Amplify’d from www.christianpost.com

4 Reasons Why the Sales Growth of e-Books Will Be Slower Than Industry Executives Think

By Michael Hyatt|CP Guest Contributor

I recently attended Digital Book World in New York. More than 1,300 industry professionals showed up, doubling last year’s attendance. It’s clear that digital represents the fastest growing segment of the book industry, but will it grow as fast as industry executives think?

Forrester Research presented a fascinating study, based on a survey of book publishing executives. One conclusion was that “by 2014, [publishing] executives predicted that half of units sold will be e-books, although it was not clear at what price e-books will be sold.”

I have no doubt that we are in the midst of a digital transition. It is here to stay and is proving disruptive-especially to brick-and-mortar booksellers. The only question is. how fast will the migration to digital happen?

In my opinion, not as fast as the majority of my colleagues in the industry think. I do not believe that by 2014, 50 percent of all books sold will be digital. I believe the number will be closer to 25 percent. That is, in fact, the planning assumption we are using at Thomas Nelson.

Here’s why:

1. Forrester’s study was based on a survey of industry executives. Honestly-with all due respect to my colleagues-who cares what they think? The only audience I care about is readers. And, unfortunately, consumers are notoriously bad at telling you what they are going to do. The only accurate predictor of trends is how consumers actually behave.

2. E-book sales are still relatively small. The media hype has outstripped the reality. According to a study by BISG, e-book sales for the fourth quarter of 2010 were only 7 percent of all book purchases. That’s up from 2 percent in 2009 and represents dramatic growth. But this is still a long way from “50 percent by 2014.”

3. The music industry hasn’t even reached this benchmark yet. Apple launched the first iPod in the fall of 2001. Almost ten years later, digital music sales are still only 46 percent of the overall music market. Yet, if you read the press, you would think CD sales died years ago. Certainly, the music industry has gone through enormous disruption, but digital music has not yet reached half of all music sales.

4. Readers are more attached to print books. Music has always been an audible experience. It doesn’t matter if the device generating the sound waves is a CD player or an iPod. For everyone but audiophiles, the experience is the same. This is not true of books. Holding the book and flipping through the pages is a cherished part of the reading experience for many readers. (Even e-readers try to replicate the page-turning experience.) So expect readers to embrace e-books more slowly that music lovers have embraced digital music.

Let me be clear: I am not arguing that the book publishing industry is not in the middle of a digital transformation. It is. I am only arguing that the rate-of-change will be slower than the media, consultants, and hardware and software manufacturers-those with something to sell-suggest.

Thankfully, at Thomas Nelson we are ready regardless. Ninety-five percent of the books that generate 99 percent of the revenue are available for sale today in all the major e-formats. In addition, we are publishing every new book simultaneously in e-book and print formats. Regardless, I envision being in the print business for some time to come.

Update: PriceWaterhouseCoopers (“PWC”) agrees with my basic premise. They just released a new study called Turning the Page: The Future of eBooks. They project that digital sales will be 22.5% of total book sales by 2015. They say, “The Gutenberg era is not about to come to an end. … In coming years, printed books will still account for the majority of sales.” Read more at www.christianpost.com

 

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Pakistan says American's CIA link has no bearing on

Amplify’d from spirituallysmart.blogspot.com

Pakistan says American's CIA link has no bearing on

(Reuters) - Pakistan insisted on Tuesday that the courts would decide the fate of an American detained on murder charges, even after it was revealed he was a CIA contractor whom Washington says enjoys diplomatic immunity. The case of 36-year-old Raymond Davis, a former U.S. special forces officer, has strained the already-uneasy alliance between the United States and Pakistan, who are supposed to be united in the face of Islamist militants waging a war in Afghanistan. Davis' killing of two Pakistani men in the eastern city of Lahore last month has inflamed anti-U.S. sentiment in Pakistan, effectively giving the government little choice but to prosecute him in court. His trial for murder beings on Friday, February 25. The United States, however, says Davis has diplomatic immunity and should be released immediately. Davis says he acted in self defense against what he said were armed robbers, and is currently being held in a Lahore jail where, despite tight security, some U.S. officials fear for his life. "The President has already stated that the matter is in the court and we will wait for the court decision in this case," Farhatullah Babar, a spokesman for President Asif Ali Zardari told Reuters during an official visit to Japan. "Regardless of whether he now turns out to be a CIA employee, the matter will be decided by the court." U.S. sources in Washington closely following the case said on Monday Davis was a "protective officer" employed as a CIA contractor. Davis' duties were essentially as a bodyguard, to provide physical security to U.S. Embassy and consular officers and visiting American dignitaries, U.S. officials who declined to be identified told Reuters. Officials strongly denied news reports alleging Davis was part of a covert CIA-led team of operatives conducting surveillance on militant groups. U.S. officials have complained for days that security conditions under which Davis has been held have put his life in grave danger. Pakistan said on Monday it was taking steps to keep Davis safe. Two U.S. sources familiar with the matter confirmed to Reuters that Davis, worked previously on contract as a security officer for Xe Services, a controversial private contractor formerly known as Blackwater. Asked during a conference call with reporters about a link between Davis and the CIA, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said: "We will not comment on his particular activity in Pakistan other than to say he is a member of the administrative and technical staff of the embassy and has diplomatic immunity." "From that point ... he enjoyed privileges and immunities against local criminal law, including inviolability of person, inviolability from arrest and detention, and immunity from criminal jurisdiction," another senior U.S. official said. The official said the United States was trying to work out a diplomatic solution to the disagreement but noted it could take the matter to the International Court of Justice. Crowley said the United States was not considering curtailing economic or military assistance to Pakistan to show its displeasure over Davis' treatment. CONCERNS OVER SECURITY While some Pakistani officials have signaled they would like to back Davis's immunity, the government so far has said local courts must decide. Last week, the Lahore court delayed a hearing on whether Davis had immunity until March 14, prolonging the diplomatic standoff and stoking concerns for his safety. Prison sources in Lahore said surveillance cameras were monitoring the area where Davis has been locked in a cell isolated from other prisoners. Thirty-six unarmed guards, who Pakistani officials say have been specially screened, are standing watch in shifts of eight. Outside the Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore, where protesters have demanded Davis be publicly hanged, some 75 police officers, a team of provincial rangers and vehicles packed with elite forces were deployed. Abdul Samad, a deputy prosecutor-general in Lahore, told Reuters the first hearing in Davis' murder trial would be held inside the jail for "security reasons." The United States holds Pakistan's government fully responsible for Davis' safety, spokesman Crowley said. There is some reason for worry in Pakistan, where rogue security forces have at times turned on government officials. Last month, Punjab Governor Salman Taseer was shot to death by one of his own guards. His killer became a hero for Islamist groups that opposed the governor's moderate political views. SHOOTING INCIDENT A U.S. source familiar with other official reporting from Pakistan said that according to Davis' account of the shooting incident, two men on a motorbike cornered him and pulled a gun on him as he was driving on a street in Lahore. The source said Davis, believing his life was in danger, drew his weapon and shot the men through the window of his car. At some point, the source said, Davis got out of his car and used his mobile phone to take pictures of the assailants. He took the pictures to corroborate his story about what had happened, the source said. U.S. sources denied reports and rumors in Pakistan suggesting Davis' assailants had some connection with Pakistan's principal intelligence agency, the Inter Service Intelligence directorate, known as ISI. With cooperation from ISI elements, the U.S. government, including the CIA, has for the past several years been attacking militants in Pakistani tribal areas using missiles fired from remotely piloted drone aircraft. Relations between ISI and its U.S. counterparts have deteriorated since an incident last year in which the name of the CIA's undercover station chief in Pakistan was leaked to local media, resulting in the official having to make a hasty exit from the country. (Additional reporting by Augustine Anthony and Zeeshan Haider in Islamabad and Arshad Mohammed in Washington; Writing by Missy Ryan and Frances Kerry; Editing by Chris Allbritton and Miral Fahmy) Read more at spirituallysmart.blogspot.com

