It isn't balanced to have a double standard. It should not happen. Don't expect the media to behave as they should. Demand it. Make them. You might not think it matters, but you should.
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Happy birthday and many happy returns Magda Kowalska and Hang Nguyen. Born on the same day, across the years, along with
- 1432 – Afonso V of Portugal (d. 1481)
- 1622 – Molière, French playwright and actor (d. 1673)
- 1671 – Abraham de la Pryme, English antiquarian (d. 1704)
- 1674 – Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon, French poet (d. 1762)
- 1747 – John Aikin, English doctor (d. 1822)
- 1754 – Richard Martin, Irish politician, co-founded the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (d. 1834)
- 1824 – Marie Duplessis, French courtier (d. 1847)
- 1842 – Mary MacKillop, Australian saint, co-founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart (d. 1909)
- 1870 – Pierre S. du Pont, American businessman (d. 1954)
- 1878 – Johanna Müller-Hermann, Austrian composer (d. 1941)
- 1929 – Martin Luther King, Jr., American minster and activist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1968)
- 1925 – Robert Silverberg, American science fiction author
- 1996 – Dove Cameron, American actress
Matches
- 69 – Otho seizes power in Rome, proclaiming himself Emperor of Rome, but rules for only three months before committing suicide.
- 1541 – King Francis I of France gives Jean-François Roberval a commission to settle the province of New France (Canada) and provide for the spread of the "Holy Catholic faith".
- 1559 – Elizabeth I is crowned Queen of England in Westminster Abbey, London, England.
- 1759 – The British Museum opens.
- 1782 – Superintendent of Finance Robert Morris goes before the U.S. Congress to recommend establishment of a national mint and decimal coinage.
- 1844 – University of Notre Dame receives its charter from the state of Indiana.
- 1865 – American Civil War: Fort Fisher in North Carolina falls to the Union, thus cutting off the last major seaport of the Confederacy.
- 1870 – A political cartoon for the first time symbolizes the Democratic Party with a donkey ("A Live Jackass Kicking a Dead Lion" by Thomas Nast for Harper's Weekly).
- 1889 – The Coca-Cola Company, then known as the Pemberton Medicine Company, is incorporated in Atlanta, Georgia.
- 1892 – James Naismith publishes the rules of basketball.
- 1919 – Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, two of the most prominent socialists in Germany, are tortured and murdered by the Freikorps at the end of theSpartacist uprising.
- 1919 – Boston Molasses Disaster: A large molasses tank in Boston, Massachusetts, bursts and a wave of molasses rushes through the streets, killing 21 people and injuring 150 others.
- 1933 – A twelve-year-old girl experiences the first Marian apparition of Our Lady of Banneux in Banneux, Belgium.
- 1936 – The first building to be completely covered in glass, built for the Owens-Illinois Glass Company, is completed in Toledo, Ohio.
- 1943 – The world's largest office building, The Pentagon, is dedicated in Arlington, Virginia.
- 1947 – The brutalized corpse of Elizabeth Short (The "Black Dahlia") is found in Los Angeles' Leimert Park.
- 1951 – Ilse Koch, "The Witch of Buchenwald", wife of the commandant of the Buchenwald concentration camp, is sentenced to life imprisonment by a court in West Germany.
- 1962 – The Derveni papyrus, Europe's oldest surviving manuscript dating to 340 BC, is found in northern Greece.
- 1967 – The first Super Bowl is played in Los Angeles, California. The Green Bay Packers defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 35–10.
- 1970 – Moammar Gadhafi is proclaimed premier of Libya.
- 1973 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, President Richard Nixon announces the suspension of offensive action in North Vietnam.
- 1974 – Dennis Rader aka the BTK Killer kills his first victims by binding, torturing and murdering Joseph, Joseph II, Josephine and Julie Otero in their house.
- 1976 – Gerald Ford's would-be assassin, Sara Jane Moore, is sentenced to life in prison.
- 1991 – The United Nations deadline for the withdrawal of Iraqi forces from occupied Kuwait expires, preparing the way for the start of Operation Desert Storm.
- 2001 – Wikipedia, a free Wiki content encyclopedia, goes online.
- 2007 – Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, former Iraqi intelligence chief and half-brother of Saddam Hussein, and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, former chief judge of the Revolutionary Court, are executed by hanging in Iraq.
Despatches
- 69 – Galba, Roman emperor (b. 3 BC)
- 570 – Íte of Killeedy, Irish nun and saint (b. 475)
- 849 – Theophylact (b. 793)
- 1790 – John Landen, English mathematician (b. 1719)
- 1804 – Dru Drury, English entomologist (b. 1725)
- 1815 – Emma, Lady Hamilton, English mistress of Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson (b. 1761)
New Zealand is simply beautiful
Andrew Bolt January 15 2014 (12:20am)
Even its weeds by the
road sides are beautiful - lupins, vipers bugloss, briar rose, tobacco
plant, broom, poppies and more. I’ve even see hollyhocks. In the north,
of course, the lushness is a knockout.
Why did I never before consider visiting the place? Now I even lazily dream of buying a cottage just north of Queenstown, lake below, mountains above. In fact, had I millions I would knock on the door of Paradise itself.
Sigh. Back home today
UPDATE
Reader Doc is right about the loveliest ferry ride I’ve ever had - outside perhaps Piraeus to Corfu:
===Why did I never before consider visiting the place? Now I even lazily dream of buying a cottage just north of Queenstown, lake below, mountains above. In fact, had I millions I would knock on the door of Paradise itself.
Sigh. Back home today
UPDATE
Reader Doc is right about the loveliest ferry ride I’ve ever had - outside perhaps Piraeus to Corfu:
Try beating Picton where ‘the boats come in’!You would be mad as a tourist to fly from Wellington to the South Island when you can cruise through the Marlborough Sounds.
www.theaustralian.com.au
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<Well-played, Hurley and Abetz, well-played We don't need more ambulance chasers trying to sue our military personnel defending our borders and cleaning up Labor's mess.>
www.theage.com.au
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www.climatedepot.com
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Stripe Seekers! Where are Wally, Wenda, Wizard Whitebeard and Odlaw? Can you find all four?
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4 her
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www.aish.com
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www.jpost.com
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israelbehindthenews.com
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blogs.timesofisrael.com
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Tu B'Shvat is the Jewish "New Year" of the trees.
