text:
Common to Man: The Process of Sanctification
"For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play." We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." (1 Corinthians 10:1-13)
Mortification of Sin
We're jumping in and continuing on from last week, still on the topic of self-discipline and are continuing our discussion of what it means to take following Jesus seriously.
When we become a Christian and start following Jesus we are given an inward drive towards becoming more like Jesus – more holy, more righteous, more loving. "Be holy as I am holy", God says to His people, and then gives us the help to do that.
We've talked before that we don't do this in order to get saved but out of love and obedience for the One who saved us. We know we'll never achieve perfection in this life, and that, because of our sinful nature we're going to keep breaking God's laws and doing wrong – but now that we are Christian we hate that sinful part of us, because it was sin that has messed up the world, our lives, and is what required Jesus to die on the cross. So we confess those sins every day in prayer, are thankful that God's grace is so big and that the blood of Jesus covers all our sins past and future so we can be forgiven, and then we ask God for more help, more love, more patience, more kindness, more generosity, more self-control in the coming day to live better. Not just to be a holier than thou Christian prude, but because we've seen how sin hurts us, others, and our relationship with God.
That's how Christians see sin. That's why we work hard to get rid of the sins in our life – what believers used to call the "mortification of sin". We work with God to try to mortify, or kill, or subdue, the fleshly, sinful desires inside us that cause so much trouble.
God uses some pretty serious, life and death language when speaking of how we should deal with our sin and practice self-control. Listen to Colossians 3:1-6 says, "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these, the wrath of God is coming."
So, because sin is so serious, a believer engages in a process called sanctification. To sanctify something means to set it apart for special use, to be made holy. Grandma's special china collection is sanctified by the fact that it is cleaned and then kept carefully in a china cabinet. Your favourite hockey card is sanctified by you taking it from the collection, putting it into a special protective case, and then mounting it on the wall. You are sanctified by Jesus as you are taken from the enemy camp into his kingdom, from death to life, from slave to sin to freedom in Christ, and made one of His special people.
If you remember way back in 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 it told us, "For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, 'Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.'"
We cannot be righteous without Jesus. We can't redeem ourselves. And we cannot purify or sanctify ourselves without Jesus. The Gospel of Christ tells us the consequences of our sins – death, hell, pain, suffering, fear, addiction, brokenness. It tells us that Jesus has come to save us from all that by taking the penalty for sin upon Himself, wiping out its effects by taking God's wrath against sin for us, dying on the cross, and then rising again to show that He has destroyed sin's power – and then invites us to follow Him. This is what it means to be born again. When we are chosen by God and accept His invitation we are immediately sanctified. Jesus' perfect sacrifice made it so that all our sins are perfectly dealt with and if we died today we would be with Jesus forever.
But at the same time, while we still live on earth we continue to deal with the echo effects of sin all around us. So, while we are perfectly clean in God's eyes, perfectly accepted, perfectly redeemed, we also enter the process of sanctification in order to become more like Jesus every day. We use a lot of different phrases to describe this today. We talk about growing in God or becoming spiritually mature, but whatever we call it, part of that process is the mortification, or killing, of the sinful parts of ourselves that affect our daily walk in this world. We will never become perfect, but we continue to struggle against and work towards holiness. We "put to death therefore what is earthly in [us]…"
Going Through the Motions
Now, just like today, some of the people in the Corinthian church thought that since they professed faith in Jesus, went to church, and joined in the Lord's Supper, they could then live however they wanted. Remember the context of eating meat offered to idols and causing those around them to stumble in their faith by going against their consciences. They figured that since they were Christians, they could do whatever they wanted! Paul wanted them to be absolutely clear that wasn't true, it was a false belief, and so he used multiple examples
This still happens today. Young people who have gone to church their whole life are especially in danger of this way of thinking. They have gone to church for as long as they can remember, can quote verses from the Bible, serve in a couple places each week, go to Youth Group or Small Group, they can answer some Bible Trivia questions and take communion each month… so they figure they're good. They're covered.
The Bible says, be careful. There's a big difference between saving faith and merely going through the motions of a believer. Of course, this isn't just about youth. I've seen this at all ages. People who attend sometimes, do a little volunteer work, and say they believe… maybe they even had a tearful conversion at a summer camp or walked down an aisle at a crusade – but they're not engaged in the daily battle against sin. And they're not just disengaged, they don't actually care.
This is most acute when the young person turns 18 and moves out or goes off to college or starts a job and is getting paid and is then given the freedom of an adult. Suddenly it becomes clear that their faith is extremely thin, they haven't been working on their sanctification at all, and within a short time, they are in real trouble. They weren't Christians, they were merely covered by the grace of their Christian parents.
It wasn't they that decided not to look at pornography, it was the fact that it wasn't available in the house. It wasn't they that decided not to waste hours on the internet and video games, it was their parent's rules and schedules. It wasn't they that decided to watch their tongue, it was the peer pressure from their Christian friends. It wasn't they that decided reading the Bible. going to church, being cautious about friendships, and the rest was important, it was enforced in by house rules.
And when they get that first taste of freedom from those rules, their true level of sanctification really shows. Soon they are addicted, indebted, depressed, lethargic, have turned their back on the church, and have just enough understanding of God to blame and resent Him for all their problems. Again, I don't want to pick on just young people, I've seen this in seniors too, where the only thing that kept them from blowing up their life was external pressure, not internal sanctification.
This too is all over scripture. The wheat and the chaff, the good seeds and bad, parable of the sower, the sheep and the goats, wolves in sheep's clothing, whitewashed tombs, play actors (Matt. 3:12; 13:1-30; 5:15; 25:31-46; 23:25-27) are all phrases where Jesus talks about people that look like Christians to everyone else but are not really saved. These people talk about God, come to church, and receive the blessings of being a Christian without ever turning away from sin and towards Jesus.
Think of it like a strong smell. Coffee shops have a distinct smell. So do hockey and curling rinks. So does a workout gym or the Body Shop store. You've probably had that experience when someone comes home from a night out and you can tell exactly where they've been just by the smell, right? They walk by and immediately you just what they've been doing because they carry the smell with them. My wife used to work at a place where she always came back smelling of bagels. She'd have to change her clothes and wash her hair before it would come out. I had the same problem when I worked at the pulp mill. I always came home smelling of black liquor, which is basically the waste product from turning trees into pulp. It smells a lot worse than bagels and there were times I would have to strip down right in the doorway and leave my clothes in the garage rather than bring them in the house.
In the same way, a non-believer who comes to church and hangs around Christians can pick up their smell – their lifestyle choices, their joy, kindness, high morals, honesty, etc. but not actually have faith in Jesus at all. They can even stay so long they start to believe they are Christians without actually giving their life to Jesus.
Israel and Us
Let's turn back to our passage. As we saw last week Paul used himself as an example of spiritual maturity and self-denial, but now he goes the other way and uses Israel as an example of spiritual immaturity. "The perfect example of believing the false notion that one can be saved and then live a faithless, God-less life can be seen in what happened to the Jews' ancestors in the wilderness…"[1] He phrases this as a warning, "For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ."
"For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ."
These were people who were saved by God as Christians are. They had multiple, manifold, manifest spiritual blessings. Miracles galore. Their story is every Christian's story. They were rescued at a great cost from an oppressor, delivered from death by the blood of the lamb, redeemed from slavery, and given a new life. They were guided by God's presence, given direction in the wilderness and darkness of life. They had a law-giver and spiritual leader to follow, just as we do in Jesus. As they trusted in God their enemies fell before them and behind them. And all along, they were given daily provision to sustain their bodies and souls. Every day they saw a new act of God's love for them. Paul then drives the point home reminding them that Jesus is God and was the one protecting and providing for the Israelites, just like He does for us!
