text:
Horae Homileticae
Simeon's Horae Homileticae
Wells of Living Water
Verses 8-11
DISCOURSE: 1702
OFFICES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
John 16:8-11. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
IN judging of the dispensations of God's providence or grace, we are extremely apt to err. Hence we often mourn for things, which, if we knew the end of them, would afford us occasion for joy. This was the case with the Disciples, who were dejected on account of their Lord's approaching departure from them. To relieve their minds, our Lord not only promised them another Comforter, but told them for what ends and purposes that Comforter should come:
To "convince the world of sin"—
This office the Spirit executed among the Jews—
[The sin of rejecting Christ was that which the Spirit was more particularly to reveal to the world; and he discovered it fully by his miraculous operations on the Disciples [Note: Christ had rested, as it were, the whole credit of his Messiahship on this one point: consequently, the visible descent of the Spirit, accompanied with the miraculous gift of tongues, was such an attestation to Christ, as could not be doubted, and such a reproof to his murderers as could not be withstood.], and wrought an irresistible conviction of it by his gracious influences on the hearts of thousands.]
This office too he yet executes in the Christian Church—
[The external testimony which he gave, remains the same in all ages: the internal witness is given to those only whom "God has ordained to life." To them the Spirit shews the number, the greatness, the malignity of their sins; and particularly, the guilt, and danger of that unbelief, in which they have ignorantly lain. This is the Spirit's work; nor is it wrought in any, but by his almighty power [Note: Zechariah 4:6. 2 Corinthians 5:5. 1 Corinthians 12:11.].]
If he proceeded no farther, he would not be a Comforter; but it is his office also,
To convince the world "of righteousness"—
This also was accomplished by him on his first descent from heaven—
[Christ, though professing himself the Saviour of the world, had been crucified as a malefactor. The Spirit therefore was to evince, both that Christ was a righteous person, and that through his righteousness others also might be saved. Accordingly, by his descent, the Spirit proved these things beyond a doubt. He shewed that Christ was accepted of the Father (which he would not have been, if he had been an impostor), and had finished all that was necessary for our salvation; seeing that, if any thing had remained to have been done on earth, he must have returned hither in order to complete it [Note: See the text.]. He moreover inclined, and enabled multitudes to believe on him for righteousness, whom they had just before reprobated as worthy of universal execration.]
And yet daily is he occupied in glorifying Christ among us—
[Whomsoever the Spirit convinces thoroughly of sin, he leads also to discoveries of Christ. He shews to the soul the suitableness and all—sufficiency of Christ's righteousness to all those who trust in it [Note: ver. 14.], and leads them, with holy glorying, to say, "In the Lord have I righteousness and strength [Note: Isaiah 45:24.]."]
He has yet further undertaken,
To convince the world of judgment—
He shewed to the first Christians that Satan was a vanquished foe—
[By the descent of the Spirit it was manifest, that Christ had triumphed over sin and Satan, death and hell [Note: Ephesians 4:8. Colossians 2:15.]. By his gracious influences also, he rescued myriads from their power, and inspired them with an holy confidence, that they should finally prevail over all their spiritual enemies [Note: 2 Timothy 1:12.].]
Thus at this day does he cause the weakest to exult over their fallen enemy—
[However active and malicious Satan is, his head is bruised [Note: Genesis 3:15.], his power is limited [Note: Revelation 2:10. 1 Peter 5:8.], his doom is fixed [Note: Romans 16:20.]. Of this the Holy Spirit assures the weak and trembling believer; and puts into his mouth, even in the midst of all his conflicts, that triumphant song [Note: Romans 8:38-39.]—]
Of conviction—
[All true Christians have received the Spirit for the ends and purposes for which he is here promised. In vain then will be our orthodoxy in sentiment, if we have not this evidence of our conversion to God [Note: Romans 8:9.]. Let us pray that the Spirit may be poured out upon us; and let our views of our guilt and weakness lead us to glory in Christ alone.]
Of consolation—
[Are we bowed down with a sense of sin? we may be sure that Christ has sent his Spirit to work that conviction in us; and that, if we be instant in prayer, he will, by the same Spirit, lead us also to a view of his righteousness. Are we ready to despond by reason of the power of sin? the resistance which the Holy Spirit has enabled us already to make to its dominion, is a pledge that "we shall be more than conquerors, through Him that loved us [Note: Romans 8:37.]." Let us only seek the Spirit as our Comforter, and we need regret no loss, no pain, no trouble, that may be the means of bringing him into our hearts.]
THE OFFICE OF THE SPIRIT TO GLORIFY CHRIST
John 16:14. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
MANY imagine that the doctrine of the Divinity of Christ is founded on some few passages only of Holy Writ, on passages too which may possibly be of doubtful interpretation. But the truth is, that that doctrine pervades the whole New Testament; so that scarcely any part of it can be fairly explained except on the hypothesis, that Christ is God. Take for instance the passage before us. Our blessed Saviour told his Disciples that he would "send to them the Comforter, even the Spirit of Truth, who should guide them into all truth, and shew them things to come [Note: ver. 7, 13.]." But is he a man, or a mere created being, that arrogates to himself this power? Of that Spirit he proceeds to say, "He shall glorify me." What language is this? Does a creature say, he will send the Spirit of the living God to glorify him? That God should send a creature for the advancement of his own glory, is intelligible enough: but that a creature should send God for the advancement of his glory, is what no rational being would for a moment admit. But further; our Saviour adds, "He shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you." What! Has a creature any thing that he can call his own; and which is of so mysterious a nature, that it cannot be known, except God himself shall make it the subject of a special revelation? And has he such an exclusive propriety in that thing, that it must be acknowledged to be his, at the very time that God is taking of it in order to shew it unto men? This was so strong an assertion of his Godhead, that the Disciples themselves appear to have been staggered at it; on which account our Lord proceeded to vindicate and confirm the expression he had used: "All that the Father hath, is mine: therefore said I that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you [Note: ver. 15.]."
The whole declaration, if viewed in this light only, is of infinite importance: but, without insisting on this doctrine, which only incidentally arises out of the text, we shall turn our attention to the doctrines more directly contained in it; and shall shew you,
The office of the Spirit—
The whole of our Saviour's life was a state of humiliation: the establishing of his proper character was committed to the third Person in the ever—blessed Trinity, who was in due time to come down from heaven for the express purpose of glorifying Christ. In what way he was to glorify Christ, is specified in the text; he was to take, as it were, all the excellencies of Christ, and to display them before the eyes of all his people. Among these excellencies we will mention a few, which are deserving of more especial notice:
The virtue of his sacrifice—
[Man, as soon as he begins to be truly "convinced of sin," is apt to doubt whether his iniquities be not too great to be forgiven. But the Holy Spirit discovers to him from the word, that the death of Christ was a propitiation, not for the sins of a few only, but for the sins of the whole world; that "his blood has an efficacy to cleanse from all sin;" and that all who believe in him "shall be justified from all things," even from "sins of a scarlet or crimson dye." How glorious does Christ then appear in the sinner's eyes!]
The prevalence of his intercession—
[After a person has believed in Christ, he still is renewed only in part; "the flesh still lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, so that he cannot do the things that he would." Hence he is sometimes led to fear that God will cast him off, and be no more entreated by him. Then the Holy Spirit shews him that Christ is "his Advocate with the Father [Note: 1 John 2:1-2.]," and that he "ever liveth in heaven on purpose to make intercession for him." He convinces him that Christ can never intercede in vain, for that "him the Father heareth always;" and that consequently the backslider, as well as the newly—awakened sinner, shall be saved to the uttermost, if only he look to Christ as his all—prevailing Advocate and Mediator. Thus the Spirit still further endears the Saviour to the believing soul.]
The sufficiency of his grace—
[Conflicts innumerable both with sin and Satan will still remain, even such conflicts as may bring the believer sometimes to the borders of despair. But then the Spirit again proceeds in his work of glorifying Christ: he shews the soul, that there is, by the Father's own appointment, an inexhaustible fulness of grace treasured up in Christ [Note: Colossians 2:9.] out of which his people shall receive all the grace that they shall stand in need of [Note: John 1:16.]: and that, whatever their conflicts or temptations may be, his grace shall be sufficient for them [Note: 2 Corinthians 12:9.]. How precious does Christ then become, when the believer, after crying, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me?" is enabled to add, "I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord [Note: Romans 7:24-25.]:" "In the Lord have I righteousness and strength [Note: Isaiah 45:24-25.]!"]
