"He that has received His testimony has set to his seal that God is true." John 3:33.
IN opening this discourse I would call your attention to the different statistics given by John's disciples and by John himself.In the 26th verse, the disciples say, "All men come to Him"-that is their judgment of how the ministry of Jesus was succeeding.John, in the 32nd verse, said, "And no man receives His testimony." If we view them as both correct, then the disciples lookedat outward appearances and in their view the cause of Jesus seemed to be prospering to an overwhelming degree-"All men cometo Him." But John looked below the surface, at the true spiritual results and his verdict was, "And no man receives His testimony."
Be very doubtful of statistics-they depend very much upon the person compiling them. Some, with sanguine spirit, say everythingthat is delightful and encouraging. Others, with more serious and with, perhaps, more severe judgment, say much that is depressing.I am inclined to take both these opinions with a grain of salt. Each one was intended for truth, but neither of them was exact.We often hear persons say that there are crowds attending such a ministry, the people block up the gangways, they fill everyseat and the preacher is very useful for "all men come to him." This may be true and yet there may be few conversions andlittle spiritual results so that another may as truly say, "No man receives his testimony."
Ah, dear Friends, we can never be satisfied with a numerous congregation-we want souls to receive the testimony of Christ!Even though we may thank God that all sorts and conditions of men lend willing ears to our teaching, yet only one note soundsthe knell of our joy! If we hear it said, "No man receives His testimony," we are sad at heart. Forgetting what the disciplesreported, let us now look at what John said, "No man receives His testimony." He did not mean, literally, that no one receivedthe Truth of God, for his next word was, "He that has received His testimony." He meant that comparatively none received it.Compared with the crowds who came to Him, compared with the nation of Israel, compared with the human race, those who receivedChrist's testimony were so few that his sadness made him call them none.
John, though he went a little below the mark, was not far from the truth when he said, "No man receives His testimony." Inthese profound and wordy days, this is called the "pessimist" view of things. However, if it were not precisely the truth,it was mournfully near it. Today, Christ is preached and many will come to hear about Him but, alas, few receive the Gospelinto their hearts! Go through these crowded streets and mark how few receive the sacred testimony! Go into our provincialtowns and country villages and note how few receive the Truth as it is in Jesus. When you look at the denominational rollsat the end of the year, what small additions have been made! I think one section of the Church reports one addition for theyear. If any community reports as high as three or four per cent, people think wonders are accomplished!
The world can never be converted at the rate at which we are now going, for the increase of population is greater than theincrease of the Churches. We are relatively further back than we were. There are more Christians, but there are fewer Christiansin proportion to the population! There is much reason for crying earnestly to God to work more mightily upon the hearts ofmen. How glad was John to think that some had received Christ's testimony! How hungry he was that there should be more! Inwhat earnest tones does he set forth his Lord's claims in the verses around our text! He would have men go beyond himselfand find Christ and receive His testimony. This is how the case stands. Men had wandered far from God. God desired that menshould come back to Him and therefore He sent a witness to men to tell them of His kindly feelings towards them and to showin His own Person, teaching, life and death how really and truly God desired that men should be at peace with Him.
The only-begotten Son was born into our world and took our Nature, that He might be a witness to the people of the Characterof God towards us, that we, knowing how God felt, might be led to cry, "Come, and let us return unto the Lord." He would haveus touched with tender relentings when we discover the greatness of the love and mercy of God towards us by seeing Him seekingand saving the lost in the Person of His only-begotten Son. Of that subject I am going to speak this morning, keeping as closelyas I can to the text and crying to the Holy Spirit for aid.
First, observe the Testifier carefully. Look at Him and see who it is that has come to reveal the Father unto us. Secondly,hearken to His testimony. What is it? Know it and believe it. Thirdly, note the rejecters- "No man receives His testimony."How sad is the fact! Then, coming closer, still, to the text, commune with those who do receive His Heaven-given testimony.Of these it is said that they have set to their seal that God is true.
I. First, let us OBSERVE THE TESTIFIER. Jesus, our Lord, as a Witness, is so wrapped up with the testimony which He bears,that you have to know Him before you can understand His witness-in fact, to receive Him is the same thing as to receive Histestimony! If we have received Christ as what He is, we have received the testimony which He came to bear. Who is this Testifier?This Witness? We answer that, according to the context, it is "He that comes from above." To save us there has not come tous a man whose origin was at his birth, but One who existed long before and descended from above! It is true that Jesus wasborn at Bethlehem, but it is equally true that He had a preexistence from before all worlds! The Word was from the beginningwith God-"without Him was not anything made that was made."
He was God as truly before He became Man as ever He was afterwards. He that has come to save us has, in the highest sense,come from above. Let this kindle hope in the sinner's mind and let it draw forth faith in the Divine Ambassador. One has comefrom the highest heavens to lift those up, who, apart from Him must have sunk into the lowest Hell. Nearly 1,900 years havepassed since He came and trod the roughest ways of this world and lived, sorrowed and suffered here below. From the hillsof Heaven He came to this land of sin that He might lift us up and give us a Divine inheritance.
He was one of the very highest Character. Observe-"He that comes from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthlyand speaks of the earth: He that comes from Heaven is above all." All other messengers that God has sent have had much earthlinessabout them and, assuredly, we who are now His messengers have much of it. "We have this treasure in earthen vessels," butthere was nothing in our Lord Jesus that could debase the Messenger. He was pure, perfect, heavenly-and though He bore ourNature, yet He shared not our sinfulness. And though He spoke in our tongue and brought down the mysteries of Heaven to ourcomprehension, yet still He spoke them in a heavenly style-a style to which a mere man could never have reached!
Moses wrote as a man and the Spirit of God only revealed Truth measurably by him. But our Lord Jesus Christ was full of Graceand Truth and He spoke with a Manhood united to Godhead, having the Spirit without measure. In all Jesus said there was afullness, a power, a reality which mere men were not capable of containing. He was above all and others derived their authorityfrom Him, "for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Will you not listen to one so supreme? "God, who at sundrytimes and in different manners spoke in time past unto the fathers by the Prophets, has in these last days spoken unto usby His Son." Surely it shall go ill with him that refuses such a Messenger!
As He was above all in Character, so was He above all in rank. None can be compared with Him for dignity-the angels may bepeers of the heavenly realm, but He is the Crown Prince of the blood-royal of eternity! He is God over all, before whom cherubimand seraphim veil their faces. He deigned to become subject to parents, but He was, none the less, above all-Lord, Ruler,Head over all things! Though He stooped to seek and save the lost, He was still higher than the highest! Though He laid HisGlory by, that He might wash His disciples' feet-yes, and wash our sins away in His own blood-yet He was still Master andLord. "See that you refuse not Him that speaks. For if they escaped not who refused him that spoke on earth, much more shallnot we escape if we turn away from Him that speaks from Heaven."
I cannot too highly speak of the Glory and honor and majesty which belong to our Emmanuel! If I had the tongue of men andof angels I could not sufficiently extol Him. He is the First-Born of every creature, yes, the Creator Himself! King of kingsand Lord of lords is He and it is through so glorious a Person as this that God has sent to us a message of peace. Our ambassadoris of a rank above all ranks that the Lord may show how highly He esteems His chosen of the race of man. We are greatly honoredby dealing with so august a Messenger. Come, you willing hearts, and gladly receive the testimony of Him who is above all!
We are further told by John a very important fact which ought to weigh with every thoughtful mind. The testimony of Jesusis Personal testimony-"what He has seen and heard, that He testifies." The Prophets received their prophecies from the HolySpirit who spoke to them of things which they had not seen. Sometimes they did not even understand what they wrote. They didnot see those things of which they wrote for it is written that "many Prophets and kings have desired to see those things,but have not seen them." These things even angels desired to look into, but they were too mysterious for them. Our Lord JesusChrist knows heavenly things of His own proper knowledge, for He has ever dwelt in the bosom of the Father. He knows the mindof God, for He is God. The secret intent and purpose of the Most High God are with His Son Jesus.
All that He reveals to men of the mercy of God He has Himself seen and heard. He was an eye and ear witness of the mind andwill of Jehovah. Christ's teaching is not second-hand-"No man knows the Father, save the Son." Who taught Him wisdom? Fromwhere has this Man knowledge? From Himself, from His own eternal experience-as dwelling with God before all worlds He speaksto us. Do you want a better Messenger, my Hearers? How can the Lord serve you better than by sending One who knows what Hedeclares-knows it by having heard and seen and handled it? With the God who made the heavens and fashioned the earth He everdwelt, as One brought up with Him and He was daily His delight. The Lord God has sent as Ambassador to you One whom He "possessedin the beginning of His way, before His works of old." What more can you desire?
And then, further, the Baptist goes on to tell us that the testimony of Jesus is identical with the Words of God Himself."He that has received His testimony has set to his seal that Christ is true." Do you think I am reading amiss? The Scripturesays, "that God is true." The testimony of Jesus and the testimony of God are one-and when you believe Christ Jesus, you believeGod! Further on we read, "for He whom God has sent speaks the Words of God: for God gives not the Spirit by measure unto Him."If you deny what Christ says, you make God a liar, for you have not believed His testimony concerning His Son. So fully isthe witness of Jesus backed up and supported by the Words of God-so fully does Jesus represent the purpose and the mind ofthe Father-that to doubt Him is to doubt the Eternal God!
Now, if you have a plan of salvation put before you by God's Messenger-which is most assuredly the very mind of God Himself-willyou reject it? Will you fly in the face of God by rejecting salvation which comes stamped in every letter of it with Divineauthority? I pray you, my Hearers, if you have not yet believed in Jesus, remain no longer in unbelief of Him, for it is unbeliefof the Lord God, unbelief of the Triune Jehovah who made you and who keeps the breath in your nostrils! See what a Messengerwe have, then, who speaks not His own words, but the words of Him that sent Him. Those words are full of Grace and Truth forthey are full of God.
"Life, death, and Hell, And worlds unknown Hung on His sacred will."
Jesus is absolute Master of all things. Angels fly and devils tremble at His nod and all the wheels of Providence revolvein perfect order according to His will. If you listen to His testimony of Grace, remember that He has all power to back itup and make it true to you. "He is able to save to the uttermost." All power is given unto Him in Heaven and in earth. Godhas put all things under His feet-and He who is thus the Lord of All-has come to treat with you concerning reconciliation.Turn not on your heels, you busy men! Say not that you have no time to attend to Him! You must attend to One whose kingdomrules over all. Dare you treat Him with indifference? Will not the awe of His majesty constrain you to hearken to His voice?
gives the lie to His own Son. He has, in boundless pity, sent His Son, His only-begotten Son, to live and die that men mightbe saved-how shall He endure to see Him rejected? "God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoeverbelieves in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
And if this Son of His love is refused. If the guilty insult the Father by rejecting the Son, what can remain but righteouswrath? If a deed of mercy, unspeakable, immeasurable, comes to be despised by you, then the anger must abide upon you. Thereis no hope for those who refuse Jesus. Flatter not yourselves that there is another way of escape, in some future state, forif there could have been another way, God would not have given up His Son to shame, suffering and death! Faith in Jesus isthe only door of hope! Shut that upon yourselves and you shut yourselves in utter darkness, in helpless, hopeless misery!What can help you if the wrath of God abides on you? This must mean a misery unspeakable, without the slightest alleviation.
O my dear Hearers, I wish I had the power to set forth my Lord as the Witness! As I cannot do this as I would, I commend toyou the passage of Scripture itself. The sentences are short, sharp, crisp, clear-and they show you who He is whom God hassent on the great errand of Divine love. Refuse Him not, I implore you!
II. Secondly, HEARKEN TO HIS TESTIMONY. What is the testimony of Jesus? What has the Christ to tell us concerning God? I willonly use the three chapters which precede my text and I shall gather enough from them to give a fair outline of what Jesustells us of the Father and His willingness to forgive and save. First, he tells us, God has provided an Atonement. Look atthe 29th verse of the first chapter, where John says, "Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world." Thevery fact that the Son of God came here as Man to suffer for our sin proves that God has provided a great and all-sufficientSacrifice.
God could not deal with a sinful world-it was too defiled with sin for Him to look upon it-but that sin of the world whichprevented a holy God from dealing with a condemned race has been taken away by Jesus, so that now the Lord can visit man andfavor him with the Gospel of peace and the work of salvation. This was necessary before a single individual could be saved."God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself." The death of Jesus has enabled God to commune with men. Oh, hearthis! There is a Sacrifice for sin! My Hearers, believe it and make much if it. The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleansesus from all sin! Jesus has died and in that death He has finished transgression, made an end of sin, and brought in everlastingrighteousness. All Believers are forgiven through His death. God is willing that you, believing in His dear Son, should beso forgiven as to be washed whiter than snow. That is Christ's testimony to you and he that receives it has set to his sealthat God is true.