A People Overthrown by God
But now look at verse 5, "Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness." This should give us all great pause. God worked miracles, set them free from slavery, and provided for them along the way – but their hearts were not with Him. They were like the young person living with Christian parents, or the citizen living in a civil country. They had the blessings of being a child of God, surrounded by the smell, but their hearts were not with Him.
The word "most" is a pretty big understatement since out of the thousands that left Israel, only two were allowed into the Promised Land! The rest were left to wander and die in the wilderness. They were people of God, who saw God's miracles, but died in faithlessness.
So, what happened? It is the same story from the beginning of Genesis all the way to the end. They didn't have faith, they didn't believe what God had said, they didn't trust in God alone for their salvation. That's what God desires. The path of Salvation is fairly simple. It means trusting that what God says is true and believing that His way is the only way.
It was like that for Adam and Eve, many stories of the Israelites in the Old Testament, the Pharisees and Judas in the New. God's message was clear, they chose not to believe it, and were therefore condemned and "overthrown" by God.
Common Temptations
In verse 6 we read, "Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did." Sometimes people wonder why we have the Old Testament when we have the New, or what value there is in the Old Testament. It's ancient, full of difficult things to read, and the New Testament seems so much nicer.
This verse tells us one reason why. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is immutable, unchangeable. The God who wiped out Sodom and Gomorrah, killed everyone in the flood, and instituted blood sacrifices as the only way to appease His wrath against sin is the same God who came to earth as a baby, wept over Jerusalem, died on the cross, and taught us to love our neighbours. The Old Testament was Jesus' Bible, the Apostle's Bible, and the first church's Bible, and was perfectly sufficient for teaching about faith, salvation and life. The Old Testament doesn't tell a different story, but gives us the beginning of the story and we do ourselves a disservice when we don't study it. Paul says that the stories we read of the Israelites and how God dealt with them are examples for us that we should learn from.
So what are we to learn? There are four main sins that are highlighted. Let's read together, and notice how serious these warnings are. Starting in verse 7: "Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, 'The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.' We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."
The temptations the ancient Israelites went through are the same as we go through today, and the sins they commit that separate them from God are the same too. The stories of the Bible are there to instruct us, warn us, encourage us, and teach us about ourselves and God. So I'm going to ask you to do a little digging in your soul to see if these are represented there.
The first mentioned is idolatry, which references the story of the Golden Calf when Moses went up to the mountain to receive the Ten Commandments and while he was there Aaron and the rest of the Israelites crafted an idol to worship in place of God. It wasn't that they were simply tempted to put their faith somewhere else, it was that they actively chose to reject Yahweh, formed a false god of their own, and then "sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play", meaning they copied in the cultural, pagan festivals they saw around them.
They did, essentially what I've been talking about with young people and cultural Christians. While Moses was away they threw all their beliefs out the window and then worshipped, feasted, drank and danced the way they always wanted to, showing what was really going on in their hearts.
We do the same today as we turn away from God and put our faith and trust in things of our own design – money, insurance, diet, human authorities, or when we dabble with pagan things like horoscopes or superstitions. We can make money, comfort, food, or sex our idol as we turn to it to save us from pain, guilt, shame, fear. Remember the context of the Corinthian church eating food offered to idols and realize that Paul was also speaking of Israel's example of eating, drinking and partying like unbelievers, throwing off God's standards and doing whatever they felt they wanted to do regardless of how it affected themselves or anyone else.
If you want to know what idols you have in your life, ask yourself: what you do and what do you reach for when you hit a crisis hits or when you want to celebrate?
The second temptation for the Israelites was sexual immorality. Pornography, lustful thoughts, wandering eyes, sexual fantasy, adultery, and the rest. For them, this was tied to their idol worship. They used the golden calf and worshipping false gods as an excuse to sin sexually. Once they had crafted a god of their own, or borrowed one from a neighbouring nation, they worshipped it as the unbelievers did – which included sexual sins. As we've already learned, this was a huge temptation in Corinth, but just as much in ancient Israel.
The further you wander from God, the more you believe what the world believes and act like the world acts, the easier it is to fall for the temptation toward sexual sin. We've already talked a lot about that so I won't belabour the point, but notice God's punishment here. You might think, "Well, that's back in the olden days, God doesn't do that now!"
Listen to the words of Jesus in Revelation 21:5-8, at the end of the Bible: "And he who was seated on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.' Also he said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.' And he said to me, 'It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty, I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.'"
You may think Jesus is the warm and cuddly version of God that doesn't care about sin, lets everyone do what they want, and lets everyone into heaven, but I assure you, He's the same as He was with the Israelites. He may wait on the punishment, but I assure you that your faith is revealed in your actions and though you may not take your sin seriously, but Jesus sure does.
Does that mean a Christian who sins sexually can lose their salvation? No. As we said before, the difference is sanctification. The difference is that you hate that sin and want to be rid of it. Do you?
The third temptation was put Christ to the test. What does that mean? It means questioning God's reliability. It's when we declare God unreliable and then force or demand that He proves himself to us. The Israelites "put Christ to the test" as they told Moses that God and him don't know what they are doing, that they would surely die of hunger and thirst, that life was better under slavery, that God was holding out on them, refusing to give them their favourite foods, and ultimately that God wasn't strong enough to defeat their enemies. Over and over they said that God had left them and demanded more and more miracles. (Numb 21, Exo 17)
The Pharisees "put Christ to the test" too. Even though they had heard of and even witnessed multiple miracles, they continued to bring false charges against Jesus, tried to trick Jesus into making mistakes, and then demanding Jesus prove Himself with more miracles (Mark 8:11, Matthew 12:38-39). They even did it as He hung on the cross.
Satan "put Christ to the test" in the wilderness as he tempted Jesus to work miracles for wrong reasons – even tempting Jesus to force God Father to prove His love and prove Jesus' was special by jumping off the top of the temple!
Have you done this? Atheists love this game. They love mocking Christians and telling God to dance for them, write in the sky, do a crazy sign, and then claiming God doesn't exist when He refuses to play their game. Do you do this? Do you ever tell God that you'll believe or obey if He'll do something for you? Do you ever put yourself in a situation where God has to act just so you can see if He's real? Do you ever question if God is good or His ways are right, and then deny Him when things don't go your way? The Bible is clear that is a very serious sin.
Jesus responds, "An evil and adulterious generation seeks for a sign…" Jesus never rebukes or corrects people who are genuinely seeking Him out of need, but He also knows when people are coming with wrong motives.
And the fourth temptation was what is here called "grumbling". Grumbling isn't simply talking to God about tough things in your life that you don't like. God wants us to bring our frustrations, concerns, worries and all the rest to Him. Grumbling is akin to complaining. It's that low-level murmer in the heart where you keep telling yourself how horrible your life is, how it's out of control, how the universe is out to get you, that God isn't helping, nothing is right, there's not enough money, time, energy, health, or anything else. Your friends aren't really that good, your house isn't right, your technology isn't good enough, your spouse isn't good enough, your life is too hard, too hot, too cold, too noisy, too quiet… murmur murmer grumble grumble complain complain.
This one is very difficult for me and one of my greatest temptations. I'm a child of discontent and have a very critical heart. I know this about myself and I have to be very careful about it. Why? Because grumbling is spiritually destructive and debilitating. It shows a lack of faith in God, a belief that He is unloving towards you. It's a lack of contentedness and shows a misunderstanding of grace. It is the belief that you inherently deserve more than you have and God is unfairly holding out on you. It destroys your worship, your prayer life, your relationships, and your witness to others. A grumbling spirit leads to fighting with others, and envy, jealousy, covetousness. (James 4:1-3) "I hate that person. Their life is better than my life, their job is better, the have more of what I want…. And I hate God too for not giving me what they have." There's a big difference between complaining to God and complaining about God. Job complained to God but didn't sin. Israel complained about God and did sin.