The extent of his love—
[Of this no finite being can form any adequate idea; much less can the language of mortality express it. But in some degree it is the privilege of "all saints to have" it "revealed to them by the Spirit." The times and seasons, as well as the manner and degree, of making this revelation to the soul, are altogether ordered by that Spirit "who divideth to every man severally as he will." Generally it is in some season of trial or affliction, and by means either of some remarkable providence, or of the written word, that he thus glorifies Christ: but, O! when he does take of the love of Christ, and discover unto men "its length and breadth and depth and height [Note: Ephesians 3:17-18.], what joy and transport does he impart! truly it is "a joy that is unspeakable and glorified;" a very heaven upon earth. Such manifestations of the Saviour's glory cannot be made to the world, because the world has no dispositions suited to them: but to the believer they are made; and they produce in him a determination of heart to consecrate himself wholly and for ever to the Lord.]
The greatness of his salvation—
[Salvation, when first embraced, is regarded almost exclusively as a deliverance from everlasting punishment. But when the Spirit of God brings it more fully to our view, how amazing does it appear: and how glorious does that Saviour appear who has obtained it for us! The renovation of the soul after the Divine image, and the investing of it with all the glory and felicity of heaven, a glory inconceivable, a felicity everlasting; truly salvation, in this view of it, overwhelms the soul with wonder, and prepares it to do and suffer whatever can be done or suffered, for the ultimate enjoyment of it.]
Such being the office of the Spirit, let us consider,
Our duty arising from it—
We have an office similar in some respects to that which is sustained by the Spirit himself: we are all in our place and station to glorify Christ, and to take of the things that are his, and shew them unto men.
This is our duty,
As Ministers—
[Our Lord particularly marks this connexion between the office of the Holy Spirit, and that which his Disciples were to execute in the world [Note: John 15:26-27.]. They were sent forth, as all other ministers are, to testify of Christ, and to exalt him in the eyes of men. At this day, no less than in the apostolic age, is this the duty of those who are his ambassadors to a guilty world: we are to speak of Christ, to set forth the fulness and excellency of his salvation, and to commend him to the love of all around us. Counting all things but dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ ourselves, we should labour day and night to impart it unto others. How earnest the Apostles were in this blessed work, may be seen from their first addresses to the unbelieving Jews [Note: Acts 2:32-36; Acts 4:10-12.]: and we in like manner should "contend earnestly for the faith," and determine to know nothing among our people but Jesus Christ and him crucified. The treasure of divine knowledge is put into us, as earthen vessels, for this purpose; and "God has shined into our hearts for this very end, that we may give unto all around us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ [Note: 2 Corinthians 4:6-7.]." What a glorious office is this! O that every minister bore it fully in mind: and that all who profess to execute it, might execute it with their whole hearts, and "with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven!"]
As private Christians—
[Our Lord assigns the same office to all his people; "All mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them [Note: John 17:10.]." All indeed are not called upon to exert themselves as ministers: but all are to glorify Christ by a holy conversation, and are to take of his virtues and his graces, and to exhibit them to the world. This is one end of their calling, namely, "to shew forth the virtues of him that hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous light [Note: 1 Peter 2:9. The marginal reading.]." All are to "shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life" in their own conduct, so that all may read it, yea, may be compelled to read it, as transcribed in their lives [Note: Philippians 2:15-16.]. What an exalted office is this for every private Christian! O that all might be ambitious to execute it aright! for Christ himself has said, "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye may bring forth much fruit; so shall ye be my Disciples [Note: John 15:8.]."]
THE BENEFIT OF PRAYER
John 16:24. Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
THIS world is justly characterized as a vale of tears. Even they who experience the most happiness, find many interruptions of it: nor is there any way of securing permanent tranquillity, but by waiting upon God in prayer.
The Disciples were sorrowful on account of the approaching departure of their Lord, with whom they had hitherto enjoyed the most familiar fellowship. Our Lord tells them, that though they would no longer be able to inquire [Note: ver. 23. ἐρωτήσετε.] of him, yet, if they would ask [Note: ver. 23. αἰτήσητε.] of the Father in his name, he would grant them whatsoever they should need; and that the answers which they should receive to their prayers would abundantly overbalance the loss of their present privileges, and fill them with unutterable joy.
In the direction given them, we may notice,
Our duty—
It is comprised in one word, "Ask." Now this is,
An easy duty—
[We do not mean that it is always easy to pray, (for there is nothing more difficult when the heart is indisposed for that exercise;) but that is the easiest condition that could possibly be imposed — — — and that, when the heart is in a proper frame, prayer is as easy to the soul, as breathing is to the body: it is the first, and most natural, effort of a living soul: "Behold, he prayeth [Note: Acts 9:11.]!"]
A reasonable duty—
[Man is a dependent creature; and it is but reasonable that he should acknowledge that dependence at a throne of grace, and ask for those mercies which he stands in need of. The very heathens have felt the propriety of supplicating their deities, and have established ordinances whereby they might conciliate the favour of their gods. It is true, that God knows our necessities before we ask: yet is it highly proper that we should spread them before him, in order that we ourselves may be humbled under a sense of them, and that God's mercy in relieving them may be more clearly seen.]
A necessary duty—
[Though God cannot be prevailed upon by dint of importunity [Note: The expressions, Luke 18:7-8. must not lead us to think of God as though he were wrought upon as we are.], yet he has appointed prayer as the means of obtaining his blessings. He has said, "I will be inquired of to do it for them [Note: Ezekiel 36:37.]." There is no room therefore left for us to speculate upon the use of prayer: it is quite sufficient that God has required it as means to an end: and if we will not comply with his injunctions respecting it, it is utterly in vain for us to expect his blessings.]
An acceptable duty—
[Prayer offered to the Deity without any respect to the mediation of Christ, is not acceptable: but when presented in a humble dependence on his atonement, and intercession, it comes up before God as incense, and prevails beyond the utmost extent of our conceptions. It is to prayer offered in this manner, that the promise in the text is given [Note: ver. 23, 24.]. And this has been the qualification of all acceptable prayer from the beginning. Abel was heard on account of his sacrifice [Note: Hebrews 11:4.]. The penitents under the law obtained mercy in no other way [Note: Hebrews 9:22.]. The Jews, when unable, by reason of their captivity, to offer their accustomed sacrifices, were to look towards the temple, which was a type of our incarnate God [Note: 1 Kings 8:47-48. Daniel 6:10.]. And to that same Jesus must we look, trusting in him as "our Advocate with the Father, and as the propitiation for our sins [Note: 1 John 2:1-2.]." Nor did any one ever ask in this manner without obtaining a supply of all his wants.]
To counteract the backwardness of our hearts to this duty, let us consider,
Our encouragement to perform it—
The promise of acceptance is without any limit or exception—
[There is no exception with respect to the persons who may apply to God. The vilest person in the universe, provided he ask in the manner prescribed in the text, shall be heard as readily as the very chief of the Apostles. His past iniquities, of whatever kind they have been, shall not operate as any bar to his acceptance with God — — —
Nor is there any limit respecting the blessings we implore: provided they will really conduce to our good, and to God's glory, they shall be given. However "wide we open our mouths, God will fill them [Note: Psalms 81:10. John 14:13-14.]" — — — The frequent and solemn repetition of this truth by our Lord himself, must of necessity remove all doubt upon the subject [Note: Matthew 7:7-8.]."]
And instances of its accomplishment occur in almost every page of the sacred writings—
[Whether Abel's prayer was answered by fire from heaven which consumed his sacrifice, or by some other token of the Divine favour, the acceptance of it was equally manifest, and the fact is equally encouraging to us. To recount the various instances that occurred from that period to the times of Christ and his Apostles, would be a pleasing task, but would occupy many hours. Suffice it to say, that whether men's prayer has been offered for themselves [Note: John 2:1; John 2:7.] or for others [Note: Exodus 32:11-14.Acts 12:5-9; Acts 12:5-9.], and whether it has been of a more stated and solemn kind [Note: Psalms 18:6.], or only in a sudden ejaculation [Note: Nehemiah 2:4-6.], it has equally prevailed; it has prevailed speedily [Note: 2Ki 20:2; 2 Kings 20:4-5.Daniel 9:20-21; Daniel 9:20-21; Daniel 9:23.], and to a most incredible extent [Note: James 5:17-18.]; and shall yet prevail, by whomsoever it may be offered [Note: James 5:16.].]
