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Defense hopes to save money by changing compensation structure associated with Marine Corps' special duty assignment pay.
Sequestration is on hiatus, but that doesn't mean federal employees and military members still aren't feeling its effects on their pay while the automatic spending cuts hibernate.
Case in point: Some Marines reporting for special duty assignments after Oct. 1 will receive less bonus pay than in previous years because of tight budgets, according to information on the service's website. The pay rate changes affect those serving as recruiters, drill instructors, combat instructors and embassy security guards, among other jobs, according to the news release. Those service members still will receive special duty assignment pay, but at a lower rate than their predecessors.
Marines who started special duty assignments before Oct. 1 and continue in those positions won't be affected.
"We spent significant time evaluating all relevant factors before making a final decision on the changes," Krahling said in the report. "As the Department of Defense and Marine Corps move into a more resource-constrained environment, we must fully evaluate each of our programs by weighing total costs and benefits of the current programs."
Special duty assignment pay is an incentive, designed to attract service members to hard-to-fill jobs. For Marines, there are six levels, and bonuses currently range from $75 to $450 per month, depending on the level. Those eligible for SDAP, as it's known in the military, and affected by the changes, will be placed lower on the pay scale than in previous years as a way for the Defense Department to save money.
The department doesn't have much wiggle room on pay when it comes to cutting costs, as law prohibits Defense from tinkering with most of it. But bonuses and some special pay are considered discretionary, which means it's more malleable.
Click here for the official notice on the special duty assignment pay changes.
NEXT STORY: COLA Boost is Hovering Around 1.8 Percent Now


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LocationMyrtle Beach, SC
4722 S. Kings Highway
Myrtle Beach, SC 29575
Used 2017 Dutchmen RV Coleman Lantern Series 263BH
Camp comfortably with family and friends in this Coleman Lantern Series travel trailer. Model 263BH offers sleeping for eight, rear double size bed bunks and bath, dual entry, and a large slide out in the living/kitchen area, plus so much more!
Step inside the main entry and find a master bedroom in front that features a queen size bed, dual bedside shirt closets and nightstands, plus an overhead shelf. The living room entertainment center sits just off the foot of the bed and provides curtains on either side for more bedroom privacy when pulled shut.
The kitchen features an angled countertop with a double sink, additional counter space, a three burner range with overhead microwave oven, refrigerator, and a pantry for your dry goods.
Opposite the door side enjoy relaxing on the sofa or dining at the booth dinette. These are both in a large slide out that helps create more walking around space inside.
The rear left corner features a convenient full bath providing a shower, toilet, and a sink, plus the second entry/exit door to the trailer. In the rear right corner there is a set of double size bunks with enough space for four people to sleep comfortably.
The spacious front storage found on the exterior is perfect for stowing away all of your camping gear, and is easily accessible from either side of the unit.
Stock# P1971
|30 ft 7 in
|Ext Width
|8 ft
|Ext Height
|11 ft 4 in
|Hitch Weight
|775 lbs
|Dry Weight
|5820 lbs
|Cargo Weight
|1780 lbs
|Fresh Water Capacity
|60 gals
|Grey Water Capacity
|42 gals
|Black Water Capacity
|42 gals
|Furnace BTU
|25000 btu
|Number Of Bunks
|Available Beds
|Refrigerator Type
|Double Door
|Refrigerator Size
|6 cu ft
|Cooktop Burners
|Number of Awnings
|LP Tank Capacity
|Water Heater Capacity
|6 gal
|Water Heater Type
|Gas DSI
|13500 btu
|Number of LP Tanks
Dutchmen Manufacturing has a long history of innovations and market leadership that dates back to 1988. They were acquired by Thor Industries in 1991, and are now one of the largest brands of conventional and fifth wheel trailers in the world. Dutchmen Mfg. produces several widely recognized brands of recreational vehicles which include; Aerolite, Aspen Trail, Breckenridge, Coleman, Denali, Dutchmen, Infinity, Kodiak, Komfort, Razorback, Rubicon and Voltage. With any Dutchmen product you will find the latest innovation and quality built recreational vehicles that will make your travel time away from home the most enjoyable. Dutchmen products include travel trailers, ultra lites, fifth wheels, toy haulers, destination trailers and park models.With Thor Industries financial strength and leadership in the Recreational Vehicle industry you can expect that Dutchmen Mfg. will be here providing the best products and service for years to come.

subset: commoncrawl


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And so it begins.
Before I am catapulted head-first into a week of 12-hour day rehearsals for the Land of Giants, I stole an hour to actually write a blog! It's been so long! And boy oh boy, what a start to what will undoubtedly be a defining Summer for PaperDolls aerial performance group, details of which will slowly and steadily be revealed over the next month.
Ferocious looking gals that us Dolls are, we have been frequently plucked for the odd photoshoot here and there to promote this gigantic event. This one was taken in Belfast Circus School (where I've been in incubation since September 2011). They pretty-ified my arm pit by photo-shopping my sweat patch out...
To my absolute delight, I was one of three aerialists selected from the Belfast Circus School crew to fly at a great height (up to 70 meters) from a crane over a sea of 20,000 people that will make up the audience for The Land of Giants. This is the harness I've been getting acquainted with, the only thing keeping me safe as I somersault through the air in choreographed abandon! I've labeled her "Emmo".
And here is where we have been rehearsing the last week. T13 is a huge warehouse which is also a skate and bike park. There's a bunch of hardcore breakdancers, BMX-ers and skateboarders who rally around doing pretty insane stunts - while we, well, rally around doing marginally insane stuff. And the banal - there is much waiting and repeating as we initiate a few 100 volunteers! On occasion, it rains inside! Seriously...
Yesterday we went on site for a quick run through of the opening scene. It was also raining outside!
Cuerda Producciones, Argentina, for the last three weeks doing lots of aerial harness! Here's a little video of the PaperDolls and friends, coming to terms with the harness. Graceful - as only us Dolls can be :)
In the meantime, our doppelganger clones have been working hard plotting, scheming and creating amazing new productions to bring to Dublin this year! I feel like exploding with excitement just thinking about what we have in store for our beloved city this Summer! Que facial BEAM!
Mere days after we dangle from cranes, shoot pyro from tethers, build ships and wrangle letters (you know, the Land of Giants show thing!) we return to Dublin to start our own gigantic work - beginning with what promises to be a very productive two week residency in Axis Theatre, Ballymun from the 5th - 22nd July.
As part of our time in Axis, PaperDolls will be hosting an evening of performance on the 21st July as well as public workshops in aerial and acrobatics on the 22nd July.
See Elaine Dolls upside down on the front cover of Axis' Theatre's Summer programme!
The full Axis Theatre programme can be downloaded here, including details of our performance and workshop weekend happening on the 21st and 22nd of July.
Finally, just so you know, PaperDolls were so pleased to present 'Soul Juncture' at the Irish Aerial Dance Festival in Letterkenny earlier this month. Jym Daly took some absolutely stunning photos, a sample of which can be seen here.
Well... here I go... head first into the most amazing Summer of my life.