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www.algemeiner.com
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www.algemeiner.com
===<The following report recently appeared on Israel’s Channel 10 in the wake of Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman’s proposal for land and population swaps with the PA as a part of a peace accord with Israel (a proposal that had even treacherous Israeli-Arab MK Ahmed Tibi plutzing in his pants).>
http://youtu.be/vIcDi-GNwUo
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www.michaelfreund.org
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calevbenyefuneh.blogspot.se
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WWW.NEWSMAX.COM
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shilohmusings.blogspot.com
===Madu Odiokwu Pastorvin
PRAY WITH ME.
Heavenly Father, I thank You for the gift of life.I want to grow spiritually and be more like You. I choose to trust You in times of adversity knowing that You are working things out for my good. Renew a right attitude in me by Your Spirit in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Heavenly Father, I thank You for the gift of life.I want to grow spiritually and be more like You. I choose to trust You in times of adversity knowing that You are working things out for my good. Renew a right attitude in me by Your Spirit in Jesus’ name. Amen.
=
Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.(Habakkuk 3:17–18, NIV)
We all face challenges, difficulties and times when things don’t go our way. God doesn’t send these storms, but He will allow us to go through certain things in order to shape our character and prove our faith. Really, it’s in our times of difficulty that we grow and develop.
God wants to use the tough times in our lives to do a work in us. He wants to strengthen and develop us. Our attitude in times of adversity is the evidence of our maturity. Are we going to treat people right even when we’re being mistreated? Are we going to stay full of joy even when the bottom falls out? Are we going to be faithful even in the dry seasons of our lives when we don’t see anything good happening?
It may take more effort. You may have to work harder to keep a good attitude, but remember that attitude and faith in God is the key to your promotion. As you keep that positive attitude of faith and expectancy, even in times of adversity, God will deliver you and move you forward into the destiny He has prepared for you.God bless you.
===We all face challenges, difficulties and times when things don’t go our way. God doesn’t send these storms, but He will allow us to go through certain things in order to shape our character and prove our faith. Really, it’s in our times of difficulty that we grow and develop.
God wants to use the tough times in our lives to do a work in us. He wants to strengthen and develop us. Our attitude in times of adversity is the evidence of our maturity. Are we going to treat people right even when we’re being mistreated? Are we going to stay full of joy even when the bottom falls out? Are we going to be faithful even in the dry seasons of our lives when we don’t see anything good happening?
It may take more effort. You may have to work harder to keep a good attitude, but remember that attitude and faith in God is the key to your promotion. As you keep that positive attitude of faith and expectancy, even in times of adversity, God will deliver you and move you forward into the destiny He has prepared for you.God bless you.
Pastor Rick Warren
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Warren Truss
Federal Member for Cowper, Luke Hartsuyker, State Member for Coffs Harbour, Andrew Fraser, and NSW Acting Premier Andrew Stoner, and I turned the first sod on the $780 million 22 kilometre upgrade of the Pacific Highway from Nambucca Heads to Urunga.
The project will build a straighter, four-lane divided highway with grade-separated interchanges that separate local traffic from highway movements, and also involves construction of a new rest area at the Nambucca Heads interchange to give both heavy and light vehicles more opportunities to take regular breaks and reach their destinations safely.
The Australian Government has committed $5.64 billion to complete the Pacific Highway duplication within the decade. This Nambucca Heads to Urunga section is a $780 million project equally funded by the Australian and NSW governments and should be completed and open to traffic in 2016.
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Women's League of Burma exposes the Burmese military's continuing use of rape as a weapon of war in its new report, demonstrating that "Sexual violence is used as a tool by the Burmese military to demoralize and destroy ethnic communities."
Of the 100+ rape cases included - mainly from Kachin and Shan States - almost half of the women were gang-raped, and several victims were as young as eight.
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Sarah Palin
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http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/time-to-scrap-lords-prayer-in-parliament-greens-20140114-30src.html#poll
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January 15: Mattu Pongal (Tamils, 2014); John Chilembwe Day in Malawi; Korean Alphabet Day in North Korea
- 1777 – The Republic of New Connecticutdeclared its independence from several jurisdictions and land claims of the British colonies of New Hampshire and New York.
- 1885 – American photographer Wilson Bentleytook the first known photograph of a snowflake(example pictured) by attaching a bellows camera to a microscope.
- 1937 – Spanish Civil War: Nationalists and Republican forces both withdrew after suffering heavy losses, ending the Second Battle of the Corunna Road.
- 1975 – Portugal signed the Alvor Agreement with UNITA, the MPLA, and the FNLA, ending the Angolan War of Independence.
- 1981 – Hill Street Blues, one of American television's most critically acclaimed shows, aired its pilot episode, "Hill Street Station".
Events[edit]
- 69 – Otho seizes power in Rome, proclaiming himself Emperor of Rome, but rules for only three months before committing suicide.
- 1541 – King Francis I of France gives Jean-François Roberval a commission to settle the province of New France (Canada) and provide for the spread of the "Holy Catholic faith".
- 1559 – Elizabeth I is crowned Queen of England in Westminster Abbey, London, England.
- 1582 – Russia cedes Livonia and Estonia to the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.
- 1759 – The British Museum opens.
- 1777 – American Revolutionary War: New Connecticut (present day Vermont) declares its independence.
- 1782 – Superintendent of Finance Robert Morris goes before the U.S. Congress to recommend establishment of a national mint and decimal coinage.
- 1815 – War of 1812: American frigate USS President, commanded by Commodore Stephen Decatur, is captured by a squadron of four British frigates.
- 1822 – Greek War of Independence: Demetrios Ypsilantis is elected president of the legislative assembly.
- 1844 – University of Notre Dame receives its charter from the state of Indiana.
- 1865 – American Civil War: Fort Fisher in North Carolina falls to the Union, thus cutting off the last major seaport of the Confederacy.
- 1870 – A political cartoon for the first time symbolizes the Democratic Party with a donkey ("A Live Jackass Kicking a Dead Lion" by Thomas Nast for Harper's Weekly).
- 1889 – The Coca-Cola Company, then known as the Pemberton Medicine Company, is incorporated in Atlanta, Georgia.
- 1892 – James Naismith publishes the rules of basketball.
- 1908 – The Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority becomes the first Greek-letter organization founded and established by African American college women.
- 1910 – Construction ends on the Buffalo Bill Dam in Wyoming, United States, which was the highest dam in the world at the time, at 325 ft (99 m).
- 1919 – Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, two of the most prominent socialists in Germany, are tortured and murdered by the Freikorps at the end of theSpartacist uprising.
- 1919 – Boston Molasses Disaster: A large molasses tank in Boston, Massachusetts, bursts and a wave of molasses rushes through the streets, killing 21 people and injuring 150 others.
