The Unstoppable Work

     "The first slaves entered America at Jamestown in 1619. The very next year, 1620, the first Christians arrived from England aboard the Mayflower. These Puritans despised slavery and established a foundation for religious and political freedom. 

Robert Morgan, Tennessee pastor 

     "A hundred years went by. Puritanism and Christianity were waning. A remarkable revival erupted. The awakening spread through all 13 colonies. This set the stage for the Declaration of Independence and the Revolutionary War. John Adams wrote, Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. 

     "The Lord sent the second Great Awakening in the early 1800s. Thousands came to Christ in a revival that birthed the mission movement, Sunday schools, and sent hundreds of evangelists into untamed frontiers. 

     "The work of Jesus Christ is unstoppable. We his people should be unconquerable. Even with its sinful moments and failure, America is a miracle by God's grace. When I see how God has been our help in ages past, I realize He can be our home for years to come.

     "When Dwight Eisenhower ran for president, he asked Billy Graham for a verse of Scripture. When he took the oath of office, he laid his hand on 2 Chronicles 7:14...If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."  

July 4th - Battle Hymn

     

The Real Revolution 

     President John Adams argued that the "real American revolution" had already occurred before a single shot was fired. He wrote: "The Revolution was in the Minds and Hearts of the People. A change in their Religious Sentiments of their Duties and Obligations."  

Tony Perkins, Family Research Council

     Adams: "This produced in 1760 and 1761 An Awakening and a Revival of American Principles and Feelings. In 1775 it burst out in open Violence, Hostility and Fury. Adams mentioned seven patriots who took the lead, two of whom were pastors in Boston. One of them explained what the Bible has to say about government, and how we are to respond, be it (government) good or bad."

     "The influence of patriot pastors cannot be overstated. The basic form of regular public communication for many colonists was a Bible-based sermon. Historian Harry Stout says, 'A New England sermon...was so powerful in shaping cultural values, and a sense of corporate purpose that even television pales by comparison.' When the British cracked down on Boston in 1774...patriot pastors took to their pulpits, painting the conflict in Biblical terms, portraying King George III as Pharaoh and the American colonies as the Israelites."

     "Adams wrote to his wife, 'The clergy of every denomination... thunder and lightning every Sabbath...' General Percy declared, 'No body of men are so injurious to peace and tranquility as the clergy." 

     Perkins: "Through their preaching, patriot pastors helped bring about what Adams described, a change in religious sentiments. When war came, the same Biblical conviction fueled the courage to stand against tyranny. These pastors not only made the case for independence; they also strengthened the peoples' resolve to secure it."  

     "If we are to preserve our liberty 250 years later, we need that kind of Revolution again. We must return to the same source of the founders' courage and confidence: the Word of God." 

  Friday: the unstoppable work

Who Has the Promise?                                      Wednesday

     America approaches its 250th year of independence. Our history includes approximately 168 years that England ruled Americans. The total is about 418 years. 

     Human history began with Moses' account of God's creation of "man," Adam and Eve. Of course, Moses wasn't living yet, so we'll go with historians who agree that Moses was the author. How could he know, except that God revealed the beginnings. There were no calendars. Moses began writing history in 1,445 B.C. Our search found an agreeable guess of 4,000 B.C. for Adam and Eve. 

     In Genesis 12 - the "call of Abraham," who lived around 2100 B.C. Let's consider him the beginning of the Jewish people, although there was much up and down, back and forth yet to come. 

God so loved the world

     Romans evicted Jews from Israel in 70 A.D., while believing Jews (later called Christians), were going into the known world, delivering the "gospel." 2100 + 2026 = 4126 years for God's "chosen" people. And 418 years for faith in God, in America (not Christianity worldwide, 2026). 

     One Sunday sermon called on Christians to take a stand, vote, support but not worship government, and gather in church to worship. Key scriptures include 1 Timothy 2:1-2, and 2 Chronicles 7:14. 

     While we learn of hatred toward Israel, even among Americans, remember that Satan hates God's people. This explains world support even for Hamas, while wishing Israel destruction, only 78 years since they recovered from WWII. Hitler hated Jews, and Iran hates Israel. And America. Trouble may come, but so will Jesus. And He will descend to the same place he departed around A.D. 33. Not New York or Washington. Israel's return after 1,956 years is a clear sign God's plan is unfolding as Scripture reveals it. 

 

                                                                                                                                 Tuesday

Liberty Impossible Without Faith in God 

     Adding to Sunday's blog, Eric Metaxas wrote, "All the men of the Revolution understood" it was possible to be a nation without kings or bishops. 

     "Even the least religious of our founders knew that in creating a new nation, they were doing what the Israelites did when they left Egypt and made a covenant directly with God at Sinai. Both Jefferson and Franklin - when asked to provide a seal (see Monday's blog) - came up with images of the Israelites in the wilderness of Sinai."

     "The new nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal, marked the first time since Sinai that a people would look directly to God. Samuel Adams, before signing the Declaration of Independence, said they had 'restored the Sovereign,' meaning God. The Lord would be our only king." 

     "No matter how vital faith was, it could not be forced. Religious freedom would have to be at the heart of America. And it is. The men who risked everything to form America had no guarantee of success. If people could not choose to live by faith, freedoms would evaporate." 

     "By the grace of God our liberties are still alive," Metaxas writes. "For liberty to continue, faith must be at the heart of American culture. May the Lord bring revival to our land, that we might spread our faith and our freedoms to the whole world." 

Tomorrow: Who has the promise?

 Before you read,                                        Monday

Get a Dollar Bill

     The back of a $1 bill can teach us about the meaning of the Revolution we have inherited and are meant to pass on to the next generation. (This blog thanks to Christopher Flannery). 