 

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Die Antwoord's Multi-Layered Psychological Operation

Amplify’d from spirituallysmart.blogspot.com

Die Antwoord's Multi-Layered Psychological Operation

A review by Thomas Richards of SpirituallySmart.Com

I hate to even have to do this review but if I can warn at least one family of this immoral attack on humanity then I feel my job is done. "Die Antwoord" ... Parents, if you hear that name, Beware! Here's why...

Die Antwoord is a Rap/Rave group from South Africa who's popularity has suddenly exploded world-wide. Although in interviews they make it seem like an innocent switch in personal thoughts and ideas allowed them to break through (to the other side) I kept getting this nagging feeling that there is more behind their sudden succe$$

In just doing a few quick navigations on the "inter-webz" (As the lead singer calls it), I clearly saw a profound and well organized attack on African Culture and then the bigger far reaching attack on morality world wide. Although the lead singer, "Ninja" aka Watkin Tudor Jones was born in 1974 which makes him 36 or 37 years old, his group appeals to much younger people. Most of you probably already know the Rave scene and the youngsters that scene attracts. I myself am a veteran of the rave scene from way back in the early to mid nineties. This is something many people don't really know about me. And I know the rave scene is flooded with very heavy drugs mixed with many forms of Techno Music and often mixed with Hip Hop and Rap. I remember there was a kid who was so young he brought his teddy bear with him to the Rave events and was infamous for doing this. The Rave was also know to facilitate very young people starting in their early teens.

So what am I getting at? it appears that this group somehow figured out how to add certain signatures to their show to appeal to a wider age range of fans. Including dressing like Pokemon and other animals which creates a disturbing sort of "pied piper" aspect to their persona. Matter of fact, one of the main aspects of "Ant Woord", which interestingly enough is an anagram for "Ordained Two", "Yolandi Vi$$er" (Visser) has pictures of herself with rats all the time even making their message of being Pied Pipers even less subtle to the trained eye. Do I look too deeply? Perhaps. But if they are indeed ignorant to what they do, I am fascinated with the acuteness they perform their ignorance.

Yolandi Vi$$er and her Rats

Let me start with the comparison I made of Die Antwoord and the story of the Pied Piper and then I'll get into the rest. I don't know how many of you remember the story but I just remembered one aspect of it and that was that a man rid a town of rats with music he performed on a  flute. But I had totally forgotten the dark twist to the story regarding children (which Die Antwoord are trying to attract).

Here's a quick summary of the pied Piper:

"In 1284, while the town of Hamelin was suffering from a rat infestation, a man dressed in pied clothing appeared, claiming to be a rat-catcher. He promised the townsmen a solution for their problem with the rats. The townsmen in turn promised to pay him for the removal of the rats. The man accepted, and played a musical pipe to lure the rats with a song into the Weser River, where all of them drowned. Despite his success, the people reneged on their promise and refused to pay the rat-catcher the full amount of money. The man left the town angrily, but vowed to return some time later, seeking revenge. On Saint John and Paul's day while the inhabitants were in church, he played his pipe yet again, dressed in green, like a hunter, this time attracting the children of Hamelin. One hundred and thirty boys and girls followed him out of the town, where they were lured into a cave and never seen again."