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Archive for 2011
December 21, 2011
Like CA, Texan schools go to court over inequality' of school funding
Facing unprecedented funding cuts in recent years, California schools have aggressively used the court system in hopes of stemming the tide. Now, school administrators in Texas - whose fiscal crisis might be considered a year or two behind the Golden State - are using the same tactic after suffering a $5.4 billion cut in a budget agreement reached last summer.CONTINUE READING
December 20, 2011
CDE publishes new common core guide for educators, parents
The California Department of Education released Monday its most comprehensive resource to date for administrators, teachers and parents on the new content requirements related to the common core standards.CONTINUE READING
December 19, 2011
Bard College still on the outs in California
Bard College, scofflaw of California's commission overseeing teacher credentialing, has been given one last chance to meet the agency's standards for institutional certification of its teacher preparation - but the outlook is grim.CONTINUE READING
December 19, 2011
SI&A's all-stars join ACSA in budget workshops
Only days after Gov. Jerry Brown releases his January budget plan, SI&A's growing team of fiscal experts will have a comprehensive analysis ready to assist districts with the difficult planning needed for 2012-13. Along with its partner, the Association of California School Administrators, SI&A is once again ready to launch its annual series of 10 workshops on the January budget plan - this year kicking off on Jan. 17 in Sacramento with nine additional presentations in other regions of the state through the end of the month.CONTINUE READING
December 16, 2011
CA wins Race to the Top award
Despite prior setbacks, California was named Friday as one of winners of the federal Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge bringing a $52.6 million grant to support pre-K programs.CONTINUE READING
December 16, 2011
Federation of Teachers release poll supporting their Millionaire's Tax""
New polling shows broad voter support for a 2012 ballot initiative that would tax millionaires to raise money for education as well as public safety and social services, sponsors of the measure - led by the California Federation of Teachers reported Thursday.CONTINUE READING
December 16, 2011
Charter school association cites ten failing schools for shutdown
The California Charter Schools Association identified ten charter schools Thursday that failed to meet the organization's minimum accountability requirements and called for each not to be renewed.CONTINUE READING
December 15, 2011
Ed Coalition calls for united front behind one tax measure for November
Members of the state's influential Education Coalition said Wednesday school advocates need to unite behind a single tax measure well in advance of the November election or risk losing a rare opportunity to raise new revenues.CONTINUE READING
December 15, 2011
State awards critical funding for school construction projects
California school districts walked away with just under $924 million in state funding Wednesday that will launch the construction of 377 campus projects within the next three months.CONTINUE READING
December 14, 2011
Trigger cuts to K-12 less than feared, but transportation still takes a hit
K-12 schools were spared the brunt of Gov. Jerry Brown's $1 billion in mid-year trigger cuts announced Tuesday, but districts still face the loss of home-to-school transportation funding, which will hit some much harder than others.CONTINUE READING


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Dewey Fundraising Ideas
Easy Fundraising Ideas wants to bring fundraising ideas down to the most local level possible so we created a page specifically for each state and each town or city in the country. On the city or town pages we show you which of our highest profit fundraisers are available for your area. We also identify 9 other fundraising ideas you might consider as well. Below you will see a list of the towns and cities in Dewey. You can locate area and click on that link to find the best Dewey fundraising ideas for your specific area.
Other Dewey Fundraising Ideas
No Upfront Cost School Fundraisers
1,201 People are currently doing this fundraiser.
1,050 People are currently doing this fundraiser.
Other Top School Fundraising Products


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Betania temponi needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 72 designs submitted by 21 freelance designers.
Trendy Fashion Imports
We are a whole sales clothing store with focus on women's fashion, lingerie, jeans, bags, shoes, ETC.
We want to start selling on line. We import most of our clothing from Brazil and most of our clients are Brazilian stores outside Brazil, more specifically in the US. We want to expand to other markets, Latin and American as well. Thus, the site will be in English Portuguese and spanish .We will be using this logo on a web site and other marketing materials.
We want something simple. Please feel free to be creative, and remember that this will be for a web site that wholes sales clothing to other business.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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Without any explanation, Motorola has withdrawn its complaint with the International Trade Commission that Apple is infringing on seven of its patents. Just a guess, but maybe it has something to do with the $1.05 billion dollars Samsung was recently ordered to pay Apple for copying the designs of the iPhone and iPad.
In a filing, Google (on behalf of Motorola) said a settlement has not been reached—verbal, written, or otherwise. So there isn't a firm answer on why it chose to back off of a fight that started about two years ago. Maybe the Samsung ruling has other companies a little scared. [Reuters]


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Bakersfield, California - Kristin Armstrong of the Exergy-Twenty12 team continued her tear through the elite women's road racing ranks, dominating Thursday's Amgen Tour of California Time Trial on a scorching hot day in Bakersfield.
Armstrong, the defending Olympic Time Trial gold medalist, is trying to qualify for the 2012 Olympics in London. Riding her Felt DA bike, she sent a message loud and clear that she has the form to be a medal contender again.
With temperatures soaring past 90 degrees, Armstrong was the only rider to go under 40 minutes on the 29.7km course. Clocking a time of 39:58.28, she beat second-place finisher Alison Powers by more than a minute.
"Right now I'm just training in hopes that I get selected on June 15 to go to the London Games," Armstrong told Cyclingnews.com after her win. "I really wanted to focus on my longer distance time trialing. We're used to racing about 20 minute, so when you add another 20 minutes to it, it's a different story."


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|3 Days Hangzhou Tour: Five-Star: Shangri-La Hangzhou Hotel | Deluxe: West Lake Golden Plaza Hotel
Athough Hangzhou was once an imperial capital in the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279), the city is better known as a pleasure resort. Specifically, it s best known for its West Lake, which has been celebrated over the centuries in both song and verse. Marco Polo, who may have visited Hangzhou in the 13th century, wrote lyrically of the pleasures of the lake and concluded, 'indeed a voyage on this lake offers more refreshment and delectation than any other experience on earth'.
The modern city is, alas, less prepossessing. It was virtually destroyed during the Taiping Rebellion in the mid-19th century, and underwent extensive modernization and industralization after 1949. Walking around Hangzhou today gives the visitor little idea of the glories of its time as the capital of the Southern Song, a period famous for great cultural achievements. Little remains, too, of its later imperial heritage. It is only when contemplating the lake that one understands why, in the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, Hangzhou was an imperial resort, and why the two famous longlived Qing emperors, Kangxi and Qianlong, each made six visits to the city.
West Lake
Without West Lake, Hangzhou would have been just another prosperous
city thriving on its position as the southern terminus of the Grand
Canal, and on its two agricultural industries of tea and silk. But with
West Lake, Hangzhou has gained a status not far short of paradise. lf
Suzhou's loveliness as a city of gardens is almost entirely man-made,
Hangzhou has little need of artifice to enhance its natural beauty. The
city skirts the shore of a wide, shallow lake rimmed by green and gentle
hills, on the slopes of which are grown the famous Longjing tea of the
region and mulberry leaves for the silkworm larvae.


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ST. LOUIS — The man the St. Louis Cardinals respected was, understandably, David Ortiz, who commands respect in his own dugout and throughout baseball. In the fifth inning, he had addressed his own team – passionately and purposefully – in the dugout. When he came up in the sixth, the Cardinals sent their outfielders to the edge of the warning track, lest he hit one in the gap. Then they tossed him four straight balls. Ortiz scarcely looked tempted, and walked to first base.
By extension, then, the man the Cardinals didn't respect was Jonny Gomes. And at this point why would they? When he came to the plate he was hitless in the World Series. He wasn't even in the original lineup. He looked lost.
