But my life is not all politics. I have friends and loved ones who make themselves known. It is a time to gather and look .. forward. Over three months ago, my place was flooded with raw sewage. GIO, my strata insurer are nowhere near addressing the simple repairs. But out of the frustration comes opportunity. I'm hoping to start a business around these columns soon. A simple email one .. hopefully with corporate backing. Things are incredibly tight. I have turned to family and they have shown .. well, we will see. God works for me. I just don't know how, or what He is trying to do. But I am trying to do it.
A journalism academic has asked for help. I'm sure we can point the way up for them. Syria's civil war has an Australian connection. But if they were listening, would they be fighting? Who would they listen to? AGW Doom predictors show a colour photo from a 65 million year old extinction event. But they fail to attribute it, so we don't know who took it.
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Happy birthday and many happy returns Daniel Saffrett, Laauli Taua'a, Huynh Tran and Jim Robson. Born on the same day, across the years, along with me and
- 83 BC – Mark Antony, Roman general and politician (d. 30 BCE)
- 47 BC – Marcus Antonius Antyllus, Roman soldier (d. 30 BC)
- 1451 – Franchinus Gaffurius, Italian composer and theorist (d. 1522)
- 1477 – Hermann of Wied, German archbishop (d. 1552)
- 1615 – John Biddle, English theologian (d. 1662)
- 1683 – Gottfried Silbermann, German instrument maker (d. 1753)
- 1684 – Johann Matthias Hase, German mathematician, astronomer, and cartographer (d. 1742)
- 1684 – Jean-Baptiste van Loo, French painter (d. 1745)
- 1700 – Picander, German poet (d. 1764)
- 1741 – Benedict Arnold, American-English general (d. 1801)
- 1856 – J. F. Archibald, Australian journalist and publisher, co-founded The Bulletin (d. 1919)
- 1863 – Richard F. Outcault, American comic strip creator, created The Yellow Kid, first modern comic strip (d. 1928)
- 1875 – Albert Schweitzer, Alsatian physician, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1965)
- 1887 – Hugo Steinhaus, Polish mathematician and educator (d. 1972)
- 1901 – Alfred Tarski, Polish-American mathematician and philosopher (d. 1983)
- 1919 – Andy Rooney, American journalist (d. 2011)
- 1931 – Frank Costigan, Australian lawyer (d. 2009)
- 1941 – Faye Dunaway, American actress
- 1942 – Ian Brayshaw, Australian cricketer and footballer
- 1963 – Steven Soderbergh, American director, screenwriter, and producer
- 1993 – Daniel Bessa, Brazilian footballer
Matches
- 1301 – Andrew III of Hungary dies, ending the Árpád dynasty in Hungary.
- 1539 – Spain annexes Cuba.
- 1639 – The "Fundamental Orders", the first written constitution that created a government, is adopted in Connecticut.
- 1784 – American Revolutionary War: Ratification Day, United States - Congress ratifies the Treaty of Paris with Great Britain.
- 1911 – Roald Amundsen's South Pole expedition makes landfall on the eastern edge of the Ross Ice Shelf.
- 1933 – The controversial "Bodyline" cricket tactics used by Douglas Jardine's England peak when Australian captain Bill Woodfull is hit over the heart.
- 1952 – NBC's long-running morning news program Today debuts, with host Dave Garroway.
- 1960 – The Reserve Bank of Australia, the country's central bank and banknote issuing authority, is established.
- 1967 – Counterculture of the 1960s: The Human Be-In, takes place in San Francisco, California's Golden Gate Park, launching the Summer of Love.
- 1973 – Elvis Presley's concert Aloha from Hawaii is broadcast live via satellite, and sets the record as the most watched broadcast by an individual entertainer in television history.
- 1975 – Teenage heiress Lesley Whittle is kidnapped by Donald Neilson, aka "the Black Panther".
- 2005 – The Huygens probe lands on Saturn's moon Titan.
- 2010 – Yemen declares an open war against the terrorist group al-Qaeda.
- 2011 – The former president of Tunisia, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fled his country to Saudi Arabia after a series of street demonstrations against his regime and corrupt policies, asking for freedom, rights and democracy, considered as the anniversary of the Tunisian Revolution and the birth of the Arab Spring.
Despatches
- 1092 – Vratislaus II of Bohemia
- 1331 – Odoric of Pordenone, Italian explorer (b. 1286)
- 1640 – Thomas Coventry, 1st Baron Coventry, English lawyer, politician, and judge (b. 1578)
- 1648 – Caspar Barlaeus, Dutch theologian, poet, and historian (b. 1584)
- 1676 – Francesco Cavalli, Italian composer (b. 1602)
- 1679 – Jacques de Billy, French mathematician (b. 1602)
- 1742 – Edmond Halley, English astronomer, geophysicist, mathematician, meteorologist, and physicist (b. 1656)
- 1786 – Michael Arne, English composer and organist (b. 1741)
- 1898 – Lewis Carroll, English writer, mathematician and photographer (b. 1832)
- 1901 – Charles Hermite, French mathematician (b. 1822)
- 1957 – Humphrey Bogart, American actor (b. 1899)
- 1968 – Dorothea Mackellar, Australian poet (b. 1885)
- 1978 – Kurt Gödel, Austrian-American mathematician and philosopher (b. 1906)
JENNA KNOWLEDGE
Tim Blair – Tuesday, January 14, 2014 (3:27pm)
A journalism academic and Fairfax columnist who spends most of her time on Twitter asks for reader assistance:
what the hell is DDT
BIG BASHAR LEAGUE
Tim Blair – Tuesday, January 14, 2014 (4:31am)
Syria’s civil war is the Twenty20 cricket of global conflicts. Instead of two big teams duking it out, as is usual in a civil war, Syria presents a vast array of rival franchises vying for domination. Some of the most thrilling action comes from the close-fought rebel division:
While united in the goal of removing Assad from power, the groups disagree on how to depose him, who should replace him and what the future of Syria should look like.
And so they attack and murder each other. Meanwhile, as you’ll find in most Twenty20 tournaments, the Syrian arena features many international performers. Sadly, some of them aren’t doing so well. Here’s Rose, sister of Sydney woman Amira Karroum, who was killed after joining battle in Syria for no sensible reason at all:
‘’May Allah make the mujahideen victorious against FSA and Assad’s regime.’’
A hint to the intensity of the Syrian league is revealed in those words. The Free Syrian Army and the forces with which Karroum and her husband were aligned are both opposed to dictator Bashar al-Assad. Impressively, this common aim doesn’t prevent open and exciting competition. If Monty Python’s People’s Front of Judea sketch was based on events in Syria, it would run for hours.
UNCERTAINTY PREDICTED
Tim Blair – Tuesday, January 14, 2014 (4:25am)
Very few of us – except for royalty, disability pensioners, tenured academics and senior ABC staff – know what we’ll be doing four years from now. South Australian premier Jay Weatherill would like the same security for future former Holden employees:
He said while the company’s closure was still four years away, workers were feeling enormous levels of distress already.“What they’re worried about is their future,” he said.“Those worries are manifesting in real concerns now. Not in four years time but now.“They are, in fact, imprisoned by uncertainty.”