Now keeping this Pied Piper parallel in mind let's get into more of this message Die Antwoord is spreading to the youth of the world...

http://community.livejournal.com/ohnotheydidnt/52691124.html In the above interview link, "Ninja" was talking about a video Die Antwoord did called "Evil Boy", which is an absolute vile attack on the viewer's mind (no matter how old you are) and he is claiming he is trying to expose a very horrible sounding South African cultural ritual of male circumcision or as he puts it, "Ninja: It's quite an in-depth thing. It's (The Evil Boy Video) basically about tribal circumcision. It's part of a tradition that's in the black Xhosa tribe in South Africa. When you turn 19 you have to go into the bush for like one week with a blanket and your underpants-- no shoes-- and get your penis chopped up with a kitchen knife. No disinfectants; no pain killers. You get the ash from the fire and you rub it onto the penis and you rub it around your face." Sounds like he has a legitimate motive right? All fine and dandy I guess. Except when it comes to his exposing children and young teenagers to his disgusting video. Which is filled with huge erect black penises. So what's worse? The almost unheard of cultural ritual in South Africa or the video he does "exposing" it? I say it's the latter. This is where it gets more interesting, Ninja then states in the interview that someone from the tremendously successful movie, "District 9... this lady Marcia [Vermaak]" Did the penis sculptures for the video. Anyone can do a quick search on "District 9" and see that movie was boycotted by Nigerians for some seemingly good reasons. If you look at the District 9 wikipedia page you can read: "Many Nigerians, both in the country and overseas, were deeply offended by the film." ... "Nigeria's Information Minister Dora Akunyili asked movie theatres around the country to either ban the film or edit out specific references to the country, because of the film's negative depiction of the Nigerian characters as criminals and cannibals. Letters of complaint were sent to the producer and distributor of the film demanding an apology. She also said the gang leader Obesandjo is almost identical in spelling and pronunciation to the surname of former president Olusegun Obasanjo. The film was later banned in Nigeria; the Nigerian Film and Video Censors Board was asked to prevent cinemas from showing the film and also to confiscate it. Many Nigerians also accused District 9 of being xenophobic (phobia of foreigners). Online petitions and Facebook groups called "District 9 Hates Nigerians" were started. Hakeem Kae-Kazim, a British born Nigerian actor also criticized the portrayal of Nigerians in the film, telling the Beeld newspaper Africa is a beautiful place and the problems it does have can not be shown by such a small group of people." So it's very interesting how Die Antwoord somehow got hooked up with an entity that also insulted Africans, more specifically, Nigerians, with the making of the penis video props on the Evil Boy video. What's the connection to Die Antwoord? Anything? Maybe Die Antwoord has more serious and hidden political and cultural connotations to its cause whether knowingly doing so or by being ignorantly manipulated. Maybe these two issues I have pointed out (1. Pied Piper parellel 2. Dual Layered attack on SA Culture coupled with moral attack on world) can be explained away, by "the lazy mind.. the programmed mind.." but now let'add the following facts into the mix DJ.... Interestingly enough, according to another video I saw online "Ninja" aka Watkin Tudor Jones, knows about mind control. See Here @ 00:40 "Ninja" refers to "the lazy mind" he then says again "The lazy mind... the PROGRAMMED mind..." The mind is where the real battle is. So who was he programmed by and for what purpose? My guess is there are many layers. On one layer he attacks a culture, on another layer he's degrading youth with his imagery in the Evil Boy video. And here's more... Yolandi Points out her disgusting chant publicly on Facebook In another video, the Female aspect of the band, "Yolandi Vi$$er" begins chanting, "if you're old enough to bleed, you're old enough to breed" -- watch video @ 1:10 she begins the chant. So much for thinking this "Rap" Group's agenda is innocent... I believe we can see there is more to Die Antwoord than meets the eye, and perhaps, the mind. So what's the bottom line? Beware and be educated. Watch your children and be an example to them. And teach them in the right way. Guard against these negative influences which publicly and unashamedly promote filth and drugs which further cause children's minds to be blind to these attacks against their souls. I would say that just this little bit of info I put together here on this "inter webz" that there is something more to this group called Die Antwoord.  Extra: Here is Yolandi Visser appearing under "celebraties" in LIFE magazine (founded by Pro Fascist, Roman Catholic Knight of Malta, Henry Luce) And here is some more imagery to consider: Click Thumnails to view full size: Symbolism SOS Album Cover Drinks and Drugs Split Personalities Satanic Pied Piper Read more at spirituallysmart.blogspot.com

 

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Famous Jew Hating Propaganda Piece written by Founder of Knight of Malta Order in USA

Amplify’d from spirituallysmart.blogspot.com

Famous Jew Hating Propaganda Piece written by Founder of Knight of Malta Order in USA

Every Jew-hater I have ever encountered in the last ten years has repeated at least some portion of this book which was written by this Russian Monarch Knight of Malta Major General Cherep Spiridovich, OSJ who was exiled out of Russia during the Bolshevic Revolution. Link to book below although you can find it easily online.

Major General Cherep Spiridovich, OSJ a founder of the OSJ American Grand Priory

A book written by Cherep Spiridovich, published in New York

"OSJ" is short for "SOVEREIGN ORDER OF SAINT JOHN OF JERUSALEM"Arthur Cherep-Spiridovich (1858—1926) was a mysterious Russian figure who moved to the United States following the Bolshevik Revolution. He claimed to be a Tsarist general and white Russian loyalist. He was involved in Pan-Slavism and White Russian activism, including various chivalric orders and cultural organisations, amongst the diaspora community in America. Spiridovich is perhaps best known for authoring a book positing various [Jew Hating] conspiracy theories entitled "Secret World Government or The Hidden Hand". Biography Spiridovitch was President of the Slavonic Society of Russia and of the Latino-Slavic League of Paris and Rome. Politically he was a supporter of the Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and an opponent of Bolshevism. According to Walter Laqueur: “ Count (General) Cherep-Spiridovich had his headquarters in the United States; he was even more obviously a clinical case than some of his colleagues. He introduced himself in his books as 'The Slav Pope', 'The Slav Bismarck','The possessor of the faculty to foresee events' ” Lord Alfred Douglas dixit “ and combined Barnum promotion techniques with propagation of the stories supplied by his European friends. The results have to be read to be believed. Even so, well-known men like Henry Ford and newspapers like the Financial Times in London took him seriously and helped him to reach a fairly wide public. ” Walter Laqueur, Russia and Germany (1965), p. 120. Works A Europe without Turkey—the security of France requires (1913) Towards Disaster: Dangers and Remedies (1914) How to Save England (1920) Secret World Government or The Hidden Hand (1926) - a transcript may be found here [1] Also see my information exposing Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion. Read more at spirituallysmart.blogspot.com

