Racism

Maybe it Is not painted In such vivid and bright colors, but It Is still here. There are many Instances that have occurred throughout history that we can pick and choose from to show how prejudiced we really are. Novels have also been written discussing the Issue of racial discrimination one In particular highlighting how appalling and immoral It really Is, â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† by Harper Lee.Our Australian history is not one to be proud of but one of the things that it does well is display to us how deeply ingrained racism s in our beloved country. The indigenous people who formerly had this land to themselves were classified as fauna. This law was only overturned as late as 1967. In the article ‘Lifting the Veil on Our Ingrained Racism' by Sandy Gifford we are provided with multiple examples proving that racism is a part of our national character.As a child she was told that â€Å"Only colored children wear white shoes†, still to this day she has never ow ned a pair of white shoes. This clearly illustrates to us that even though racism may not be something always so evident, It Is something we take In as hillier and never forget, making It a fundamental part of our society. Social cohesion Is something that will help the multi-cultural population of Australia achieve a community that works together and Is accepting of all people.The endeavourer towards social cohesion in Australia will not be smooth or simple. There will be many steps that have to be taken and bridges crossed. Simon Overland in his article†luminous Is the Key to Harmony† presents us with a viewpoint distinctly in favor of social cohesion. He says that â€Å"Social Isolationism and disengagement teeming, from among other things, racism and negative stereotyping, is the real problem†, referring to our incapability to exercise restraint in our assumptions, â€Å"that all Somalis and Muslims have strong links with terrorism†.Embracing the multic ulturalism that we have been provided with In this country is something that will only lead to a more desirable and valuable way of living. In Harper Lee's novel â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† one of the main themes explored throughout the story Is racism. In the town of Macomb where this novel Is set, racism appears to be as natural as reheating to the people who live there. Harper Lee brings light to the inherent evils of racism basing the novel around an African-American's conviction.Tom Robinson is convicted purely because he is a black man and his accuser is white. The evidence is so powerfully in his favor, that race is clearly the single defining factor in the Jury's decision. â€Å"Tom's death was typical. Typical of a Niger to cut and run. Typical of a insigne's mentality to have no plan, no thought for the future, just run blind first chance he saw', even after the harsh death of Tom Robinson no sympathy is shown awards him and we really see how deeply rooted racism Is in the culture that Harper Lee describes. To Kill a Mockingbird† Is set In the segregated South during the asses. Black people were highly subjugated members of society and continually classed as ‘lesser'. There Is quite a social hierarchy displayed to the reader In this novel with some of the families who have no money or almost anything else, at the very bottom. But even below these families was all of the black community. All blacks were treated poorly. The level of racism demonstrated in the scenes of this novel is sustained simply by the close-mindedness of the people in the town of Macomb.When writing the novel Harper Lee didn't only include characters who were prejudiced and racist. She also included characters such as Attic's who believed that all humans are equal and he passed on this philosophy to his children, Gem and Scout. This in itself is a way to amend the issue of racial discrimination, offering hope for a better world. Parents teaching their children a way of living which includes considering things from other people's perspectives. Oh never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them†, some of the characters in Lee's novel really did have inner strength and moral courage. For humans to live in peace and finally achieve that level respect and understanding we all want so dearly all we need to do is accept everyone including ourselves for who we are. See each and every human being as equal disregarding any other factors and giving them the level of appreciation you yourself would want. Only then will we all be able to live in harmony. Racism Racism has predominately focused itself around the African American population, however, has not been associated with â€Å"white† individuals. There has always been a racial divide between the two groups and this Is evident In bell hooks' article, which illustrates how â€Å"whites† have made their Identity as fear, power and terrorism. This chapter also goes on to discuss how the â€Å"blacks† have experienced different aspects of terrorism by the dominant white society. Due to both white supremacy and white privilege, African Americans were treated extremely poorly as slaves instead of unmans.There was the belief that â€Å"whites† were misusing the power they had, and the misuse of power would lead to negative impacts on the black community. Although the black community adapted to the values and the habits of the â€Å"whites,† they were hoping for the â€Å"whites† to finally get over the need to terrorize their people. In the article, H ooks discusses that even though times have changed, the black population still feels as if they are being terrorized and are rarely close to the â€Å"whites. Through the misuse of power due to the â€Å"whites,† which led to the rejection f the black community by society, it has made the â€Å"blacks† feel the need to give up their Identity and try to fit In with the white society. Hooks goes on to describe a situation that she had encountered when she went to a cultural studies conference. She felt that there was white dominance In the way everything was organized. Wealth her article, Hooks tries to educate people more about the whiteness, so that individuals can move away from the typical race that exists and recognize the confrontation that still exists in order to identify the other skin color.The way whiteness is designed; it brings up different types of stereotypes in the mind of other people in society and gives it a lot of different meanings. She argues that stereotyping is a way of talking negatively about other races and not being racist at the same time. The differences between the â€Å"whites† and â€Å"blacks† is not something that black Individuals have always created but things such as domination, imperialism, colonialism and racist are the many reasons why black Individuals have felt contrary about their own race. Whiteness† to the black community appears to be better than their own color and race.At the beginning of the article, hooks talks about some of the discussions that students were having in the classroom. When these discussions took place, it amazed the â€Å"whites† as they were listening to how the â€Å"blacks† noticed whiteness. The shock after listening to these comments that black individuals were saying goes to show that white students at the time were uneducated about the other races that existed around them. There was also the mint that hooks made stating that whiteness is pre sent without the awareness of blackness.She uses Baldwin notion to support this argument in which he stated that wherever white men go, they take control. The experiences that Hooks encountered herself are outlined within her article The article, Representing Whiteness In the Black Imagination, gives a better understanding of what people thought about the whiteness issue that â€Å"blacks† were facing during the 19th century. Bell hooks has also demonstrated that an Image of white people has been created In he black community because of the things that have happened in the past.This domestic servants, working in white homes, acting as informants, brought knowledge back to segregated communities – details, facts, observations, and psychoanalytic readings of the white other. † The imagination of â€Å"whiteness† has also affected Hooks as an African American. This article targets many of the arguments that have been discussed within the course. Hooks describ es how black females had been differentiated in comparison to white females, from the point of view of a young black male who grew up in a community where black people had been the victim of racism.Even though this article was predominantly about the black community, it also narrows the focus on how females are viewed and essentially victimized. As presented in Frankness's article, there is the understanding that while females had also been victimized due to white racism. Her article mainly focuses on how black and white females are observed in society and how racism shapes white females. Both of the articles have given a distinct and clear understanding of what occurred in the 19th century. Kooks portrays how white people dominated the black community in America. The stereotypes against the â€Å"blacks† can still be seen in our society and Hooks use of personal experiences gives the reader enhanced knowledge about the prejudice they had to go through. Brandenburg being a wh ite feminist also shares her experiences of racism that has helped shape the life of a white woman. Therefore, the power that the white society had certainly made a negative impact on the lives of several â€Å"blacks† and has made it harder for them to accept themselves for whom they are.

Videodrome Movie Analysis

Videodrome Videodrome, directed by David Cronenberg, is a movie setting in Toronto during the early 1980s depicting a television station attempting to broadcast a show of violence and torture named Videodrome. Max Renn, owner of a small-sized television station, learned about a Videodrome, which was broadcasted in Malaysia, just when he wanted a change to the program the station was showing. Max immediately gained interest to the new show and order to start pirating it as he believes that the show would gain popularity quickly.The late 1970s and early 1980s was the time when television gain popularity. It became a social norm to have a television in every room in the house. Television developed into a big part in everyday living, people could not fall asleep without the company of the television. The anxiety slowly rises as with the amount of television people were watching. This anxiety continued to grow as media technology advances. The society then begins to affiliate with videota pe, videocassette, VCR, and etc. It almost got to the point when people would never seem to leave the house again.This movie well reflects the social anxiety of the time. After Max watches the footage of actual torture and murder, he began to see illusions of televisions coming to life. As part of the Videodrome project, he also sees himself as a videocassette recorder with hole in his body as a slot to insert video tape. His brain was controlled. The movie came to a conclusion and emphasis on the anxiety with the murder of Max by a television. With the assist of Videodrome, O’Blivion’s prophesy of television coming to life and takeover would come true.Videodrome is a lethal weapon designed by the government that would broadcast signals to give brain tumor in the viewer. The main purpose is to correct the fixation on softcore pornography and violence in the society, by eliminating those who are drawn in the world of videography. The intention was to let Max see Videodr ome and broadcast to the public. However, the Videodrome project made no exception to Max as he, too, was brainwashed. Max would then go on to kill his colleagues. The death of Max could David Cronenberg reflected the social anxiety in form of a movie.The director is implying the disturbing effect of social disorder brought by the television and other media technology. The director exaggerated the negative contribution brought by the television and media technology for how it has impacted the social norms. It can be said that the director believed intense television viewer should be doomed for their ignorance of the society. The role of the government and its Videodrome project can be interpreted as a representation of what Cronenberg is doing by filming the movie in real life to make a statement of the false effect brought by the increasing popularity of television culture.

Bone loss †A Silent Pain

Bone loss – A Silent Pain This paper will highlight the problem of bone loss. I have tried to gather as much information as I can and have created a paper and a PowerPoint. The teaching strategy used is called strategic learning. This learning is based on strategy and I have presented a PowerPoint that will present my concept in a better way. The goal of my study is to highlight the causes and effects of bone loss which is often neglected. My teaching resource (PowerPoint) and this paper will help in spreading awareness about this issue. Bone loss is quiet condition. It doesn’t’t knock on the front door, it doesn’t forewarn, and it creeps on quietly over the years. Large number of people have no idea that they have suffered from bone lose until one day they trip, fall and fracture a bone. There are many misconceptions about bones. People think of bones to be hard and durable, but studies have shown time and again that bones are living tissues that grow and change throughout our lives sort of like always work in progress. Old bones are constantly removed, and new bones formed. In childhood, adolescence and early adulthood, new bone formation constantly outruns the removal of old bone (Astray, 2017). As we get old, however, that process reverses. Bone lose affects both men and women as they age, but women suffer the health consequences in very high numbers as compared to men. In US, it is estimated by 2020 over half of all Americans could have weak bones due to bone loss. Osteoporosis – The disease resulting from bone loss – causes one and half million fractures every year, including 300,000 hip fractures, 700,000 vertebral fractures, 250,000 wrist fractures, and more than 300,000 fractures of other bones (Juois, 2014). According to the 2009 Canadian community Health Survey, estimates that approximately 1.5 million Canadians aged 40 years and over have osteoporosis. Among these people women were four time more likely to report having osteoporosis than men. Women are at more risk than men because they start with lower bone density and they lose bone mass more quickly as they age. Women reach peak bone mass between the ages of 25 and 30 (Jess, 2011), after that it’s downhill for bones. When women lose the protective effect of estrogen, bone loss often accelerates at menopause. Five to seven years after menopause women may lose up to 20 percent of their bone mass. Evaluation Risk Factors Numerous factors influence women’s risk of bone loss, osteoporosis and fractures. Age : Older you are greater the risk.  · Body size : small, thin-boned women are at greater risk. Genetics : If your grandmother, mother, or sister had osteoporosis, you are at higher risk. Ethnicity : White and Asian women are at higher risk. Personal history : Any bone fracture after age 50 increases your risk of osteoporosis. Smoking : Among many downsides, it also produces adverse effects on bones. Diet : Inadequate intake of calcium and vitamin D and exercise and consumption of alcohol increases your risk of osteoporosis.  · Slot : A sedentary lifestyle weakens bones (Jess, 2011). Medication use : Long-term use of glucocorticoids and some other medication can promote bone loss. Reduce your risk of developing Osteoporosis  · Physical activity/Exercise : Regular exercise that involve weight-bearing aerobics and resistance training is beneficial to bone development and maintenance. Vitamins and Minerals  · Calcium*: Calcium rich is diet is best for the bone development which include good sources of milk products such cheese and yogurt, fish, products containing bones and calcium beverages such as soy and orange juice. Other food sources include tofu, leafy greens and legumes such as soybeans or chickpeas. It’s very important to find out how much calcium you need per day.  · Vitamin D*: Vitamin D is also very important for bone development because it supports body’s ability to absorb calcium. Vitamin D can be made in the skin following exposure to the ultraviolet rays in sunlight, however, many factors such as winter season, use of sunscreen, darker skin tone, older age and extensive clothing coverage can reduce the amount of vitamin D our skin makes. **In a recent study conducted by department of Orthopaedic surgery, Tianjin Hospital, Tianjin, china and Department of Orthopaedic surgery, Hebel province Cangzhou Hospital of Integrated traditional and western Medicine, Cangzhou, China (Natiel, 2016). In a meta-analysis of 33 randomized clinical trials that included 51145 participants, use of supplements that included calcium and vitamin D, or both was not associated with a significant difference in the risk of hip fractures compared with placebo or no treatment (risk ratio, 1.53, 1.21, and 1.09, respectively.) (Astray, 2017) Meaning: These findings do not support the routine use of these supplements in community-dwelling older adults. Bone loss and Cancer Cancer survivors have greater risk of osteoporosis and fractures. A premenopausal who goes through chemotherapy may experience early menopause. The patient is at risk of bone loss because of the shorter duration of exposure to the bone-preserving effects of estrogens. Treatment for bone loss Drugs like bisphosphonates are good for the treatment for osteoporosis and low bone density (Jess, 2011). Additionally, Fosamax (Alendronate), Acetonel and Boniva work by slowing down the rate at which body breaks down bone.

