wholesale cover notebook
11 inch x 8 1/2 inch Four color front cover notebook with 60 page
Hardcover notebook with pouch.
Hardcover notebook and pen set with over 50 lined pages; 5 1/4" x 6 /28" x 5/8".
Promotional Gift our Hardcover notebook with pouch
Promotional A5 squared hardcover notebook
Promotional A6 hardcover notebook silver
Laminated cardboard cover notebook with pen and 70 pages of ruled recycled paper.
Chipboard cover notebook with100 sheets of lined white paper.
Printed A5 hardcover notebook silver
Chipboard cover notebook with 100 sheets of lined paper, 5" x 7".
Promotional A4 hardcover notebook
Promotional A5 hardcover notebook black
Ecolutions (R) Bic (R) - Chipboard cover notebook made with recycled fiber. Notebook is 5"W x 7"H.
Promotional A6 hardcover notebook black
Soundwave - Translucent cover notebook.
Plastic Cover Notebook (5" x 7")
Chipboard Cover Notebook (5" x 7")
Chipboard Cover Notebook (Full Color)
Ecologist Hardcover Notebook Combo (5" x 7")
BIC Ecolutions Chipboard Cover Notebook
Hardcover Notebook and Pen Set
Plastic Cover Notebook with Matching BIC Media Clic Ice Pen
BIC Chipboard Cover Notebook 5" x 7"
BIC Plastic Cover Notebook - 5" x 7"
4-Color Process Chipboard Cover Notebook
FastBook Large Hardcover NoteBook with PenPort - 70 Sheets, 7" x 10"
BIC Plastic Cover Notebook w/ Matching BIC Media Clic Ice Pen
Recycled Hardcover Notebook/Pen Combo
Mini Hard Cover Notebook & Click Action Ballpoint Pen Combo
Recommend Promotional Products
1 3/4 inch Round 1 Color Print on White OR Print Black on NEON Button Pin
Knowledge Base Articles
How Reusable Water Bottles Will Save the WorldThe fastest growing environmental hazard is not global warming or fresh water shortage, it is poor waste management - and chief culprits of waste are plastic drinking bottles. With all the efforts to increase recycling among the average person a recent poll found that only thirty-percent of plastic bottles are recycled. For whatever reason that number is drastically reduced for water bottles which only see a meager twelve percent of users recycle. So, how big of a problem is it then? Forty-million plastic bottles a day are thrown away and end up in landfills or as litter. This problem is compounded by the fact that this is a fast growing trend. In 1990 the United States bought and produced 1.1 billion pounds of plastic and in 2002 that number jumped to 4 billion and is currently estimated even higher. People have become obsessed with bottled water and other soft drinks and are irresponsibly disposing of them. What's more, disposable plastic bot
Eco Friendly Water Bottles - A Step Towards Greening Your BusinessOkay, you're ready to start going green with your business, right? That's a smart move because these days customers are pretty keen on which businesses are good for the environment and which ones are lacking in the "green" world. And when your customers know that your business is eco friendly, they will be more likely to buy from you. They trust that you are a good business. Being eco friendly sends the right kinds of messages to your customers and potential customers. Maybe you have already been taking a few steps towards a green business. You could be giving away custom logo bags, which are great for the environment because they are reusable and some are even biodegradable. Or maybe you have been thinking about taking steps towards going green, but have not taking any action. A great step for any business that would make them a little greener would be to use promotional eco friendly water bottles. People, today, realize that drinking
Learn How to Import Products From China to Sell on eBayChinese wholesalers can give you incredible amounts of cash saved on deals - if you're not being scammed. It is so easy for an overseas dealer to scam you and it is so hard for the United States or eBay to protect you when it happens. So first of all, how do you separate the scammers from a legitimate wholesaler who is offering you great goods. After that we are going to discuss where you can find the best! First of all, how do you separate the scammers from legitimate wholesalers? Well first of all, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is, so be sure to watch out for all the weird offers that have you wondering "how do they actually make their money?" In order to know a scammer sometimes you have to think like one. Do not be fooled if the websites look professional, professional scammers do professional things. They can have great websites, a great look, and even a catchy slogan. Also, just because the
Promotional Conference Folders - Ideal Giveaways at Business EventsOut of the many promotional items and gifts, promotional conference folders are the best give-aways at business events, seminars as well as trade shows. These folders, available in designs and materials such as leather, synthetic as well as fabric can be easily personalised with your company name and logo on it. Conference folders can work to improve your brand image and get you all the visibility you need, primarily in two ways, i.e. your clients and customers and your employees. Internal Brand Visibility Your employees know how to ideate, manufacture, supply and market your product and services but don't often realise their relative importance, or for that matter, the scope and size of your business. Using common wholesale stationery may be convenient but may not always work to your advantage. Check in various departments! Check for all that your employee needs to carry around during a normal working d
Water Bottles Market Your Company to the MassesWhen you buy a newspaper ad, you pay several hundreds of dollars and you are able to market yourself to a few hundred people. Essentially, you are paying one dollar for each customer. When you advertise on television, you pay thousands and reach a few thousand. In this regard, you are paying about two dollars for each customer that comes in your store. This means if you pay $4,000, you should get about 2,000 customers after the television ad. However, why spend this much and get only a few results when you have something like promotional gift marketing. When you use promotional gift marketing with something like water bottles, you are marketing your company to a lot of people for a very small amount of money. For example, if you spend two dollars on every bottle, and each bottle brings in four customers, you are paying $.50 per customer, and that is much better return on investment than through television and newspaper advertising. How can some


