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He Is Able
- At March 08, 2017
- By Mark Kolchin
- In Articles, Faith, Practical Living, Strength, Trials, Trials
Don't Forget, when things are looking tough… "He is Able!"
In the time of Trial, he is able to deliver us
If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king." (Daniel 3:17, NKJV)
There is no trial that He cannot bring us through (Isa. 43:1-2). Trials are the way that He can purge sin from our lives, but when they seem too big to handle, He can make a way of escape. (1 Cor 10:12). He says, Is there anything too hard for the Lord? (Gen. 18:14) and no trial is too big, if we call out to Him for help (2 Chron. 20:12). He is able to save to the uttermost (from the worst of situations, Heb. 7:25)
In the time of Temptation, He is able to Help us
"Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted." (Heb. 2:17–18, NKJV)
His ministry as our Great High Priest, is to help us in our time of need, (Psalm 46:1). Even when we believe not, yet He remains faithful. (2 Tim. 2:13)
In a time of uncertainty in our hearts, He is able to Keep us from falling.
"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy," (Jude 24, NKJV)
When we need the assurance in our hearts that we will keep true to Him or that our faith will fail, He reminds us through His Spirit that we belong to Him. "I am my Beloved's and His desire is toward me" (Song of Solomon 7:10). We are preserved in Jesus Christ (Jude 1) and "nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Jesus Christ", Romans 8:37. He is able to keep us (2 Tim. 1:12) and will not leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5)
In the time of Financial strain, He can provide the means so that we can still give to meet the needs of others
"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work." (2 Corinthians 9:8, NKJV)
God can provide for us when we are willing to be channels of blessing. He will provide for our needs so that we can take care of the needs of others. The widow of Zarephath was a prime example, (1 Kings 17:13-14; Matt. 6:33)
In the time of skepticism, when we think that someone will never bow the knee to the Lord is God is Able to Humble
"Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down." (Dan 4:37, NKJV)
King Nebuchadnezzar was a tough person to humble, but God did; Manasseh was a tough king, causing Judah to err and quite possibly the one responsible for Isaiah's death, but God humbled him (2 Chron. 33). Those who walk in pride, God can bring to their knees, if He chooses to do so.
There are so many things that He is able to do – able to subdue all things to Himself, (Phil. 3:21) able to raise children unto Abraham from stones (Luke 3:8) and to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, (Eph. 3:20). When things get tough, don't forget…GOD IS ABLE!
When Christians Collide
- At January 18, 2017
- By Mark Kolchin
- In Practical Living
"Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward." – Job 5:7
The familiar time-proven quatrain says it well:
To live above with the saints we love,
Oh that will be glory!
But to live below with the saints we know
…that's another story!
It is true that when we all get to Heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be! The Day will break, the shadows will flee away and we will be face to face with Christ our Savior. Sin and sorrow shall cease and we will dwell forever in the land of "no more", where there will no more tears, death, sorrow, crying and pain, Rev. 21.4. We will be reunited with loved ones who have gone before us in the Lord, "the spirits of just men, made perfect", Heb. 12:23. As the hymnwriter has said; "What a Day, glorious Day that will be"! But until that time, a lot of patience is required to "live below with the saints we know". While we are in this life, we will eventually have to deal with the spirits of just men (and women) who are not so perfect! Saints come in all "shapes and sizes"- from all walks of life and from various backgrounds with a wide range of knowledge and experience (or lack thereof). Despite the fact that believers share a common salvation, they can also be as different as night and day. They may have different ideas and opinions as to how a certain project or event in the local church should be conducted. They may differ on what is the best approach to reach the unsaved, or the best way to conduct youth ministry or what topics should be emphasized from the platform or even what music style in their opinion is the best. There are as many differences as there are faces in the local church. But when "an unstoppable force meets an immovable object", then watch out! Sparks will fly upward – you can count on it!
To help deal with this potentiality, God has included an abundance of "one another" commands in the NT that emphasize tolerance, patience and forbearance among believers. Christians are to accept one another, Rom. 15:7; be at peace with one another, Mark 9:50; bear and forgive one another, Col. 3:13; and be of the same mind toward one another, Rom. 12:16. These are reciprocal commands, meaning that what applies to one applies to the other. In other words, it is a shared responsibility and non-compliance by one does not dissolve the obligation of the other. These commands take into account that there will always be differences among believers, yet a sacred duty in upholding the Word of God, in keeping His commandments and in doing those things that are pleasing in His sight, 1 John 3:22.
Why the Differences?
What are the reasons for differences among believers and are they all that bad? One reason for differences actually comes from the Lord. 1 Corinthians 12 reminds us: "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all." It is the same Spirit, Lord, and God who sovereignly bestow spiritual gifts, sphere of ministry and level of operation (enablement) among all believers. These differences simply highlight the manifold or multifaceted grace of God, 1 Peter 4:10. In some ways, it is what makes the Christian life so exciting! God calls different people from different walks of life, whose saving grace frames the life of the redeemed as pictured symbolically in Psalm 107. He endows each one with a unique combination of talents and abilities to glorify His Name. We are different and yet one in purpose – to glorify the Lord. It is the reason why Paul prayed that the Ephesian believers "might comprehend with all the saints what is the width, and length and depth and height – to know the love of Christ", Eph. 3:18-19. We need one another to help comprehend the range of God's amazing grace. Our differences show the wide dimensions of the love of Christ and His power in redeeming us from the hand of the enemy. Thank the Lord for these differences, otherwise we would be all doing the same things, the same way!
But with these differences can come conflict. Some of these differences are due to personality. Some people are more outgoing than others, some are more reserved. One may be bothered when they see a jovial person always smiling; the other can be annoyed by the person who always seems to be down-in-the-mouth and acting as if a cloud perpetually hangs over his head, lacking the joy of the Lord. Despite the fact that there may be legitimate behind-the-scenes reasons for this, nevertheless, these differences can cause issues at times, issues that will eventually need to be resolved with patience and understanding and help from the Lord.
Another reason for conflict among the saints may result from different levels of spiritual knowledge, understanding and maturity and experience. There may also be educational and social differences and different convictions about certain matters as there was in the Corinthian assembly, 1 Cor. 10-11. There some had opposite views as to days of the week or whether or not believers ought to eat meat that had been offered to idols. Today, the "gray" areas seems to revolve around music styles, whether or not it should be hymns or contemporary music selections. These differences (and many like them) can be very strong and difficult to resolve, causing much conflict in the Church.
Dealing with the Differences
How then are differences to be dealt with? What do you do when the "unstoppable force" and the "immovable object" collide, especially when both claim to know the Lord, and both quote Bible verses to substantiate their claims? What then? Here is another reason why the Lord has supplied us with the "one another" commands in Scripture. Repeatedly, the NT emphasizes the responsibility that all of us have to work with each other in the common cause of glorifying God in the world, magnifying Christ in our lives and striving together for the faith of the Gospel, Phil. 1:27. We are to demonstrate by our mutual care and concern as members one of another that there be no schism in the body, 1 Cor. 12:25. By this, we are demonstrating in a practical way the fulfillment of our Lord's prayer in the Upper Room that "we all may be one", John 17:21. We can have diversity and yet maintain unity. Different, but of the same mind one toward another for the purpose of glorifying Christ, Romans 12:16; 15:5. When there is conflict, we believers are to seek the face of the Lord and the leading of the Spirit and to prayerfully open God's Word to get light on the subject. Perhaps the problem is not with the other person, maybe it is with you! No one should be beyond the realm of teachability, Phil. 3:15. "Blind spots" are a reality.
Good Christians can and will collide at times. But if they strive to be like Christ in all their ways, seek to be conformed to His image in attitude and action and follow His steps, a lot of unnecessary hurt will be averted. As we give preference to one another (Romans 12:10) and respond in a spirit of meekness humility, we will demonstrate that it is always good that the heart be established with grace, Heb. 13:9. As we approach our differences in this God-honoring way, we will be dousing the flame that the devil is fuelling to get blood-bought believers warring with one another instead of him.
Refreshment and Revival
"As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country." Prov. 25:25
I will never forget the experience. It was a sizzling hot summer day when a group of men in our fellowship played another team in a softball game. When we started, we were all very energetic and ready to play. But as the game wore on, so did we. Halfway through the arduous event, with our arms and shoulders drooping (and our spirits as well), someone showed up with an ample supply of ice cold water and an array of soft drinks. What a surprise and what a blessing! It did not take long for that source of refreshment to be tapped into and enjoyed. And did we ever appreciate it! The effect it had on me as well as the rest of the team was astounding. There was a new supply of energy and a renewed vigor in my step as I related to one of my teammates at the time. We were all refreshed and revitalized as a team and we were able to complete the task we had set out to do from the very beginning – not just to play the game, but to finish it and win.
In many ways, this seemingly trivial incident in the grand scheme of things is remarkably similar to what can occur in our life with Christ and our service for Him. Periodically, we can succumb to the heat of the day and scorching cares of life. They can wither our resolve, sap our spiritual strength and slacken our pace from pressing on for Christ. Energetic and enthusiastic at first, we are determined to do well and finish strong. But in the battle, we falter under the strain and sag in our spirit. Unfortunately for some, it has been that way far too long. The words of Paul to the Galatians seem very fitting: "You did run well, who did hinder you that you should not obey the truth?" (Gal. 5:7). Resolve can quickly fade like the setting sun (Judges 5:15).
But God in His mercy and grace has a way of helping us out in these situations just at the time we need it most. Like it was on that summer day on the ballfield, "someone" shows up (most certainly under the Lord's direction) with a refreshing supply of "cold water" for our weary souls. How it encourages our hearts and revives our spirits! It might be a simple verse that speaks to a need at the time or an account of answered prayer that lifts our hearts. Or it may be an outstanding report of God's power and might at work in a distant land – good news from a far country – that recaptures for us the hope that God's ways will yet prevail. It has a wonderful way of renewing our spirits and lengthening our spiritual stride and its effect is often immediate and undeniable. Thank God for His "someones" who show up in our lives in our time of need.
From another point of view however, we can also be looking to be that "someone" to others who are within our spiritual reach. Service for Christ and prayer for His servants (both abroad and home) are ways in which we can be a source of blessing and refreshment. The battle can be heated at times and constant targeted prayer is an absolute necessity (Acts 12:5). Just as Joshua prevailed against Amalek only as Moses hands were held up and steady until the going down of the sun, (Ex. 17:12-13); so too the battles of the Lord are fought and won as God's people are steadfast in prayer (1 Thess. 5:17). We need the help of each other to continue in prayer and those on the front lines desperately need our prayers. They need it and appreciate it! Israel prevailed because Joshua used the sword while Moses prayed. It is a tremendous picture of the means of victory – prayer and the Word of God.
God has His ways of providing help and refreshment when our steps are faltering. Whether we are on the giving end or the receiving end, He is faithful to His people and His Word. He is the source of all blessing and as the psalmist attested, "All my springs are in Thee" (Psalms 87:7). May we learn even more the meaning of these words in our walk with Christ.
"For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother." Philemon 7
Moving Beyond Mediocrity
- At January 18, 2016
- By Mark Kolchin
- In Articles, Practical Living, Strength, Trials
The scene is a far too familiar one: the regularly scheduled elders meeting begins with a brief, but generalized time of prayer. It is then followed by the usual routine of going around the table, each elder being asked what they would like to discuss. What usually follows ranges from the urgent to the trivial – and everything in between. It may be punctuated with a passionate exchange of differing opinions or it may simply proceed in the typical, unexciting "business as usual" format. A few important items may be discussed at length, but by the end of the meeting, it resembles more of an administrative task force than a spiritual strategic planning and implementation think tank. Unfortunately, the minutia of assembly life often wins the day – the withering details that cause the heads and hands to droop even lower than when the meeting first began as it comes to a rushed and nebulous conclusion.
If this has been your experience in the meetings in which you serve as an elder, take heart – you are not alone! Too many elders meetings are characterized by such a routine, a routine that needs to be adjusted, if not radically overhauled if the local church is make a difference in the world. Considering the gravity of the present decline in our culture, it is incumbent upon all elders to maximize their time, sharpen their focus, and identify and address the significant spiritual issues affecting congregational life. True, there will always be minor "housekeeping" details that need to be addressed, but to exclude the more serious issues that require deeper spiritual dredging should never be neglected. They need to be brought up prayerfully examined, discussed and properly dealt with. The vitality and wellbeing of the congregation is at stake, a condition for which the elders will have to one day give an account, Heb. 13:17. If the elders don't do the job, who will?
With this in mind, I would like to suggest some helpful reminders to revitalize and improve the elders meetings. Here they are:
Prepare Your Heart