- 1933 – A twelve-year-old girl experiences the first Marian apparition of Our Lady of Banneux in Banneux, Belgium.
- 1936 – The first building to be completely covered in glass, built for the Owens-Illinois Glass Company, is completed in Toledo, Ohio.
- 1937 – Spanish Civil War: Nationalists and Republican both withdraw after suffering heavy losses, ending the Second Battle of the Corunna Road.
- 1943 – World War II: The Soviet counter-offensive at Voronezh begins.
- 1943 – The world's largest office building, The Pentagon, is dedicated in Arlington, Virginia.
- 1947 – The brutalized corpse of Elizabeth Short (The "Black Dahlia") is found in Los Angeles' Leimert Park.
- 1949 – Chinese Civil War: The Communist forces take over Tianjin from the Nationalist Government.
- 1951 – Ilse Koch, "The Witch of Buchenwald", wife of the commandant of the Buchenwald concentration camp, is sentenced to life imprisonment by a court in West Germany.
- 1962 – The Derveni papyrus, Europe's oldest surviving manuscript dating to 340 BC, is found in northern Greece.
- 1966 – The Nigerian First Republic, led by Abubakar Tafawa Balewa is overthrown in a military coup d'état.
- 1967 – The first Super Bowl is played in Los Angeles, California. The Green Bay Packers defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 35–10.
- 1969 – The Soviet Union launches Soyuz 5.
- 1970 – Nigerian Civil War: After a 32-month fight for independence from Nigeria, Biafra surrenders.
- 1970 – Moammar Gadhafi is proclaimed premier of Libya.
- 1973 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, President Richard Nixon announces the suspension of offensive action in North Vietnam.
- 1974 – Dennis Rader aka the BTK Killer kills his first victims by binding, torturing and murdering Joseph, Joseph II, Josephine and Julie Otero in their house.
- 1975 – The Alvor Agreement is signed, ending the Angolan War of Independence and giving Angola independence from Portugal.
- 1976 – Gerald Ford's would-be assassin, Sara Jane Moore, is sentenced to life in prison.
- 1981 – John Paul II receives a delegation from Solidarity (Polish trade union) at the Vatican led by Lech Walesa.
- 1991 – The United Nations deadline for the withdrawal of Iraqi forces from occupied Kuwait expires, preparing the way for the start of Operation Desert Storm.
- 1991 – Elizabeth II, in her capacity as Queen of Australia, signs letters patent allowing Australia to become the first Commonwealth realm to institute its own Victoria Cross in its honours system.
- 1992 – The international community recognizes the independence of Slovenia and Croatia from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
- 1993 – Salvatore Riina, the Mafia boss known as "The Beast", is arrested in Sicily, Italy after three decades as a fugitive.
- 2001 – Wikipedia, a free Wiki content encyclopedia, goes online.
- 2005 – ESA's SMART-1 lunar orbiter discovers elements such as calcium, aluminum, silicon, iron, and other surface elements on the moon.
- 2007 – Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, former Iraqi intelligence chief and half-brother of Saddam Hussein, and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, former chief judge of the Revolutionary Court, are executed by hanging in Iraq.
- 2009 – US Airways Flight 1549 makes an emergency landing in the Hudson River shortly after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport in New York, New York. All passengers and crew members survive.
Births[edit]
- 1432 – Afonso V of Portugal (d. 1481)
- 1481 – Ashikaga Yoshizumi, Japanese shogun (d. 1511)
- 1538 – Maeda Toshiie, Japanese general (d. 1599)
- 1622 – Molière, French playwright and actor (d. 1673)
- 1671 – Abraham de la Pryme, English antiquarian (d. 1704)
- 1674 – Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon, French poet (d. 1762)
- 1716 – Philip Livingston, American merchant and politician (d. 1778)
- 1747 – John Aikin, English doctor (d. 1822)
- 1754 – Richard Martin, Irish politician, co-founded the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (d. 1834)
- 1791 – Franz Grillparzer, Austrian playwright (d. 1872)
- 1795 – Alexandr Griboyedov, Russian playwright (d. 1829)
- 1803 – Marjorie Fleming, Scottish poet (d. 1811)
- 1809 – Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, French economist and politician (d. 1865)
- 1812 – Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, Norwegian author and scholar (d. 1885)
- 1815 – William Bickerton, English-American religious leader, 3rd President of the Church of Jesus Christ (d. 1905)
- 1816 – Marie Lafarge, French murderer (d. 1852)
- 1824 – Marie Duplessis, French courtier (d. 1847)
- 1834 – Samuel Arza Davenport, American politician (d. 1911)
- 1841 – Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby, English politician, 6th Governor General of Canada (d. 1908)
- 1842 – Josef Breuer, Austrian psychiatrist (d. 1925)
- 1842 – Mary MacKillop, Australian saint, co-founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart (d. 1909)
- 1850 – Leonard Darwin, English soldier and politician (d. 1943)
- 1850 – Mihai Eminescu, Romanian poet (d. 1889)
- 1850 – Sofia Kovalevskaya, Russian mathematician (d. 1891)
- 1855 – Jacques Damala, Greek military officer and actor (d. 1889)
- 1859 – Archibald Peake, Australian politician, 25th Premier of South Australia (d. 1920)
- 1863 – Wilhelm Marx, German lawyer and politician, 17th Chancellor of Germany (d. 1946)
- 1866 – Nathan Söderblom, Swedish archbishop, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1931)
- 1869 – Ruby Laffoon, American politician, 43rd Governor of Kentucky (d. 1941)
- 1869 – Stanisław Wyspiański, Polish playwright (d. 1907)
- 1870 – Pierre S. du Pont, American businessman (d. 1954)
- 1872 – Arsen Kotsoyev, Russian author (d. 1944)
- 1872 – Hugo Rüster, German rower
- 1875 – Thomas Burke, American sprinter (d. 1929)
- 1877 – Lewis Terman, American psychologist (d. 1956)
- 1878 – Johanna Müller-Hermann, Austrian composer (d. 1941)
- 1879 – Mazo de la Roche, Canadian author (d. 1961)