So Cardinals reliever Seth Maness fed Gomes fastballs. Trickery seemed unnecessary – until it was. Until, on that fifth fastball, Gomes unleashed a swing that spun the series back to Boston. Gomes's three-run homer helped deliver a 4-2 victory for the Red Sox in Game 4, a victory started by ragged-but-ready right-hander Clay Buchholz, who was backed up ably by five relievers, including a particularly important effort from lefty Felix Doubront, an inning from Game 2 starter John Lackey – and a game-ending pickoff from closer Koji Uehara.
All were important. None would have meant as much without Gomes's shot.
"A pretty special moment," Gomes said. "If you're looking for words, I don't got much for you."
By the end of this series, there may be no words. It is now even at two games apiece, and is guaranteed return to Boston after Monday night's Game 5 at Busch Stadium – in which the staff aces, Adam Wainwright of St. Louis and Jon Lester of Boston, will reprise their series-opening roles.
But consider what it took to get there. The Red Sox, stung by two straight losses that were decided by out-of-the-box, sloppy plays, were struggling to scratch anything together against St. Louis right-hander Lance Lynn. Their own starter, Buchholz, was hampered by shoulder stiffness. His velocity was down. It seemed certain he couldn't go deep.
So with the score tied 1-1, the Red Sox came off the field after the bottom of the fifth. They faced an uncertain future. And Ortiz – the only tie to the 2004 World Series championship team, here for the 2007 title as well – spoke.
"Every time that guy steps in the box, he's a presence," Gomes said. "Any time that guy puts on a uniform he's a presence. If this guy wants to rally us together for a pep talk, it's like 24 kindergartners looking up to their teacher."
Given how their two losses came about – an errant throw from reliever Craig Breslow that cost them in Game 2, and a wacky obstruction call that followed a stray throw from catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia that ended Game 3 – the Red Sox could well have been rattled. Ortiz, the one Boston player who looked to have a clue against Lynn, has the clout to calm them.
"He just said, 'Hey guys, this opportunity doesn't come around very often,' " catcher David Ross said. " 'Let's seize the moment. Let's have some fun. Let's be ourselves.' "
So with two outs in the sixth, that started to take shape. Dustin Pedroia singled off Lynn, the first hit by someone other than Ortiz – who went 3 for 3 with a double, a walk and two run scored. That's when the Cardinals pushed their outfield back. And that's when Lynn acted as if he wanted nothing to do with Ortiz, doling out those four straight balls – even as the Cardinals had veteran lefty Randy Choate ready.
"We just weren't going there," St. Louis Manager Mike Matheny said.
The Cardinals, instead, opted for Maness vs. Gomes, who stepped into the box hitless in nine World Series at-bats, just 5 for 41 in the postseason.
"He's been able to come in and get the big out when we needed it," Matheny said of Maness, "and we wanted to give him a shot."
The shot came on a 2-2 fastball, and it ended up in the Red Sox bullpen. With that, the game became about the Red Sox bullpen, whether it was constructed as it normally is or not. Doubront, who pitched in the Game 3 loss, hadn't worked on back-to-back days in more than two years. Yet he was brilliant in retiring the first eight men he faced.
"He doesn't panic," Boston Manager John Farrell said.
He did, though, issue a two-out double in the seventh. Junichi Tazawa erased that by getting a groundball, and then came Lackey – who will start Game 6, and who hadn't relieved since 2004 – for the eighth. He worked around an error for a scoreless frame, and left it to Uehara.
With one out in the ninth, pinch hitter Allen Craig singled, and reserve infielder Kolten Wong ran for him. After Uehara got Matt Carpenter to pop up, it became clear that this series could have no games end normally, because Uehara picked off Wong to end the game.
"That was on his own," Farrell said.
Gomes's shot, too, would seem to have been created on his own, to have come from within. But it came, too, because of how much respect both teams afford Ortiz, who changed the attitude of his team and the direction of the series.
More on the World Series:
Box score: Red Sox 4, Cardinals 2
Boswell: Jonny Gomes is all heart for Red Sox
Cardinals' Craig hurting after Game 3 ending
Analysis of the Series pitching matchups


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It's never too late to keep a fishing log
Have you ever wondered why the professional fishing guides seem to be more consistently successful than most other anglers? The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that they are on the water more than lay anglers. However, there are some non-professional fishermen that are afloat regularly and they seem to have more lean days than successful ones. It is sort of like a hit or miss on each outing. In our local saltwater this time of year, it seems that the speckled trout especially will be stacked in an area one day and seem to disappear from the earth the very next day.
I realize that part of the fun of going fishing is finding them. Sometimes it will be frustrating when locating the fish seems impossible. No matter how great it feels to be spending time in the outdoors, when you go fishing, the primary goal is catching fish. I've actually had a guide over in East Bay tell me that catching fish was secondary to simply being out in the bay. I'm sure that is the case where some folks are concerned, but most folks go fishing to catch fish. Also, if they are of the same mind as I am, they like to keep some fish for the table and the freezer. In my opinion, since most fish spawn annually and there are legal limits on size and numbers, retaining those limits is not detrimental to the fishing.
So what is the secret to guides being able to consistently put their clients on fish? I'm convinced that they keep records. The Global Positioning System has been a real benefit for location but the other information such as time, weather, water conditions and the like must be logged in.
There are two guides, one on Toledo Bend and one on Rayburn, that are super successful. Ken Sawyer, who has retired and lives in Hemphill, kept a logbook that he used daily. By doing that he could, from year to year and day to day, locate the more successful areas. That was long before the GPS cam along.
Over on Sam Rayburn, Will Kirkpatrick has been guiding for more than 30 years on that lake. He kept such accurate notes that he is not only still guiding, but also teaching bass fishing school. Not only did his notes help him while taking other folks fishing, but also when he is teaching.
On the local saltwater scene, there is now where some hot action is going on. The guides that are more experienced have daily game plans. Are they always able to stick with them? certainly not. There are many factors that can change them.
Capt. Eddie Hernandez has long been a fishing guide in and around the Lake Sabine and surrounding waters. I've stayed in contact with him regularly just in order to stay abreast of just what's taking place on the saltwater fishing scene hereabouts. By doing so, it has become apparent to me that the captain has kept detailed records of his many trips.
It seems that even before he launches his boat each morning, he has a plan in mind. By having a record of what was taking place last year at this time, he could at least have a starting place. Speckled trout, flounder and redfish are strictly governed by nature. Whenever certain conditions happen annually, the fish will be somewhere nearby. Thus by keeping records, it is possible to be in the right area. Not all of the fish congregate in one spot. There will be several possible locations where Hernandez has scored well. This gives him plan A, B or C, which are all recorded good areas for a given time of year. Of course should the wind be too strong or from the wrong direction, one of the other recorded hot spots will be a better choice.
The way to locate the better areas during various days and various times of year is to spend many hours on the water and use trial and error to acquire information. Don't try to remember all of the conditions on a given day. Write them down. The GPS unit will take you to the right location, but the weather, water conditions or tidal flow will not be on the unit.
After many years of fishing around the same areas some of the guides, do not go to the book for each trip. Day-to-day success works well, too. It's just that it takes mega hours on the water to create a log of good fishing. It's never to late to begin.