Prior to the elders meeting, each elder should privately commit this meeting to the Lord in prayer. As under shepherds of God's heritage, prayer for everything affecting the local assembly should be the regular exercise of every elder anyway. Since this position was one that was desired (1 Tim 3:1), there should be a readiness to bathe their responsibility in prayer and an eagerness to do so. Done regularly, this can only help to elevate the tone of the meeting and steer it away from the mundane. In so doing, elders can practically demonstrate what Paul exhorted the Philippians to do, to "approve the things that are excellent", Phil. 1:10.
Establish An Agenda
Another helpful reminder for effective elders meetings is to be prepared with an agenda ahead of time – not your agenda, but the elders! The temptation can arise to come to this meeting without adequate preparation and simply react to the items that are put on the table. Without planning forethought on each one's part, effective elders meetings will struggle to stay afloat. To facilitate this, elders in some fellowships arrange in advance to collect agenda items in order to assemble and prioritize a master list. This can be done through emails or by phone by designated elder who collects all agenda items. This will help keep the meeting on track and effectively move it along at an even pace. Each elder should certainly be encouraged to keep an ongoing list between meetings so there is not a frantic last minute attempt to quickly put together such a list.
Budget Your Time
Another important element of effective elders meetings and a must if they are to be revitalized is to adequately budget the time allotted. The length of elders meetings may vary among local congregations, but one thing is usually the same – items brought up first on the agenda have the luxury of being given a lot more consideration time, while items that come up at the end are time-deprived. This is accentuated when the typical order is routinely followed and the elder who unfortunately is last in line has only minutes to talk about what is on his list. This is why a pre-arranged and prioritized list is so important – it avoids a lop-sided agenda and keeps the discussion balanced. It is also the reason why the order of discussion should be varied. If this is the format followed, try switching it up and changing the order. In the same vein, try also alternating who leads the discussion each month, quarter or year. It will go a long way in keeping things fresh.
Keep on Track
Staying on track is also an imperative for effective elders meetings. We have all experienced the curse of getting off course. The question is asked: "How is brother so and so doing after his surgery?" "Well, he's fine. He is out of rehab but his car is in the shop". To which another elder replies: "Maybe we need to arrange rides for him. By the way, have we serviced the church van lately?" Another elder replies, "No, not lately. Who is responsible anyway for servicing the van and why don't we get a maintenance schedule established? This is a problem and we need to fix it". And off the discussion goes into orbit, requiring a lasso a mile long to bring it back. A simple question of asking how a person in the assembly is doing ends up going in a completely different direction. And we wonder why we run out of time by the end of the meeting? If we are to get accomplished what really needs to get accomplished, it will require disciplined thinking and planning and bringing the discussion back to center. Not easy to do, but critical! It is standard operating procedure in the business world, why not do it even better in the house of God, which is the "pillar and ground of truth", 1 Tim. 3:15?
Keep Good Notes
Finally, there is a need to record items discussed and decisions rendered if we are to have effective elders meetings. We so easily forget and need our memories jogged as to the details surrounding certain decisions, especially in the months afterwards. Notes should be taken, duplicated, and stored for easy retrieval. Copies should be promptly provided to each of the elders. A collective "To Do" list with specifics included and a date in which items on the list should be accomplished should be assembled. Furthermore, efforts should be taken to employ every elder for the tasks at hand. It helps avoid the "armchair elder" syndrome that can characterize many elders' meetings – a lot of talk, but little or no action.
Effective elders meetings are definitely needed if we are to make any spiritual headway for Christ. These have been just a few suggestions for elders to help things run more smoothly in a job that receives very little thanks and can be excruciatingly difficult at times. Regardless, it is a position that should emote from every member of the local church an attitude of acknowledgement, submission and loving respect for those who serve the Lord in this way, Heb. 13:7; 17; 24. Anything that can be done to make it more efficient, more effective will help foster admiration and appreciation for the challenging work that they are engaged in. And for those who faithfully serve in this capacity, keep in mind that through the tears and through the years, the Lord holds out a special reward, a crown of glory that will not fade away, 1 Peter 5:4.
Pressing On
- At January 11, 2016
- By Mark Kolchin
- In Articles, Practical Living, Strength
Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Phil 3:12
We sing the hymn regularly (or at least we use to in years gone by):
I'm pressing on the upward way, New heights I'm gaining every day;
Still praying as I'm onward bound, "Lord, plant my feet on higher ground."
Lord, lift me up and let me stand, By faith, on Heaven's table land,
A higher plane than I have found; Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.
The next stanza really brings it home:
My heart has no desire to stay, Where doubts arise and fears dismay;
Though some may dwell where those abound, My prayer, my aim, is higher ground.
We sing this hymn both as a prayer and an admission that we are not where we should be with the Lord. There is indeed far more ground to be gained in our walk and service for Him. Though we would like to think that we are "gaining new heights every day", we are more like Joshua who was told by God that despite his advanced years, there was "much more land to be possessed", Joshua 13:1. It seems to be the same for many of us. Truthfully, for all the personal devotions we have had, the messages listened to and the Bible studies attended, we really should be a lot further along in our lives for Christ than we are.
So why aren't we gaining new heights every day? Why are we so vulnerable to the doubts that arise and the fears that dismay? Admittedly, there are a lot of personal hindrances in the Christian life, but the chief reason may fall squarely on us. It really boils down to a matter of the heart. God says, "My son, give me thine heart", Prov. 23:26. If our hearts are not fully occupied with Christ, they can become easily occupied with other things. We can easily be lured off center. At best, we are unprofitable servants and like Paul can attest, "In me, that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing", Rom. 7:18. Truth be told, our hearts lean toward Egypt. We glance back there from time to time and then wonder why we are not satisfied with manna from above. Frankly, it shows that we still have an appetite for things that we developed a taste for in our former life, Num. 11:1-6. In the words of another hymn writer, we confess, "prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love". It is not that He leaves us – He will never do that (Rom. 8:39; Heb. 13:5) – but we can and do drift from Him. We would like to blame it on everything and everyone else, but when it comes right down to it, we are at fault because we allow the "little foxes" to come in and spoil the vines, Song 2:15. These are just some of the personal hindrances that keep us from gaining higher ground.
But there are also outward hindrances that keep us from living life on a higher plane. There are a lot of adversaries to the Christian, 1 Cor. 16:9. We live in a day in which the word of God is being denied, if not attacked. There is a "famine" in the land, Amos 8:12. The room is getting darker as the curtains of this age draw to a close. There is not much to encourage us as we watch the nightly news. Scripture calls this system, "this present evil world", Gal. 1:4. It is contrary to the things of God and all we stand for. The world hated the Lord when He walked on this earth and it hates Him now when He is faithfully represented by His servants who walk in His steps, Luke 23:35-36; John 15:18, 1 Peter 2:21. Through various means, it enslaves the lost as it promulgates its philosophies and distracts and even derails the saints, causing them to leave to their first love and affection for the Savior, Rev. 2:4. The glitter and glamour projected by the world and its ways are but a thin veneer that disguises the anti-God values that characterize it. Daniel's prophecy of successive world empires portrayed it perfectly – valuable in the eyes of man (Dan. 2), but in actuality horrific and beast-like in the eyes of God (Dan. 7). It is worse than we may even think, yet many of us are taken up with its ways. We need to turn from it and take our cue from Demas' defection (2 Tim. 4:10) and also the men in Elisha's day when they said of Jericho, "the situation of the city is pleasant….but the water is bad and the ground barren". It is an apt description of this world, 2 Kings 2:19. Like Jericho, the world offers nothing to refresh and satisfy the soul.
The main reason for all of this opposition that keeps many living on a lower plane is due to the instigation of the avowed enemy of our soul, the devil. He possesses a vast array of weaponry in his arsenal to make the path of the believer as difficult as possible to tread. Through temptation, deceit, imitation, lies, inferences, and a plethora of other snares and devices (2 Cor. 2:11), he is able to dupe those who are rely on instinct rather than seeking the guidance of the Lord. He works tirelessly to keep the unsaved under his sway and to thwart believers from advancing to higher ground.
So, what is our recourse then? How do we gain ground as Paul encouraged the saints at Philippi to do? How are we to "press on" in the midst of so many hindrances and ardent opposition? One way is to stay focused on the bigger picture. Keep your eye on the goal – the prize of our high calling in Christ Jesus. One day we will be in heaven and this "light affliction" which lasts but for a moment will yield eternal reward, 2 Cor. 4:17. In the words of another, "It will be worth it all when we see Jesus". As a well-known evangelist once stated: "I have read the last chapter of the Bible and we win!".
Another, way to keep pressing on is to stand on the promises of God's Word. God has given us light for the path and all along this path are the promises of His Word. There are the promises of His presence, of His power, and of His provision. He has told us clearly, that "…He will never leave us nor forsake us so that we may boldly say the Lord is my helper what can man do unto me?, Heb. 13:5-6. Like Jacob, He will be with us and keep us in the way that we go, (Gen. 28:15) and He finish the work that He began in us, Phil. 1:6. This promise of His faithfulness to should motivate us to live even more for Him, that we may do that we may be well-pleasing to Him, 2 Cor. 5:9.
Yes, there are so many things to discourage us when we look around – defections to the world, disagreements with others, disappointments with ourselves – things that can keep us living on a lower plane. But when we look to the Lord and His Word, there is so much more that will brighten our path as we journey toward our home in Heaven. Press On!
"But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto that perfect day", Prov. 4:18.
Every true believer has a responsibility to bear fruit for the Lord, a fact supported by the Scriptures, beginning to end. In Ex. 28, Aaron's priestly robe was to be adorned on the hem with pomegranates and golden bells. The pomegranates speak of the visible aspect of our testimony—fruit-bearing—and the golden bells, the audible aspect in our testimony and service for Him. In Num. 17, Aaron's rod that budded is a powerful picture of Christ as our Great High Priest in His resurrection ministry. But it is also a compelling example of the responsibility of the believer to walk in newness of life and to also bud and blossom and bear fruit. In the parable of the soils in Matt. 13, the only soil that the Lord spoke well about was the soil which brought forth fruit; some thirty-fold, some sixty-fold, some one hundredfold (v. 8). It represents the genuine believer whose fruitful life demonstrates the undeniable proof of properly receiving the Gospel seed. Likewise, in writing to the Colossian believers the apostle Paul commended them for the evidence of their true faith in Christ by the fact that the Gospel brought forth fruit in their lives from the very first day since they knew the grace of God in truth (Col. 1:6). The case is clear: every believer should bear fruit for the Lord.
But not only is there a clear case for bearing fruit, but there is also a clear command for bearing fruit. To those whose lives were impacted through the ministry of John the Baptist, the confirming word to them was: "Bring forth fruits, meet for repentance" (Matt. 3:8). Their repentance would be substantiated by the fruit that would be evident in their lives. Likewise, in Rom. 7:4 the command for fruit-bearing is also clearly stated: "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God". The Lord said to His disciples in John 15:"Herein is my Father glorified that ye bear fruit, so shall ye be my disciples" (v. 8). It was not just a suggestion; it was a mandate from the Lord himself. Later, He stated: "You have not chosen Me but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain…" (John 15:16). He has called us to bring forth fruit and for that fruit to remain. This fruit comes from abiding in Him and results in the Father being glorified. The Lord Himself promised that the Holy Spirit will dwell in us forever (John 14:7, 16, 23), but for the Holy Spirit to bring forth the fruit of the Spirit requires that we are in communion with Him. We abide in Christ as we dwell close to Him. This was the essence of Paul's prayer to the Ephesians when he wrote: "that Christ might dwell in your hearts by faith" (Eph. 3:17). This should be our prayer as well. But how "close" are we to the Lord and how much fruit is being displayed as a result of being near Him? True, positionally we are very near to God and nearer we cannot be, but practically, perhaps we could be a little bit nearer.
The NT identifies four different categories of fruit-bearing for the Christian. The first relates to the fruit of our character. These are the inward attitudes and qualities that shape our personality and make up our personal, private lives. Often it is easy to identify the more obvious sins of the flesh, both in ourselves and in others. But attitudes are far more difficult to detect and are also displeasing to the Lord, if contrary to the Word of God. Gal. 5:22-23 describes the multifaceted dimension of the fruit of the Spirit and the type of attitudes that God desires for the Christian. This fruit reflects Christ-likeness; something the law could never produce (v. 23). These are the virtues and graces manifested in the life of every born-again believer through the purifying work of the Holy Spirit, which we should be diligent in cultivating (2 Peter 1:3-7). Are we working on these qualities through the help of the Holy Spirit as we pray and read God's Holy Word? If we are, this fruit will be reflected in our demeanor and then wonderfully displayed through our kind words and deeds in our lives for the sake of Christ and His kingdom.