The next testimony of Jesus is that the Lord has made a way of access between man and God. Look at the 51st verse of the firstchapter. He said to Nathanael, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, hereafter you shall see Heaven open, and the angels of Godascending and descending upon the Son of Man." Jacob's ladder is not now before you as a dream, but as a reality. The Sonof Man, the Incarnate God, God in Christ Jesus, is the way by which there can be commerce between man and God. We can go upto God and the angels of God, loaded with blessings, can come down to men. The gulf is bridged-a glorious stairway has beenmade across the dread abyss which separated guilty man from his offended God. Jesus Christ Himself, in His own Person, isthat ladder and He bears witness thereof to you. Sin is put away and distance is removed.
What is the next part of His testimony? You will find it in the third chapter-God is only to be approached in a spiritualway. To come to God, "you must be born again." That which is born of flesh is flesh and cannot commune with God, who is aSpirit. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit and can commune with the holy God and understand spiritual things. My Hearers,there is no coming to God by a priest of human consecration! There is no coming by outward ritual, form, or ceremony-"Godis a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." You must have a spiritual Nature, that theSpirit of God may commune with you. Only by a spiritual Nature can you have communion with the great Invisible.
very plain, He puts it thus-"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up: thatwhoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life."
You know the type. Bitten by the fiery serpents, the people looked to the bronze serpent and they were healed. Now, bittenby sin, you look to Him who was made sin for us and, looking to Him, your guilt passes away and the poison of your sinfulnessmeets its antidote. We look to Jesus and live! Our Lord bore witness to this with His own lips and then by the lips of HisApostles. He still cries, "Look unto Me, and be you saved, all the ends of the earth." Yes, there is life in a look at theCrucified One! Believing is receiving. Accept Christ, whom God sends as a Messenger to you and in accepting Him you shallbe saved.
Oh, this message of mercy from Jesus, is it not full and blessed? If I had the time I should like to have enlarged much uponthe testimony of God in Christ Jesus, but here it means just this, that you, being guilty and condemned, can be justly forgiventhrough the sacrifice of Jesus! You may be beloved of God because of His love to Jesus. You may be delivered from all theevil results of sin because of the death of the Well-Beloved. You can be saved! Yes, if you now believe in Christ Jesus, youare saved. All heavenly privileges are yours now-where you now sit-and shall be yours world without end. Glory be to God!
II. With great heaviness we have now to NOTICE THE REJECTERS-"No man receives His testimony." You would have thought thatthe moment this testimony was delivered to the world every man would have hastened to hear it and would have believed it withjoyful readiness! But alas, the very reverse happened! If I went to fish with such bait as this, I should expect to have asea full of fish rushing towards me, but it was not so. Men, as a rule, will not accept this heavenly salvation-no man willreceive it except moved by God the Holy Spirit. Why is this? In the case of many, it is because they are earthly and the messageand the messenger are too heavenly for them.
They are earth-bound and earth-buried. They are so busy-how can they consider the grand fact that God has come down to savemen? They will think of that great spiritual Truth of God one of these days when they have made sufficient money and can retire-whenthey have nothing better to do than to attend to the claims of God. God is second-rate, no, seventh-rate in their esteem!They are really so occupied and their thoughts are so taken up with daily cares of this life that God's Grace must wait theirconvenience. I fear they will never be startled into thought until it is said of each one of them, "In Hell he lifted up hiseyes, being in torments." The rich man had kept his eyes downward upon his sumptuous fare and had never looked up to heavenlythings-but the realities of eternity have awakened him. O God, grant that none of my hearers may keep their eyes down untilthey lift them up in Hell!
Some rejecters of the Word of our Lord, I have no doubt, were too learned to believe in anything so simple as the statementthat God was among them in human form to live and die for men. Though this is, in very truth, the most sublime of all mysteries,yet human pride counts it a small matter. It is to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness. Men know so muchthat they will not know God! I am struck every day, when reviewing books of the present period, with how wise fools are nowadays.Pardon me. I will put it differently and say-how foolish the wise are nowadays. I mean the same thing whichever way I sayit. They get a hold of the tail of a dead thing and they shout like men that find great spoil! Here is a great discovery-adiscovery of nothing!
which is far gone in decay. They will not believe God. How can they while they receive honor one of another, as learned critics?
It is today as it was in our Lord's time, "not many wise men after the flesh are called." Still have we to ask, "Where arethe wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world?" Those who glory in fleshly wisdom cannot receive thetestimony of the carpenter's Son-a testimony so plain that the poor and illiterate can understand it and enter into eternallife! I hope this will not be the case with any of the more cultured among you. Be willing to take Christ's yoke upon youand learn of Him.
Certain people did not receive the testimony of Jesus because they were too proud. Pedigree and privilege kept many away.Read this verse in the first chapter-"He came unto His own and His own received Him not." Why? Because they thought they wereGod's own already! Did they not wear a text of Scripture between their eyes? Had they not broad fringes of blue on their dress?Did they not tithe mint, anise, cumin and other pennyworths of herbs? Did they not fast thrice in the week and so on? Whatdid they want with Jesus? Those who professed to belong to God and cried, "The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lordare we," were too good to accept a Savior-too near to Heaven to need a Messenger from God.
But the real reason for rejecting the testimony of Jesus was this-they were too evil to receive it. Read verse 19- "Lightis come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone that does evilhates the light, neither comes to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." Ah, my unbelieving Hearers, if you were bettermen you would more readily accept the light of Christ! If men were not such sinners as they are, they would come to Him tolearn the way of the Lord. Alas, the depth of man's guilt has hardened his heart and darkened his perceptions-and made himprefer darkness to light! Men do not see that they need deliverance-they hear music in the rattle of their chairs. May theSpirit of God come and convict men of sin-and when they are once convicted of it and foresee their doom, they will changetheir minds towards the Savior and be willing to hear the message of Divine Grace!
May God, of His boundless Grace, save every man and woman and child to whom this sermon shall come! [And may He be as mercifulto those who read this in the 21st Century!] I am greatly pleased to see so many of you present on such a wet and stormy dayas this-I hope the Lord means to bless you now that you are here. I remember going to the house of God one morning when therewere only a few persons able to reach the place, there being a heavy snowstorm at the time. That morning I found the Saviorby looking to Him upon the Cross and now I look with great interest upon services which are held in rough weather. I hopethat those who have had the determination to come are more than common hearers-I trust that they have hearts that the LordGod has touched.
I hope you have come here with a desire to find salvation and if so, may you find it in the Lord Jesus at once! O Lord, grantit, I beseech You! All the while, remember, these rejecters of Christ were under the wrath of God. What a terrible condition!I will not dwell upon the awful fact, but let a man only know the meaning of these words and he will tremble in his seat-"Hethat believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him." O Souls, how can you bear it?
IV. We will conclude by speaking upon the fourth point. Let US COMMUNE WITH THOSE WHO RECEIVE CHRIST'S TESTIMONY. The textsays, "He that has received His testimony has set to his seal that God is true." To receive is, in still plainer Saxon, "totake in." There is here the idea of retaining as well as receiving. We take in the testimony of Jesus that it may abide inus. We hear what Jesus says and we answer to it, "Lord, I believe." Our word is, "Master, say on. Whatever You say, I believe."We take in all that Jesus witnesses and we hold to it. We believe and we keep on believing. We come to Jesus and we are alwayscoming to Him.
Some people begin with believing in Jesus and then turn aside to believe in their own feelings, but you must not do so-youmust believe and keep right on believing. The just shall live by faith. We receive Christ and keep on receiving Him. "He thatreceives His testimony." Do you refuse anything to which Jesus witnesses? This is evil! Receive His testimony with unquestioningfaith. Some men will believe any monstrous assertion of scientists, or spiritualists, or rationalists-but they cannot believethe plain witness of the Lard Jesus Christ! The man who takes in the teaching of Jesus and keeps to it, he is the blessedman!
therefore I am saved," is better. Personal appropriation is the best receiving! Accept the Truth of Jesus for your own soul-seizeit by the grip of a personal faith and then you have it! You have seen a boy with a burning-glass-he concentrates all therays of the sun so as to produce a fire. Even so, by faith, concentrate the testimony of Jesus upon your own case and youwill soon feel a wonderful power working in your soul! He that receives the testimony of Jesus makes it his own, feeds onit and is saved thereby.
Receivers of Christ's testimony allow nothing to make them doubt what He has said. When the Believer is down in the dumpsand is passing through a dark time, he says, "What Jesus has said is true for all this. He has told me that if I believe inHim I have eternal life and I have it, however gloomy things may appear. I have a sluggish liver and it makes me feel lowand miserable, but I have eternal life! My wife is sick to death and I have buried child after child and lost friend afterfriend-but I have eternal life! God's waves and billows go over me, but I have eternal life, for He says it and I cannot doubtHim." It is a grand thing to have your confidence outside yourself! It is glorious to have it all in Christ!
As long as you keep your confidence in your own self it will be a very poor stay for you. There is a ship at sea and a foolishlandsman feels very confident of the safety of the vessel because they have a big anchor on board. My dear Man, what is thegood of that anchor while it is on board? It would rather tend to sink the ship by its weight than to be of service to it."Oh," he says, "but it is one of the best Admiralty anchors and we are safe while that is on board!"
O simple Soul, an anchor is of no use while you can see it! Drop it down into the deep sea, out of sight, and then it willbe of service. Hear the chain run out! Now the anchor is far down. It grips and holds the vessel. You must fix your confidencewithin the veil. Your anchorage of hope must be where mortal eyes can never see. Our rest lies in simply believing the Wordof the Lord Jesus. I believe it though I do not feel it. I believe it though I cannot argue the matter out logically. I believeit because God says it to me through His great Witness, the Lord Jesus Christ. The foregoing will enable you to see the truthof the statement, "He that has received His testimony has set to his seal that God is true."
In the olden time men did not often write their names because they could not write at all! Even kings set their seals becausethey could not give a signature. To this day, how often does it happen to me, as a trustee to a chapel or a school, to havea paper laid before me and I not only sign my name, but I put my finger on that red wafer which represents my seal and I say,"This is my act and deed"? When you believe in Jesus you have set your seal to the testimony of Jesus, which is the Revelationof the Lord. You have certified that you believe in God as true. What does that mean? It means not only that He has kept Hispromise as made to the fathers in the Old Testament and will keep it in Christ Jesus, but it means, also, that to you Godis real. By faith in Jesus you have come to know the reality of God.
Before, you talked about an unknown God, but now you know Him and declare your faith in His reality and fidelity. Now youperceive substance and not shadow. Now you see mystery, but not myth. God is Truth and all that Jesus said of Him is Truth.He says, "He that believes on the Son has everlasting life," and you find that God is true, for you live in newness of life!Jesus says, "He that believes on Him is not condemned," and you know it is so, for you enjoy a sense of pardoned sin! Youhave sealed the testimony of God by resting your own soul upon it. It seems a very joyful thing to me that I should be allowedto be a witness to the Truth of God. I feel honored by being allowed to subscribe my name to the testimony of Jesus.
Can you not do the same? Remember what it involves. You doubting Christians, what are you doing? You have already put yourhand and seal to the promise of God and are you going to contradict your own signature and seal? When you first believed inJesus you set to your seal that God is true. And now, because you have met with a little trouble, are you going to retractyour witness? Do you fear that the Lord will not help you and save you? What are we to understand by that seal of yours? Isit, after all, untrue, or unreal? You know better! Shame on you for contradicting yourself! Remember, when you make God aliar you make yourself a liar, for you have already set your hand and seal to it that God is true-and seals and handwritingsremain. You accepted the real Savior for your real sin and you believed in the real death of Christ for you-are you goingto run back? Will you doubt your Lord after this?
God grant you may not, but, on the contrary, may you go on confirming the testimony of Jesus and setting it to your seal againand again that God is true! Give glory to God believing that what He has promised He is able also to perform. Never staggerat the promise through unbelief. All the promises of God are yes and amen in Christ Jesus to the glory of God by us-why, weset to our seal that God is true!
Our sins are largely caused by our mistrust of God. You think that God denies you something that would be good for you andtherefore you go and take it. You suspect God of being so cruel as to command you to do that which is to your injury and soyou refuse to obey Him. Now if you believe that God is true, you will from now on give up what He bids you give up becauseyou feel that it is well to do so. And you will act as He bids you because you are sure His command is wise and good. Betweenyou and God there will be, from now on, a holy confidence-and what will that lead to? It will lead to holiness of life andearnest seeking to please God in whom you unreservedly believe.
You will love Him with all your heart and with all your soul, now that confidence is created. See what a change faith makes!Have you ever heard of a servant who believed hard things of her mistress? She thought her a tyrant and resolved that shewould do nothing to please her. When she did her work, she did it very badly and thought it was quite good enough for sucha creature as her mistress. But she heard something about her which entirely changed her opinion. Instead of thinking hera demon, she judged her to be little less than an angel! It might have seemed a small matter, but it was not so. She did herwork zealously and gladly now that her suspicions were ended. Faith in her mistress affected her whole life.
So is it in spiritual things! Faith in Christ Jesus is the fountain of obedience, the ensign of a change of heart. God grantit to you all! Amen.
PORTION OF SCRIPTURES READ BEFORE SERMON- John 3:13-36.