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Police say 13 people were hurt, one critically, when gunmen in a speeding car opened fire on a crowd standing outside an apartment building in northwest Washington, D.C. early Monday.
The shooting occurred around 2:10 a.m. in the area of New York Avenue and North Capitol Street, police Chief Cathy Lanier said.
Detectives were reviewing surveillance video showing gunshots being fired as two cars sped down the street in rapid succession, while a group of people on the sidewalk scattered and scrambled for cover. The police released the surveillance video to the public in hopes of gathering information on the gunmen. Police said shots came from at least one of the two cars.
The seriously wounded victim was shot in the back and was in critical condition Monday afternoon, police said. None of the other injuries was believed to be life-threatening, and the victims — who were either grazed by bullets or shot mostly in the legs, hands or other extremities — were reported to be conscious and breathing.
Police didn't immediately have a motive, and detectives were still interviewing witnesses and collecting bullet fragments and other evidence.
"We've got to interview a ton" of witnesses, said assistant police chief Peter Newsham.
The shooting occurred in the same area where multiple people were shot and wounded on consecutive weekends last October, though it wasn't immediately clear whether there was any connection.
Nor was it clear why the crowd was standing outside at that time of day, though Lanier said a club across the street had let out about 15 minutes earlier.
"Whether they came from the club, I'm not sure," Lanier said. "There is usually a pretty good crowd out here — Saturday night, Sunday night."


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Actually it was June 15th when I think I left for what was expected to be a couple of months of rest and reading and refreshment. It started out that way and I had a couple of books I wanted to read, one of them is a book that is a theological look at the gospel of Mark. I wanted to read the whole thing because, of course, we're going through Mark and I was able to do that. Another is a very important kind of scholastic book that treats the textual problems that occur at the end of the gospel of Mark and I wanted to read that as well, kind of loading up for our journey through the gospel of Mark. Had a number of other books that I wanted to read. I wanted to complete the biography of John Peyton, one of my favorite missionary heroes, I was able to do that and it had a profound affect on my own heart, my own soul. So there were things like that in my mind, and perhaps a little rest from the constant ministry that usually fills up my life.
What I didn't expect and couldn't have anticipated was that somewhere along the time when I was away, I started to have increased pain in my back and my hip. I'm not going to give you a whole medical history here. But it was pretty much chronic and it was pretty much daily and my precious wife, Patricia, would hear my comments every morning as I would wake up and say, "Well I don't know where that comes from, that's new," but that's not fun.
So eventually in her desire to care for me, she commiserated with some of the kids and said, "Look, you're going to need to go and get your back x-rayed and your hip x-rayed, we've got to find out what's wrong with you." So sometime in August after the wonderful time in celebrating Clayton's 30th, I did that. I came here to a highly recommended wonderful Christian orthopaedic surgeon and they took pictures of my hip and my back and they said... "Perfect hip, perfect back, no issues. Really bad knee. And the knee is such a severe problem that it's affecting your back, it's all a question of all the angles are off, and the compensation shows up in the pain in your back and the knee is so bad it has to be replaced."
Now I could actually write my life story around the history of my right knee. And there are some interesting intervals in my life that relate to my right knee. I made the first great sacrifice of my right knee to my football coach when I played football in my college university days. I made the ultimate sacrifice, as football players do, throwing my body recklessly into the melee game after game after game. And I did this primarily for the coach who was an overwhelming and overpowering personality in my life who demanded that kind of commitment. So I made the first sacrifice of my knee to my coach in an effort to fulfill all his desires for me.
I remember one time I injured my knee in a game and I came off to the sideline and he said to me, "You're not allowed to be injured, get back in there." And in those days, what they would do is spray your knee with ethyl chloride. Ethyl chloride was some kind of a thing that froze the thing a little bit so you couldn't feel the pain so you could do more damage without even realizing it. And that's essentially what I did. And I made that sacrifice for my beloved coach, Jim Brownfield.
And I suppose there was a sense in which in my own heart I maybe I went overboard in being every bit of what he wanted me to be as an athlete and a player because I had a desire to see him come to Christ and he was not a Christian and acknowledged that he wasn't a Christian. And I had opportunity as a player to witness to him and to talk to him about the Lord, but he never would positively respond, although I really admired him and had great affection for him and I think he did for me. He never came to Christ.
Well something wonderful happened in the last few months. I had the privilege of visiting him in the hospital when he was near death and I just showed up at his bed and they said he hasn't moved or spoken in three days. He had massive heart issues and surgery and all that and they said, "We don't know if he'll respond." And I said, "Well we're going to find out."
So I leaned over the bed and I took a hold of his hand and I said, "Hey Coach, this is Johnny Mac." He always called me Johnny Mac. And I said, "Hey Coach, this is Johnny Mac." And he opened his eyes and he nodded at me and at that moment I said to him, "You're the thief on the cross and this is your hour. You've rejected Christ long enough." And I gave him the gospel and he responded.
And in the months since then has continued with joy to recover and to rejoice in his faith in Christ and to acknowledge it and proclaim it. It was 50 years ago that I first met him and after 50 years, and what his testimony always is and he said this the other day when I was down to visit him, he said, "The message of this story is don't give up on anybody...50 years later."
So, that's a little story that started when I first injured my knee. Through the years obviously things happen and it deteriorated and all that. Never want to take time to do it, to get it fixed. I had an orthoscopic incident a few years ago in which I got some blood clots in my lungs and that didn't seem like a good idea to do that again because you can die from that. And so, but the Lord used that in marvelous ways in my life because the surgeon who did the...who saved my life at that point came to our church after that. He said, "I want to hear you preach." He had never heard me preach and he said, "The first Sunday you're back, I want you to come....I want to come, I want to hear you preach." My first Sunday back was the first Sunday I started in Luke and my first sermon was, "Luke, the beloved physician," that's the first time he heard me. And out of that he came and continued to come and came to Christ and the story goes on.
So incidents with my knee somehow lead to people being converted. Sometimes it's a long way off but...so this is a very spiritual knee. It is a high-impact knee. I'm not sure what its future is, but the past as been quite notable. Anyway, they took one look at my knee and said, "You have to have this fixed now or you're going to have worse pain. It's way overdue."
So anyway I was in great hands. Many of you have had those kinds of total hip replacement, total knee replacement, that's all it was. It was just the normal kind of thing. And I'm in the process of recovering and I'm doing it a little slower pace because it was a little more damaged than they thought and a little more complicated recovery. I feel great, I'm on schedule for recovery. So far the good news is it hasn't affected my brain as far as I can tell. It certainly hasn't affected my will. So I'll just keep working on it. There's probably another two months of therapy to get me where I can straighten it out and bend it which is a pretty good idea to be able to function fully. But I am ready to return to the things that the Lord has given me to do.
The one question I had was I'm not sure how long I can stand in one place on one leg. And part of it is because you're in so much therapy, to intense that your muscles are sore and trying to prop yourself up on a half-bent leg doesn't work real well. So I have a little box under here and he gave me a stool which I think I can sit on without being rebaptized here. Sort of auto-baptism.
But anyway, I'm doing well on the physical side. I'm very grateful for very wonderful doctors and people who took good care of me. I'm thankful for that kind of care that I was able to receive.
I always discover something when I'm away. And it was again the story, obviously I'm in touch with Rick. Rick is absolutely incredible in staying in touch with me every day, numerous times a day. He's a great leader, a faithful shepherd not only of you but of me. He shepherds me through all these times when I'm not here. But the reports are always so encouraging when he would call me.