What about you? Are you a grumbler?
This section ends with, "Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."
God is faithful. He is for you. He wants your sanctification and wants you to be more holy, because more holiness leads to more joy. He wants your spiritual success and knows what you need in order to grow. He knows your breaking points. Your temptations are not unique to you and he has given you scripture, fellow believers, and the Holy Spirit within you to help you understand them and get through it. And, when you are faced with the burden of temptation, God promises two things: a way out of the temptation, and the strength to endure it. The escape may not be immediate, but He promises that if you trust Him, lean on Him, ask Him, then you will have the strength to endure the temptation and mortify that sin within you – and then grow stronger in faith and in sanctification.
[1] Life Application Commentary: 1 Corinthians, Pg 135.
Why Do People Homeschool? (Carnivore Theology: Ep 41)
The 41st episode of "Carnivore Theology".
Chad, Al, Steve and Others Talk About Why They Homeschool
A couple weeks ago we talked to The Familyman, Todd Wilson about parenting and life as a homeschooling family. Today, we continue that conversation by discussing the motives behind our decision to homeschool our children.
Podcast Audio:
Click here to download the episode MP3.
Here's the link to the behind-the-scenes YouTube video.
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Let us know what you think of our podcast by commenting on our Facebook page, connecting on Twitter, and rating us on iTunes! We'd also really appreciate if you'd pass them around to your friends. Sharing is caring!
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The Homeschooling Episode (Feat. Familyman Todd Wilson) (Carnivore Theology: Ep. 39)
The 39th episode of "Carnivore Theology".
Homeschooling and Parenting with Familyman Todd Wilson
Inspirational speaker and Familyman, Todd Wilson (www.familymanweb.com) talks about the ups, downs and sidewayses of parenting and homeschooling in this fun and informative episode. We learn about Todd's story, run him through the Meatgrinder, and he answers questions for us like "Should all Christians homeschool?", "How do we deal with criticisms?", "How to be a good dad?", and talk about some of the big struggles families face.
Podcast Audio:
Click here to download the episode MP3.
Here's the link to the behind-the-scenes YouTube video.
Please Consider Partnering with Us!
How can you help Carnivore Theology get better? Start by asking us a question in your voice on our SpeakPipe page!
Let us know what you think of our podcast by commenting on our Facebook page, connecting on Twitter, and rating us on iTunes! We'd also really appreciate if you'd pass them around to your friends. Sharing is caring!
Carnivore Theology is free for everyone, but it does have a cost to produce. If you'd like to help us with our hosting and equipment costs, you can send us a financial gift through PayPal by clicking here. We are not a registered charity, so you won't get a tax receipt — but you will have the good feelings that come with helping out a friend!
Don't Mess with Jesus' Kids (Abortion, Parenting and Ministering to Children)
Podcast Audio:
"And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, 'Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.' And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them." (Mark 10:13-16)
This is a great passage of scripture, and I think it really shows how seriously Jesus takes ministry to children. Usually, when this passage is preached, the emphasis is on verse 15 where Jesus says, "…whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." which is an important point –but I don't want to park there today. Instead, I want to look a little further back.
Children In Bible Times
Let's start at verse 13. "And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them."
It was a custom for parents to bring their children to Rabbi's and holy men to ask to bless them, so it wasn't totally strange that they would be doing this. Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem, was in his final days of teaching. They were on crowd-control. They were tired from the journey, worried about what would happen when they got there, and were probably trying to give Jesus some space to do more important things. They had a lot on their mind, and so did Jesus. So it only makes sense that they would try to only let the most important people, the sick, the local leaders, the ones that needed Jesus most, through.
After all, these were only kids, people 12 and under. Children weren't treated very well in ancient society. It wasn't as bad among the Jews, but the treatment of children was very bad among the pagan nations. Evil. They were, essentially, non-persons – property of their fathers or their slave-masters. In Roman culture,
"…an infant could be abandoned without penalty or social stigma for many reasons, including an anomalous appearance, being an illegitimate child or grandchild or a child of infidelity, family poverty, parental conflict or being one of too many children." (source)
This was normal then, so the disciples weren't being offensive to the crowd. Everyone would have understood that kids weren't as important as adults. Everyone would have realized the disciples were doing the right thing in letting the important people come first. Everyone unerstood why the disciples "rebuked" the parents who were wasting Jesus' time.
But there was someone there that didn't agree with what the disciples were doing.
Jesus was Indignant
"But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, 'Let the children come to me; do not hinder them…"
A fascinating word pops up there to describe what was going on in Jesus heart and mind when He sees his disciples rebuking the people who were trying to bring their children to Him… "Indignant". It's the Greek word "AGANEKTEO" which is a very descriptive word.
Its the word used to describe how the Pharisees felt when Jesus rode into town on the donkey and they heard the crowds crying out "Hosanna to the Son of David!" (Matt 21:15), They were "Indignant". It's the word used of the disciples when they saw James and John ask to be Jesus' top-disciples (Matt 26:8). It's the word used of the ruler of the synagogue who saw Jesus heal the man on the Sabbath (Luke 13:14).
The Greek version of the Old Testament uses the word to describe how the brothers of Dinah felt when their sister was seduced and defiled. They were "indignant and very angry" (Gen 34:7). And it's used over and over to describe God's feelings toward unrepentant, stubborn hearts:
"But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King. At his wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure his indignation." (Jer 10:10)
It's a powerful word, full of emotion, and here's it's used to describe how Jesus feels about people who get between Him and the children who want to come to Him. I hope you get an appreciation for that word. You can't read these words of Jesus in a grandfatherly voice that says, "Oh, it's ok. Let them come to me…" No, these are words of rebuke! "Peter, James, John, all the rest of you — GET OUT OF THEIR WAY and LET THE CHILDREN COME TO ME. DO NOT HINDER THEM…"
Jesus didn't see these kids as less important than the adults around them. He didn't see them as less significant than the leaders, parents or disciples. No, He saw them as exactly the kind of people that He had come to be with. They were weak, helpless, dependent and in need of a saviour, a defender, a redeemer and friend. And as he look at them He saw a group of people who were coming to him with pure intentions, just longing to be with Him, to discover Him, to know Him, to be blessed by Him. They didn't want a show, they wanted the One who was there. These parents just wanted the touch of Jesus in on their children's lives. These children just wanted to be around Jesus.
And then He saw His own disciples getting in their way and rebuking them for coming, it enraged Him.
And what did these kids see? They saw Jesus look square at his disciples and rebuke them for not letting them come to him. This could have been the first time in their lives that they were treated as the highest priority. These adults were getting yelled at because they were telling the kids to go away. I can just imagine the looks on the 10 and 12 year old boys that had been rebuked just that morning for breaking a dish or not doing their chores. Now they're looking at each other, eyes wide and mouths open as they watch Jesus tear a strip off these adults for getting in their way. That probably made their day.
Children as a Commodity
We can criticize ancient cultures for how poorly they treated children, but it's not much better today, is it? A lot of people still treat children as commodities and excess baggage. They are drains on our finances. They are problems to be eliminated. They are property to be shown off or discarded when they are inconvenient.
In Canada 100,000 lives lost to abortion every year. About 25,000 babies were murdered in Ontario last year – and the government, your taxes – paid for it. No, we're not talking about the extreme cases of rape and incest, or the women or baby has health problems – that only accounts for about 7%. Let me give you the top reasons for why women have abortions – and this is from an abortion advocacy group!