The Role of the Egyptian Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Role of the Egyptian Religion - Essay Example The New Kingdom is the time period between roughly the sixteenth century BC and eleventh century BC in ancient Egyptian history. It could be described as the ancient civilization’s most affluent period with the most power it ever enjoyed. The main stalwart of Egypt’s power during this time, taking the civilization to a new height was Ramesses the Great. His campaigns into the Levant, to recover the once lost lands brought him great splendor as a king. Particularly of remembrance was his great military victory at the battle of Kadesh. The Egyptian religion played a strong roll in the lives of the people. The gods, who were believed to be manifested in their cult images, were taken care of by the priests. Offerings were made to them regularly to bring their blessings upon the people. There was a sense of hierarchy about the gods as well with Isis enjoying a higher position than the local gods like Tawaret. The primary difference in this came from the institutional gods be ing there to help in concerns of kingship whereas the local gods were prominent among the locals of Egyptian towns. There was a kind of ascendency involved with the higher state gods starting out as local deities but climbing slowly to a higher level as more temples were built in their name and opportunities for their worship increased.

Statistical concepts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Statistical concepts - Essay Example Regression has diverse applications in my professional life and an understanding of factors to team work is one of the scopes in which it can be applied. This is because of the skills ability to develop models of relationships among variables (Ott and Longnecker, 2010). I have also improved on my descriptive statistics skills, skills that relate to identification of main features of a data set. Major improvements are application of statistical software to facilitate computation of the statistics, and differences between the statistics and their corresponding parameters. Descriptive statistics skills such as ability to compute and interpret mode and standard deviation is applicable to understanding trends of occurrences in my daily life activities such as time spent on traffic, and time and money spent on leisure over a period of time. The skill is then applicable in budgeting for efficient utility and conservation of resources in my personal life. Like regression analysis skills, des criptive statistics skills are applicable in problem solution towards passing examinations that test the skills, either directly or indirectly. The skills are also applicable in understanding data in professional scopes towards effective managerial decisions. I have also developed competence in skills related to test of hypothesis, a concept that evaluates validity of occurrences. Even though they have limited application in my personal life because precision is not a necessity, the skills are important in ensuring accurate decisions in professional decisions, such as effectiveness of training on employees, and helps in passing examinations that test related concepts (Ott and Longnecker, 2010). Probability and sampling are concepts whose skills I... Statistical concepts This paper discuses some of the concepts and their possible roles in my personal life, my academics, and my professional life. The course has been instrumental to my knowledge of mathematical skills through introducing me to new concepts and helping me to review previously learnt concepts. Some of the skills that I have acquired or improved on during the course are skills on regression analysis, descriptive statistics, and test of hypothesis. Regression analysis is a mathematical skill for estimating relationships among variables and ascertaining significance of the relationships. It develops models of best fit for relationships by estimating coefficients of independent variables. With an established model, a dependent variable can be estimated, provided values of its associated independent variables are known. The mathematical technique helps in understanding relationships and in forecasting. In my personal life, regression analysis is fundamental to understanding categories of my e xpenditures and their respective burden on my total expenditure. Explored on from periodic expenditures, the skill can help me to understand expenditure categories that are significant to my total expenditures and the degree of significance of each category. This can then help me to review my preferences and align my expenditures to reflect on my preferences and needs. The skills are applicable to decision making processes in my personal and professional lives, and aid my academic competence.

What Have I Learned during the Entrepreneurship Programme and How Can Essay

What Have I Learned during the Entrepreneurship Programme and How Can I Apply this in My Future Career - Essay Example The path-breaking study is basically based on broad field research, some work experience and academic study (Chesbrough, 2003). There are many well known companies who have adopted this approach and got facilitated from it. This open innovation is creating a great opportunity for all the entrepreneurs so that they can learn through their experience and apply all those profit-making strategies in their own business so that they can expand their business and acquire maximum profit. This also led to the enhancement of entrepreneurship since it shows how one man can contribute to the industry and how one individual can show creativity on their own. Open Innovation basically show how organizations can utilize the business model in order to identify a more distinguished role of research and development in the world containing abundant information, make advancement in their existing business, enhanced management and access of intellectual property, and develop their business for future (Mor en, 2010). Companies belongs to different industries must transform in a way similar to the one in which they have commercialize knowledge, and with this open innovation, entrepreneurs can unfasten the hidden economic value with respect to ideas as well as technologies. Who an entrepreneur is? An entrepreneur is actually a person who expands or creates new ideas while taking the risk of establishing a new enterprise in order to produce products and services which satisfy the need of the customers. (Pett, 2006). Every entrepreneur is a business person however; every business persons are not at all entrepreneurs. Let take a look at why every business person cannot be or are not an entrepreneur. Take an example from our daily life, an old woman who sits near your home and sells the same kind of food with same taste and quantity, even the quality remains the same. Her so-called stall remains unchanged which does not at all bring any change in her living standard not even for some apprec iable extent.  

Nurse Manager Power Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nurse Manager Power - Case Study Example The author playing the role of her boss will assess the case and suggest how she can improve her management skills using literature on management. Case Study Mrs. Jackson is a nurse manager on a coronary care step-down unit. She has a habit of dictating solutions to staff in case of any problem. She is also habitual of degrading her staff publicly and uses a rather a superior attitude. In addition, she also shows more favorable attitude towards some of her staff members and give them relax hours and vacations according to their desire while coerce the other staff members. Also, it has been observed that staff members who confront her are assigned worst hours and shifts and their request to change the shift is usually ignored. Considering this situation, the author has explored the detrimental and optimal behavior for unit functioning followed by observation and suggestion for Mrs. Jackson to improve her management skills. Behavior which is considered detrimental to the unit’s functioning Nurse Managers have is key in the acute care nursing area as it deals with development and retention of staff, with on the whole unit competency. Altogether, the nurse manager has the duty to make sure that the work in the facility is going on smoothly, while ensuring the capability and the competence of the day by day operations of their unit. The attitude that we see in case of Mrs. Jackson is termed as Pseudo-transformational leadership. Pseudo-transformational leaders are those who have narcissist tendencies and self-aggrandizing motives. Judge, LePine and Rich (2006) described narcissism as a grandiose sense of self-importance, which results in fantasies of unlimited success, sense of entitlement, interpersonally exploitative behaviors, lack of empathy, arrogant and haughtiness If nurse manager adopts such behavior, it will create a negative work environment which will affect team functioning and performance as well as workers outcomes. The behaviors that contribute to optimal team functioning within a larger systems environment An environment where workers are treated as assets, there experience and knowledge is acknowledged and they are treated equally with respect leads optimal team functioning. Leadership theories suggest that leaders need to serve as role models and reward and recognize individuals that reflect the values of the organization. The latest leadership style that is being popular almost in organization is transformation leadership. According to Bass and Steidlmeire (1999), to be transformational, leaders must be grounded in moral foundations. Such leaders must exhibit moral character in their concern for self and others, display ethical values embedded in their vision, demonstrate morality in their processes of social and ethical choices, and in all actions in which the leader and followers engage. In a larger system environment, leader should motivate follower, use rewards to encourage and appreciate staff members for their h ard work. As, Smith (1998) believed that creative compliments can motivate followers to perform at higher levels (p. 71) Lastly, in order to accomplish all of the key components of their role, it is important for the nurse manager to foster interdisciplinary relationships through effective communication. This competency includes effective communi

Systems Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Systems Thinking - Essay Example The task undertaken by every employee in different tiers could vary in nature and hence the activity transfer across two levels need not be identical. Or the rate component in the system is varying. The auxiliaries refer to the actual or nature of work undertaken by the employees that decides on the influence of the rates with the levels. The system refers to the organized collection of activities or smaller systems referred to as subsystems integrated to produce a larger goal. The inputs that go into a system might be different and these inputs are subjected to certain processes, which leads to outputs and hence contributes to the overall goal of the system. Hence, if an organization is considered for example, the system of organization includes various sub-systems of minor organizational functions like accounting, administration, production, marketing, sales etc. Thus, if any one part of the system is disturbed it would be reflected in the overall performance of the system and it is referred that a system is systemic. The income and wealth can be related to a single system loop. From an organizational perspective the wealth rises when revenue from sales increases. The increase in sales occurs when the organization achieves higher production rate coupled with identification of newer markets, innovative product desig ns and finally better sales performance. These activities are possible only when the organization is able to employ and retain better talents with better salary and incentives for performance. Thus higher salaries have resulted in higher production and higher revenue generation and thus increased wealth for the organizations. On the other hand, if the wealth of the organization could experience a beating if the income to employees are not given proper attention. Lowered income or reduced perks and incentives would lead to dissatisfied group of employees that would either result in increased agitations or lowered production which results in lesser revenue and lowered wealth of organization. The causal loop in this category is shown in Figure 1. Firm WealthIncome of employees Productivity of firms Figure 1: Casual loop diagram for an organization This could be understood in detail by comparing the example of digging of minerals from the ground with manufacturing of cars. The digging of minerals is set of separated processes that have hardly any influence on the other. On the other hand the manufacturing of cars have a different approach. The manufacturing process represents the system and the minor activities in it refer to the sub-systems. Any small disturbance to the sub-systems would detail the smooth run of the system and it the systemic nature of the manufacturing process could be easily understood. While in the case of mining operations even if a small volume of the mined objects are not properly lifted, it is not to cause any serious disruption of the entire activities. Thus the mining operation doesn't represent a system model because of its nature of operations. Further, digging minerals is an exploratory work. The results are unknown and it is subjected to large extend of corrections in the whole process. Even if ex ploration is undertaken for a significant depth it is not necessary to attain the desired level of resource base. Thus clearly distinguishable

Arts & Visual Literacy Exploring Visual Tactics and Strategies Assignment

Arts & Visual Literacy Exploring Visual Tactics and Strategies - Assignment Example The essay will relay more information on the visual literacy and some of the tactics used by Frida Kahlo as depicted in her portrait, â€Å"The Two Fridas†. The portrait is a full description of Frida’s two different personalities. On the right is the image of Frida holding an amulet, the amulet bears the image of Diego, her former husband. The image on the right portrays a Frida that was not only respected but also loved by Diego and the amulet having Diego’s image is evident how close they were while still couples (â€Å"Frida Kahlo Fans†). The image also Shows Frida wearing a Tehuana costume, this costume was always worn by native Mexican women and by wearing it, Frida portrayed her love for Diego who was a Mexican. Conversely, on the left is a very different Frida. Unlike the Frida on the right who is in love, the other Frida is in pain and anguish since she is no longer married. She is wearing a white Victorian wedding gown symbolizing she was once married and the wedding gown is the proof. Unlike the first Frida that was holding an amulet bearing Diego’s image, the Frida in white is holding surgical pincers. The amulet in Frida’s arms is the source of a vein that goes through the women’s hearts. The Frida in Tehuana costume is not bothered with the vein connecting her with Diego because she is in love; conversely, the rejected Frida has cut the vein linking her to Diego. Cutting the vein has caused bleeding and Frida is not able to stop it, this symbolizes that after the being divorced, she went through trauma to the extent that she felt like dying (â€Å"Frida Kahlo Fans†). The two Fridas hearts are exposed; the heart of Frida in love is whole whereas the divorced Frida has a broken heart. This is clear indication that Frida is in in agony after her lover left her and in the process left her heart incomplete with no one to

Operations Management Assignment 1 Research Paper

Operations Management Assignment 1 - Research Paper Example Improvement has two divisions’ kaizen and innovation. Innovation deals with radical development in the process already existing. It needs huge investment. Kaizen signify small developments due to continuous coordinated efforts by all workers (Manos, 2007). The paper focuses on the advantages of Kaizen in the success of the Japanese firms. The west people translate Kaizen as a continuous, ongoing improvement. There are authors who explain the competitive success of Japan in the global market because of the realization Kaizen idea in Japanese firms. In contrast, of the normal emphasis on innovative, revolutionary change frequently, Kaizen looks for continuous incremental change. There is room for development and continuous attempt of becoming better according to Kaizen concept. Kaizen was a vocabulary in Japan to mean improvement. Mid of 20th century saw the word acquire a strong meaning in Japans industrial companies (Manos, 2007). It represented the skill of improvement through removing waste and involving workers, without using a lot of money. The past decades saw Japanese firms use Kaizen for competitive advantage. Kaizen assists companies to reduce costs and improve on the quality and variety product. If persistent, it is a great weapon against competitors. Implementing Kaizen in firms allows improving of every element of business process in a stepwise approach, while steadily improving the skills of workers by increased improvement and educational training. Main principles in implementing Kaizen are human resources as the most crucial asset in a firm; processes must grow by steadily improving rather than drastic changes, improvement founded on quantitative or statistical evaluation of performance of process. The strategy further involves other elements of management as teamwork, improved morale, personal discipline, quality circles, and