     "On the right side is the front of the Great Seal. An American bald eagle bears a shield with 13 vertical stripes, clutching 13 arrows and an olive branch. The eagle's head is turned right toward the olive branch, the symbol of peace and war (we fight wars for the sake of peace) exclusively vested in Congress. A scroll in the eagle's beak reads E Pluribus Unum (out of many, one), and a crest contains 13 stars from which a "glory" emanates through a cloud."

     "On the left of the dollar bill is the backside of the Seal, a pyramid unfinished. In the Zenith an Eye in a triangle surrounded with a glory proper. Over the Eye - Annuit Coeptis (He approves of what has been started). On the base of the pyramid, numerical letters for 1776, and the motto, Novus Ordo Seclorum, meaning 'New Order of the Ages.' The pyramid signifies strength and duration. The Eye over it and the Motto allude to providence in favor of the American cause." 

     "The date is that of the Declaration of Independence and words under it mean the beginning of the new American Era. America had to win the war with England before leaders could concentrate on the Great Seal."

     "Flannery writes, 'We still live in that new American era. The early work of freedom aspiring to be worthy of divine approval is always unfinished. So long as we appeal, as in the beginning, 'to the Supreme Judge of the world, we may, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, with good hearts, pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.'" 

     Note how intelligent some of those founders were. 

  

   Liberty Is Impossible                                        Sunday

         Without Faith in God 

     Are we worshiping God today? He is the "King of Kings" and there is no earthly leader to compare. What makes America special? Eric Metaxas asks, "Would it surprise you that virtue and faith are at the heart of it all?"

     He wrote If You Can Keep It and is a member of the White House Religious Liberty Commission. Views will offer Metaxas and others as we approach our 250th year of liberty. He wrote another book after his research told him "it is simply inescapable. Faith in God really is the secret at the heart of American liberty." 

     He quotes John Adams: "Public virtue is the only foundation of the republic." And George Washington: "Virtue is the necessary spring of popular government." Eric: "To be governed by a monarch (see yesterday's Views) or anyone else - simply meant obeying those authorities."

     Virtue. "To govern ourselves means doing the right thing when no one is looking, where there is no authority enforcing that behavior. Why behave virtuously? Faith. If you believe in God and want to serve him, you don't need a government to threaten you. You will do it out of love, repentance and fear of God. This was the secret." 

     Metaxas wrote, "Long before the Revolution, Pilgrams and Puritans fled England for the chance to worship God freely. Many Americans at the time of the Revolution were descendants of those devout Christians. In the 18th century there was a Great Awakening, one of the greatest revivals in history. The main figure was George Whitefield, who said we need not look to kings or bishops, but to God himself. Even kings and bishops would be judged by God.

Tomorrow: What's on a dollar bill?

 

CCP Reimagines Wealth

     A small village in 1045 B.C. became a very large but very poor city in the 20th Century A.D. Then in 1970 (give or take) President Richard Nixon - on behalf of U.S. industries - went to China to convince the communists to join the world. Wealth replaces communism. Ho ho. 

     We share what we read this week. "For decades the CCP sold the people a false promise: 'Leave the power to us, ask no questions, and we will make you richer than your parents could have imagined.' Who could have imagined Beijing, 22 million residents and about every modern activity known to man." 

     "Living standards did rise - not by central planning - but because the Party loosened its grip on the economy. Western capital, technology and markets resulted in more wealth - and the Party took the credit. Even as business - not government - brought more wealth, the Party has jailed critics, crushed dissent, and persecuted communities not interested in politics. Those with rising living standards consent."

Then Comes a Depression

     "Money is running short. Growth is fading, prices are falling, jobs for the young are scarce, and the wealthy are quietly moving their savings abroad." Views read that many young people are leaving Beijing. 

     "So, Xi Jinping is rewriting the deal, analysts have said. Instead of rich, he offers the promise of getting even: the assurance that China has risen equal of the United States, and that the 'rejuvenation of the nation, and the absorption of Taiwan, is within reach.'"  

PS. Let's not be fooled by communists running in our elections.

       Jimmy

 The Practical Justice 

     Mollie Hemingway, no relation to Ernest, we guess, is an author, columnist (not communist) and political commentator. She could write a good book about Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. So, she did.

     It's title: Alito: The Justice Who Reshaped the Supreme Court and Restored the Constitution.

     Hemingway interviewed about 100 people and joked that her reporting became "a little boring" because nearly everyone praised him. Nick Eicher wrote, "The book is a serious account of how character, conviction and prudence shape institutions." 

     A colleague of Nick's (try to keep up) describes Alito as "pragmatic, skeptical of government, skeptical of the expert class, and attentive to ordinary people." An Alito clerk found him in his office on a weekend. The justice told him, "That 30 minutes the litigant has before this court is likely one of the most important 30 minutes of his life. It's worth a little bit of my time on the weekend." 

     Hemingway said, "He is committed to constitutional text and original meaning but deeply concerned with how a ruling will work in real life. This could be dangerous. But Alito's moral seriousness binds him more tightly to the judicial role. He does not believe courts should invent rights or policies and hide them in constitutional language." 

     Eicher: "Some care only about being right. Others care only about winning." Hemingway sees Alito as "a rebuke to both errors. Values and principles are meant to benefit people. In any vocation, the question is how to serve God by serving others." 

     Sounds supreme to me.    Jimmy

 

 The Better States 

     Tuesday, we passed along what observers considered the 10 least desirable states for opportunity, education, cost of living, housing, lifestyle flexibility, etc. Today, they give us nine "better states to move to."

     Ohio is not in either group. 

     In no particular order, the better states are Georgia, Florida, Texas, North Carolina, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. 

     Minnesota??? After all that scandal we heard about? Guess we didn't get the full story. We're a little surprised South Carolina isn't on this list. We lived in Aiken for eight years on my final job and might have retired there had not close relatives drawn us to Florida. 

