Getting StartedColossians 1:15-2015 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.Philipians 2:5-116 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.Revelation 5: 11-1311 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they were saying:“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power,for ever and ever!”ResourcesBibleBackground InformationWe live in a world that increasingly wants everything to be equal. Whatever someone’s view of the truth is we may be told, should be seen as equal and as valid as anyone elses so no one feels judged or less than anyone in any way. The only problem is that if everyone’s “truth” is equal, it is no longer truth. In the name of what some see as justice and tolerance, the idea of truth is sacrificed in spite of the reality that justice requires truth and tolerance alone does not solve issues of sin. Grace does. Truth by very definition excludes other things from being correct. We can all have an opinion or perspectives, but for something to be true it must exist outside of us and represent reality and it will continue to be true even if we don’t believe it or want it to be. This is the message of Jesus. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). He also said, “…. the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” (John 18:37). Clearly, Jesus believed in truth that existed outside of people’s opinions and even claimed to be the source of it.Moreso, the Bible says that all things were created through Jesus (Colossians 1:15-16), that he is supreme over all things (Colossians 1:18), that his name is above all other names (including all people, politicians and prophets), (Philippians 2:9), that one day every person will acknowledge that he is Lord (Phillipians 2:10) and that all angels and people who are saved will worship him (Revelation 5:11-12). Indeed, the Bible is abundantly clear that truth comes from Jesus and that he is to be followed and worshipped as supreme with God the Father.The message of truth being real and that one way or person is correct and above other ways or beliefs is increasingly unpopular and even offensive to many (even though all religions and ideologies claim to have exclusive truth). This is in fact why Jesus was crucified. The Pharisees and religious leaders of his day were offended and refused to accept that what he was saying was true and had him killed him to try and prevent the truth from being told. It is no different today and Jesus said that those who follow him and proclaim his truth will also face persecution (Matthew 5:12).The message of Christianity is the truth of the cross and of who Jesus is. It offends many because it calls us to face our sin and unwillingness to have somone other than ourselves define the truth about ourselves and our condition. We want to be our own master instead of surrendering to the true King. But Jesus is either who he claimed to be or he is not. And if he is Lord, creator and God as the Bible claims and His resurrection confirms, then our choices are limited; submit to the truth or find a way to avoid it, at least for now. May the message of the cross draw you to the beautiful, saving and freeing truth of Christ and be your message of hope to a lost and struggling world of which you will never be ashamed.Old Rugged Cross© George Bennard, 1913On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,The emblem of suffering and shame;And I love that old cross where the dearest and bestFor a world of lost sinners was slain.RefrainSo I'll cherish the old rugged cross,Till my trophies at last I lay down;I will cling to the old rugged cross,And exchange it some day for a crown. O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,Has a wondrous attraction for me;For the dear Lamb of God left His glory aboveTo bear it to dark Calvary. In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,A wondrous beauty I see,For 'twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,To pardon and sanctify me.To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;Its shame and reproach gladly bear;Then He'll call me some day to my home far away,Where His glory forever I'll share.InstructionsReview the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.Read the words of the hymn out loud, reflecting and using it as a prayer as you consider its meaning and message.Respond to the following questions by posting your answers in the discussion. What do you think about Jesus declaring that he is the truth and that those who follow actual truth listen to him? How do you think this would be received today if Jesus said the same thing in your community, neighborhood or workplace?Christians believe that Jesus is King and Lord and that His ideas are not just better than other ideas, but true and right and good. What does this mean for you as a Christian social worker and how you will assess ideas and theories you encounter in your practice in light of truth?What concerns do you have about the possibility of conflicts between your beliefs about truth and practicing as a social worker? Explain.Knowing that Jesus, truth, and the message of the cross is resisted or even despised at times by the world, what makes it worth it to you to follow him, even if it might lead to confict, loss or persecution?