"Relationship Issues" – Her parents and/or the man who impregnated her doesn't want her to keep it. This isn't condemning the woman, but more often the man. He finds out she's pregnant, dumps her and runs, or says he'll leave her if she has a baby.
Another reason is "Financial and Practical reasons". In other words, I can't afford a baby, so it's better to kill it. According to one sight I read 21% of women said they aborted because they couldn't afford a baby. Just to be clear, that's over 20,000 babies a year, murdered because they would be too expensive. 16% said they aborted because "their life would change too much", 8% said "they have all the children they want". These children aren't seen as babies, but commodities. If we want it, then it's a celebration with parties and balloons. If we don't then it's just dispose of it.
Another popular reason is that the woman isn't "ready to provide for and meet the physical and emotional needs of a child." Especially if the child has some sort of special needs. In their deranged minds, these men and woman think, "I'm not ready for responsibility. I won't do a good job with this kid. I'm not ready for this level of commitment. I'm still living my own life and this will mess me up. And since I'm not ready – it's better for the child if I kill it in advance."
CBC reported this week that deadbeat parents – 97% of which are dad's – owe 3.7 billion dollars in support payments for their kids. So not only are these men running away from the women and children before they're born, but even after! They can't even be bothered to send the most minimal, financial help– even after the courts of ordered them to. Reminds me of 1 Timothy 5:8,
"But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."
If you don't take care of your family – including your kids, you're worse than a pagan. No Christian should ever be a deadbeat mom or dad.
But this is happening every day. Dad's abandon their women and children, and mom's killing their babies – not for health reasons or because of incest and rape – but because they don't want the baby to affect their lifestyle. The height of selfishness and pride meted out on helpless children. These people idolize their life so much that they are willing to give the blood sacrifice of their own babies to the god of their lifestyle.
Worshiping Molech
It's no different than the Israelites who saught to appease the false god Molech who demanded that they take their newborn babies, place them on the arms of the carved idol, and watch them burn to death. (Lev 18:21) Let me read to you a description :
"It is believed that idols of Molech were giant metal statues of a man with a bull's head. Each image had a hole in the abdomen and possibly outstretched forearms that made a kind of ramp to the hole. A fire was lit in or around the statue. Babies were placed in the statue's arms or in the hole. When a couple sacrificed their firstborn, they believed that Molech would ensure financial prosperity for the family and future children." (source 1, source 2)
It's the same, isn't it? Sacrificing babies so that the parents can have more money for themselves and perhaps their future children.
This is what made the worship of Molech so reprehensible to God, and such a danger to the Israelites. They are warned in the law not to do this (Lev 18:21) and are commanded to destroy anything that has to do with Molech. Over and over the Israelites and their kings fell into the worship of Molech – but why?
Because some people are able to overlook the preciousness of their baby when it means they have to make personal or financial sacrifice. For some terrible reason there are people choose money, comfort, and lifestyle over the life of their child. (Click to tweet this quote)
The dads who abandon their children so they can live free from responsibilities are worshippers of Molech. The women who kill their children because they don't want to change their lifestyle are worshippers of Molech. The parents who choose their work, their toys, their retirement savings, their vacations, over having children are worshippers of Molech.
Jesus prioritizes children and gives them high value. Demons are the ones who tell us that kids aren't important – or are less important than we are.
Just Kids? Not to Jesus
"And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them." (vs 16)
Every kid that came, in succession, was held, hugged, and blessed. Jesus was ministering to these kids.
"He took them into his arms."
This wasn't just a formal dedication ceremony. How many times have you heard the word "just" used to describe ministry to children and youth? It's just Sunday School. It's just the youth group. The adults have gathered for worship – what are we going to do with the kids? Who cares as long as their quiet and not interrupting the sermon, right? After all, they're just kids. It's not like they're important, right?
They don't tithe. They don't sit on the leadership boards. They don't contribute to the potluck. They interrupt. They ask dumb questions. They're noisy and need to be removed. They're annoying and need to be distracted. Just get them out of here so the important adults can have their time with Jesus.
But what did Jesus do? He angrily rebuked the adults with that attitude, told them to get out of the way, brought each child into His arms, prayed for them, blessed them, laid His hands on them, and loved them. One by one He ministered to them and showed them how high of a priority they are to him. They weren't in the way. Not at all.
Within a few verses Jesus will be walking into Jerusalem. The Triumphal Entry is in the next chapter. Did Jesus have a lot on His mind? You bet! Did He have places to be? Absolutely! Did Jesus stop everything to show love to the kids, and teach us that children are a huge priority to Him? Definitely.
God Loves Kids
Why did He stop? Not only to teach us something. He stopped because Jesus is God and God loves kids.
"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate." (Psalm 127:3)
"Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers." (Proverbs 17:6)
When Jesus saw these kids, He saw a reward, a gift, and a blessing from Heaven. Children and grandchildren are not a burden, they are a gift! Hearing a woman is pregnant is never, ever bad news. (Click to tweet this quote)
"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them." (Psalm 139:13-16)
Do you see the delicacy and intimacy with which God is involved in the design of every single baby? God knows every single one of those kids from the atomic level up. He knows every thought, every dream, every fear, every joy, every tear.
It was an absolute joy for Jesus to wrap His arms around these children because He knew that God had specially created every single one of them to be exactly who they were. They were special creations, and Jesus took great joy in them.
Don't Mess with Jesus' Kids
And with that in mind, I want to turn somewhere else to look at Jesus' attitude toward kids.
"And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, 'What were you discussing on the way?' But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, 'If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.' And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, 'Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.'" (Mark 9:33-37)
Now skip to verse 42. Nowhere in the narrative does it say that Jesus has moved. This is the same conversation. Presumably, it could be a little baby, cradled in in his arms, or a little toddler sitting on his lap… and Jesus looks from the child to the crowd around Him and says,
"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea." (Mark 9:42)
In the account of this story in Matthew 18, in the next verse Jesus says,
"Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!" (Matthew 18:7)
How serious does Jesus take the ministry to children? He says that it would be better that we would die than to cause a child to turn from God. There are massive, eternal consequences waiting for people who cause children to fall away from faith, who teach them falsehood, or who tempt them to sin. Woe to anyone who leads a child away from Jesus.
Only a few verses later in Matthew 18, the same child still cradled in Jesus arms, we read Him saying,
"See that you do not despise one of these little ones." (Matthew 18:10a)
To "Despise" means "to look down on", "think little of", "disrespect", or "take lightly".
Can you see Jesus looking at this little baby or a toddler, stroking his little cheek, and looking directly at the people around Him and saying in a very serious tone, "Don't take the ministry and care of these children lightly, because God doesn't. Don't disrespect these kids. Don't look down on children, no matter how small." And then He tells them why.
Keep reading in verse 10,
"For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven."
This isn't just a verse about guardian angels, it's a threat. These aren't fat little cherubs that float around baby-cribs. These are the divine armies of God, terrible in power and terrifying to all who see them. God assigns these special guards to look over His little ones and no one gets away with anything when it comes to them. God gets a full report of everything everyone does or says to that baby, that toddler, that child.
And then He tells a story we're all very familiar with.
"What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish." (Matthew 18:12-14)
Does that shed new light on this story? The picture Jesus paints is one of a shepherd who searches high and low for his lost sheep and then celebrates when he finds it. But God isn't looking for lost sheep, is He? No… He's saying, "This is how I guard these little ones. Even more than a good shepherd loves the littlest lamb, I love these children. I don't want any of them to fall away from me. I have my eye on all of them. Each of them has an angel to protect them. I love them with a jealous, passionate love. So. Don't. Mess. With. Them!"