- 1882 – Princess Margaret of Connaught, British-Swedish princess (d. 1920)
- 1885 – Lorenz Böhler, Austrian physician (d. 1973)
- 1885 – Miles Burke, American boxer (d. 1928)
- 1885 – Huang Yuanyong, Chinese journalist and author (d. 1915)
- 1885 – Grover Lowdermilk, American baseball player (d. 1968)
- 1890 – Tommy Fleming, American soccer player (d. 1965)
- 1891 – Ray Chapman, American baseball player (d. 1920)
- 1891 – Osip Mandelstam, Russian poet (d. 1938)
- 1892 – Rex Ingram, Irish actor, producer, and director (d. 1950)
- 1893 – Ivor Novello, Welsh singer-songwriter and actor (d. 1951)
- 1894 – Ecaterina Teodoroiu, Romanian soldier (d. 1917)
- 1895 – Artturi Ilmari Virtanen, Finnish chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1973)
- 1897 – Xu Zhimo, Chinese poet (d. 1931)
- 1899 – Goodman Ace, American actor (d. 1982)
- 1900 – William Heinesen, Faroese poet and author (d. 1991)
- 1902 – Saud of Saudi Arabia (d. 1969)
- 1903 – Paul A. Dever, American politician, 58th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1958)
- 1905 – Kamatari Fujiwara, Japanese actor (d. 1985)
- 1905 – Torin Thatcher, English actor (d. 1981)
- 1908 – Edward Teller, Hungarian-American physicist (d. 2003)
- 1909 – Jean Bugatti, German-Italian engineer (d. 1939)
- 1909 – Gene Krupa, American drummer and composer (d. 1973)
- 1912 – Michel Debré, French politician, Prime Minister of France (d. 1996)
- 1913 – Eugène Brands, Dutch painter (d. 2002)
- 1913 – Lloyd Bridges, American actor (d. 1998)
- 1913 – Miriam Hyde, Australian composer and pianist (d. 2005)
- 1913 – Alexander Marinesko, Soviet navy officer (d. 1963)
- 1914 – Hugh Trevor-Roper, English historian (d. 2003)
- 1917 – Anton Raadik, Estonian boxer (d. 1999)
- 1918 – João Figueiredo, Brazilian military leader and politician, 30th President of Brazil (d. 1999)
- 1918 – Édouard Gagnon, Canadian cardinal (d. 2007)
- 1918 – Gamal Abdel Nasser, Egyptian army officer and politician, 2nd President of Egypt (d. 1970)
- 1919 – Maurice Herzog, French mountaineer (d. 2012)
- 1920 – Steve Gromek, American baseball player (d. 2002)
- 1920 – John Joseph O'Connor, American cardinal (d. 2000)
- 1921 – Babasaheb Bhosale, Indian politician, 8th Chief Minister of Maharashtra (d. 2007)
- 1921 – Frank Thornton, English actor (d. 2013)
- 1922 – Eric Willis, Australian politician, 34th Premier of New South Wales (d. 1999)
- 1923 – Ivor Cutler, Scottish poet (d. 2006)
- 1923 – Rukmani Devi, Sri Lankan Tamil singer and actress (d. 1978)
- 1923 – Lee Teng-hui, Taiwanese-Chinese politician, 4th President of the Republic of China
- 1923 – Arthur Quinlan, Irish journalist (d. 2012)
- 1924 – George Lowe, New Zealand-English mountaineer (d. 2013)
- 1925 – Ruth Slenczynska, American pianist
- 1926 – Maria Schell, Austrian-Swiss actress (d. 2005)
- 1927 – Phyllis Coates, American actress
- 1929 – Earl Hooker, American guitarist (d. 1970)
- 1929 – Queen Ida, American accordion player
- 1929 – Martin Luther King, Jr., American minster and activist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1968)
- 1930 – Eddie Graham, American wrestler (d. 1985)
- 1931 – Lee Bontecou, American sculptor
- 1933 – Patricia Blair, American actress (d. 2013)
- 1933 – Frank Bough, English television presenter
- 1933 – Ernest J. Gaines, American author
- 1933 – Peter Maitlis, English retired organometallic chemist
- 1934 – V. S. Ramadevi, Indian politician, 13th Governor of Karnataka (d. 2013)
- 1935 – Malcolm Frager, American pianist (d. 1991)
- 1925 – Robert Silverberg, American science fiction author
- 1936 – Obo Addy, Ghanaian drummer and dancer (d. 2012)
- 1937 – Margaret O'Brien, American actress
- 1938 – Ashraf Aman, Pakistani engineer and mountaineer
- 1938 – Estrella Blanca, Mexican wrestler
- 1938 – Chuni Goswami, Indian footballer and cricketer
- 1939 – Neil Cossons, English academic
- 1941 – Captain Beefheart, American singer-songwriter (d. 2010)
- 1942 – Frank Joseph Polozola, American judge (d. 2013)
- 1942 – Barbara Tarbuck, American actress
- 1943 – Margaret Beckett, English politician
- 1943 – Stuart E. Eizenstat, American diplomat and lawyer
- 1943 – Mike Marshall, American baseball player
- 1944 – Richard Farnes, English conductor
- 1944 – Jenny Nimmo, English author
- 1945 – Vince Foster, American lawyer (d. 1993)
- 1945 – William R. Higgins, American colonel (d. 1990)
- 1945 – Princess Michael of Kent, German-British interior designer and author
- 1945 – David Pleat, English footballer
- 1947 – Andrea Martin, American-Canadian actress
- 1947 – Mary Hogg, English lawyer and judge
- 1947 – Pete Waterman, English record producer
- 1948 – Aldo Zadrima, Albanian chess player
- 1948 – Ronnie Van Zant, American singer-songwriter (Lynyrd Skynyrd) (d. 1977)
- 1949 – Luis Alvarado, Puerto Rican baseball player (d. 2001)
- 1949 – Alasdair Liddell, English businessman (d. 2012)
- 1949 – Panos Mihalopoulos, Greek actor
- 1950 – Marius Trésor, French footballer
- 1952 – Andrzej Fischer, Polish footballer
- 1952 – Teitur Thordarson, Icelandic football coach
- 1953 – Kent Hovind, American evangelist
- 1953 – Ta-Tanisha, American actress
- 1953 – Randy White, American football player
- 1954 – Jose Dalisay, Jr., Filipino poet, author, and scriptwriter
- 1954 – Nikos Sarganis, Greek footballer
- 1954 – Charles Style, English retired Royal Navy officer
- 1955 – Nigel Benson, English author
- 1955 – Mayumi Tanaka, Japanese voice actress
- 1956 – Miki Fujimura, Japanese singer (Candies)
- 1956 – Vitaly Kaloyev, Russian architect
- 1956 – Mayawati, Indian politician, 23rd Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh
- 1956 – Marc Trestman, American football player and coach
- 1957 – Marty Lyons, American football player
- 1957 – Mario Van Peebles, American actor
- 1957 – Andrew Tyrie, English politician
- 1958 – Boris Tadić, Serbian politician, 16th President of Serbia
- 1959 – Sister Carol, Jamaican singer
- 1959 – Pavle Kozjek, Slovenian mountaineer and photographer (d. 2008)
- 1959 – Pete Trewavas, English bass player (Kino, Marillion, Transatlantic, and Edison's Children)
