Three Men; One Perspective
Jesus (in the flesh) had been gone more than 10 years when James wrote his letter to "scattered" Jewish Christians, about A.D. 45-49. If Jesus hadn't visited his half-brother after the resurrection, and sent the Holy Spirit in his place, would James have bothered?
Jesus had been gone more than 25 years when Peter the disciple wrote his two letters to the "scattered," while intense persecution was underway. If Jesus hadn't visited the disciples after his resurrection, and sent the Holy Spirit, would Peter have dared to witness?
Jesus had been gone about 50 years when John, one of the gospel authors, wrote his letters and the "Revelation." Would John have troubled himself at the end of his life if he hadn't experienced the life, crucifixion and resurrection so many years before?
Each man wrote differently, but all agreed on numerous truths. James and Peter were martyred, and John was banished to a Greek island for opposing emperor worship.
All three wrote of truth, or walking in truth. They urged belief, and that we remain in belief.
They wrote of judgment, corruption, pride and boasting, and false trust in gold and silver. They all said the world is hostile, evil and hates believers, who should not love it.
These men encouraged readers, telling them to bear up and to know that hope purifies. All three corrected errors, exposing false prophets who led people astray. Believers needed to live godly, righteously and in holy fellowship.
Faith accompanied by deeds, as the Lord commands, may lead to suffering, they agreed. They called for love of neighbor, deeply, of brothers and of one another. There are other themes they had in common, and the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
Jimmy
Monday, August 31, 2020
Sunday, August 30, 2020
Quotables
"If someone had to die, I thought it should be me."
A Wyoming six-year-old, who protected his little sister from an attacking dog. He received about 90 stitches.
"Twitter has become the ultimate editor of The New York Times."
A writer and opinion editor - a political centrist - who resigned after "constant bullying by colleagues who disagree with my views. The paper of record is the record of those living in a distant galaxy...whose concerns are profoundly removed from the lives of most people."
"When my mother was pregnant with me, the government chased her everywhere trying to forcibly abort me."
A China researcher for Human Rights Watch
"I thought, 'Well, okay! I guess I'm a dishwasher now.'"
A Jacksonville woman who took a job at an assisted living facility to be near her husband with Alzheimer's
"This is the first time in my memory that the leaders of (a political party) are not condemning mob violence and the attack on federal courts."
U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr
"If someone had to die, I thought it should be me."
A Wyoming six-year-old, who protected his little sister from an attacking dog. He received about 90 stitches.
"Twitter has become the ultimate editor of The New York Times."
A writer and opinion editor - a political centrist - who resigned after "constant bullying by colleagues who disagree with my views. The paper of record is the record of those living in a distant galaxy...whose concerns are profoundly removed from the lives of most people."
"When my mother was pregnant with me, the government chased her everywhere trying to forcibly abort me."
A China researcher for Human Rights Watch
"I thought, 'Well, okay! I guess I'm a dishwasher now.'"
A Jacksonville woman who took a job at an assisted living facility to be near her husband with Alzheimer's
"This is the first time in my memory that the leaders of (a political party) are not condemning mob violence and the attack on federal courts."
U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr
Saturday, August 29, 2020
Penguin Math
They don't fly, but they know their geometry.
Antarctic temperatures can drop to minus 40 with winds at cat 1 hurricane speeds.
To stay warm, thousands of emperor penguins squeeze into huddles ... but not randomly.
Their formations align with physics and geometry concepts, say researchers, who validated an earlier study by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Penguins move so each one spends time at the center of the cluster, which can reach 100 degrees F. Birds on the windward side quickly move to the leeward side. They push leeward penguins to the middle, and the center moves out to the windward edge. Over a few hours, penguins cycle through these rotations multiple times.
Huddles begin as misshapen blobs. But as they shift, the boundary of the pack begins to form a hexagon. Each penguin lines up as though it was on the hexagonal grid of a honeycomb. This formation allows for a dense, optimum arrangement for sharing warmth.
Accounting for humidity, wind speed and solar radiation, their movements are so mathematically precise that researchers could accurately predict how individuals within the huddle would maneuver. Without knowing it, the birds formed an almost perfect arrangement.
A mathematician wrote: "We tried to think of a better way (penguins could huddle), but it always involved an omniscient being who would tell them where to go."
Can you imagine thousands of humans cooperating that way?
Jimmy
They don't fly, but they know their geometry.
Antarctic temperatures can drop to minus 40 with winds at cat 1 hurricane speeds.
To stay warm, thousands of emperor penguins squeeze into huddles ... but not randomly.
Their formations align with physics and geometry concepts, say researchers, who validated an earlier study by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Penguins move so each one spends time at the center of the cluster, which can reach 100 degrees F. Birds on the windward side quickly move to the leeward side. They push leeward penguins to the middle, and the center moves out to the windward edge. Over a few hours, penguins cycle through these rotations multiple times.