Far from it. Holden workers have the unusual certainty of knowing they have four entire years to obtain alternative employment, all the while working and drawing regular pay. Weatherill should be more concerned about his own future.
LIKE WOW - WIPEOUT
Tim Blair – Tuesday, January 14, 2014 (4:19am)
The ABC unearths Professor Mike Coffin to deliver the latest doom news:
Professor Mike Coffin, a marine geophysicist from the University of Tasmania, told a conference in Hobart on Saturday that humans are on track to bring about the demise of 75 per cent of the Earth’s species within a frighteningly short time period …Professor Coffin said small animals that can breed quickly and adapt, such as cockroaches, would be well equipped.As mammals, Professor Coffin said humans would face difficulties.
Check the ABC’s illustration for this piece:
According to the ABC, that’s a 65-million-year-old photograph. Great tech they had back then. Looking forward, the few human survivors won’t even be able to shelter beneath gumtrees:
According to the ABC, that’s a 65-million-year-old photograph. Great tech they had back then. Looking forward, the few human survivors won’t even be able to shelter beneath gumtrees:
A study by the National Environmental Research Program’s Environmental Decisions Hub has found that climate stress on eucalypts will mean many of Australia’s 750 species will struggle to cope with climate change.‘’Those that will be most affected are the Eucalyptus and Corymbia species in the central desert and open woodlands area,’’ said author Nathalie Butt of the NERP Environmental Decisions Hub and the University of Queensland.
With respect to Butt of NERP, if we don’t have any animals, what use are trees?
CALLING IT OUT WHEREVER SHE SEES IT
Tim Blair – Tuesday, January 14, 2014 (1:36am)
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The Bald Man invites you to indulge in the 'Childhood Popsicle Dream". Dip a rich, creamy vanilla Popsicle in pure melted milk chocolate and festive sprinkles! For kids of all ages (including you). Available until Friday Jan 31.
D e l i c o u s .
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Post by Craig Kelly.
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Holly Sarah Nguyen
Happy Birthday dear brother:D I trust that you are having an amazing day!!
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Joseph Campbell
"What's made up in the head is the fiction. What comes out of the heart is a myth."
Joseph Campbell, The Hero's Journey
Joseph Campbell, The Hero's Journey
What he believes is fantasy? - ed
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http://www.smh.com.au/comment/game-finally-up-for-carboncrats-20140113-30qqo.html
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http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/in-israel-keep-the-gregorian-calendar-but-bring-back-to-wider-use-the
blogs.timesofisrael.com
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newsblaze.com
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<This is heart-rending footage of the expulsion of Gaza's Jewish community at the hands of Ariel Sharon. Not only did live Jews have to leave, so did dead Jews, lest their bodies by dug up and mutilated by the 'peaceful Palestinians.' Much of this video is devoted to the 'evacuation' of dead Jews from Gaza. They were reburied on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.
Israel Matzav: Ariel Sharon's handiwork>
http://youtu.be/bdTAwSSNXQc===
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<"Martin Sherman, argues that if Israel grants permanent residency status to the Palestinians of Judea and Samaria, we will be overwhelmed by ungovernable Muslims who will transform the Jewish state into an incoherent morass of crime and unsustainable welfare, along the lines of Sweden and Norway."
Caroline Glick states: "Were Israel to grant permanent residency status to the Palestinians of Judea and Samaria – and offer them the right to apply for citizenship – it would not increase the Muslim population west of the Jordan.
Israel would only change their legal status. And along the way, Israel would safeguard its Jewish majority by preventing the immigration of millions of foreign- born Muslims to a future Palestinian state.
If everyone in Judea and Samaria enjoys permanent residency rights, far fewer people will feel motivated to move west. They can stay at home and enjoy the same status."
Is it really that simple? I do not believe that the Palestinians would be content to stay in their own back yard. In fact they are determined to carry their 'Law of Return' to the nth degree. All we need do is look at the illegal immigration from Africa. In order for that not to happen we would have to build security fences around all Jewish property and increase our IDF troops at least 200% and even then there would be no guarantees. Palestinian Arabs do not want the Jewish State to exist and that is the bottom line.>
www.jpost.com
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Yes, let them have their say, and if their points need to be repudiated, do it. But sometimes the filthy and disgusting speak for themselves more eloquently than any rebuttal. - ed===
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www.adespicabletruce.org.uk
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Today, is a very fitting day to dispel a myth regarding #ArielSharon and expose a myth regurgitated in #MRN's publication.
See all the quotes and footage here:http://tinyurl.com/7ssak5e
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www.wnd.com
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en.rsf.org
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jeremyrosen.blogspot.com
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<It was then that Sharon carried out the most dramatic--and fateful--policy of his political career: the Gaza "disengagement," a unilateral withdrawal of soldiers and settlers from Gaza. Ironically, Sharon had campaigned for re-election against such a withdrawal, which had been the policy of his Labor Party opponent. Yet Sharon saw an opportunity to relieve the cost of occupation, and boost Israel's diplomatic position.
After several members of his own party resigned in protest, Sharon formed a new government, and eventually a new party, Kadima ("Forward") to support the withdrawal. In August 2005, Israeli soldiers evacuated the remaining settlers from Gaza, amidst tearful scenes of civil disobedience. Sharon's reward was official U.S. recognition of some Israeli territorial claims in the West Bank, and worldwide acclaim for his statesmanship.
In private conversations, Sharon stressed that he had decided on the disengagement policy because he believed it would be best for the long-term security of Israel and the Jewish people. Palestinian terror groups, however, had other ideas, destroying the infrastructure the settlers had left behind and accelerating rocket attacks against Israeli civilians in the towns and communities near the border--including Sharon's own farm.