These kind words and deeds are the actions that represent the second category of fruit-bearing in the NT, our conduct. Paul encouraged the Philippian believers to be sincere and without offense until the Day of Christ, "being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:11). He acknowledged that their public lives and actions evidenced the work of Christ within. One of the ways that this fruit was exhibited in their experience was by the financial gift they sent to him. Paul rejoiced that this sacrificial gift was fruit that abounded to their account (Phil. 4:17). Giving to the work of the Lord is a fine example of fruit-bearing and one in which there could be more displayed! But giving is not all there is in terms of the fruit of conduct. James 3:8 reminds us that the action of peacemaking also qualifies as fruit: "now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by them that make peace". There could also be more of this fruit displayed as well! Fruit-bearing is not just a private, attitudinal matter; it is outward and action-oriented.
A third category of fruit-bearing relates to our conversation, namely our worship of the Lord and the frequency by which we render thanks to the Lord. Heb. 13:15 reminds us: "By Him therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks unto His Name". We should thank the Lord continually for all He did for us in salvation and all He does for us in His present intercessory ministry on our behalf. The leper that was healed along with nine other lepers demonstrated this fruit when he came back and consciously thanked the Lord, who was surprised that the others did not do the same. We are exhorted in 1 Thess. 5:18: "In everything give thanks for this is the will of God concerning you." Each one of us ought to continually give thanks to the Lord, no matter what the situation may be. As Psalm 107;2 states: "Let the redeemed of the Lord who He hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy".
The fourth category of fruit-bearing in the NT deals with those we win to the Lord, our converts. In writing to the Romans, Paul expressed his desire to win others for Christ when he said: "that I might have some fruit among you also, as also among the other Gentiles" (Romans 1:13). He also referred to the house of Stephanas as the firstfruits of Achaia. Certainly, this is fruit that will always remain since no true believer will ever perish. What a worthy endeavor! If the great apostle Paul humbly requested prayer to open his mouth and speak boldly for the Lord (Eph. 6:19-20), how much more should we ask for help in speaking for Christ? Certainly, Paul longed for this fruit in his life and we should too.
To have these four aspects of fruit-bearing displayed in our lives is challenging enough—it requires that we honestly and objectively be before the Lord in prayer, and not just give Him lip service, but that we understand our responsibility and act on those duties with His help. But what truly makes the concept of fruit-bearing even more challenging is its progressive aspect alluded to by the Lord in the Upper Room Discourse. In John 15, the Lord explained that our fruit should advance from the level of no fruit, some fruit and more fruit (v. 2), to much fruit (v. 5, 8) and much glory to our Father in Heaven. Through extrapolation, this means that our fruit for God which was non-existent at one time in our lives before Christ, should always be on the increase. In other words, our joy, our patience, our love for others, our actions, our thanksgiving, our worship, those we win for Christ – these aspects of fruit-bearing should always be growing as we journey toward Heaven. But is it? Has our commitment to this fruit remained or has it become stagnant and static? Is it increasing or is it waning? Is it at the level that it once was when our lives were characterized by first love, or has it slipped back through sin or spiritual neglect? These are challenging questions indeed for every child of God who thinks through the issue of bearing fruit for God. Paul stated his desire to the Philippians to upwardly progress in his walk with the Lord when he said: "I press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus". (Phil. 3:14) May that be our desire also as we think through our responsibility to increase in our responsibility of bearing fruit for God.
Believers Beware!
Dangers in the Day of Famine – 2 Kings 4.38-41
As the return of the Lord draws closer each day, the need for spiritual discernment among Christians will be of the utmost importance. The devil knows that his time is short and as the last days come to a close, he will pull out every stop and utilize every device in his arsenal to waylay the saints and waltz the unsaved to their destruction. Paul reminded Timothy that in the latter times "some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils…"(1 Timothy 4.1). Peter likewise warned: "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you…" (2 Peter 2.1). There have always been false prophets in the world and false teachers in the Church, but toward the end of the last days their presence and power will intensify as Satan drags his own net across the sea of humanity and over a world system in which he has long held sway. Christians are to function as salt and light, but as the world grows increasingly corrupt and plunges more deeply into spiritual darkness, the Church's testimony and influence in the world will be largely nullified unless spiritual vigilance is maintained. What can happen when believers are not spiritually discerning can be seen from an interesting episode in the ministry of the prophet Elisha.
Elisha lived during one of the darkest times in Israel's history. His mentor, Elijah had in his day boldly prophesied to King Ahab that it would not rain because of the sin and idolatry that characterized the nation. Knowing the Scriptures as he did provided the man of God with the impetus to make such a powerful statement. Accordingly, a famine swept over the land, paralleling the spiritual famine that prompted it. To counter the effects of this spiritual famine, Elijah established schools for the sons of the prophets at strategic locations across the land. These schools were for the benefit of young men whom he personally discipled, drawn together by a desire for mutual encouragement and edification. Upon Elijah's translation to heaven (2 Kings 2), this duty was transferred to Elisha his protégé who picked up the mantel and followed in his steps. On this occasion, Elisha requested that his servant put on a great pot following a time of spiritual instruction and boil stew for the sons of the prophets. But without saying a word, this servant apparently acted independently and went out into the field, gathered a lapful of wild gourds, and brought them back to be sliced into a pot of stew. When it was offered to the sons of the prophets, they could not eat it and cried out to Elisha, "There is death in this pot!" With that, Elisha instantly ordered that meal be put into the pot, which miraculously counteracted the effects of the poisonous gourds.
As we put the magnifying glass upon this portion of God's Word, there are a number of present-day similarities that immediately jump out. First is the similarity between Israel's condition then and the world's condition now. Just as there was a spiritual famine in the time of Elisha, so too there is a spiritual famine in our world today. The prophet Amos wrote: "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD" (Amos 8:11). For Israel, disobedience to the word of God brought about God's judgment, resulting in a lack of rain causing conditions in which healthy food was scarce and harmful food was in abundance. In our world, the profusion of harmful, poisonous "food" expressed through the arts, literature, philosophy and other forms of media simply substantiates the fact that there is a "famine" in the land – a dearth of the hearing of the words of the Lord, brought on by a widespread repudiation of God's truth (Romans 1). Consequently, there are spiritual dangers at every turn. Paul wrote Timothy: "Take heed to thyself and to the doctrine" (1 Timothy 4:16), emphasizing the need to be watchful in his personal life and the spiritual food that he ate. How much more should the Body of Christ in these perilous times?
Another similarity can be seen in the actions of Elisha's servant. Like this servant, many well-meaning, but naïve believers can also be guilty of gathering harmful "food", that is false doctrine and introducing it into the assembly, bringing about much distress among the Lord's people. The fact that he might have acted independently only highlights the need for personal accountability in the Body and the importance to closely monitor the spiritual actions of the younger generation. Perhaps if he had stated what he was going to do, this disaster would have been averted. Could it be that he thought that a few more items introduced into the stew were necessary to fill up the "great pot" or even to make it more tasteful? If so, it could easily represent the enthusiastic, but erroneous intentions of many novices in the Lord. After all, it was a "great pot" and like the Word of God, it is a sufficient provision for the people of God with no additives needed!
The vine which was the source of the problem is also a key similarity. When the servant left the house, he was venturing outside, a dangerous place in the time of famine. As it was then, so it is now—the world is filled with "wild vines" that look healthy enough and that grow in abundance, but are actually deceitfully poisonous, as seen by the adverse reaction that it had upon the sons of the prophets. The fact that he returned with his lap full in a time of famine was prima facie evidence that something was dreadfully wrong! Vines often lie close to the earth and as such remind us of the origin and the emphasis of all false doctrine and the "dirt" that surrounds it. The apostle Paul voiced this truth when he stated in Colossians 2:8: "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ". Believers need to be on their guard and need to have a Berean spirit to make sure that all spiritual teaching accords with Scripture, lest in the course of time they find out in a hard way, that it is not. Believers beware!
Further, there is also a valuable lesson illustrated in the sons of the prophets. These would-be disciples made the common mistake that many of God's people make – they ate anything and everything put before them! At the least, they should have inquired as to what was in the stew. Unfortunately, they soon found out! They were not told, neither did they ask. There is one thing however, that they did do correctly – they went to a man of God who was more experienced and wiser than they. They knew something was wrong, but they did not know how to correct it. Note this carefully young people—do not go it alone, take your questions and your quandaries to those who are older and more mature in the faith and undoubtedly they will give you valuable advice that will keep you from harm.
What was the solution to this whole mess? When Elisha's help was solicited, the solution came by introducing meal into the pot of stew. Meal, especially fine meal speaks of the moral and consistently fine life of Christ (C.P. Lev. 2). The antidote for any false doctrine comes down to a proper understanding and application of the Person and Work of Christ. This is what will undo the adverse effects of false teaching. Note that the servant was not exhorted to throw out the pot or even tip it over, but rather he was given the task of counteracting its contents with that which was nourishing to the sons of the prophets. Nor was the servant ostracized for bringing the poisonous gourds in. As a matter of fact, the servant was the very one who was given the task to purify the stew. What a lesson there! How many believers through the centuries have picked up some poisonous gourd and brought on adverse consequences or even personal suffering, has witnessed the miraculous turnaround that results from feeding on a diet rich on the Person of Christ?
The Apostle Paul commended the Philippian believers for their spiritual discernment when he said: "And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment" (Philippians 1:9). That same spiritual judgment is what believers everywhere (especially elders) need to exercise if they are to avoid the dangers that abound in the day of famine.
Refreshing the Saints
- At January 29, 2013
- By Mark Kolchin
- In Articles, Practical Living
The Bible speaks clearly about the value of refreshing others in the work of the Lord. Whether it is due to a personal difficulty or to a disheartening incident in the work of the Lord, there will always be the need either to refresh others or to be refreshed ourselves in our service for Christ.
There are a lot of reasons why the Lord's people need encouragement and refreshing. When the disciples were so busy in their work with the Master, he urged them in no uncertain terms: "Come apart into a desert place and rest a while" (Mark 6:31) Because they had been so busy, they "no leisure so much as to eat". They needed to be refreshed so that they could be revitalized for further ministry – just as the Lord's people need to do on occasion. When Elijah was struggling with personal issues such as disappointment, unrealized expectations, anger and self-pity, he needed to be refreshed in his spirit. God saw to it that he was refreshed when an angel ministered food and drink to him. It was after this that Elijah had his perspective realigned. (1 Kings 19) He needed to be refreshed in the work even though he had just experienced a great victory at Mount Carmel. He was restored in a dramatic way and his ministry continued on with more manifestations of God's power. (2 Kings 1) His experience reminds us of the need that many of the Lord's servants have to be encouraged in the wearying and often unappreciated work they do.Read More»
Our Stewardship in Christ
- At January 25, 2013
- By Mark Kolchin
- In Articles, Practical Living
There are more than a dozen descriptive metaphors for the Christian in the NT. We are referred to as ambassadors, representing the Lord in this distant world and beseeching its inhabitants to be reconciled unto God (2 Cor. 5:20). We are sojourners and pilgrims—strangers in a strange land, passing through a barren wilderness en route to a heavenly destination. (1 Peter 2:11). We are also sons and heirs of God replete with all the privileges and responsibilities that come to those who are born again through faith in Jesus Christ. In addition, we are slaves bound by love to a gracious Master who has set us free; soldiers who must earnestly contend for the faith; farmers and workers, athletes and vessels, and salt and light. We are also branches that are connected to the True Vine that we might bear much fruit and glorify our Father in heaven (John 15:8). These metaphors and more aptly describe not only the position of the NT believer, but also the part that we have in knowing Him and making Him known. Perhaps that aspect—knowing Him and making Him known—is epitomized in yet another NT metaphor for the believer; that of a steward.Read More»
How Big Are the Little Things!
- At January 25, 2013
- By Mark Kolchin
- In Articles, Practical Living
It has often been said, "Big things come in small packages." The meaning of this familiar adage is quite clear – though something may be small in size, its importance may be far greater than we think. Periodically, Christians need to be reminded of this important principle in their walk with the Lord. Repeatedly, the Scriptures emphasize how important "little things" are in the lives of God's people – each example filled with meaning.
When Israel returned from their seventy-year captivity in Babylon, they needed to be reminded of the importance of "little things." Under the leadership of Zerubbabel, work immediately commenced to restore the temple in Jerusalem which lay in ruins. When it was completed, it proved to be significantly less impressive than the one previously built by Solomon. God had to remind His people through Zechariah not to despise "the day of small things" (Zech. 4:10). Encouraging them, He declared: "The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former" (Hag. 2:9). Though it was smaller, God promised that its glory would be greater.Read More»