Open Versus Closed Innovation Essay Example for Free

Open Versus Closed Innovation Essay Open Versus Closed Innovation BY celestel 979 A Critical Look at the Effects of In the Innovative Firms of the Twenty-first Century June 17, 2010 Abstract In todays fast paced business world, which innovation method should companies adopt, open or closed innovation? In this paper we will explore the methods of closed and open innovation. Then we will explore the pros and cons of both innovation methods and discuss which method works better in the business world of the twenty-first century. After reviewing the results this paper explores the particle implications that innovative firms should be aware of regarding Open and Closed nnovation and recommendations will be made for future research in this area. Introduction Background Looking back even a few decades companies viewed innovation strategies very differently then they do today. It was believed that successful innovation needed internal control and secrecy from others in the market. Large corporations used to dominate the field of innovation because they were the only ones who could afford to invest it large scale RD. Any company that tried to enter the market would have to find large amounts of resources to be able to even attempt to compete with the RD f the large corporations (Chesbrough, 2003; Herzog , 2008; Aylen, 2010; Kodama, 2005; Trott Hartmann, 2009). In the current economy start-up companies have found ways to bypass the large RD investments of the past. Instead of doing their own research these new entrance are getting their knowledge and technology from outside their company by either investing in relevant startup companies, or partnering with other companies up, down or horizontally on the value chain (Chesbrough, 2003). With the expanding options on how to obtain innovative ideas, processes, and products the big question remains should companies used a closed or open pproach to innovation? And does the open and closed methods work for all companies? (Almirall Casadesus-Masanell, 2010) In this paper we take a critical look at what closed and open innovation is, what the pros and cons are to both options, and try to determine if one method is better then Closed Innovation The main theory behind Closed Innovation is the belief that successful innovation requires control (Chesbrough, 2003). Companies that follow the Closed Innovation (C) model (see Figure 1) believe in self-reliance and that they should follow these rules to succeed: A firm should hire the best and smartest people ? Profiting from innovative efforts requires a firm to discover, develop, and market everything itself Being first to market requires that research discoveries originate within the firm Being first to market also ensures that the firm will win the Leading the industry in RD investments results in coming up with competition the best and most ideas and eventually in winning the competition Restrictive IP management must prevent other firms from profiting from the firms ideas and technologies (Herzog, 2008) Cl companies attempt to do everything on their own from innovative ideas, evelopment, manufacturing, advertising, promotion, distribution, service and even financing. If the innovative ideas or projects are not pursued or are discarded part way they are stored internally and will not be profit able to the company or useful to the rest of the world unless they are used internally at a later date. This creates a great loss of many potentially great innovative ideas, products, services, and processes. If a company chooses Cl it can be expect that many innovations will be lost as companies do not have the ability or resources to turn every idea or technology nto a successful innovation the market can use. The main reason a company would choose Cl would be because they are scared of having their intellectual investments stolen by their competitors (Herzog , 2008; Chesbrough, 2003). [pic] Open Innovation Companies have reached the understanding that not all innovations have to originate internally and that if they do have an internal innovation and do not have the ability to act upon it they can still profit from it by partnering, Joint ventures, licensing or selling the innovation to another company. In Open Innovation (01) companies must ind a balance between keeping important internal secrets and still working with other companies to gain and produce valuable ideas, processes, resources, finances and support (Herzog , 2008). Companies that follow the 01 model (see Figure 2) believe in the following principals: Not all of the smart people work for us, so we must find and tap into the knowledge and expertise of bright individuals outside our company External RD value We dont have to originate the research in order to profit from it Building a better business model is better than getting to market first If we make he best use of internal and external ideas, we will win We should profit from others use of our intellectual property, and we should buy others intellectual property whenever it advances our own business model (Chesbrough, 2003) 01 encourages the Joining of resources from firms across all aspects of the value chain. Companies now realize that innovations they cant use or can be used further by other companies can lead to additional profits that they could have never obtained on their own (Almirall, Casadesus-Masanell, 2010). Kodama, (2005) expands 01 even further to talk about creating strategic communities See Appendix 1), a convenient process of speeding up a firms innovation. To be able to quickly acquire a variety of knowledge of great use, managers from different areas, from inside and outside the firm, can make a strategic community with internal and external members, which could involve customers. A huge benefit is that strategic communities are not bound by the same limitations as the official organization. Now that we have explored what Cl and 01 is we will now go on to look at why one of the methods might be better then the other for companies competing in the twenty- irst century and why companies decide to choose one either Cl or 01. Open versus Closed Innovation 01 involves risk such as knowledge and sensitive information leakage and the risks must be weighed against the benefits that would be gained from participating in 01. One more trouble with 01 is that well some areas open up to help the flow of knowledge it has been found that to keep sensitive information secure there has actually been a reduction in the amount of information being share between internal departments which could effect the companies internal innovation (Trott Hartmann, 2009). It has been found that 01 is especially needed in fields such as knowledge-intensive industries where competition is strong and companies need to work together to be able to gain a competitive advantage in the field (Trott Hartmann, 2009). Almirall Casadesus-Masanell, (2010) study showed that 01 works better then Cl for partnerships that are fixed and have low to medium complexity levels but they also found that when there is high complexity involved that Cl is the best method to follow. Another discovery was that the benefits can be greater in flexible partnerships over fixed partnerships. The model of flexible partnerships effectively says, If you cant fgure out how to put the pieces together internally (confgure two subsystems optimally), it is critical to have lots of different pieces (complementary subsystems) to choose from and know how to put them together externally. (Almirall Casadesus- Masanell, 2010) Chesbrough and Crowther (2006; as sited in Aylen, 2010) said that 01 traditional and mature industries. A big contrast between 01 and Cl is how they go through their idea lists. Cl managers go through and proceed with the ideas they see as beneficial to their company and iscard what they see as bad ideas or ideas they know their firm does not have the resources to accomplish. Whereas a 01 manager would go through their idea list and sort them into three categories, innovations their company can pursue internally, ideas they can approach other companies about, and ideas that will not work at all. Therefore the 01 model gets to profit from the ideas that the Cl model would have otherwise discarded or stored for a later date (Chesbrough, 2003). Even though 01 has been adapted by many organizations as the best way to be successfully innovative the theory is not perfect. Trott ; Hartmann, (2009) point out that 01 is very linear and does not suggest any feedback or feed-forward mechanisms unlike the newer innovation models such as the Cyclic Innovation Model (Berkhout, A], Patrick van der Duin, Dap Hartmann ; Roland Ortt,(2007), cited in Trott ; Hartmann, 2009). This newer model suggest feedback and feed-forward techniques and also that the innovation process is cyclic, meaning new innovations grow from older innovations. Cl has been very successful for some companies such as Apple they swept the market with the iPod and this strategy and product put them back into the playing ield after have been struggling for years to catch up with the innovations of other major players. Another example of Cl is the Wii by Nintendo which was extremely innovative with their new product features (Almirall ; Casadesus-Masanell, 2010). Some very large companies have tried Cl techniques and had some devastating effects as a result, such as IBM and Xerox but both these examples were able to overcome these problems with the help of 01 techniques. Procter and Gamble and Philips have successfully adapted 01 and have gone so far as to hold conferences on he topic and even published their own reports on the subject. Trott ; Hartmann, (2009) provide a list of companies and the reasons they choose to become part of a strategic alliance (See Appendix 2). It has been noted by Chesbrough, (2003) that near the end of the 20th century a number of things happened that caused Cl to be taken into question by many firms.

Why Ethnic Minority Women Stay In Abusive Relationships Sociology Essay

Why Ethnic Minority Women Stay In Abusive Relationships Sociology Essay The problem of abusive relationships has attracted national attention in England and Wales. Historically Domestic violence has a strongly entrenched patriarchal system, which gives men proprietary rights over women. Traditional and cultural values as means of resolving conflict are critical in shaping and perpetuating violence of men toward women. A womans social status is believed to be derived by her relative position to a man that is as a daughter, wife, girlfriend or mother of his children. One solution to ending the abuse and leading violence free lives would be to leave the relationship. While this is a possible solution it should be noted that in order for women to leave it requires enormous restructuring of material, physical and social relations strategies. What makes the ethnic minority women stay in abusive relationships? A qualitative feminist research methodology was used with a convenience sample of 8 women who agreed to participate in the study. In depth interviews were conducted with the participants to explore the perceptions and experiences of ethnic minority women in abusive relationships. A number of themes that emerged from the study suggested clearly womens perceptions and experiences to remain in their abusive relationships. These themes relate to commitment, staying because of children, cultural beliefs, economic dependence and lack of social support. Chapter 1 Introduction Domestic violence is a social phenomenon that is universal and perverts society at all levels, Hague (1998). Domestic violence is one of the most common crimes and is present throughout society, usually hidden but there none-the-less. Violence towards women by intimate partners is a social problem of enormous proportion. The impact of domestic violence is broad and substantial with serious consequences not only for the women who are victimised but also for their children and society at large. According to the United Nations Domestic Violence is an act of gender based violence that results in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women including threats of such acts of cohesion, arbitrary deprivation of liberty whether occurring in public or private life. The United Kingdom government adopted a gender neutral definition, any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) between adults who are or have been intimate partner or family members regardless of gender or sexuality. Activists working in the area of domestic violence reiterated that, if domestic violence is so common and the abuse that bad, why do these women stay with the perpetrator. The answer is perplexing and thought provoking and without being judgemental, can be painfully obvious. Professionals, including social workers who work directly with victims of domestic violence often find themselves scratching their heads at the decisions women make when they are victims of domestic violence and why they remain in those abusive relationships. The study aims to explore why ethnic minority women in England and Wales remain in abusive marital relationships despite the risks of being hurt, both physically and psychologically during the abusive episodes as well as the coping mechanism they employ to cope with the violence. This study emerged from a great interest that developed from an inspirational work with victims of Domestic Violence in a womens Refuge during my Second Year Placement in 2011.I had the opportunity to deliver a domestic violence awareness programme to the women in the refuge. The victims were mainly from the ethnic minority community. The women shared vital information regarding their experiences with the abuser. It is this indebtedness that has provoked an eagerness, to explore subject further. Aims of the study: To explore the lived experiences of ethnic minority women who remain in abusive relationships To explore the reasons why they remain in abusive relationships To explore their coping strategies in abusive marital relationships To discuss the theoretical perspective as to why ethnic minority stay in abusive relationships To identify the legislation regarding Domestic Violence in England and Wales To identify and discuss the implication to Social Work Practice To design a methodology Objectives: To determine the type of abuse that ethnic minority women in abusive marital relationship endure To explore how women construct their stay and the coping strategies employed to survive. To ascertain whether abused women in abusive marital relationships have access to support Chapter 2 😛 The researcher will review the literature Chapter 3: This chapter focuses on the research design and methods that the rearcher used in the study Chapter 4: This chapter will cover data collection analysis and interpretation Chapter 5: This chapter will cover discussion of the results and findings ,the wider question of the research and the conclusion.It will further make recommendations for future studies Literature Review Historical overview of domestic violence History reflects the enormous magnitude of the problem of violence against women. For centuries patriarchal norms dominated and women were considered to be the property of their husbands. Some postulate that woman abuse has its roots in Roman law, which permitted a husband to kill his wife if she committed a variety of offences (Stacey, Hazelwood Shupe, 1994). English Common law gave husbands the right to beat their wives with any reasonable instrument. These laws were maintained throughout Europe and America until the late 1800s when a few states rescinded this right. Domestic assaults continued and were termed domestic disputes. They were considered to be nuisance behaviour, not criminal. As a result they were not seriously in the criminal justice system until the past ten years when a variety of statutes were developed which specifically protect people from domestic abuse. Domestic violence and Patriarchy Dobash Dobash (2002) states that there are several legal and political ideologies supporting the idea that husbands have authority over their wives. The legal right of a man to use physical force against his wife is no longer explicitly recognised in England and Wales, however the legacy of the patriarchy continues to generate the conditions and relationships that lead to a husbands use of force against his wife (Dobash Dobash 2002).Patriarchal dominance is still supported by moral order which reinforce the marital hierarchy, making it difficult for women to struggle against the dominance. As a result womens struggles are therefore considered as wrong, immoral and a validation of the respect and loyalty a wife is support to give to her husband. The fact that Domestic violence is seen as a form of patriarchal dominance is irrefutable in light of historical evidence. The historical, legal and religious writings all contribute to the understanding of the status of women regarding domes tic violence. This status encompasses the explanation why women remain in abusive relationships. Culture ,religion and Patriarchy Domestic violence take on different forms within the BME communities (Richards 2004).Various tactics are employed by their partners to destroy self-esteem and prevent complaining or escape as echoed by Dasgupta (2000).Choudry(1996) noted that culturally specific abuse, includes threats to ruin a womans reputation among relatives, accusing women of instigating the abuse. Although domestic abuse tends to focus on intimate partner violence, However as Minhas 2002, Gill 2002 andGangoli 2004) observed that other members of the abusers family are cited as being involved in the violence. Violence connected to dowry can often underpin the extended familys involvement in the abuse (Dasgupta and Warrier, 1996). Cultural, social and religious norms may deter women from seeking help or exposing the problem through a prosecution, as they may fear censure from within their families or communities, or fail to receive the necessary validation to name their experience as victimisation (Hart 1996, Via no 1996, Erez 2000, Erez 2002, Raj Silverman 2002, Nicholson et al 2003). In BME communities, women face dishonour and rejection if they leave their partners, even if they do so as a result of domestic violence (Choudry 1996). A study in the Western Isles of Scotland (MacNeil et al 2004) demonstrates how some tight-knit communities can have strong cultural and religious norms which stress family privacy and non-interference, and attach considerable social shame to domestic violence, perceiving it to arise through victims failing in exercising family responsibilities. These factors can affect womens exposure to violence, and their ability to acknowledge its occurrence and seek or obtain community support. Domestic violence has been legitimised in law, religion, and in cultural ideologies of male dominance and womens inferiority (Gill 2004).In contrast, Hearn (1998) argues that although there have been some legal changes, cultural discourses of masculinity continue to inform mens justification for violence. In male-dominant cultures, the notion that women are responsible for upholding family honour remains a major force influencing law, religion and cultural values and shaping the nature of and responses to domestic violence (MacNeil 2004) For this reason it can be argued that in such cultures it may be difficult for women to leave or seek help to escape domestic violence because to do so would bring shame on the whole family and could result in community ostracisation.