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A team of researchers at the University of Illinois have come up with a microscope system that can image living tissue in real time and in molecular detail, without any chemicals or dyes. The new technology could boost cancer study.
Called simultaneous label-free autofluorescence multi-harmonic microscopy, the technology was reported in the journal Nature Communications.
How does the system work? It utilizes precisely tailored pulses of light to simultaneously image with multiple wavelengths. This enables the researchers to study concurrent processes within cells and tissue. A major benefit: it could give cancer researchers a new tool for tracking tumor progression and physicians new technology for tissue pathology and diagnostics.
The key question is, how does "SLAM microscopy" differs from standard tissue pathology. First, it is used on living tissue, even inside a living being, giving it the potential to be used for clinical diagnosis or to guide surgery in the operating room. Second, it uses no dyes or chemicals, only light. Standard procedure involves removing a tissue sample and adding chemical stains – which can be a lengthy process – and the chemicals can disrupt the cells.
According to Sixian You, the first author of the paper, while other stain-free imaging techniques have been developed, they usually only visualize a subset of signals, measuring specific biological or metabolic signatures. Meanwhile, SLAM microscopy simultaneously collects multiple contrasts from cells and tissues, capturing molecular-level details and dynamics such as metabolism.
Boppart's group is using SLAM microscopy to compare healthy tissue and cancer tissue in both rats and humans, focusing particularly on vesicle activity and how it relates to cancer aggressiveness. They are also working to make portable versions of the SLAM microscope that could be used clinically.
"There is a wealth of new data, information and biomarkers in the images we collect from fresh tissue that is still metabolically active, or in living organisms, where we can visualize the dynamics of individual cells and their collective behaviors," said Boppart "These, we expect, will become new markers for diseases such as cancer, and our imaging technology will help detect these for disease screening, diagnostics and monitoring applications.
The thinking is that this technology will open the possibility of complementing, or even replacing, standard histopathology processing, which is time- and labor-intensive and can only be done on removed, fixed, dead tissue.