 

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New Zealand quake kills at least 65; race to reach trapped

Amplify’d from www.scientificamerican.com

New Zealand quake kills at least 65; race to reach trapped

New Zealand rescue teamsworked under search lights early Wednesday to find scores ofpeople trapped under collapsed buildings after an earthquakestruck the country's second-biggest city of Christchurch,killing at least 65 people.

* Floodlights used by rescuers to search overnight

* Christchurch Mayor says 100 or more may still be trapped in buildings

* Main hospital sees influx of seriously injured

* City hit a second time by quake, multiple aftershocks continue

* Most deadly natural disaster for 80 years

By Adrian Bathgate

CHRISTCHURCH, Feb 23 (Reuters) - New Zealand rescue teams worked under search lights early Wednesday to find scores of people trapped under collapsed buildings after an earthquake struck the country's second-biggest city of Christchurch, killing at least 65 people.

About 120 survivors have already been rescued from the rubble, but the death toll is expected to rise following the second strong quake to hit the city of almost 400,000 people in five months.

"We may well be witnessing New Zealand's darkest day...The death toll I have at the moment is 65 and that may rise," said New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, who had flown to his home town of Christchurch, where he still has family.

Tuesday's 6.3 magnitude quake struck at lunchtime, when streets and shops thronged with people and offices were still occupied. It was New Zealand's most deadly natural disaster for 80 years.

Rescuers, working under lights in rain, focused on two collapsed buildings: a financial-services office block whose four stories pancaked on top of each other, and a TV building which also housed an English-language school.

About a dozen Japanese students at the school were believed to be missing, an official in Japan told Reuters, while public broadcaster NHK said several other students from another group in the building were also unaccounted for.

Trapped survivors could be heard shouting out to rescuers from the TV building. Local media say as many as a dozen or more people could still be inside. Relatives of those feared trapped kept a vigil outside the building as rain began to fall.

"All of our energy tonight is really focused on the need to rescue people," said Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker, estimating 120 people had been pulled out of rubble or rescued so far.

A woman freed from a collapsed building said she had waited for six hours for rescuers to reach her after the quake, which was followed by at least 20 aftershocks.

"I thought the best place was under the desk but the ceiling collapsed on top, I can't move and I'm just terrified," office worker Anne Voss told TV3 news by mobile phone.

Christchurch Mayor Parker described the city, a historic tourist town popular with overseas students, as a war zone. He told local radio that up to 200 could be trapped in buildings but later revised that estimate down to around 100 or so.

It was the country's worst natural disaster since a 1931 quake in the North Island city of Napier which killed 256. Christchurch Hospital saw an influx of injured residents.

"They are largely crushes and cuts types of injuries and chest pain as well," said David Meates, head of the Canterbury Health Board. Some of the more seriously injured could be evacuated to other cities, he added.

HISTORIC CATHEDRAL IN RUINS

On the way into the city, a Reuters correspondent saw buckled roads, toppled buildings and big pools of water. Police and the army were patrolling the streets.

Christchurch has been described as a little piece of England.

It has an iconic cathedral, now largely destroyed, and a river called the Avon. It had many historic stone buildings, and is popular with English-language students and also with tourists as a springboard for tours of the scenic South Island.

Emergency shelters had also been set up in local schools and at a race course. Helicopters dumped water to try to douse a fire in one tall office building, while a crane was used to help workers trapped in another office block.

"I was in the square right outside the cathedral -- the whole front has fallen down and there were people running from there. There were people inside as well," said John Gurr, a camera technician who was in the city centre when the quake hit.

Aerial TV footage of surroundings suburbs showed once-elegant homes in ruins and roads cut off by huge boulders.

There have been offers of help from the United States and Japan, while neighbouring Australia is sending 148 search and rescue specialists, including sniffer dogs. Britain's Queen Elizabeth offered her sympathy and said in a statement she was "utterly shocked" by news of the quake.

STREETS TURN INTO QUICKSAND

Christchurch is built on silt, sand and gravel, with a water table beneath. In a quake, the water rises, mixing with the sand and turning the ground into a swamp, swallowing up roads and cars.

TV footage showed sections of road that had collapsed into a milky, sand-coloured lake beneath the surface. One witness described the footpaths as like "walking on sand".

Unlike last year's even stronger tremor, which struck early in the morning when streets were virtually empty, people were walking or driving along streets when the shallow tremor struck, sending awnings and the entire faces of buildings crashing down.

Police said debris had rained down on two buses, crushing them, but there was no word on any casualties.

Fears that the quake could dent confidence in the country's already fragile economy knocked the New Zealand dollar down by about 1.8 percent from late U.S. levels to $0.75 .

Westpac Bank raised the possibility that the central bank could cut interest rates over the next few weeks in a bid to shore up the economy, while other banks pushed out their expectations for the timing of the next rate increase.

ANZ now expects the central bank to keep rates on hold until the first quarter of 2012.

Shares in Australian banks and insurers, which typically have large operations in New Zealand, fell after the quake.

