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Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens,...

A servant allegedly beaten and strangled by a Saudi prince died without even putting up a fight, a court heard today. Bandar Abdulaziz (32) was so worn down by the “sadistic” abuse he had suffered that he “let the defendant kill him”, jurors were told. Saud Abdulaziz bin Nasser al Saud is accused of murdering Mr Abdulaziz in February at the central London hotel room they shared. Jonathan Laidlaw QC, prosecuting, said they had a “master-servant” relationship in which the prince abused his aide for his “own personal gratification”. Mr Laidlaw said the victim’s injuries showed the assault leading to...

Once again Sarah Palin’s wisdom and political savvy has been proven to be spot on. Sarah saw weeks ago what others are just now realizing: Chuck DeVore has no hope. He has no chance of winning the Californian Republican primary against Carly Fiorina and Tom Campbell. As we have said before, it was shaping up to be a great battle and California, and the Nation would have been well served by either a Senator Fiorina or a Senator DeVore. Though not a Californian, I was an early DeVore supporter, however, ethics issues that have surfaced trouble me greatly. Had this...

Creed Statement: We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ . . . Today's focus: One Lord And now, Israel, what does the Lord, your God, ask of you but to fear the Lord, your God, and follow his ways exactly, to love and serve the Lord, your God, with all your heart and all your soul, to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord (Deuteronomy 12:12-13). My friend Jim knows about serving two masters. He's a middle-manager in a large defense-related industry. When his company experienced a series of consolidations and mergers, loosely associated departments absorbed entire divisions. Lines...

Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin said Wednesday the city will have its employees cut their hours — and pay — by 10 percent each week to help weather an expected budget shortfall of $50 million to $60 million. The pay and hour cuts affect 4,600 city employees. She also said the city will have to cut back some services, dip into its reserves and make other personnel moves.

April 13, 2006 Holy ThursdayEvening Mass of the Lord’s Supper Psalm: Thursday 17 Reading 1Ex 12:1-8, 11-14 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, “This month shall stand at the head of your calendar; you shall reckon it the first month of the year.Tell the whole community of Israel: On the tenth of this month every one of your familiesmust procure for itself a lamb, one apiece for each household.If a family is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join the nearest household in procuring one and shall share in the lamb in...

LONDON (AP) - George Smith, a former royal servant whose claim of rape sparked lurid tales of sexual misdeeds within the royal household, has died at the age of 44, his father said Friday. Peter Smith said his son died Wednesday after a long illness. He did not disclose the cause of death. A former soldier in the Welsh Guards who served in the 1982 Falklands War, Smith was Prince Charles' valet for nine years until he was dismissed in 1997. During the 2002 theft trial of Paul Burrell, former butler of the late Princess of Wales, it emerged that...

Most Missouri pharmacists are bypassing the conscience debate by simply not stocking the controversial abortifacient morning-after pill according to a survey of pharmacies conducted by NARAL (National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League) Pro-Choice Missouri. NARAL found that, of 928 pharmacies surveyed statewide, less than a third – 29 percent – carried the Plan B prescription abortifacient, marketed as “emergency contraception.” Abortion zealots and media alike are decrying the fact that in some rural regions, such as Shannon County and Barry County, not a single pharmacy will allow their employees to cooperate in the destruction of an unborn child. Missouri...

It often takes a Bible story to remind me how God has surprised me with His blessings in the most unusual ways. There were times in my past when I complained that when I chose to go the second mile, I did not get so much as a "thanks" pointed in my direction. Most of the time a simple thank-you would have been more than adequate payment. Then the change came. God began to give me a love for people right where they were -- hurt, angry, hungry, dirty, stressed, in deep despair, on top of the world, silly with...