- 1960 – Kelly Asbury, American actor and director
- 1960 – Aaron Jay Kernis, American composer
- 1961 – Serhiy N. Morozov, Ukrainian footballer
- 1961 – Yves Pelletier, Canadian actor and director
- 1963 – Conrad Lant, English singer-songwriter and bass player (Venom and Cronos)
- 1963 – Bruce Schneier, American cryptographer and author
- 1964 – Susan Collins, English artist and academic
- 1964 – Osmo Tapio Räihälä, Finnish composer
- 1965 – Maurizio Fondriest, Italian cyclist
- 1965 – Bernard Hopkins, American boxer
- 1965 – Adam Jones, American guitarist and songwriter (Tool and Electric Sheep)
- 1965 – James Nesbitt, Irish actor
- 1966 – Lisa Lisa, American singer (Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam)
- 1968 – Barry Buchanan, American wrestler
- 1968 – Chad Lowe, American actor, director, and producer
- 1968 – Iñaki Urdangarin, Duke of Palma de Mallorca, Spanish handball player
- 1969 – Meret Becker, German actress and singer
- 1969 – Delino DeShields, American baseball player
- 1969 – Olaf Mertelsmann, German-Estonian historian
- 1969 – Huck Seed, American poker player
- 1970 – Shane McMahon, American wrestler and businessman
- 1971 – Regina King, American actress
- 1972 – Christos Kostis, Greek footballer
- 1972 – Ernie Reyes, Jr. American actor, stuntman, and martial artist
- 1972 – Kobe Tai, Taiwanese-American porn actress
- 1972 – Claudia Winkleman, English journalist
- 1973 – Essam El-Hadary, Egyptian footballer
- 1974 – Edith Bowman, Scottish television and radio host
- 1974 – Danny Cohen, English television executive
- 1974 – Ray King, American baseball player
- 1974 – Tim Shaw, English radio and television host
- 1975 – 9th Wonder, American rapper and producer (Little Brother)
- 1975 – Marc Cartwright, American photographer
- 1975 – Mary Pierce, French tennis player
- 1976 – Corey Chavous, American football player
- 1976 – Doug Gottlieb, American basketball player and sportscaster
- 1976 – Scott Murray, Scottish rugby player
- 1976 – Florentin Petre, Romanian footballer
- 1978 – Eddie Cahill, American actor
- 1978 – Franco Pellizotti, Italian cyclist
- 1978 – Ryan Sidebottom, English cricketer
- 1979 – 3Krazy, American rapper and producer
- 1979 – Drew Brees, American football player
- 1979 – Ken Chu, Taiwanese singer and actor (F4)
- 1979 – Michalis Morfis, Cypriot footballer
- 1979 – Martin Petrov, Bulgarian footballer
- 1980 – Matt Holliday, American baseball player
- 1981 – Howie Day, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1981 – El Hadji Diouf, Senegalese footballer
- 1981 – Vanessa Henke, German tennis player
- 1981 – Sean Lamont, Scottish rugby player
- 1981 – Pitbull, American rapper, producer, and actor
- 1982 – Benjamin Agosto, American skater
- 1982 – Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia
- 1982 – Armando Galarraga, Venezuelan baseball player
- 1982 – Emina Jahović, Serbian-Turkish singer-songwriter and actress
- 1982 – Brett Lebda, Americanice hockey player
- 1982 – Neil Nitin Mukesh, Indian actor
- 1982 – Prince Philip of Yugoslavia
- 1982 – Ari Pulkkinen, Finnish composer
- 1982 – Francis Zé, Cameroonian footballer
- 1983 – Matic Kralj, Slovenian ice hockey player
- 1983 – Jermaine Pennant, English footballer
- 1983 – Hugo Viana, Portuguese footballer
- 1984 – Megan Jendrick, American swimmer
- 1984 – Victor Rasuk, American actor
- 1985 – René Adler, German footballer
- 1985 – Enrico Patrizio, Italian rugby player
- 1985 – Kenneth Emil Petersen, Danish footballer
- 1986 – Fred Davis, American football player
- 1986 – Jessy Schram, American actress
- 1986 – Dinesh Sharma, Jaipur Talwalkars
- 1987 – Greg Inglis, Australian rugby league player
- 1987 – Tsegaye Kebede, Ethiopian runner
- 1987 – Kelly Kelly, American wrestler and model
- 1987 – David Knight, English footballer
- 1987 – Nicole Matthews, Canadian wrestler
- 1987 – Michael Seater, Canadian actor
- 1988 – Daniel Caligiuri, German footballer
- 1988 – Jun. K, South Korean singer-songwriter and actor (2PM)
- 1988 – Aija Putniņa, Latvian basketball player
- 1988 – Skrillex, American singer-songwriter, DJ, and producer (From First to Last and Dog Blood)
- 1989 – Alexei Cherepanov, Russian ice hockey player (d. 2008)
- 1989 – Keiffer Hubbell, American ice dancer
- 1989 – Tasha Reign, American pornographic actress, nude model, stripper, producer and sex columnist
- 1989 – Ronny Vencatachellum, Mauritian swimmer
- 1990 – Paul Blake, English sprinter
- 1990 – Fernando Forestieri, Italian footballer
- 1990 – Konstantinos Sloukas, Greek basketball player
- 1990 – Sophie Sumner, English model
- 1990 – Catherine Thomas, English model
- 1990 – Robert Trznadel, Polish footballer
- 1991 – Marc Bartra, Spanish footballer
- 1991 – Nicolai Jørgensen, Danish footballer
- 1991 – Jahangir Wasim, Pakistani businessman
- 1992 – Joshua King, Norwegian footballer
- 1994 – Jordy Croux, Belgian footballer
- 1996 – Dove Cameron, American actress
Deaths[edit]
- 69 – Galba, Roman emperor (b. 3 BC)
- 570 – Íte of Killeedy, Irish nun and saint (b. 475)
- 849 – Theophylact (b. 793)
- 936 – Rudolph of France (b. 880)
- 1568 – Nicolaus Olahus, Romanian archbishop (b. 1493)
- 1595 – Murat III, Ottoman sultan (b. 1546)
- 1623 – Paolo Sarpi, Italian scientist and scholar (b. 1552)
- 1672 – John Cosin, English clergyman (b. 1594)
- 1683 – Philip Warwick, English politician (b. 1609)
- 1775 – Giovanni Battista Sammartini, Italian organist and composer (b. 1700)
- 1781 – Mariana Victoria of Spain (b. 1718)
- 1790 – John Landen, English mathematician (b. 1719)
- 1804 – Dru Drury, English entomologist (b. 1725)
- 1813 – Anton Bernolák, Slovak linguist and priest (b. 1762)
- 1815 – Emma, Lady Hamilton, English mistress of Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson (b. 1761)
- 1855 – Henri Braconnot, French chemist and pharmacist (b. 1780)
- 1864 – Isaac Nathan, English-Australian composer and journalist (b. 1792)
- 1876 – Eliza McCardle Johnson, American wife of Andrew Johnson, 18th First Lady of the United States (b. 1810)
