Saints

Introduction

By Paul Anderson

For December, my son had me listen to the tale of Krampus.  Who knew Santa had an enemy?

Santa Claus, my dear old friend, you are a thief, a traitor, a slanderer, a murderer, a liar, but worst of all you are a mockery of everything for which I stood. You have sung your last ho, ho, ho, for I am coming for your head. . . . I am coming to take back what is mine, to take back Yuletide . . .

- Krampus (from the book, Krampus: The Yule Lord)

 

Since the folklore about Krampus originates from German and Scandinavian mythology, I was quite interested, having both German and Scandinavian 2nd Great-Grandparents.  

6 Germany, 4 Sweden, 3 England, 2 Norway, 1 Ireland

In his book, There Really is a Santa Claus - History of Saint Nicholas & Christmas Holiday Traditions, William J. Federer makes the case that the life of Saint Nicholas (March 15, 270 - December 6, 343)  was embellished into the legend of Santa Claus.

It turns out the Feast of Saint Nicholas is celebrated December 6th.  On the preceding evening of December 5th, Krampus Night or Krampusnacht, is celebrated.  Saint Nick handles the good kids and passes out gifts while Krampus takes care of the naughty kids with coal and a bundle of sticks.  Is it any wonder that I knew nothing of Krampus?  I was such a good kid.

 

So, I thought maybe I should know more about saints.

There are more than 10,000 saints recognized by the Roman Catholic Church.  Saint Nicholas is the most popular Greek Orthodox saint, like Peter to Catholics and Patrick to Irish.

These saints seem to be the precursor to the National Days we have now and are mainly just reasons for people to eat.  For example, here are some current National Days:

• NATIONAL DARK CHOCOLATE DAY – February 1
• NATIONAL TATER TOT DAY – February 2
• NATIONAL CARROT CAKE DAY – February 3
• NATIONAL HOMEMADE SOUP DAY – February 4
• NATIONAL FROZEN YOGURT DAY – February 6
• NATIONAL FETTUCCINE ALFREDO DAY – February 7
• NATIONAL PIZZA DAY – February 9
• NATIONAL PEPPERMINT PATTY DAY – February 11
• NATIONAL PLUM PUDDING DAY – February 12
• NATIONAL CHEDDAR DAY – February 13
• NATIONAL CREAM-FILLED CHOCOLATES DAY – February 14

Is it any wonder that some of our National Days are directly related to saints?  

Not only is February 14th a day for cream-filled chocolates, but also it is the feast day for Saint Valentine.  Saint Patrick's feast day, March 17th, is also NATIONAL CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE DAY.  Saint Nicholas's feast day is also NATIONAL GAZPACHO DAY.  Since gazpacho hasn't taken off in America, this is the primary reason we changed his name to Santa Claus and moved our feast to the 25th of December.

Even Halloween is tied to saints.  As the number of martyrs and saints increased, there weren't enough days in the year to honor all of them.  So, one day was set aside for all saints.

All Saints Day was made a day of obligation on November 1, 835 in the area of France before it became the Holy Roman Empire.  It is also known as All Hallows' Day, which was part of a larger, 3-day celebration from October 31st to November 2nd called Allhallowtide, and it precedes All Souls' Day, which commemorates the faithful departed.  The day before All Saints Day was known as All Hallows' Eve and became our Halloween and NATIONAL CARAMEL APPLE DAY!

If you think the National Days are crazy, you probably didn't know that this stems from the patronage of the Saints.  Here are some of their stranger patronages:

• ST. VALENTINE – GREETING CARD MANUFACTURERS
• ST. PATRICK – AGAINST ABNORMAL FEAR OF SNAKES
• ST. CLOTILDE – DISAPPOINTING CHILDREN
• ST. DROGO – UNATTRACTIVE PEOPLE
• ST. DRAUSNIUS – INVINCIBLE PEOPLE
• ST. GERMAIN COUSIN – GIRLS FROM RURAL AREAS
• ST. ARNOLD – BEER
• ST. BIBIANA – HANGOVERS
• ST. VITUS – OVERSLEEPING
• ST. CORNELIUS – TWITCHING
• ST. POLYCARP OF SMYRNA – DYSENTERY

So, I wondered if the Bible started all this craziness.