Developing Gross And Fine Motor Skills Young People Essay

Developing Gross And Fine Motor Skills Young People Essay The role of the preschool in the development of a child is very important. Preschool education provides basic literacy to prepare children for higher levels of study. It also gives training to prepare them for the challenges of life. In particular, it is in the preschool that children learn and improve their motor skills. Teachers play a significant factor in developing and refining these skills. Also, the school is expected to provide enough opportunities and tools for harnessing such skills. In this paper, we discuss the role of the teacher and the school in developing gross and fine motor skills of young children. Gross motor are broad movements that involve large muscle groups (Mauro, n.d.) while fine motor are movements produced by the bodys small muscle groups. Gross motor activities include walking, jumping, kicking, crawling, climbing stairs, etc. Meanwhile, fine motor skills include writing, drawing, cutting or folding paper, etc. Both require coordination of the body functions such as the brain, eyes, and the muscle responsible to produce the movement (i.e., hand muscles for writing). Inability to perform motor tasks with precision may mean a disability. Therefore, it is important to observe the child closely when undertaking activities requiring motor skills. As a child grows, certain motor abilities develop. For instance, a two-year old child holds a pen differently from a three or four-year old child. Likewise, a toddler may be unable to hold onto monkey bars while a seven-year old may find it easy to do so. Still, a nursery child will draw a human figure with incomplete features, while a kindergarten who is aware of the body parts may be able to produce a better representation of the actual figure. Given this, it is important to help develop the motor development of a child to avoid delays and identify disability in advance, if any. Particularly, teachers in the preschool should provide activities to make children develop the right skills they need to perform bigger tasks in the future. These activities should include both gross and fine motor activities. Arnheim Pestolesi (1978) provide indicators of average motor development in children 48 months to five years. These indicators imply that with only a four-month difference, normal children can develop additional gross motor abilities. For example, a two-year old child can hop two times on one foot while a child four months older can hop four times on one foot. Likewise, a three-year old child can jump from a small step with both feet while a two-year old can do so but with asynchronous feet. In terms of fine motor skills, children show development in fine motor as they age. Particularly in writing, toddlers and children out of school exhibit the so-called supinate grasp with the fist holding the pen while nursery students may have the pronate grasp with the pen between the middle and ring fingers. Meanwhile, a kindergarten student may show the dynamic tripod, which is the way most people, even adults, hold a pen. Considering this, it is important for every teacher to provide activit ies and monitor students motor skills, because a delay in fine motor could mean a disability. Several activities should be included in the pre-school curriculum to enhance gross and fine motor skills. For gross motor skills, school activities could include hopping, jumping, walking, running, kicking, skipping, crawling, rolling, pushing and pulling and catching. Holecko (n.d.) suggest freestyle activities or dancing to the tune of childrens songs such as Im a Little Teapot or Wheels on a Bus. Aside from improving gross motor, these activities bring an atmosphere of fun and camaraderie among children. Moreover, playing games that involve gross motor activities also brings excitement and makes children develop sportsmanship. Furthermore, pretend plays such as imitating movements of animals, things and people allow students to exhibit gross motor, and creativity. Meanwhile, fine motor ability, which includes writing, drawing, sculpting, tying knots, folding and cutting paper, etc should likewise be given proper attention in the pre-school curriculum. Learners who exhibit inability in such activities should be noted and subject to further observation by the teacher and if possible, by the counselor. Children found to have evidence of disability in either gross or motor skills should be referred at once to the relevant authority for proper intervention. Considering this, it is important to know some standards set as regards developing motor skills in the pre-school classroom. The National Network for Child Care, a private organization, has developed the Early Childhood Education Rating Scale, otherwise known as ECERS (Harms Clifford, 1980). This is a set of standards which includes important requirements to look for in a preschool, including space and furnishings, personal care routines, listening and talking, program structure, etc. This scale provides relevant information to both administrators and parents on what to look for in a preschool in as much as developing motor skills is concerned. In particular, it specifies the tools and equipment needed to enhance fine and gross motor skills. A highly equipped pre-school will likely develop motor skills more comprehensively than an unprepared environment. Therefore, it is important to note which tools and equipment should be present in a pre-school. The tools and instruments that ECERS recommends to develop gross motor ability include building blocks, sand and water boxes, balls, and playground equipment. All these should vary in colors to make them look attractive. They should also come in different sizes to provide allowance for improvement of skills. For example, younger children can play with smaller balls and put up lesser number of building blocks while bigger children can do otherwise. In any case, the school should provide a variety of resources for different kinds of children. For developing fine motor skills, schools should ensure they cover for the childs needs to practice fine motor and hand-eye coordination. Activities such as clay-molding, writing, drawing, playing simple musical instruments, and tying a knot are only some of the activities that help improve fine motor skills. Relevantly, writing, drawing and musical instruments, clay, and utensils should also be in place. Importantly, the preschool program should include the proper use of utensils when eating. As schools serve as the second home, so they should learn the proper way of holding utensils for eating. The development a childs motor skills may come naturally. It can occur even without the teachers intervention. Nevertheless, the pre-school teachers and school programs play a major role in harnessing and refining these skills. Teachers serve as the guide to check whether children are exhibiting safe and proper motor practice. They are also the record keeper to the childs progress or disability. Meanwhile, pre-school programs and tools also help enrich the childs motor skills by aiding practice of such skills. Together, these factors harness childrens ability to perform functions, thus preparing them for greater challenges in the primary level and later in the adult life.

The Apocalypse of Adam Essay -- Philosophy Religion Essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "He received glory and power there. / And thus he came upon the water." This refrain is a common motif throughout the most analyzed section of The Apocalypse of Adam. This section is that of the 13 kingdoms, in which each kingdom explains where the illuminator came from. Each ends with a common form of the refrain above. The meaning of these 13 kingdoms will be discussed later. In this paper, many different aspects of The Apocalypse of Adam will be looked at in an attempt to better understand the implications this text has for its readers. This text is the fifth and last tractate in Nag Hammadi Codex V. The Nag Hammadi library was found in August 1945 in Egypt. When looked at in comparison with other texts found, The Apocalypse of Adam more closely follows the traditions of Jewish apocalyptic literature (Parrott, 67). There has been much debate about the effect of redactors on this text, so there has been a claim that the 13 kingdoms section was added in later by an editor (ibid). The text recovered is in Coptic, the common language around Nag Hammadi, Egypt at that time. However, much of the text is not readable, with tops or bottoms of pages missing. Therefore, there has been a lot of reconstruction of the text, but there are still places in which lacunae have been inserted because it is not clear what the author intended to say. The text can be broken down into three sections that are identifiable by a change in topic. The first section ([67],22-[76],7) talks about a special race of men that come "from the knowledge of the great eons and the angels" (Hedrick, 29). This part also discusses their "conflict" with god. God then tries to wipe them out, and their survival is ensured by "divine intervention" (ibid). The second... ...ebates about its intended audience, it's intended purpose, and the significance of the hymnic or 13 Kingdom section. The Apocalypse of Adam is a most interesting piece of literature that leaves itself open to many different interpretations.    Works Cited Carroll, Scott T. "The Apocalypse of Adam and pre-Christian Gnosticism [dating of tractate by analysis of Solomonic legend]." Vigiliae Christianae: A Review of Early Christian Life and Language 44 (1990): 263-279. Hedrick, Charles W. The Apocalypse of Adam: a literary and source analy[s]is. Chico, Calif: Scholars Press, 1980. Linder, Per-Arne. The Apocalypse of Adam: Nag Hammadi Codex V,5 considered from its Egyptian background. Loberod: Plus Ultra, 1991. Parrott, Douglas. "The 13 Kingdoms of the Apocalypse of Adam: origin, meaning and significance." Novum Testament 31 (Jan 1989): 67-87.    The Apocalypse of Adam Essay -- Philosophy Religion Essays   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "He received glory and power there. / And thus he came upon the water." This refrain is a common motif throughout the most analyzed section of The Apocalypse of Adam. This section is that of the 13 kingdoms, in which each kingdom explains where the illuminator came from. Each ends with a common form of the refrain above. The meaning of these 13 kingdoms will be discussed later. In this paper, many different aspects of The Apocalypse of Adam will be looked at in an attempt to better understand the implications this text has for its readers. This text is the fifth and last tractate in Nag Hammadi Codex V. The Nag Hammadi library was found in August 1945 in Egypt. When looked at in comparison with other texts found, The Apocalypse of Adam more closely follows the traditions of Jewish apocalyptic literature (Parrott, 67). There has been much debate about the effect of redactors on this text, so there has been a claim that the 13 kingdoms section was added in later by an editor (ibid). The text recovered is in Coptic, the common language around Nag Hammadi, Egypt at that time. However, much of the text is not readable, with tops or bottoms of pages missing. Therefore, there has been a lot of reconstruction of the text, but there are still places in which lacunae have been inserted because it is not clear what the author intended to say. The text can be broken down into three sections that are identifiable by a change in topic. The first section ([67],22-[76],7) talks about a special race of men that come "from the knowledge of the great eons and the angels" (Hedrick, 29). This part also discusses their "conflict" with god. God then tries to wipe them out, and their survival is ensured by "divine intervention" (ibid). The second... ...ebates about its intended audience, it's intended purpose, and the significance of the hymnic or 13 Kingdom section. The Apocalypse of Adam is a most interesting piece of literature that leaves itself open to many different interpretations.    Works Cited Carroll, Scott T. "The Apocalypse of Adam and pre-Christian Gnosticism [dating of tractate by analysis of Solomonic legend]." Vigiliae Christianae: A Review of Early Christian Life and Language 44 (1990): 263-279. Hedrick, Charles W. The Apocalypse of Adam: a literary and source analy[s]is. Chico, Calif: Scholars Press, 1980. Linder, Per-Arne. The Apocalypse of Adam: Nag Hammadi Codex V,5 considered from its Egyptian background. Loberod: Plus Ultra, 1991. Parrott, Douglas. "The 13 Kingdoms of the Apocalypse of Adam: origin, meaning and significance." Novum Testament 31 (Jan 1989): 67-87.   

