Cool Number Dates – 1/18/15-1/24/15

There are no recognizably cool dates this week, but we can take the opportunity to look at dates that are sequences.  You may know that the century’s last sequence of 1’s occurred last month on 12/13/14.  The next one will be 01/02/03 in 2103, OR 02/01/00 if you want to go backwards.

There are still lots of sequences each year; the distance between is larger than 1.  When do the other sequences end?  There is a nice pattern for sequences up thru 19, since the limiting factor is month 12. Add the number to 12 to get the day of the month, then add the same number to the day to get the year.   I listed out the last day for increasing sequences for each; notice that the expiration year increases by two for each number… add it twice sounds like increasing by 2!

After the 19’s, the limiting factor is the last day of the month – 30 or 31.  I think the very last sequence day of the century is 1/31/61, a sequence of 30’s.  I will check and report back later.

All the sequence dates listed here are increasing… that is , the year is greater than the day is greater than the month,  I will also look into decreasing sequences, like 12/11/10.  I am afraid they have ended until 2100.

1’s ended in 2014 on 12/13/14

2’s          12/14/16

3’s          12/15/18

4’s          12/16/20

5’s          12/17/22

6’s          12/18/24

7’s          12/19/26

8’s          12/20/28

9’s          12/21/30

10’s        12/22/32

11’s        12/23/34

12’s        12/24/36

13’s        12/25/38

14’s        12/26/40

15’s        12/27/42

16’s        12/28/44

17’s        12/29/46

18’s        12/30/48

19’s        12/31/50

Last one is 30’s on 1/31/61?

More WORDS!

Department of Redundancy Department

No matter how much you push the envelope, it will still be stationery

Eschew Obfuscation

There and Their.  They’re not the same.

Libraries:  Shhhh Happens

Heart Melt

Four times in the first five chapters of Joshua (2.9; 2.11; 2.24; 5.1), the people are reminded that when the inhabitants of the land they are about to conquer hear of the LORD and his people Israel, those pagan hearts “melt.”

Rahab relates their impact to the spies she has hidden.  She is a sharp “business woman” who bargains for the lives of her family, and is commended for it in Hebrews 11.31: “By faith, Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.”  She could tell from watching her own people that it would be better to trust the LORD, or at least trust those spies who trusted the LORD.

The spies return and tell Joshua their adventures.  Their report is so different from the twelve spies who went into Canaan forty years earlier (Numbers 13).  Ten of that first  dozen saw the people as giants and the cities as impenetrable.  These two spies see the inhabitants “melt away because of us.”    Once word got out to the kings and peoples beyond the Jordan that the nation crossed the river on dry ground, “their hearts melted and there was no long any spirit in them because of the people of Israel.”

At the Lord’s direction, after the miraculous river passage, Joshua set up an altar of twelve stones at Gilgal and a pile of stones in the midst of the Jordan where the priests had stood.  There were two purposes for the stones (vs 24).  First, so that the peoples of the earth would know that the LORD is mighty – hence the heart melts we have heard of already.  But second, the Israelites themselves needed to “fear the LORD your God forever” and they failed in their understanding very quickly.

During the destruction of Jericho, Achan of the clan of Judah stole and hid contraband goods.  His disobedience is discovered after a small army of Israelites is roundly defeated in their first attack on the city of Ai.  The Israelites  are stunned at the defeat, and the same heart melting happens to them (7.5).  The other nations were not in awe of the Israelites’ prowess or might; they were despondent, dejected, and defeated because of the LORD’s work.  The Israelites (and us too) needed to trust, obey, and explore the meaning of “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.”

15 Powers

Today  – 1/15/15 –  is a cool number day.  1 and 15 are both powers of 15.  15 to the zeroth power = 1; and 15 to the first power = 15.  Please have a power-filled day!

Why Doesn’t God Wipe Out Terrorists?

Psalm 5.4-6 reminded me of my friend’s recent question.  The verses are

“For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you.

The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.

You destroy those who speak lies; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.”

The question: “If God is all-powerful, why doesn’t he wipe out all the terrorists?”

The answer has several parts.  First of all, God is more.  He is certainly more than able to wipe out all the terrorists.  He is more than all-powerful, He is Holy and Just.  He is also more patient and loving than we can imagine.

God’s holiness is beyond our fallen comprehension.  Any acts against God’s laws, even white lies and minor cutting remarks to a friend, are black marks on the perpetrator’s soul, making that person unworthy of being in heaven with God.  Acts of terrorism are bad, but so is the hubris of suggesting justice for some but not all sins.

God is Just, and indeed all terrorists and other sinners will not only be wiped out, but punished eternally in a place where there is great “moaning and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8.12, 13.42, 22.13). The ONLY escape from the punishment – and all are liable for such punishment because of their actions –  is the grace offered by the redemptive sacrifice of God’s son Jesus Christ. As the Heidelberg Catechism answer 1 says, “He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood.”  The required action on our part is to repent and believe.

God does not immediately wipe out all terrorists for the same reason he does not immediately wipe out all sinners.  He is patient and provides the time needed for coming to Christ.  But the time is not limitless; the offer expires at death.

Game Worn Equipment

A current fad in collectibles is game-worn equipment – jerseys, gloves, mitts, or anything else a player actually wore during an actual game.  I was reminded of this recently at the Lansing Lugnuts store, where a rack of shirts are available for purchase.  They must have been authentic; they had grass stains on the shoulders.

It turns out this is not a new idea.  We see an example in the book of Esther, full of intrigue and God’s working at just the right time in multiple ways.  Way back in chapter 2, Mordecai the Jew, uncle of Esther, had reported a plot against the king.  The event was forgotten but recorded in the Book of Memorable Deeds – an archivist’s dream tome!  Chapter 6 begins late one night when the king couldn’t sleep and started checking out the cool deeds book; he came across the Mordecai story and determined to honor the man.

The next day, Haman the Jew hater who had created a huge gallows for hanging Mordecai because the Jew would not bow down to him, walked in to the castle just in time to hear the king’s question about what should be done to ‘him whom the king desires to honor.’  The king is thinking Mordecai, Haman is thinking himself.  Haman describes the ostentatious activities he would like, including a crown, parading on a fine horse, and being escorted by a nobleman who proclaimed the recipient’s honor to all.

In verse 8.8, the game-worn articles are included in the package: “let royal robes be brought, which the king has worn, and the horse that the king has ridden…”  You may think game gear is in the Bible, so it must be a good thing.  But remember that Haman’s ideas were generally bad, and the real hero of the story was God, who worked all things together for good for his people.

Cool Number Dates – 1/11/15-1/17/15

The second full week of the year has several interesting dates, all for different reasons.

Wednesday, 1/14/15, is an addition day, since 1 + 14 = 15

Thursday, 1/15/15, and a multiplication day, since 1 * 15 = 15

Friday, 1/16/15, is a Minus subtract day, since 1 – 16 = -15

And don’t forget that 1/15/15 is also a Reverse Division day since 15 / 1 = 15.  This always happens when one of the factors of a multiplication day is 1.

Spelling

Auto Correct drives me buts.

Earth without Art is just “Eh”

You’re as useful as the “G” in LASAGNA

Be Alert.  The world needs more lerts