Usually after church on Sunday morning on his way home, he called me after church Sunday night, he called me during the week and tells me how it's going, to tell me what are the issues that are going on, what are the things we need to be praying about, concerned about. What's going on with the giving. What's going on in the ministries. And the reports just were good and it was so encouraging to me. And I basically have come to the conclusion that I need Grace Church a whole lot more than Grace Church needs me. You...you do very well when I'm not here. You have great teachers, great ministry leadership. You're faithful, you pray, you worship, you give, you serve. You know, people say to me very often, you know, realizing my age, they say, "Well what's going to happen when you leave? What's going to happen when you're not here?"
Well there's already been an answer given to that question. You've lived the answer to that question in the months of my absence. And the work goes on, it goes on with great power and blessing. But from a personal standpoint, I don't do well not being here. Look, 40 years of my life and Patricia's life and the life of our children, our grandchildren, this is my place, this is my home, this is my spiritual home, you're my spiritual family. And to one degree or another, you touch my life, some of you obviously through the years more intensely than others. But this is where I belong. This is my place on planet Earth. This is my little bit of heaven on Earth.
And for whatever benefit I might bring to the church, the church brings an infinitely greater benefit to me. You are really in every sense the source of my own sanctification because it is my opportunity to preach to you that allows the Word to do its sanctifying work in my life. And you are the point of my great encouragement because I see and I hear testimonies like this and repeated testimonies day in and day out. You are the source of my joy. You are the source of my encouragement. That's why Paul says, "You are my joy and the crown of rejoicing," to the Philippians. Only a pastor gets that. Only a pastor knows that.
When you look at your life and you ask the question, "How do you measure the achievement of your life?" For a pastor, the crown, that is the final achievement, the final goal, for a pastor is the feedback that comes from a saved and sanctified people. I understand that. You're the crown of my joy. You are my source of blessing.
I am spiritually benefitted by what you do in my life. By the response you have to the Word of God, I see the Word of God at work in your life. I see its impact in your marriages and your homes and your families and your outreach and your prayers and your giving. This is to me all the reward that I need. But I need that reward. There's just sheer joy in that reward.
You know, the preacher preaches, the Apostle Paul says, he's like a farmer and he does it because he gets to taste the fruit. And that you can't understand how encouraging, how energizing, how up-building, up-lifting and sanctifying that is to the shepherd of the sheep, to rejoice in the world that the Spirit of God through the Word of God is doing in the flock that is given to him. So I don't do well without this church. I never have and I'm pretty sure I never will. And I don't feel at all, even though I've been gone for a few months, I don't feel in any sense diminished. It's back to that old adage that the absence makes the heart grow fonder. We have so many rich memories, Patricia and I and all of our family and our children, that it isn't just that. This church would hold our hearts captive for the rest of our lives on the sheer power of the memories of the past.
But that's not how it is. They are there but the power of this church is in the present and from my standpoint, even in the future. I don't feel any diminished in strength, although you all obviously know because most of you have been through some kind of surgery, there's a bit of a shock of trying to recover from a major surgery in terms of your own strength. But I don't feel diminished in my strength or my desire to do what I do and for the sheer joy of it that comes because God does honor His Word and He has blessed me with this incredible, incredible congregation and amazing ministry that gives me such great joy.
Well there are a lot of things that I could say about a lot of different things that I've been thinking through these months, but I think for tonight...I don't want to try to cover a whole lot of bases. I just want to say one thing and maybe this is sufficient for now.
Next Sunday morning we're going to go back to Mark. I think I'm going to be okay. This is kind of a test run and so far I haven't fallen over. So we'll work on that basis and if I need to sit down a little bit, I'll do that.
Just to kind of protect myself, preserve my strength a little bit, I'll probably come in when I preach and do that both times without being here for the whole time so that I can kind of maximize my ability to be here in front of you for the hour at least that I'm going to be opening the Word of God. But we will start the gospel of Mark and jump back in again in a wonderful, wonderful new and fresh glimpse of the Lord Jesus Christ which we have so loved in the gospels that we've gone through.
And then on Sunday night, I told you when I left, we had talked about Jesus as Lord of the Sabbath and I said at the time that I would really love to go back and have a study on the Sabbath and the Sabbath...if it has any connection to the Lord's Day, what that connection is. I think that's an important study. So next Sunday night I am intending to launch a study of the Sabbath in its relationship to the Lord's Day. There are still people greatly confused by this. There is, of course, even in Southern California, especially a large, large continuant of people called Seventh Day Adventists who being very confused about that issue of the Sabbath as well as other things need to be helped. So that's what we want to do.
But for tonight, I really have one intention in mind and that is to thank you. I first of all want to thank Rick for his leadership, stellar leadership of the church. I need to thank him for his preaching, faithful preaching. Phil Johnson as well who the two of them bore the brunt of most of the opportunities to preach, and all the others who did preach in my place. I'm profoundly grateful to our staff, all the people who serve and stand alongside me and cover lots of bases when I'm not around. Thanks to them as well. Thanks to you as a people for your faithfulness, for your expressions of love, for your cards and letters of encouragement, for your giving which has been absolutely....absolutely remarkable. I could tell you story after story after story of how God has worked in ways that are just beyond imagination to support the work in very, very hard times.
You know, I never ask the question, "Is God in this ministry?" It is staggering when I think about it. And I need to share just a couple of things about that.
When we came to the end of the fiscal year in June at the Master's College, we were struggling to see if we could get there to a balanced budget. And we were praying and everything we could, we were hoping to be in the black. It was going to be close whether we could even make it because that's very important for one's accreditation, the college had just received a ten-year, along with seminary, accreditation from WASC the western Association of schools and colleges, ten year accreditation is the maximum that any institution can get. We wanted to make sure we kept that in good standing and so we were concerned about our money.
In the last three weeks of June, we were praying that God would provide. One point nine to five million dollars in donations came to the college. Not only did we go way over what we needed for the budget but we pushed some of it into July to start the new fiscal year. There was really no human explanation for that. There were gifts from all different kinds of people of all different amounts and it was really a stunning act on the part of the Lord.
One wonderful story. In our church for many years is a sweet little lady. She didn't seem to have much, but everything she had she left to the Master's Seminary, Grace Church and Grace To You and this quiet little sweet lady went to heaven and all three ministries got a check for about a hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars. Well it was amazing. Just another way in which from an unsolicited, sort of unknown way, unknown source, the Lord in His magnanimous grace sent what we need to carry on the work that He's given us to do. I looked at the bulletin today and I saw the giving to the commitment to the commission, our missionaries are flourishing and the missionaries are being sent. All this at a time when there are ministries hunkering down, going out of business, Christian colleges going out of business, ministries cutting their staff in half. And I don't know how to say it other than to say I thank God for the generosity of this church and the people who are part of this church and its ministries, and that's you.
Well, I ask myself the question...how can I express my gratitude? How can I say thanks to you? And so as always, I start to think about my mentor, my mentor is the Apostle Paul, I think you know that. And I think about Paul and I ask the question...How did Paul express gratitude? What drew thanksgiving out of his heart?