Physics of Swimming Essay -- physics swim swimming

The study of physics and fluid dynamics in swimming has been a field of increasing interest for study in the past few decades among swimming coaches and enthusiasts. Despite the long history of research, the understanding of how to move the human body effectively through the water is still in its infancy. Competitive swimmers and their coaches of all levels are constantly striving for ways to improve their stroke technique and overall performance. The research and performances of today's swimmers are continuously disproving the beliefs of the past. Like in all sports, a better understanding of physics is enabling the world class swimmers to accomplish times never before thought possible. This was displayed on the grandest of scales in the 2000 Olympics when Ian Thorpe, Inge De Bruijn, Pieter Van Den Hoogenband and a number of other swimmers broke a total of twelve world records and numerous Olympic and national records. Several forces play significant roles in the movement of the human body through the water. The forces are drag, lift, gravity and buoyancy. Lift and drag are the main propulsive forces that are used by swimmers. Resistance, known as drag, can be broken into three main categories: frontal resistance, skin friction, and eddy resistance. The effect of buoyancy in swimming is best described by Archimedes’ principle: a body fully or partially submerged in a fluid is buoyed up by a force equal to the weight of the fluid that is displaced by the body.1 This effectively negates any effects that gravity might have on a swimmer. The rare exception to this is a swimmer with very little body fat, and this is overcome by keeping the lungs inflated to a certain degree at all times. Frontal... ...s, but through her intense regiment of endurance training she was recently able to win two Olympic gold medals. A select few swimmers go beyond momentum and energy and use power to its fullest and have no competition, like Ian Thorpe or the once great Alex Popov. Works Cited 1 David Halliday, Robert Resnick, and Jearl Walker, Fundamentals of Physics, Extended, 5th ed. (NewYork:Wiley, 1997) 361 2 Cecil M. Colwin, Swimming Into the 21st Century, (Champaign: Human Kinetics, 1992) 20-32, 58-59 3 James E. Counsilman and Brian E. Counsilman, The New Science of Swimming, (Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1994) 6-7 4 James E. Counsilman and Brian E. Counsilman, The New Science of Swimming, (Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1994) 10-22 5 Robert E. Schleihauf, "A biomechanical analysis of freestyle." Swimming Technique, 1974, 11(3), 89-96

the time is now :: essays research papers

If... he has committed murder, he must die. In this case, there is no substitute that will satisfy the legal requirements of legal justice.There is no sameness of kind between death and remaining alive even under the most miserable conditions, and consequently there is no equality between crime and the retribution unless the criminal is judicially condemned and put to death." Immanuel Kant. About 2000 men, women, and teenagers currently wait on America's "Death Row." Their time grows shorter as federal and state courts increasingly ratify death penalty laws, allowing executions to proceed at an accelerated rate. It's unlikely that any of these executions will make the front page, having become more and more a matter of routine in the last decade. Indeed, recent public opinion polls show a wide margin of support for the death penalty. But human rights advocates continue to decry the immorality of state-sanctioned killing in the U.S., the only western industrialized country that continues to use the death penalty. Is capital punishment moral? Capital punishment is often defended on the grounds by the government, that society has a moral obligation to protect the safety and the welfare of its citizens. Murderers threaten this safety and welfare. Only by putting murderers to death can society ensure that convicted killers do not kill again. Second, those favoring capital punishment contend that society should support those practices that will bring about the greatest balance of good over evil, and capital punishment is one such practice. Capital punishment benefits society because it may deter violent crime. While it is difficult to produce direct evidence to support this claim since, by definition, those who are