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Altschule, Herman. "Exploring the Coast Range in 1850." Overland Monthly, vol. 2 (1888): 320-326.
of Hubert Howe Bancroft, vol. 1. New York: D. Appleton and Co., 1875.
___. History of California. 7 vols. The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft, vols. 18-24. San Francisco: The History Co., 1890.
Barrett, Samuel A. The Ethno-Geography of Pomo and Neighboring Indians. University of California Publications in American Archaeology and Ethnology, vol.
6, no. 1. Salinas, Calif.: Coyote Press, n.d. Reprint of: Berkeley: The University Press, 1908.
___. Ecological Determinants of Aboriginal California Populations. University of California Publications in American Archaeology and Ethnology, vol. 49, no.
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___. Semantic Structures in Northwestern California and the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 1976.
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Anthropology, University of California, 1991.
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Cody, Bertha Parker. "California Indian Baby Cradles." Masterkey, vol. 14, no. 3 (1940): 89-96.
Cook, Eung-Do, and Keren D. Rice, eds. Athapaskan Linguistics: Current Perspectives on a Language Family. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 1989.
Cook, Sherburne F. The Aboriginal Population of the North Coast of California. Anthropological Records, vol. 16, no. 3. Salinas, Calif.: Coyote Press, n.d.
Davis, James T. Trade Routes and Economic Exchange Among the Indians of California. Reports of the University of California Archaeological Survey, no.
54. Salinas, Calif.: Coyote Press, n.d. Reprint of: Berkeley: University of California Archaeological Survey, 1961.
54. Berkeley: University of California Archaeological Survey, 1961. Reprinted: Aboriginal California: Three Studies in Culture History, ed. R. F. Heizer.
Berkeley: University of California Press, 1963; Ramona, Calif.: Ballena, Press, 1974.
DuFour, Clarence J. "The Russian Withdrawal from California." Quarterly of the California Historical Society, vol. 7, no. 3 (1933): 240-276.
Forbes, Jack D. Native Americans of California and Nevada. Rev. ed. Happy Camp, Calif.: Naturegraph Publishers, 1982. Reprint of: 1969.
Ford, H. L. "Deposition Taken February 24, 1860." In Majority and Minority Reports of the Special Committee on the Mendocino War, California.
Legislature. Special Joint Committee on the Mendocino War, [Sacramento, Calif.]: Charles T. Botts, State Printer, 1860.
Freeman, John F., comp. A Guide to Manuscripts Relating to the American Indian in the Library of the American Philosophical Society. Memoirs of the American Philosophical Society, 65. Philadelphia, Penn.: American Philosophical Society, 1966.
Garrett, Gary. "The Destruction of the Indian in Mendocino County, 1856-1860." Ph.D. diss., Sacramento State College, Sacramento, Calif., 1962.
Gayton, Anna H. "Areal Affiliations of California Folktales." American Anthropologist, n.s., vol. 37, no. 4, pt. 1 (1935): 582-599.
Tribes of California, H. R. Schoolcraft, vol. 3, 428-445. Philadelphia, Penn.: Lippincott, 1860.
Calif.: Coyote Press, n.d. Reprint of: Berkeley: University of California Press, 1926.
Gifford, Edward Winslow. Californian Kinship Terminologies. University of California Publications in American Archaeology and Ethnology, vol. 18, no. 1.
___. "Coast Yuki Myths." Journal of American Folk-Lore, vol. 50, no. 196 (1937): 115-172.
___. Chilula Whilkut field notes (Redwood Creek) [1902-1907]. MS, APS. 5 notebooks.
___. Field notes in California Athapascan languages [1902-1903; 1922]. MS, APS. 18 notebooks.
___. Kato materials [1902- 1906]. MS, APS. 8 notebooks.
Greenberg, Joseph H. Language in the Americas. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 1987.
Hall, Roberta. "Sexual Dimorphism for Size in Seven Nineteenth Century Northwest Coast Populations." Human Biology, vol. 50, no. 1 (1978): 159-171.
Hammond, William. "History of Round Valley Reservation," 1959. M.A. thesis, Sacramento State College, Sacramento, Calif.
California Archaeological Survey, no. 50. Salinas, Calif.: Coyote Press, n.d. Reprint of: Berkeley: University of California Archaeological Survey, 1960.
California. Legislature. Special Joint Committee on the Mendocino War, [Sacramento, Calif.: Charles T. Botts, State Printer], 1860.
Special Reports, no. 2. Berkeley: Heyday Books, 1993.
Hoijer, Harry. "Athapaskan Kinship Systems." American Anthropologist, vol. 58, no. 2 (1956): 309-333.
___. "The Chronology of the Athapaskan Languages." International Journal of American Linguistics, vol. 22, no. 4 (1956): 219-232.
of: El Centro, Calif.: I.V.C. Museum Society, 1974.
Anthropology, vol. 1, no. 1 (1979): 39-63.
Hymes, Dell H. "A Note on Athapaskan Glottochronology." International Journal of American Linguistics, vol. 23, no. 4 (1957): 291-297.
Hymes, Virginia Dosch. "Athapaskan Numeral Systems." International Journal of American Linguistics, vol. 21, no. 1 (1955): 26-45.
Program, University of California, 1989. Special issue of American Indian Quarterly, vol. 13, no. 4 (Fall 1989).
Project, Ukiah Unified School District, 1984.
The Phoebe Apperson Hearst Musuem of Anthropology Collection of Photographs".
Keller, John E. The Mendocino Outlaws. Fort Bragg, Calif.: Mendocino County Historical Society, 1974.
Kelsey, C. E. "Some Numerals from the California Indian Languages," 1906. Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley; CU 23.1 item 60.
Press, n.d. Culture Element Distributions: III. Reprint of: Berkeley: University of California Press, 1936.
___. Arrow Release Distributions. University of California Publications in American Archaeology and Ethnology, vol. 23, no. 4. Salinas, Calif.: Coyote Press, n.d.
Reprint of: Berkeley: University of California Press, 1927.
American Archaeology and Ethnology, vol. 47, no. 2. Salinas, Calif.: Coyote Press, n.d. Reprint of: Berkeley: University of California Press, 1957.
Calif.: Coyote Press, n.d. Reprint of: Berkeley: University of California Press, 1959.
___. "A Kato War." In Festschrift Publication d'Hommage Offerte au P.W. Schmidt, 394-400. Wein: Mechitharisten-Congregation-Buchdruckerei, 1928.
n.d. Reprint of: Berkeley: University of California Press, 1932.
___. Phonetic Constituents of the Native Languages of California. University of California Publications in American Archaeology and Ethnology, vol. 10, no.
___. "Principal Local Types of the Kuksu Cult." In The California Indians: A Source Book, 2nd ed., comp. and ed. R. F. Heizer, and M. A. Whipple, 485-495.
Publications in American Archaeology and Ethnology, vol. 47, no. 3. Salinas, Calif.: Coyote Press, n.d. Reprint of: Berkeley: University of California Press, 1959.
University of California Press, 1941.
___. "Yukian Family." In Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico, ed. F. W. Hodge, vol. 2, 1008-1009. Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin, 30.
Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1910.
Ethnohistory: California and Basin-Plateau Indians.
Papers, no. 37 (1967): 1-22.
Kroeber, Theodora, and Robert F. Heizer. Almost Ancestors: The First Californians, ed. F. D. Hales. San Francisco: Sierra Club, 1968.
"Letter Books of Outgoing Correspondence from the Round Valley Indian Reservation," 1881. RG 75, National Archives, Pacific Sierra Region, San Bruno, Calif.
Li, Fang-kuei. Mattole, an Athabaskan Language. Chicago, The Univ. of Chicago Press, 1930.
Liftchild, Judson. "Memories of Round Valley at the Turn of the Century," n.d. Manuscript in author's possession.
Loeb, Edwin M. "The Religious Organizations of North Central California and Tierra del Fuego." American Anthropologist, n.s., vol. 33, no. 4 (1931): 517-556.
___. The Western Kuksu Cult. University of California Publications in American Archaeology and Ethnology, vol. 33, no. 1. Salinas, Calif.: Coyote Press, n.d.
California Archaeological Survey, no. 30. Salinas, Calif.: Coyote Press, n.d. Reprint of: Berkeley: University of California Archaeological Survey, 1955.
Topography, Productions, History, Scenery, and Peculiar Attractions. Napa City, Calif.: Reporter Publishing House, 1873.
Ethnology from the C. Hart Merriam Collection, no. 1. Berkeley: University of California Archaeological Research Facility, 1976.
___. Kahto ethnogeography [n.d.]. MS, CHMC [Catalog# A/1o/G17].
___. Kahto tribe and villages [n.d.]. MS, CHMC [Catalog# A/1o/N22, part]. 9pp.
___. Kahto village sites according to Barrett [n.d.]. MS, CHMC [Catalog# A/1o/N22, part]. 2pp.
___. Kahto [To-chil'-pe ke'-ah-hahng] vocabulary [1920-1922]. MS, CHMC. [Catalog# A/1o/V12].
Informants: Mrs. Martinez Bell and others. Kahto and Long Valleys, California.
___. Athapaskan comparative word list: Kahto. MS, CHMC. [Catalog# A/1o/CL].
___. To'-ke-ah-hah'ng or Kahto natural history word list [1920-1922]. MS, CHMC. [Catalog# A/1o/NH13].
Kahto Rancheria, Long Valley, California.
Merrill, Ruth Earl. Plants Used in Basketry by the California Indians. University of California Publications in American Archaeology and Ethnology, vol. 20, no.
13. Salinas, Calif.: Coyote Press, n.d. Reprint of: Berkeley: University of California Press, 1923.
the Southwestern Anthropological Association, Las Vegas, Nev., 1969.
Norton, Jack. Genocide in Northwestern California: When Our Worlds Cried. San Francisco: The Indian Historian Press, 1979.
Okladnikova, Elena Alekseevna. "The California Collection of I.G. Voznesensky and the Problems of Ancient Cultural Connections Between Asia and America."
Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology, vol. 5, no. 1-2 (1983): 224-239.
Palmer, Lyman L. History of Mendocino County, California. San Francisco: Alley, Brown, 1880.
Museums of Canada, 1974. Mercury Series.
University of California Archaeological Research Facility, no. 25. Berkeley: University of California Archaeological Research Facility, 1975.
California Indians Originally Published 1872-1877, S. Powers, 53-63. Contributions of the University of California Archaeological Research Facility, no. 25.
Berkeley: University of California Archaeological Research Facility, 1975. Reprint of: Overland Monthly, vol. 9 (1872): 499-507.
Anthropology, University of California, 1966.
Rogers, Fred B. "Early Military Posts of Mendocino County, California." California Historical Society Quarterly, vol. 27, no. 3 (1948): 215-228.
Rose, Wendy. Aboriginal Tattooing in California. Berkeley: University of California Archaeological Research Facility, 1979.
possession, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
Sapir, Edward. "Notes on Chasta Costa Phonology and Morphology," Anthropological Publications of the Univ. of Pennsylvania Museum, vol.2, no.2, pp. 271-340.
___. 13 pp. of Cahto transcribed by Sapir in winter or spring of 1907-8. Included in Goddard, Pliny Earle. Athapaskan Field Note and MAnuscript Collections, 11. Kato Linguistic Miscellany (with Edward Sapir). Item #12.11 in the UC-Berkeley Anthropology Department Archives (housed in the Bancroft Library).
Sherwin, Janet. Face and Body Painting Practices Among California Indians. Reports of the University of California Archaeological Survey, no. 60, [pt. 2].
Berkeley: University of California Archaeological Research Facility, 1963. Reprinted: Salinas, Calif.: Coyote Press, n.d.
The Singing Feather: Tribal Remembrances from Round Valley, ed. V. Patterson, and et al. Ukiah, Calif.: Mendocino County Library, 1990.
ed. T. C. Blackburn, and K. Anderson, 299-327. Ballena Press Anthropological Papers, no. 40. Menlo Park, Calif.: Ballena Press, 1993.
1989. Contents: Hupa Tattooing / by Edward Sapir -- Aboriginal Tattooing in California / by Wendy Rose.
Thompson, Stith. Tales of the North American Indians. 1st Midland Book ed. Midland Book, MB-91. Bloomington, Ind.: Indiana University Press, 1966.
Monograph Series of the American Sociological Association, Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1986.
Vallejo, M. J. "History of California," 1875. Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley,.
Wallace, William James. "California Indian Chewing Gums." Masterkey, vol. 46, no. 1 (1972): 27-33.
The Way We Lived: California Indian Reminiscences, Stories and Songs, ed. M. Margolin. Berkeley: Heyday Books, 1981.
Historical Society, 1993. Reprint of: 1981.