In late 2005, on the eve of new Israeli elections, and in the midst of official investigations into a loan Sharon had received during his previous campaign, Sharon suffered a mild stroke. He suffered a far more serious one in January 2006. His most fanatical critics on the Israeli right, who had once seen him as a savior, called his illness divine retribution. His successor, Ehud Olmert, faced two wars from newly-emboldened terror groups.>===
<Hamas tells Kerry & Obama they want peace with Israel, while declaring they need to conduct military strikes against the Israel " The Hamas-led government in the besieged Gaza Strip warned that Israel is escalating its aggression on Gaza, and that armed resistance groups in the coastal region have the right to retaliate""">
www.imemc.org
===In Reality the only thing the Geneva deal resolves is removing of sanctions and the expansion of Iran's oil market. It does little to address Iran's IAEA violations, nuclear enrichment nor nuclear weapons programs
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hrase implies in Hebrew - "(one who is) without a burden". The truth of the matter is that the late prime minister, Ariel Sharon, was truly a "b'li 'ol", as any cursory glance at his life story will demonstrate. As a tank commander in the Sinai in 1973, he defied his boss, Security Minister Moshe Dayan, and pushed his tanks over the Suez Canal,effectively defeating the Egyptian 3rd Army and winning the war for the nation. In 1982, he again defied his boss, Prime Minister MehanHem Begin, and pushed Israeli forces north beyond the Litani River, their original goal, all the way to Beirut. It would have been nice if, while in Beirut, he had Arafat killed, but he gave in to pressure from Vice-President George H.W. Bush and let the scummy pedophile, terrorist and murderer escape to Tunis . When Sharon was originally elected in 2001, he was chosen with the idea that he would crush the Arab terror of the Second Intifada - unlike "Lemons" Barak. He again defied his boss, the nation that had elected him, and refused to do so until a bombing in the Park Hotel, killing some 25 people celebrating a Seder there, forced his hand. EVEN THEN, he did not kill the scumbag pedophile terrorist responsible for the deaths! Finally, the little leftist prick, Menniy Mazuz, was abler to force him to push through LABOR'S agenda of evacuating Gush Qatif (Gaza first) because he had all kinds of documents that would have landed Sharon and his sons in jail - and as Attorney General, was able to prosecute him in court. I don't give a tinker's damn about the "legalities" . En fin, the Expuslsion was illegal and the result of blackmail. Sharon couldn't defy the leftist prick who held his freedom in his hands with documents in his desk drawer. So, instead, 10,000 lives were destroyed. In my opinion, with this Expulsion, he undid all the good he had done previously. WE have all suffered the wound he and Menny Mazuz inflicted upon all Israel. Go praise Sharon if you want. But keep it off MY WALL!!! I have no sympathy for him - I have no sympathy for his family. Ariel Sharon DESERVED to hang between life and death for eight years! The G-d of Israel is certainly creative when it comes to punishments. But the mandarins and scumbags ruining our nation and distorting our media have learned nothing at all>.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/176190#.UtK1AaHgx1x
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IMRA - Sunday, January 12, 2014 Funeral Arrangements for the Late Former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
www.imra.org.il
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Madu Odiokwu Pastorvin
Heavenly Father, I humbly come before You giving You all that I am. I surrender every area of my life to You and invite You to have Your way in my heart. Empower me with Your love as I daily set my focus on You in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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He Empowered Them.
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13, NKJV)
God wants to empower and strengthen you to overcome every obstacle in this life. He wants to give you confidence, wisdom and boldness to pursue the dreams and desires in your heart. He wants to give you supernatural insight so that you can be a witness of His goodness. In scripture, Peter and John were supernaturally equipped. Everyone around them marveled at their boldness, at their ability. They knew Peter and John didn’t have any formal training. They knew there wasn’t anything special about them. This power and wisdom could have only come from one place — the presence of Jesus.This year, make your relationship with Him your number one priority and be empowered by His presence,in Jesus Name,Amen.
===Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13, NKJV)
God wants to empower and strengthen you to overcome every obstacle in this life. He wants to give you confidence, wisdom and boldness to pursue the dreams and desires in your heart. He wants to give you supernatural insight so that you can be a witness of His goodness. In scripture, Peter and John were supernaturally equipped. Everyone around them marveled at their boldness, at their ability. They knew Peter and John didn’t have any formal training. They knew there wasn’t anything special about them. This power and wisdom could have only come from one place — the presence of Jesus.This year, make your relationship with Him your number one priority and be empowered by His presence,in Jesus Name,Amen.
Pastor Rick Warren
People worldwide are starting#50DaysOfTranformation groups! You can too! Watch this message bit.ly/ZvjGI9
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People worldwide are starting #50DaysOfTransformationgroups!You can too! Watch this messagehttp://bit.ly/ZvjGI9
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January 14: New Year (Julian calendar); National Forest Conservation Day in Thailand; Ratification Day in the United States (1784)
- 1724 – Philip V, the first Bourbon ruler of Spain, abdicated the throne to his eldest son Louis.
- 1814 – Sweden and Denmark–Norway signed theTreaty of Kiel, whereby Frederick VI of Denmarkceded Norway to Sweden in return for the Swedish holdings in Pomerania.
- 1907 – A 6.5 Mw earthquake struck Kingston, Jamaica, resulting in at least 800 deaths, which was at the time considered one of the world's deadliest earthquakes recorded in history.
- 1954 – Nash-Kelvinator and Hudson Motor Car Company merged to become American Motors in an effort to create one multibrand company capable of challenging the "Big Three" as an equal.
- 1978 – Austrian logician Kurt Gödel (pictured), who suffered from anobsessive fear of being poisoned, died of starvation after his wife was hospitalized and unable to cook for him.
Events[edit]
- 1301 – Andrew III of Hungary dies, ending the Árpád dynasty in Hungary.
- 1343 – Arnošt of Pardubice becomes the last bishop of Prague and, subsequently, the first Archbishop of Prague.
- 1539 – Spain annexes Cuba.
- 1639 – The "Fundamental Orders", the first written constitution that created a government, is adopted in Connecticut.
- 1724 – King Philip V of Spain abdicates the throne.
- 1761 – The Third Battle of Panipat is fought in India between the Afghans under Ahmad Shah Durrani and the Marhatas.
- 1784 – American Revolutionary War: Ratification Day, United States - Congress ratifies the Treaty of Paris with Great Britain.
- 1814 – Treaty of Kiel: Frederick VI of Denmark cedes Norway to Sweden in return for Pomerania.
- 1822 – Greek War of Independence: Acrocorinth is captured by Theodoros Kolokotronis and Demetrios Ypsilantis.
- 1858 – Napoleon III of France escapes an assassination attempt.
- 1907 – An earthquake in Kingston, Jamaica kills more than 1,000.
- 1911 – Roald Amundsen's South Pole expedition makes landfall on the eastern edge of the Ross Ice Shelf.
- 1933 – The controversial "Bodyline" cricket tactics used by Douglas Jardine's England peak when Australian captain Bill Woodfull is hit over the heart.
- 1938 – Norway claims Queen Maud Land in Antarctica.
- 1943 – World War II: Japan begins Operation Ke, the successful operation to evacuate its forces from Guadalcanal during the Guadalcanal Campaign.
- 1943 – World War II: Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill begin the Casablanca Conference to discuss strategy and study the next phase of the war.
- 1943 – World War II: Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes the first President of the United States to travel by airplane while in office when he travels from Miami toMorocco to meet with Winston Churchill.
- 1950 – The first prototype of the MiG-17 makes its maiden flight.
- 1952 – NBC's long-running morning news program Today debuts, with host Dave Garroway.
- 1953 – Josip Broz Tito is inaugurated as the first President of Yugoslavia.
- 1954 – The Hudson Motor Car Company merges with Nash-Kelvinator Corporation forming the American Motors Corporation.
