Array This expectation is based on the promise of God to believers that He desires to be their God and the God of their seed and that He also desires to continue His covenant in their seed and to make it a living reality. It is just this beautiful outlook which leads one to call the idea of the covenant of grace a âmother-idea.â The covenant is a mother because it spiritually bears sons and daughters by the power of divine grace and the promises, a mother because its children have received everything from it, because it has given birth to them, sustains them, feeds, and blesses them. Though we do not deny that this is the case, still we say that this hidden judgment must be left to God and that normally, by virtue of the promise, all who have been born of believing parents, or if one of the parents believes, are sanctified (Confessio Christianae Fidei, IV, 48).In [p.264 begins] general Martyr agrees with him:âWe do not ascribe this (the enjoyment of the benefits of the covenant) to birth in the flesh as the principle and true cause, for our childrenâs salvation is only by the election and mercy of God, which often accompanies natural birth. 496).Another point of difference concerns the time when the promises of the covenant are usually realized by regeneration in the children of the covenant. Three schools of thought can be identified: the first school (including Ursinus, Polanus, Junius, Walaeus, Cloppenburg, Voetius, and Witsius) not only assumes that the children of the covenant who die before they reach the age of discretion, possess the Holy Spirit from their earliest childhood and so are born again and united to Christ, but also maintains this thesis as generally valid for the seed of the promise without distinction. Ursinus says:âThis is sure and certain, that God instituted [p.265 begins] his sacraments and covenant seals only for those who recognize and maintain the church as already made up of parties of the covenant, and that it is not His intention to make them Christians by the sacraments first, but rather to make those who are already Christians to be Christians more and more and to confirm the work begun in them. Similarly Cloppenburg argues against the Anabaptists :âWe posit that the children of believers are incorporated into Christ by the immediate secret work of the Holy Spirit, until, whether in this life or at the moment of death, the period of infancy is completed, so that, whether in the flesh or not, they may confess by faith or sight what God has given them and us together by graceâ (Exercitationes, I, 1097).Voetius expresses his agreement with the distinction Burges made between regeneration in principle and active regeneration. It is known that in their opinion the effect of baptism does not lie in the causation of regeneration, but in the sealing of regeneration which has already been brought about.âA little earlier he writes, âThe seventh opinion is the general point of view of Reformed teachers, in which regeneration is acknowledged in each of the children of the covenant in particular, namely those who are elect, whether they die in infancy or are brought to faith when growing up, etc.â (Selectarum Disputationum, II, 410-412). It held that God does not depart from this rule without necessity, and that [p.267 begins] in those children who are destined to live to the age of discretion, re generation bides its time until they can be brought to a conscious possession of the sealed blessings of the covenant, Beza, who was not always consistent on this point, says:âAs for the children born in the church, elected by God … Another representative of this school was Ussher, who asks as follows:âWhat must we think of the effect of baptism in those elect infants whom God allows to mature to years of discretion?âHe answers: âThere is no reason ordinarily to promise them an extraordinary work of God, if God purposes to give them ordinary means, Though God can at times sanctify from the womb, as in the case of Jeremiah and John the Baptist, and at other times in baptism, it is difficult to determine, as some are accustomed to do, that each elect infant ordinarily before or in baptism receives the principle of regeneration and the seed of faith and grace.
link
The reader was upset with some of its findings, for instance that 62% of British Muslims believe that free speech should not be protected if it offends religious groups. Shortly afterwards, however, Eugene had read the report (PDF) himself as well and comments:I just got a copy of the survey of British muslims, and it reports not only that 62% of British Muslims generally disagreed with “Free speech even if it offends religious groups”
link