We, the bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the ancient and glorious Patriarchate of Pech, gathered by the grace of the Holy Spirit, for the regular convocation of the Holy Assembly of Bishops in the historic See of Serbian archbishops and patriarchs, the Monastery of the Patriarchate of Pech, and in the republic capital Belgrade. During this preparatory year for the Commemoration of the 800th Anniversary of Autocephaly of our Church of Saint Sava (1219-2019), concerned with the survival and wellbeing of the Serbian people and their holy sites in Kosovo and Metohija, headed by His Holiness the Serbian Patriarch, direct this message to all faithful sons and daughters of our holy Church, as well as local and international media.
The idea of dividing Kosovo and Metohija between Serbia and the self-proclaimed "Kosovo state" remains on in public opinion. As such, consciously or unconsciously, one fact is overlooked: that the division would be nothing more than the recognition of an "independent state of Kosovo" and the giving away of the largest part of the territory of the Province. There is no example in world history in which a people in peace, two decades after an armed conflict, would give away their own for their own. In so dividing, the people of a large part of Kosovo and Metohija would automatically be left to the mercy and mercilessness of the regime of the so-called state of Kosovo; exposed to a pogrom similar to that of March 2004 or, under pressure and quiet terror would be forced into an exodus.


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Columbus To Host Premiere Business Conference And Expo
Written By: ronewstevens
Born in Columbus, Ohio and raised in nearby Urbana, Ohio Warren Stevens has been a familiar voice to central Ohio listeners since 1992. He began building his radio and television career while in high school at WUHS 91.7 at Urbana High School. Upon graduation from high school; Warren attended Capital University in Bexley, Ohio where he studied speech communications. Capital University provided valuable radio & television experiences. Some of those experiences including working on the student run and produced television show, Skyline Columbus. Capital University also provided some very relevant radio associated experiences as well. They included working as an air-personality at Capital University's student run radio station and as a public-address announcer for Capital University men's and women's basketball and wrestling as well. Warren's radio experiences have taken him all over central and west central Ohio holding radio employment in: Springfield, Bellefontaine, Dayton and Columbus, Ohio. Warren has worked a variety of timeslots during his tenure in Columbus. They include mid-day personality, morning and afternoon drive as well. Currently he is mid-day air – personality on WXMG/ Magic 106.3 His warm friendly demeanor and genuine interest in the central Ohio community are an integral part of every show weekdays from 10am -3pm.
Columbus' Ohio Dominican University Panther Football In Primetime On National TV
[Video] Toni Braxton And Babyface's New Music Video For Hurt You
TV One Announces New Season Of The Hit Television Series Unsung
Columbus Ohio will host one of the nation's premiere business conference's and expo in the spring of 2013. BLACK ENTERPRISE, the nation's premier business resource for African Americans will bring its Entrepreneurs Conference + Expo hosted by Nationwide Insurance to Columbus in spring 2013. Today, BLACK ENTERPRISE President and CEO Earl "Butch" Graves Jr. joined Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman and Nationwide Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer Matthew Jauchius at Nationwide headquarters in Columbus to make the announcement.
The BLACK ENTERPRISE Conference + Expo hosted by Nationwide Insurance, draws over 1,500 people from across the country each year. Touted as the premier business conference and networking event for African American entrepreneurs, corporate executives and professionals, the conference will be held at the newly constructed Hilton Columbus Downtown, May 15 – 18, 2013.
"Bringing the Entrepreneur Conference to Columbus and the Buckeye State is special to us for a lot of reasons," said Earl "Butch" Graves Jr. "Last year, 12 of the BE100s; our list of the most successful African American-owned businesses in the nation, called Ohio home. Columbus is a city that breathes economic and entrepreneurial potential, not only for those who live here, but for our nation."
Black Enterprise founder Earl Graves Sr. (right) and Black Enterprise C.E.O Earl Graves Jr. (left)
expo business

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Kickstarter has been helping a lot of interesting products lately. This time I saw an in ear monitor with a weird but very cool and interesting glowing headphone called the "Glow Headphones!" It is a dual driver in ear monitor that's powered with the widely used and great sounding special tunes Knowles balanced armature drivers.
As we all know, Knowles powered in ear monitors often delivers great musicality, details and amazing clarity for your musical enjoyment. It also has a Glow app on Android and IOS devices wherein you can set the brightness as well as selecting the glow mode. The Glow shine can last up to 8 hours of continuous use and it can be charged via a standard micro USB cable. Plus even if the battery runs out you can still keep listening with your favorite music even without the glow.
You can get these crazy good looking IEMS by backing it up via Kickstarter, there's no word yet when it will become available internationally. It's priced at USD 127 or roughly around PHP 5,596.83 which is the average price of a dual armature driver IEM globally.
To view their Kickstarter Campaign: Click Here!


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Home / Church / Education / Politics / Vice President Osinbajo under fire for promoting ethnicity in the race for the 2023
Vice President Osinbajo under fire for promoting ethnicity in the race for the 2023
December 23, 2018 Church, Education, Politics
Vice President Professor Yemi Osinbajo is under fire for promoting ethnicity in the race for the 2023 presidential election, even as the 2019 general elections is yet to hold.
Osinbajo recently said his kinsmen, the ethnic Yoruba, are those who will determine if a Yoruba person succeeds Buhari in 2023. "The 2019 general elections is our own. We are not looking at the 2019 but 2023. If we get it in 2019, Yoruba will get it in 2023.
Because if we don't get it in 2019, we may not get it in 2023 and it may take a very long time to get it," the vice president said in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital. Before now, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, had said President Muhammadu Buhari would hand over to an Igbo person in 2023.
Vice President Osinbajo under fire for promoting ethnicity in the race for the 2023 Reviewed by Obanaija on December 23, 2018 Rating: 5


They are super chic without being too dressy.
I went for the simple all black look with a long printed kimono.
I wore a black tank top with a black 3/4 leggings from Primark and my fringe detail sandals from Jumia.
I made this kimono myself!
I got this fabric a over 2 years ago and I originally wanted to make a long flowy dress with it. Fortunately, a kimono was one of the few things I learnt how to make.
Love love love the kimono, everything is perfect about it. You are so gorgeous.
This kimono is awesome! Such a statement piece!
The kimono is so so pretty. Love the print.
Love your hair, and kimono is fun piece to have.
Oh wow this is very beautiful! Girl, I totally love your hair!


Manuscripts, old printed works, maps and charts have recently been digitized and catalogued. There is a new addition every month!
Utrecht University Library digitizes large numbers of books and other works every year. Each month, we make at least one selection from all of the material published in the Special Collections in digital form and showcase the selection in the 'Recently digitized' section with a short description and a link to the complete digitized work. The images are supplemented by further information about the work and, in some cases, detailed descriptions, transcriptions or translations.


The Mooch could not have picked a worse example here.
United Airlines didn't make the list.
"Passengers have far fewer 'rights' than they imagine."
The Betsy Beer is specifically engineered for drinking at high altitudes.
AirAsia has been cleared to fly in and out of American airports.
It makes perfect sense, just not for you.
Either this was a sick joke or...yeah, probably a sick joke.
Tactics for staying afloat during the most tedious scenario known to man.