Open your Bible to Philippians chapter 4...Philippians chapter 4. And I ask the question of the Apostle Paul...How did he express his gratitude? And I really, I was drawn immediately to this passage in Philippians 4:10 and obviously I don't want to dig everything in here that's possible, but I think it's a good general text to look into the heart of a grateful man. Verse 10, "I rejoiced in the Lord greatly..I rejoiced in the Lord greatly." That's a thankful heart. "That now at last you've revived your concern for me, indeed you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity, not that I speak from want for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means. I also know how to live in prosperity in any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Nevertheless you have done well to share with me in my affliction. You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone. For even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs. Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account. But I have received everything in full, have an abundance I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice well-pleasing to God. And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever amen."
The operative word that I want you to notice here in this text is in verse 11, it is the word "content...content...content." I've learned to be content. Contentment is a rich word. It means to be satisfied. It means to have enough. It means to want nothing more. For example, in Luke 3:14, "Be content with your wages." Paul said in 1 Timothy 6:6, "Godliness with contentment is great gain." And in verse 8, "Having food and clothing, let us be content." The writer of Hebrews puts it this way in chapter 13 verse 5, "Be content with what you have for He said, I will never leave you or forsake you."
Contentment is a spiritual virtue. Contentment is something that should be true of every child of God and certainly is of the spiritual Christian. Another way to understand contentment is to see it as that which is the attitude of a fully satisfied person.
As Paul concludes his letter to the Philippians, he concludes with a desire to express himself from the heart about how much he loves them. He starts chapter 4 by saying, "My beloved brethren, whom I long." It says in italics, "to see," but really it is "for whom I long." I understand that. "My joy and crown," that's how he identifies them. There's a lot of empathy, sympathy, compassion, affection in that introduction to chapter 4. They are beloved to him. He longs to be with them. They are his source of joy. They are his reward.
And as he closes the letter, he wants to express his gratitude and he does it by identifying for them the fact that he is totally satisfied, totally content. I identify with that when I think about Grace Church and I think about all that the Lord has brought to my life and to Patricia's life and to the life of our family for all these many, many years. The word that always comes to my mind is content. I ask for nothing more, desire nothing more. There is no lack of satisfaction.
This whole text that I read to you is intended as a final thanks to the church he loved for the fact that they had brought to him contentment. Now remember, it's a remarkable situation he finds himself in. He's in a prison at the time he writes. The prison is in Rome. He is chained to a Roman soldier. He is kept in some isolation in the small quarters. He's unable to move about. He's away from the people he loves. He has no capacity openly to minister, to work, to preach. As far as human provisions are concerned, he has nothing but what is minimal. He has the basics of life. He is afflicted by being a prisoner, by being a captive and living in the minimalist sense. In some ways this is the lowest point of his life in terms of his physical situation...chained to a Roman soldier, able to touch only a few friends who could get to him, anticipating his trial before Nero and perhaps his execution. He is deprived of every comfort. He is cast as a lonely man on the shores of the great strange metropolis of Rome. With every movement of his hand there is a clanking of his fetters. There's nothing before him but the lion's mouth or the soldier's sword.
And yet, he is grateful. And he ends this letter from that situation with an expression of gratitude. And what brings him gratitude is the fact that his heart is so satisfied...so satisfied. He is content. Back to verse 11, "I have learned to be content." There can't be any greater thing than that in anybody's life, not in mine or your's, to be content. I think all of us would long to have that, all of us can have that, all of us should have that. The word "content" means to be self-sufficient, to have enough, to desire nothing more. That was true of the Apostle Paul.
Back to verse 12 for a moment. He says something that is quite interesting in the context, down toward the end of verse 12, he says, "I've learned the secret...I've learned the secret."
There's a secret to being content. This verb actually means in the Greek to be initiated and it's perhaps good to kind of do a little study on this word. It was used of initiation into the mystery religions, mueo is the verb. When people were introduced into the mystery religions which were a plethora of satanic kinds of cults, their initiation was supposedly some introduction into the secrets. Well Paul is saying, "I've been initiated. I've been initiated into the secrets of contentment. I've had my initiation." For all of those cults, and all those false religions, all those mystery religions there were rites of initiation. Vestiges of that exist today with the Masons and other forms of social relationship which are connected with ancient religion. Paul says, "I have been initiated into the religion of contentment."
He talks about...verse 7...the peace of God surpassing all comprehension, guarding your hearts and your minds in Christ. In verse 9 he talks about the God of peace being with him. In verse 6 he says he is anxious for nothing. This is a man who is content. This is a man who knows peace. This is a man who has been initiated into contentment, satisfied, lacking nothing.
I really do identify with that. I'm not...well I'm irritated by this knee, I'm not discouraged by it as if it is some kind of intrusion into my life that would invade and somehow diminish my contentment. It's an irritation because I want to move much faster than it is willing to move. But I will tell you this, I do understand what it means to be content, to be satisfied, to have everything that you could ever ask for and more. I have by the grace of God, the goodness of God, due to nothing of my own, been inaugurated into the secret of contentment. I have...the Lord has put me in the most favorable circumstances that any minister could ever be in. And there is great contentment in that.
Now let's look with Paul for a minute a little deeper into this. What were the components of contentment. I'll just give you a few things to think about. First of all, confidence in God's providence...confidence in God's providence. Verse 10, "I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last you have revived your concern for me. Indeed you were concerned before but you lacked opportunity."
For ten years the Philippian church had been unable to send support to Paul...ten years. They loved him. He loved them. For ten years they couldn't send him anything. It was ten years since God brought Paul to Philippi to start a church. You remember that, don't you? Acts 16, he came to Philippi, preached the gospel, got thrown in jail, was delivered out of jail in an earthquake. The jailer and his family were converted. The church was planted. But for ten years since that time, they had not supported him. But in verse 10 he says, "You lacked, kairos," translated opportunity. You lacked the season. There was no way that it could be done. Perhaps partly Paul's inaccessibility to them, perhaps their own poverty which was great. Remember now, Philippi is in Macedonia and if you remember 2 Corinthians, it was the churches of Macedonia who when they did give demonstrated their great love out of deep poverty. "But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly because finally when you had opportunity, Epaphroditus arrives in Rome with the gifts from t he Philippians, now at last you've revived your concern for me."
He doesn't blame them. He says, "You were concerned before," and they were. When the ten years ago he had left, they had given him something to send him on his way and in the intervening time they had not been able to do that. This demonstrates, I think, the Apostle's patient confidence in God's sovereign provision. He was so sure that God in due time would order the circumstances so that his needs would be met. All through those ten years, somebody else met his need and when it came to this particular juncture in his life, when he was in jail in Rome, and there was not another to meet his need, the providence of God ordered the Philippians to find the resources exactly on schedule and to have them delivered to the beloved Apostle.
There's no panic in his life. There's no manipulation in his life because he has confidence in the providential control of God, that God orders all the circumstances, all the contingencies, all the diverse factors of life to produce His perfect will. He's always done it.
You go to the Old Testament, you see it in the story of Joseph, you see it in the story of Esther, you see it in the story of Ruth...many, many other places. Paul patiently lived his life confident that is needs would be met because of the divine providence of God. It takes the panic out of life. He was content because he knew his God was in total control of everything, fully confident that God would order all the events, all the contingencies to meet his needs.
Secondly, he was content because not only he trusted in the providence of God, but he was satisfied with little. Verse 11, "Not that I speak from want. I've learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am."