text: 000183988 001__ 183988 000183988 005__ 20180122234218.0 000183988 037__ $$a641-2016-43391 000183988 041__ $$aen_US 000183988 245__ $$aRisk, Information and the Development of Marine Resources 000183988 260__ $$c1983-02 000183988 269__ $$a1983-02 000183988 300__ $$a17 000183988 336__ $$aWorking or Discussion Paper 000183988 490__ $$a83-3 000183988 520__ $$aThe development of offshore oil and gas, the mining of deep sea minerals and the disposal of wastes through ocean dumping have raised important questions about the way we harvest ocean resources and use the marine environment. From an economic perspective all of the above activities involve risk, either to private developers, society at large, or both. This paper presents a simple model of resource development with environmental risk. The model and subsequent modifications are used to characterize the risks inherent in the aforementioned marine activities, and to help define an appropriate role for public policy. The nature of the risks involved, the possibilities for risk spreading, the presence or absence of irreversible consequences, and the expected value of information are shown to be important in determining the rate of development and the way in which net benefits should be evaluated. 000183988 542__ $$fLicense granted by Allison Hasslen (email@example.com) on 2014-09-11T21:43:12Z (GMT): <center> <h2> Deposit Agreement </h2> </center> I represent that I am the creator of the digital material identified herein ("Work"). I represent that the work is original and that I either own all rights of copyright or have the right to deposit the copy in a digital archive such as AgEcon Search. I represent that in regard to any non-original material included in the Work I have secured written permission of the copyright owner (s) for this use or believe this use is allowed by law. I further represent that I have included all appropriate credits and attributions. I hereby grant the Regents of the University of Minnesota ("University"), through AgEcon Search, a non-exclusive right to access, reproduce, and distribute the Work, in whole or in part, for the purposes of security, preservation, and perpetual access. I grant the University a limited, non-exclusive right to make derivative works for the purpose of migrating the Work to other media or formats in order to preserve access to the Work. I do not transfer or intend to transfer any right of copyright or other intellectual property to the University. If the Deposit Agreement is executed by the Author�s Representative, the Representative shall separately execute the following representation: I represent that I am authorized by the Author to execute this Deposit Agreement on behalf of the Author. 000183988 650__ $$aLand Economics/Use 000183988 650__ $$aLivestock Production/Industries 000183988 650__ $$aProduction Economics 000183988 700__ $$aConrad, Jon M. 000183988 8564_ $$s1023521$$uhttp://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/183988/files/Cornell-Dyson-sp8303.pdf 000183988 887__ $$ahttp://purl.umn.edu/183988 000183988 909CO $$ooai:ageconsearch.umn.edu:183988$$pGLOBAL_SET 000183988 912__ $$nSubmitted by Allison Hasslen (email@example.com) on 2014-09-11T21:48:08Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Cornell-Dyson-sp8303.pdf: 1023521 bytes, checksum: 5f2f11fa41d26c9ebcd28582b5fe549b (MD5) 000183988 912__ $$nMade available in DSpace on 2014-09-11T21:48:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Cornell-Dyson-sp8303.pdf: 1023521 bytes, checksum: 5f2f11fa41d26c9ebcd28582b5fe549b (MD5) Previous issue date: 1983-02 000183988 982__ $$gCornell University>Department of Applied Economics and Management>Staff Papers 000183988 980__ $$a641