Diving into parallel space-time, the dancers communicate authentically in the virtual world.
Puzzles of precious moments await completion.
Investigating every inch and stitch of Father's briefcase – to feel, to see and to be with him, the great man of the family.
A ray of light awaits in the dark.
Expressing the impermanence of life in a dance duet accompanied by a live jazz performance and the magical percussion sound of water dripping.
Losing in the distractions of the virtual world, aloof from reality… May our souls continue to grow until we are ready to take a genuine interest and bond with one another again.


Photo: Jane Gibian, by James Stuart, cropped.
Jane Gibian is a poet and librarian whose publications include tidemark (Vagabond Press, 2013) and Ardent (Giramondo, 2007). Her work has been widely anthologised, most recently in The turnrow Anthology of Contemporary Australian Poetry (2014) and Thirty Australian Poets (UQP, 2011).


My robots are nature photographers!
Dove's have returned to our balcony to nest. This time i immediately moved my camera Pi over and began shooting time lapse, motion, and live stream. enjoy.
As someone who enjoys his occasional blatant consumerism, I spent this year's favorite shopping day in much more serene surroundings. After an incredible brunch with friends in Topanga Canyon, we journeyed on to Tuna Canyon Park. The air was so clear we could see for miles, even all the way to downtown Los Angeles. After the sun set, Sushi (and Sake). What a wonderful day.
Ride though the forest on the steam locomotive Dixiana!
Departing from Roaring Camp to the summit of Bear Mountain, this was one of the most amazing train rides I have been on. Certainly the most picturesque just beside Henry Cowell Redwood State Park.
This railroad has the distinction of having the steepest grade in North America! The 9.25% grade didn't seem so extreme when we rode it, however it did require the train to switch back and reverse direction in order to complete the journey. I got a real education from the Brakeman on how a steam locomotive operates. Enjoy my photographs.


Do you need expert advice on your golf game? Thought so... Watch the video and learn how to Ask Martin Hall! Does he have a golf drill? Of course he does! He's Martin Hall!
If you want your golf game to be different - you have to DO something different! Practice with purpose! Ask Martin today and launch your game to a new level!


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CSU is now offering Utah A&B Owner / Operator Training.
Please check our calendar often, we are going to be adding classes frequently. We are currently going to be holding classes monthly till the end of the year. Classes will be held in Ogden, Salt Lake, Provo, St. George, and other locations as needed.
An invoice with payment instructions will be sent to you after we receive your registration.
If your organization requires training of over 10 people please contact us at (801) 334-7867 or email us.
We are always open to adding classes if the need is adequate contact us or use our Facebook page to start a thread to request an additional date and location.
Please remember that you must be registered with the State of Utah before you are an A/B operator. Please go here to complete this process. This process can now be performed online. To complete the process online go here .
If you have questions about the class or about the State requirements please see our FAQs page or call us at 801-334-7867.
Please register using the form below or contact us at 801-334-7867.
Class size is limited and is available on a first come basis.
Registration and Payment are due 7 days before class date.
Payments may be made by check or credit card.
Please include email of each student next to name.
Please Include billing email if different than above.


By entering this competition you are agreeing to be subscribed to the Union Hand-Roasted Coffee monthly newsletter. You may unsubscribe at any time. We do not share your details with third parties.
To enter visit: www.unionroasted.com/winacup and register your details before the closing date of 23:59 28.02.19. No purchase necessary.
The Prize – 20x winners will receive a Union Hand-Roasted branded glass and cork keepcup.
The winners will be contacted on 08.03.19. In the event that the winners have not responded by 23:59 on 22.03.19, Union Hand-Roasted Coffee reserve the right to reallocate the prize.
Please allow up to 22.03.19 for delivery of the prize. The promoter cannot be held responsible for any damages occurred during transit or delays.
By entering, the winner agrees that if they win they will participate in any reasonable publicity arranged by The Promoter or its agencies.
The Promoter reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any person it finds to be tampering or to have tampered with the operation of the promotion or the Union Hand-Roasted Coffee website, or to be acting in violation of these terms and conditions.
To the full extent permitted by law the Promoter will not accept liability for any loss, damage, injury or death arising from this promotion beyond its reasonable control. The promoter is Union Hand-Roasted Coffee.
Entry to this competition does not affect your statutory rights.


As you can guess by the name in the title this one specially going to be for the young people who are recently somehow flying in the world of fantasy only for searching the love or a romantic life. At the same time, most of the movies maximum time are made with view of business and romantic movies are the best source to make this thing easily. This movie "Thodi Thodi Si Manmaaniyan" is on the base of young people who are in love and how the sweet rudeness canb make the love more beautiful the film is going to show you.
After all, this movie is going to be made on the basis of the reality of our life and everyone must see this to know the reality or in which society we are actually living in. You never should think any of the movie in the way of only entertainment. There is a bitter taste of the writer anyway to write this down and to make it as movie to show the world. This line could be the best thing to make you understand the hidden meaning behind making a movie.
The whole thing you can see above is only the basic information about the about the movie. One thing is left and it is about the release date of the movie, well this is going to be on the May of the current year. If you ask the exact date of the release of this movie then you can check out the official virtual activity of the actor's and actress's to get the authentic information.
No one can ensure the authenticity of their information about this one until its release.