Now, go back in your mind to our first story where the disciples are rebuking the parents and children for coming to Jesus. Can you see why He was so angry? Someone is messing with His kids.
Our God Given Responsibility to Children
And the bad news is that people are really messing children today. Deadbeat dads, abortive moms, abusive parents, divorcing spouses, neglectful churches. This is a terrible time to be a kid. Judgment is coming on those who mess with or don't look after the children of this world, but in the meantime they have been given to us, God's church, as a joy and a responsibility. And not just our own biological children! Taking care of fatherless children is a major theme in scripture. Let me close with a few scriptures to remind us of our responsibilities to kids.
Have Kids
In the Garden of Eden, in Genesis 1:28, God blessed Adam and Eve and then said, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion…" Having children was our first job, taking care of the world our second. I can't see how that has changed. Those of us who have the ability also have the responsibility to have kids, by the command of God.
Canada has one of the worst birth rates in the world! We don't even want kids! What a moral bankruptcy that has come upon us that having kids would be seen as such a terrible thing.
Teach Kids
And when we have those kids, we have a responsibility to teach them. To the Israelites God said in Deuteronomy 6:4-9,
"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."
God commands parents to make sure their children are absolutely saturated with the reason for their existence—to "love the LORD [their] God with all [their] heart and with all [their] soul and with all [their] might." Everywhere they go, in their daily conversation with mom and dad, in their education and hobbies and decisions – written on the very walls of their homes – is the reminder that they exist by the will and for the pleasure of God. They don't exist as an extension of us, parents. They're not little you's and me's. They are created in God's image.
Train Kids
Proverbs 22:6 says,
"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."
That's tells us that we need to be consistent, for their whole young lives. We don't have the right to get exasperated and give up on guiding and training the child. And it means we don't leave it to others either. God gave those kids to us, and so it's our job to train them up. If we leave it to the world to do it, then the world will certainly train them to be worldly. If we give them to the pagans to train, they will become pagans.
It also means that we believe that we need to be diligent. We're can't just turn them loose to figure themselves out. "I'll let them decide for themselves what religion, or gender, or whatever they want to be" isn't an option. If we want them to grow up to be good, strong,, studious, hard-working, faithful, men and women of Christian character, then we need to train them up in the way they should go! That means that we guide them along that way.
Love Kids
And finally,
"Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." (Ephesians 6:4)
This means that when we parent – and by extension when we grandparent or minister to children — we do it with abundant love, grace, sensitivity and care.
Without a doubt, we are to take their life and rearing seriously, and to guide them diligently. We have been given the right and privilege of being the "fountains of domestic authority" but that doesn't give us license to let our passions run away with us so we make their lives miserable. We don't over-indulge them and let them become sinful, spoiled pigs, but we don't make their life miserable either. We pour out love and grace, living with a good temper and reasonable expectations.
I know we've covered a lot today, but if you take away anything, please remember how much Jesus loves children, and so we are to love them too. They are a priority to Him, so they are important to us. They are a blessing, a joy and a responsibility that we have been given. So let us embrace them, hold them in our arms, bless them, and thank God for them.


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Guest Article: 'It is 24-7, go-go-go' - Logistics Cluster and ETC come together for the 2018 gear.UP training
It's 1.30am, and more than 40 responders from the humanitarian community sit to discuss the latest operational update. They've each had just 10 hours sleep over a 72-hour period – in a tent. It's cold. Stress levels are high, lack of sleep is taking its toll, and it'll be at least another 90 minutes before bedtime is an option. They're three days in to a seven-day emotional rollercoaster.
For humanitarians across the world, this scene is strikingly similar to that of a sudden onset emergency. But these people are not responding to a real-life crisis, they're in the midst of one of the largest scale humanitarian preparedness and response simulations.
Next week, more than 200 participants and facilitators from 35 organisations will once again descend upon Neuhausen in Germany for gear.UP: an intense and arduous week-long event, led jointly by the Logistics Cluster and the Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC).
It's the second year in a row the two WFP-led clusters have teamed up for the simulation, which is centred on reinforcing coordination and offering participants the opportunity to learn from each other in as near-field conditions as possible. To mark the event, we caught up with a few of last year's participants on how they found the simulation, the biggest challenges, and what advice they'd give to this year's participants.
What are your reflections from last year's event?
"The most important part was how real it all felt."
It was a super intense environment, and in many instances the pressure was higher than emergencies I'd worked on previously. When things got super tough, everyone picked up tasks outside their expertise, to ensure the job got done. Team dynamics were very strong," Julie Vanderwiel, WFP.
"Fantastic! The main reason? I felt it was as close to a real-life emergency as possible, working with people from different organisations and different sectors. I was also able to gain a lot of technical knowledge that I didn't have previously. As a logistician, being part of a joint event with ETC meant I learned a lot more about how communications work, how to deal with the set-up and the type of support ETC provides to the humanitarian community. I definitely felt ready to be deployed for Logistics Cluster or any other organisations," Pieter Bakker, Tearfund.
What are the benefits of joint-cluster capacity building initiatives?
"Training side-by-side in a joint-cluster setting is a great opportunity to get closer to the reality on the ground. The ETC and Logistics Cluster are often referred as "services clusters," supporting humanitarians in carrying out their life-saving operations. Both clusters work very closely together in every operation as they need each other to operate well. It also offers more opportunities for us to interact with actual organisations that use our services, supporting their operational needs, which adds to the realism of the simulation. Overall, being able to practice together in a simulation builds working relationships, which makes a huge difference when the time comes to actually deploy to the next emergency," Caroline Teyssier, ETC.
What advice would you give to participants this year?
Get stuck into it. Jumping in and giving it your all is the most beneficial way to approach this. It is 24/7, go-go-go. Remember it is supposed to be a learning experience, so if you have the opportunity to lead a group or join a meeting, go for it. Don't be afraid of making mistakes. The amount of information that facilitators throw at you is immense, and it is intended to put you under enormous pressure. Everyone makes mistakes, but that's what makes it's such a great learning environment," Graham Woodcock, Concern International.
This joint-cluster initiative is being generously hosted by THW, co-funded by the German Federal Foreign Office and the Government of Luxembourg and supported by Ericsson. The event is organised by the Logistics Cluster, ETC, Emergency.LU and THW.
Read more about Logistics Cluster and ETC trainings.

subset: commoncrawl


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Games Like Agario, commonly referred to as Agario, is a simple and powerful multiplayer game that has been immensely popular. Akin to another game that we have grown with Nokia Snake Agario is started with a tiny cell.
You will grow it in size by gobbling up other smaller cells. You just need to swallow the smaller cells or even bigger ones to grow bigger, at the same time saving yourself from the bigger ones from swallowing you.
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The unprecedented success of the game has induced many games that are similar to Agario. Good for the gamers out there if you too are one of those who are looking for games like Agario, this article is specifically meant for you.Here are our top five picks for the games like Agario. We assume that the list would appeal to the die-hard gamers out there.
Top Five Games Like Agario A Perfect Alternatives List
The success of Agario has inspired a lot of copycats. If you search for games like Agario, you end up with hundreds of different games beckoning you. Not all of them live up to your expectations. That is exactly why we set out to find the browser games like Agario that are genuine enough.
Slither.io will remind you of the age-old, yet nostalgic Nokia Snake game. It has indeed been considered to be a combination of Agario and Nokia Snake.