Heart of Man

THE HEART OF MAN OR THE SPIRITUAL HEART MIRROR (An Allegorical Representation in Ten Pictures) This booklet originated in France in 1732, was revised and re-written for the mission fields of Africa by Rev. J. R. Gschwend in 1929, and has subsequently been translated and printed under copyright in over 250 indigenous languages by All Nations Gospel Publishers who are distributing it today in 127 mission countries.People of all languages, classes and religions are being led by this booklet to experience the deep spiritual truth and significance of God's message to mankind as expressed by the prophet Ezekiel 586 years before Christ, â€Å"I will give you an new heart and a new mind †¦ then you will be my people, and I will be your God! † Ezekiel 36:26-28. THE HEART OF MAN THE TEMPLE OF GOD OR THE WORKSHOP OF SATAN 1 John 3:4-10 As you read this book, please bear in mind that it is like a mirror in which you will be able to see yourself.Whether you are a heathen or a Christia n, one who does not believe in Christ or a backslider, you will see yourself as God sees you. â€Å"Man looks at the outward appearance, but I look at the heart† (1 Sam. 16:7). God sees us as we really are. Satan is the father of all lies. He is the prince of darkness and god of this world, who disguises himself as an angel of light to lead men and women the wrong way. In these days, as in times past, there are many false apostles who disguise themselves, pretending to be apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself is transformed (disguised) into an angel of light (2 Cor. 1:13, 14). Satan, the god of this world, keeps people in the dark so that they cannot see that God loves them or that Jesus died to save them (2 Cor. 4:4). All sinners and those who do not believe are spiritually dead and blind concerning God. They are ruled by the evil of this world (Eph. 2:1-2). Unless their eyes are opened in some way to their lost condition, they are heading for eternal destruct ion. The person who says, â€Å"I have never sinned† is deceiving himself. For â€Å"The Son of God appeared for this very reason, to destroy what the devil had done† (1 John 3:8). â€Å"So then, submit to God.Resist the devil, and he will run away from you. Come near to God, and He will come near to you† (James 4:7, 8). As you read this book and study its pictures, you will be able to see your own heart. Allow God's searchlight to show you the condition of your heart. Acknowledge your sins and do not deny their existence, for God's Word tells us that â€Å"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and there is no truth in us. But if we confess our sins to God, He will keep His promise and do what is 3  © Copyright by: ALL NATIONS GOSPEL PUBLISHERS P. O. Box 2191, PRETORIA, 0001, SOUTH AFRICA REG.No. 61/01798/08 ISBN 0-908412-16-9 right: He will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing† (1 John 1:1-10). â€Å"The blood of JE SUS, His Son, purifies us from every sin. † . You are ruled either by Satan or by God; you are a slave to sin or a servant of God. If sin controls your life, do not deny it, but cry out to God. He will set you free through Jesus Christ who came to this world to save sinners, to break the power of Satan and sin over us, He is our Saviour. You are in the presence of a holy God who knows all the secrets, the hidden thoughts and actions of your life.It is impossible to hide yourself and actions from God, for â€Å"God made our ears – can't He hear? He made our eyes – can't He see? † (Ps. 94:9). â€Å"The Lord keeps close watch over the whole world, to give strength to those whose hearts are loyal to Him† (2 Chron. 16:9). â€Å"He watches every step men take. There is no darkness dark enough to hide a sinner from God† (Job 34:21, 22). â€Å"But Jesus did not trust Himself to them, because He knew them all† (John 2:24). Therefore â€Å"happ y are those whose sins are forgiven, whose wrongs are pardoned. Happy is the man whom the Lord does not accuse of doing wrong and who is free from all deceit† (Matt. 1:28-30). Explanation of the Pictures THE FIRST PICTURE This picture shows the heart of a worldly, sinful man or woman, described in the Bible as a sinner, that is, one who is controlled by the evil of this world and by the natural desires and cravings of the human nature. This is a true picture of the heart as God sees it. The bleary, red eyes speak of drunkenness as described in Proverbs 23:29-33: â€Å"Show me someone who drinks too much, who has to try out some new drink, and I will show you someone miserable and sorry for himself, always causing trouble and always complaining.His eyes are bloodshot, and he has bruises that could have been avoided. Don't let wine tempt you, even though it is rich red, though it sparkles in the cup, and it goes down smoothly. The next morning you will feel as if you have been bitten by a poisonous snake. Weird sights will appear before your eyes, and you will not be able to think or speak clearly. † Below the head in this picture, the heart of man can be seen occupied by various animals which speak of the many different sins in the human heart, as the heart is the centre and breeding place of our sins.God tells us by the mouth of His prophet Jeremiah, that â€Å"Nobody can understand the human heart. There is nothing else so deceitful: it is too sick to be healed† (Jeremiah 17:9). Jesus Himself confirms this by saying, â€Å"For from the inside, from a person's heart, come the evil ideas which lead him to do immoral things; to rob, kill, commit adultery, be greedy, and do all sorts of evil things; deceit, indecency, jealousy, slander, pride, and folly – all these evil things come from inside a person and make him unclean† (Mark 7:21-23). 1.THE PEACOCK While the beauty of the peacock is admired by everybody, here in the heart of man, it speaks of the sin of pride. Lucifer, once God's special angel of light, lost his position through pride and so became God's enemy – the devil (Isaiah 14:9-17; Ezekiel 28:12-17). 4 5 Pride comes from the very centre of hell, and reveals itself in many ways. Some people pride themselves on their riches, their standard of education: fashionable clothing by which they expose their bodies in a shameless way: the wearing of jingling ornaments, bracelets, rings, etc. , as is so clearly described in Isaiah 3:16-24.Some pride themselves on their forefathers, nationality, culture, sport, etc. , forgetting that â€Å"God resists the proud, but shows favour to the humble† (1 Peter 5:5). God hates pride and self-importance (Proverbs 8:13). â€Å"Pride leads to destruction, and arrogance to downfall† (Proverbs 16:18). 2. THE GOAT represents bodily desires, immorality, adultery. The sins mentioned here have increased in these modern, but last days, to such an extent, that we have to admit the truth of the words of Jesus when He predicted, nearly 2000 years ago, that the last days will be like the days of Sodom and Gomorrah.Not only has this sinful way of living gripped men and women and come into the homes of religious people and institutions, the schools and hostels, but this wickedness shamelessly and in a subtle way enters the hearts of people by means of cinemas, theatres, obscene literature, and in so many other ways, that what God calls sin is being looked upon as modern morality. Millions of young people form their idea of an ideal life from the cinemas and novels, only to find themselves in trouble, shame and regret.Immoral an loose-living actors and actresses become the heroes and heroines of the younger generation. The dance-halls, too, are very often the breeding places of immorality. God's heroes of purity, like Joseph (Genesis 39) and others, are no longer taken as examples. Even the old Zulu heathen, who would put an adulterer or a dulteress to death, could teach our so-called civilised generation a lesson and stand up against us in condemnation at the day of judgement. God tells us not to play with immorality but to avoid it. Any other sin a man commits does not affect his body; but the man who is guilty of sexual immorality sins against his own body: Don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and who was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourselves but to God† (1 Cor. 6:18, 19); â€Å"So if anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you yourselves are His temple† (1 Cor. 3:17). 7 1. The sinner's heart 6 3. THE PIG speaks of the sins of drunkenness and gluttony.It is a dirty animal eagerly swallowing up everything in its way, clean or dirty, and in the same way a sinful heart devours every immoral suggestion, expression, picture, literature, etc. The body, intended to be the temple of the living God, is made uncl ean by harmful food and filthy habits such as the smoking or chewing of tobacco, the use of opium and harmful drugs and tablets, etc. The habit of smoking tobacco and even â€Å"opium† has gripped men and women as never before. Only the power of God can free such poor tobacco victims and slaves of the devil.While most religiously inclined people would not dare to smoke in a church-building, considering it almost an insult to God, they nevertheless have no hesitation about soiling through this stinking weed, that which is actually the temple of God, i. e. , their bodies. â€Å"Surely you know† says the Apostle Paul, â€Å"that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you! So if anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him† (1 Cor. 3:16, 17; 6:18, 19). A greedy person is hateful or worth nothing in the sight of God. We eat in order to live; we do not live in order to eat.Hunger can be satisfied by eating wholesome food, but greed will always cry à ¢â‚¬Å"Give, give! † , Greed will never be satisfied, will never be filled. According to the Old Testament law a glutton and a drunkard had to be stoned to death (Deut. 21:18-21). â€Å"Drunkards and gluttons will be reduced to poverty. If all you do is eat and sleep, you will soon be wearing rags. † (Prov. 28:7). Remember that a certain rich man, a glutton and a slave to his desires, died and found himself in hell in great pain. The evil of drink need hardly be mentioned.It is only too well known to be taken lightly. God tells us clearly in His Word that no drunkard will possess the Kingdom of God. Beer is not a food, it is a drink that confuses and affects the mind, so that those who drink it act foolishly. They become immoral and even kill and murder one another which they would not otherwise have done. â€Å"Drinking too much makes you loud and foolish. It's stupid to get drunk† (Prov. 20:1). Those who make and sell strong drink are just as guilty before God, for God says, â€Å"You are doomed! Heroes of the wine bottle!Brave and fearless when it comes to mixing drinks! † (Isaiah 5:22). â€Å"You will be condemned if you give drink to your neighbours, 8 giving it to them till they are drunk† (Hab. 2:15). â€Å"Surely you know that the wicked will not possess God's Kingdom. Do not fool yourselves; people who are immoral or who worship idols or are adulterers or homosexual perverts or who steal or are greedy or are drunkards or who slander others or are thieves – none of these will possess God's Kingdom† (1 Cor. 6:9, 10). The sins of our human nature are unmistakable.These are some of them: â€Å"immorality, filthy and indecent actions, worshipping of idols and witchcraft. People become enemies and they fight; they become jealous, angry and ambitious. They separate into parties and groups; they are envious, get drunk, have orgies, and do other things like these. Those who do these things will not possess the Ki ngdom of God† (Gal. 5:19-21). â€Å"Do not get drunk with wine, which will only ruin you; instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit† (Eph. 5:18). Jesus gives the following invitation to everyone who is thirsty concerning spiritual matters. Whoever is thirsty should come to me and drink† (John 7:37, 38). â€Å"Come everyone who is thirsty here is water! Come, you that have no money – buy corn and eat! Come! buy (spiritual) wine and milk – it will cost you nothing! † (Isa. 55:1). â€Å"Whoever drinks the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring which will provide him with live-giving water and give him eternal live† (John 4:14). 4. THE TORTOISE speaks of laziness, sluggishness to obey and witchcraft. Rebellion is as bad as witchcraft (1 Sam. 15:23). A lazy man who refuses to work is only killing himself, all he does is think about what he would like to have† (Pr ov. 21:25, 26). Joshua had to say to the Israelites, â€Å"Don't stay here doing nothing; hurry! Go on in and take it over! † (Judg. 18:9). Human nature is very lazy and slow to obtain the things of God. Jesus said, â€Å"Do your best to go in through the narrow door† (Luke 13:24). â€Å"Anyone who seeks will find† (Matt. 7:8). The Kingdom of heaven has suffered violent attacks, and violent men try to seize it† (Matt. 11:12). Carelessness concerning the salvation and spiritual welfare of our souls leads to eternal death.It keeps us from praying, from searching for the deep things of God, from accepting God's rich promises; it leads to destruction. When God speaks to you, urging 9 you to give your heart to Him today, the devil tells you to do it tomorrow, or some other convenient day, which unfortunately, may never come; and you will die without salvation and without Christ. God says, â€Å"If you hear God's voice today, do not be stubborn, as your ancesto rs were when they rebelled against God† (Heb. 3:7, 8). How many people have died spiritually by putting off salvation for some more convenient day which never came? The day tomorrow is not yours.The shell of the tortoise is often used by witch-doctors for the practising of witchcraft, and points here to the sin of trusting in and practising witchcraft, fortune-telling or magic or voodoo, instead of trusting the living God. Especially in times of testing and sickness, suffering and bereavement, we are told to call upon the living God, who is ready to help, instead of trusting in good or bad luck; for â€Å"The Lord guides a man in the way he should go† (Psalm 37:23). â€Å"Is there anyone who is ill? He should send for the church elders who will pray for him and rub olive-oil on him in the name of the Lord.This prayer made in faith will heal the sick person; the Lord will restore him to health, and the sins he has committed will be forgiven. So then confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you will be healed† (James 5:14-16). God commanded the Israelites saying, â€Å"Don't sacrifice your children in the fires on your altars; and don't let your people practise divination or look for omens or use spells or charms (or consult fortune tellers), and don't let them consult the spirits of the dead (such as spiritism). The Lord your God hates people who do these disgusting things† (Deut. 8:10-12). Outside the (heavenly) city are the perverts and those who practise magic, the immoral and the murderers those who worship idols and those who are liars both in words and deeds† (Rev. 22:15). â€Å"Do not go for advice to people who consult the spirits of the dead. If you do, you will be ritually unclean. I am the Lord your God† (Lev. 19:31). â€Å"But people will tell you to ask for messages from fortune-tellers and mediums, who chirp and mutter. They will say, ‘After all, people should ask for message s from the spirits and consult the dead on behalf of the living. You are to answer them, ‘Listen to what the Lord is teaching you! Don't listen to mediums – what they tell you will do you no good'† (Isa. 8:19, 20). While you are reading this little book, God is speaking to you, calling you to turn from your sins and to give your life to Him, but the spirit of the tortoise, which is in your heart, makes all kinds of suggestions to you to put off making this decision, and tries to fill 10 your heart with fear. â€Å"What will my family, my friends, and other people say, if I become a real Christian? What will happen if I cannot take part in the dances, parties and worldly amusements any longer?Instead of seeing the great riches in Christ Jesus, His wonderful peace, His joy which words cannot express, His glory, eternal life so full of happiness, you begin to see all the things which you may lose or â€Å"give up† when you allow Christ to come into your heart , while fear of man as well as fear of death keeps you a slave to the devil. But Christ came to set free those who were slaves all their lives because of their fear of death. (Hebr. 2:14, 15). The spirit of sluggishness to obey is making you so stubborn that your heart will be as hard as the shell of the tortoise. 5. THE LEOPARD is a very savage and cruel beast.Hatred, anger and a bad temper often rule the heart of man and many times lead to murder. You may try, and even manage, to control that bad temper of yours, until it breaks out in all its fierceness. It is better to admit that it is in your heart, and ask Jesus to set you free. â€Å"Don't give in to anger; it only leads to trouble† (Psalm 37:8). â€Å"Anger is cruel and destructive† (Prov. 27:4). â€Å"Keep your temper under control; it is foolish to harbour a grudge† (Eccl. 7:9), â€Å"Get rid of anger† (Col. 3:8). Many cowards drink to encourage themselves to carry out some evil deed or revenge, but it is â€Å"like wine made from the venom of snakes† (Deut. 2:33). Revenge is sweet to the sinful heart, but God is the one who punishes all wrongdoing. Jesus said, â€Å"Love your neighbour as you love yourself† (Mark 12:31) and â€Å"Love your enemies† (Matt. 5:44). God promised to forgive the wrongs we have done, if we forgive others for the wrongs that they have done to us (Matt. 6:12). A sulky, grumbling spirit is hated by God. The awful desire for bloodshed and war is in the heart of man, and therefore real peace must be established in the heart if it is to last. 6. THE SNAKE tricked Eve in the garden of Eden and broke up the sweet fellowship and friendship with God.Satan, was very jealous of Adam and Eve, when he saw them as rulers over the world, living in perfect unity with God, taking his place. Out of jealousy Satan 11 planned their destruction, and succeeded in breaking up their wonderful friendship and life with God. The same devilish jealousy and envy in the human heart destroys happiness in the hearts of some when they see others are happy and living comfortably. Jealousy brings evil thoughts into the heart to destroy the happiness of others and can even lead to murder. This is especially the case in some married lives. A husband is never angrier than when he is jealous; his revenge knows no limits† (Prov. 6:34). In business as well as in all other walks of life it causes untold suffering and hatred. Even Christian workers, preachers and ministers are not free from jealousy should God use another of His servants more than themselves. They should be constantly on guard, and filled with the pure love of God which He has poured out into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5), otherwise their usefulness to God and their ministry will be spoilt by a jealous nature. 