This encouragement to prayer is greatly heightened by what is added respecting,
The consequence of a due and acceptable performance of it—
God delights in the prosperity of his people; and desires that they should be happy here, as well as in the world to come. It is with this view that he has enjoined prayer as a duty; because, when performed aright, it is the means of filling the soul with the suhlimest joy.
It tranquillizes the most perturbed mind—
[Let a person under any sudden irritation or calamity betake himself to prayer, and he will speedily find the tempest calmed, and his agitations quieted. No other thing will operate like this. It will enable him to educe good out of every evil: it will not only blunt the edge of all his trials, but will turn his sorrows into joy [Note: Psalms 30:8-11; Psalms 40:1-3.].]
It brings God nigh unto the soul—
[God in answer to prayer will take away the veil which intercepts our views of him, and "manifest himself to us, as he does not unto the world." What an exhibition of his glory was that which he vouchsafed to Moses! What a bright display of Christ's excellency was that which the three favoured Disciples were admitted to behold on Mount Tabor! We say not indeed that any similar vision of the Father or the Son shall ever be presented to our bodily eyes: but God will certainly "shine into the hearts of those who call upon him, to give them the light of the knowledge of his glory in the face of Jesus Christ [Note: 2 Corinthians 4:6.];" and will enable them to say, "Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ [Note: 1 John 1:3.]." What ineffable delight must such manifestations bring with them! — — —]
It gives us an earnest and foretaste of heaven itself—
[The happiness of heaven consists in the vision and fruition of God: and this, as far as it can be enjoyed by faith, is enjoyed in prayer. There is not any one who has abounded in the performance of this duty, but has had frequent occasion, when in his closet, to exclaim with Jacob, "This is none other but the house of God, this is the gate of heaven [Note: Genesis 28:17.]!" In such seasons as these a man has no occasion to search out evidences of his acceptance with God, or of his title to heaven; for the very intercourse which he has with the Deity is, if we may so speak, heaven brought down to earth; it is an actual anticipation of heaven, and a pledge of his complete possession of it in due season.]
To those who ask without receiving—
[Think not that God has violated his promise. The reason of your not receiving is, that "you ask amiss [Note: James 4:3.]." Your petitions are cold, formal, hypocritical; and you have not a due respect to the name of Jesus in presenting them to God. Perform your duty as you ought, and you shall never complain of a want of acceptance in it.]
To those who have received answers to prayer—
[Let not your communion with God puff you up with pride, but rather abase you in the dust. If once you grow vain and secure, you will provoke God to hide his face from you, and to withhold the communications of his grace. Rejoice in the glorious privileges you possess; but "rejoice with trembling."]
THE OBJECTS OF THE FATHER'S LOVE
John 16:27. The Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came nut from God.
THE atonement and intercession of Christ are doubtless the grounds of a Christian's hope, and the richest source of his comforts: but much consolation also may be derived from the consideration of the Father's love; nor do we understand the Gospel aright, till we see that Christ himself was the gift of the Father's love, and that every blessing which we receive through Christ was prepared for us in the eternal counsels of the Father. Our Lord, solicitous to comfort his Disciples previous to his departure from them, directed their views unto the Father, assuring them, that, while they prayed to the Father in his name, they should find acceptance and support; and this too, not merely in consequence of his intercession, but also in consequence of the love which the Father himself bore towards them, In discoursing upon his words, we shall speak of,
The description which our Lord gives of his own Disciples will characterize all his faithful followers to the end of time—
They love the Lord Jesus Christ—
[There is not a real Christian in the universe who does not esteem the Lord Jesus above every other being, desire him more than thousands of silver and gold, and delight in him as the only source of true happiness. To love him more, and to serve him better, is the daily labour of his soul, and the very summit of his ambition.]
They believe in him—
[True Christians do not merely assent to this proposition, That Jesus is the Messiah; but they most cordially acquiesce in his appointment to that office; they trust altogether in his mediatorial work; and they seek to receive out of his fulness the blessings which he was sent to communicate.]
All who are of this description are, for that very reason, objects of the Father's love—
[By the exercise of faith and love, they honour the Lord Jesus Christ in the world; and in so doing they honour the Father also [Note: John 5:23.]: on this account the Father loves and honours them. We do not mean to intimate, that their graces merit the Divine favour (for "their best righteousnesses are as filthy rags [Note: Isaiah 64:6.]"); or that their graces are the spring and source of the Father's love (for God's love was from everlasting [Note: Jeremiah 31:3.], and was exercised by him in a perfectly free and sovereign manner): but we say, that their exercise of faith and love is the occasion of God's manifesting his love to them. Abel's offering of a lamb, in token of his dependence on that Lamb of God which was to be slain in due time, was the occasion of God's testifying his acceptance in a visible manner; and God justified his apparent partiality, by declaring this act to have been the ground of the preference he had shewn to Abel [Note: Genesis 4:4-7. Hebrews 11:4.]. When Abraham also had offered up his son, God made his faith and obedience the occasion and the ground of manifesting his love to Abraham [Note: Genesis 22:16-17.]. The Scriptures uniformly speak the same language [Note: Psalms 91:14-16.]; nor are we in danger of erring, provided we discriminate between the meritorious ground on which God's favours are secured, and the particular occasion on which his love may be manifested.]
If we believe that any are so distinguished by the Father we cannot but wish to know,
The manner in which he displays his love towards them—
We might easily trace this part of our subject in the experience of those to whom the words of the text were immediately addressed; but, as it is of general importance, we shall rather treat it in a way that is alike applicable to all:
He watches over them by his providence—
[The dearest of God's children may appear to others, perhaps also to themselves, to be forsaken of God. But the Father's eye is ever upon them for good, and "runneth to and fro throughout the whole earth, to interpose effectually in their behalf [Note: 2 Chronicles 16:9.]." They may be suffered to want for a season, in order that they may be stirred up to seek relief from him: but they shall assuredly be supplied with every thing that is needful for them [Note: Psalms 34:10.]. They may experience many deep and heavy afflictions, but not one which shall not ultimately "work fur their good [Note: Rom 8:28]."]
He keeps them by his grace—
[God is not an unconcerned spectator of his people's conflicts. He shields their heads in the day of battle. If they fall, he raises them up; if they be wounded, he heals them; if they faint, he renews their strength [Note: Psalms 146:7-8.]. He will not endue them with such a degree of grace as shall supersede the need of vigilance and exertion; nor will he commit to them a stock that shall suffice for months or days: but he will give them "grace to help in the time of need [Note: Hebrews 4:16.];" and that "grace shall be sufficient for them." Thus will he secure them from the destruction which they fear, and make them "more than conquerors, through Him that loved them [Note: Romans 8:37.]."]
He comforts them by his presence—
[Who can express the consolations which God sometimes pours into the souls of those who wait upon him? They have been weeping perhaps under a sense of sin, or lamenting a state of spiritual darkness; and behold, God reveals himself unto them: their "light rises in obscurity, and their darkness becomes as the noon-day." Often will God "manifest himself to them as he does not unto the world;" he will give them "a spirit of adoption, whereby they shall cry with confidence, Abba, Father;" and will so "shed abroad his love in their hearts," that they shall have "an earnest of their inheritance," and a foretaste of the heavenly glory. This is promised by God himself to all who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, and is actually experienced by many who can attest his fidelity [Note: John 14:21; John 14:23.].]
Those who are destitute of love to Christ, and of faith in him—
[If a mere profession of Christianity be a sufficient proof of our faith and love, we may spare ourselves the trouble of addressing any as though they were destitute of those graces. But if none truly love Christ or believe in him, except they who are altogether devoted to him in heart and life, then the persons we are addressing will be found to constitute the greater part, we fear, of almost every congregation. And what shall we say to such persons? Shall we address them in the words of our text, "The Father himself loveth you?" Would to God we could! But there is not one amongst you so ignorant, as not to know, that such an assertion would be false. Let your own consciences judge: Can God love those who neglect and despise his dear Son? Let the Scriptures determine. Does not St. Paul say, "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maran-atha [Note: 1 Corinthians 16:22.]?" Be assured that God cannot be your Father: for our Lord says expressly, "If God were your Father, ye would love me [Note: John 8:42.]." Be assured too, that if you die as you are, you must perish for ever; for Christ says again, "If ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins [Note: John 8:24.]." Repent ye then of all your ingratitude and unbelief, and "turn to your strong-hold, as prisoners of hope;" begin to "live by faith in the Son of God;" and "delight yourselves in him" now, that ye may be meet to enjoy him in a better world.]