Here are my top 12 verses on Saints:

Jesus On Saints

Matthew 16:16-19 King James Version

16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Matthew 27:50-52 King James Version

50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,

John 21:20-25 King James Version

20 Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?

21 Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?

22 Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.

23 Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?

24 This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true.

25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

Acts 9:4-6 King James Version

4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

Saints In The New Testament

Romans 1:7 King James Version

7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 6:2 King James Version

2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

1 Peter 1:14-16 King James Version

14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:

15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Revelation 15:3 King James Version

3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.

Saints In The Old Testament

Deuteronomy 33:1-3 King James Version

1 And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death.

2 And he said, The Lord came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them.

3 Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand: and they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words.

2 Chronicles 6:38-41 King James Version

38 If they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captives, and pray toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name:

39 Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive thy people which have sinned against thee.

40 Now, my God, let, I beseech thee, thine eyes be open, and let thine ears be attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.

41 Now therefore arise, O Lord God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness.

Psalm 97:10 King James Version

10 Ye that love the Lord, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.

Daniel 7:16-18 King James Version

16 I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.

17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.

18 But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.

Conclusion Of The Whole Matter

The word "saint" occurs close to one hundred times in the King James Version.  However, 

not all translations use that term.  In fact, the NIV has zero occurrences of "saints" and prefers the phrase "holy ones."  The use of "saint" may stem from the fact that "Holy One" is a title of Jesus.  While Peter says that Christians are to be holy like God is holy, there is a difference between Christ's holiness and the holiness of Christians.  Therefore, having a term to distinguish the righteous from the unrighteous who have not yet achieve the perfection of Christ is why the word "saint" has remained in use.

Saint is more frequent in the New Testament with close to twice the Old Testament references, and the Psalms have the vast majority of those uses.  It is interesting to note that most of the OT occurrences appear in blessings, songs, and prayers.

Jesus doesn't use the term "saint."  The only occurrence of the word in the Gospels is after His death when many were resurrected.  So, while the NT doesn't make a distinction between different Christians with the word "saint," I chose a couple of verses from those who have been set apart as special Saints:  Saint Peter, Saint Paul, and Saint John.

It was interested to see that Saint Peter and Saint Paul share a feast day on June 29th.  Saint John has his feast day on December 27th.  Being the Beloved Disciple and having his feast so close to Christmas, it is surprising that John didn't get a major holiday like Saint Valentine, Saint Patrick, or Saint Nicholas.  

At least, John got a city named after himself.  In fact, if it weren't for the Saints, we would probably have to use numbers for all the places named after them.  For example, Santa Fe might be called 1610 rather than it's full Spanish name:  La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asis (The Royal Town of the Holy Faith of St. Francis of Assisi).

If you haven't got a city named after yourself just yet, don't fear.  Another title for Christ is King Of Saints.  He is the King and all Christians are his servants.  And when he returns, you can add Saint to your name and use it for one of your cities (Luke 19:12-19).

98 Bible results for “saint” from King James Version.

• Old Testament (36)
• New Testament (62)

0 Bible results for “saints” from NIV.

Scripture contributions for December 2022 by: Paul Anderson, Matthew Anderson

Small Steps

Introduction

By Paul Anderson

I have been trying to write a book about chess.  I am not a good writer.  It has been a lot harder than I thought.  So, I have been trying to look at the areas where I have been better meeting goals, learn from them, and apply them to the book idea.  I came up with the acronym C.H.E.S.S. Goals to describe key parts of achieving goals.  I have done Bible Studies on the first four elements.

 

C ounselors

H abits

E quipment

S tatistics

S ?

 

So, what is the final element in the C.H.E.S.S. Goals?

Well, here is a clue:  The Parthenon.

The Parthenon - Nashville, TN

This is not the real Parthenon.  This is a full-scale replica built in 1897 as part of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition.  Actually, the original replica was built of plaster, wood, and brick.  It was not intended to be permanent, but the cost of demolishing the structure and its popularity with residents kept it standing after the Exposition. In 1920, it was rebuilt on the same foundations but, this time, in concrete. 