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NOLA: Phoneless Mardi Gras Edition
This is a sad, sad blogger post.
During my time on New Orleans for Mardi Gras, I somehow managed to lose my phone. I thought my pictures were already backed up to Google Photos because they usually automatically do that but, sadly no.....
I did not take many pictures of the festivities per say. It was more of the city, the food, and live street entertainment. Interestingly enough, even with Mardi Gras going on, it did not overshadow the beauty and culture of New Orleans. I had been to NOLA one time before but, that trip was of special circumstances and arrangements, to which I very much enjoyed also.
Below were the only 2 photos I was able to recover. 😬😞
*If any of my readers know how to recover photos from a now lost and turned off phone, please email me. PLEASE! I have so many good shots of more food, street art, and of my friends whom were with me.*
Above, my friends and I found this little gem called NOLA Cookery on 205 Bourbon St. We ended up here because we wanted oysters and the other restaurants had long lines. No, we were hungry NOW! What's wonderful about being in a city that makes great food is that everywhere you eat, will have GREAT FOOD! So, NOLA Cookery was amazing, we actually ended up there a few times during our stay. What's pictured is the crawfish etouffee. I asked for more rice and a side of greens. I also ordered a dozen raw oysters, plus we had fried catfish and dessert to go. Don't judge, we were on vacation! 😀
Funny Side Note: Our waiter, Chris, kept calling me 'baby'. I was a little taken back because I feel it odd to use terms of endearment with strangers. I began to joke with my friends about it, telling them, "If he keeps calling me baby, then he's gonna need to buy me a drink. This means we go together now since he keeps expressing his love for me." 😚 Then, when one of my friends went back the following day and had Chris wait on her again, he called her baby too...my new boyfriend is a hoe. 😁😮😐😆😄
Below was at Deanie's Seafood. Again, I ordered the oysters with a side of 2lbs of crawfish. Add some calamari to the table and we've got ourselves a hefty meal! What I found peculiar was the waitress bringing potatoes out to the table instead of bread. I meant to ask her why this was but, I was distracted by all the food around me.
I have hopes that I can still recover the rest of my pictures. Until then, le sigh.
I did not get a chance to make it to Frenchman street. I was told this is where all the locals hang out but, I did get a moment to have some beignets! Regular and stuffed! I love beignets!
Oh, NOLA, we shall meet again.
So, my roller-coaster of emotions when losing my phone...
Lost it Sunday evening between 8-9pm while walking back to our hotel, I didn't know until the next morning when my friends and I were piecing the night together...and oh what a night it was...
I gathered I lost my phone after 7:30pm because I can recall I had last texted a friend about a funny topic around that time. I had a few more drinks thereafter...
10am: Okay, it's cool, I can use someone else's phone if I need to make calls.
11:15am: What do I do with my hands?
11:30am: I guess I just have to look around at people to occupy my void.
11:45am: I'm okay. I grew up in the generation of dial-up and pagers. I can get through this.
12:50pm: Welp, I can't take any photos. Just have to make a mental note.
2:05pm: I wonder what's going on in my office.
....this is when shit got real....
3:20-8pm: I have to find this phone. I can't view emails. Something important could have came through. I can't make notes on my task list. I can't even view my list! I can't message my assistant. I've not looked at my stocks all day. I can't see my money manager app, so I can't record what I'm spending and what is being deposited! Now, I have to keep my receipts! I don't feel comfortable buying anything because I cannot digitally track it; I'm out of my element. I don't know what's going into my banks and what's pending because I can't see my emails! Furthermore, I'm not able to review any of my business accounts. I'm not getting alerts. Things could be done wrong. Clients could be calling me but, I wouldn't know because I. DON'T. HAVE. MY. PHONE!
....and then I called the person who I should have called in the first place....Daddy Dearest!
He called Sprint. Shut down the phone and arranged me to get a replacement, which I picked up last Tuesday night. I am no longer stuck on stupid, waiting for dumb. The world is good again.
*This photo was taken during my stay at Hotel Ylem in Houston. It is a gorgeous family owned boutique hotel with so much meaning in each square footage!
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The Daily Freeman (http://www.dailyfreeman.com)
Monday, January 1, 2018
WHAT: Hudson Valley Folk Guild concert
WHEN: Jan. 13 at 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Rock Tavern, 9 Vance Road, New Windsor
DETAILS: The Hudson Valley Folk Guild's Rock Tavern chapter will present Don Lowe as the featured performer of its monthly program. Lowe has been featured in venues nationwide and has opened for national acts such as Tom Rush, The Little River Band, Livingston Taylor, Steve Forbert, Kenny White, Toby Walker, Tim Grimm, Danielle Miraglia, David Jacobs-Strain, Johnny A, and the Dana Fuchs Band, among many others. His brand of Americana music explores life with songs that are in turns witty, arcane, sad, and sometimes, downright silly. Open mic performances will be available to all. Admission is $6, $5 for Folk Guild members and seniors.
CONTACT: Call (845) 978-5620 for more information.