text:
Based on Hank Ketcham's popular comic-strip, Dennis the Menace became a staple in countless households throughout the mid-80s. With the help of his precocious pals and his shaggy dog Ruff, Dennis uses his curiosity and imagination to keep his pleasant Midwestern neighborhood in a constant state of confusion and chaos.
Add this episode to your queue to receive more information about
Laundry Business/Journey to the Center of Uncle Charlie's Farm/Dennis Springs Into Action and we will let you know when it becomes available.


text:
Air Gear Wallpaper Theme
Get this new Windows 8 Air Gear Wallpaper theme for your new PC or Surface tablet. New themes incoming.
Air Gear Background-Wallpaper Package
Link: Download This Windows 8 Theme Now
Free: Get Air Gear Wallpaper Windows 8 Theme
Make sure to keep in mind that the theme is 6 MB large and runs best on the following OS: Windows 8 RT / Pro / Regular. Install Support: firstname.lastname@example.com.
- Cheers!


text:
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Hello, i am new about mining and don't know anything.
Anyone can to connect with Team viewer or something else to fix it?
If you post more info I could probably tell you why it's not working, or you could pay for a team viewer lesson in mining but don't expect to make any money out of cpu mining!


text:
Welcome to Our Gallery!
Take a look around and check back often, we'll be adding more pictures soon!
Turn your sound on and view our most recent videos! (To view in full screen, click the image in the right corner of video)
A Year in Review 2016-2017
We are blessed with a great Board of Directors! Here's a few pictures of their 2016-2017 year of service!
2017's Best Night of the Year
Our FIRST ever gala event held on February 10, 2017 at Golden Living in Fort Smith, AR!
"Why I Give"
We are very thankful for those who choose to give to GSC. Here a few donors share why they choose to give to Good Samaritan Clinic.


text:
Letter: Help those who can't do yard work
To the editor,
I think there is a real need to help the disabled seniors who can't shovel their snow or cut their grass.
We as a community need to step up and give a hand. There needs to be some kind of list of adults or older age children that would be available to help out. I am ready to pay for the services, and I'm sure others would be fine with that.
Being disabled and not able to shovel, I spent four days trying to find someone to help me. Now just imagine how you would be frustrated. Now add in dealing with disabilities and the frustrations are tripled. And then it turns to a feeling of just giving up.
Just pretend that you, as a person with no disabilities, now become old and can't lift a shovel. What would you do?
I know that as a community with such strength, we can find a solution. Maybe through a church or any group that can get it done. Let's go, Grand Forks, and show that our elderly and disabled are not a forgotten group. I thank you and I'm sure there are many feeling the same. Thank you again.
Nancy Roethler
Grand Forks


text:
The benefits of establishing an e-gaming business in the Isle of Man include:
Businesses (which must be Isle of Man-incorporated companies limited by shares) need to be licensed by the Department of Home Affairs. As part of the application process, the directors and the beneficial owners of more than 5% of the applicant or its ultimate parent company need to provide information to the Department – in order to enable the Department to carry out its inquiries to satisfy itself that the company is controlled by persons of integrity and managed by persons of competence and integrity.
A licenceholder must have a "Designated Official" who must be a director and reside permanently on the Island.
The profits of an online gambling business can, if structured appropriately, be taxed in the Isle of Man at 0%.
Online Gambling Duty is payable on gross gaming yield (which is defined in detail, but is, broadly, bets less winnings and prizes) as follows:
A separate regime, from the above, applies for internet and telephone sports betting. The profits can, again, be taxed at 0% and betting duty is payable, the rate depending on the place where the persons placing the bets are located.
In the case of both regimes, licence fees are payable.
© 2018 Grant Thornton International Ltd - All rights reserved