The quake hit at 12:51 pm (2351 GMT Monday) at a depth of only 4 km (2.5 miles), according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The tremor was centred about 10 km (six miles) southwest of Christchurch, which had suffered widespread damage during last September's 7.1 magnitude quake but no deaths.

New Zealand sits between the Pacific and Indo-Australian tectonic plates and records on average more than 14,000 earthquakes a year, of which about 20 would normally top magnitude 5.0. (Additional reporting by Yoko Kubota in Singapore; Writing by Ed Davies; Editing by Sugita Katyal) Read more at www.scientificamerican.com

 

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Amplify’d from sabbathsermons.com

The Sin Against the Holy Spirit

by Sabbath Sermons

By Present Truth NZ

God will forgive all sin – even the most vile and gravest of sins – but there is one sin that God will not and cannot forgive, and that is the sin against the Holy Spirit – what is called the Unforgivable Sin. We need to know what that sin is, and whether we have yet committed that sin or not. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 “THROUGH FAITH, EVERY DEFICIENCY OF CHARACTER MAY BE SUPPLIED, EVERY DEFILEMENT CLEANSED, EVERY FAULT CORRECTED, EVERY EXCELLENCE DEVELOPED.” Acts of the Apostles 564 “Whatever the sin, if the soul repents and believes, the guilt is washed away in the blood of Christ.” Desire of Ages 322 “No sin can be committed by man for which satisfaction has not been met on Calvary.” 6 Bible Commentary 1071 “THERE IS NO CHAPTER IN OUR EXPERIENCE TOO DARK FOR HIM TO READ; THERE IS NO PERPLEXITY TOO DIFFICULT FOR HIM TO UNRAVEL.” Steps to Christ 100 “God does forgive sins and that fully. There are no sins He will not forgive in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the sinner’s only hope, and if he rests here in sincere faith, he is sure of pardon and that full and free. There is only one channel and that is accessible to all, and through that channel a rich and abundant forgiveness awaits the penitent, contrite soul and the darkest sins are forgiven.” Bible Commentary Volume 7 913 “NONE HAVE FALLEN SO LOW, NONE ARE SO VILE, BUT THAT THEY CAN FIND DELIVERANCE IN CHRIST.” Desire of Ages 258 And yet Jesus said there is one sin that cannot be forgiven:- “Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.” Matthew 12:31,32 “And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.” Luke 12:10 “If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.” 1 John 5:16 This text of Scripture is obviously referring to the sin against the Holy Spirit, spoken of by Jesus. “The sin of grieving the Holy Spirit of God and walking contrary to Him has cost many a one the loss of his soul.” Faith and Works 17 “He who rejects the work of the Holy Spirit is placing himself where repentance and faith cannot come to him….When the Spirit is finally rejected, there is no more that God can do for the soul.” Desire of Ages 321,322 We need to ask ourselves the 3 questions:- What is the sin against the Holy Spirit? How can I know whether I have committed the unpardonable sin? How can I be sure never to commit the unpardonable sin? “I have never been given the testimony to bear to any one, ‘You have committed the unpardonable sin.’ God never told any one to say to a fellow being, ‘You have committed the unpardonable sin.’” Review and Herald July 30 1901 “We do not say to [others], because they have made mistakes, ‘You have committed the unpardonable sin.’” Review and Herald July 30 1901 “Every step of rejection of Christ is a step toward the rejection of the goodness of salvation, AND TOWARD THE SIN AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT. It is evident that not one who stands under the banner of Jesus Christ, who serves Him as a faithful soldier, has committed this sin. The sin against the Holy Ghost is not confined to any one period of time, or limited to any one generation. The Jewish nation who rejected Christ committed the unpardonable sin, but by taking the same course that they took in refusing the invitation of mercy, we may commit the same error. You offer insult to the Prince of life, and put Him to an open shame before the synagogue of Satan. ‘We are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.’ You should not delay one day. The peril is too great. You may lose your life. Satan is watching every opportunity in order that he may destroy both soul and body; but Jesus is ready to pardon ALL your sins, and to make you a child of God, an heir of heaven.” Youth’s Instructor August 8 1895 “No one need look upon the sin against the Holy Ghost as something mysterious and indefinable. The sin against the Holy Ghost is the sin of persistent refusal to respond to the invitation to repent.” Bible Commentary Vol 5 1093 “It is by the Spirit that God works upon the heart. When men willfully reject the Spirit, and declare It to be from Satan, they cut off the channel by which God can communicate with them. When the Spirit is finally rejected, there is no more that God can do for the soul.” Desire of Ages 321,322 “You ask if you have committed the sin which has no forgiveness in this life or in the life to come. I answer: I do not see the slightest evidence that this is the case. What constitutes the sin against the Holy Ghost? It is willfully attributing to Satan the work of the Holy Spirit. For example, suppose that one is a witness of the special work of the Spirit of God. He has convincing evidence that the work is in harmony with the Scriptures, and the Spirit witnesses with his spirit that it is of God. Afterward, however, he falls under temptation; pride, self-sufficiency, or some other evil trait, controls him; and rejecting all the evidence of its divine character, he declares that that which he had before acknowledged to be the power of the Holy Spirit was the power of Satan. It is through the medium of His Spirit that God works upon the human heart; and when men willfully reject the Spirit and declare it to be from Satan, they cut off the channel by which God can communicate with them. By denying the evidence which God has been pleased to give them, they shut out the light which had been shining in their hearts, and as the result they are left in darkness. Thus the words of Christ are verified: ‘If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!’ For a time, persons who have committed this sin may appear to be children of God; but when circumstances arise to develop character and show what manner of spirit they are of, it will be found that they are on the enemy’s ground, standing under his black banner.” Testimonies Volume Five 634 “The Pharisees attributed to satanic agencies the holy power of God, manifested in the works of Christ. Thus the Pharisees sinned against the Holy Ghost. Stubborn, sullen, iron-hearted, they determined to close their eyes to all evidence, and thus they committed the unpardonable sin.” Review and Herald January 18 1898 “THE MOST COMMON MANIFESTATION OF THE SIN AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT IS IN PERSISTENTLY SLIGHTING HEAVEN’S INVITATION TO REPENT. EVERY STEP IN THE REJECTION OF CHRIST IS A STEP TOWARD THE REJECTION OF SALVATION, AND TOWARD THE SIN AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT.” Desire of Ages 324 “BEWARE OF PROCRASTINATION. Do not put off the work of forsaking your sins and seeking purity of heart through Jesus. Here is where thousands upon thousands have erred to their eternal loss….There is a terrible danger – a danger not sufficiently understood – in delaying to yield to the pleading voice of God’s Holy Spirit, in choosing to live in sin; for such this delay really is. Sin, however small it may be esteemed, can be indulged in only at the peril of infinite loss. What we do not overcome, will overcome us and work out our destruction.” Steps to Christ 32,33 “The soul that refuses to listen to the invitations of mercy from day to day can soon listen to the most urgent appeals without an emotion stirring his soul.” Testimonies Volume Five 134 “THE SIN AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A SIN BY WHICH MAN’S HEART IS EFFECTUALLY HARDENED AGAINST THE INFLUENCE OF DIVINE GRACE.” Patriarchs and Prophets 405 “When Satan is permitted to control the mind that will not be ruled by Jehovah, he will lead it according to his will, until the man who is thus in his power becomes an efficient agent to carry out his designs. So bitter is the enmity of the great originator of sin against the purposes of God, so terrible is his power for evil, that when men disconnect from God, Satan influences them, and their minds are brought more and more into subjection, until they cast off the fear of God, and the respect of men, and become bold and avowed enemies of God and of His people.” Bible Commentary Vol. 2 1019 “God’s children are always being tested in the furnace of affliction. If they endure the first trial, it is not necessary for them to pass through a similar ordeal the second time; but if they fail, the trial is brought to them again and again, each time being still more trying and severe. Thus opportunity after opportunity is placed before them of gaining the victory and proving themselves true to God. But if they continue to manifest rebellion, God is compelled at last to remove His Spirit and light from them.” Bible Commentary Vol. 4 1146 “In rejecting Christ the Jewish people committed the unpardonable sin; and by refusing the invitation of mercy, we may commit the same error. We offer insult to the Prince of life, and put Him to shame before the synagogue of Satan and before the heavenly universe when we refuse to listen to His delegated messengers, and instead listen to the agents of Satan, who would draw the soul away from Christ. So long as one does this, he can find no hope or pardon, and he will finally lose all desire to be reconciled to God.” Desire of Ages 324,325 “Now I tell you God will not be trifled with. God is a jealous God, and when He manifests His power as He has manifested it, it is very nigh unto the sin against the Holy Ghost to disbelieve it. The revealings of God’s power have not had any effect to move and to stir persons from their position of doubting and unbelief.” Manuscript Releases Volume Four 434 “All who have anything to do with God’s work..are required to observe habits of strict temperance, to keep soul, body, and spirit under the protecting shield of God. Never tempt the Spirit of God. This has often led to the sin against the Holy Ghost, which has no forgiveness in this life nor in the life to come. Bear in mind that we shall reap that which we sow, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. Those who sow to the flesh will of the flesh reap corruption.” Review and Herald February 27 1900 “The sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit does not lie in any sudden word or deed; it is the firm, determined resistance of truth and evidence.” Bible Commentary Vol 5 1093 “The impressions of the Holy Spirit if disregarded today, will not be as strong tomorrow.” Desire of Ages 490 “I will address these lines to those who have had light, those who have had privileges, those who have had warnings and entreaties, who have made no determined effort to yield themselves in full surrender to God. I would warn you to fear lest you sin against the Holy Ghost, and be left to your own course, sunk in moral lethargy, and never obtain forgiveness. Why allow yourselves to be longer educated in the school of Satan, and pursue a course of action that will make repentance and reformation impossible? Why resist the overtures of mercy? WHY SAY, ‘LET ME ALONE,’ UNTIL GOD SHALL BE COMPELLED TO GIVE YOU YOUR DESIRE, SINCE YOU WILL HAVE IT SO? Those who resist the Spirit of God think that they will repent at some future day, when they get ready to take a decided step toward reformation; but repentance will then be beyond their power. According to the light and privileges given will be the darkness of those who refuse to walk in the light while they have the light.” Review and Herald June 29 1897 “And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. And as he [Paul] reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.” Acts 24:24,25 “A ray of light from heaven had been permitted to shine upon Felix, when Paul reasoned with him concerning righteousness, temperance, and a judgment to come. That was his heaven-sent opportunity to see and to forsake his sins. But he said to the messenger of God, ‘Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.’ HE HAD SLIGHTED HIS LAST OFFER OF MERCY. NEVER WAS HE TO RECEIVE ANOTHER CALL FROM GOD.” Acts of the Apostles 427 “‘Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season I will call for thee?’ Is the opportunity ever to come when we can leave sin any more easily than at the present moment? Is the time coming when we can take hold of the truth any more easily than now?” Review and Herald April 12 1879 “Often Satan presents his temptations under the guise of goodness. Beware that you yield not to them. One violation of straight-forward truthfulness prepares the way for the second violation, and wrongs are repeated until the heart of unbelief becomes hardened, and the conscience loses its sensitiveness.” Review and Herald January 7 1904   THE CASE OF PHARAOH   “Every additional evidence of the power of God that the Egyptian monarch resisted, carried him on to a stronger and more persistent defiance of God. Thus the work went on, finite man warring against the expressed will of an infinite God. This case is a clear illustration of the sin against the Holy Ghost. ‘Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.’ Gradually the Lord withdrew His Spirit. Removing His restraining power, He gave the king into the hands of the worst of all tyrants – self.” Bible Commentary Vol. 1 1100 HOW YOU CAN TELL WHETHER YOU HAVE YET COMMITTED THE UNPARDONABLE SIN? “It is true that men sometimes become ashamed of their sinful ways, and give up some of their evil habits, before they are conscious that they are being drawn to Christ. But whenever they make an effort to reform, from a sincere desire to do right, it is the power of Christ that is drawing them.” Steps to Christ 27 “The closer you come to Jesus, the more faulty you will appear in your own eyes; for your vision will be clearer, and your imperfections will be seen in broad and distinct contrast to His perfect nature. But do not be discouraged. This is evidence that Satan’s delusions have lost their power; that the vivifying influence of the Spirit of God is arousing you, and your indifference and unconcern are passing away.” Our High Calling 27 “Have you a sense of want in your soul? Do you hunger and thirst after righteousness? Then this is an evidence that Christ has wrought upon your heart, and created this sense of need in your soul, in order that He may be sought unto to do for you, through the endowment of the Holy Spirit, those things which it is impossible for you to do for yourself.” Signs of the Times November 7 1892 “All the longing after a better life is from Christ, and is an evidence that He is drawing you to Himself and that you are responding to His drawing power.” Selected Messages Book 3 198 “Christ is the source of every right impulse. He is the only one that can implant in the heart enmity against sin. Every desire for truth and purity, every conviction of our own sinfulness, is an evidence that His Spirit is moving upon our hearts.” Steps to Christ 26 “Every longing awakened in the soul to return to God is but the tender pleading of His Spirit, wooing, entreating, drawing the wanderer to his Father’s heart of love.” Testimonies Volume Five 632,633 “If we have a deep, growing experience in heavenly things, we walk with the Lord, as did Enoch. Instead of consenting to the propositions of Satan, there is most earnest prayer for the heavenly anointing, that we may distinguish the right, the heaven born, from the common.” Testimonies to Ministers 338,339 “There are those who have known the pardoning love of Christ and who really desire to be children of God, yet they realize that their character is imperfect, their life faulty, and they are ready to doubt whether their hearts have been renewed by the Holy Spirit. To such I would say, Do not draw back in despair. We shall often have to bow down and weep at the feet of Jesus because of our shortcomings and mistakes, but we are not to be discouraged. Even if we are overcome by the enemy, we are not cast off, not forsaken and rejected of God.” Steps to Christ 64 “WHEN THE APPEALS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT COME TO THE HEART OUR ONLY SAFETY LIES IN RESPONDING TO THEM WITHOUT DELAY.” Bible Commentary Vol 5 1097 “‘TODAY IF YE WILL HEAR HIS VOICE, HARDEN NOT YOUR HEARTS.’ Hebrews 4:7. IT IS UNSAFE TO DELAY OBEDIENCE. YOU MAY NEVER HEAR THE INVITATION AGAIN.” Christ’s Object Lessons 280 “The Spirit invites you today. Come with your whole heart to Jesus. Repent of your sins, make confession to God, forsake all iniquity, and you may appropriate to yourself all His promises. ‘Look unto Me, and be ye saved,’ is His gracious invitation.” Testimonies Volume Five 634 “QUENCH NOT THE SPIRIT” 1 Thessalonians 5:19 “We cannot know how much we owe to Christ for the peace and protection which we enjoy. It is the restraining power of God that prevents mankind from passing fully under the control of Satan. The disobedient and unthankful have great reason for gratitude for God’s mercy and long-suffering in holding in check the cruel, malignant power of the evil one. But when men pass the limits of divine forbearance, that restraint is removed. God does not stand toward the sinner as an executioner of the sentence against transgression; but He leaves the rejecters of His mercy to themselves, to reap that which they have sown. EVERY RAY OF LIGHT REJECTED, EVERY WARNING DESPISED OR UNHEEDED, EVERY PASSION INDULGED, EVERY TRANSGRESSION OF THE LAW OF GOD, IS A SEED SOWN WHICH YIELDS ITS UNFAILING HARVEST. The Spirit of God, persistently resisted, is at last withdrawn from the sinner, and then there is left no power to control the evil passions of the soul, and no protection from the malice and enmity of Satan. The destruction of Jerusalem is a fearful and solemn warning to all who are trifling with the offers of divine grace and resisting the pleadings of divine mercy.” Great Controversy 36 “Those who resist the Holy Spirit of God, and provoke Him to depart, know not to what lengths Satan will lead them….When the Holy Spirit departs from the human agents, they will do those things which they once viewed in a correct light. They will follow step by step in the footsteps of Satan. Who then can strive with them to any purpose?….These souls have Satan close beside them to misconstrue the words spoken, and bring them to their understanding in a perverted light. They are misinterpreted by them; for when the Spirit of God is grieved away, every appeal made through the Lord’s servants is meaningless to them. They will misconstrue every word. They will laugh and turn into ridicule the most solemn words of Scripture, which, if they were not bewitched by satanic agencies, would make them tremble. Every appeal made to those who are in need of help is in vain. They will not hear a word of reproof or counsel. They despise all the entreaties of the Spirit, and disobey the commandments of God which they have once vindicated and exalted. Well may the words of the apostle come home to such souls, ‘Who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth?’ They have followed the counsel of their own heart until truth is no more truth to them.” Manuscript Releases Volume Four 359,360 “The Lord brings His erring children over the same ground again and again; but if they continually fail to heed the admonitions of His Spirit, if they fail to reform on every point where they have erred, He will finally leave them to their own weakness.” Testimonies Volume Nine 182 “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30 “When men..despise the warnings which God in mercy sends them, His Spirit after a time ceases to arouse conviction in their hearts. God gives light to be cherished and obeyed, not to be despised and rejected. The light which He sends becomes darkness to those who disregard it. When the Spirit of God ceases to impress the truth upon the hearts of men, all hearing is vain, and all preaching also is vain.” Spirit of Prophecy Volume Four 232 “In the days of Noah the Spirit of God was so long and stubbornly rejected that it ceased to strive with men. Thus will it be, prior to the end of the world. WHEN THE GOSPEL FALLS ON CLOSED EARS, WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT CEASES TO IMPRINT THE TRUTH UPON THE HEART, PREACHING AND HEARING WILL ALIKE BE IN VAIN. ARE WE NOT FAST APPROACHING THIS STATE OF THINGS?” Signs of the Times February 16 1882 “My brethren and sisters, will you take heed to the Word of the Lord? Will you listen to His rebuke? If, after men in positions of responsibility have been warned and reproved by the Lord, they continue to follow their own way, affliction will come upon them. God chastens them, giving them opportunity after opportunity to repent. If they utterly refuse to repent, and are determined to listen to the sophistries of the enemy, they are left to their own course of action, and will surely perish in their sins; for God will not be trifled with. Sufficient light and evidence will be given to every soul. If men are overcome by the enemy, it will be because they have hardened their hearts, refusing to listen to the voice of God. Will men hear the Word of the Lord, or will they, through yielding to temptation, refuse to hear until it becomes impossible for them to discern between good and evil?” Series B, No 2, p 20 “He who has once yielded to temptation will yield more readily the second time. Every repetition of the sin lessens his power of resistance, blinds his eyes, and stifles conviction. Every seed of indulgence sown will bear fruit. God works no miracle to prevent the harvest. ‘Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.’ Galatians 6:7. He who manifests an infidel hardihood, a stolid indifference to divine truth, is but reaping the harvest of that which he has himself sown. It is thus that multitudes come to listen with stoical indifference to the truths that once stirred their very souls. They sowed neglect and resistance to the truth, and such is the harvest which they reap. Those who are quieting a guilty conscience with the thought that they can change a course of evil when they choose, that they can trifle with the invitations of mercy, and yet be again and again impressed, take this course at their peril. They think that after casting all their influence on the side of the great rebel, in a moment of utmost extremity, when danger compasses them about, they will change leaders. But this is not so easily done. The experience, the education, the discipline of a life of sinful indulgence, has so thoroughly moulded the character that they cannot then receive the image of Jesus. Had no light shone upon their pathway, the case would have been different. Mercy might interpose, and give them an opportunity to accept her overtures; BUT AFTER LIGHT HAS BEEN LONG REJECTED AND DESPISED, IT WILL BE FINALLY WITHDRAWN.” Patriarchs and Prophets 268,269 “He who deliberately stifles his convictions of duty because it interferes with his inclinations will finally lose the power to distinguish between truth and error. The understanding becomes darkened, the conscience callous, the heart hardened, and the soul is separated from God.” Great Controversy 378 “Sanctification is a daily work. Let none deceive themselves with the belief that God will pardon and bless them while they are trampling upon one of His requirements. The willful commission of a known sin silences the witnessing voice of the Spirit, and separates the soul from God. Whatever may be the ecstasies of religious feeling, Jesus cannot abide in the heart that disregards the divine Law. God will honour those only who honour Him.” Messages To Young People 114 “Have decision, fortitude, steadiness of purpose, which will not be swerved to the right or left by circumstances – or you will be easily ensnared and taken captive by Satan at his will….It is the steady purpose, the untiring effort, that will gain the victory at last. It is he who endureth to the end that shall be saved.” Testimonies Volume Two 101,102 “The will is the governing power in the nature of man, the power of decision, or choice. Every human being possessed of reason has power to choose the right. In every experience of life, God’s word to us is, ‘Choose you this day whom ye will serve.’ Joshua 24:15. Everyone may place his will on the side of the will of God, may choose to obey Him.” Education 289 “As God’s agents you are to yield yourselves to Him, that He may plan and direct and fight the battle for you, with your co-operation. The Prince of Life is at the head of His work. He is to be with you in your daily battle with self….Then why not trust Him? WHY NOT COMMIT THE KEEPING OF YOUR SOUL UNTO GOD, AS UNTO A FAITHFUL CREATOR?” 2 Bible Commentary 994,995 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 “Your only happiness is found in submitting yourself to God.” Manuscript Releases Volume Twenty-one 255 “Beware how you neglect secret prayer and a study of God’s Word. These are your weapons against him who is striving to hinder your progress heavenward. The first neglect of prayer and Bible study makes easier the second neglect. The first resistance to the Spirit’s pleading prepares the way for the second resistance. Thus the heart is hardened, and the conscience seared. ON THE OTHER HAND, EVERY RESISTANCE OF TEMPTATION MAKES RESISTANCE MORE EASY. EVERY DENIAL OF SELF MAKES SELF-DENIAL EASIER. EVERY VICTORY GAINED PREPARES THE WAY FOR A FRESH VICTORY. EACH RESISTANCE OF TEMPTATION, EACH SELF-DENIAL, EACH TRIUMPH OVER SIN, IS A SEED SOWN UNTO ETERNAL LIFE. EVERY UNSELFISH ACTION GIVES NEW STRENGTH TO SPIRITUALITY. NO ONE CAN TRY TO BE LIKE CHRIST WITHOUT GROWING MORE NOBLE AND MORE TRUE.” Messages to Young People 96,97 Read more at sabbathsermons.com

 

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