text: Last month we finally started watching Orange Is The New Black season 3, and although it's not quite as good as the first two seasons (it's clear that it's gone in a new direction), we still can't get enough of it (and Ruby Rose. I mean, wow.). And obviously when watching OITNB one must sing along to the opening credits, because, well, it's Regina and she is awesome.


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Greektown, known for decades for its walnut baklava and piping hot spanakopita, never really touted "cultural destination" on its list of attractions.
The National Hellenic Museum, all 40,000 square feet of it, is about to change that in a Herculean way. Billed as "the newest thing in ancient history," the museum is scheduled to open in fall 2011 at its fourth and final location since it was established in 1983.
"It's basically a dream come true for this Greek community," said Stephanie Vlahakis, the museum's executive director. "Truly being a one-of-a-kind institution, we hope we model this kind of museum for other places around the country."


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Articles tagged with: High st
Kate Middleton, Royal Look for Less, The Royal Wedding look for less »
News hot off the press – yesterday I mentioned the gorgeous white Reiss dress Kate Middleton was photographed wearing in the Mario Testino portrait of her and Wills.
You won't be able to find the Reiss dress in the shops currently, but Reiss are re-releasing it to be in the shops in January, the knee-length white dress is called "Nanette" and will be priced at $268 (U.S) or about 179 of our delightfully royal English pounds.
An enterprising fashionista who already owned the dress from last season sold it on ebay today …
Featured, Kate Middleton, Royal Look for Less, The Royal Wedding look for less »
Retailers across the world have been rapidly producing their "tribute" copies of Kate Middleton's gorgeous blue silk wrap dress.
When Kate Middleton wore a stunning blue silk dress from London-based Brazilian designer Issa, it became an iconic outfit instantaneously. Despite costing a spenny £385, it was reported that online retailer Matches.com had completely sold out of the dresses within 12 hours of Kate and William's engagement interview going to air.
So where can we get a dress like Miss Middleton's on a unashamedly commoner's budget?
British Readers have got a few options, but …


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The Sunday Times Top Ten Bestseller, winner of the Costa Biography Award
Keggie Carew grew up under the spell of an unorthodox, enigmatic father. An undercover guerrilla agent during the Second World War, in peacetime he lived on his wits and dazzling charm. But these were not always enough to sustain a family.
As his memory began to fail, Keggie embarked on a quest to unravel his story once and for all. Dadland is that journey. It takes us into shadowy corners of history, a madcap English childhood, the poignant breakdown of a family, the corridors of dementia and beyond.
'OH THIS BOOK. Beautiful and fierce and brave. Memory and war and family and loss and, well, wow' Helen Macdonald, author of H is for Hawk
'A thrilling history of Churchill's Special Operations Executive... combined ingeniously with a tender, moving, funny portrait of the author's father' Nick Hornby, Observer
- Vintage
- Published 5th January 2017
- 432 Pages
- 130mm x 198mm x 31mm
- 402g
- £8.99


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Digital Drawing / Drawing / 5-6 drawing
Budget $30-250 USD
I need few drawings as per requirements, This drawing are like stories. Which has around 5-6 drawing in HD Quality.
We have fix stories. We will put this stories in form of banner on the website. I want a specific theme which can be fit for website.
If you have question let me know before bid?
3 freelancers are bidding on average $57 for this job
I'll draw anything according to your themes or thoughts. studying about drafting for couples of years and I have 3 years experience working in a crafting furniture company basically assigned as a painter. I'll do my More
$50 USD in 3 days
(0 Reviews)


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One long-forgotten housing option is residential hotels; a century ago, most renters lived in hotels and shared space with short-term tenants. I just read a book, Living Downtown, about the rise and fall of residential hotels. Rather than discuss them in detail I refer you to my amazon.com … [Read more...]
Congressional Housing Subsidies Won't Lower DC Housing Prices, But Liberalizing Zoning Will
During his last days in office, former Representative Jason Chaffetz must have forgotten he is supposed to be a fiscal conservative. His recent comments that members of Congress need $2,500 stipends to afford housing in DC reflect a complete ignorance of both the reasons for high housing prices and … [Read more...]
How Governments Outlaw Affordable Housing
This post was originally published at mises.org and reposted under a creative commons license.It's no secret that in coastal cities — plus some interior cities like Denver — rents and home prices are up significantly since 2009. In many areas, prices are above what they were at the peak of the … [Read more...]
Conflicting Affordable Housing Policies
Inclusionary zoning allows a few people to live in desirable, new construction buildings for much less than market rates. But it also carries with it a slew of perverse consequences. Because it's a tax on construction, it reduces supply. Inclusionary zoning also leads developers to build higher-end … [Read more...]
The Disconnect Between Liberal Aspirations And Liberal Housing Policy Is Killing Coastal U.S. Cities
[This post was originally published on the blog Better Institutions]The people who live in coastal urban cities tend to be a pretty liberal bunch. We're leading the country on minimum wage laws, paid sick leave, climate change mitigation, and a host of other important issues. We care deeply … [Read more...]
Exclusionary Zoning and "Inclusionary Zoning" Don't Mix
Inclusionary Zoning is an Oxymoron The term "Inclusionary Zoning" gives a nod to the fact that zoning is inherently exclusionary, but pretends to be somehow different. Given that, by definition, zoning is exclusionary, Inclusionary Zoning completely within the exclusionary paradigm is synonymous … [Read more...]
Why No Micro-Apartments in Chicago?
Several cities have jumped on the bandwagon of building Micro-apartments, a hot trend in apartment development. San Francisco and Seattle already have them. New York outlawed them, but is testing them on one project, and may legalize them again. Even developers in smaller cities like … [Read more...]
Return to Sender: Housing affordability and the shipping container non-solution
Washington, D.C. has a monopoly on many things. Bad policy, unfortunately, isn't among them. Last month, a development corporation in Lexington, Kentucky installed a shipping container house in an economically distressed area of town to improve housing affordability. The corporation is a private … [Read more...]