Your œsnake goes on eating the colorful orbs on its way, thereby growing in size. And yes, your snake to gets colorful in the process. The multiplayer game lets the players trick each other into colliding with one another. This will cause the snake to dissolve back into the constituent orbs, thereby giving the opponents a chance to grow in size by gobbling them up.
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From the graphics point of view, Slither.io is more advanced than Agario. It does load up faster and lets you play it with ease. The game is available both on Android and iOS. It is free to play a game that offers you a massive multiplayer functionality. A good candidate for the games like Agario.
Just like Agario, your objective is to eat up cells and grow in size. The 2D game is has a massively multiplayer functionality and deserves to be included in the games like the Agario list.
Developed by Freakinware Studios, the game has the same gameplay that you would see in Agario. You can choose between the four modes of play Free-to-play, Capture the Flag, Random Team, and Guilds War. It also offers you other features like trajectory attack and splitting. The unique graphical characters within the game make it a little refreshing option for those looking for Agario alternatives.
Mitos.is brings in the fun element to the fore in this contender to the top spot among the Agario like games.
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War In Space
The war in Space is a unique game in itself. An Agario like a game that combines the concept of high-end warfare games within, it has the action set up in space.
To begin with, you have a weak spaceship. Your aim is to go on collecting scrap, which is part of the dead enemies. These scraps can be used to buy ship upgrades or ammunitions. It is not exactly like the game of Agario in the strict sense of the word. However, you grow your ship in size and powers as the case may be.
War In Space can be a highly addictive and multiplayer game that can meet your needs for games like Agario on PC. There are several strategic depths that make it a good choice for Agario fans. The graphics are a treat and step ahead of Agario. Worth trying if you are a fan of Agario and Warfare games.
Osmos is a cool arcade game that was introduced several years before Agario came into being. Though it has the same gameplay as on Agario, it adds up physics-based game strategies for adding more charm.
There are time warps and other specialized dynamics. The sound track is quite minimalistic. The physics-based strategies introduce awesome graphics. It is indeed worth your efforts if you are looking for a game like Agario. Osmos comes under the Arcade and Puzzle genre and offers you an addictive game play. The background that has an amazing ambient world makes it a great choice you can go with.
Read Also:Nintendo 3DS Emulator on Personal Computer
This is yet another good inclusion to the list of games like Agario. A perfect amalgamation of Agario and Slither.io, it offers you great gameplay that is both amazing and addictive.
The concept remains the same eat and get bigger. Even then, that sets it apart from similar games is the huge deal of special power-ups. These power-ups introduce newer styles and additional functionalities. There are several obstacles you need to steer clear of if you want to keep playing the game.
However, the pace of the game is not faster enough. However, the addictive nature of Supersnake.io compensates for it.
The Concluding Thoughts
That would conclude our top five picks for the games like Agario. However, we would not claim that this is an exclusive list. There are several games that can be equally able contenders for the Toppers position. Agario, by any standard, is a trendsetter for the time killer addictive games.
Thus, apart from the ones we have featured in the above paragraphs, there are several other games that vie for attention. Some of them can be Cosmic Crush, Wings.io and Limax.io.
Are you a fan of any other games like Agario? If you think we have missed any honorable mentions that this list should have included, you can let us know about them. We would definitely update our list if we find your recommendations are indeed worth it.


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Atlanta's fans cringed when John Malone bought their team. They are all smiles now
When it comes to money and winning, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox get all the attention. But the Atlanta Braves actually have a better record over the past two decades: a .593 win rate, the highest in baseball. Even so, they've had some troubles over the last few years, and it looked like things might get still worse when they were sold last year.
The team has had essentially the same management since 1990, when its then owner, Ted Turner, took on John Schuerholz as general manager and installed Bobby Cox as manager. Under those two the Braves invested in building one of the best minor league systems in baseball. While the Yankees and Red Sox threw buckets of money at veteran free agents, the Braves used their farm system to develop their own all-stars, like Chipper Jones, Tom Glavine and Andruw Jones, and they won 14 consecutive division titles from 1991 through 2005.
However, by last year the organization that once called itself "America's Team" seemed to be running on fumes.
The biggest blow appeared to come in May last year, when Major League Baseball owners approved Time Warner's sale of the team to
The team's fans would have preferred it be saved by a local with a passion for sports. Malone was worth $2.2 billion, but what did he care about baseball? Indeed, he beat out two serious Atlanta bidders, Arthur Blank, owner of the football Atlanta Falcons, and J. Ronald Terwilliger, chief executive of the real estate firm Trammell Crow Residential. Malone exchanged 68.5 million shares of Time Warner stock for $960 million in cash, a hobbyist publisher and the Braves, which were valued at $450 million. The trade seems to have allowed Liberty to largely sidestep the capital gains taxes it would have owed had it sold the Time Warner shares. "The Braves were certainly a convenient asset in the transaction," Malone admits.
Some of the Braves' players worried out loud that Malone would care more about the bottom line than about winning. Fans were plain angry. "It was frustrating because it went against MLB's stated policies of local and personal ownership," says Mac A. Thomason, who writes a Braves fan blog.
They were in for a surprise: Malone, 66, whose Liberty already owned a small piece of the team through a stake in Time Warner, is starting to look like just what the Braves needed. He's moving ahead with an ambitious and expensive turnaround plan that the team launched five years ago, and he's even pumped in some Liberty money to push it along.
As part of the purchase agreement with MLB, Malone agreed to retain Braves executives, including Chief Executive Terence (Terry) McGuirk, 56; Schuerholz, 67, who last year became president; and Frank Wren, 50, the current general manager. It's a front office New York Yankees President Randy Levine calls "outstanding, one of the best in baseball." Malone says, "We don't have to run the baseball team, nor would we be any good at it. This is not unusual for us. We've always had a highly decentralized approach to running businesses."
The turnaround effort has already begun to bear fruit. This year, with a mix of young fielders like Mark Teixeira and Brian McCann and veteran pitchers like Tim Hudson and John Smoltz, the Braves are contenders again. Attendance still lags behind that of the glory days of the 1990s, but it was up from 2.5 million last season and could reach 3 million this year, after vast stadium renovations and improvements in parking, concessions and guest services.
Even without making the postseason last year, the Braves brought in $28.1 million in operating income. FORBES values the team at $497 million, seventh among baseball's 30 teams.
Malone has given his baseball people all the money they need, upping the club payroll from $87 million to $102 million, the tenth highest in the majors. "I think the management, if anything, is reasonably more empowered now," says Liberty's chief executive, Gregory Maffei. "We've backed them and given them freedom to move." At first there was fear Malone might flip the team for a quick profit, but he says he can see owning it for decades, even though he's contractually obliged to hold on only until 2011. "Most of the assets we're in we've owned for a long time," he says, citing his involvement in Turner Broadcasting--since 1986--and QVC. "I like to think the Braves are an appreciating asset."
He now holds a franchise that was built by a fellow cable genius who happens to be a good friend. Ted Turner was the young owner of an Atlanta TV channel in 1976, when he bought the Braves for $10 million to help fill out his programming. His station, which would later grow into tbs, became the first to broadcast games to a nationwide audience.
When he sold the team to Time Warner in 1996, it kept winning, but the players felt a change. "We were told that it would be no different, but it was," says Tom Glavine, a Braves pitcher from 1987 to 2002 and again this year. "Ted was very involved with the team. If we needed a player at the summer trading deadline, he would go out and get him. With Time Warner it became more bureaucratic, more focused on the bottom line."
In 1997 the Braves moved to Turner Field, formerly Centennial Stadium at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and a strange thing happened. They continued to win their division, but attendance plunged, from 3.5 million in 1997 to 2.3 million in 2004. They lost 10,000 season ticket holders, the bread and butter of their revenue. Time Warner's initial response was to cut the $103 million payroll by $20 million after 2003, which meant the loss of stars like Gary Sheffield and Greg Maddux.