- 1957 – Kripalu Maharaj was named fifth Jagadguru (world teacher) after giving seven days of speeches before 500 Hindu scholars.
- 1960 – The Reserve Bank of Australia, the country's central bank and banknote issuing authority, is established.
- 1967 – Counterculture of the 1960s: The Human Be-In, takes place in San Francisco, California's Golden Gate Park, launching the Summer of Love.
- 1969 – An accidental explosion aboard the USS Enterprise near Hawaii kills 27 people.
- 1972 – Queen Margrethe II of Denmark ascends the throne, the first Queen of Denmark since 1412 and the first Danish monarch not named Frederick or Christian since 1513.
- 1973 – Elvis Presley's concert Aloha from Hawaii is broadcast live via satellite, and sets the record as the most watched broadcast by an individual entertainer in television history.
- 1975 – Teenage heiress Lesley Whittle is kidnapped by Donald Neilson, aka "the Black Panther".
- 1999 – Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman becomes the first mayor in Canada to call in the Army to help with emergency medical evacuations and snow removal after more than one meter of snow paralyzes the city.
- 2000 – A United Nations tribunal sentences five Bosnian Croats to up to 25 years for the 1993 killing of over 100 Muslims in a Bosnian village.
- 2004 – The national flag of The Republic of Georgia, the so-called "five cross flag", is restored to official use after a hiatus of some 500 years.
- 2005 – The Huygens probe lands on Saturn's moon Titan.
- 2010 – Yemen declares an open war against the terrorist group al-Qaeda.
- 2011 – The former president of Tunisia, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fled his country to Saudi Arabia after a series of street demonstrations against his regime and corrupt policies, asking for freedom, rights and democracy, considered as the anniversary of the Tunisian Revolution and the birth of the Arab Spring.
Births[edit]
- 83 BC – Mark Antony, Roman general and politician (d. 30 BCE)
- 47 BC – Marcus Antonius Antyllus, Roman soldier (d. 30 BC)
- 1131 – Valdemar I of Denmark (d. 1182)
- 1451 – Franchinus Gaffurius, Italian composer and theorist (d. 1522)
- 1477 – Hermann of Wied, German archbishop (d. 1552)
- 1507 – Catherine of Austria, Queen of Portugal (d. 1578)
- 1552 – Alberico Gentili, Italian jurist (d. 1608)
- 1615 – John Biddle, English theologian (d. 1662)
- 1683 – Gottfried Silbermann, German instrument maker (d. 1753)
- 1684 – Johann Matthias Hase, German mathematician, astronomer, and cartographer (d. 1742)
- 1684 – Jean-Baptiste van Loo, French painter (d. 1745)
- 1699 – Jakob Adlung, German organist, historian, and theorist (d. 1762)
- 1700 – Picander, German poet (d. 1764)
- 1705 – Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier, French sailor, explorer, and politician (d. 1786)
- 1741 – Benedict Arnold, American-English general (d. 1801)
- 1767 – Maria Theresa of Austria, Queen of Saxony (d. 1827)
- 1780 – Henry Baldwin, American judge and politician (d. 1844)
- 1792 – Christian Julius de Meza, Danish general (d. 1865)
- 1793 – John C. Clark, American politician (d. 1852)
- 1798 – Johan Rudolph Thorbecke, Dutch politician, 3rd Prime Minister of the Netherlands (d. 1872)
- 1800 – Ludwig Ritter von Köchel, Austrian composer, botanist, and publisher (d. 1877)
- 1806 – Charles Hotham, English-Australian soldier and politician, 1st Governor of Victoria (d. 1855)
- 1806 – Matthew Fontaine Maury American astronomer, historian, and oceanographer (d. 1873)
- 1818 – Zachris Topelius, Finnish author and journalist (d. 1898)
- 1819 – Dimitrie Bolintineanu, Romanian poet (d. 1872)
- 1824 – Vladimir Stasov, Russian critic (d. 1906)
- 1836 – Henri Fantin-Latour, French painter (d. 1904)
- 1841 – Berthe Morisot, French painter (d. 1895)
- 1845 – Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne, English politician, 34th Governor-General of India (d. 1927)
- 1850 – Jean de Reszke, Polish tenor (d. 1925)
- 1850 – Pierre Loti, French navy officer and author (d. 1923)
- 1856 – J. F. Archibald, Australian journalist and publisher, co-founded The Bulletin (d. 1919)
- 1861 – Mehmed VI, Ottoman sultan (d. 1926)
- 1863 – Manuel de Oliveira Gomes da Costa, Portuguese army officer and politician, 10th President of Portugal (d. 1929)
- 1863 – Richard F. Outcault, American comic strip creator, created The Yellow Kid, first modern comic strip (d. 1928)
- 1869 – Robert Fournier-Sarlovèze, French polo player and politician (d. 1937)
- 1870 – George Pearce, Australian politician (d. 1952)
- 1875 – Albert Schweitzer, Alsatian physician, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1965)
- 1882 – Hendrik Willem van Loon, Dutch-American historian and journalist (d. 1944)
- 1883 – Nina Ricci, Italian-French fashion designer (d. 1970)
- 1886 – Hugh Lofting, English children's author (d. 1947)
- 1887 – Hugo Steinhaus, Polish mathematician and educator (d. 1972)
- 1892 – Martin Niemöller, German theologian (d. 1984)
- 1892 – Hal Roach, American actor, director, and producer (d. 1992)
- 1896 – John Dos Passos, American author (d. 1970)
- 1897 – Hasso von Manteuffel, German general and politician (d. 1978)
- 1899 – Carlos P. Romulo, Filipino soldier, diplomat, politician, and author, President of the United Nations General Assembly (d. 1985)
- 1901 – Bebe Daniels, American actress (d. 1971)
- 1901 – Alfred Tarski, Polish-American mathematician and philosopher (d. 1983)
- 1904 – Cecil Beaton, English photographer (d. 1980)
- 1904 – Emily Hahn, American journalist and author (d. 1997)
- 1904 – Babe Siebert, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1939)
- 1905 – Takeo Fukuda, Japanese politician, 67th Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1995)
- 1906 – William Bendix, American actor (d. 1964)
- 1907 – Georges-Émile Lapalme, Canadian politician (d. 1985)
- 1908 – Russ Columbo, American singer, violinist, and actor (d. 1934)
- 1909 – Joseph Losey, American director (d. 1984)
- 1911 – Sailor Jerry, American tattoo artist (d. 1973)
- 1911 – Anatoly Rybakov, Russian author (d. 1998)
- 1912 – Tillie Olsen, American author (d. 2007)
- 1914 – Harold Russell, Canadian-American actor (d. 2002)
- 1915 – Mark Goodson, American game show producer, created Family Feud and The Price Is Right (d. 1992)