Homeland Security and International Relation 1 There is an old truism around the world that holds that “all disasters are local.” Do you believe this is true or not true? Why? Responses to disasters may involve efforts at local, regional, and national level. Which level should have primary responsibility for disaster preparedness and response? What are the advantages and disadvantages of your choice? 2 The Department of Homeland Security was created by combining 22 separate government agencies into one. What are the advantages of this concept? What have been the disadvantages? Give examples of each. 3 We have discussed the creation of DHS which combined 22 agencies into one. Similarly, after 9/11, the position of Director, National Intelligence was created to provide oversight of the Intelligence Community. Yet there are still 17 separate intelligence agencies in US government: Director, National Intelligence Central Intelligence Agency Department of Energy Department of Homeland Security Department of State Department of Treasury Defense Intelligence Agency Drug Enforcement Agency Federal Bureau of Investigation National Geospatial Intelligence Agency National Reconnaissance Office National Security Agency Air Force Intelligence Army Intelligence Naval Intelligence Marine Corps Intelligence Coast Guard Intelligence Of these, which do you feel would be most effective in accomplishing homeland security goals in the international arena? Select and discuss a program in this agency to support your view. Which agency do you feel would be least effective in these endeavors? Why? 4. Included in the State Department budget is funding for “Contributions to International Organizations (CIO).” CIO provides the US contribution to the operating budgets of many international organizations. For example, the US provides 22% of funding for the United Nations. There is a belief in some circles that the US should withhold funding for organizations that adopt policies contrary to US values. Is this a legitimate view? Why or why not? 5. A theory has been advanced for what is called “Disaster Diplomacy.” Its premise is that international disaster response can be a form of diplomacy. Its primary feature is that disaster aid can serve to overcome political differences and create an atmosphere of cooperation between countries that previously were adamantly opposed on most issues. Do you feel this is a realistic concept? Or is it idealistic wishful thinking that, at best, produces only temporary, transitory benefits? 6. A derivative of the "Disaster Diplomacy" concept holds that debt forgiveness is an increasingly important element in US foreign assistance policy that can influence foreign government behavior. The theory is that countries facing an “unsustainable debt burden which cannot be managed with traditional means” should either have their debt forgiven or be given low-interest loans to reduce their debt payment levels. Critics assert that this rewards poor and/or corrupt management and provides an incentive for countries to default. What do you think? 7. In a sense, then, our leaders today have become risk managers. Risk management involves identifying risk and determining acceptable risk and non-acceptable risk levels. This should be a self-evident concept, right? For example, it has been stated that “on average, cigarettes kill as many people as would die if three passenger-laden jumbo jets crashed every day, month after month, year after year.” Knowing the risk, why do people continue to smoke? How do we explain this in terms of risk management? 8. We have agreed that the concept of globalization has provided both benefits and risks to the world of nations. Module 2 identifies a number of "transnational risks." It goes on to assert that one of the factors contributing to these risks is the “widespread use of information technology communication (e.g., Internet, cell phones, social media) to mobilize individuals and groups, acquire resources, and in some cases garner external attention and support.” Can social media constitute a risk to our national security? Explain your position 9. The US National Flood Insurance Program resulted from recognition that private insurance companies can’t provide coverage at affordable rates that would allow them to be profitable. In order to receive coverage, however, communities that benefit must adopt and enforce floodplain management policies to mitigate threats to life and property damage in flood-prone areas. Critics assert that taxpayers should not be required to subsidize those who choose to build in known floodplains – they know the risk, they should accept the risk. Is this “donor fatigue?” What do you think? Explain your position. 10. A risk assessment had accurately forecast the level of damage that would result in the event of a major earthquake. It was known that engineering technology existed that would involve the use of extensive pilings to shore up the seabed in the port. It was also known how expensive such a process would be. In the end, the decision turned on how likely they believed that a major earthquake would occur. In essence, they rolled the dice and lost. The cost to restore the port was exponentially greater than it would have cost to reinforce the seabed. Using the risk management formula above, where did the planners at Kobe go wrong? Were they incompetent? Irresponsible? Or just unlucky? Note : Avoid Plagraism and Use APA format 6th Edition with Reference Pages

Consider the four key perspectives of a balanced scorecard applied to your Capsim competition: (1) the learning and growth perspective, (2) the business process perspective, (3) the customer perspective, and (4) the financial perspective. Then respond to the following:Provide an overview of an organization you are familiar with or one that you researched. Include in your overview statistics that describe the organization, such as its product/service, size, and number of employees.Discuss whether the four key perspectives are relevant to that organization.How can you utilize the four key perspectives to analyze and improve your Capsim simulation rounds?