     You might want to avoid states where healthcare fraud schemes rise up to $6.5 billion, where voters choose communists, and where anti-Trump people mar the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Oh, wait, that's Washington, D.C., not a state. 

     As we approach our 250th birthday, our founders would not be surprised at our troubles. The 13 colonies were all Christ oriented. Today, no state claims such. 

"You can have no dominion greater or less than that over yourself."

- Leonardo da Vinci 

Is that true today? 

20 Winners from Ohio 

     We understand you don't care about most of these Ohio people who excelled in life. Come back tomorrow.            Now...still with us? 

     Neil Armstrong was the first person to land on the moon. Maybe you have eaten at Bob Evans, whose name is still on his restaurants. Steven Spielberg was a great filmmaker. 

     I grew up in Pennsylvania and went to Ohio State where Woody Hayes won five national football championships (by vote, not playoffs). I saw him in his tantrums. Urban Meyer is another national champion coach, first at Florida, then at Ohio State. 

     Halle Berry, outstanding actress, was Miss Ohio in 1988, and runner up for Miss America. Orville and Wilbur Wright were brothers from Dayton who built and flew the first airplane. Simone Biles was a champion gymnast. Labron James is an all-time great basketball player.

     Joe Burrow, voted best in the nation in college (LSU), now quarterbacks the NFL Cincinnati Bengals. Jim Harbaugh, a Michigan star, also won a championship at his alma mater, "that team up north," as Woody referred to Michigan. He has been a winner in the NFL. Ben Roethlisberger won NFL championships with the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

     Other specials include John Legend, Yvette Brown, Toni Morrison, Sherred Brown, R.L. Stein and Sheree Whitfield. 

     Thanks for...wait a minute. The article left someone out. There was a boy in the same high school as my dad. He was small but so determined to play football his dad shrugged and turned him over to the coach. He became a winning quarterback, and a college player north of Cincinnati.

     He returned to coach his hometown Massillon Tigers, winning numerous state championships, winning a national championship at Ohio State, more championships with the Cleveland Browns, got fired and retired in California, returning in five years to coach the new Cincinnati Bengals (Bengal tigers), whose stadium is named Paul Brown. My late Cincinnati uncle took me to the first home game. 

10 Worst States 

     What? All 50 states participate in the best nation ever. 

     Well, there is good and not so good in all 50. Important are healthcare, behavior, economics, housing and food security. And there is education, incomes/poverty and infrastructure.

     We all live under the same Constitution, but state by state we are diverse. Not all of us think quite the same. Not all of us like our Constitution. Right, Democrats? Our founders purposely gave states freedom, except for issues that require unity, such as war. We even had a civil war - if wars can be civil - not unity - but not all states participated. 

     Who are the 10? Suprise. According to scholars who ranked the states, our home state of Pennsylvania is the 10th worst. The two large cities are known for crime, and if we can blame nature somewhat, mountains largely separate the west and the east. 

     Would you blame the "sooners," the settlers in 1889 who rushed to claim the unassigned land before the starter gun? Oklahoma is the ninth worst, not quite as troubled as Nevada, in eighth place. 

     Welcome to the story, seven Southern states, in order from less difficulty to more: Mississippi, New Mexico, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana and...

     West Virginia is the most troubled. Maybe they should have remained part of Virginia, Civil War and all. Okay, they did right, in 1860. 

              Jimmy

A Thousand Years

     Where are we going? Drugs. Crime. Illegals. American students are moving further left. Russia's foreign minister is hinting of a nuclear exchange with Ukraine. Just a scare?  

     Mrs. Donut and I have been reading the book of Revelation again. Tough go, but the final five chapters are illuminating. God will have had enough with human sin. Believers - who don't let the antichrist's mark put on them - are taken to heaven, and God sends an angel to deal with the dragon - serpent - devil, that is, Satan. There would be no more deception for a thousand years. 

     Christ will reign for all those years...in Jerusalem, and as King of the world. 

     In commentary on a hymn written in the 1800s: "External peace may not come, despite our efforts and our prayers. But internal peace can be a reality because our rest and trust are in a God who is omnipotent, all merciful, all righteous and all wise. Our God is greater than the armies of the nations, though He allows them victories, and He permits hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes and more. When you get to heaven ask him why.   

God remains, and reigns. 

 

Father's Day

     "Fathers, do not embitter your children or they will become discouraged." So advised Paul in a letter to the Colossians 3:21. 

     This future blogger didn't embitter my three children. In fact, I was too lenient, concentrating on my job and church responsibilities, while my wife raised the kids. That seemed to be working, until the wife wanted a divorce. Wow! I had been transferred to work 80 miles from home. My father drove 90 miles or so to check on me, concerned I might harm myself. 

     Years later, my adult "kids" now respect me. I had been guilty of putting other activity, important as it was, ahead of their path to salvation. All of us live in different states. Boo. I became the only man in my extended family to be divorced. Boo again. At age 52, God gave me a faithful second wife, Mrs. Donut. Yea! 😄

     So, fathers, if you are raising children, they come first, as does your marriage. Other scriptures: Genesis 18:19, Deuteronomy 6:7, Psalm 78:5 and 127:3, Ephesians 6:4, Colossians 3:12-14, 21, Luke 1:27 and Matthew 19:14. There are more verses. No favoritism. Encouragement. Kindness. Humility. Gentleness. Patience. 

              Jimmy  

And Saturday 

Nature Rewires Brains

     Perhaps you didn't know this. My brain certainly needed something... all my life. We're not going to give you the neurological details. 😀 

     Yes, we are. Nature rewires brains, so say those who do imaging studies. In nature, a cascade of changes that quiet the brain take over. This effect doesn't occur with those watching sports events or attend big concerts. 😉 It does occur on the former - now quiet - fairway #4 behind our house. You've heard of stress circuity? And the replenishment of depleted attention?  