Huddles begin as misshapen blobs. But as they shift, the boundary of the pack begins to form a hexagon. Each penguin lines up as though it was on the hexagonal grid of a honeycomb. This formation allows for a dense, optimum arrangement for sharing warmth.
Accounting for humidity, wind speed and solar radiation, their movements are so mathematically precise that researchers could accurately predict how individuals within the huddle would maneuver. Without knowing it, the birds formed an almost perfect arrangement.
A mathematician wrote: "We tried to think of a better way (penguins could huddle), but it always involved an omniscient being who would tell them where to go."
Can you imagine thousands of humans cooperating that way?
Jimmy
Friday, August 28, 2020
Masculine or Effeminate?
Away with artists who dare to depict the incarnate Son of God, let alone portray him as effete or womanish.
Centuries in advance, the prophet described him as having "no beauty (female) or majesty (male) to attract us to him." Intentional. See Isaiah chapter 53 for further details.
Some others in the Bible were "handsome," but never Jesus. What the Lord wants us to know about himself is of mind and Spirit, not his looks.
God is all the attributes He gave to his creation, both male and female. Does it matter that painters offer their own concepts?
Why are men (10 percent) less likely to attend church and listen to sermons than women...today and in many cultures over time?
When 19th century American churches forbade sports on Sunday, men avoided church. Some men who did attend slept through the sermons.
How about: pastors and teachers speak of "my Rock," and "my strength."
That He created Earth and will rule over nations.
That He taught with authority.
That He spent 40 days and nights without food or water, sparring with Satan while physically exhausted.
That He called false-teachers "hypocrites" and a "brood of vipers," to their faces.
That He overturned tables and benches, driving merchants out of the temple.
That, as a Lamb, He willingly endured the horrific cross.
That, as a Lion, He will make war. (a guy thing)
Okay, loving Jesus also said, "Let the children come unto me."
Jimmy
Away with artists who dare to depict the incarnate Son of God, let alone portray him as effete or womanish.
Centuries in advance, the prophet described him as having "no beauty (female) or majesty (male) to attract us to him." Intentional. See Isaiah chapter 53 for further details.
Some others in the Bible were "handsome," but never Jesus. What the Lord wants us to know about himself is of mind and Spirit, not his looks.
God is all the attributes He gave to his creation, both male and female. Does it matter that painters offer their own concepts?
Why are men (10 percent) less likely to attend church and listen to sermons than women...today and in many cultures over time?
When 19th century American churches forbade sports on Sunday, men avoided church. Some men who did attend slept through the sermons.
How about: pastors and teachers speak of "my Rock," and "my strength."
That He created Earth and will rule over nations.
That He taught with authority.
That He spent 40 days and nights without food or water, sparring with Satan while physically exhausted.
That He called false-teachers "hypocrites" and a "brood of vipers," to their faces.
That He overturned tables and benches, driving merchants out of the temple.
That, as a Lamb, He willingly endured the horrific cross.
That, as a Lion, He will make war. (a guy thing)
Okay, loving Jesus also said, "Let the children come unto me."
Jimmy
Thursday, August 27, 2020
Ending the 1918 Flu
The H1N1 flu virus struck in the spring. Flu viruses thrive in cold weather.
But the virus returned that fall, and soldiers in World War I carried it all over the globe. A wave that began in Australia reached North America in early 1919.
One third of the world's population may have been infected. It's possible the virus simply ran out of victims, says a scientist.
New sanitary practices also helped, along with the war's conclusion.
Keeping Satellites in Orbit
A telecommunication satellite enters space on rocket; then a motor takes over and carries it to 22,236 miles above Earth. The motor stabilizes the satellite in orbit around the Equator.
Small motors periodically adjust the satellite to keep it at the same speed Earth rotates, so it seems to hover in the same spot above us.
Who Funded Amelia Earhart?
Short answer: She raised her own cash.
Earhart used publicity stunts to earn money, setting flight records in the process. "I make a record and then I lecture on it," she said.
Sometimes she flew her own plane, footing the bill and just breaking even. Earhart also wrote books, contributed to Cosmopolitan magazine, designed a line of clothing for active women, and took part in a promotional deep-sea dive.
We had no idea.
The H1N1 flu virus struck in the spring. Flu viruses thrive in cold weather.
But the virus returned that fall, and soldiers in World War I carried it all over the globe. A wave that began in Australia reached North America in early 1919.
One third of the world's population may have been infected. It's possible the virus simply ran out of victims, says a scientist.
New sanitary practices also helped, along with the war's conclusion.
Keeping Satellites in Orbit
A telecommunication satellite enters space on rocket; then a motor takes over and carries it to 22,236 miles above Earth. The motor stabilizes the satellite in orbit around the Equator.
Small motors periodically adjust the satellite to keep it at the same speed Earth rotates, so it seems to hover in the same spot above us.
Who Funded Amelia Earhart?