- 1917 – Billy Butterfield, American trumpet player (d. 1988)
- 1918 – Ilona Edelsheim-Gyulai, Hungarian-English wife of István Horthy (d. 2013)
- 1919 – Giulio Andreotti, Italian journalist and politician, 41st Prime Minister of Italy (d. 2013)
- 1919 – Andy Rooney, American journalist (d. 2011)
- 1920 – Bertus de Harder, Dutch footballer (d. 1982)
- 1921 – Murray Bookchin, American author and philosopher (d. 2006)
- 1921 – Kenneth Bulmer, American author (d. 2005)
- 1923 – Fred Beckey, American mountaineer and author
- 1924 – Guy Williams, American actor (d. 1989)
- 1925 – Yukio Mishima, Japanese author, poet, and playwright (d. 1970)
- 1925 – Louis Quilico, Canadian opera singer (d. 2000)
- 1926 – Frank Aletter, American actor (d. 2009)
- 1926 – Warren Mitchell, English actor
- 1926 – Tom Tryon, American actor (d. 1991)
- 1927 – Zuzana Růžičková, Czech harpsichord player
- 1928 – Gerald Arpino, American dancer and choreographer (d. 2008)
- 1928 – Hans Kornberg, German-born British biologist
- 1928 – Lars Forssell, Swedish author, poet, and songwriter (d. 2007)
- 1928 – Garry Winogrand, American photographer (d. 1984)
- 1930 – Kenny Wheeler, Canadian trumpet player and composer
- 1931 – Frank Costigan, Australian lawyer (d. 2009)
- 1931 – Martin Holdgate, English biologist
- 1931 – Caterina Valente, French-Italian singer, dancer, and actress
- 1932 – Don Garlits, American race car driver
- 1933 – Stan Brakhage, American director and producer (d. 2003)
- 1934 – Richard Briers, English actor (d. 2013)
- 1934 – Alberto Rodriguez Larreta, Argentinian race car driver (d. 1977)
- 1935 – Ennio Girolami, Italian actor (d. 2013)
- 1935 – Lucille Wheeler, Canadian skier
- 1937 – Sobhan Babu, Indian actor (d. 2008)
- 1937 – J. Bernlef, Dutch author and poet (d. 2012)
- 1937 – Ken Higgs, English cricketer
- 1937 – Erland Kops, Danish badminton player
- 1937 – Sonny Siebert, American baseball player
- 1938 – Morihiro Hosokawa, Japanese politician, 79th Prime Minister of Japan
- 1938 – Jack Jones, American singer and actor
- 1938 – Allen Toussaint, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer
- 1940 – Julian Bond, American activist and politician
- 1940 – Ron Kostelnik, American football player (d. 1993)
- 1940 – Trevor Nunn, English director
- 1941 – Faye Dunaway, American actress
- 1941 – Barry Jenner, American actor
- 1941 – Milan Kučan, Slovenian politician, 1st President of Slovenia
- 1942 – Ian Brayshaw, Australian cricketer and footballer
- 1942 – Dave Campbell, American baseball player and sportscaster
- 1942 – Gerben Karstens, Dutch cyclist
- 1943 – Angelo Bagnasco, Italian cardinal
- 1943 – Mariss Jansons, Latvian conductor
- 1943 – Shannon Lucid, American biochemist and astronaut
- 1943 – José Luis Rodríguez, Venezuelan singer and actor
- 1943 – Holland Taylor, American actress
- 1944 – Marjoe Gortner, American actor
- 1944 – Graham Marsh, Australian golfer
- 1944 – Nina Totenberg, American journalist
- 1945 – Maina Gielgud, English ballerina
- 1945 – Einar Hakonarson, Icelandic painter
- 1946 – Harold Shipman, English serial killer (d. 2004)
- 1947 – Taylor Branch, American author and historian
- 1947 – Bev Perdue, American politician, 73rd Governor of North Carolina
- 1947 – Lembit Sibul, Estonian humorist, actor and journalist (d. 2001)
- 1947 – Bill Werbeniuk, Canadian snooker player (d. 2003)
- 1948 – T-Bone Burnett, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (The Alpha Band)
- 1948 – Valeri Kharlamov, Russian ice hockey player (d. 1981)
- 1948 – John Lescroart, American author
- 1948 – Carl Weathers, American actor
- 1949 – Paul Chubb, Australian actor (d. 2002)
- 1949 – Lawrence Kasdan, American director
- 1949 – Mary Robison, American author
- 1949 – Charlie Tumahai, New Zealand singer, bass player and songwriter (Be-Bop Deluxe) (d. 1995)
- 1949 – Lamar Williams, American bassist (The Allman Brothers Band, Seal Level) (d. 1983)
- 1950 – Arthur Byron Cover, American science fiction author
- 1950 – Rambhadracharya, Indian religious leader
- 1952 – Sydney Biddle Barrows, American author
- 1952 – Maureen Dowd, American columnist and author
- 1952 – Konstantinos Iosifidis, Greek footballer and manager
- 1952 – Declan Morgan, British judge Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland
- 1952 – Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu, Romanian politician, 60th Prime Minister of Romania
- 1953 – David Clary, English theoretical chemist
- 1954 – Jim Duggan, American wrestler
- 1954 – Masanobu Fuchi, Japanese wrestler
- 1954 – Vernee Watson-Johnson, American actress
- 1956 – Étienne Daho, Algerian-French singer-songwriter and producer
- 1956 – Ben Heppner, Canadian tenor
- 1956 – Rosina Lippi, American author
- 1957 – Suzanne Danielle, English actress
- 1957 – Anchee Min, Chinese-American painter, photographer, and author
- 1958 – Colin Ferguson, Jamaican-American murderer
- 1959 – Geoff Tate, German-American singer-songwriter (Queensrÿche)
- 1960 – Nick Smith, Welsh politician
- 1961 – Rob Hall, New Zealand mountaineer (d. 1996)
- 1961 – Mike Tramp, Danish singer-songwriter and guitarist (White Lion and Freak of Nature)
- 1962 – Michael McCaul, American politician
- 1963 – Steven Soderbergh, American director, screenwriter, and producer
- 1963 – Gert-Jan Theunisse, Dutch cyclist
- 1964 – Mark Addy, English actor
- 1964 – Ernest Miller, American wrestler and actor
- 1964 – Henry Saari, Finnish porn actor and director
- 1964 – Shepard Smith, American journalist
- 1965 – Shamil Basayev, Chechen rebel (d. 2006)
- 1965 – Marc Delissen, Dutch field hockey player
- 1965 – Bob Essensa, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1965 – Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, English chef and critic
- 1965 – Ellis Paul, American singer-songwriter
- 1966 – DJ Paul Elstak, Dutch DJ and producer
- 1966 – Robert Flello, English politician
- 1966 – Marco Hietala, Finnish singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer (Nightwish, Tarot, Northern Kings, and Sinergy)
- 1966 – Rene Simpson, Canadian-American tennis player (d. 2013)
- 1967 – Kerri Green, American actress
- 1967 – Leonardo Ortolani, Italian author
- 1967 – Emily Watson, English actress
- 1967 – Saskia Wickham, English actress