     Forgive me if I'm going too fast. The brain produces neural states... resembling meditation, if that helps. Immersive virtual reality is another way of understanding this. 😏 Even indoor greenery can produce neuroimaging techniques. 

      A man in Chile, of all places, gives me the chills, says, "nature's effects on the brain unfolds in a cascade across several interconnected levels." These levels interact dynamically, he says. 😕 Well, of course. 

     If this helps, sensory features of nature imitate the cascade, which propagates through stress regulation. Attention, he says, this is ultimately how we experience ourselves. 😒

     Oh, how I wish I had known this during school years. My teachers - and the girls - would have been so expressed, I mean impressed. 

Jimmy 😎

     

Our War Within 

     Oh, we don't mean political. Many of us thinking of the 250th birthday, while anarchy takes place across the nation. 

     In Orlando, tourists normally see families, live music, roller coasters, water parks and other entertainment. In minutes, a park turned from colorful to chaotic. This called for firefighters, police, ambulances. 

     An employee said "There were a bunch of people fighting, crying, trying to steal. More than 1,000 teenagers swarmed the park during a 'teen takeover.'" It underscores the anarchy in towns and cities across the U.S., says The Epoch Times. 

     "Since summer 2024, cities including Chicago have seen gatherings with hundreds of minors converging on malls, beaches, parks or restaurants. These often end in fights, vandalism, destruction of property, conflicts with law enforcement, arrests, and even shootings." 

     "In Florida there have been several takeovers, shootings and arrests." Yes, Florida, where adults are blessed with the economy and law enforcement. 

     "In Detroit, a 14-year-old was shot at a takeover. A Chipotle restaurant in Washington was vandalized by masked teens. Youths descended on a quiet New Jersey beach town, fighting and jumping on cars, forcing law enforcement to respond with riot shields."

     "Teen takeovers first gained notoriety in Chicago. It evolved into a nationwide occurrence in 2025 and has remained a regular event in 2026. Participants range in age from 12 to 20." 

     "Takeovers put city officials, law enforcement and businesses on edge due to their unpredictable nature."  

     Views is aware of thefts, gang violence and riots, such as Antifa. But this is the first we've learned of teenage violence - without a name, political connection or any other source. Parents: Do your job!

Tomorrow: Nature rewires brains  

 What About Israel?  

1. God's covenants with Israel were literal and eternal 

     In the Old Testament God made unconditional promises to Israel that were in His character, not Israel's obedience. He promised Abraham a nation and blessing; and he promised David an everlasting throne and kingdom. 

2. Paul explicitly rejected the idea that God had cast Israel aside

     Paul addressed Israel's unbelief directly. In Romans 9:11, he confronted the painful reality that many of his fellow Jews had rejected Christ. Paul's conclusion: "Hath God cast away his people? God forbid." (Romans 11:1). Paul described Israel's unbelief as real, tragic and serious - but not final. He taught that God still intends to bring about a future turning of the Jewish people to their Messiah.

3. Israel's restoration and the church's mission are complementary, not conflicting

     The New Testament never presents the church as a replacement for Israel. Instead, it presents the church as a distinct body with a distinct mission. After his resurrection, Jesus' disciples asked, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" Acts 1:6. Jesus spoke not of cancellation, but of timing: "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons." 

     The church was not given the task of establishing the kingdom. It was given responsibility for proclaiming the Gospel. That mission includes Jewish and Gentiles alike.   - Pastor Paul Chappell

Friday: Teenagers on the loose

Cambrian Explosion 

     Darwin didn't have all the facts when he assumed evolution is the answer. 

     Paleontologists determined that an "explosion" of life happened around 540 million years ago. There appeared many characterizes of modern animal life. Over a period of a few million years, about 70 different animals appeared. The New York Times reported in 1991, "Spectacular Fossils Record Early Riot of Creation." Yes, the NYT headlined the word "creation." Scientists called this the "biological big bang." 

     Our book: "The evidence shows a top-down pattern, wherein animal body designs appear first, followed by variations. This is the opposite of the bottom-up Darwin model. The Cambrian explosion reveals the sudden appearance of all basic designs, so distinct that they have to be categorized in different phyla. A leading Darwinist, Richard Dawkins, admitted, 'It is as though they were just planted there, without any evolutionary history.'"  

     "After the explosion, almost no new animals appear in the fossil record...for the last half-billion years." 

     Views: Darwin was on the fence about Christianity. We guess, had he lived long enough to know about the Cambrian discovery, he would have attended the next church service. As for today's Darwinists, their self-importance will destroy them.

Evidence of Truth 

  Found on our computer.

     Historians Josephus, Tacitus and Celsus did not believe Jesus was the Son of God. But one wrote that "James was the brother of Jesus." And that "their leader was put to death by Pontious Pilate." And they "did not deny Jesus was a real person. A Roman official and Jewish historian both talked about the same 'rebel.'"

     "Gospel stories line up with 1st Century Palestine: economics, politics, architecture and names. Outsiders get things wrong. Bible authors knew the region. It is not possible to start a movement founded on a non-existent person in a small community. Judean community was closeknit. Rumors spread. Records were kept. If the Jesus story was fraudulent, critics had every means to prove it." 

     While we believe God provided Matthew, Mark, Luke and John with Jesus' words years after He ascended to heaven, there are a few inconsistencies. So, the gospels were not edited.

     "Most humans lie to avoid trouble. Christ's earliest followers were tortured and mocked. If they were making up a story, it would have ended when Romans invaded Israel (Judea). Myths don't create martyrs."

     As for martyrs, there were more in the 20th century than ever before. The Lord calls us to believe and follow him, with faith, hope and love.       