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What's better for an entrepreneur than an Amazon selling enterprise? Selling enterprise operates in more than one Amazon marketplaces. Online selling doesn't offer you much when it comes to expand your business and area of operations. Expansion, in terms of an online selling enterprise means offering your product to new market where people are not aware of the existence of your product before.
Before the idea of online selling or ecommerce, the meaning of business expansion was simple, set up more outlets in areas where you want your business to grow. But this idea was not viable for small business operators, since the investment involved was huge.
But the question is if such expansion helps in making a business sustainable or would only result in an increase in cost and effort?
With the varying sizes of the seller's operating on Amazon, growth on Amazon doesn't require much, as far as monetary investment is concerned. But flipping the other side of the card reveals, only getting your product listed on different Amazon marketplaces won't do the trick for you. You need to adjust your business accordingly and track these marketplaces first as such tracking would help your business gain much needed information.
Another Amazon marketplace is a completely different marketplace altogether. This means different product listings and more importantly a different customer base.
Although an average customer would look at the product quality and its details before purchasing a product. But what about the products which require after sales services.
Put yourself in the shoes of a customer and then imagine yourself in the same situation. While making a purchase of an item which might require an after sales service, a rational consumer would try to purchase from a seller who has a better rating. This is where, credibility would act as a sales representative and would 'literally' steal the market share for you.
Customer oriented policies always work for the business. If a customer based in Argentina, travels to Brazil and he has access to your product there as well, he would purchase your product without any hesitation. This is where multiple Amazon marketplaces tracking can help you out. You don't have to manually track the listings and categories of your interest in a different Amazon marketplace. AMZ Insight can help you do the basic Amazon niche research, find profitable products and set the products on tracking to learn about the estimated sales and pricing.
Tracking multiple marketplaces help you learn about the consumer's behavior and it also help you in rediscovering your business. Research on multiple Amazon marketplaces can help you beat competition in your prime market. This might raise some eyebrows. Well, skimming through different marketplaces can help you analyze the strategies which competitors adopt in that particular marketplace. More importantly, this can help you learn more tricks of the game.
Tracking different Amazon marketplaces can help you get a jump between 50% to 80% in revenue. Furthermore, the overall revenue of a seller operating more than one Amazon marketplaces can be 100% – 200% more than the one selling in a single marketplace. So its enough to make a rational seller realize the importance of tracking multiple Amazon marketplaces.


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Building a better future
Our continued success and community involvement would not be possible without your generosity.
Launch a Legacy in Wayzata
The friends and supporters of the Wayzata Community Sailing Center have united with members of the local community to build a new sailing & community facility. Our program has swelled to serve thousands year after year and we've out grown our current structure. To fulfill our mission of providing "sailing for everyone" and to do more good in the community we're asking for financial support.
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Your power to create a permanent home for community sailing has never been greater.
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Launch a Legacy Campaign
The future of the Wayzata Community Sailing Center depends on your generous contributions. If our goals are met, we can create a community center which offers programs that increase the understanding, and appreciation of sailing, the environment, and the importance of preserving the lake eco-system—a Lakeshore Learning Center.
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The facility will help support the organization for generations of sailors to come. Our legacy in the community has been built upon the efforts of many, particularly the Plant Family.
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Contributors of $100,000 or more.
Denny Sanford
"As a sailor and former Commodore of Wayzata Yacht Club, I welcomed the opportunity to contribute to the Wayzata Sailing Foundation in 2007. Currently operating under the name Wayzata Community Sailing Center, this is a place with a commitment of helping everyone enjoy the sport of sailing.
Regardless of skill, sailors at WCSC learn team work and leadership. The program is nothing short of inspiring. Knowing the life lessons sailing can teach, I know WCSC does excellent work teaching responsibility, ethical sportsmanship and environmental stewardship.
I am further gratified that, as a result of my gift, over 4,500 children and adults have learned to sail. Every student in this hands-on program enjoys camaraderie and the beauty of Lake Minnetonka. Many young people from around the region and adults with disabilities in our outreach programs have experienced Lake Minnetonka for the first time. Remarkable!
I've seen firsthand that these experiences change lives. I sincerely hope you will join me and be generous in your contributions to the Wayzata Community Sailing Center."
Denny Sanford
Barbara G. Koch
"Growing up on Lake Minnetonka throughout my teenage years, offered me the joyful opportunity of learning to sail! Besides the fun, camaraderie and peace it offered, sailing taught me lots of life lessons; not only the skills needed to be a good and safe sailor but educated me in the guidelines and regulations involved with sailing, from respecting the "tides" of nature itself as well as the responsibilities and courtesies needed to share the beautiful space with other skippers on the waters.
Wayzata is privileged to have the Wayzata Community Sailing Center in our midst. I am happy to contribute in some way so the next generation, both young and old can enjoy this special sports activity!"
-Babs Koch


text:
- About XenServer DR
- Configuring DR
- Failover
- Failback
- Test Failover
Failover testing is an essential component in disaster recovery planning. You can use the Disaster Recovery wizard to perform non-disruptive testing of your disaster recovery system. During a test failover operation, all the steps are the same as for failover, but instead of be started after they have been recovered to the DR site, the VMs and vApps are placed in a paused state. At the end of a test failover operation, all VMs, vApps and storage recreated on the DR site are automatically removed.
After initial DR configuration, and after you make significant configuration changes in a DR-enabled pool, we recommend that you verify that failover still works correctly by performing a test failover.
To perform a test failover of VMs and vApps to a secondary site:


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PATSY Kensit is quitting Emmerdale for Holby City.
The actress will play a nurse in the BBC1 medical drama from next October.
For the past two years she has played Emmerdale superbitch Sadie King.
But the job involved her commuting to the Yorkshire Dales during the week while her children stayed in London.
"After two fantastic years at Emmerdale and ITV, I am thrilled to be offered the opportunity of joining Holby City at the BBC," Kensit said.
"I will really miss all my friends and colleagues at Emmerdale when I leave next August but look forward to living and working in London full time. Holby City is a brilliant show."
Kensit, 37, has signed a year-long contract for the hospital drama.
Holby City producers said: "We are delighted to confirm that Patsy Kensit is joining the cast of Holby City.
"She is a talented and popular actress who lights up the screen.
"Her character will come into the show as a nurse who has more than a few secrets to hide and an attitude that cannot fail to ruffle the feathers of her colleagues."
Will you miss Patsy on Emmerdale? Have your say below.


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Facebook Ads is the main marketing channel for Shopify users. But it can be tricky to use. This app aims to help you audit your Facebook account to understand what is going on and what is wrong
A used Facebook Ads account to audit is required to use Audity. If you never used Facebook Ads but you would like try, contact us directly, we can help you to set up first campaigns!
Audity starts with a quick monthly summary of the most important metrics: Facebook advertising spending, Facebook purchases, total purchases... These are the only metrics that really matter.
Then Audity checks all your Facebook audiences, and tells you if the most important ones (and their lookalike audiences) are correctly created.
Finally, Audity analyses all your adsets (combination between an audience and an ad) to detect the best performing adsets and improve them.


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Think fast: What do Congress and diet pill pushers have in common?
They both promise quick fixes and neither delivers.
The real skinny on getting skinny is eating less and exercising more. The real skinny on curing our energy gluttony is using less and exploring more.
But fat folks still search for that magic bullet and hawkers know it. And gas-fuming Americans still search for lower prices and politicians cater to it.
We — as consumers — should be saying, enough of it.
Enough of $100 rebates for gas — that's two tanks, then we're still in the tank.
Enough of price gouging investigations — we've done dozens over the years with not a whiff of collusion in all these years.
And enough of press conferences that only happen when politicians want to look like they're doing something, then nothing when gas prices aren't doing anything.
Telling people to conserve gas is tough.
Demanding automakers to make more fuel-efficient vehicles is tough.
Forcing exploration for more oil here so we're less dependent on it from over there is tough.
And seeking out energy alternatives in an oil-dependent nation is really tough.
They all take time. Because the best long-term solutions don't involve quick fixes, nor press conferences, nor patronizing speeches.
The only difference between politicians pandering and diet-hawkers hawking is that the diet-hawkers know you're sick of being fat. The politicians should know — loud and clear — that you're sick of them.
Click here to order your signed copy of Neil's book, "Your Money or Your Life."
Watch Neil Cavuto weekdays at 4 p.m. ET on "Your World with Cavuto" and send your comments to email@example.com
Neil Cavuto serves as senior vice president, anchor and managing editor for both FOX News Channel (FNC) and FOX Business Network (FBN). He is anchor of FNC's Your World with Cavuto - the number one rated cable news program for the 4 p.m. timeslot - as well as the FNC Saturday show Cavuto on Business. He also hosts Cavuto on FBN weeknights at 8 p.m. In addition to anchoring daily programs and breaking news specials on FNC and FBN, Cavuto oversees business news content for both networks and FNC's weekend business shows, including Bulls & Bears, Forbes on Fox, and Cashin' In. Click here for more on Neil Cavuto.


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Better Everyday Pilot Episode
Hi everyone.
This quick post is the culmination of something we've been trying to get started for quite a while. Hopefully soon, we will have our Leadership Podcast entitled "Better Everyday with Brandon Cannon" ready. Until then, enjoy watching us learn and prepare.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download


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How can i install Amd r9 380 gpu driver?
How can i install Amd r9 380 gpu driver?
Since Catalyst is a big pain in the ass I'd recommend
amdgpufor 380. You can find the directions on the wiki page below.
I7 [email protected]/32GB Ram/3440 x 1440 + 1440p/EVGA 1080 FTW/512GB SSD/2TB HD/Antergos Base w/ Plasma
i've followed guide and installed couple of things, files were around 20-25 mb on total. it's almost 300mb on windows, how can i control that my install were successfull and where can i check current driver or test it?
• Posts 3 • Views 986