Those to whom Christ is precious—
[Thanks be to God! there is a little flock that hear the voice of the good Shepherd, and that follow his steps. Think then, ye who love the Lord, how greatly ye are honoured, how highly ye are privileged; the Father himself loveth you! To say that all good and holy men loved you, or that all the angels in heaven loved you, would be a rich blessing: but to be loved by the Creator of men and angels, to be loved by the Father himself, O! who can estimate this blessing? It is true, that the very thing which causes God to love you, will cause the blind and the wicked world to hate you [Note: John 15:19.]: but why should you regard the hatred and contempt of men, if you are owned and approved of your God? "Let them curse, provided your God condescend to bless." And if your "love at any time be ready to wax cold through the abounding of iniquity" around you, remember that the very thing which heightens man's resentment, will call forth the manifestations of God's favour; and that when your enemies shall "want a drop of water to cool their tongue," you shall "be drinking of those rivers of pleasure which are at God's right hand for evermore."
AN INQUIRY INTO THE REALITY AND DEGREE OF OUR FAITH
John 16:31. Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe?
THE meekness and gentleness of Christ were manifested on all occasions. Even his reproofs were tempered with inexpressible kindness, and fully justified the description given of him by the prophet, "He shall not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax." He had been speaking plainly about his departure from the world: and his Disciples, understanding him somewhat better than before, were now confident that they believed in him. But he, knowing the very low state of their attainments, mildly reproved their mistaken confidence, and warned them of the sad discovery which they would shortly make of their unbelief. The mode in which our Lord put the question to them was very significant. To mark its true import, I will bring it before you,
In a way of explanation—
If we consider the question in connexion with the foregoing and following context, it will be found to contain several important truths:
That many think they believe, when they are wholly destitute of faith—
[The nature of faith is very little understood. It is generally supposed to be a mere assent to the Gospel as true; whereas it is a living operative principle, infused into the soul by the Holy Ghost [Note: Philippians 1:29.]. From these mistaken views of faith, every one of course conceives himself to be a believer. The worldling, the self-righteous Pharisee, the sensualist, yea all, except avowed infidels, lay claim to this appellation; and, while they acknowledge themselves to need correction with respect to morals, have no idea at all that they need instruction with respect to their faith — — — This self-deception universally obtained among the unconverted Jews, who "trusted in Moses," not doubting but that they believed his writings, though they shewed by their rejection of Christ, that they did not believe them [Note: John 5:45-47.]: and too much of the same spirit yet manifested itself in those who had become the stated followers of our Lord.]
That many, who have some faith, are yet much under the influence of unbelief—
[As for unregenerate men, they have no faith at all, no, not even in the plainest truths of our religion; for though they assent to many truths, they feel not the force, nor experience the vital influence of any. Nor, when faith is imparted to the soul, is unbelief altogether eradicated; yea, it will be well if the natural principle do not, in many and very alarming instances, overcome the new-created principle which ought to govern the whole man [Note: Galatians 5:17.] — — — Thus it was with the Apostles in the passage before us: our Lord acknowledges that they were true believers [Note: ver. 27.]; but intimates that they would soon manifest, by their dereliction of him, how weak and insufficient their faith at present was. And thus it is with all, though in different degress, till they have been taught and disciplined in the school of Christ.]
That heavy trials will discover the state of our souls with respect to faith—
[Affliction is a touchstone whereby all our graces, and especially our faith, may be tried. If our faith be strong, we shall approve ourselves to God under the most arduous circumstances: if it be weak, we shall be ready to faint at the approach of any dangers we fear [Note: Matthew 14:30-31.], and to adopt sinful methods of attaining any ends we desire [Note: Genesis 27:6-10.]. If we have nothing but a false faith, we shall "make shipwreck both of it and of a good conscience" as soon as ever we are brought into any storms of difficulty and temptation: if our troubles be of a spiritual nature, we shall flee from God, and reject his grace [Note: Genesis 3:8.]: or if they arise from temporal things, we shall be offended with God, and condemn his providence. For the effects of weak faith we need look no further than to the passage before us. The immediate scope of our Lord's question was, to put his disciples on their guard against their remaining unbelief; and, by warning them of their approaching fall, to encourage and facilitate their speedy recovery: and we may learn from their example that, if our faith be not increased in proportion to our trials, we shall surely faint in the day of adversity.]
If such truths be implied in the interrogation before us, we may well urge it upon you,
In a way of personal inquiry—
We are particularly exhorted to "examine ourselves whether we be in the faith [Note: 2 Corinthians 13:5.]." Let all of us then inquire into,
The reality of our faith—
[Before we conclude too confidently that we are believers, we should ask ourselves, Whence we obtained our faith? It is not a plant of nature's growth; nor is it formed in us by human teaching. There is but one way in which it ever is or can be obtained, namely, by acknowledging our unbelief before God, and imploring him to create a lively faith in our hearts by his blessed Spirit. If we have never been "convinced of unbelief," we have not yet one grain of real faith [Note: John 16:8-9.]. But if this inquiry be satisfactorily answered, we should further ask, How our faith operates? If it be genuine and scriptural, it will overcome the world, and work by love, and purify the heart [Note: 1 John 5:4.Galatians 5:6; Galatians 5:6. Acts 15:9.]. But has it these effects? — — — We are warned by God that "all men have not faith [Note: 2 Thessalonians 3:2.];" nor should we conclude that we have, unless we manifest it in its fruits.]
The degree of our faith—
[If we cannot ascertain precisely the degree of our faith, we yet have grounds whereon we may form some estimate. Are we enabled to realize the things which are invisible? This is a very principal office of faith; and in proportion as we are enabled to set God before our eyes, and to keep heaven in view, we may safely conclude that we have that principle, which alone can produce this effect. Do we maintain our hope under discouraging circumstances? This was the mark whereby the strength of Abraham's faith was so fully known [Note: Romans 4:18-20.]: and, if we be strong in faith, we shall be steadfast under heavy and long-protracted trials, and "against hope believe in hope." Are we kept diligent in the way of duty? It is presumption, and not faith, that leads us to relax our diligence in the use of means: the more faith we have, the greater will be our activity in every good work [Note: 1 Thessalonians 1:3.]. The various offices of faith are fully delineated in the eleventh chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews; and by comparing our spirit and conduct with that of the saints there mentioned, we may weigh ourselves in the balance of the sanctuary. In this way we may provide an answer to the interrogation in the text; and, instead of boasting as though we had attained, shall learn to reply, "Lord, I believe; help thou my unbelief."]
[Trials must ere long come upon every soul amongst us: and then nothing but faith will support us [Note: 1 Peter 1:5-7.]. And even now if our graces be examined, it will be found that our progress has been in exact proportion to our faith. Let us then pray with the Apostles, "Lord, increase our faith; that through it we may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."]
Simeon, Charles. "Commentary on John 16". Simeon's Horae Homileticae. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/shh/john-16.html. 1832.


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Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Director Is Impressed By PS5's SSD, But Wants More Storage Space
The Super Smash Bros. series has become something of a legendary series in the world of gaming. Beginning as a simple enough concept of Nintendo characters crossing over for a brawl, it's evolved into something of a celebration of gaming's history. The latest entry, Ultimate , has sold nearly 20 million copies , making it one of Nintendo's biggest franchises. In something of a fun real life crossover, its Director has some thoughts on the PS5.
Writing for Weekly Famitsu, Masahiro Sakurai revealed that he was one of those lucky enough to nab a PS5 at launch. He talked in length about the...
Even Smash Bros. Creator Sakurai Thinks the PS5 SSD Storage is Too Small
Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai thinks the PS5 SSD storage is too small. Sakurai, who writes a Weekly Famitsu column, used his latest column as an opportunity to write about his PS5 impressions. While he's impressed with the console overall, he thinks the 667.2 GB of onboard PS5 SSD storage space is lacking, and he's nearly filled the whole thing up.
The prolific and famed Nintendo developer managed to snag a PS5 on day one, via the same preorder systems we've all had to fight through. ""First of all, it's a big console," Sakurai says, noting the thing that most people...