Tomorrow: The Cambrian Explosion 

         Jimmy

     

 Twenty Days to Go 

     We can't say we won our 200th year of nationhood in 1976. Will we win our 250th July 4th? We did win a soccer game. And SpaceX. 😉

     Jamey Cheaney: "Pride in America is at an all-time low, especially among the young." One poll shows only 41% of young Americans have pride in their country. And 29% are embarrassed. A poll: 38% are extremely proud. Some of these polls were taken 2-3 years ago, in Biden America, or recovering from it. Will Lee Greenwood sing I'm proud to be an American again this summer?       

     Our Founding Fathers were not certain about America's future. Ben Franklin replied to a woman's question, A republic, if you can keep it. Mrs. Cheaney says, "Jefferson and Adams wouldn't recognize the nation they birthed in 1776." Slavery continued in the South for more than 60 years.  

     Freedom made possible prosperity, peace, ambition and innovation (bad for some, overcoming poverty for others). Author Wilfred McClay says, "Being a land of hope will also sometimes mean dashed hopes. A nation that professes high ideals makes itself vulnerable to criticism. All humans are flawed, as is human enterprise. Much of what passes for cynicism is lack of naivete (wisdom, experience and judgment)." 

     Cheaney says "The political scene isn't too encouraging, but by God's grace we're still here. We can love our homeland. She needs it."

Views: 250 years ago, there were no vehicles, airplanes, TV, telephones, education...little cash and no oil. Families more or less remained neighbors and church goers until after WWII. Our young generation - some of them - hate what we've become. They may be listening to the wrong people or thinking for themselves. They won't find a better country. Different people have different views, so not everyone will sing along with Lee Greenwood.  

Who to Credit for Miracles? 

Old Testament: Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles and the judgments... 1 Chronicles 16:12.

He (God) performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted. - Eliphaz, Job 5:9.

He divided the sea. He made the water stand firm like a wall. He brought streams out of a rocky crag. - Psalm 78:13. 

New Testament. The whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen. - Luke 19:37. 

The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me. - John 10:25. 

Believe me...or at least believe the evidence of the miracles. - John 14:11 

Men of Israel...Jesus of Nazareth was a man credited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs... - Acts 2:22 

Therefore...what Christ has accomplished...by the power of signs and miracles through the power of the Spirit. - Romans 15:17-19 

God has appointed...workers of miracles. - 1 Corinthians 12:28 

Does God...work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard? - Galatians 3:5. 

God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit. - Hebrews 2:4 

Jesus did miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples. - John 20-30.

Many wonders and miraculous signs were done by apostles. - Acts 2:43 

Spiritual gifts include miraculous power. - 1 Corinthians 12:10 

Miracles by bad guys. False Christs and prophets will...perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect. - Matthew 24-25 

The coming of the lawless one...the work of Satan in all kinds of counterfeit miracles. - 2 Thessalonians 2:9 

#

Three Final Miracles 

23. Another Awe. The emotion of wonder and exhilaration. Awe makes one happier, healthier, more socially connected. Awe is a crucial facet of human life: flowers, stars, loved ones, the universe. 

24. Earth fine-tuned for life. Formed with nitrogen and phosphorus on the crust to support life. The earth's core is a magnetic field to protect it from harmful solar particles and cosmic radiation. Water is necessary for chemical processes...the "Goldilocks zone" vs. the sun, a star's habitable zone...neither too hot or too cold. 

25. Photosynth thesis turns light into energy, constantly at work as green plants transform light energy into chemical energy, producing carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and a hydrogen source.  

Got that? 

Thanks to Epoch Times and Walker Larson, freelance journalist, who collected the "miracles" we shared. He is a former teacher at a private academy. His quote: 

"I am a writer dedicated to pursuing the good, the true and the beautiful in a spirit of wonder and faith." 

     

Miracles, part 3 

16. Brains. Better than technology. The 86 billion neurons in the brain process more information in 30 seconds than the Hubble Space Telescope processes in 30 years. Our brain can store 200 exabytes of information. 

17. Your DNA stretches for galaxies, and to the end, 10 billion miles. Quote by Bill Bryson: "There is enough of you to leave the solar system. You are in the most literal sense, cosmic (distinct from earth.)" 

18. Music heals. Music activates the brain, releases endorphins, alleviates pain, and can restore access to lost memories. It can restore strength and health to an elderly person. Music engages multiple regions of the brain, including memory, emotion and movement. 

19. Good relationships, health and happiness. The biggest prediction of a happy, healthy life is quality of relationships...not fame or fortune. Longer life expectancy may also result.

20. Our hearts can synchronize. Two lovers see eye to eye. Heart rates synchronize. Seeing the picture of a loved one can reduce physical pain. 

21. NDE - near death experience. This occurs in 15% of people in intensive care. Common sense perception happens apart from the physical body, passing through a tunnel, a mystical light, review of past life, meeting deceased loved ones. Some people cannot possibly know about events unless separated from the physical body. 

22. Awe. It can transform one's life. People may experience awe two or three times a week. Extraordinary in the ordinary. Generosity to a homeless person. The scent of a flower. Watching tree leaves play. Hearing a song that takes one back to a first love. 

We said 3 blogs. We need a 4th.

Back on Saturday

25 Miracles, Part 2 

9. Light makes flowers bloom. Temperature and light activate a hormone - florigen - produced in leaves. 

10. Octopuses have no bones, three different hearts, blue blood and mini brains.   

11. Trees outnumber stars, all to purify our air. 

12. Oldest restaurant: Sobrino de Botín in Madrid, Spain. An oven fire has been burning for 300 years. Okay, not a miracle. 

13. Underdogs can win. In the 1694 Battle of Hadow, 400 Polish soldiers used fortifications to defeat 40,000 Ottomans. (The Ottoman dynasty was centered in today's Turkey, if we remember right.)

14. Babies grow billions of times - from conception to birth. Multiplying cells align themselves to form heart, brain, eyes, kidneys, hands, feet, etc. A baby survives in amniotic fluid for 9 months. Immediately after birth there is breath, and oxygen through the lungs. It's an impossibly complex process. Babies are born with 300 bones, many of them being cartilage to help babies pass through the birth canal. Eventually, they fuse into 206 bones. 