- 1885 – Leopold Damrosch, German-American conductor (b. 1832)
- 1893 – Fanny Kemble, English-American actress and author (b. 1809)
- 1896 – Mathew Brady, American photographer (b. 1822)
- 1909 – Arnold Janssen, German priest and missionary (b. 1837)
- 1916 – Modest Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Russian playwright (b. 1850)
- 1919 – Karl Liebknecht, German politician (b. 1871)
- 1919 – Rosa Luxemburg, German theorist, philosopher, and economist (b. 1871)
- 1926 – Enrico Toselli, Italian pianist and composer (b. 1883)
- 1936 – Henry Forster, 1st Baron Forster, English politician, 7th Governor-General of Australia (b. 1866)
- 1937 – Anton Holban, Romanian author (b. 1902)
- 1944 – Robert J. Kirby, American police officer (b. 1890)
- 1945 – Wilhelm Wirtinger, Austrian mathematician (b. 1865)
- 1946 – Karl Nabersberg, German youth leader (b. 1908)
- 1947 – Black Dahlia, American murder victim (b. 1924)
- 1948 – Josephus Daniels, American publisher and diplomat, 41st United States Secretary of the Navy (b. 1862)
- 1950 – Henry H. Arnold, American general (b. 1886)
- 1951 – Nikolai Vekšin, Estonian sailor (b. 1887)
- 1952 – Ned Hanlon, Australian politician, 26th Premier of Queensland (b. 1887)
- 1955 – Yves Tanguy, French painter (b. 1900)
- 1964 – Jack Teagarden, American singer-songwriter and trombone player (b. 1905)
- 1967 – David Burliuk, Ukrainian author and illustrator (b. 1882)
- 1968 – Bill Masterton, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1938)
- 1970 – William T. Piper, American businessman, founded Piper Aircraft (b. 1881)
- 1972 – Daisy Ashford, English author (b. 1881)
- 1973 – Coleman Francis, American director (b. 1919)
- 1973 – Ivan Petrovsky, Russian mathematician (b. 1901)
- 1983 – Meyer Lansky, Russian-American gangster (b. 1902)
- 1983 – Armin Öpik, Estonian paleontologist (b. 1898)
- 1983 – Shepperd Strudwick, American actor (b. 1907)
- 1987 – Ray Bolger, American actor, singer, and dancer (b. 1904)
- 1988 – Seán MacBride, French-Irish politician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1904)
- 1990 – Peggy van Praagh, English ballerina, choreographer, and director (b. 1910)
- 1992 – Dee Murray, English bass player (The Mirage, Procol Harum, The Spencer Davis Group and Elton John) (b. 1946)
- 1993 – Sammy Cahn, American songwriter (b. 1913)
- 1994 – Georges Cziffra, Hungarian-French pianist (b. 1921)
- 1994 – Harry Nilsson, American singer-songwriter (b. 1941)
- 1994 – Harilal Upadhyay, Indian author, poet, and astrologist (b. 1916)
- 1995 – Vera Maxwell, American fashion designer (b. 1901)
- 1996 – Les Baxter, American pianist and composer (b. 1922)
- 1996 – Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho (b. 1938)
- 1996 – Rudolf Wanderone, American billiards player (b. 1913)
- 1998 – Gulzarilal Nanda, Indian economist and politician, Prime Minister of India (b. 1898)
- 1998 – Junior Wells, American singer-songwriter and harmonica player (The Aces) (b. 1934)
- 1999 – Betty Box, English film producer (b. 1915)
- 2000 – Georges-Henri Lévesque, Canadian-Dominican priest and sociologist (b. 1903)
- 2000 – Željko Ražnatović, Serbian criminal (b. 1952)
- 2000 – Fran Ryan, American actress (b. 1916)
- 2001 – Ted Mann, American businessman (b. 1916)
- 2001 – Leo Marks, English cryptographer and scriptwriter (b. 1920)
- 2002 – Michael Anthony Bilandic, American politician, American politician, 49th Mayor of Chicago (b. 1923)
- 2002 – Eugène Brands, Dutch painter (b. 1913)
- 2002 – Steve Gromek, American baseball player (b. 1920)
- 2003 – Doris Fisher, American singer-songwriter (b. 1915)
- 2004 – Terje Bakken, Norwegian singer-songwriter (Windir) (b. 1978)
- 2004 – Olivia Goldsmith, American author (b. 1949)
- 2005 – Victoria de los Ángeles, Catalan soprano (b. 1923)
- 2005 – Walter Ernsting, German author (b. 1920)
- 2005 – Elizabeth Janeway, American author (b. 1913)
- 2005 – Dan Lee, Canadian animator (b. 1969)
- 2005 – Ruth Warrick, American actress (b. 1915)
- 2006 – Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Saudi Arabian Emir of Kuwait (b. 1926)
- 2006 – El Texano, Mexican wrestler (b. 1958)
- 2007 – Awad Hamed al-Bandar, Iraqi judge (b. 1945)
- 2007 – Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, Iraqi intelligence officer (b. 1951)
- 2007 – James Hillier, Canadian-American scientist, inventor of electron microscope (b. 1915)
- 2007 – Pura Santillan-Castrence, Filipino diplomat (b. 1905)
- 2007 – David Vanole, American soccer player (b. 1963)
- 2007 – Bo Yibo, Chinese military leader and politician (b. 1908)
- 2008 – Robert V. Bruce, American historian (b. 1923)
- 2008 – Mark Haigh-Hutchinson, English video game designer (b. 1964)
- 2008 – Brad Renfro, American actor (b. 1982)
- 2009 – Lincoln Verduga Loor, Ecuadorian journalist and politician (b. 1917)
- 2011 – Nat Lofthouse, English footballer (b. 1925)
- 2012 – Carlo Fruttero, Italian author and journalist (b. 1926)
- 2012 – Manuel Fraga Iribarne, Spanish politician, 3rd President of the Xunta of Galicia (b. 1922)
- 2013 – Generous, Irish horse (b. 1988)
- 2013 – Eifan Saadoun Al Issawi, Iraqi politician (b. 1970)
- 2013 – Yang Baibing, Chinese general and politician (b. 1920)
- 2013 – Chucho Castillo, Mexican boxer (b. 1944)
- 2013 – Daniel Edelman, American publicist, founded Edelman (b. 1920)
- 2013 – George Gund III, American businessman (b. 1937)
- 2013 – Balthazar Korab, Hungarian-American photographer (b. 1926)
- 2013 – Princess Margarita of Baden (b. 1932)
- 2013 – Nagisa Oshima, Japanese director and screenwriter (b. 1932)
- 2013 – Zurab Popkhadze, Georgian footballer (b. 1972)
- 2013 – Robert Gordon Robertson, Canadian civil servant (b. 1917)
- 2013 – John Thomas, American high jumper (b. 1941)
- 2013 – Yuli Turovsky, Russian-Canadian conductor and cellist (b. 1939)
Holidays and observances[edit]
- Armed Forces Day (Nigeria)
- Army Day (India)
- Christian Feast Day:
- Earliest day on which International Fetish Day can fall, while January 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Friday in January.