In late 2003 McGuirk hired Derek Schiller, head of marketing for the Atlanta Thrashers hockey team, and Mike P. Plant, who had been president of the Goodwill Games, to address the attendance woes. "It was a pretty unique situation," Schiller says. "The team was winning, so we knew that wasn't the problem." What they found: traffic and parking issues, bad stadium food and terrible customer service. Also, the team was a constant disappointment in the postseason, winning only one World Series despite 14 consecutive division titles. "It is irritating, and it doesn't accurately reflect how well the organization functioned and how good the players and manager were," Schuerholz says.
Schiller and Plant did a yearlong, $1.5 million study and then added electronic signage on nearby highways and overhauled the parking lots to add 600 more spaces. "Then we blew out the concessions," Plant says, making the operators upgrade both staff and menus. They hired Ritz-Carlton's worldwide director of employee training to oversee the ticket takers and ushers. All new stadium employees now have to pass a 45-minute psychological exam, and ushers write introductory letters to the season ticket holders they'll be serving.
Schiller and Plant also revamped the marketing. Under the old regime the Braves bombarded all their fans with one set of TV and radio ads. Now they target hard-core fans during game broadcasts, for example, and go after mothers, who buy tickets less often and farther in advance, at the supermarket checkout.
But the biggest changes are within the stadium. In 2005 the team spent $10 million on a 70-foot-high high-definition screen that looms over center field. The city owns Turner Field and won't let the Braves sell naming rights to it for another six years, but in 2005 the team opened $3 million Tooner Field next door as a place for kids to play during games, with the Cartoon Network as sponsor. Last year the Braves launched all-you-can-eat seats, sponsored by ampm convenience stores, where patrons pay $35 to $70 to eat and drink to their heart's content. They've also started the Suntrust Club, 143 premium seats only 43 feet behind home plate (closer to it than the pitcher's mound). That cost $6 million, with its underground high-end lounge and bar, but the seats go for $25,000 a season apiece.
In all, the Braves have spent $30 million over the last five years making the fans want to come back, and it seems to be working. Not only is attendance up, but 20% of the 10,000 season ticket holders lost in the early 2000s are back. All of which helped make 2007 the team's most profitable year in at least a decade. The Braves did a superb job replacing TBS, divvying up the games to three stations. This season the baseball players will bring in $57 million from broadcasts on FSN South, SportSouth and Peachtree TV, a local Atlanta station.
Still, Malone knows that maximizing his return ultimately depends on how the Braves do on the diamond. Shortly after he bought the team it acquired a big-hitting first baseman, Mark Teixeira, who makes $12 million a year, and this off-season it won back Glavine, who earns $8 million. "Off-season moves like that mean a lot to people who have been here," says third baseman Chipper Jones, who has been with the Braves since 1990. Malone says he has set no limit on the payroll: "We won't be cheap. We'd like to win. If Terry calls up and says they need something, they'll get it."
After winning the World Series in 1995, the Braves had special rings made up for big Turner shareholders. Malone received one, but he rarely wears it. He's waiting for one earned on his watch.Subscribe to Forbes and Save. Click Here.
I am the author of the New York Times bestseller, "Saban: The Making of a Coach," a biography of Alabama head coach, Nick Saban. I'm also the author of "4TH And Goal: One…
I am the author of the New York Times bestseller, "Saban: The Making of a Coach," a biography of Alabama head coach, Nick Saban. I'm also the author of "4TH And Goal: One Man's Quest to Recapture His Dream," which won an Axiom Award, and "Sowbelly: The Obsessive Quest for the World Record Largemouth Bass," which was named one of the best books of the year by Sports Illustrated and Amazon, and was chosen for Barnes & Noble's "Discover Great New Writers" program. My latest book is "Lords of the Fly: Madness, Obsession, and the Hunt for the World Record Tarpon." After a 14-year stint as a reporter, staff writer and editor at Forbes, I am now a contributing editor at the magazine. I'm also a contributing editor at Garden & Gun and The Drake. You can reach me at email@example.com, via Twitter @monteburke, or through monteburke.com.


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In case you're tired of your earphones constantly falling out while you jog or work out, Sony's new music player, the W Series Walkman [JP], might be the right device for you. It's light (35g), cordless and curls around your neck and over the ears.
Sony claims the secure fit is guarenteed even when you work out for hours. The company targets people in their 20s who can choose tracks and adjust the volume through a dial on the right earpiece. The device supports music files in ATRAC/MP3/WMA/AAC/Linear PCM (WAV) format and has 2GB of internal memory.
The W Walkman was announced during CES 2009, and Sony has added four colors to the line-up (black, white, pink and lime green). The street price in Japan, where the device will go on sale on June 13, is $110.
Watch the video below [JP] to see how the W Walkman looks like in action.


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Upon receipt of the returned item, we will fully examine it and notify you via email, within a reasonable period of time, whether you are entitled to a return. If you are entitled to a return, we will refund your purchase price and a credit will automatically be applied to your original method of payment.
Only regular priced items may be refunded. Sale items are non-refundable.
To follow-up on the status of your return, please contact us at email@example.com.
2. Exchanges
We only exchange goods if they are defective or damaged. In circumstances where you consider that a product is defective, you should promptly contact us at email@example.com with details of the product and the defect. You can send the item you consider defective to:
3D-Fuel Returns
2222 7th Ave North
Fargo, ND 58102
Upon receipt of the returned product, we will fully examine it and notify you via e-mail, within a reasonable period of time, whether you are entitled to a replacement as a result of the defect. If you are eligible, we will send you a replacement product.
3. Shipping
To return the item you purchased, please mail it to:
3D-Fuel Returns
2222 7th AVE North
Fargo, ND 58102
Refunds do not include any shipping and handling charges shown on the packaging slip or invoice. Shipping charges for all returns must be prepaid and insured by you. You are responsible for any loss or damage to hardware during shipment. We do not guarantee that we will receive your returned item. Shipping and handling charges are not refundable. Any amounts refunded will not include the cost of shipping.


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GAT is the test from National Testing Service for the students for the admissions in MS / M.Phil programs. GAT is an abbreviation of the Graduate Assessment Test that is the program to provide by the NTS that invites the students to pass the test and have admission to related Universities of NTS in MS / M.Phil programs. The result of the GAT result is valid until 2 Years for admissions.
The candidates who are completed their Sixteen years of education are eligible to apply and appear in GAT. We are providing you the NTS GAT Test. (General Subject Law) Dates and Schedule 2020 Application Test Center & Result. There are some types of Graduate Assessment test Like GAT subject. The subject test helps to evaluate, analyze, solve problems, understand relationships, and interpret material in a specific area of study.
NTS GAT Test General Subject Law Dates and Schedule 2020 Application Test Center and Result
In GAT subject the students who complete their 18 years of education and the validity date is of GAT subject is also for 2 years. GAT Candidate intending to improve their previous GAT score can also apply. The candidates will have to qualify for other specified criteria of the universities.
Under the Pakistan Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils Rules, 1976 a law graduate desirous of seeking enrollment as an Advocate to practice law, is required to pass an Assessment Test, for being eligible to apply to a Bar Council for that purpose. The Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) has, therefore, assigned National Testing Service the responsibility to conduct Law Graduate Assessment Test.
You must visit here to see more about related topics.


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Free Shipping!