15. Organization of the human body. It takes up to 9,000 atoms in their proper place for the baby's body to form. Adoms are the basic building block of all matter.  

More miracles tomorrow.

Twenty-Five Everyday 'Miracles' 

1. Hummingbirds flap their wings 50 times/second. Their heart beats 20 times/second. They weigh same as a penny. They can fly forward, backward and upside down. They migrate up to 500 miles without stopping. 

2. Dying stars can be reborn. Fusion reactions. 

This list in Epoch Times includes scientific discoveries.

3. Music of the spheres. Resonances and radio waves travel through space. Inaudible, so don't waste your time. 

4. Earth's heartbeat. Electreomagnetic resonances generated by lightning in earth's cavity. 

5. The moon isn't gray. It has more colors than we can perceive. A photo on the back side was taken during the recent space mission. Okay. Not a miracle. 

6. Earths 23.5-degree tilt. Sunlight causes the seasons. It hits some parts of the globe more directly than others.  

7. Jelly fish injured or starving revert to earlier stage of life.

8. Trees can talk. They exchange information and nutrients. Underground latticed fungi. Some trees can use the network to send warnings, and transfer nutrients to other trees before they die.

Better miracles coming

Over Wednesday, Thursday and Friday we will have 25 everyday miracles (article in Epoch Times). Divine origin?  

What About Prayer?

     Pastor Jim Cymbala in Brooklyn, New York, says, Faith is the opposite of worry. Worry is the opposite of faith. The only cure is to bring everything to God in prayer.  

     A city that needs prayer these days is Brooklyn. We all do.

     Jerry Pierce of Decision magazine asked Cymbala, "What are some necessary conditions in Scripture for effective, powerful prayer?"

     He answered, "First, you or the people you're asking to pray are born again. Do they show vital signs that they're new creations? Second, you can't have sin in your life. Third, we need the Holy Spirit. Paul said in Romans 8, "We don't know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit helps us."

     Pierce: "If you had just one sermon to preach on prayer, what would be your main message?" Cymbala: "That God is faithful and fulfills His promise. God answers prayer. You don't see it...and might not feel it. There's a plague in our country worse than COVID. And that's worry." 

     "In Philippians 4:6, Paul wrote: 'Do not be anxious about anything.  But in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.'" 

     "The joy of the Lord is our strength, but we have to walk by faith. You can't walk by faith when you're worrying. We are all guilty of worry. It's not looked at as a sin." 

     "If our enemy can get Christians worrying, he can get them into carnality (indulgence) and unbelief really quick. The only cure is to gather together and pray. God said, My house should be called a house of prayer.

Are We Honest, Truthful and Virtuous? 

     Yesterday when we wrote this headline, little did we know we would post the same question today. Believers in God - like most of our founders - are supposed to serve Him first of all. Then we may have time and interest, concern and ability to serve our government - local or national.

     Or at least, vote honestly. It's not easy, so we normally vote by the party. Although there are many independents these days. Voting began with certain men, then all men of age, then women and ... what's up with Pennsylvania? Our home state has 100,000 non-citizens on state voter rolls!!!  

     States are independent - the Federal Government cannot by law require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote. Whoa! Pennsylvania allows thousands of non-U.S. citizens to vote through a 'motor-voter' system. Qualifications? No matter. 

     Judicial Watch has successfully sued nearly two dozen states, forcing them to take steps to remove ineligible names (including non-citizens) from their rolls. Result: nearly 7 million ineligible voter names are off the rolls. 

     States include Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, North Carolina, Colorado, Ohio, and cities New York and Washington, DC. There are 17 million non-citizens to go. Then will we be honest, truthful and virtuous? Voting is just one activity. 

We may follow up tomorrow. 

        Jimmy

The life of a nation is secure only while the nation is honest, truthful and virtuous. 

     We stole this line from Epoch Times. Do you think the USA is secure, with our powerful military? Not all of us pass the test. By far.

     We love providing readers with endless truth from the Bible. By the way, Mrs. Donut and I didn't attend church today. Or last Sunday. 

     Now, about channels. Not the English Channel, or the TV channel. Or simply the canal. 

Channels only, blessed Master

But with all Thy wondrous power

Flowing through us. Thou can use us

Every day and every hour.

     Mary Maxwell wrote this hymn with a channel in mind. The channel is us. She said, "We are conduits for the living water of Christ. The Spirit flows within us and through us to others." 

     An article says, "We don't create goodness. We merely receive it and channel it forward. What kind of signal do others get from us? Is it clear, or is it static interference?"      

     We can't ask Mary. She lived from 1837 to 1915. 

     Correction: Mrs. Donut and I have missed three straight Sunday services. One of us has shingles, so we must not mingle. Our neighbor friends don't come by our channel. And no one invites us to follow the channel into their house.  

     When at home on Sunday, we watch Pastor Jeffress on TV in Dallas, then on radio, the late Pastor Wiersbe and Pastor Miller, both at Moody Church in Chicago.    

        Jimmy 

First of All, What? 

     As we noted yesterday, America - founded mostly by men who desired freedom of religion, and other freedoms - is 23 days to our July 4th "birthday." We will be 250 years old. 

     We also wrote of the divide - the war - our founders like Benjamin Franklin hoped would never happen. People who don't believe in God are working, plotting and planning to take control...as happened in China.

     So, what do Christians and Jews in America do?   

     Pastor Jim Cymbala, in New York City where a Muslim mayor reigns, says Faith is the opposite of worry. Worry is the opposite of faith The only cure is to bring everything to God in prayer. 

     He quotes Timothy: First of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people - for kings and all those in authority. In Acts, Jerusalem where the Lord birthed the church, believers were devoting themselves to prayer...and other acts. 