Space Consoles Console Action Game Fun Gaming Games Actions Nintendo News Ps5 Sony Thinking Fight Downloads Management Fights PS4 Fighting PS5 News Rumors Trophies Reviews And More PlayStation 5 PS5 Super Smash Bros.
Hideki Kamiya Teases Bayonetta 3 Update for 2021
Remember Bayonetta 3? Contrary to some beliefs, Platinum Games' Hideki Kamiya remembers it too and said he hopes to share more Bayonetta 3 news sometime this year. Kamiya made...
Wallace & Gromit enter the realm of augmented reality in The Big Fix Up, now...
It's time to break out the Wensleydale and crackers Update Wallace & Gromit: Big Fix Up is now available on the Play Store Wallace & Gromit: The Big Fix Up is an upcoming...
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Samurai Shodown Goes Next-Gen, Launches For Xbox Series X|S in March
Samurai Shodown made a welcome return in 2019. One of SNK's major fighting series, it was dormant for nearly a decade and even now, this new entry continues receiving regular...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Content is broken. I will update when I have time. A lot of images are missing.
TLDR; Using Splunk for Offensive security data analysis has advantages over the traditional Grep when trifling through and analysing data.
Why Splunk and not ELK?
ELK is a fantastic open source project, and made even easier thanks to the HELK project by Cyb3rward0g. In fact, I actually tried ELK first before I went over to Splunk. When I used ELK, I realised that I had to create a .config file which specifies the location of my data, before it would be ingested. This made it difficult for me as it meant that for every small data set I would still need to tell it what the headers and data types are. Splunk on the other hand, I managed to upload data by simply clicking on the Web UI and uploading a CSV file.
I know that many Offensive security shops are using ELK for logging and analytics. More on this topic in another post. ELK was just not fit for purpose in a quick PoC environment where I wanted to evaluate what sort of resources were required to spin up an Offensive Analytics System and what benefits could be obtained from doing so. In this post we will focus on using Splunk as a log analysis system to visualise and search data, quickly.
Quite simply really, go to Splunk's website and download the MSI for Windows or relevant packages for your OS of choice. I used a machine with 20GB of RAM and 300GB SSD for the installation. Worked fine, you can probably do with less as Splunk does not seem very RAM heavy.
I'd recommend getting a developers license, which gives you 6 months to index any data you want into Splunk. The process of Indexing is simply importing data into the database and optimise it for searching. Just to get the technical search jargon out of the way.
To demonstrate how we might use Project Sonar's Forward DNS data, I decided to explore Splunk's capabilities in aggregating and understanding the data.
It takes 13.13 times longer to search using grep compared to within Splunk.
Here we can see that the one particular server is pointed to by all of the hostnames on the right.
Sure, probably not much use, but quickly lets you see where the target's servers are located in the world.
If you are only allowed to attack servers within a particular country for the target organisation, then you can use Splunk to filter a list down too using: name="*.uber.com" | stats values(name) by value | iplocation value | search Country="United States"
You may even choose to cut it down to a particular state if necessary.
This might be useful if you are trying to resolve the same subdomains against all of their owned domains to try and discover more subdomains.
Combining my tool, DomLink released here, we can take the results from a search and ask Splunk to give us a list of all of the subdomains belonging to the target. Quite easily.
You can then export these results and put it into whatever tool you want to use.
I modified it to output to disk instead of push directly into ELK/Splunk. At this point, we're pretty much good to go. Splunk does not take space separated files so I had to modify the script Outflank provide to make it into a CSV format ready for importing. Do a splunk add oneshot input.csv -index passwords -sourcetype csv -hostname passwords -auth "admin:changeme" and we're good to go!
Let's see what the most used passwords are!
| fuzzy wordlist="password" type="simple" compare_field="password" output_prefix="fuzz"
The more interesting piece is the ability to easily cross check passwords with employee OSINT e-mails. Sure you can do this in grep too.
Then I get a fantastic output in table format, that I can even export as CSV. That's pretty cool, at least I think so.
Profiling an organisation's employees is important when performing targeted phishing attacks or password spraying across external infrastructure where you need a list of usernames to begin. LinkedInt was developed for this purpose. I wanted a tool that could work reliably and give me a list of employees for a target organisation. This isn't so useful for just one or two particular data sets for several companies. It would probably be more useful if you were to automate and gather employee data for Alexa Top 1 million websites and Fortune 500 companies for example. Sure, this could all be automated.
Should I social engineer as an employee of the organisation?
What title should I have?
What percentage of people are in this role?
In some companies, if there's a large percentage (almost 10%) who are delivery men, they probably don't have access or the level of trust from the general population of employees. So making these sort of choices matters.
Last thing, I wonder how accurate my OSINT vs. actual distributions of employees are?
Pretty nice, at least I think so. Sure, you can do this with grep too, but this is an alternative way to easily import a new CSV file and almost instantly have a matched up password list that you can export as a CSV or table.
source="uber.gnmap" host="uber" sourcetype="Uber" Host Ports | rex field=_raw max_match=50 "Host:\s(?<dest_ip>\S+)"
| rex field=_raw max_match=50 "[Ports:|,]\s?(?<port>\d+)\/+(?<status>\w+)\/+(?<proto>\w+)\/+(?<desc>\w+|\/)"
| rex field=_raw max_match=50 "Host:\s(?<dest_ip>\S+)"
Data manipulation and analytics plays a relevant role in Offensive Cyber Security Operations. Much like Password Cracking being of importance and hence why we purchase 32-GPU cracking rigs, this is yet another good to have system that could help to make your operations more streamlined and efficient.


The nappy sample packs are ideal if you want to try before you buy a whole pack or if you are thinking of changing to eco disposable nappies but are not sure which range would suit you and your baby.
Naty by Nature Babycares motto is 'go green without giving up performance' and there clever range of environmentally friendly nappies does exactly that. With many awards under their belts Naty are at the forefront of sustainable baby care and specialise in high quality, naturally produced nappies amongst other health and cleanliness products.
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Eco by Naty was founded by a Swedish mother and champion of environmental causes to provide environmentally-friendly hygiene products for ecologically-aware mothers and babies throughout the world. The company aims to raise awareness about environmental issues and to strive to lessen environmental impact in the home.
Eco by Naty prioritise the use of reusable and recyclable materials in their baby products such as their nappies and wipes. These environmentally friendly nappies, which are GM and chlorine free, and based on natural materials, are so much more gentle on your baby's delicate skin than conventional nappies which may contain harmful petrochemicals.
When it comes to your baby's wellbeing and the health of the planet, using eco-friendly disposable nappies really is the obvious choice.


The Force Headquarters, Thursday, paraded a notorious armed robbery and kidnap kingpin, who participated in the New Year killing of worshippers at Omoku, Rivers State.
The suspect, Desmond Okotubo, a 32-year old father of three, who hails from Egbenma in Unelga Local Government Area of Rivers State, told newsmen that the arrest and humiliation of the mother of their leader, Don Waney coupled with the destruction of Waney's mansions in the state informed the New Year attack in Omoku.
But Desmond Okotubo, who disclosed that their plan to invade Omoku was hatched in Owerri, Imo State, said Omoku vigilante group members were their original targets and not church worshippers.
He further disclosed that their decision to vent their anger on the worshippers came when they could not track down the vigilante group members, who he said we're instrumental to the arrest of Don Waney's mother and tracing of his mansions for destruction by government.


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Meta Partners with Zefr to Improve its Advertiser Safety Tools
As it works to provide more options for brands to manage their ad placements across its apps, Meta has announced a new partnership with brand suitability platform Zefr which will better enable advertisers to ensure that their promotions don't appear alongside potentially offensive material, as defined by their own concerns on this front.
Zefr, which has also partnered with TikTok and YouTube on similar initiatives, utilizes advanced AI identification systems, including audio, text, and frame-by-frame video analysis, along with scaled human review, to provide a more accurate and customized brand safety solution, giving more specific placement control to ad partners.
As explained by Meta:
"We will work together [with Zefr] to develop a solution to measure and verify the suitability of adjacent content to ads in Feed, starting with small scale testing in the third quarter of this year and moving to limited availability in the fourth quarter."
The partnership will help Meta develop better systems to ensure brand safety, while still maximizing ad opportunity.
Meta additionally notes that it's developing internal suitability controls as another means to give advertisers more control over where their ads are shown.