- 1967 – Zakk Wylde, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor (Black Label Society and Pride and Glory)
- 1968 – Efthimis Bakatsias, Greek basketball player
- 1968 – Ruel Fox, English footballer
- 1968 – Veikka Gustafsson, Finnish mountaineer
- 1968 – LL Cool J, American rapper and actor
- 1969 – Jason Bateman, American actor, director, and producer
- 1969 – Dave Grohl, American singer-songwriter, musician, and director (Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Them Crooked Vultures, Scream, Dain Bramage, and Killing Joke)
- 1970 – Imam Samudra, Indonesian terrorist (d. 2008)
- 1970 – Fazıl Say, Turkish pianist and composer
- 1970 – Gene Snitsky, American wrestler
- 1971 – Lasse Kjus, Norwegian skier
- 1971 – Bert Konterman, Dutch footballer
- 1971 – Antonios Nikopolidis, Greek footballer
- 1972 – Kyle Brady, American football player
- 1972 – Dion Forster, South African minister, theologian, and author
- 1972 – James Key, English engineer
- 1972 – Raimondas Rumšas, Lithuanian cyclist
- 1973 – Eva Bes, Spanish tennis player
- 1973 – Giancarlo Fisichella, Italian race car driver
- 1974 – Kevin Durand, Canadian actor
- 1974 – David Flitcroft, English footballer and manager
- 1975 – Georgina Cates, English actress
- 1975 – Taylor Hayes, American pornographic actress
- 1976 – Vincenzo Chianese, Italian footballer
- 1977 – Narain Karthikeyan, Indian race car driver
- 1977 – Terry Ryan, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1978 – Shawn Crawford, American sprinter
- 1979 – Karen Elson, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and model
- 1979 – Angela Lindvall, American model and actress
- 1979 – John Reuben, American rapper
- 1979 – Evans Soligo, Italian footballer
- 1980 – Clive Clarke, Irish footballer
- 1980 – Cory Gibbs, American soccer player
- 1980 – Ossama Haidar, Lebanese footballer
- 1980 – Byron Leftwich, American football player
- 1980 – Sosuke Sumitani, Japanese announcer
- 1980 – Taeke Taekema, Dutch field hockey player
- 1980 – Hiroshi Tamaki, Japanese actor and singer
- 1981 – Abdelmalek Cherrad, Algerian footballer
- 1981 – Rosa López, Spanish singer
- 1982 – Léo Lima, Brazilian footballer
- 1982 – Víctor Valdés, Spanish footballer
- 1983 – Cesare Bovo, Italian footballer
- 1983 – Jason Krejza, Australian cricketer
- 1983 – Maxime Monfort, Belgian cyclist
- 1984 – Erick Aybar, American baseball player
- 1984 – Fred Matua, American football player (d. 2012)
- 1984 – Brandon Meriweather, American football player
- 1984 – Mike Pelfrey, American baseball player
- 1985 – Joel Rosario, Dominican-American jockey
- 1985 – Shawn Sawyer, Canadian figure skater
- 1986 – Cristina Aicardi, Peruvian badminton player
- 1986 – Gary Brolsma, American internet personality
- 1986 – Yohan Cabaye, French footballer
- 1986 – Alessio Cossu, Italian footballer
- 1988 – Farshad Bashir, Afghan-Dutch politician
- 1988 – Mikalah Gordon, American singer
- 1988 – Hakeem Nicks, American football player
- 1988 – Tom Rosenthal, English actor and comedian
- 1988 – Jack P. Shepherd, English actor
- 1988 – Keren Shlomo, Israeli tennis player
- 1989 – Adam Clayton, English footballer
- 1989 – Liu Xiaodong, Chinese footballer
- 1989 – Mattia Marchi, Italian footballer
- 1989 – Frankie Sandford, English singer-songwriter and dancer (S Club 8 and The Saturdays)
- 1990 – Lelisa Desisa, Ethiopian runner
- 1990 – Grant Gustin, American actor and singer
- 1991 – Diva Montelaba, Filipino actress and singer
- 1992 – Robbie Brady, Irish footballer
- 1992 – Chieh-Yu Hsu, American tennis player
- 1992 – Nimue Smit, Dutch model
- 1993 – Daniel Bessa, Brazilian footballer
Deaths[edit]
- 1092 – Vratislaus II of Bohemia
- 1163 – Ladislaus II of Hungary (b. 1131)
- 1235 – Saint Sava, Serbian archbishop and saint (b. 1175)
- 1301 – Andrew III of Hungary (b. 1265)
- 1331 – Odoric of Pordenone, Italian explorer (b. 1286)
- 1640 – Thomas Coventry, 1st Baron Coventry, English lawyer, politician, and judge (b. 1578)
- 1648 – Caspar Barlaeus, Dutch theologian, poet, and historian (b. 1584)
- 1676 – Francesco Cavalli, Italian composer (b. 1602)
- 1679 – Jacques de Billy, French mathematician (b. 1602)
- 1701 – Tokugawa Mitsukuni, Japanese daimyo (b. 1628)
- 1742 – Edmond Halley, English astronomer, geophysicist, mathematician, meteorologist, and physicist (b. 1656)
- 1753 – George Berkeley, Irish philosopher (b. 1685)
- 1766 – Frederick V of Denmark (b. 1723)
- 1776 – Edward Cornwallis, English military officer (b. 1713)
- 1786 – Michael Arne, English composer and organist (b. 1741)
- 1786 – Meshech Weare, American lawyer and politician, 1st Governor of New Hampshire (b. 1713)
- 1824 – Athanasios Kanakaris, Greek politician (b. 1760)
- 1825 – George Dance the Younger, English architect (b. 1741)
- 1833 – Seraphim of Sarov, Russian monks and saint (b. 1759)
- 1867 – Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, French painter (b. 1780)
- 1872 – Greyfriars Bobby, Scottish dog (b. 1856)
- 1883 – Napoléon Coste, French guitarist and composer (b. 1806)
- 1887 – Peter Donders, Dutch missionary (b. 1807)
- 1888 – Stephen Heller, Hungarian pianist and composer (b. 1813)
- 1889 – Ema Pukšec, Croatian soprano (b. 1834)
- 1892 – Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale (b. 1864)
- 1898 – Lewis Carroll, English writer, mathematician and photographer (b. 1832)
- 1901 – Mandell Creighton, English bishop and historian (b. 1843)
- 1901 – Charles Hermite, French mathematician (b. 1822)
- 1905 – Ernst Abbe, German physicist (b. 1840)
- 1907 – Sir James Fergusson, 6th Baronet, Scottish politician, 6th Governor of New Zealand (b. 1832)
- 1908 – Holger Drachmann, Danish poet and playwright (b. 1846)
- 1915 – Richard Meux Benson, English priest, founded the Society of St. John the Evangelist (b. 1824)
- 1919 – Platon, Estonian clergyman (b. 1869)
- 1920 – John Francis Dodge, American businessman, co-founded the Dodge Automobile Company (b. 1864)
- 1923 – Zübeyde Hanım, Greek mother of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (b. 1857)
- 1923 – Louis Richardet, Swiss target shooter (b. 1864)
- 1926 – August Sedláček, Czech historian (b. 1843)
- 1934 – Ioan Cantacuzino, Romanian physician and bacteriologist (b. 1863)
- 1937 – Jaishankar Prasad, Indian poet, author, and playwright (b. 1889)