text:
Kevin Arrington (1962-2017)
Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 11/30/2017 at 22:25:14
Obituary for Kevin Arrington
Kevin Arrington, 55, of Bellevue, passed away November 15, 2017, at his home in Bellevue.
A Christian Funeral Service will be held at 5:00 p.m., Monday evening, November 20 at St. John Lutheran Church in Bellevue. Visitation for Kevin will be from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Monday prior to the service at the church. Arrangements are being handled by at Hachmann Funeral Home & Cremation Service, in Bellevue.
Kevin was born February 1, 1962, in Wichita Kansas, the son of James and Meta (Knake) Arrington.
Kevin graduated from Bellevue Community High School, class of 1980. He worked in Construction most of his life. He enjoyed fishing, playing pool and frisbee with his dog, Duke. He also enjoyed watching sports with friends.
Those left to honor his memory include his special friend, Sally Michels, of Bellevue; son Josh Budde, of Burleson Texas; brothers, Mark, of Crosby, Texas and David, of Vellejo, California.
He was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Jon
Jackson Obituaries maintained by Constance Diamond.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen


text:
Share pincode for faster delivery by local sellers.
This product is currently out of stock
Item is available at 122003Change
Item is not available at Change
You can place a return request within 10 days of order delivery.
In case of damaged/missing product or empty parcel, the return request should be filed within 2 days of delivery.
Factorywala Premium Quality Microfiber Printed Single Bed Sheet with 1 Pillow Cover
About Factorywala
Invite Factorywala products into your home for their form and function, and experience their style, craftsmanship, and value. We travel the world to find the best materials and designs for Factorywala products and use the most sensible manufacturing methods. We thoroughly test each Factorywala item and reply on feedback from our customers to help us deliver the highest quality. Check out all of our Factorywala products, including bedding, Jewellery, and more, and you'll find something for all occasions at the best values. With a selection that continues to grow, the Factorywala brand is set to become a part of your lifestyle."
Product Details:
- Material: Microfiber
- Thread Count: 120 TC
- Bed Sheet Size: (152 cm X 229 cm) or (60-inch X 90 inch)
- Pillow Size: (43 cm X 69 cm + 3 cm frill) Or (17-inch X 27 inch + 1.20-inch frill)
? Soft luxury bedding for an affordable price.
? This Bed sheet is soft and smooth to the touch
? Providing elegance and sophistication Bed Sheet
? Its Give the graceful and modern look for any bedroom
? Fade-resistant
? These sheets are made of high strength Microfiber yarns that stay comfortable and wrinkle free for year to come.
? These sheets retain their vibrant colour, providing the needed charm to complete any bedroom
? Care instructions: machine wash in cold water, tumble dry on low heat, and do not bleach, dry clean, or iron
What's Included:
One (1) Bed Sheet
One (1) Standard Sized Pillow Case
Check out our FACTORYWALA Products.
Bed sheets | Blankets | Pillow Covers | Jewelleries (men/Women) | Pillows | Dohars | Cushions | Cushions Covers | Kurtis