"We have begun scoping and building these new controls for Facebook and Instagram Feeds focused on primarily English speaking markets, with plans to test in the second half of the year before rolling more broadly in early 2023. Over the course of the next year, we will expand placement coverage to include Stories, Reels, Video Feeds, Instagram Explore and other surfaces across Facebook and Instagram, as well as expanding to additional languages."
Meta already offers various brand safety tools, including topic exclusions and 'publisher allow' lists, which provide broad-ranging oversight tools for brands. These new options will facilitate more specific control, so that brands can exclude the exact placements they choose, while still reaching as wide an audience as possible.
Brand Safety controls came into focus back in 2017 after YouTube lost millions in ad revenue when publishers started pulling their ads due to them appearing alongside extremist and hate speech content. Meta has also faced various challenges on this front - though its major ad challenges have been more specifically focused on the company's own stances, as opposed to placement concerns.
Meta banned ad placements near NSFW content back in 2013, and has been working to refine its systems on this front ever since. Meta was also the subject of an advertiser boycott in 2020, in protest against the platform's handling of hate speech and misinformation, which further underlined the rising concerns around the company's perceived focus on revenue over safety.
Given this, it's important for Meta to continue its development, and these new projects will help to improve its placement tools and options.
Filed Under: Digital Strategy, Social Marketing, Social Media Updates


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Mom, 33, Gave Birth To A Healthy Baby But Passed Away Of Covid-19 Before She Could Hold Him
Erika Becerra was eight months pregnant when she was d!agnosed with COVID-19. In November, she was ind-uced and gave birth to a healthy baby boy.
After an otherwise normal delivery in Detroit, Michigan, Becerra was immediately int-ubated because she was having tro-uble breathing. Three weeks later, on Friday, Becerra passed away.
Because she was int-ubated and COVID-19 positive, she never got the opportunity to hold her son, her brother, Michael Avilez, told CNN's Anderson Cooper on Tuesday.
Becerra, 33, was one of the 15,658 COVID-19 losses over the last seven days, making it the de-adliest week for the Covid-19 since April in the US. For the sixth day in a row, more than 100,000 people are being treated for the v!rus in hospitals across the country.
"Erica was the most wonderful person you could ever meet," Avilez said. "For her, other people's happiness was her happiness." Becerra's family traveled from Los Angles to Detroit where Becerra, her husband, and their 1-year-old daughter live, Avilez told CNN affiliate KCAL.Becerra wasn't worried about being pregnant during the pa-ndemic, according to Avilez. He said she wouldn't go out and if she did, she would always wear a face mask and wipe down surfaces she touched.
"She followed every rule in the book and she still ended up catching it and it's sad," Avilez said. "You got a lot of people who don't understand what's going on … they all think it's a joke until it happens to them or one of their family members."
Avilez said Becerra would want him to continue sharing her story in hopes of helping someone else understand the v!rus's wra-th. In November, Becerra spent a weekend at the hospital after having contractions, but when she came home on a Monday, she began having difficulty breathing and moving around.
Three days later, an ambulance took her to the hospital and on Friday, doctors had decided to ind-uce her labor because her health "wasn't getting any better," Avilez said. On November 15, Becerra's son, Diego, was born."Right after she gave birth to her son, they put her on a tube because her body wasn't retaining oxygen anymore and after that, she wasn't able to meet her newborn baby," Avilez said.
Becerra stayed on a ventilator until December 3, when she succ-umbed to the v!rus, Avilez said."Towards the last moments, she was te-aring up," Avilez told KCAL. "I know she heard us as we prayed for her, we talked to her, we comforted her in the last moments."Other than being pregnant, Becerra didn't have any underlying health conditions, Avilez told KCAL. He said his brother-in-law, niece and new nephew all tested negative for COVID-19.To help with funeral expenses, the family has set up a GoFundMe account.On Sunday, Southern California and San Joaquin Valley residents were put under a three-week stay-at-home order after the intensive care unit capacity in the two regions fell below 15 percent, triggering a mandate issued by the governor last week aimed at slowing the rising numbers of COVID-19 hospitalizations.
This Article First Published On CTVNEWS
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On November 22, Akinori, the bassist of Nagoya-kei rock band lynch., was arrested for "antisocial behaviour". Due to this sudden turn of events, the band has decided to cancel their upcoming tour dates, most notably their "Countdown Japan 16/17" live show and stop all activities in the meantime. They have also put out formal apologies on their social media accounts, including Twitter and Facebook, with Hazuki, the singer also releasing a formal statement on his Instagram account, reassuring his followers that they are "definitely not over". Please follow their accounts if you wish to view the mentioned statements. Let's also wish the band well as they hurdle over this obstacle in their career.


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By Tahir Riaz, B2P
Published on Wednesday November 2, 2011 at 11:17 am ET
Updated 07-21-14, 5:11 pm ET
Moments ago, Rockstar Games, the maker of the popular game series Grand Theft Auto, unveiled the first trailer to the forthcoming game, GTA V.
The setting in GTA V is based in Los Angeles (San Andreas), the same location GTA 3 was based on, but GTA V will include multiple areas. We can also see from the trailer that there are animals in the game now and there are different types of planes players could use. This title will be a lot more comprehensive compared to previous titles and we will get a closer look as new trailers are released.
The last GTA game, GTA IV, sold 3.6 million copies on the first day alone, grossing more than $500 million in revenue in the first week alone for the company.
Last September, company CEO Zelnick provided updated sales numbers for the company's top games, saying GTA IV had sold 22-million copies since the game launched in April 2008. He went on to say the GTA franchise has sold more than 114-million copies since 1997.
GTA V is expected to top previous sales records held by its predecessor.
The Take-Two Interactive stock (NASDAQ:TTWO) is trading up 200 basis points to $15.60 per share on the unveiling.
The stock previously surged about a week ago when the company first confirmed via Twitter on Oct 25 that it would release GTA V.
The game will be available on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 at début, but the company has not disclosed a time frame for release.
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Home » Donate » SPARK A Change: A Fundraiser & Celebration » Sponsors
Founded in 2007, SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW! (SPARK) is the only statewide organization working toward reproductive justice in Georgia for Black women and LGBTQQ youth of color living in the South. SPARK prioritizes the voices and leadership of Black women and LGBTQQ youth of color to ensure their ability to make empowered decisions about their bodies, identities, sexualities, and families. Our core programs include 1) Fierce Youth Reclaiming & Empowering (FYRE), which develops leaders through internships, social media engagement, our annual Media Justice Camp and IGNITE Conference, trainings and technical assistance for student leaders, art, and community-based research and 2) Speak Justice Take Action (SJTA), which informs our base and legislators of key reproductive justice issues in order to transform power and shift policy priorities and engages our base in action-oriented political mobilization and education.
SPARK would like to invite you to support the work that we do by:
Sponsoring the evening
Donating an item for our raffle and/or swag bag
Purchasing tickets and attending the event
Promoting the event to your base
Click Here To Sign Up As A Sponsor!
To date, FYRE has hosted 35 LGBTQQ youth of color at 5 FYRE Media Justice Camps producing a variety of media resources covering issues from coming out, bullying, and sexual health to healthcare access, violence, and abortion and organized the first LGBTQQ youth of color reproductive justice conference in the Southeast, IGNITE, which provided 15 workshops to 85 LGBTQQ youth of color from 13 southern states, while SJTA has mobilized over 500 community members to the Georgia Capitol to advocate for sound reproductive health and rights policy.
In order to commemorate this amazing work and the organizers and community partners that make it possible, on Friday, December 9, 2016 SPARK will host the second annual SPARK A Change, a fundraiser and celebration. This community centered event will feature delightful local bites, fantastic live music and performances, and a prize raffle. Furthermore, we will honor community leaders and grassroots projects that we believe exemplifies our vision of a world where all people are empowered, valued, and able to make liberatory decisions about their communities, families and lives with our Vanguard of Change Awards.
Your support is critical in helping us to raise the funds needed to continue to offer our innovative programs building the power and leadership of Black women and LGBTQQ youth of color in the South. We are offering many sponsorship packages and would love to discuss how our organizations could partner and collaborate to support our mission. Please feel free to contact me (404) 331-3250 or via email at info@sparkrj.org.
You can also click here to complete our 2016 SPARK A Change Sponsorship Application and donate today!