- 1942 – Porfirio Barba-Jacob, Colombian poet and author (b. 1883)
- 1943 – Laura E. Richards, American author (b. 1850)
- 1945 – Heinrich Schroth, German actor (b. 1871)
- 1949 – Joaquín Turina, Spanish composer (b. 1882)
- 1951 – Gregorios Xenopoulos, Greek author, journalist, and playwright (b. 1867)
- 1952 – Artur Kapp, Estonian composer (b. 1878)
- 1957 – Humphrey Bogart, American actor (b. 1899)
- 1959 – Eivind Berggrav, Norwegian bishop (b. 1884)
- 1961 – Barry Fitzgerald, Irish actor (b. 1888)
- 1961 – Herman, Estonian-Finnish clergyman (b. 1878)
- 1965 – Jeanette MacDonald, American actress and singer (b. 1903)
- 1966 – Bill Carr, American runner (b. 1909)
- 1966 – Sergei Korolev, Ukrainian-Russian engineer (b. 1906)
- 1968 – Dorothea Mackellar, Australian poet (b. 1885)
- 1970 – William Feller, Croatian-American mathematician (b. 1906)
- 1972 – Horst Assmy, German footballer (b. 1933)
- 1972 – Frederick IX of Denmark (b. 1899)
- 1976 – Abdul Razak Hussein, Malaysian politician, 2nd Prime Minister of Malaysia (b. 1922)
- 1977 – Anthony Eden, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1897)
- 1977 – Peter Finch, English-Australian actor (b. 1916)
- 1977 – Anaïs Nin, French author (b. 1903)
- 1978 – Harold Abrahams, English sprinter, lawyer, and journalist (b. 1899)
- 1978 – Kurt Gödel, Austrian-American mathematician and philosopher (b. 1906)
- 1978 – Robert Heger, German conductor and composer (b. 1886)
- 1978 – Blossom Rock, American actress (b. 1895)
- 1979 – Thomas DeSimone, American gangster (b. 1950)
- 1980 – Robert Ardrey, American author (b. 1908)
- 1981 – John O'Grady, Australian author (b. 1907)
- 1984 – Ray Kroc, American businessman (b. 1902)
- 1986 – Daniel Balavoine, French singer-songwriter (b. 1952)
- 1986 – Donna Reed, American actress (b. 1921)
- 1987 – Douglas Sirk, German-American director (b. 1900)
- 1988 – Georgy Malenkov, Soviet politician, 5th Premier of the Soviet Union (b. 1902)
- 1990 – Mani Madhava Chakyar, Indian scholar (b. 1899)
- 1991 – Gordon Bryant, Australian politician (b. 1914)
- 1991 – Jerry Nolan, American drummer (The New York Dolls, The Heartbreakers, and The Pleasure Seekers/Cradle) (b. 1946)
- 1995 – Alexander Gibson, Scottish conductor (b. 1926)
- 1997 – Dollard Ménard, Canadian general (b. 1913)
- 1999 – Muslimgauze, English DJ and producer (b. 1961)
- 1999 – Jerzy Grotowski, Polish director (b. 1933)
- 2000 – Leonard Weisgard, American children's author and illustrator (b. 1916)
- 2001 – Burkhard Heim, German physicist (b. 1925)
- 2001 – Kostas Rigopoulos, Greek actor (b. 1930)
- 2003 – Koloman Sokol, Slovak painter (b. 1902)
- 2004 – Uta Hagen, American actress (b. 1919)
- 2004 – Ron O'Neal, American actor (b. 1937)
- 2005 – Charlotte MacLeod, Canadian-American author (b. 1922)
- 2005 – Conroy Maddox, English painter (b. 1912)
- 2005 – Rudolph Moshammer, German fashion designer (b. 1940)
- 2005 – Jesús Rafael Soto, Venezuelan sculptor and painter (b. 1923)
- 2006 – Henri Colpi, French director (b. 1921)
- 2006 – Jim Gary, American sculptor (b. 1939)
- 2006 – Mark Philo, English footballer (b. 1984)
- 2006 – Shelley Winters, American actress (b. 1920)
- 2007 – Darlene Conley, American actress (b. 1934)
- 2007 – Barbara Kelly, Canadian-English actress (b. 1924)
- 2007 – Robert Noortman, Dutch art dealer (b. 1946)
- 2007 – Vassilis Photopoulos, Greek painter, director, and set designer (b. 1934)
- 2008 – Judah Folkman, American scientist (b. 1933)
- 2009 – Jan Kaplický, Czech architect, designed the Selfridges Building (b. 1937)
- 2009 – Ricardo Montalbán, Mexican actor (b. 1920)
- 2010 – Antonio Fontán, Spanish journalist and politician (b. 1923)
- 2010 – Petra Schürmann, German model and actress, Miss World 1956 (b. 1935)
- 2011 – Peter Post, Dutch cyclist and manager (b. 1933)
- 2012 – Txillardegi, Spanish linguist and politician (b. 1929)
- 2012 – Mircea Ciumara, Romanian politician (b. 1943)
- 2012 – Dan Evins, American businessman, founded Cracker Barrel Old Country Store (b. 1935)
- 2012 – Arfa Karim, Pakistani student and computer programmer (b. 1995)
- 2012 – Lasse Kolstad, Norwegian actor and singer (b. 1922)
- 2013 – Giorgio Alverà, Italian bobsledder (b. 1943)
- 2013 – Conrad Bain, Canadian-American actor (b. 1923)
- 2013 – Fred Flanagan, Australian footballer (b. 1924)
- 2013 – Prospero Gallinari, Italian terrorist (b. 1951)
- 2013 – Maharani Gina Narayan, English-Indian wife of Jagaddipendra Narayan (b. 1930)
- 2013 – Andreas Raab, German computer scientist (b. 1968)
- 2013 – Vic Rowen, American football player and coach (b. 1919)
- 2013 – Jasuben Shilpi, Indian sculptor (b. 1948)
Holidays and observances[edit]
- Christian Feast Day:
- Feast of Divina Pastora (Barquisimeto)
- Feast of the Ass (Medieval Christianity)
- National Flag Day (Georgia)
- National Forest Conservation Day (Thailand)
- Old New Year
- Ratification Day (United States)
- Sidereal winter solstice celebrations in South and Southeast Asian cultures; marking the transition of the Sun to Capricorn, and the first day of the six monthsUttarayana period. (see April 14):
- Magh Bihu (Assam)
- Maghi (Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh)
- Makar Sankranti (India)
- Maghe Sankranti (Nepal)
- The first day of Pongal, a Tamil New Year. (Tamil)
- Uttarayan (Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Rajasthan)
“that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” -2 Corinthians 5:19-20
===
Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon
January 13: Morning
"Jehoshaphat made ships of Tharshish to go to Ophir for gold: but they went not; for the ships were broken at Ezion-geber" - 1 Kings 22:48
Solomon's ships had returned in safety, but Jehoshaphat's vessels never reached the land of gold. Providence prospers one, and frustrates the desires of another, in the same business and at the same spot, yet the Great Ruler is as good and wise at one time as another. May we have grace today, in the remembrance of this text, to bless the Lord for ships broken at Ezion-geber, as well as for vessels freighted with temporal blessings; let us not envy the more successful, nor murmur at our losses as though we were singularly and specially tried. Like Jehoshaphat, we may be precious in the Lord's sight, although our schemes end in disappointment.