7.THE FROG speaks here to the sins of greediness and the love of money which is the source of all evil (1 Tim. 6:10). Certain frogs in the Congo have been seen eating ants by the hundreds until they burst and died. A greedy person is not willing to open his hand to help the poor and needy, but tries by all means, honest and dishonest, to get more of the riches of this world. Jesus Himself said, â€Å"Do not store up riches for yourselves here on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and robbers break in and steal. Instead, store up riches for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and robbers cannot break in and steal.For your heart will always be where your riches are† (Matt. 6:19-21). Achan and his family were stoned because he loved gold and silver and clothes (Joshua 7). Judas Iscariot, the disciple of Jesus, hanged himself because the love of money had made him betray his Lord and Master. It is not the money that is evil, neither the gold, but the love of money which lies hidden in the human heart. Thousands of men and women of all classes and races are ruining their lives and the lives of thei r family by the awful desire to obtain great and sudden riches by means of gambling and betting for large sums of money at horse and dog races, etc.The desire to become rich without much trouble leads to stealing and murder as well as suicide. Love of money and greediness have many companions, such as love of fame, of power, it may be political power to rule over 12 others, financial power to oppress the poor; religious power, being more concerned for the name of a church organisation than for God, disapproving of any child of God who has the courage to follow Christ without belonging to his particular church (Mark 9:38).Jesus said, â€Å"Watch out and guard yourselves from every kind of greed; because a person's true life is not made up of the things he owns, no matter how rich he may be† (Luke 12: 15). The story of the rich man is told like this: â€Å"There was once a rich man who had land which bore good crops. He began to think to himself, ‘I haven't anywhere to k eep all my crops. What can I do? This is what I will do,' he told himself; ‘I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, where I will store my corn and all my other goods. Then I will say to myself, Lucky man! You have all the good things you need for many years.Take life easy, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself! ‘ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night you will have to give up your life; then who will get all these things you have kept for yourself? ‘ This is how it is with those who pile up riches for themselves but are not rich in God's sight† (Luke 12:16-21). â€Å"Does a person gain anything if he wins the whole world but loses his life? Of course not† (Mark 8:36). â€Å"And so I tell you not to worry about the food you need to stay alive or about the clothes you need for your body †¦ Instead, be concerned with His Kingdom, and He will provide you with these things †¦For your heart will always be where your riches areâ₠¬  (Luke 12:22-34). 8. SATAN, the father of all lies and of them that tell lies, is the one who persuades us to sin, and is the ruler of the heart. Jesus said, â€Å"You are the children of your father, the devil, and you want to follow your father's desires. From the very beginning he was a murderer and has never been on the side of truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he is only doing what is natural to him, because he is a liar and the father of all lies† (John 8:44). A small lie is as bad as a big one.There are lies which are spoken, written, acted. A hypocrite is a liar for in reality he pretends to be what he is not. God cannot lie – neither can a Christian (Titus 1:2). â€Å"If, then, we say that we have fellowship with Him, yet at the same time live in the darkness, we are lying both in our words and in our actions (1 John 1:6). â€Å"But outside the (heavenly) city are the perverts and those who practise magic, the immoral and the m urderers, those 13 who worship idols and those who are liars both in words and deeds† (Rev. 22:15). â€Å"God hates a witness who tells one lie after another† (Prov. :19). 9. THE STAR speaks of the conscience in the heart of every man. Here it is, dirty and evil, probably dead through continual and deliberate sinning; blinded and sinful, so that it can no longer judge its own actions. This evil conscience may sometimes be quiet, sometimes troubled. It accuses when it should excuse, and it excuses when it should accuse. It may be dead, as if burnt with a hot iron, and have lost all sense and feeling through abandoning the faith, obeying lying spirits and following the teachings of demons, and listening to teachings spread by deceitful liars (1 Tim. :1, 2; Hebr. 10:22). 10. THE EYE of God sees everything that goes on in the heart. Nothing can be hidden from His flaming eye, and therefore He knows and sees all the secret thoughts and intentions of the heart. Whether you do your evil deeds in the darkest night, in the thickest forest, in the deepest ditch or wherever it may be, God sees it. (The eyes in these pictures also agree with the expression on the man's face. ) 11. THE LITTLE TONGUES OF FIRE round about the heart show the love of God surrounding the sinful heart.While God hates sin He loves man and does not want the death of a sinner, but that he should turn away from his sins and live (2 Pet. 3:9). Jesus came to save sinners. There is great joy in heaven over one sinner that repents (Luke 15:7). The little tongues also speak of the blood of Jesus Christ, â€Å"the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world† (John 1:29). 12. THE ANGEL represents the Word of God. God wants to speak to those who have been deceived and are carrying heavy loads of sin, so that they 14 may turn from their sinful ways and let the light and love of God come into their hearts. 13.THE DOVE is a sign of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit who reveals the truth abou t God, about sin and what is right, and about God's judgement (John 15:26). The Holy Spirit is shown here outside the human heart. He cannot live where sin rules. Should the picture of this heart be the same as the condition of your heart, cry to the Lord, open your heart to Him, let the light of His Word shine in. â€Å"Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved† (Acts 16:31). God is willing, yes, He has promised to change your heart, to give you a new heart and a new mind (Ezek. 11:19). This is explained in the second picture.THE SECOND PICTURE This picture shows a repenting heart that is beginning to look for God. The angel is holding the sword, the Word of God, which is â€Å"alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It cuts all the way through, to where soul and spirit meet, to where joints and marrow come together. It judges the desires and thoughts of man's heart† (Hebr. 4:12). The Word of God reminds him that â€Å"sin pays its wage – death† (Rom. 6:23) and that â€Å"everyone must die once, and after that be judged by God† (Hebr. 9:27). The place for the sinner and unbeliever will be in the lake burning with fire and sulphur† (Rev. 1:8). THE HEART CONVINCED OF SIN In this other hand the angel is holding a skull. This is to remind the sinner that we will all die. Our body which we love so much, clothe, feed and beautify, give such care and attention to in order to satisfy its desires and longings, is going to die and decay, and the worms will destroy it while our soul and spirit live for ever, and will one day appear before Christ, to be judged by Him (2 Cor. 5:10). 15 Here we see the sinner beginning to take notice of the message of God and to open his heart to the love of God. The Holy Spirit begins to shine into the dark and sinful heart.The light of God comes into his heart to drive all darkness away. When God's light comes in, darkness has to go. Sin, described here by all the various ani mals, has to go. Therefore, dear reader, allow Jesus, the Light of the world, to come into your heart, and darkness and the evil actions of darkness must leave the heart, as shown in this picture. Jesus said, â€Å"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness† (John 8:12). You will never succeed in driving sin out of your heart by your own efforts, your own wisdom, or by the wisdom of people.The easiest, surest, quickest and most effective and only way, is to let Jesus, the Light, come in, and darkness, which is sin, must leave. The moon and the stars may give us some help on a dark night, but when the sun has risen, then darkness as well as the smaller lights disappear. Jesus is the Sun of righteousness. When He went into the temple at Jerusalem, He drove out all those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the stools of those who sold pigeons, saying, â€Å"It is w ritten in the Scriptures that God said, ‘My temple will be called a house of prayer. But you are making it a hideout for thieves! † (Matt 21:13). Your heart is intended to be God's house, God's temple. He wants to live in it, make it beautiful, fill it with light, love and joy. Jesus not only came to forgive us our sins, but He came to deliver us and set us free from the power and domination of sin. â€Å"If the Son (Jesus) sets you free, then you will be really free† (John 8:36). THE THIRD PICTURE This picture shows us the heart-condition of a really repentant sinner. He now sees the greatness and awfulness of his many sins for which Jesus died on the cross.As he sees the cross which the angel, the Word of God, shows to him, it breaks his now sorry heart, and he is moved with deep, heartfelt regret and sorrow over his many sins. As he sees the great love of God expressed in Christ Jesus, this love melts his heart, especially as he begins to realise that Jesus Chr ist, the Son of God, came to take away his many sins, as He was willing to die in his place on the cross. The fact that Jesus was whipped, crowned with thorns, had nails driven through His hands and feet and died on a cross for our sins, 17 2. The heart convinced of sin 16 s brought home clearly and deeply to the repenting sinner, completely changing his heart and life. As he reads God's Word in which he can see himself as in a mirror, he realises more and more how far he has turned away from God and disobeyed His commands. He is overcome with feelings of great sadness and sorrow, and as he pours out his heart before God with tears and bitter crying, Jesus draws near to him. The love and peace of God enter his heart as he begins to realise that â€Å"the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from every sin† (1 John 1:7). â€Å"Create a pure heart in me, o God, and put a new and loyal spirit in me† (Psalm 51:10).Again God's Word says, â€Å"I am pleased with those who a re humble and repentant, who fear me and obey me† (Isa. 66:2). The Holy Spirit makes the words of Jesus clear to him, â€Å"Courage, my son (daughter)! Your sins are forgiven† (Matt. 9:2). While he still looks to the cross and to the blood of Jesus which was poured out on the cross, believing that it was all done for him, he begins to realise that the load of sin has been taken away, for Jesus has endured the suffering that should have been ours; that â€Å"because of our sins He was wounded, beaten because of the evil we did,† that â€Å"the Lord made the punishment fall on Him† (Isaiah 53).The Holy Spirit and the love of God take control of the purified heart. As he believes in Jesus, he realises that his sins have been forgiven, and so he finds the assurance in his heart that the blood of Jesus, the Son of God, has purified him from all sin (1 John 1:7). He is now sure that everyone who believes in Jesus will not die (spiritually), but will have eternal life (John 3:16). â€Å"For by the sacrificial death of Christ we are set free, that is, our sins are forgiven† (Eph. 1:7). The sinful desires of the human nature have now given place to a deep desire to live for God and to serve Him â€Å"who first loved us† (1 John 4:19).Instead of loving the world and the things of the world, he loves God and the things of God. In this picture therefore, we find that the animals which represent sin, are now outside his heart, although Satan does not want to leave his former home, looking back and hoping to find an entrance once more. That is why the Lord Jesus warns us to keep watch and pray; to resist the devil so that he will run away from us (James 4:7). THE FOURTH PICTURE 3. The repenting heart 18 This picture speaks of a Christian who has found perfect peace and eternal salvation through the death of our Lord and Saviour, 19 4. Dying with Christ 20Jesus Christ, and so boasts in nothing else except â€Å"only about the cross o f our Lord Jesus Christ; for by means of His cross the world is dead to us, and we are dead to the world† (Gal. 6:14). Jesus died on the cross so that we too, might â€Å"die to sin and live for righteousness† (1 Peter 2:24); a Christian dead to the world. We are commanded to â€Å"let the Spirit direct our lives, and we will not satisfy the desires of the human nature† (Gal. 5:16, 25). The pillar to which the Lord Jesus was bound after they had taken off His clothes, is shown in this picture of the heart, as well as the whips with which they cruelly whipped Him.He was punished for our sins because â€Å"we are healed by the punishment He suffered† (Isa. 53:5). Herod and his soldiers mocked Him, and after having whipped Him, they pressed a crown of thorny branches on His head – instead of crowning Him with a crown of gold, and put a stick in His right hand – instead of the sceptre of a king, and they bowed before Him and mocked Him, saying. à ¢â‚¬Å"Long live the King of the Jews! † They spat on Him and took the stick from Him, and hit Him on the head. After they had so shamefully and cruelly mocked Him, they led Him away to be crucified (Matt. 27:27-31).There are many so-called Christians who pray, share in the sacrament of holy communion, sing the songs of God and yet, by their sinful actions, are constantly crucifying the Son of God again (Heb. 6:6). â€Å"Not everyone who calls me ‘Lord, Lord' will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only those who do what my Father in heaven wants them to do† (Matt. 7:21-27). In this picture we also find the bag of money belonging to Judas, who betrayed the Lord Jesus and sold Him for thirty silver coins, because the love of money had taken hold of his heart and that was all he could think of.The lantern, chains, etc. , were used by the soldiers who took Jesus prisoner by night. The dice, so often used for gambling, were used by the soldiers when they gambled for His clothes. â€Å"They gamble for my clothes and divide them among themselves† (Psalm 22:18). They took everything from Jesus, but Himself they rejected, saying â€Å"We don't want this man to be our king†. People in general want to receive all the blessings from God, all the rain and all the sunshine, but they do not want to commit themselves to serving God as their Lord and Master.To many, God is only good enough to help in times of trouble and despair. With the spear, the soldiers pierced His side and heart â€Å"and at once blood and water poured out† (John 19:33-37). Before the cock crowed, Peter said three times that he did not know Jesus, but 21 later he repented weeping bitterly (Matt. 26:69-75). Do you declare openly that you have given your heart to Jesus Christ, by what you say and do? Or are you ashamed to let others know? Jesus said, â€Å"If anyone declares publicly that he belongs to me, I will do the same for him before my Father in heaven.But if a nyone rejects me publicly, I will reject him before my Father in heaven† (Matt. 10:32,33). Jesus also said, â€Å"Whoever does not take up his cross and follow in my steps is not fit to be my disciple† (Matt. 10:38). Happy are those who find protection in the Rock, Jesus Christ! â€Å"Rock of ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee; Let the water and the blood From Thy riven side which flowed, Be of sin the double cure; Cleanse me from its guilt and power. † THE FIFTH PICTURE This picture shows the clean and purified heart of the sinner saved by God's abundant grace and mercy.It has become a true temple of God, the home of God, the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit, according to the promise of the Lord Jesus Christ, â€Å"Whoever loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and my Father and I will come to him and live with him† (John 14:23). God honours, blesses and uplifts man through Jesus Christ (Luke 1:52). The heart has now become a true temple of God. Sin has been driven out. Instead of the various animals controlled by Satan, the father of lies, we see the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, living in the heart.Instead of being the breeding place of sin, the heart has become a beautiful, fruit-bearing tree or garden, bearing the fruits of the Spirit, such as love, joy, peace, humility, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self control and others which are acceptable and pleasing to God and man (Gal. 5:22-23). He has now become a fruit-bearing branch of the real vine – our Lord Jesus Christ. The secret of this fruit-bearing is that he remains united with Christ, and Christ and His words remain in him (John 15:1-10). As he has been filled and baptised with the Holy Spirit, he has power to 22 . The temple of God 23 defeat the human nature and its desires, and to put it to death (Gal. 5:24). The Holy Spirit directs his life, and he does not satisfy the desires of the human nature (Gal. 5:16). He no lo nger lives by what he sees, hears and feels, but by faith – for â€Å"we win the victory over the world by means of our faith† (1 John 5:4). He lives with assurance and hope and is strengthened by the expectation of the near return of our Lord Jesus Christ. He lives experiencing the love of God, which remains for ever. Happy are the pure in heart; they will see God! † (Matt. 5:8). King David, in spite of all his riches and his victories over his enemies, knew that the greatest battle was taking place in his own heart and recognizing his deep spiritual need, prayed, â€Å"Create a pure heart in me, O God, and put a new and loyal spirit in me† (Psalm 51:10). Nobody is able to purify his own heart, or to create a clean heart, unless through truly repenting he comes to God as David did, asking God to create a pure heart in him. God wants to do a new thing in your life.Mending the torn, tattered clothes of your own goodness with false promises and securities wi ll not make your heart a worthy dwelling-place for God. He is only too willing to help you, because He has promised, â€Å"I will sprinkle clean water on you and make you clean from all your idols and everything else that has defiled you. I will give you a new heart and a new mind. I will take away your stubborn heart of stone, and give you an obedient heart. I will put my spirit in you and I will see to it that you follow my laws and keep all the commands I have given you† (Ezek. 36:25-27).This is the message of the New Testament which God has given to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. In this picture we also notice the angel re-appearing. Angels are appointed to â€Å"guard those who honour the Lord and rescue them from danger† (Psalm 34:7; 91:11; Dan. 6:22; Matt. 2:13; 13:39; 18:10; Acts 5:19; 12:7-10). The devil is also seen in this picture, standing close to the heart, as if watching for an opportunity to re-enter his former home. For this reason we are warned to â€Å"be alert, be on the watch! Your enemy, the Devil, roams round like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour† (1 Peter 5:8).Very