- Earliest day on which Martin Luther King, Jr. Day can fall, while January 21 is the latest; celebrated on the third Monday in January. (United States)
- John Chilembwe Day (Malawi)
- Korean Alphabet Day (North Korea)
- One of the two Carmentalia, in honor of Carmenta. (Roman Empire)
- The second day of the sidereal winter solstice festivals in India (see January 14):
- Maatu Pongal, celebrated by performing Jallikattu (Tamil)
- Tree Planting Day (Egypt)
“Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.” - 1 John 4:20-21
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Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon
January 14: Morning
"Mighty to save." - Isaiah 63:1
By the words "to save" we understand the whole of the great work of salvation, from the first holy desire onward to complete sanctification. The words are multum in parro: indeed, here is all mercy in one word. Christ is not only "mighty to save" those who repent, but he is able to make men repent. He will carry those to heaven who believe; but he is, moreover, mighty to give men new hearts and to work faith in them. He is mighty to make the man who hates holiness love it, and to constrain the despiser of his name to bend the knee before him. Nay, this is not all the meaning, for the divine power is equally seen in the after-work. The life of a believer is a series of miracles wrought by "the Mighty God." The bush burns, but is not consumed. He is mighty to keep his people holy after he has made them so, and to preserve them in his fear and love until he consummates their spiritual existence in heaven. Christ's might doth not lie in making a believer and then leaving him to shift for himself; but he who begins the good work carries it on; he who imparts the first germ of life in the dead soul, prolongs the divine existence, and strengthens it until it bursts asunder every bond of sin, and the soul leaps from earth, perfected in glory. Believer, here is encouragement. Art thou praying for some beloved one? Oh, give not up thy prayers, for Christ is "mighty to save." You are powerless to reclaim the rebel, but your Lord is Almighty. Lay hold on that mighty arm, and rouse it to put forth its strength. Does your own case trouble you? Fear not, for his strength is sufficient for you. Whether to begin with others, or to carry on the work in you, Jesus is "mighty to save;" the best proof of which lies in the fact that he has saved you. What a thousand mercies that you have not found him mighty to destroy!
Evening
"Beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me." - Matthew 14:30
Sinking times are praying times with the Lord's servants. Peter neglected prayer at starting upon his venturous journey, but when he began to sink his danger made him a suppliant, and his cry though late was not too late. In our hours of bodily pain and mental anguish, we find ourselves as naturally driven to prayer as the wreck is driven upon the shore by the waves. The fox hies to its hole for protection; the bird flies to the wood for shelter; and even so the tried believer hastens to the mercy seat for safety. Heaven's great harbour of refuge is All-prayer; thousands of weather-beaten vessels have found a haven there, and the moment a storm comes on, it is wise for us to make for it with all sail.
Short prayers are long enough. There were but three words in the petition which Peter gasped out, but they were sufficient for his purpose. Not length but strength is desirable. A sense of need is a mighty teacher of brevity. If our prayers had less of the tail feathers of pride and more wing they would be all the better. Verbiage is to devotion as chaff to the wheat. Precious things lie in small compass, and all that is real prayer in many a long address might have been uttered in a petition as short as that of Peter.
Our extremities are the Lord's opportunities. Immediately a keen sense of danger forces an anxious cry from us the ear of Jesus hears, and with him ear and heart go together, and the hand does not long linger. At the last moment we appeal to our Master, but his swift hand makes up for our delays by instant and effectual action. Are we nearly engulfed by the boisterous waters of affliction? Let us then lift up our souls unto our Saviour, and we may rest assured that he will not suffer us to perish. When we can do nothing Jesus can do all things; let us enlist his powerful aid upon our side, and all will be well.
Short prayers are long enough. There were but three words in the petition which Peter gasped out, but they were sufficient for his purpose. Not length but strength is desirable. A sense of need is a mighty teacher of brevity. If our prayers had less of the tail feathers of pride and more wing they would be all the better. Verbiage is to devotion as chaff to the wheat. Precious things lie in small compass, and all that is real prayer in many a long address might have been uttered in a petition as short as that of Peter.
Our extremities are the Lord's opportunities. Immediately a keen sense of danger forces an anxious cry from us the ear of Jesus hears, and with him ear and heart go together, and the hand does not long linger. At the last moment we appeal to our Master, but his swift hand makes up for our delays by instant and effectual action. Are we nearly engulfed by the boisterous waters of affliction? Let us then lift up our souls unto our Saviour, and we may rest assured that he will not suffer us to perish. When we can do nothing Jesus can do all things; let us enlist his powerful aid upon our side, and all will be well.
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Asher
[Ăsh'ûr] - happy.
The eighth son of Jacob and second of Zilpah, Leah's maid and progenitor of a tribe (Gen. 30:13, 35:26; 49:20;Deut. 33:24, 25). The New Testament form is Aser (Luke 2:36; Rev. 7:6). Asher was the founder of the Asherites (Num. 1:13; Judg. 1:32). Also the name of a town east of Shechem ( Josh. 17:7).