The secret cause of Jehoshaphat's loss is well worthy of notice, for it is the root of very much of the suffering of the Lord's people; it was his alliance with a sinful family, his fellowship with sinners. In 2 Ch. 20:37, we are told that the Lord sent a prophet to declare, "Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the Lord hath broken thy works." This was a fatherly chastisement, which appears to have been blest to him; for in the verse which succeeds our morning's text we find him refusing to allow his servants to sail in the same vessels with those of the wicked king. Would to God that Jehoshaphat's experience might be a warning to the rest of the Lord's people, to avoid being unequally yoked together with unbelievers! A life of misery is usually the lot of those who are united in marriage, or in any other way of their own choosing, with the men of the world. O for such love to Jesus that, like him, we may be holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners; for if it be not so with us, we may expect to hear it often said, "The Lord hath broken thy works."
The secret cause of Jehoshaphat's loss is well worthy of notice, for it is the root of very much of the suffering of the Lord's people; it was his alliance with a sinful family, his fellowship with sinners. In 2 Ch. 20:37, we are told that the Lord sent a prophet to declare, "Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the Lord hath broken thy works." This was a fatherly chastisement, which appears to have been blest to him; for in the verse which succeeds our morning's text we find him refusing to allow his servants to sail in the same vessels with those of the wicked king. Would to God that Jehoshaphat's experience might be a warning to the rest of the Lord's people, to avoid being unequally yoked together with unbelievers! A life of misery is usually the lot of those who are united in marriage, or in any other way of their own choosing, with the men of the world. O for such love to Jesus that, like him, we may be holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners; for if it be not so with us, we may expect to hear it often said, "The Lord hath broken thy works."
Evening
"The iron did swim." - 2 Kings 6:6
The axe-head seemed hopelessly lost, and as it was borrowed, the honour of the prophetic band was likely to be imperilled, and so the name of their God to be compromised. Contrary to all expectation, the iron was made to mount from the depth of the stream and to swim; for things impossible with man are possible with God. I knew a man in Christ but a few years ago who was called to undertake a work far exceeding his strength. It appeared so difficult as to involve absurdity in the bare idea of attempting it. Yet he was called thereto, and his faith rose with the occasion; God honoured his faith, unlooked-for aid was sent, and the iron did swim. Another of the Lord's family was in grievous financial straits, he was able to meet all claims, and much more if he could have realized a certain portion of his estate, but he was overtaken with a sudden pressure; he sought for friends in vain, but faith led him to the unfailing Helper, and lo, the trouble was averted, his footsteps were enlarged, and the iron did swim. A third had a sorrowful case of depravity to deal with. He had taught, reproved, warned, invited, and interceded, but all in vain. Old Adam was too strong for young Melancthon, the stubborn spirit would not relent. Then came an agony of prayer, and before long a blessed answer was sent from heaven. The hard heart was broken, the iron did swim.
Beloved reader, what is thy desperate case? What heavy matter hast thou in hand this evening? Bring it hither. The God of the prophets lives, and lives to help his saints. He will not suffer thee to lack any good thing. Believe thou in the Lord of hosts! Approach him pleading the name of Jesus, and the iron shall swim; thou too shalt see the finger of God working marvels for his people. According to thy faith be it unto thee, and yet again the iron shall swim.
Beloved reader, what is thy desperate case? What heavy matter hast thou in hand this evening? Bring it hither. The God of the prophets lives, and lives to help his saints. He will not suffer thee to lack any good thing. Believe thou in the Lord of hosts! Approach him pleading the name of Jesus, and the iron shall swim; thou too shalt see the finger of God working marvels for his people. According to thy faith be it unto thee, and yet again the iron shall swim.
===
Barabbas
[Bārăb'bas] - son of a father or son of return.
The notable prisoner, committed to prison for robbery and murder, but preferred to Christ (Matt. 27:16-26).
The Man Who Had a Substitute
Barabbas should have died for his crimes but Jesus occupied his cross, along with the two other thieves. What a night Barabbas must have spent before Christ was selected in his place! The thief and murderer had visions of a terrible death. All the torture of crucifixion came up before him. Then as the light of morning looked in through the bars of his prison he hears the march of soldiers coming to take him out to his horrible death.
Can we not imagine how stupefied he must have been when he heard the officer of the guard say, "Barabbas you are free. Another is to die in your stead"? When Barabbas came to himself and realized how true the news was, out he went, grateful to the One condemned to die as his substitute. A just and holy Man to die in the place of a thief and murderer? Yes, Barabbas was saved at such a cost. What a picture of divine grace this substitutionary death presents! Thereafter, whenever Barabbas thought of Christ, he could say, "He died for me."
===
Today's reading: Genesis 31-32, Matthew 9:18-38 (NIV)
View today's reading on Bible GatewayToday's Old Testament reading: Genesis 31-32
Jacob Flees From Laban
1 Jacob heard that Laban's sons were saying, "Jacob has taken everything our father owned and has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father." 2 And Jacob noticed that Laban's attitude toward him was not what it had been.
3 Then the LORD said to Jacob, "Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you."
4 So Jacob sent word to Rachel and Leah to come out to the fields where his flocks were. 5 He said to them, "I see that your father's attitude toward me is not what it was before, but the God of my father has been with me. 6 You know that I've worked for your father with all my strength, 7 yet your father has cheated me by changing my wages ten times. However, God has not allowed him to harm me. 8 If he said, 'The speckled ones will be your wages,' then all the flocks gave birth to speckled young; and if he said, 'The streaked ones will be your wages,' then all the flocks bore streaked young. 9 So God has taken away your father's livestock and has given them to me....
Today's New Testament reading: Matthew 9:18-38
Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman
18 While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, "My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live." 19 Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.
20 Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. 21She said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed."
22 Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed at that moment.
23 When Jesus entered the synagogue leader's house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes, 24 he said, "Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep." But they laughed at him.25 After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. 26 News of this spread through all that region....
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