All donations to SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
In community power,
Dr. Krystal Redman
2016 2nd Annual SPARK A Change Sponsors
Alternate ROOTS is a regional arts service organization with 40 years of history. As a member-driven national resource for artists and cultural organizers, ROOTS seeks to champion social and economic justice and the work of people in our field. Alternate ROOTS provides the connective tissue for a distinct segment of the arts and culture field – artists who have a commitment to making work in, with, by, for and about their communities, and those whose cultural work strives for social justice. The nature of this work spreads us far and wide from each other, so collaboration, peer sharing and combined impact can be a challenge. Alternate ROOTS helps activist artists and cultural organizers sustain artistic development, increased visibility, and stability. Learn how you can support the work, here.
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Founded in 1973, Lambda Legal is the oldest and largest national legal organization whose mission is to achieve full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and those with HIV through impact litigation, education and public policy work. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, Lambda Legal receives no government funding and does not charge clients for legal representation or advocacy. Learn more about Lambda Legal and how to support their work, here.
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Founded in 1996, The National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF) is dedicated to forging a grassroots progressive movement for social and economic justice and the political empowerment of Asian and Pacific American women and girls. NAPAWF unites our diverse communities through organizing, education, and advocacy, and works to connect state and local programs with a national vision of change. Through great perseverance, commitment and volunteerism, NAPAWF has sustained its energy and vitality. Its founding sisters, board, chapter leadership, members and staff are the many women and supporters who have given their time and energy (many without compensation) to build and sustain an organization that represents them, their ideals and the issues that touch them dearly. NAPAWF is now moving from an all-volunteer organization to a staffed organization, and is one of the few staffed national women of color organizations in this country. Join in on NAPAWF's efforts and become a part of a growing AAPI women's movement, here.
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The  European Commission,  at  the initiative  of Vice  President  Manuel
MARIN  and  Commissioner Antonio  RUBERTI,  has taken  the initiative  of
creating  a  European University  Postgraduate  Degree  on  International
Humanitarian  Assistance.  This  degree  is  already  being  taught  this
academic  year (1994-95) in five European universities,  in the framework
of the ERASMUS Programme.
The importance  of the development of  International humanitarian aid  in
our  contemporary  world   leads  to  new  questions  concerning  several
fundamental   areas   of  International   Law   and   the  evolution   of
international   affairs.  The   creation   of   the  European   Community
Humanitarian  Office  (ECHO) in  April 1992  has  provided  a substantial
response and has  considerably increased the European Union's operational
ability.
ECHO  has  also  intervened in  the  field  of  disaster  prevention,  an
essential aspect  of humanitarian  aid. Thus  the necessity  to create  a
link  between  humanitarian   law  studies  (which  are  efficiently  and
constantly  promoted by  the  International Federation  of Red  Cross, in
every aspect concerning  armed conflicts) and the preparation of  men and
women  to  work  in the  field,  (which  is  directly  undertaken by  the
organisations dealing with aid) has appeared recently.
It has  became more and  more evident  that students wish  to be  able to
follow a more  specialised course on the various aspects  of Humanitarian
Aid. Various  aid agencies have noted  that the professional training  of
their  staff  is  one  of  the  main  conditions  for  their  operational
As it  appears that no nationally  recognised degree in Humanitarian  Aid
exists,  nor  at an  European  level,  the   Commission  of the  European
Communities  and   more  specifically   ECHO   -the  European   Community
Humanitarian Office-  has  taken  the  initiative to  develop,  in  close
collaboration  with  the  Task  Force  for  Human  Resources,  Education,
Training and  Youth, a  University postgraduate  multidisciplinary degree
in five Universities  of the European Union: Aix Marseille  III (France),
Bochum  (Germany),  Deusto-Bilbao   (Spain),  Université   Catholique  de
Louvain (Belgium), Oxford (United Kingdom).
The  College  of  Europe  (Bruges,  Belgium)  will  participate  in  this
programme as of September 1995.
The  first  year of  the  Degree concerns  about 100  students  in the  5
universities.
This  degree, which  started  in September  1994  has included  in  their
syllabus five  major  issues  of  International  Humanitarian  Aid:  Law,
Geopolitics,     Management/    Logistics,     Anthropology,    Medicine/
Epidemiology.
In each  subject, a reference handbook  was prepared by specialists,  who
come from two  different universities,  and  edited into  four  languages
by  the  European Commission's  services.  These  reference handbook  are
divided  into two  parts: the  first part  is  a scientific  presentation
dealt with by the subject  of methodology, basic concepts and  scope, and
the  second part, a selection of references and documents.
The  organisation of  studies is  included in  a  full ERASMUS  programme
among  the  five Universities of the network (exchanges  between students
as   well   as   lecturers,   intensive   programmes,   common   teaching
development).  This   programme   has  been   named   NOHA  (Network   on
Humanitarian Assistance).
This one year  course is divided into four phases:
a)   A  two weeks  Intensive Programme  in one  of  the European  network
universities where  students  could  meet  counterparts  from  other
European Union Member States;
b)   A  General  course in  the University  of origin  from the  1  st of
October until the end of January;
c)   A specialised  course in one of  the relevant Universities from  the
1st of February until the end of April each  University will develop
its own specialisation;  (specifically Erasmus period abroad)
d)   A    professional   traineeship    in   Specialised    International
Organisations, NGO's or concerned administrations,  from the 1st  of
May until the end of June.
A dual-degree system has been laid down:
-    A national degree from the University of origin;
-    A  complementary  certificate from  the  University  where  the
student  has  spent  three  months  as  part   of  the  Erasmus
programme.
The specialisations offered by each university during the  Erasmus period
are the following :
Université d'Aix-Marseille III          Law
Universidad de Deusto,Bilbao            Law and  Administration-logistics
Ruhr-Universität Bochum                 Law and Medicine
Université Catholique de Louvain        Medicine and Geopolitics
University of Oxford                    Anthropology
The professors  of the five universities  concerned by the NOHA  (Network
on Humanitarian Assistance)  programme will present the different aspects
of  the degrees at an information meeting (open to  the press) to be held
in Brussels, on Friday  14 October 1994 at 14h00,  at the UCL  Bruxelles-
Woluwé, faculté  de Médecine, Bâtiment  51, avenue Mounier 51, Auditoires
Centraux (Auditoire central F).
Dernière mise à jour: 19-02-2018 13:28:44 Version2.10.2-268


text:
Subscribing to Edge
Library Profiles
Oregon City Public Library
Oregon City Public Library Uses Edge to Prioritize Health and Wellness
Location: Oregon City, Oregon
Peer Group: #3 - Pop. 15,001-65,000 (1 branch)
Director: Maureen Cole
Key Outcome Areas: Health and Safety,	Strategic Partnerships,	Strategic Planning
"Edge gives libraries a way to assess themselves and see how they grow, but allows them to do it at their own pace and with their own deadlines."
Aaron Novinger, Technology and Library Promotion Librarian
As trusted institutions, libraries play a significant role in providing information and access to reliable health and wellness resources.
According to data from a nationally representative sample of libraries that participated in Edge, less than 50 percent of libraries are providing adequate health and wellness information to their communities.
Oregon City Public Library is an exception to this trend, providing a comprehensive set of health and wellness resources and programs to the people it serves. Thanks to the support of the State Library of Oregon, the library has achieved a significant improvement in this critical area since it first participated in Edge in 2014.
"Edge has opened our eyes to realizing that it is important for our website to be viewed and used as a resource," said Aaron Novinger, technology and library promotion librarian for OCPL. "We knew this topic was a more difficult area for us to target, but we've made some great improvements."
Like many libraries, OCPL has access to a diverse catalog that includes many health and wellness resources — but how can the library effectively convey this information to its community?
"The Edge Benchmarks helped me work with our internal library teams about transitioning our website from only focusing on programming to becoming more of a resource for users," said Novinger.
In addition to providing information and access to federal and statewide resources, the library wanted to include information about local resources for its community. "We provide information about several programs and clinics in the area that serve everyone, including low-cost options," said Novinger.
For example, the library offers information on how to access The Founders Clinic, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing quality health care to low-income, uninsured residents in the community. In fact, it is the only clinic in the area that offers medical services at no cost to patients.
Other examples of useful resources include information and access to health databases, community and health centers and even hotlines — including suicide prevention hotlines.