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HPG's Integrated Programme: People, power and agency
HPG's Integrated Programme (IP) combines cutting edge research on humanitarian policy and practice, extensive policy engagement, and convening and communications. Our 2022–2024 IP has five projects which explore how humanitarians can better engage with the social and political dynamics that influence humanitarian assistance. These projects will both challenge and inform a range of current policy agendas, including on accountability towards affected people, local humanitarian action and 'nexus' approaches aimed at bridging humanitarian–development–peace-building efforts.
Explore our IP projects:
Beyond survival: wellbeing in protracted crisis
Social cohesion and forced displacement
Community engagement, protection and peacebuilding
Remaking aid: ethics, politics and narratives
Partnering for a localised humanitarian research agenda
Learn more about People, power, agency from Sorcha O'Callaghan, Director HPG.
Crisis-affected people do not perceive humanitarian aid as meeting their most urgent needs. Humanitarian action overlooks or ignores many aspects of what gives life meaning and value – questions of spirituality, sex and intimacy, social identity, or a sense of place – even as it is impacted by them.
The relationship between humanitarian assistance and well-being is especially important in the context of protracted crises. As aid moves beyond its immediate 'life-saving' mandate, the choices and trade-offs humanitarian actors must make increasingly concern the lives people are able to lead. This can lead to disconnects between what aid actors and affected people consider relevant and appropriate assistance.
To understand these issues, HPG will conduct research over two years in protracted crisis settings in Myanmar/Thailand, northeast Syria and the Democratic Republic of Congo. We will explore the aspects of life people deem important to their well-being, how these change over time, and how they vary across intersections of power and identity. We will then examine how far humanitarian action supports or hinders people's well-being, looking at the kinds of lives that humanitarian aid supports and how aid sits within the wider network of resources people draw on to live meaningful lives. Overall, the research will explore how aid actors can create a better enabling environment for crisis-affected people to pursue well-being on their own terms.
Oliver Lough
Megan Daigle
Alexandra Spencer
Research Officer
Policy interest in social cohesion is on the rise. While it has been a priority for development and peace-building actors for some time, more recently it has become prominent among humanitarian actors, though it remains a vague and contested concept. Social cohesion is not inherently good – like all social processes it carries underlying risks, limitations, inconsistencies and trade-offs. There are limits to what interventions driven by external aid actors can achieve, and interventions can have unintended impacts. The kind of aid that is given, the mechanisms through which it is distributed, and the people selected to receive it can all have a bearing on social cohesion between groups.
To address some of the issues, HPG is undertaking a two-year research project in Pakistan and Tanzania to explore social cohesion and displacement between and within refugees and their hosts. Taking a critical approach to social cohesion, the project will address four broad research areas. First, it will explore the aspects of social cohesion that matter to displacement-affected communities. Second, it will consider the factors that drive or undermine social cohesion between and within refugee and host communities. Third, it will examine the relative importance of aid in shaping social cohesion. Finally, taken together, these areas of research will provide a basis for examining how aid actors might contribute to better social cohesion outcomes.
Caitlin Sturridge
Simon Levine
Kerrie Holloway
Amanda Gray Meral
The increasing number of armed conflicts and range of armed actors present challenges for actors seeking to prevent and respond to violence, coercion or the deliberate deprivation of people affected.
Civilian communities are not passive actors in these conflicts. Their interaction with armed actors is complex, ambiguous and changes over time. Their engagement is often below the radar and can take place before any recognised mediation or negotiation processes. Civilian communities in conflict areas can have high levels of interest, legitimacy and access in seeking to mitigate violence. Often at a local level, local culture, values, social and customary norms, tradition and religion can matter more than formal norms when mitigating threats of violence. It is therefore essential to better understand interactions between communities and armed actors, to build successful dialogue towards community self-protection efforts.
This project seeks to better understand communities' agency in engaging with armed actors to advance their self-protection, and to identify the strategies and factors that contribute to (or undermine) successful self-protection strategies. We will also explore the implications for humanitarian protection and peace-building actors: how they can support successful dialogue and community self-protection efforts, and actively avoid undermining such engagement. The project will explore opportunities, challenges and risks to support community engagement efforts, as well as opportunities and challenges to strengthen approaches between peace-building and protection actors.
Gemma Davies
Leigh Mayhew
Veronique Barbelet
The international humanitarian system is struggling to keep up with growing needs because of insufficient funding and a failure to reform its unpredictable and fragmented business model. The legitimacy of the system is increasingly challenged by populist voices that pit humanitarian aid against national interests, and progressive ones that decry its ways of working as neocolonial or that give prevalence to solidarity over the principles of neutrality and impartiality.
The evidence base that should underpin humanitarian action has grown increasingly robust, but powerful narratives emanating from these politically opposed constituencies often take precedence. These narratives also use history and tradition to portray crises, make the case for aid or advocate for or against reforms. Understanding the impact of these narratives on humanitarian policy is essential to make the case for international humanitarian aid, bridge the financing gap and accelerate reform.
This project will analyse how these narratives are constructed, how they change over time, the process through which they shape policy decisions and how that process can be influenced. Three case studies will focus on how public narratives have shaped the rise of Germany as a leading humanitarian donor; how evidence-based narratives have interplayed with public and institutional narratives in the significant rise of cash transfers; and how feminist narratives in the foreign policies of Canada, Sweden and Germany are influencing humanitarian policy and practice.
Patrick Saez
Senior Research Fellow and Policy Lead
John Bryant
Humanitarian policy research agendas lack a diversity of viewpoints, reflecting the concerns of donor governments more than those of affected populations and local researchers. Researchers, policy-makers and practitioners in countries facing humanitarian situations rarely benefit from the same opportunities and resources to influence global humanitarian policy as those in donor capitals. HPG believes that repositioning these voices as key drivers of research agendas will provide valuable and nuanced inputs for reframing global policy discussions.
HPG and the Neem Foundation in Nigeria will work together to amplify Neem's research and policy priorities through a co-designed research project. Along the way, HPG will take forward and share lessons for more equitable partnerships and research practices across our work. The research will be underpinned by core questions that relate to how HPG can foment a more equitable humanitarian policy research agenda in partnership with local researchers, and how such an agenda might change the questions we ask, the outcomes we achieve, and the policy issues we prioritise.
HPG and Neem's research centers on the motivations and interventions of humanitarian actors involved in conflict response. In Northeast and Northwest Nigeria, humanitarian actors have a key role in conflict prevention, mitigation and de-escalation, alongside existing community and government structures. Following elections in 2023, the research will explore the interaction between these response initiatives and how humanitarian actors can best complement existing, locally led efforts.
Find out more about our partners, Neem Foundation
Carmen Leon-Himmelstine
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Oman: the adventurer's alternative to Dubai
28th December 2019 18th December 2019 by Kia
From the grand mosques of Muscat to the glorious mountains of Al-Hajar, Oman is a beguiling alternative to Dubai
In Oman, you will hear much about the country being second best at something. It has the second biggest carpet in the world, your guide might tell you – a hand-loomed beauty in Muscat's Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, usurped only by its peer in Abu Dhabi.
Oman has the world's second-largest pipe organ, you'll hear, housed in the magnificent Royal Opera House. And if you happen to stroll along the Muttrah waterfront, you might be told that the sultan's 155m yacht is the second-longest in the world. These claims vary in veracity, but they do seem apt in a country that still lingers in the shadow of its grandstanding neighbours.
Atlas & Boots Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat
This shouldn't be a surprise, for Oman seems less in thrall to the spoils of capitalism. There are no swathes of gleaming skyscrapers here or the constant press of surplus wealth. It's true that Muscat's Grand Mosque and Royal Opera House are sleek and elegant in the way modern Arabia so often is, but in wandering its souks and forts, one still gets a sense of its ancient soul.
Atlas & Boots Oman's rich heritage offers a beguiling alternative to Dubai
Oman is in fact the oldest independent state in the Arab world. Lying on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, it shares borders with the UAE as well as Yemen and Saudi Arabia. It should be said that, despite its neighbours, Oman remains stable, peaceful and comparatively progressive. In fact, it was named in 2019 as the world's safest country for expats.
Rainer Lesniewski/Shutterstock Oman borders the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Yemen
Interestingly, when Omanis staged demonstrations in 2011 calling for more jobs and economic benefits following the Arab Spring, Sultan Qaboos responded by increasing unemployment benefits and issuing a royal directive for a national job creation plan. He, though elusive, remains universally popular – at least ostensibly. Omanis exhibit a real sense of pride in their leader, evidenced by his ubiquitous portrait affixed to hotel lobbies, shop fronts and car windows all over the country.
As well as stability, Oman boasts a natural beauty unrivalled by the UAE as witnessed on our six-day dash through the north of the country, starting in the capital, Muscat.
Where Dubai mostly boasts beaches and malls, Oman offers that and so much more: soaring granite mountains, vertiginous canyons and dramatic ravines or 'wadis' that careen between high peaks.
We began our journey into the mountains at the deserted village of Wadi Bani Habib. Perched at the bottom of a valley, this cluster of decaying mudstone buildings is fringed by abundant walnut trees, making for a timeless scene.
Atlas & Boots The abandoned village of Wadi Bani Habib
From Wadi Bani Habib, we continued deeper into the Al-Hajar mountains. This dramatic range stretches 700km across Oman and into the UAE and is home to Oman's highest peak, Jebel Shams, which soars to 3,009m (9,872ft). It's not the peak, however, that draws tourists most heavily but the canyon that lies alongside it: Wadi Ghul, known locally as the Grand Canyon of Arabia.
Matyas Rehak/Shutterstock Wadi Ghul is known as the Grand Canyon of Arabia
Sadly, a rainstorm cut off our path to Jebel Shams (yes, it rains in Oman!) and so we continued straight to Jebel Akhdar or 'Green Mountain' for its jaw-dropping vistas of the surrounding peaks. One of the most impressive views is found at Diana's Point located in the grounds of Anantara Hotel.
Diana's Point is named after Diana, Princess of Wales, who visited the spot with Prince Charles in November 1986. A plaque reads that the couple arrived by helicopter to what was then an untouched wilderness. Charles, it says, spent the time painting the scenery in watercolours while Diana read a book. Unsurprisingly, there are hopes that Prince William will one day visit with Kate and family in tow.
Atlas & Boots The vista at Diana's Point
The following day was our favourite: a drive to Wakan village through the wild rockscape of Al-Hajar's peaks. These harsh, untamed mountains rise from a gravel plain and bear witness to a time of intense geological activity.
For professional geologists, Oman is one of the most interesting countries on Earth. It lies at the southeast corner of the Arabian continental plate where it meets the Eurasian oceanic plate. As the Red Sea grows wider, Oman is being pushed north and forced beneath the Eurasian plate in a rare geological process called 'subduction'. Add the lack of vegetation or soil cover and you're left with millions of years of complex geological process exposed with extraordinary clarity – all perfectly framed by our perch in Wakan.
Atlas & Boots The Al-Hajar Mountains seen from Wakan village
After Wakan, we moved to the resort of Dunes by Al Nahda, a series of luxury tents circled by dramatic dunes (on weekends, locals gather for customary dune bashing so expect some noise). There, we headed out for our last sunset in Oman.
As we walked among the dunes in the rose-red twilight, it occurred to me that this was the Oman I expected: vast dunes with knife-edge lines rising beneath an ethereal sky. What I hadn't foreseen was everything that came before it: the mountains, the canyons and the plunging gorges.
Atlas & Boots The dunes of Oman are a picturesque alternative to Dubai
Even as I considered this, I was struck by how much more there was to see: diving in the Daymaniyat Islands, the grand Wahiba Sands, the tranquil fjords of Musandam and, of course, the notorious Empty Quarter that sprawls across the western fringe of the country.
Oman is a place of incredible geographical diversity, impossible to see in a single week. With this in mind, we know that we'll be back. It may be less popular than the UAE, but when it comes to natural beauty, it turns out that Oman isn't second best after all.
Visiting Oman: the essentials
What: A six-day trip through northern Oman, our suggested alternative to Dubai.
Where: We stayed at three resorts: the luxurious Kempinski Hotel Muscat in Muscat, Sahab Resort and Spa in Jebel Akhdar and Dunes by Al Nahda. Diana's Point is located in the grounds of Anantara in Jebel Akhdar. All are highly recommended.
Top four: Kempinski Hotel Muscat; Middle four: Sahab Resort & Spa; Bottom four: Dunes by Al Nahda
When: The best time to visit Oman as an alternative to Dubai is October to March when the oppressive summer heat settles to sunny days and balmy nights. Note that it does rain in Oman so plan accordingly.
How: We took a six-day trip with Old Muscat Tourism who specialise in showcasing '7,000 years in 7 days'. Our guide, Adil, was knowledgeable and flexible and went out of his way to fill our day when our path to Jebel Shams was washed out by the rain.
We flew to Muscat in Oman directly from the UK with Oman Air. Book via Skyscanner for the best prices.
Lonely Planet Oman, UAE & Arabian Peninsula provides a comprehensive look at all you need to know for a safe and rewarding visit to the region.
Disclosure: We travelled to Oman with support from the Ministry of Tourism. All publications say this, but we really don't guarantee positive coverage. We say what we think – good and bad – so you can make informed decisions with honest advice.
Lead image: Atlas & Boots
Alas & Boots
Best things to do in Muscat: 9 must-sees
The lighthearted side of Muslim men
Visiting Petra: things to know before you go
Asian girl, English boy: travelling as an interracial couple
Categories Middle East, Oman Tags featured, geography, mountains Post navigation
Unknown treks: 10 off the beaten trail adventures
Atlas & Boots' top 10 posts of 2019