The Man with Shoes of Iron and Brass
In the blessings of Jacob and Moses, Asher is described as being not only acceptable to his brethren, but as one blessed of God with royal dainties or bountiful supplies. Of all the tribes of Israel the tribe of Asher has the least eventful history. It never produced a great warrior, judge, king or counselor. The land of Asher was as uneventful as the tribe itself. No great battles were fought there in Israel's time.
I. Asher and his bounties. Asher was the tribe of rich pastures. Asher dwelt in the midst of plenty and being willing to share what he had, was most acceptable to his brethren. Dipping the foot in oil may refer to the olive-trees, so plentiful in that thickly wooded part of Palestine. Acre, the port and town given to Asher, has been regarded as the key of Palestine, and as oil has been recently discovered near by, perhaps the fatness of the prophecies of Jacob and Moses is about to be realized to the full.
II. Asher and his female representative. No other tribe of Israel is represented in Scripture by a woman. One member of the tribe, a widow, represents the individual history of the tribe. "One Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher" (Luke 2:36-38). It was Anna who confessed Christ, at His birth, on the part of Israel.
III. Asher and his love of ease. The chief defect in the character of Asher was his unwillingness to drive out the Canaanites. He was content to dwell among them. The command was to utterly drive them out and make no terms with them. "Live and let live," seems to have been Asher's policy. Asher's rich bounties had an enervating effect upon the tribe. The people were conspicuous by their absence during the war with Sisera (Judg. 5:17). Apart from Anna, none of the tribe appear to have been eminent for prowess or piety. Prosperity resulted in ease and declension.
IV. Asher and the promise of endurance. Completing the blessing of Moses was a wonderful promise of endurance for the days of pilgrimage. "Thy shoes shall be iron and brass, and as thy days so shall thy strength be." The words for shoes and strength are peculiar to this verse, and are found nowhere else in the Bible. Many guesses have been made as to the true meaning of these words. Such a promise was well understood by those who, as they journeyed through the great and terrible wilderness had raiment that waxed not old upon them and feet that did not swell. Anna is a fitting illustration of the promised endurance, seeing that she was long past eighty years of age when she saw the Saviour.
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Today's reading: Genesis 33-35, Matthew 10:1-20 (NIV)
View today's reading on Bible GatewayToday's Old Testament reading: Genesis 33-35
Jacob Meets Esau
1 Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men; so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two female servants. 2 He put the female servants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph in the rear. 3 He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.
4 But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept. 5Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. "Who are these with you?" he asked.
Jacob answered, "They are the children God has graciously given your servant...."
Today's New Testament reading: Matthew 10:1-20
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve
1 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give....
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Bible Gateway's 2010 in Review
The New Year is well underway now, and all of us at Bible Gateway hope it's off to a great start for you and yours! Looking back, we are happy to say that 2010 was a good year for us at Bible Gateway. We are blessed to be part of an extraordinary community of people-people who visit Bible Gateway to undergo the life-changing experience of reading God's Word.
You might be interested to know that, in 2010:
- More than 70 million people visited Bible Gateway.
- We spent more than 23 million hours (over 1.4 billion minutes!) reading Scripture on Bible Gateway.
- More than 18 million people visited Bible Gateway from outside the United States.
- We had visitors from more than 236 countries or territories.
- Three of our top ten most popular Bible translations were Spanish language versions.
- People visiting Bible Gateway on mobile devices increased by 83% over last year, and by 51% for mobile device visits from outside the United States.
It is clear that Bible Gateway continues to be a favorite online destination for people who want to read God's Word, and more people than ever are finding Bible Gateway on their mobile devices or from countries around the globe, some of which offer only restricted access to the Bible, if any at all. Praise the Lord!
What's in Store for 2011
We are immensely blessed by this opportunity to share the Bible with people in as many languages and translations as we are allowed. With this opportunity comes great responsibility, and we take it very seriously. In 2011, we are in a position to continue growing and become an even more powerful force for God in the world, and we aim to be worthy stewards of such a responsibility.
Here are some of the things we are working on to continue making Bible Gateway a home for all those who wish to engage with the Holy Scriptures:
- The new BibleGateway.com design. You can see our work in progress at http://beta.biblegateway.com. This new design focuses on keeping Bible search and reading as easy to use as ever, while offering some enhanced features like improved parallel viewing, integrated Bible audio. Eventually, we'll add features that allow you to personalize your Bible Gateway experience.
- New translations. We are constantly working on adding new translations and enhancing existing ones. We recently added the Common English Bible and the Chinese Contemporary Bible. The Nuevo Traduccion Viviente is nearly ready to go live, as are the SBL Greek New Testament and the Phillips New Testament. We are so very grateful to our many publishing partners who allow us to license these translations and share them with you online.
- More newsletters. In 2010, we introduced email newsletters to Bible Gateway for the first time. In 2011, we plan to bring you more newsletter options to choose from, including devotionals, verses-of-the-day in other languages and translations, and even an exclusive apologetics newsletter we will talk more about in the coming months.
- A mobile app. That's right! We're working on it. Stay tuned in the coming months for news on this.
I want to take a moment to thank you, our dear visitors and readers. We are here for you by God's blessing because you have supported us over the years-by praying for us, by visiting the site, and by holding us accountable when we've gone astray. We humbly ask you to continue upholding us in these ways in the coming days, months, and years.
As we endeavor to make Bible Gateway an ever better place to read and study Scripture, we remain committed to the core of what makes us tick: the transforming Word of God. Scripture tells us to
"Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord's people who are in need." (Romans 12:11-12, NIV)
By God's grace, may we be blessed to continue zealously sharing with the Lord's people around the world-both online and off-the living, breathing Word of God, every day, for as long as we are able.
Richest blessings for a Word-filled 2011!
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Get a free copy of Tortured for Christ
It was the book that shocked the nation. After surviving 14 years in communist prisons, Pastor Richard Wurmbrand came to America to proclaim the trials and testimonies of our persecuted brothers and sisters.
In Tortured for Christ, Wurmbrand tells of his imprisonment for his work with the underground church and introduces the work of The Voice of the Martyrs. Forty years later, The Voice of the Martyrs remains true to its calling to be a voice for persecuted Christians, to serve with them in their time of need and to assist them in their efforts to proclaim the gospel.
In Tortured for Christ, Wurmbrand tells of his imprisonment for his work with the underground church and introduces the work of The Voice of the Martyrs. Forty years later, The Voice of the Martyrs remains true to its calling to be a voice for persecuted Christians, to serve with them in their time of need and to assist them in their efforts to proclaim the gospel.
We would like to extend this special opportunity for you to request a complimentary copy of Tortured for Christ. Help spread the message of today's persecuted church.
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