     Cymbala notes, When Peter got imprisoned, they prayed him out. Paul continually asked the churches to Pray for me that I may speak boldly. Cymbala adds, "God has chosen sovereignly that through the conduit of prayer - asking in childlike faith - He answers. The disciples never said to the Lord, "Teach us to preach." They asked, "Lord, teach us to pray."

We'll see what tomorrow brings.

       Jimmy

 What's Your Worldview?

     We still have lots to share from our book, Creation and Evolution 101. But today we fly right to the last chapter where the authors present two views of our world and our lives. 

     One. God created everything and the Bible is well written, with history recorded by 40 authors over hundreds of years. No theories.

     Two. There is no God, and everything from earth to outer space just happened. Everyone can decide how they want to live, and when they die, that's it. No truth necessary. 

     The Bible covers the good and not so good about God's chosen people, and others. It tells the miracle story of Jesus' birth, the disgusting crucifixion (to pay our debts), and his glorious resurrection. But the Bible isn't just history. It foretells what's to come, the last chapter best of all. 

     Christianity as it is known, had ups and downs over the centuries. Humans, you know. Advances in science in the 20th century have helped Christian and non-Christian scientists understand much. 

     Boom! Some scientists don't accept the new truth, and rather than just disagree, they make war against Jews and Christians, fabricating and well, raising hell. Along with them are American politicians striving to thrive at the expense of everyone else. Their lies are well known: What they accuse of others, they themselves are doing. Clever. 

     Their heroes are Darwin, Marx, Neitzsche and Freud. Communism best describes their goals.

           Jimmy 

     

 Friday: Darwinists and Marxists war on America. 

 Scientific Stagnation

     We know. Many of you readers aren't into science. Me too. But what does or doesn't happen among scientists can mean something for any of us, over time. 

     At his Imprimis talk, Jay B. (last name still too difficult) said "for every dollar we spend on science, we get far less scientific advancement than we did over the past 50 years. We need to keep funding and make that research more effective. Younger scientists are the most likely to have new ideas. They triumph only because their opponents eventually die." 

     "We will have potential to solve type 1 diabetes, reduce the mortality rate from breast cancer, and prevent heart disease. Scientists who review applications now will be empowered to approve projects on the bleeding edge of science."

Funding Concentration 

     "About one third of all NIH grant money goes to about 20 institutions. We have to empower young and innovative scientists wherever they are. Scientists who receive grants need to have access to labs with expensive equipment. Our solution is severe the link in the HIH grants between the direct money for research and the indirect money for facilities." 

     "We can solve the nation's health problems...with science that is replicable at the bleeding edge and supports scientists with new and promising ideas wherever they are."

We have a nephew, a scientist in New York State.

Maybe our blog would benefit him. 😉

A Scientific Revolution 

     Yours truly is one of 7,500,000. What? Scientists? I can't even spell science without my computer reminding me. Sometimes it even guesses what word I will use before I type it. I can spell Jay, the director of National Institutes of Health. What I can't spell or even pronounce is his 12-letter last name. 

     Along with 7 million, 500 thousand others, I read "Imprimis," a publication of Hillsdale College. In a speech Jay D. addressed the issue of scientists with the power to say what is true or false in science. "If you, me or any of our friends and relatives have a serious health issue, we would appreciate the best treatment science can offer."

     Jay D. delivered his speech in three parts: The Replication Crisis, Scientific Stagnation, and Funding Concentration. If you don't think we need better healthcare, the U.S. life expectancy is slightly above age 78. In Sweden, it is 86. Yes, there are issues other than healthcare. 

Replication. "Scientists publish studies and we take them for granted. Other scientists don't come up with the same results. Most ideas do not work or are not true. This is normal. Peer reviewers do not double check the data. The only way to check one another is replication. If I (Jay D.) propose a theory, other scientists should be able to replicate those experiments." 

     If yours truly is still with it tomorrow (I am well above U.S. life expectancy) we will continue with "scientific stagnation" and "funding concentration." If not, Imprimis will have 7,499,000 readers. 

           Jimmy    

      

     

 Five Essential Beliefs 

     One more blog thanks to the authors of Creation & Evolution 101. They believed there are essential things about God and the world we must agree on...if we are to call ourselves "believers" in the God of the Bible. 

1. God created the universe and everything in it, including human beings, whom He created in his image (Genesis 1-2.) 

2. Sin and death (consequence of sin) infected the entire human race when we disobeyed God and turned to our own ways, thereby separating us from God (Genesis 3; Isaiah 53:6, Romans 5:12). 

3. God's eternal plan is to save us from the consequences of sin and to bring us back into relationship with Him through his only Son, Jesus Christ, who is fully God and fully man. The only way to God is through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (John 3:16; 14:6; Romans 3:21-24; 1 Corinthians 15:3). 

4. The Bible is the completely true and completely trustworthy word of God, inspired by God and useful to teach us everything we need to know about Him and how we should live (1 Timothy 3:16). That does not mean we know everything about God and his ways.

5. Jesus is at the right hand of God preparing a place for us in heaven. At some future time known only by God, Jesus Christ will return to earth to gather all who believe in him, both the dead and the living, to join him in heaven. Jesus will defeat all the enemies of God, and God will judge all who rejected his plan to save humankind (John 14:1-4; Thessalonians 4:15-18; 1 Corinthians 15:20-24; Revelation 20:11-15).  

NOTE: We thought the authors omitted some essential beliefs, especially in Revelation. But after reading all the scriptures (above), we think they have it right. I'm going to type each one for myself and you may consider the same. 

The Universe Points to God  

Who   The two men who wrote Creation & Evolution 101 share David's Psalm 104. "In 35 verses David used the names God, Lord and Spirit 14 times. The personal pronouns You and Your are used 48 times. The who of creation is the most important issue. No question, God - speaking through Moses - and he wants us to know that God is responsible for the universe, our world and our lives." See the first five verses of Ps. 104. 