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Today in Catholic circles one would be forgiven if one equated Catholicism with nothing more than the concept and rhetoric of "social justice." This `unfortunate reality takes place because the phrase social "justice" is not used as the traditional vocabulary suggests, as a virtue present in individuals, but as a matter of policy. Misunderstood as such, social justice is reduced to whatever progressive policy one finds desirable. This disengages the dialog about social justice from a moral framework of virtue, and makes it prone to exploitation by any special interest group vocal enough to demand assistance from the public treasury.
As I recount in my book, around the time of the Second Vatican Council, there was the rhetoric of "letting a breath of fresh air into the Church," opening her to a more understanding relationship with modernity. Many Catholics, it turned out, were unable to escape the effects of the confusion and waves of social revolution and antinomianism that hit during the decade of the '60s. Typical of many people in that generation, borrowing a line from liberal activism, was to set up a false dichotomy between the Church's sacramental action – always the center of her activity – and her secular/non-sacramental activity, which was not as great as it should have been. Here their primary fault was imagining that the Church can, without prejudice to her supernatural nature, engage in any activity that is not sacramental and salvific, which is merely mundane, secular, institutional, "social."
What, for example, is the meaning of "human liberation"? Catholics who equate Catholicism with working for justice seem to mean freedom from forms of political/economic oppression. Yet true liberation comes only in the freedom of Christian life in God, and so this understanding is little more than Marxist utopianism. Our Lord lived under the brutal regime of Rome. Did He make make its slavery or violations of dignity the focal point of his doctrine? Rather, Christ focused on seeking first God's kingdom of holiness. All else would be added.
So—working for "social justice," can either be at the service of a socialist utopianism, an antagonistic centralizing government, or the true Kingdom of God, which cannot be reduced to the lack of political oppression or the complete possession of economic independence. Properly understood, the Kingdom of God is the sacramental union of all mankind with the Father in Christ brought about by the Holy Spirit.
Catholicism teaches that the greatest oppression is the law of sin reigning in human hearts. Thus, social justice can be truly transformational only if it is sacramental. Relief from external oppression, if not supported by inner transformation of mind, leads only to a new kind of slavery. Secular social justice thinking leaves no room for the transformative element, for the spiritual rebirth that the works of mercy can bring about in both the worker and the object of the work. Genuine Catholic social work leads both the benefiter and the benefited on the way of transformation in Christ, calling both of them to the higher social order of the Church, which is spiritually redeemed humanity, the Body of Christ.
The promotion of justice is a vital function in Christian society – not only as a praiseworthy work of mercy, but even as a requirement for full participation in the liturgical-sacramental life. How can one pretend to love God if we don't empathize with our suffering brethren? Christ calls us to establish the reign of justice and peace on Earth, which almost always means struggles with the unjust powers ruling the earth. Indeed, traditional Catholic social teaching is quite a bit more feisty in its demands on earthly rulers and on the necessity of reforming political-economic structures. Just read Leo XIII or Pius XI.
Catholics ought to take part in works of mercy and social justice initiatives. It is often our duty to do so. But if we are to take on the full mind of the Church, we must not let ourselves be carried away by the sort of ideologies with which these things are often associated. The "source and summit" of the Christian life is not human society or any particular work we do, but the sacred liturgy of the Church, the work of Christ in and for us, which saves us and saves the world.
Justice is a natural virtue, and the establishment of more just economic and political systems is the Catholic citizen's duty. As the hedonism of society further corrodes the image of human dignity in the popular mind, the Church may very soon be the only one who can show people a true vision of just society. But she becomes superfluous if she is just another NGO, a sort of U.N. service. Her priests, as many did after the Council, must not downplay their sacramental role as sanctifiers to spend all their time as "liberators" in "social work." When they leave off praying the Office, when their negligence reduces liturgy to its bare minimum of sacramental validity, we see a vital loss of perspective.
Should we sell our churches and the treasures of the Vatican to fund liberation campaigns in South America? That's not Catholic logic. Such thinking is the post-Conciliar abandonment of the primary sacramental purpose which stifles the Church's efforts to transform society far more deeply than anything else.
The Church's firm doctrine, proclaimed through all of tradition, is that only the reign of Christ the King over hearts and governments can lead to the establishment of true justice. Because sin causes injustice, only by conforming the world sacramentally to Christ may evil be overcome. The Church's liturgical-sacramental function is absolutely crucial; it is the only chance for the world's salvation, because it is the prime locus of Christ's action on Earth. If there is no Mass, there is no hope for the world. If we don't take the Mass seriously, or think it is just something we get out of the way before rolling up our sleeves to do the "real work," we forget Christ's loving caution that "without Me you can do nothing." If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do the builders labor.
Catholic social justice has to be Eucharistic. Within the Catholic Church, "social justice" cannot be understood except Eucharistically and liturgically, as the resolute effort to order the human community ideally in relation to liturgical worship, providing all the material goods (and only those) that are sufficient to support their easy acquisition of spiritual goods. Justice demands that people have enough to eat so that they may eat of the bread which comes down from heaven.
In the end, it is a question of faith. Is the Church just a social service organization with some quaintly pleasing exterior forms, or is she what she says she is – the very soul of the world, the hammer of demons, the school of true perfection, the teacher of nations, the one place where man can fulfill his destiny to abide with the divine?


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Triple Combinations Available in Indonesian, Thai
Editions of the triple combination in Indonesian and Thai, combining the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price, and a helpful study aid titled, Guide to the Scriptures, are now available for the first time. New editions of the Book of Mormon in Indonesian and Thai are also available.
The Indonesian and Thai triple combinations are also available online and can be accessed at scriptures.lds.org/ind and scriptures.lds.org/tha respectively.
The Book of Mormon has been available in Indonesian since 1977 and Thai since 1976. The projects to produce the two triple combinations have been underway for several years.
The First Presidency has encouraged members to acquire their own scriptures and to use them in regular study, in Church meetings, and for Church assignments.


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Entertainment in California
VIP DJ Entertainment
location: Los Angeles, CA
visit their website send them an email
social media:
willing to travel: Yes
prices from: Most couples spend somewhere between $1300-$2800 depending on the date, location and amount of equipment needed. Email us at: [email protected] for investment description and invitation to visit our studio. Call/text us at: 323.691.1001
about us Our couple's love story is the inspiration behind each wedding playlist and how we bring creative moments to life through music.
our approach / working with us Each wedding is unique and handcrafted to fit our couple's style blending the new with the old and a little bit of everything in between.
why we love weddings Want to know a secret? We love assisting our couples with music choices and being there for you every step of the way. Our unique approach to music supervision, event direction and hosting will have you feeling VIP from your walk down the aisle to your first and last dance!
our travel policy We enjoy destination weddings and travel nationally as well as internationally. Travel fees vary depending on location, and time of year.


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主谓一致(Subject- Verb Agreement),指"人称"和"数方面的一致关系.如:
He is going abroad.
They are playing football.
可分为:语法一致, 内容一致, 就近一致.
(一) 语法一致原则: 即主语为单数,谓语用单数,主语为复数,谓语也用复数.
(1) 如果指两个或两个以上不同的人或 事物的时候,谓语动词用复数。如:
He and I __are_both students of this school.
(2) 如果连接两个以上的名词指的是同一个人或物, 或者指同一概念的时候, 谓语要用单数。
Eg. The singer and dancer _is____ on the stage./
A knife and fork is used to have meals./
The poet and writer has come.那位诗人兼作家来了.(一个人) The poet and the writer have come.
War and peace is often people's topic
如:bread and butter(黄油抹面包), knife and fork(刀叉)等作主语时, 谓语动词用单数。
whisky and soda 汽水 salt and water 盐水 a needle and thread针线;
a horse and cart四轮马车; a watch and chain表链; war and peace战争与和平; truth and honesty;
A singer and dancer _______been invited to the party.
A singer and a dancer _______been invited to the party.
(3) and连接的两个或多个主语前如有each, every, no,
many a(许多)more than on
Eg. 1)Every tree and (every) flower is to be cut down.
2)In our country each boy and (each) girl has right to receive education
3)No sound and no voice is heard.
4)Many a boy and girl has made the same mistake.
5)More than on
注意:但more+复数名词+than on
More persons than on
(4) each of… /either of…./ on
Eg. Each of us has something to say. 我们每个人都有话要说
(5) none 做主语时,谓语动词可用单数, 也可用复数; 但在代表不可数的东西时总是看作单数,因而谓语动词要用单数.
Eg. None of us are (is) perfect. 人无完人。
None of this worries me. 这事一点不使我着急。
None of this money is mine. 这些钱都不是我的。
(6) 单数主语即使后面带有with , along with, together with, like(象), but (除了),except,
besides, as well as, no less than, rather than(而不是), including, in addition to
引导的短语, 谓语动词仍用单数.
Eg. Air as well as water is matter. 空气和水都是物质.
No on
The teacher with two students __was _ at the meeting .
Mary, together with her parents, ____has been _to the Summer Palace twice.
(7) 名词如: trousers, scissors, clothes, goods, glasses 等作主语时, 谓语动词必须用复数. 如:
Eg. His clothes are good. //// These scissors are sharp. 但这些名词前若出现 a pair of , 谓语一般用单数.如:A pair of glasses is on the desk. 桌上有一副眼镜。
(8) 主语是书名,剧名,报纸名,国名等复数形式的名词,仍为个体,谓语用单数。
形复意单名词如:news ; 以ics 结尾的学科名称如: physics, mathematics, economics; 国名如: the United States; 报纸名如: the New Times; 书名如: Arabian Nights <天方夜谈>; 以及The United Nations<联合国> 等作主语时, 谓语动词用单数。 Eg. The United States is a developed country.
(9) "a +名词+and a half ", "on
(10) 不定式(短语), 动名词(短语), 或从句作主语时, 谓语动词用单数. 如:
Eg. Serving the people is my great happiness. 为人民服务是我最大的幸福.
Collecting stamps is his hobby. 收集邮票是他的爱好。
When we'll go out for an outing has been decided. 我们什么时候出去郊游已决定了。
When and where we will go hasn't been decided.
注意:但当what引导的句子做主语,若后面是 "be +..."的结构时,谓语随....变化。
Eg: 1.)What you did was right.
2.)What you need are these dictionaries
(11) 复合不定代词作主语, 谓语动词要用单数,如someone
,somebody, something, anybody, anyone, anything, everybody, everyone,
everything, nobody, no on
Eg: Someone is asking for you. 有人找你。
Nothing is found in the room. 在屋子里什么也没找到
(二) 内容一致原则:
1.主语中有all, half, most, the rest等, 以及"分数或百分数percent +名词 "做主语时,谓语动词单复数取决于连用的名词.
The rest of the bikes are on sale today. 剩下的自行车,今天出售。
60% (60 percent )of the apple was eaten by little boy. 这个苹果的60%都被这个小男孩吃了。
20 percent of the workers in the factory are women. 工厂里百分之20的工人是女人。
Most of the apples were rotten. 大部分的苹果都是烂的。
Most of the apple was eaten by a rat. 这个苹果的大部分被老鼠吃了。
2. 不定数量的词组, 如:part of , a lot
of , lots of , on
Eg: A part of the textbooks have arrived. 一小部分教科书已运到。
A part of the apple has been eaten up by the rat. 这个苹果的一部分被猪吃光了。
3. 主语是疑问代词who, what, which,不定代词其谓语视它们所代指的名词而定。
1.)Which is more valuable, health or wealth?
2.)Which are prettier, these or those?
4. 加减乘除用单数.如:minus ,plus ,multiply, divide
Eg: Fifteen minus five is ten . 15减去5等于10。
5. 表示时间, 金钱, 距离, 度量等的名词做主语时, 尽管是复数形式, 它们作为一个单一的概念时, 其谓语动词用单数.如:
Eg: Sixty years is a long time.
Ten dollars is enough for him.
Three thousand miles is a long distance.
Fifty kilograms is not too long to be carried.
(1) 通常作复数的集体名词. 包括police , people, cattle 等, 这些集体名词通常用作复数.如:
Eg: The British police have on
The police are searching for a thief.
The cattle are eating grass on the hill.
(2) 通常作不可数名词的集体名词. 包括equipment,
furniture, clothing, luggage 等.
(3) 集合名词作主语, 动词可用单数, 也可以用复数。主要由句子的意思决定。强调整体谓语动词用单数;指全体人员时, 动词则用复数。这一类常见的集合名词有public, family, class, crowd, population, team, group。
Eg: The group _is___ made up of three students./
The group___are_ dancing happily./
Eg: The team ____ some good players. (have)/
The team ____ handsome. (be)/
Eg: Zhang's family ____ rather big, with twelve people in all./
His family all music lovers./
Your class just behind our class./
The whole class fond of music ./
Eg: The population of China _______far larger than that of Japan./
Eighty percent of the population in China ________ farmers./
(4) 单复数同形的词如 sheep, deer, Chinese, Japanese, means(方法,手段), works(著作, 工厂) 作主语, 谓语动词应根据上下文取决单复数.
1>.Every means ______ been tried to solve the problem.
All means _______ been tried to solve the problem.
(5) the+形容词"做主语时,表示一类人或物时,谓语动词为复数;表示具体一个个体时,谓语动词为单数。
Eg:1) The young are better at learning new things.、/ The injured were saved after the fire.
2) The young is my uncle.
注意:the +adj.表示一类抽象概念时,谓语也单数
Eg: The new is sure to replace the old.
(四) 就近原则
1. 由here, there, where 等引导的倒装句中, (有时主语不止一个时)谓语动词与靠近它的主语在数上一致.如:
2. 用连词or, either.... or, neither….nor, not on
Eg: Neither my wife nor I myself ____ able to persuade my daughter to change her mind.
Not on
Not the teacher,but the students ____ looking forward to seeing the film.
注意: on
网易公司版权所有 ©1997-2018