text:
DETROIT (ChurchMilitant.com) - In the Canadian province of New Brunswick, a total of 56 ongoing priestly sex-abuse lawsuits could cost the Catholic Church millions of dollars.
Thirty-two of the lawsuits, according to a CBC News article from November 15, are owing to the behavior of one priest who is now deceased: Camille Leger from the archdiocese of Moncton.
CBC News also did a report last week about the financial toll of priestly sex abuse on the Catholic Church in New Brunswick. From 2012–2014, the archdiocese of Moncton paid $10.6 million (CA$) to 109 alleged victims of priests' sex abuse, while the diocese of Bathurst paid $5.5 million to 90 victims.
The Catholic Church in Canada has been marred by rampant heresy and an overbearing atmosphere of moral laxity. Church Militant's FBI—Canadian Collapse explored this at length, as did a related episode of The Download.
Moncton's Abp. Valéry Vienneau gave some comments to CBC News for last week's report. He said, "We had money — the diocese had money but doesn't anymore."
CBC News also reported that the archdiocese of Moncton might be forced to declare bankruptcy. Archbishop Vienneau noted the archdiocese's only remaining assets are church buildings and the occasional monastery or convent. The prelate is quoted, "And to say that the bankruptcy would fix things is, I think, quite improbable. Because there are no assets left except the churches themselves. And I don't know who would want to buy a church."
The archbishop also said about the possibility of bankruptcy, "Hopefully, we won't have to go there, but if we have to ... we'll see."
The report also noted that several dioceses in the United States have already declared bankruptcy.
Here are a few examples. The archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis filed for bankruptcy in January 2015. The diocese of Duluth, Minnesota, filed for bankruptcy in December 2015. The diocese of Ulm, Minnesota, filed for bankruptcy in March 2017. The diocese of Gallup, New Mexico, filed for bankruptcy in November of 2013. The diocese of Helena, Montana, filed for bankruptcy in January 2014. The diocese of Wilmington, Delaware, filed for bankruptcy in October 2009. The diocese of Fairbanks, Alaska, filed for bankruptcy in March 2008. The diocese of Stockton, California, filed for bankruptcy in January 2014. The diocese of San Diego filed for bankruptcy in November 2007.
Have a news tip? Submit news to our tip line.


text:
United Way of Central New Mexico
UWCNM's core values of impact, customer centeredness, integrity, leadership and passion reflect the overall mission of UWCNM. We work with communities to create positive impact in four main areas:
They foster a transparent environment, inspire and guide leadership in our community, and are passionate about improving the lives of those most vulnerable in central New Mexico.
Native Americans in Philanthropy #GenIndigenous Response Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation
The #GenIndigenous Response Fund provides responsive funding to support youth organizing and activism that requires immediate action at Standing Rock and beyond. This new Response Fund bridges funders and organizers to support youth organizing and a collective commitment to systemic change and social justice in Indigenous communities.
Pueblo of Pojoaque Continous Pathways Foundation
The Continuous Pathways Foundation supports the cultivation and continuation of culture, education, leadership, community and individual wellness, and economic independence for the Pueblo of Pojoaque and northern New Mexico region.
Pueblo of Pojoaque
Pojoaque or "Po-suwae-geh Owingeh" meaning water gathering place. The Pueblo of Pojoaque continue their traditions and practice their culture in these contemporary times. Pojoaque is located just north of Santa Fe, New Mexico
New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs
The New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs (NMCSAP), a private, non-profit organization, was created and continues to exist to fulfill the requirements of this statute. NMCSAP provides educational activities to improve the awareness and understanding about the problem of sexual assault. Their vision is that New Mexico communities will believe and support survivors, hold perpetrators accountable, and take action to end sexual violence.
Verizon Wireless HopeLine
HopeLine from Verizon collects no-longer used wireless phones, batteries, chargers and accessories in any condition from any service provider to benefit victims and survivors of domestic violence. Donated phones are then turned into valuable resources for nonprofit organizations and agencies that support domestic violence victims and survivors nationwide. Hopeline from Verizon also provides funding for education, prevention and outreach.
NoVo Foundation
NoVo Foundation is dedicated to catalyzing a transformation in global society, moving from a culture of domination to one of equality and partnership. We support the development of capacities in people—individually and collectively—to help create a caring and balanced world. We envision a world that operates on the principles of mutual respect, collaboration, and civic participation, thereby reversing the old paradigm predicated on hierarchy, violence, and the subordination of girls and women.
State of New Mexico Indian Affairs Department
The New Mexico Indian Affairs Department (IAD) strives to:
- Support the Tribal communities' efforts to meet their challenges and expand their opportunities;
- Leverage state resources for Tribal benefit; and
- Work to create vital relationships across state, tribal, philanthropic, educational and private sectors for the New Mexico Indian Nations, Tribes and Pueblos.
Department of Justice Office on VIolence Against Women
The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) provides federal leadership in developing the national capacity to reduce violence against women and administer justice for and strengthen services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
The Santa Fe Community Foundation
The Santa Fe Community Foundation is a resource for philanthropists who want to maximize the impact of their giving.
Founded in 1981, SFCF is a tax-exempt public charity that provides an avenue for donors to satisfy their charitable intents and for nonprofit organizations to receive funding that will enable them to carry out their essential work.