How   "The Bible is not a scientific book, written in scientific terms. Nothing in the text of Genesis 1 and 2, written in the B.C. 1400s, contradicts the latest (as of 2001) scientific discoveries. The universe points to God. He created it - out of nothing. 'What we now see did not come from anything that can be seen' - Hebrews 11:3. All God had to do is say the word." 

When   "In Hebrews, the original language of Genesis (which means beginning), is indefinite. A Hebrew language expert says, 'Beginning refers to an indefinite period of time. We can't say for certain when God created the world of how long it took. This period could have spanned as much as several billion years, or much less. As for the word day in Genesis 1 & 2, the original Hebrew is even less definite. It can refer to three different periods of time." 

     So, our authors say, "We know the who, and we know the how. We don't know the when."  

Tomorrow: Five essential beliefs

The Real Issue 

     It's not the age of the universe or the length of creation days. The real issue is God. Either He created the heavens and the earth or He didn't.

Mrs. Donut in Pittsburgh was overseeing 50 Christians who volunteered to befriend children whose families were not so caring. Two other people each oversaw 50 volunteers. And there were those who oversaw the overseers. One of them had been the backup quarterback for Navy. Who could beat out Roger Staubach? Well, this backup and a friend later wrote Creation & Evolution 101 in 2001. Views will quote them this week beginning today. Everyone needs to know what they knew. Beginning with:

     "God is real because He made the world." - Romans 1:20.

     "God is real because He made you in his image." - Genesis 1:26-27 

     "God has given you a real life and real hope because He made you into a new person through Jesus Christ." - 2 Corinthians 5:17. 

     "There's nothing wrong with doubt, as long as you are truthfully seeking God for who He is, not for who you want him to be. You're never going to figure out God completely, which is part of the joy and excitement of the Christian life." - James 1:5. 

     "God breathed - inspired - into 40 different human authors to write down His message. - 2 Timothy 3:16. He got what He wanted. There are three creation accounts: Genesis 1 and 2, and Psalm 104, told by King David."

Tomorrow: Who, How and When

 The Abyss

     Part 3. If there is a hell, John the disciple would know. In John chapter 19, Jesus, dying on the cross, said to his mother who was there with John, Dear woman, here is your son. And to John he said, Here is your mother. Imagine the moment! 

     Decades later, Jesus appeared to (old) John. See Revelation chapter 1 for his incredible appearance. Then turn to Revelation 20-22 to see how our world ends...and a new world begins. 

     The abyss would be, in our dictionary, "an unfathomably deep place, a seemingly bottomless chasm, a deep fissure in the earth." It's for humans, "the second death," and the forever prison for Satan and the other fallen angels.   

     Rev. 20. Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. Anyone whose name is not found written in the book of life...was thrown into the lake of fire. Hell!  

     Rev. 21 lists some of the sins that will send people into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The last sin listed is "all liars," again in chapter 22.  

     Rev. 22, Jesus says, Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and go through the gates into the city. I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. If anyone adds anything to them (or takes away), God will add to him the plagues described in this book. 

Okay, my respected readers. If you want a summary of the Bible, read the first three chapters in the Old Testament and the last three chapters in the New Testament. Pick a gospel and read again the crucifixion of Jesus (the penalty He suffered for you and me). John saw the crucifixion on Friday, the risen Christ on Sunday...and Christ again in A.D. 90 or later. John obviously was led by the Lord, as were other authors of Scripture, writing long after the events.                                                                                                                   Truth wins! 

He Who Had Most to Say 

     Mark, a citizen of Jerusalem, associated with Paul, Peter and others, wrote: If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. - Chapter 9.

     Mark added: It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And, It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. 

     This wasn't Mark's words. He quotes the Son of God himself, Jesus.  

     Luke, also quoting Jesus, was a Gentile convert, the only non-Jewish author of two Bible books. Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. - Luke 12:5. As for the "rich man," In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. - Luke 16:23. 

     Matthew, a tax collector who became a disciple, quotes Jesus seven times about hell. Matthew 5:22, 29, 30, 10:28, 18:9, 23:15, 33.

     Anyone who says "you fool" will be in danger of the fire of hell. Wow! 

     And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

     Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

     Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel overland and sea to win a single convert, and...you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. 

     You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?     >  Two other verses are similar to Mark's.

     What about John? Didn't this disciple chosen to outlive all others have anything to say about hell? See you tomorrow. 

   ~ ~ ~ 

 "Just for the Hell of It" 

     As would say some guys in my school. Well, not in school. Walking home from school, this future blogger learned words Mom never taught me. So, is there really a hell? Most people might say "no." Otherwise, their lives would be different. American pastors seldom mention hell these days. Let's ask someone who certainly believed there is a hellish place of no return.

     The disciple Peter. He may have written the world's longest sentence (I counted 150+ words). Here is the key, in 2 Peter 2:4: For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment...the Lord knows how...to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment while continuing their punishment. 

     Well, Peter is one man, about 30 years after Jesus arose. Okay. Would you believe James, who wrote this 15 or so years after his half-brother Jesus returned to heaven: The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire and is itself set on fire by hell. James addressed this message to the 12 Jewish tribes, and he became leader of the Jerusalem church. In A.D. 62 he was martyred Jerusalem.

     Still not convinced there is a hell? When disciples and other leaders began to realize Jesus wasn't returning as soon as they expected, they began to write letters that became "books" of the New Testament. My understanding is the Holy Spirit took over. Those authors couldn't remember word for word all that Jesus and others said decades earlier. The Spirit also worked with Old Testament prophets. How else would Moses know how the earth was formed?

     If you need ultimate proof there is a hell, check out the ultimate voice, tomorrow on Views. 

 ~ ~ ~