Life is very busy at the moment – lots of distractions – and I am having difficulty keeping focus on progressing my photography. Often at times like this I go over my older stuff with the intent of giving the old stuff a make over – edit them in a different way to produce something new; I quite like messing around in Photoshop and Lightroom so this quite suits me, although some might say that I should just get out and take some different photographs but somehow with everything else (life) going on it is not always that simple. I am off to Normandy in a few weeks and I have great plans for that trip so watch this space. In the meantime I have been going over my old (2011) Northumberland photos and thought that I would share with you some that I have converted to Monochrome (mostly black and white but I do like the toned effect too) within the Photoshop plug-in Nik Silver Efex pro. I really like these – I wouldn't be showing you otherwise – and they have had lots of positive feedback when I have posted them on 500px, Pinterest, Facebook, Fine Art America and Photo4Me, so I hope that you like them too.
Lobster pots stacked on the quayside.
Abstract river flow – water taking on a milky form through long exposure.
Statue of Field Marshall Viscount Hugh Gough, K.P., GCB, GCSI, PC, who fought many campaigns oversees, now situated at Chillingham Castle, Northumberland.
I love Northumberland and will go back there to capture its natural beauty again but converting to black and white or toning the images give the images a different dimension based on tone and contrast, light and shade rather than colour which changes how we view them.
I had the opportunity to photograph my friend and her lovely family. Part of the brief was to get some nice photographs of my friends daughter Nicole who was going to University to study a Drama based degree, the details of which escape me at the moment. Recently, I had the opportunity to look at these photographs again and have a "Play" with them in Portrait Professional and Photoshop. Portrait Professional is software for retouching portraits – removing wrinkles, dealing with skin blemishes and so on. You would guess right if you thought that Nicole wouldn't need any of that, but I have used it to "Brighten" her eyes and a few other small adjustments for artistic effect. PhotoShop was only used for sharpening – all digital photos put through a RAW converter need sharpening – cameras that convert straight to Jpeg do the sharpening "in camera". I also used PhotoShop for resizing to web size.
I usually use a filter called "High pass" then levels for sharpening, using "Unsharp mask" only if the first stage doesn't work sufficiently, which is rare. You have a choice of light including "soft light" – my favourite for this sort of assignment, "Hard light", "Vivid light" and a few others – the above photograph has had the benefit of "Vivid light" however, I had already made it quite contrasty in Portrait Professional. I wanted "Striking".
Old Photographs scanned from slides.
I used to love slide film – I really got into the differences in colour properties between Fuji Velvia @ iso 50 and Astia with it's more neutral colours (Velvia gave warm sumptuous colours. Now I am all Digital – if I want those differences, I have to play around in Photoshop) – and what of all my slides?


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Land Day 2017: Israel's relentless land grab continues
Today's commemoration of Land Day is an emblematic reminder of the countless human rights violations that have characterised a half century of Palestinian land confiscation and dispossession.
During the first Land Day in 1976 Palestinian citizens of Israel protested against the Israeli government's expropriation of 2,000 hectares of land surrounding Palestinian villages in the Galilee. Six Palestinians were killed and more than 100 were injured when Israeli forces crushed the protests.
Every year since, Palestinian communities in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) have gathered on 30 March to commemorate these events, to highlight Israel's ongoing seizure of Palestinian land, and to reaffirm their connection to the land.
This year's Land Day will be marked with a march between Deir Hana and Sakhnin in northern Israel, as well as demonstrations and events across central Israel and the Negev/Naqab region, and in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. The protests are often met with brutal and excessive use of force by Israel.
In Umm al-Hiran, one of the unrecognized Bedouin villages in the Negev/Naqab region, protesters are planning to plant trees and rehabilitate some of the structures that were demolished earlier this year by the Israeli authorities, after residents lost a long legal battle against eviction orders to enable government construction of a new community for Jewish residents.
In the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, concerts, marches and olive tree planting events are planned in acts of protest against Israel's continuous occupation and aggressive land-grab policies. The first few months of 2017 alone have seen an alarming surge in illegal settlement activity and home demolitions in the occupied West Bank.
Since January the Israeli government, emboldened by President Donald Trump's inauguration, has authorized the construction of more than 6,219 illegal settlement homes in the occupied West Bank, including 719 in East Jerusalem. These announcements not only mark a shift from the Israeli government's more cautious approach under the Obama administration but also fly in the face of UN Security Council resolution 2334, passed in December last year, which calls on Israel to immediately cease all settlement activities in the OPT.
In recent weeks a number of Israeli Knesset members have proposed a law to annex the West Bank settlement of Ma'ale Adumim to Jerusalem, along with other settlements in close proximity to the city.
As long as the world continues to turn a blind eye to Israel's relentless land grab and settlement expansion, both serious violations of international humanitarian law, the human rights of Palestinians will continue to be trampled on with impunity
Rachel Borrell
Although the bill has been temporarily blocked by Prime Minister Netanyahu, the proposal is alarming. In addition to flagrantly violating international law, such a move would have potentially catastrophic consequences. Ma'ale Adumim and Jerusalem are connected by the contentious E1 area, a 12km2 piece of land that provides a vital passage between the northern and southern West Bank. Should Israeli construction take place on this land, a continuous Israeli settler presence will be established from occupied East Jerusalem to the Jordan Valley, effectively cutting the West Bank in half and severing East Jerusalem from the remainder of the occupied West Bank.
Recent months have also seen a marked increase in demolitions of Palestinian homes. At least 24 Bedouin homes and other structures around the Ma'ale Adumim settlement were demolished in the first two months of 2017, compared to an average of 32 total demolitions per year between 2013 and 2015.
In another push to consolidate their land confiscation, on 6 February, the Israeli Knesset also passed a law that retroactively legalises the seizure of private Palestinian land on which settlements have already been established. The law prevents Palestinian land owners from laying claim to their land if Israeli settlers are living on it, despite the fact that the settlers' presence in occupied territory is illegal under international law.
It has been estimated that the law will retroactively legalize 53 settlements and outposts – allowing for the expropriation of approximately 8,000 dunams (80 hectares) of private Palestinian land. The law also risks galvanising the confiscation of yet more private Palestinian land by providing a basis for further retroactive legalization of land grabs.
The recent acceleration in home demolitions, combined with the push to expand settlements and moves to legalise prior land grabs, gives a damning indication of the Israeli government's intention to continue and accelerate its land-grab policies 50 years on from its initial capture and occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.
Fifty years of indifference from the international community has only served to spur the Israeli government on in its expropriation of Palestinian land and expansion of illegal settlements
Fifty years of indifference from the international community has only served to spur the Israeli government on in its expropriation of Palestinian land and expansion of illegal settlements. In a speech last Friday UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nikolay Mladenov confirmed that no steps have yet been taken to cease settlement activities in the OPT in order to comply with UN resolution 2334. The fact that Mladenov's update was not delivered in a written report by the UN Secretary-General himself has been interpreted by some as a lack of commitment by the UN to implement the resolution.
As long as the world continues to turn a blind eye to Israel's relentless land grab and settlement expansion, both serious violations of international humanitarian law, the human rights of Palestinians will continue to be trampled on with impunity and UN resolutions like resolution 2334 or theresolution passed by the UN Human Rights Council last week calling on states to regulate trade with illegal settlements, will remain little more than empty gestures. The international community must take a clear stand and show that it will no longer tolerate Israel's illegal policies of annexation and settlement.
Otherwise, Palestinians will continue to have plenty to protest at annual Land Day demonstrations.
This OpEd was first published by Al Jazeera here
Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territories
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Israel/OPT: Deporting Salah Hammouri would constitute a war crime
Israel/OPT: A perfect storm of apartheid policies led to Salah Hammouri's deportation
Cameroon: Amnesty International urges release of Abdul Karim Ali, a peace activist detained without charge for more than four months


Today we welcome a guest post from our local Fit4Mom® chapter, sharing some simple but effective fitness tips for busy moms!
Being a mom is one of the most rewarding and challenging jobs. It requires a level of selflessness and patience that could rattle even the most calm, cool and collected. Often women find themselves facing feelings of isolation and loneliness, wanting to find their pre-mommy selves. A great way to get back to YOU is carving out time in the day for a workout. Even 20 minutes of activity can spark the energy mama needs to tackle whatever the day has in store! Here are three simple tips to help you get fit, mama.
Grab the stroller and head outside for a brisk walk around the neighborhood. A power walk combined with pushing little ones in the stroller will get that heart rate up, working out legs, arms, and everything in between. Pick a destination, like a park, so the kiddos have something to look forward to at the end of the walk and you have a goal to reach.
Sometimes we need accountability. Group fitness classes are a great way to keep yourself accountable for your workouts and make some great friends. FIT4MOM®-- the nation's largest wellness company with programs exclusively and thoughtfully designed for moms – has answered the call with a welcoming community and a variety of fitness classes for women at all stages of motherhood, from pregnancy to empty nest.
FIT4MOM® offers Stroller Fitness classes that kiddos can attend with mom, as well as classes that are for mom only. With locations throughout Chicagoland, getting that workout in with or without little ones is more accessible than ever. Need more motivation? Your first class is FREE! Find a location and class near you at fit4mom.com.
Who's little one doesn't love Simon Says or a great dance party at home? Get in on their fun! Join your kids in a game of Simon Says and toss in a few heart-pumping and strength-building exercises. Simon Says do 10 jumping jacks. Simon Says do 10 push-ups. Or, have a dance party with a playlist of your kids' or your favorite songs. See who in the family has the best moves! Pause the music for 10 seconds and hold a pose like a low squat or plank. It's a fun way to play and get in that workout!
These are just a few ways to fit a workout into a busy day as a mom who juggles lots of different balls. Take time to reconnect with yourself and rediscover the inner and physical strength that you have, mama. It's there and you'll feel fantastic.