text:
If so, where would you place the patch on your body? Would it matter?
Flector Patch - Do Flctor patches work for painful menstrual cramps?
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- 14 Mar 2016 by Anonymous
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- flector, flector patch, period pain, cramp, patch, menstrual cramps
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text:
J.Lindeberg Regal Black Ski Jacket
The J Lindeberg Regal black men's ski jacket is made from GoreTex technical fabric to protect you against the elements while keeping you comfortable. This technical, high performance ski jacket is waterproof and windproof so you can count on it in the most extreme winter conditions. With Primaloft Gold insulation you will be plenty warm on any ski lift, and if things get will zip up in the removable hood. Extra feature include a blue coated lining, two-way front zip, pit zips, plenty of pockets; a Recco reflector and a removable snow gaiter, making this a versatile ski shell from mid winter to sunny spring days.


text:
Standing L to R: unknown, unknown, Yakub Khan (one of the first non europeans to have played and reached but
not won the finals at the Nairobi Club, Eruch (E.P.) Nowrojee, unknown
Sitting L to R: unknown, Dr H. T. Topiwala, Dr K.V. Adalja, G N Shah
AwaaZ would appreciate feedback if anyone can identify the unknown people in the picture.
Picture courtesy of Harshad Topiwala


text:
Mildura South Primary School will be losing its long serving principal Debbie Chandler at the end of the 2017 school year.
Mrs Chandler has told school authorities that after 25 years at Mildura South, the last 10 as Principal, she will be retiring on January 28 next year.
Her position will be advertised in October this year.
There are currently six former students whom she taught at year six level, now back at the school in teaching roles.
In 2014 the enrolment at Mildura South primary school reached its all time peak at 650 pupils while because of transient families, the figure fluctuates. The 2017 enrolment has been steady at around 600 pupils.
Mrs Chandler said that travelling was going to be a big part of her retirement plans. Her husband Greg Chandler, is a retired policemen.


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Before I became Master Certified Relationship Coach and a happily married woman, I was very much a struggling dater just like you, who got cheated on by my partners… lots of them. Over the course of those many single years, I repeatedly asked myself why does this keep happening to me?
I'm attractive, smart, fun, and am by no means sexually frigid, so why do my boyfriends keep looking for the company of other women? The answer is both a complex one and simple one. The simple answer is I allowed them to.
The complex answer needs a few more words so here are the Top 5 Reasons You May Be Attracting Cheaters:
Lack of Good Communication With Your Partner
Good communication is the key to any relationship. In the early stage of dating, I asked my husband if he ever cheated on a girlfriend. He freely admitted he had. Of course, I did not like to hear this answer, but I knew it was better to ask and take note of what he said. Plus, I paid attention to how he answered it, rather than not to ask at all. And when you don't have all the facts, your mind can really play tricks on you by making up stories you obsess over.
So early on in any of your future relationships, it is very important for you to communicate your feelings about cheating and also listen to your partner about their feelings. Get all the facts and come to an agreement.
Then, once you are committed, you must continue that open flow of communication because most experts agree that cheating starts and ends when "needs" are not being met. So if you and your partner communicate your needs, you will be much less likely to be at the other end of the cheating stick.
Always Seeing the Best in People
Far too many of the singles I work with come to me believing it's easier to look at all the good qualities in a partner and try to ignore red flag flaws because they like the person so much. Don't get me wrong, having a positive attitude about dating is extremely important to the process, but so is healthy critical thinking.
When I first started dating my husband, almost immediately I felt like he could be the one. Still, I had been hurt so many times before I was not going to believe he was the "right one" until he proved it. Do you know how many dates we went on before I actually let him know where I lived? Five!
To this day he still can't believe I kept him waiting that long. Although I saw many good qualities in him, I wanted to make sure his actions matched his words, so I made him wait.
So slow down the dating process. Remember, it is your comfort that really matters. And taking your time you will help you avoid falling for a Dating Trap.
Being Too Trusting
If you are in a serious committed relationship, it should be okay to use each other's phone and computers at times. But early on in a relationship, far too many singles don't take the step to set up the expectation that this is something they want.
For more than once, I caught boyfriends cheating on me using their phone or computer. Almost since the beginning of my relationship with my husband, I occasionally would ask to use my husband's phone or computer.
I always would do this in front of him and ask him permission first. Not once has he said no, and not once did I ever see anything that gave me any pause. If you are dating someone and they refuse to allow this request, then it may be something to be concerned about.
By setting this "Trust is earned not a right" standard early on in your relationship, you will actually build a foundation of trust that is so important to a healthy relationship.
Ignoring the Red Flags
How many times have you looked back on your cheating partner and said, "How did I miss the warning signs?" Sure, some partners are amazing at keeping you in the dark about their infidelities, but most leave a trail of crumbs that is easy to spot if you just look.
Maybe it's that strange late night texts they made or not being available when they normally should be. When you have questions about what's going on in your partner's life, don't assume your intuition is automatically wrong.
Conscious Dating is about paying attention to your partner and your relationship at all times and sometimes this act uncovers things you won't like to see or hear. But if you're able to identify and analyze these strange behaviors early enough in your relationship, you'll be able to break up before your heart gets broken.
Not Screening for Your Non-Negotiables
Each of the above reasons you continue to be cheated on, begin and end with identifying and understanding your non-negotiables.
These, relationship deal-breakers, are the cornerstone of my Conscious Dating Programs. Most people have about 10 of them, and they are things like "My partner treats me like a priority" or "Family is important".
Once you are armed with your Non-Negotiables, you will be able to screen them against your dates and find out if he is a good fit for you. And if he is a good fit, then the chances of him ever cheating on you becomes much less likely.
At the end of the day, if your intuition is telling you something is wrong… listen to it. It's rare that our intuition is ever wrong. Don't negotiate what you want or deserve for the sake of being in an average relationship.
You deserve to love and be loved the way you want. If you need help or have any questions, you can reach out to me CLICK HERE.
If you're sick of "Bad Boys," "Players" and guys who just won't commit, you need to go watch this new educational presentation Michael Fiore put up… CLICK HERE!


text: The Second Radio Black Forest Festival in Birmingham yesterday was a lot of fun, and we will be reporting on that in a future edition of Phantom Circuit. Some of the team responsible for the festival are also working hard to make the Drop Dead Festival in Vilnius, Lithuania something special. See the official Web site for details of the music and other events on offer.


text:
Amal is killing it, on and off the red carpet. Ever since stepping into her role as Mrs. Clooney, she has taught us a thing or two about how to look flawlessly chic, all. the. damn. time. How does she do it? We can all afford to take a page out of Amal's style playbook and here's how.
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