often he is disguised as an angel of light, tempting careless children of God with the desires of this world, trying, by his cunning, to deceive even God's chosen people. If, however, we resist the devil, he will run away from us (James 4:7). THE SIXTH PICTURE This is the sad picture of a backslider. One eye is beginning to close, showing that he is beginning to grow cold and sleepy in his Christian life, while the other eye is shamelessly looking around, making love with the world. The light inside has grown dim, and the pictures in his heart, showing his readiness to suffer with Christ have fallen and are no longer upright.He is surrounded by temptations to which he is slowly giving in instead of resisting them. Instead of listening to God's voice he now begins to listen to the devil’s cunning suggestions and false promises. Altho ugh he may still be a church-goer, hiding his desires for the things of the world under a form of religion, the love for God has grown cold in his heart. He has become undecided, standing still between two ways. He begins to play with the things of the world, and only pretends to love God. The star in his heart, the conscience, grows dim.The cross is no longer carried with a smile, but becomes an unwelcome, heavy load. His faith begins to shake, he stops communicating with God in prayer, becomes unconcerned and careless about his heart's condition and slowly makes room for the devil who is waiting outside his heart. He enjoys the company of sinful people more than the company of true children of God. The peacock, representing pride, begins to look for a way in again. He may have forgotten that he was saved by grace alone, and becomes a proud Christian. The desire for drinking alcohol knocks at the door and wants to come in.It may be on a special occasion, in the company of sinful fr iends, where he is ashamed to be thought different, a weakling, or unsociable, that the devil tells him that this one occasion will not hurt his spiritual life. Unspiritual thoughts and desires make themselves felt. Perhaps he begins to enjoy dirty jokes, to look again and again with pleasure at indecent pictures, and enjoy the wrong company, going to dance-halls, evil worldly entertainments, taking to heart sinful suggestions from the devil who tells him that this is human nature and that one sin is not really wrong.Truly, we cannot help it if the wild birds of evil and bad thoughts fly over our heads, but we are guilty if we allow them to control us and make their nests in our hearts, breeding out their evil deeds. If we give the devil our little finger, he is sure to grab the whole hand, dragging soul and spirit into everlasting hell. Therefore God's earnest warning to us, is to avoid the passions of youth and not to 25 24 play with sin, no matter in what way it may come. Run to Jesus, the protector and defender.The man seen in this picture stabbing the heart with a dagger, speaks of those who mock and resist Christianity. With their false tongues and mocking lips they stab and wound the hearts of Christians – attacks which a divided heart cannot survive. He begins to fear men more than God and because of fear of what man will say and do, he becomes the slave of men, and drifts away from God. Anger and bad temper show themselves in times of trouble and disappointments, and force their way in.That evil snake of jealousy, which appears when others are more successful and prosperous, will creep in without warning, and if given half a chance, will open the door to hatred and pride. It is so easy for the love of money to creep into our hearts unless we obey the warnings of our Lord Jesus when He says, â€Å"Keep watch and pray that you will not fall into temptation† (Matt. 26:41). â€Å"Whoever thinks he is standing firm had better be careful that he does not fall† (1 Cor. 10:12). We must put on all the armour that God gives us, so that we will be able to stand up against the devil's evil tricks (Eph. :11-18). THE SEVENTH PICTURE This picture reveals the condition of the backslidden heart of man, who after he was once in God's light and had tasted heaven's gift and received his share of the Holy Spirit, has abandoned his faith (Heb. 6:4). It also shows the condition of a person who has never repented or given his life over to God, in spite of the fact that the truth of the Gospel, called the â€Å"Good News†, has been offered and revealed to him. A man who is stubborn when God speaks to him, will grow worse and worse in spite of his useless efforts to change himself.Jesus Himself described the backsliders' condition when He said, â€Å"When an evil spirit goes out of a person, it travels over dry country looking for a place to rest. If it can't find one, it says to itself, ‘I will go back to my house. â⠂¬Ëœ So it goes back and finds the house clean and tidy. Then it goes out and brings seven other spirits even worse than itself, and they come and live there. So when it is all over, that person is in a worse state than he was at the beginning† (Luke 11:24-26). â€Å"What happened to them shows that the proverbs 27 6. The tempted and divided heart 26 7. The backslidden or stubborn heart 28 re true; ‘A dog goes back to what it has vomited' and ‘A pig that has been washed goes back to roll in the mud'† (2 Peter 2:22). These Scriptures clearly explain the condition of a backslider's or the unrepentant sinner's heart. Sin in all its deceitfulness has come again to stay and control the heart. Even his face reveals, in a certain way, the condition of his heart. The Holy Spirit, that gentle dove, is forced to leave the heart, as sin and the Holy Spirit cannot live together. It is impossible for the heart to be a temple of God and at the same time a hideout for Sata n.The angel, the Word of God, has to leave sorrowfully, still looking back, hoping that he or she may still repent like the lost son, who â€Å"wished he could fill himself with the bean pods the pigs ate, but no one gave him anything to eat. At last he came to his senses and said, ‘I will get up and go to my father and say, Father, I have sinned against God and against you. 1 am no longer fit to be called your son'† (Luke 15:16-20). The father, on seeing his sorrowful son, forgave him and received him joyfully. The heart in this picture shows no sign of true repentance, no turning to God, no searching for forgiveness at the feet of Jesus.His conscience is as though burnt with a hot iron and put to silence. He has ears but cannot hear the pleading voice of Jesus. He has eyes but cannot see the bottomless hole of hell open wide at his feet. He no longer feels ashamed of continuing in his sins. Satan has come to rule in his heart and is seated as a king on his throne. It is possible that he may still boast of being outwardly decent and respectable, of having a religious appearance, like a whitewashed tomb â€Å"which looks fine on the outside but is full of bones and decaying corpses on the inside† (Matt. 23:27). The father of lies occupies the place of the Spirit of Truth.Every animal, every sin goes hand in hand with a special demon and evil spirit and occupies his heart. Although he would like to set himself free from these evil tormentors, they keep him bound. â€Å"Anyone who disobeys the Law of Moses is put to death without any mercy when judged guilty on the evidence of two or more witnesses. What, then, of the person who despises the Son of God? who treats as a cheap thing the blood of God's covenant which purified him from sin? who insults the Spirit of grace? Just think how much worse is the punishment he will deserve! † (Hebr. 10:28,29; 2 Peter 2:1-14).Should this picture agree with the condition of your heart, dear friend, cry to God without delay, from the depth of your heart. â€Å"He is able, now and always, to save those who come to God through Him† (Heb. 7:25), and is also able and willing to forgive all sins, if 29 you come in true repentance. He can restrain the devil and all his demons, and drive them out of your heart, if you are only willing to let Him do so. Come like the leper who came to Jesus and said, â€Å"‘If you want to, you can make me clean. ‘ Jesus was filled with pity, and stretched out His hand and touched him. ‘I do want to,' He answered. ‘Be clean! † (Mark 1:40, 41). But if you continue to be stubborn, and love darkness rather than light, there is no hope, no help, because you are choosing death instead of life – â€Å"sin pays its wage-death† (Rom. 6:23). THE EIGHTH PICTURE Here we find the stubborn sinner who has postponed making a decision to follow Christ, approaching death, his body may be full of pain and his soul fille d with the fear of death. Death (the skeleton) has come at an unexpected and unwanted time. The false pleasures of sin have disappeared, and the awful reality of the high and dreadful cost of sin now has to be faced. The agonies of hell are becoming real to him.Although he now longs to pray, he finds he cannot communicate with God whose love he has rejected for so long. His friends are afraid to stand at his bedside, and their empty words of comfort cannot help him now. His riches can neither lengthen his life, nor save his soul, nor reduce the agony of his soul. He finds it impossible to concentrate on God because the devil does not give him an opportunity to do so. Everything he once loved and lived for, seems to mock him and even his unreliable, probably unsaved minister, priest or church leader cannot help him now, as he has rejected the love of God and has come under His judgement.He begins to realise that â€Å"it is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God ! † (Heb. 10:31). He had hoped to give his life to God when it suited him, or on his deathbed, but now he finds it is too late. Thousands of people die suddenly, without having a chance to turn to God on their deathbeds. It is therefore essential to turn to God while He is near. Instead of hearing the comforting and saving words of God, this dying sinner who rejected the forgiveness and love of God during his lifetime now has to hear the voice of his Judge, the Saviour whom he rejected, saying â€Å"Away from me, you that are under God's curse!Away to the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels! † (Matt. 25:41). â€Å"Everyone must die once, and after that be judged by God† (Heb. 9:27). 30 8. The sinner's judgement 31 THE NINTH PICTURE This picture represents a Christian who remains faithful and wins the victory over painful tests and temptations. While he is tempted on all sides, he remains firm and holds out to the end, being victoriou s through Jesus Christ. He has not only entered the Christian race, but he is continuing in it, running with determination, â€Å"keeping his eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end† (Heb. 2:1,2). Satan with all his demons surrounds the believing heart, trying without success to lead the child of God the wrong way. Pride, the love of money, immorality, and others, are also represented. In the place of the leopard we now see a donkey, for often sin comes to us in another way, and hides itself in a different form or name. But the watchful Christian knows it is sin even when it comes in the form of religion, or as an angel of light, for the Word of God and the Holy Spirit lead him to the truth.A man, holding a glass of wine in the one hand, dances around the Christian and tries to tempt him with the false pleasures of the world. It has, however, no effect on the dedicated Christian, as he has been put to death with Christ as far as sin and worldly de sires are concerned. The second man in the picture, is stabbing the Christian with a dagger. Insults, gossiping, mocking and threats through unbelievers – and very often through so-called believers – are constantly stabbing the heart of the true believer. But he does not listen to what people say and cares only about what God says.He remembers the words of Jesus. â€Å"Happy are you when people insult you and persecute you and tell all kinds of evil lies against you because you are my followers. Be happy and glad, for a great reward is kept for you in heaven† (Matt. 5:11, 12). Our sinful nature and the devil, are constantly trying their best to separate the Christian from the love of God. But with great joy and confidence he can truly say, â€Å"Who, then, can separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble do it, or hardship or persecution or hunger or poverty or danger or death? (Rom. 8:35). No, in all these things we have complete victory through Him who lo ved us! † (Rom. 8:37). Having put on all the armour of God, he is able to resist the devil's attacks, when the evil day comes, and after fighting to the end, still to hold his ground through Jesus Christ, who won the victory over all kinds of trials and temptations, that through Him we should win the victory and receive a glorious crown which will never lose its brightness (Eph. 6:10-18, 1 Pet. 5:4). 32 9. The victorious heart 33 THE STAR of his conscience is clear and bright. His heart is full of faith and filled with the Holy Spirit.The angel, as the Word of God, reminds him of the rich blessings given to them that win the victory and hold out to the end. â€Å"To those who win the victory I will give the right to eat the fruit of the tree of life that grows in the Garden of God. † â€Å"Those who win the victory will not be hurt by the second death. † â€Å"To those who win the victory I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give each of them a whit e stone on which is written a new name. † â€Å"To those who win the victory, who continue to the end to do what I want, I will give the same authority that I received from my Father. â€Å"Those who win the victory will be clothed like this in white, and I will not remove their names from the book of the living. In the presence of my Father and of His angels I will declare openly that they belong to me. † â€Å"I will make him who is victorious a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never leave it. † â€Å"To those who win the victory I will give the right to sit beside me on my throne, just as I have been victorious and now sit by my Father on His throne† (Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21). THE OPEN BAG OF MONEY shows that not only his heart, but also his money is dedicated to God.Instead of wasting his money, he is helping the poor, giving his tithes (the tenth part of his income) and offerings or even all he possesses, to God, using everything for the glory of God. THE LOAF OF BREAD AND THE FISH indicate that he lives a clean and self-controlled life. He does not spoil his life with strong drink or by eating unclean food (Acts 15:20). He does not waste his money, neither does he destroy his body (which is the temple of God), by chewing or smoking tobacco in any form, neither does he use drugs or harmful medicines, but eats wholesome, clean, nourishing food.His own heart has become a house of prayer. He also attends church services regularly and respectfully, in all kinds of weather and under all circumstances. He loves prayer, whether it be in the church or with his family, or in his own room, for he knows that a Christian cannot grow without communicating with God in prayer. THE OPEN BOOK indicates that the Bible is an open book to him, and he reads and studies it daily, finding wisdom and strength, life and light, and countless riches in it. It has become a lamp to guide him and a sword with which he defeats the devil. It is the daily spiritual food for his soul, water to put an end to his thirst, a bath in which to clean himself, and a mirror in which he sees himself. 34 He loves to carry his cross, for he knows that there will be no reward without the cross. As he knows that he has risen with Christ so that he might live a new life, he sets his heart on the things that are in heaven, keeping his mind fixed on things there, not on things here on earth (Col. 3:1-2). He is ready to meet God and is like a tree that grows beside a stream; that bears fruit at the right time (Ps. :3); like a branch of the real vine, bearing much fruit. He does not know the fear of death, for the perfect love of God, which he has received through the Holy Spirit, has filled his heart. THE TENTH PICTURE Jesus said, â€Å"I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die† (John 11:25, 26). â€Å"Whoever hears my words and believes in Him who sent me has eternal life. He will not be judged, but has already passed from death to life† (John 5:24). Death holds neither fear nor punishment for the Christian. Death is destroyed; victory is complete! Where death is your victory? Where death is your power to hurt? †¦ Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! † (1 Cor. 15:54-57). A person who has lived and walked with God is not afraid of death. When the time comes for him to die, he will go gladly, as the Apostle Paul puts it, I want very much to leave this life and to be with Christ, which is a far better thing† (Phil. 1:23). A Christian longs to see the face of Jesus who died for him and paid the price for his sins on the cross.The Holy Spirit also reminds him of the words of Jesus, â€Å"Do not be worried and upset. Believe in God and believe also in me. There are many rooms in my Father's house †¦ I will come back and take you to myself, so that you will be where I am† (John 14:1-4). â€Å"What no one ever saw or heard, what no one ever thought could happen, is the very thing God prepared for those who love Him (1 Cor. 2:9). There is no language on earth by which one can explain or describe the splendour of the heavenly city prepared for them that walk in the footsteps of our Lord Jesus Christ here on earth.Instead of the fearful skeleton (death), the angel or messenger of God is seen in this last picture. He is waiting to carry the clean spirit back to God. Soul and spirit are set free from the imprisonment of the mortal body, and ascend through the open gates of heaven to 35 Jesus who loves him and who died for him on the cross. A happy welcome waits for him in the presence of God where he is greeted by his Lord and Master with these words of praise, â€Å"Well done, you good and faithful servant! †¦ Come on in and share my happiness! † (Matt. 25:21).Satan has no control over him any more, for â€Å"Th e poor man died and was carried by the angels to sit beside Abraham at the feast in heaven† (Luke 16:22). â€Å"Then I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Write this: Happy are those who from now on die in the service of the Lord! ‘ ‘Yes indeed! ‘ answers the Spirit. They will enjoy rest from their hard work, because the results of their service go with them† (Rev. 14:13). LAST ADMONITION Dear reader, may God help you to give your heart to Him who loves you, for He is speaking to you now saying, â€Å"turn back to Me with all your heart† (Deut. 30:2).Give Jesus your tired, disappointed, aching heart, and He will give you a new heart and a new mind. Do not be deceived by your deceitful heart or follow its desires, for â€Å"from a person's heart, come the evil ideas which lead him to do immoral things †¦ † (Mark 7:21). Leave your sins and hold onto what is right, â€Å"for sin pays its wage – death; but God's free gift is eternal life in union with Christ Jesus our Lord† (Rom. 6:23). And you who have given your life to God, â€Å"hold firmly to the true words that I taught you, as the example for you to follow, and remain in the faith and love that are ours in union