However, despite two early wickets, there wasn’t enough time to force a result and the match was drawn.The result above (with no batting points being collected) gave Durham a chance to take over at the top. Warne and Tremlett did the damage, taking 5 and 4 respectively and Hampshire close the gap to the top teams.Also looking to play catch up were Lancashire, who scored 451 for 5, Brad Hodge getting an unbeaten ton. However, with only just over 100 overs available in the match, Derby were able to hang on for a draw and Despite their best efforts, Notts lose top spot.Somerset were another team not hanging around, and with Andrew Caddick taking 7-fer (and Marcus Trescothick taking five catches, Gloucestershire scored just 121. Somerset declared on 410 for 7 (from just 78 overs) and then proceeded to skittle Gloucester again, this time for 138, Caddick and Charl Willoughby taking five apiece. The 50 extra overs that Somerset had over Notts was enough to take them to the top of the league.Essex and Middlesex were also looking to take advantage of Notts stumbles. At the bottom, Leicester are still to win a game, while Glamorgan seem to have played less games than anyone else, probably because half of their team have to wait for the school holidays.England player watchStuart Broad took 4 wickets and got some good overs under his belt dodging the showers. He probably thinks he should still be in the England team and his county captain thinks that he has spoken some of the biggest rubbish ever about cricket, but for match figures of 12 for 71 and forcing the victory that takes Somerset top of Division 2, the Player of the Week is Andrew Caddick
link
The Recent Polls and What They SuggestPolls and erceptionsThe ‘08 Presidential ElectionIn the most recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll,54% of Americans are inclined to vote for a Democrat for president in the next election; while 31% say they favor a Republican. Still, in the most recent Quinnipiac University Poll, when the specific candidates are pitted against each other, the story changes.Rudy Giuliani 44%, Hillary Clinton 45%John McCain 42%, Hillary Clinton 44%Fred Thompson 39%, Hillary Clinton 46%A similar picture manifests with Barack Obama.Rudy Giuliani 42%, Barack Obama 42%John McCain 41%, Barack Obama 43%Fred Thompson 34%, Barack Obama 46%Presidential Approval RatingIn the most recent NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, 29% of the American people approve of the overall job President Bush is doing in office, while 66% disapprove. This is a drop of six points since April, and it represents his lowest mark ever on this question in the NBC/Journal poll.Democratic pollster Jay Campbell, attributes this decline to Republicans. Back in April, 75 percent of Republicans approved of Bush’s job performance, compared with 21 percent who disapproved. Now, only 62 percent of Republicans approve, versus 32 percent who disapprove.CongressIn the most recent AP-Ipsos poll,WASHINGTON - People think the Democratic-led Congress is doing just as dreary a job as President Bush, following four months of bitter political standoffs that have seen little progress on Iraq and a host of domestic issues.The survey found only 35 percent approve of how Congress is handling its job, down 5 percentage points in a month. That gives lawmakers the same bleak approval rating as Bush, who has been mired at about that level since last fall, including his dip to a record low for the AP-Ipsos poll of 32 percent last January.In another measure of popular discontent, the survey found that 71 percent say the country is on the wrong track - about even with the 73 percent who said so last May, the worst level since the AP-Ipsos poll began in December 2003.What about Nancy Pelosi? The same AP-Ispsos poll found that:House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is a more popular figure than the president and her colleagues on Capitol Hill, though she faces a gender gap in which significantly more women than men support her.Pelosi’s overall approval of 45 percent stood 10 points higher than Bush’s and Congress’.She was seen favorably by 52 percent of women, but only 39 percent of men. While whites are closely split about her, minorities approve of her job by a 15-point margin.The War in IraqIn the most recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll, 28 % of the American people approve of the way Bush is handling the war in Iraq, while 68% disapprove.Illegal ImmigrationA new Washington Post-ABC poll and follow-up interviews found that:click to show/hide the rest of the postAmericans remain divided and uncertain about how best to deal with the estimated 12 million people living illegally in the United States.More than half of those surveyed said illegal immigrants hurt the country more than help it, an opinion voiced by seven in 10 Republicans and about half of Democrats.A slim majority believe in creating a pathway to citizenship, with younger people and Democrats far more open to the idea than Republicans and those over 55.State of the Republican PartySince I favor Republicans at this time in history, this all represents a big mess for me. Everything seems to be going wrong for conservatives at the same time, and at warp speed and with irreversible momentum.I know some of my readers think highly of Bush, and that 62% of Republicans still approve of the job he is doing. I am not one of these. I continue to admire his doggedness in the War in Iraq, and for the highly effective War on Terror he has waged. For these, I believe President Bush deserves our everlasting thanks. I am also happy with him over the economy. He has kept our taxes low, and enabled an expansion to continue in the middle of a major war.On the other hand, I continue to fault him for the politically correct way he is waging the War in Iraq, with his restrictive rules of engagement. I also don’t think he has been expert in his handling of other cultures in the Middle East. Mostly, I believe, he continues to try to be a nice guy, not realizing that what is needed is firmness and ruthlessness, much as we mustered in World War II. I am also unhappy with his amnesty plan for illegals. Most of all, I am dissatisfied with him over his