You know, essentially what he's saying is, "I don't have any needs. I don't want anything more than what I have." This is quite contrary to the attitude of most people in the world today. It's an attitude, I think, that is tragically moved into the church with a vengeance. One of the most painful experiences of not being in church on Sunday when you're recovering from surgery is you have to watch some preachers on TV. You know, I'd almost rather have a root canal without anesthesia... I mean, it's an absolutely excruciating experience for me, to watch these health-wealth-prosperity preachers feed peoples discontent and tell them that if they're sick, they're poor, if they're struggling, if their dreams aren't fulfilled, their desires aren't fulfilled, everything they want hasn't been delivered to them, somehow they need to go to God and He's just waiting to give them everything they want, everything they desire. That is just so counter-productive, destructive, devastating. We already live in a culture that is consumed with its own needs and its own desires and its own wants.
Paul is essentially saying, "I don't want anything." I understand that. I understand that. I have way more than I need, way more. All the things that make me content, God has deposited in my life. And I'll tell you very simply, they all relate to people, to have the gift of God in my wife Patricia, in my children, my grandchildren, in people I work with, my friends, my church, this is my contentment...to have the opportunity to proclaim the Word of God, to preach and teach the Scripture, to see the fruit of the Spirit manifest in the people in whom the Word does its powerful work is enough. I know that the Lord says, "If you seek the Kingdom, everything else will be added to you. Take no thought for what you eat or drink and all these kinds of things." It's up to the Lord to give whatever He wants to give at that point. Those things have nothing to do with spiritual contentment. And if you're looking for spiritual contentment in those areas, you're never going to find it there.
Paul is in a far-more deprived situation than I've ever been in. And he says, "I don't have any needs. I'm not speaking from want, I want nothing." That's another way to say that. "I'm not asking for anything. I've learned through the crucible of trials and difficult circumstances and experience, I've learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am." He's content with little. He finds his satisfaction and his fulfillment in the right things.
Now I need to say as a footnote, he's not content in the sense that he thinks he can pull back on the preaching of the gospel. He's not content that enough people have been converted to Christ. He's not content that he's fulfilled the great commission. He's not content that the church is as holy as it should be. He's not content on the spiritual side even with his own life because he sees himself as a wretched man. He's not content in that sense. But when it comes to the provisions of life, he is content...so far from the needs-oriented culture in which we live where everybody is chasing every imaginable things they want. And some preachers come along and they say, "This is a godly kind of thing. This is what God wants. He wants you to have everything you want." That's a lie.
Paul is satisfied with little. He is satisfied with the basics. He is content with whatever God gives him materially because that's not where he finds his contentment any way.
There's a third element that comes into the fabric of contentment. It's parallel to the one that I just gave you. He...the contented person is independent from circumstances...that's what he says essentially in the verse I just read, "In whatever circumstances I am," then he sort of spells it out, "I know how to get along with humble means. I also know how to live in prosperity in any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of being filled, going hungry, having abundance, suffering need," which is another way of saying whether I have a lot or a little, it really is immaterial. In every circumstance...and then he spins that out to mean extreme deprivation, extreme abundance, they don't really matter...whether it's humble means, referring to the needs of daily life, just basic food, clothing, a place to rest, or whether it's prosperity meaning overflowing, abounding, having far more of these material things than are necessary. In any circumstance, he says again back to the initiation idea, I have been initiated into contentment.
There's some interesting words that he uses here. He says, "I have learned the secret of being filled...being filled." A verb, chortazo, which was used of feeding and fattening up animals, of having an abundance, perisseuo, used again meaning satisfied in fullest measure. On the other hand, suffering need, going hungry. And you can do the study yourself, 2 Corinthians, where Paul lists all the deprivations, all of the things which were so difficult for him and the rest of his ministry in the epistles that he writes, he does talk from time to time about his abundance.
Well enough said about that for the sake of time. If you're going to enjoy contentment, you start with being confident inn God's providence. That is, you don't have to panic whatever condition you're in because God is going to move the circumstances of life to meet your needs. Secondly, to be satisfied with little and have no wants beyond what is necessary. And, thirdly, to live independent of circumstances.
A fourth element of contentment is to understand the promise of divine power. Verse 13, "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Isaiah 40:31 says, "To him who has no might, He increases strength." I love that passage that says, you know...2 Corinthians 12...where Paul in verses 7 to 10 talks about the thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan sent to buffet him and how tortured he was. He implores the Lord three times to remove it and the Lord says to him, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness...power is perfected in weakness." The truly powerful Christian is the one who has come to the end of all human resources, then the power of God is released. "Most gladly, therefore, I'd rather boast about my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may dwell in me." Paul wanted to come across as weak, and he did. People said he was weak and unimpressive, that was okay with him because there was then no human explanation for his life.
I remember having a conversation with Deepak Chopra one night in between segments of Larry King program and Deepak can barely tolerate me. He views me...he views me as...with disdain and I try to be as gracious as I can to him and not, you know, when you differ on theology and truth, that's unavoidable, but try to be as kind in doing so as I can. But he was saying to the panel something about a certain philosophical issue. And then he said, "Of course, you wouldn't have any comprehension of that," to me. And I replied by saying, "Well, I actually think I do have a comprehension of that. In fact, let me explain that I know exactly what you're talking about." And I basically gave him back a philosophical explanation of what he was saying and I said, "In fact, I have a book that I have written that deals with that." To which he responded, "I wouldn't read anything you wrote."
Fine. It was going to be free. You know, that's a sad thing...that's a sad thing, but from his viewpoint, whatever impact I have, I'm not the explanation for. You understand that? You can never explain the impact of John MacArthur by John MacArthur. And that's what Paul was saying. I'm not the explanation of what God has done for me. I've been sustained by divine power and I can do all things, that is all things related to what God wants me to do, all things related to my calling, all things related to my ministry, all things necessary to fulfill my responsibility through strength that is beyond myself. The verb, "Him who strengthens me,"endunamoo, a compound of the word dynamite, to infuse strength into. The Spirit is our strength. Paul says simply the same thing in Galatians 2:20, "I'm crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me and the life which I live, I live in that power."
When you are initiated into the realm of contentment, it is because you are confident in divine providence, satisfied with little, live independent of circumstances and put complete confidence in divine power.
There's just two more things that I would suggest to you and we could get a little bogged down, so I'll just give you an overview real quick. Contentment is also related to being preoccupied with the well-being of others...preoccupied with the well-being of others. No one is more uninteresting that somebody who is consumed with himself, true? Really, I don't care to spend two minutes with people like that and no one is more welcoming and inviting and enjoyable than someone who is consumed with the needs of others. Those are the kinds of people you want to be with.
I love this in Paul. Verse 14 he says this, "You've done well to share with me in my affliction, I'm so glad you did that. You yourselves also know, Philippians that at the first preaching of the gospel after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone. For even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs." I get the picture, ten years ago he leaves Philippi, he says here, "Hey, in the midst of my affliction, my tribulation, thlipsis, you've done well. You...when I departed from Macedonia, were the only church that gave me any kind of help." He left Philippi, went on to Thessalonica and he was not there very long, it was there very brief time, only a matter of weeks, and they trailed after him. And it says, "Even in Thessalonica where he went after he left Philippi, you sent a gift more than once." They were really taking care of him. They sent him away with gifts and for the few weeks or perhaps at the most just a few months that he was in Thessalonica, they followed up and sent him more gifts. They are the brothers, I think, from Macedonia who supplied my need, as he describes it in 2 Corinthians 11:8 and 9 and did it out of their deep poverty. You're the only church that did it. And then for ten years I didn't hear from you, but that was because God was using others and you had no opportunity.
