No room for Jesus

I wonder if you have ever thought about how unpopular Jesus was in his day. The impression we get at times is that he was loved by everyone right up until his rejection by the Jewish authorities, his prosecution by the Roman authorities and his ultimate death of crucifixion.

From the early days of his time on earth the Lord Jesus was excluded and rejected. 

There is quite a considerable period (from age 12-30) where we have very little information about the behaviour and activities of the Lord Jesus but we do have the commentary of God, the Father, when he publicly spoke from heaven (which was a very unusual thing to do) and said the he was delighted with His Son. 

Coping through Tough Times

We are living in interesting times. The world continues in a state of recession. The season of abundance seems to have come and gone and now the season of recession seems to be entrenching itself. People are finding that times are difficult and the effects of this difficulty seem to be affecting the whole world. Economies are shrinking and jobs are being lost. As I was contemplating these issues, I began to realize that there is a story in the Bible about a similar situation that took place.

Europe - a place where God is blessing people

    

When God made the heavens and the earth everything was perfect.  The stars and the planets were in their correct order and location and everything was ‘on the move’.  Planet earth, the sun and the moon each were set revolving in an orderly manner.  

The earth revolves around the sun at 67,000 miles per hour.  

The sun orbits at 492,000 miles per hour.  

The moon orbits Earth at a speed of 2,288 miles per hour and completes its circuit in just less than 28 days.  

But note the following:

1. We have no sensation of movement of any kind, other than we can see the moon in different positions in the sky.  
2. We can trust and depend upon the stability of this order and mariners can plot their course by fixing their location in relation to the North Star. 
3. We don’t have to worry when we go to bed at night that the sun will rise in the East and bring all the benefits to planet Earth that it requires to sustain life.  

Latin Phrases - Pro Bono Publico

Latin was obligatory when I was at school. It was one of the standard subjects on the curriculum. I actually quite enjoyed Latin despite the old adage we used to repeat under our breath:

Latins a dead language

As dead as dead can be 

First, it killed the Romans

And now, it’s killing me

Learning Latin might have felt tough going in school. Still, it is actually handy to know some Latin as a lot of Latin motto's are found over the entrance of many listed buildings. For instance, the motto of the University of Oxford is ‘Dominus illuminatio mea'. These are the opening words of Psalm 27 (the Bible), meaning The Lord is my Light. One of the long-established independent schools on the Wirral has the motto ‘Beati Mundo Corde’. This means Blessed are the Pure in Heart, again a quotation taken out of the Bible (the Beatitudes). It is quite significant that public institutions saw the value of quoting the Bible. This book was once the backbone of our nation’s progress and development.