"Edge guided us during our website transition with what content we should be providing for our patrons as resources," said Novinger. "At first, we didn't even have a web page on our website with this type of information, but now we are always looking for ways to improve how we use technology in relation to health and wellness in the community."
The success of the library's improved efforts to better meet its community's health and wellness priorities are also supported by an uptick in partnerships and the programs it offers.
"Many different health and wellness organizations and nonprofits are approaching the library to partner with us to host meetings and classes," said Novinger.
For example, the library partners with the Alzheimer's Association of Oregon and the American Red Cross on certain projects, allowing the latter organization to use the library's community room for events such as blood drives.
"We've also been focusing more on mental health issues and working to formalize partnerships around them," said Novinger. "We have been sending our staff to Mental Health First Aid trainings hosted by the county's Health, Housing and Human Services Department, and our youth services staff has attended some training sessions focusing on teen suicide prevention."
The library recently partnered with The Art of Living, an organization that travels from Portland to the library for a monthly wellness program.
"We wanted to offer more wellness resources and programs, so we reached out to The Art of Living to do a mindfulness workshop," said Novinger. "It has picked up a lot of steam, so our goal is to host it at least once a month at the library."
While it uses the information from Edge as a guide to develop policies around partnerships for improving these programs, the library also maintains a close relationship with local leaders.
"We work closely with our city manager, members of the police and fire departments and other leaders from the local hospital and school district," said Novinger. "We've collaborated with some of these leaders on programs and are always looking for more opportunities to partner with them."
With improved resources and new programming, OCPL continues using Edge to improve how it serves the community.
"We are currently updating our strategic plan for the library and the information that we have learned from participating in Edge has come at a perfect time for us to show our growth since 2014," said Novinger. "Edge gives libraries a way to assess themselves and see how they grow, but allows them to do it at their own pace and with their own deadlines."
Email: info@libraryedge.org
1333 H Street NW, Suite 1000 West, Washington, DC 20005
©2020 Urban Libraries Council
Edge is led by the Urban Libraries Council


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text:
" We Magnify Human Experience through Coaching "
We are a team of experienced coaches who are aimed at serving you to transform and thrive.
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How to achieve organization goals
How to encounter a very significant and/or rapid change in a business
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How to be a leader in the team/organization
Relationship Coaching Program
How to improve our relationship between lovers, couples, partnership, etc
Family Coaching
How to identify families and individuals' values, wants, needs, and goals and help them come up with strategies to reach these goals
David Yeh Jr. was being invited as the guest of the CFSG Wealth Management Centre Grand Opening on Nov 26, 2021.
As the year comes to a close, goal setting is one of the ways you...
Mr. David Yeh Jr.
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Chief Empowerment Officer
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Leadership and
"David is an excellent coach not just in business but also in family and personal grain. In my life there are not many people like you would love to share. David has shared and guided me to identify my issues and challenges and helped me to overcome them. With his guidance, he helps our group to identify our values and help push it to all staff. I am grateful to have David as a coach, mentor, and dear friend."
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"David not only is a great coach, but he is also a partner and mentor. When I am down you encourage me and when I am feeling confident you push me to strive for better. I feel that I am being pushed to success constantly. After the coaching section we have, we often end up having great ideas and improved execution. The thing that I learn is never to give up and there are always ways to improve. A great teacher and a great friend David you will always be."
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Yion Chow
Alison Chan
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text:
McStay family murder suspect Charles…
McStay family murder suspect Charles 'Chase' Merritt fires attorneys
Charles "Chase" Merritt appears in Victorville Superior Court on November 12, 2014. FILE PHOTO. (Photo by John Valenzuela/The Sun)
By Joe Nelson | jnelson@scng.com | San Bernardino Sun
SAN BERNARDINO >> Charles "Chase" Merritt, accused of killing a San Diego County family of four and burying their bodies in the Mojave Desert near Victorville in what prosecutors allege was a crime committed for financial gain, has fired his four attorneys.
Following a closed hearing Thursday in San Bernardino Superior Court in which Judge Michael A. Smith conferred with Merritt's attorneys – Jimmy Mettias, David Askander, Sharon Brunner and Rajan Maline – Smith granted Merritt's request to relieve him of his defense team.
"There's a finding that there's been a breakdown in the attorney-client relationship that justified Mr. Merritt relieving his retained counsel," Smith said.
The next hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, where it will be determined if Meritt will retain or be appointed a new attorney or if he will represent himself as he initially intended.
"There's been some disagreements over when and how things are going to go. There has been a breakdown in understanding between us," Merritt's former lead attorney, Jimmy Mettias, said following Thursday's hearing. "It happens at times, so we felt it was best to end the relationship."
Mettias said he did not know what Merritt's next move will be.
Merritt informed Smith during a pretrial hearing last week that he did not want to waive any more time for trial and wished to proceed to trial in April, but attorney Rajan Maline said there was no way he and the rest of Merritt's defense team would be ready that soon, and that the earliest they would be ready for trial was late July or early August.
Merritt, 58, of Homeland, faces the death penalty if convicted for the February 2010 beating deaths of Fallbrook residents Joseph McStay, 40; his wife, Summer, 43; and their two children, Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3. Prosecutors allege Merritt was a gambling addict heavily in debt who killed the McStay family for financial gain, writing multiple checks exceeding $21,000 on Joseph McStay's online business account beginning the day after the family was last seen alive and continuing through Feb. 8, 2010. Merritt then patronized Indian casinos in Temecula and San Bernardino and the Commerce Casino near Los Angeles, dropping thousands of dollars, authorities said.
In November 2013, a man riding his dirt bike in the Mojave Desert near Victorville came across partial skeletal remains north of Stoddard Wells Road and west of the 15 Freeway. Sheriff's crime scene investigators discovered two shallow graves and unearthed the skeletal remains of two adults and two children, later identified by dental records as those of the McStay family.
The autopsies concluded that the entire family had been beaten to death with a blunt object, and investigators believe the murder weapon was a 3-pound Stanley brand sledgehammer found in the grave where Summer McStay and one of her sons were buried, according to arrest warrant affidavits filed in the case.
Sheriff's detectives testified in court that, given the extent of injuries inflicted on the McStay family, they believe the victims were tortured before they died, beaten repeatedly in the head, legs, arms and torso.
Other evidence connecting Merritt to the crimes include five calls he made from his cell phone on Feb. 6, 2010, two days after the family was last seen alive, that pinged to a tower in Victorville near where the victims were buried. In addition, DNA matching Merritt was taken from the steering wheel and gearshift handle of the McStay's Isuzu Trooper found abandoned at the Mexican border. Merritt told investigators he had never driven the vehicle.
San Bernardino County sheriff's homicide investigators arrested Merritt at his workplace in Chatsworth in November 2014.
The McStay family was last seen alive on Feb. 4, 2010, when Joseph McStay met Merritt for lunch at a Chick-fil-A restaurant in Rancho Cucamonga, where Merritt lived at the time, to discuss business, including a lucrative contract with a chain of upscale beauty salons, authorities said.
Joseph McStay owned the online company Earth Inspired Products, which sold custom made decorative water fountains. Merritt worked for McStay designing and building the fountains.
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Dozens of BB gun vandalism cases in San Bernardino under investigation
McStay family
Joe Nelson | reporter
Joe Nelson is an award-winning investigative reporter who has worked for The Sun since November 1999. He started as a crime reporter and went on to cover a variety of beats including courts and the cities of Colton, Highland and Grand Terrace. He has covered San Bernardino County since 2009. Nelson is a graduate of California State University Fullerton. In 2014, he completed a fellowship at Loyola Law School's Journalist Law School program.
jnelson@scng.com
Follow Joe Nelson	@GumshoeJoe
Redlands man pulls neighbor out of house fire


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A shooting on Thanksgiving night at the Riverchase Galleria has rocked the city of Hoover for over a week now.
Officials have stayed clear of interview requests and media inquiries since the situation hit the news until today (Thursday, Dec. 6).
Alabama's Morning News with JT talked exclusively with Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato, Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis, and City Administrator Allan Rice.
Video of the Galleria shooting will clear Erron Brown, attorney Charles Salvagio claims.
Will the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) release the shooting footage to the public? Are protestors staying peaceful? What is next in the investigation process?
All of these topics and more are discussed in a hour-long interview on our podcast. Listen below to the 7AM and 8AM hours of this morning's (Thursday, Dec. 6) show.