inability to lead our country to see what he sees concerning the necessity for the Iraq War, and for his vision for the Middle East. He is content to continue to do the right things as he perceives them, without understanding that he must also become a great communicator and salesman, despite his shortcomings in this area.click to hide most of this postWhat Lies Ahead?If things continue as they are now, Republicans will lose some of their base. They can’t afford this. It is still possible for one of the attractive Republican candidates to defeat Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, but even if this happens, Congress will slide even more left than it is now, barring a major shift. What this means is, look out for your pocketbooks; short the stock market; be ready to join the religion of environmental extremism; expect to lose the War on Terror, for now; and forget about a peaceful Middle East. Ideally, we’d have some candidate with a world vision that can help shape a more peaceful world. I don’t see that candidate yet. Hopefully, someone will be imbued with wisdom and start thinking about the future of the world rather than the next election. I will vote for that person. My suggestion for him or her is, fine—win your primary. Then, however, get serious and start acting presidential. If you can get away with acting presidential even now, do it. Should you still win your primary, you’ll have an edge on gravitas over the rest of the candidates in the final election.Who Has the Potential to be a Great Leader?Which candidates do have it in them to grow into this presidential persona? I believe they are Clinton, Obama, McCain, Giuliani, and Thompson. Clinton and Obama, of course, have the biggest challenge with this—as they are true liberals, and the world does not need liberal solutions at this time. Yet, Clinton could do it, if she allows herself to grow. Obama could do it if he listens to his innate intelligence, ignoring his poll numbers to an extent. What about Romney? I doubt he’d have the flexibility to see the world as it really is, but I may be wrong. We’ll see. He is, after all, a presidential candidate who would present a pretty face to the world, backed by a high level of intelligence and communication skills.There, the gauntlet is laid. Who will pick it up? Rock(*Wikipedia is always my source unless indicated.) Click here to get a button link to this blog: <a href=http://truthrock.blogspot.com/><img src=http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/668/cooltext38806293hm4.gif alt=Truthlink
Paykel, 442 litre, $ 1448Toshiba, 532 litre, $ 1448Microwaves :LG, 19 litre, 800 Watts, 9Sharp, 1100 Watts, $ 159LG, 34 litre, 1100 Watts, 89Panasonic, 25 litre, 1000 Watts, $ 199Panasonic, 32 litre, 1100 Watts, $ 229Sharp, 1200 Watts, $ 299Portable appliances :Heller, 1.2 litre cordless kettle $ 29.95Breville, 2 litre cordless kettle $ 39.95Sunbeam, 1.7 litre, stainless steel cordless kettle, $ 69.95Kambrook 2 slice toaster, $ 24.95Sunbeam, 4 thick slice toaster, $ 39.95George Foreman compact grill, $ 29.95Breville Sanwich press, 9.95Sunbeam Café grill, $ 49.95Breville maxi sandwich press, $ 59.95Breville health smart grill, $ 89Breville rice cooker, $ 29Breville deep fryer, $ 99Sunbeam slow cooker, $ 59.95Kambrook banquet frypan, $ 59.95Sunbeam multicooker deep fryer, $ 69.95Breville family banquet meal maker, $ 79.95Breville electric wok, $ 79.95Breville bakers oven, $ 79.95Breville Coffee maker, $ 159Sunbeam Café ristretto, $ 74Sunbeam Café crema espresso machine, $ 199KRUPS K2 Premium espresso machine, $ 389Braun Multi-quick hand blender, $ 89DeLonghi Espresso maker, $ 999Breville Jet iron, $ 49.95Sunbeam steam iron, $ 59.95Philips Iron, $ 89Tefal aquaspeed 170 iron, $ 99Sunbeam Ironing Board, $ 69Philips Microplus men’s shaver, $ 59.95Braun washable shaver, $ 69.95Vacuum Cleaners :Ronson, 1400 watt, $ 69Breville handheld 12 volt vac, $ 69Volta, 1700 watt bagless vacuum cleaner, $ 149Volta, 2000 watt mega power cleaner, $ 199Nil Fisk, 2000 w with 5 year warranty, $ 549Electrolux, 1800 Watt bagless vacuum cleaner, $ 699Kambrook, 1900 Watt bagless vacuum cleaner, $ 199Plasma TV :LG 106 cm, $ 2587Samsung 106 cm (42 inch), $ 2385Philips 106 cm, $ 2497LG 106 cm High definition, $ 3239Panasonic 106 cm, High definition, $ 3499Philips, 106 cm, High definition, $ 3699LG, 127 cm (50 inch) High definition, $ 5289LCD TV:LG, 76 cm (32 inch) Widescreen, $ 1897Centrex 43cm ( 17 inch), $ 499Samsung, 49 cm( 19 inch), $ 799Sony, 66 cm (26) Bravia, $ 1697Sony 101 cm ( 40 inch) widescreen, $ 3399Sharp 94 cm (37 inch) widscreen, $ 3499Panasonic, 76cm (32 inch) High definition, $ 1997Philips, 94cm (37 inch) widescreen, $ 3499TV:Philips 51 cm, $ 299LG 68 cm, $ 467Philips 68 cm, $ 499LG 66 cm widescreen, $ 649Panasonic, 68 cm, $ 539Portable DVD players :Conia, $ 199LG 7 inch widescreen, $ 249Philips 7 inch widescreen, $ 299DVD Players :Philips $ 95LG (DVD/Video combo) $ 175Sunshine
link
For the most part we have thought about flex-time policies for working moms, but with more Gen X and Gen Y fathers in the workforce men are seeking work/life balance in a similar way to working mothers.With the competition for talent and the looming skills shortage as the Baby Boomers reach retirement employers must recognize the necessity for offering flexible work schedules and paid paternity leave as a key strategy for recruiting as well as retaining top talent.
link
Read the rest of this entry »