Short answer: She raised her own cash.
Earhart used publicity stunts to earn money, setting flight records in the process. "I make a record and then I lecture on it," she said.
Sometimes she flew her own plane, footing the bill and just breaking even. Earhart also wrote books, contributed to Cosmopolitan magazine, designed a line of clothing for active women, and took part in a promotional deep-sea dive.
We had no idea.
Source: Smithsonian
Tomorrow: the "faces" of Jesus
Tomorrow: the "faces" of Jesus
Jimmy
Wednesday, August 26, 2020
So, You Are Privileged?
Tch. Tch. Our political left has a target on your back.
Some 25 years ago at a large government site, my department of about 20 people spent a day of training at a bed and breakfast. (We got neither bed nor breakfast.)
On the "guidance" of Hazel O'Leary, secretary of energy, our manager lined us grownups side by side, out in the back yard. (We weren't even government employees.)
It began: "If you were raised by two parents, take a step forward. If you're male, step forward...white, forward." Some coworkers stepped backward.
After all the criteria, such as education, yours truly found himself to be among the most privileged. I sat down on the steps, befuddled. That's not how I saw myself, especially among this group of achievers, including black women. I had struggled throughout my career. Never secure. Never a leader. Never wealthy.
Today, the identity police are still at it. We learned last week that workers at our former job site are being encouraged to despise white privilege. If it's there, it's happening at government sites across the country.
Part of a plan - the far-left plan. They contend: \/
Freedom of speech protects the privileged.
Equality in law protects the privileged.
Freedom of religion protects the privileged.
(Translation: God and the Bible, not welcome.)
Source: Nikki Haley
They say:
Social justice (as they define it) trumps freedom of religion.
What counts are categories: race, sexual identity, etc.
Rights that perpetuate privilege must be eliminated.
America must be remade. /\
Tch. Tch. Our political left has a target on your back.
Some 25 years ago at a large government site, my department of about 20 people spent a day of training at a bed and breakfast. (We got neither bed nor breakfast.)
On the "guidance" of Hazel O'Leary, secretary of energy, our manager lined us grownups side by side, out in the back yard. (We weren't even government employees.)
It began: "If you were raised by two parents, take a step forward. If you're male, step forward...white, forward." Some coworkers stepped backward.
After all the criteria, such as education, yours truly found himself to be among the most privileged. I sat down on the steps, befuddled. That's not how I saw myself, especially among this group of achievers, including black women. I had struggled throughout my career. Never secure. Never a leader. Never wealthy.
Today, the identity police are still at it. We learned last week that workers at our former job site are being encouraged to despise white privilege. If it's there, it's happening at government sites across the country.
Part of a plan - the far-left plan. They contend: \/
Freedom of speech protects the privileged.
Equality in law protects the privileged.
Freedom of religion protects the privileged.
(Translation: God and the Bible, not welcome.)
Source: Nikki Haley
They say:
Social justice (as they define it) trumps freedom of religion.
What counts are categories: race, sexual identity, etc.
Rights that perpetuate privilege must be eliminated.
America must be remade. /\
We don't worship the GOP.
We do appreciate current policies and imperfect America's progress overall.
Any administration - and Congress - under pressure by
the growing left will fail everyone, except the newly privileged
power brokers and those who go along to get along.
the growing left will fail everyone, except the newly privileged
power brokers and those who go along to get along.
As in oppressive China
Jimmy
Tuesday, August 25, 2020
Overcoming Our Nemesis
Monday, we covered Creation, and God's demonstration that without his righteousness, and his personal, intimate relationship, every inclination of man's heart is lacking. Genesis 6:5. Cue the Flood.
Depravity has not changed since Noah's time. Lust and violence continue, unrestrained in some quarters. There is immorality, ungodliness, greed, rebellion - and among our contemporaries - porn, X-rated movies, human trafficking and more.
After centuries of biblical influence, many are inclined to live by civil standards, but not everyone honors the God of those standards.
Monday, we covered Creation, and God's demonstration that without his righteousness, and his personal, intimate relationship, every inclination of man's heart is lacking. Genesis 6:5. Cue the Flood.
Depravity has not changed since Noah's time. Lust and violence continue, unrestrained in some quarters. There is immorality, ungodliness, greed, rebellion - and among our contemporaries - porn, X-rated movies, human trafficking and more.
After centuries of biblical influence, many are inclined to live by civil standards, but not everyone honors the God of those standards.
John, the disciple probably closest to Jesus, wrote:
Friendship with the world is enmity.
Do not love the world or anything in the world. For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world.
The world and its desires will pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. 1 John 2:15-17
James, the half-brother of Jesus, later martyred, wrote:
You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. James 4:4, 7, 8
God cursed the ground we live on,
and cursed the vegetation.
Jesus is our peace with God. He removed enmity with his body on the cross, reconciling to himself all who believe. Ephesians 2:14-16
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