Then verse 17 explains why he's so grateful for their gift. "Not that I seek the gift itself," it isn't that, "but I seek for the prophet that increases to your account." So unselfish. He was unlike a lot of evangelists today who want your money for themselves. If it impoverishes you, if it's destructive to you, they could care less. They'll send you their little miracle bottle of water, their little miracle cloth. They'll take every dime out of your pocket. They'll leave you destitute, happily march to the bank to deposit what you gave.
Paul says, "I don't seek the gift, I seek the profit which increases to your account." This is a kind of a simple concept, karpon, the fruit, the benefit, the profit that goes into your spiritual account. What's he talking about? Treasure in heaven. He says, "What makes me so content is that when you give, you're rewarded in heaven. You lay up treasure in heaven. I don't want you to give because I need it, I want you to give because you'll be rewarded.
When I look and see the giving of people in this church, my joy is not, "O great, you know, all the programs we're trying to invent, you know, we're going to be able to do those." I'm grateful for the support, obviously for the work that goes on, but I'm most grateful for the benefit that accrues to your spiritual account.
Sow sparingly, reap sparingly...sow bountifully, reap bountifully...Luke 6:38, "Give and it shall be given unto you, pressed down, shaken together, running over." Nothing makes the heart of the pastor more glad than to know that his people give sacrificially so that they will be blessed abundantly. This is the evidence of a truly spiritual man. He is concerned only with the spiritual reward of those he loves. He says it, "I have received everything in full, I have an abundance, I am amply supplied having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent."
Then he uses sacrificial language from the Old Testament, "A fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice well pleasing to God." He says, "Look, I received the gift, I already have everything that I need. I'm already full, I'm already the recipient of an abundance. But what you have sent is before God, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to Him and for that you will be blessed."
And here's how, verse 19. "And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Paul had more than enough. I have more than enough...way more than enough. Every time another gift comes, I thank the Lord for the generosity of the giver because I know that generosity is an expression of love that is treasure laid up in heaven.
Well, I will tell you that God has initiated me, inaugurated me, brought me into the secret of contentment and, of course, I am most content when I'm here in this place with you. I am content with the wife God has given me, completely content, fully satisfied with the family He's given me, but particularly that He has placed us all together in this remarkable ministry and together for all these 40 years the Lord has supplied our needs to His glory. And we can all say, can't we, in verse 20, "To our God and Father be the glory forever and ever."
Father, we thank You for Your truth, we thank You for Your Word. Thank You that not only is full of sections on doctrines and sections on history and accounts of the Savior but scattered throughout Scripture are these immensely practical portions which help us to deal with the attitudes of our heart that are so important to living life with blessing and fulfillment. You satisfy us fully. What could we be but content? How could we be less than content, knowing that we have what You have given us? We know, Lord, our contentment will be severely interrupted by sin, disobedience, carnality, selfishness. But, Lord, as long as we walk in the Spirit and obey the truth, we will be initiated into the secret of contentment.
We're not humanists. To the humanist, he's alone in the universe, no one to help. Make it on your own, or you're not going to make it. We're not humanists, we're theists, we're not alone...we're not alone. You live and You are not only the God of the universe, You are our God and our Father through the gospel of Jesus Christ and You promise to care for everything we need and to bless us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies and to give us bread for our food and to never leave us or forsake us. So we live under that massive promise, content that You will supply all our needs according to Your riches in glory by means of Christ Jesus, We thank You for that in His wonderful name. Amen. Amen.
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In recent years, the musical programming at the Philadelphia Folk Festival has established a new trajectory. Jesse Lundy and Rich Kardon, partners at Point Entertainment, assumed roles as co-chairs of the programming committee. Lundy explained the revised approach that they implemented. 'We came in with ideas of contemporizing the event.' Lundy cited the fact that, 'Newport Folk Festival, Ottawa Folk Festival and others have done the same.' He clarified, 'However, the reality is that the Philadelphia Folk Festival is not anything like those other events. Our audience is open to new music. However, they are not coming to discover the new indie rock sensation.' Lundy reflected on the dynamic tension between conflicting musical sensibilities. 'A lot of the older members of our audience would like to see strictly traditional music. However, the kids would prefer to see artists who are outside of this category.' He explained, 'I feel like we have such great workshop programming throughout the days that cover many of the traditional, historic and educational aspects of music.' Lundy continued, 'We have tended to present the more contemporary stuff in the Lobby Tent and Helen Leicht's Camp Stage showcase, both on Saturday afternoon. Then, we just sprinkle a little more in on the Martin Stage at night. So there's a good balance.' According to Lundy, 'Our headliners are more traditional festival fare this year.' As examples, he cited Richard Thompson, Carolina Chocolate Drops, David Bromberg and Asleep at the Wheel. Lundy noted, 'We've turned Saturday night into a Philly-centric show with Todd Rundgren, Ben Vaughan and In the Pocket.' Lisa Schwartz is president of the Folksong Society, which sponsors the festival. She stressed, 'We definitely consider the audience feedback not only for programming, but also for the overall aesthetic, like whether to run straight through on Saturday or break for separate afternoon and evening shows. Last year, there was such a positive response to the one ticket per day approach, we decided to do it again this year.' This year, the festival will unveil two new venues - the Cultural Tent and the Front Porch Stage. The Cultural Tent will be located in the lobby area, near the main gate, adjacent to the Volunteer Food Tent. Schwartz explained, 'Each day will start out with an open sing and jam. It will also include master classes, workshops, tributes, discussions and documentary screenings.' The Front Porch Stage will be located in the campground, just off the main road. It will be open 1 to 4 p.m. each day and accessible exclusively to those with All-Festival Camping tickets. Schwartz clarified, 'The shows will feature a mix of programming with both curated and mystery performers.' Schwartz stressed the role of volunteers at the festival: 'We couldn't do this event without our volunteers. The entire culture and vibe of the event would change if we went to a fully paid staff. Our volunteers love this event and work tirelessly to share their fest with the public. The investment of time and energy is remarkable.' Schwartz referenced challenges to the festival: 'There are more festivals out there vying for the same customers, so that has certainly been a challenge. Our festival is also very difficult to navigate; it's an 80-acre farm with lots of hilly terrain, so if you aren't young chronologically, you must be young in spirit!' Schwartz touted the efforts to make the event family-friendly. 'We have dedicated kid-centric activities and performers in the shadiest spot on the site, Dulcimer Grove. We feature the Give & Take Jugglers and their aerialists, face painting, children's crafts and, this year, we will have a Kids Corner Anniversary Tribute in the Lobby Stage on Sunday at noon with WXPN's Kathy O'Connell.' 'The Lobby Tent is at the top of the hill and it's under cover, so it's easily accessible and perfect for families!' Whether you're young or old, the Philadelphia Folk Festival provides an opportunity to enjoy live music, dance, camping and camaraderie. - Nathan Lerner serves as liaison for Central Control. He welcomes feedback at email@example.com.
Philadelphia Folk Festival back for 52nd year
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