2 5/8 Inch Barrel Diameter
3Fusion End Cap Redirects Energy Back Into The Barrel
3Fusion Taper Designed To Improve Weight Distribution & Feel
-10 Length To Weight Ratio
Approved For Play In AABC, Babe Ruth, Cal Ripken, Dixie Youth, Little League, & Pony
Balanced Swing Weight
Colorway: Silver / Black / Blue
Full Twelve (12) Month Manufacturer's Warranty
New Paraflex Plus Composite Handle Creates A Responsive & Premium Feel On Contact
Two-Piece, Hybrid Baseball Bat
USA Baseball Certification Stamp
X14 Alloy Barrel Delivers Precision Performance With Resilient Strength
Relax into your stance when you're swinging this 2019 DeMarini Voodoo Balanced baseball bat. The X14 alloy of the Half + Half construction means this bat's barrel is ready for season after season of play, delivering serious pop with every hit. Experience an all-new handle design with the Paraflex Plus Composite for a responsive feel every time you make contact with the ball. The 3Fusion technology is integrated into the taper for a supremely balanced swing and excellent weight distribution. The 3Fusion end cap makes the most of the sweet spot, keeping all of the energy of your hit right in the barrel to produce the most force behind the swing. DeMarini: Can't Stop!
This DeMarini Voodoo USA Baseball Bat (WTDXUD219) features a drop 10 length to weight ratio, a 2 5/8-inch barrel diameter, and the new USA Bat stamp. Take the field in any AABC, Babe Ruth, Cal Ripken, Dixie Youth, Little League or Pony game with this approved hit helper. Take the field in any AABC, Babe Ruth, Cal Ripken, Dixie Youth, Little League or Pony game with this approved hit helper. Leave pitchers struggling with the call as you dig into the box knowing you will crush whatever he throws at you. This DeMarini baseball bat costs nothing to ship and comes with a one year manufacturer's warranty. Don't forget, with our 24/7 customer service, we'll be here for you from click to hit!
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Questions and Answers (22)
Have a question about the DeMarini Voodoo -10 USA Baseball Bat: WTDXUD219? Ask our team of experts and they will respond within 24 hours.
About the Brand
In 1992, DeMarini Sports had something to celebrate. The three-year-old company had climbed a rung on the proverbial ladder of success, moving its world headquarters from a dirt-floored barn to a slightly larger metal shack. "It was a big move for us," recalled Ray DeMarini from the batting cage of DeMarini Sport's present-day Bat Industrial Complex. "The new shop was larger, more storm resistant, and -best of all- it had a heater."
In the early days, DeMarini Sports hardly made a blip on the radar screen of softball. With no retailers and virtually no advertising budget, DeMarini grew steadily by selling high-performance bats directly to customers. While established companies made "juiced" bats for the pros and ordinary bats for the public, DeMarini focused on making one line of high-performance bats for pros and amateurs alike. This approach, combined with a passion for the sport, led to the greatest innovation in softball history - the world's first multi-wall bat: the DeMarini Doublewall.
Released in 1993, the DeMarini Doublewall was the world's first multi-wall bat. Like a modern golf driver or oversized tennis racket, the Doublewall had a giant "sweetspot," which allowed average players to hit like pros. DeMarini's sales exploded, and before long opposing bat manufacturers to notice. DeMarini - a homegrown company led by a softball fanatic - had shaken the establishment silly.
To understand the rise of the DeMarini Dynasty, you need to know Ray DeMarini. A cult hero among avid players, Ray DeMarini emerged on the professional softball scene at the age of 40, a veritable geriatric among younger players. With a scientific approach to training, a batting speed of 96 miles-per-hour and a bombastic attitude, DeMarini fast earned a reputation as a savage competitor.
In June of 1987, ESPN launched a nationwide search for a hardcore player to advise on a series of instructional softball videos. When approached by producer Erich Lytle, the biggest boys in softball repeatedly spoke of a five-foot-seven softball giant—Ray DeMarini. DeMarini had mastered reflex hitting, a technique that drops the ball squarely between the infield and outfield. Impressed with DeMarini's knowledge and scientific approach to training, Lytle not only hired Ray as an advisor—he hired him as the host. Together, they produced Ray DeMarini's Reflex Hitting System, ESPN's most successful home video to date.
Having garnered national recognition through ESPN, Ray turned his efforts toward designing a high-performance bat for the masses. To accomplish this, he needed an engineer. "Not just an engineer," he said, "but a boot-strapping rocket scientist who could build an empire with pocket change." Ray's call was answered by Mike Eggiman. Having grown up on a farm, Eggiman was adept at making the most of a situation. Case in point: the company's first piece of automated bat-making equipment had the heart of an abandoned washing machine.
With Eggiman as Chief Engineer, DeMarini Sports delivered a series of industry firsts: the first multi-wall bat (Doublewall Distance), the first high-performance bat for massive players (Fatboy) and the first high-performance youth bat (Black Coyote).
In 2000, DeMarini joined forces with Wilson Sporting Goods to develop the next generation of hitting technology. Ray believed it was a perfect fit, as both companies shared a vision of developing game-enhancing equipment for avid players. What's more, the companies had complimentary products: Wilson was the leader in gloves, balls and protective gear, while DeMarini made the world's finest bats. According to Chris Considine, Vice President/General Manager of Wilson Sporting Goods: "The thing that struck me most about DeMarini was their passion for sports and their true competitiveness.
Within a year, DeMarini unveiled the industry's first concept bat, the $35,000 F1. Secured under lock and key at the DeMarini Bat Industrial Complex in Hillsboro, Oregon, the F1 served as a technological storehouse for future products, including DeMarini's landmark Half & Half system.
In December 2001, 12 years after the genesis of DeMarini Sports, Ray DeMarini died of cancer in his Northwest Portland home. He was 55. The next summer, the Portland Metro Softball Association paid homage to the "King of Softball" with the dedication of Ray DeMarini Field. Formerly known as Delta #1, the field was DeMarini's favorite place to test bats during the early days of business. Ray DeMarini—bat maker and player extraordinaire—was remembered for his high-performance softball bats and unwavering encouragement of everyday players. Today, a 40-foot sign announcing RAY DEMARINI FIELD graces the outfield, and an interpretive display chronicling Ray's life greets players as they register for games.
More "Insane Dedication to Performance" is in store for tomorrow.
Bat Properties
|Approved For
|USA Bat
|Barrel Diameter
|2 5/8"
|Baseball Bats
|Bat Construction
|Bat Type
|Closeout Bats Bundle and Save
|Length to Weight Ratio
|Half and Half
|Swing Weight
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The magnificent Strand at Portstewart conjures up images of lazy summer days, picnics & sandcastles.
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Multiple Domain Names
Multiple Domain Names
In this episode, I address a question from a gentleman in Brazil. (Wow, freaking Brazil!) And his question is about which SEO optimized domain name he should buy.
The actual domain names are not as important as the fact that BOTH of them should probably be used if they are good keyword search terms. But only doing your homework will reveal that. Of course I also talk about how you can use multiple domain names without the need for multiple websites. In fact, this is yet another tactic that I employ for my company website.
My old rivervalleyhosting.com domain name also has about another 3 dozen domain names parked on top of it. So, no matter which domain is visited, it all displays one website. Check it out and be sure to subscribe!
There's a lot more where that came from
If you like my Multiple Domain Names video, be sure to share it and check out my other 5 Minutes With Charles videos. Also, even though my videos are about a lot of different topics, I am always focused on one thing – getting you more customers! That's what we do and who we are!
P.S. I will be publishing a lot more content just like this, so if you feel this is good shit, which you know it is, let us know! Also, be sure to ask your questions on any of our social media pages and who knows, maybe your question will be the next one to get answered in one of my videos.
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