The Parthenon is regarded as the finest example of Greek architecture, despite the fact that it has virtually no straight lines or right angles.  It stands on a platform of three massive steps that curve upward.  

"Vitruvius, who was an architect of the Roman period, believed that refinements like the upward curvature of the steps were made to compensate for optical illusion. Vitruvius believed that a perfectly straight line carried over a long distance would appear to sag, and he suggested the upward curvature of the long steps of the Parthenon would counteract that optical illusion, making the line look straight." 

- Jeffrey Hurwit, professor of art history at the University of Oregon

If one were to stand on the top step and look lengthwise along the building at someone else also standing at the other end, they would only see each other from the knees up.  Another problem with the steps is their size.  They are much too large for people to walk up comfortably.  Therefore, the builders had to add smaller steps at each end for ease of access.

You see, if you have the goal of getting inside the structure, you are going to want to take the small steps.  I tried to climb up the big steps, and it is a good thing there are only three of them because I had to push on my thighs just to make it to the same level I easily walked up to on the small steps.

So, I thought I would see what the Bible says about the last letter in the C.H.E.S.S. Goals, Small Steps.

Here are my top 12 verses on Small Steps:

Jesus On Small Steps

Matthew 25:21 King James Version

21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Mark 4:30-32 King James Version

30 And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?

31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:

32 But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.

Luke 10:27 King James Version

27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

John 6:9-11 King James Version

9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?

10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.

11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.

Small Steps In The New Testament

Acts 14:15-16 King James Version

15 And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:

16 Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.

Galatians 5:9 King James Version

9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

James 3:3-5 King James Version

3 Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.

4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.

5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!

1 Peter 2:21 King James Version

21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

Small Steps In The Old Testament

Deuteronomy 32:2 King James Version

2 My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:

Job 29:6 King James Version

6 When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;

Proverbs 4:11-13 King James Version

11 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.

12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.

Isaiah 60:22 King James Version

22 A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the Lord will hasten it in his time.

Conclusion Of The Whole Matter

Small Steps may be one idea in the C.H.E.S.S. Goals, but it is a two-word study in the Bible.  So, I looked up both "Small" and "Steps."  They both occur most often in the Old Testament.  However, I stuck with my usual tradition of just picking 4 verses from the OT, 4 verses from the NT, and 4 verses from Jesus.  This means I had to cut back on some of the OT verses I liked.  For example, the Wisdom literature is ripe with Step references.  It is most common in the Psalms with 10 occurrences.  There were a couple of Proverbs I liked, but I wanted to spread the wealth to other parts of the OT.  So, this proverb didn't make the top 12:

A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.

Proverbs 16:9 King James Version

You can get the same idea with the other verses, but I liked how pithy this one is.  I used to think that God would allow you to choose the minor details of your life and implement His will in the major areas.  However, this verse gives me a different impression.  The way seems bigger than the steps, and you control the way while God controls the steps.  I guess it makes sense when I think about the broad and narrow way (Matthew 7:13-14).  You get to pick the way you go, but God will direct your steps to get you the best shot a picking the right way.  I didn't know it was an expression and it makes me smile to think about  it, but I guess God is out there buttering our steps.  Having never walked on butter, I am just assuming that is a good thing.

The New Testament is a little more guarded about what Steps to choose.  Paul reminds us that God was patient when the nations chose their own way, and Peter makes it clear whose steps we should follow.

As far as starting small goes, both the OT and NT are on the same page.  God has a habit of starting with very little and making it grow.  Noah's flood started with just a couple drops of rain.  The nation of Israel started with one promise to Abraham.  And the Church started with just 12 disciples.  Of course, Paul is there to caution us about choosing the right Small Steps when he refers to a little leaven.  The wrong steps over time will effect which the way you go. 

97 Bible results for “small” from King James Version.

• Old Testament (79)
• New Testament (18)

38 Bible results for “steps” from King James Version.

• Old Testament (35)
• New Testament (3)

Scripture contributions for November 2022 by: Paul Anderson, Matthew Anderson

Statistics

Introduction

By Paul Anderson

I am a stat guy.  In Little League, I had more fun sitting in the announcer's booth filling in the score sheet than being on the field.  I would be the one guy in the stands at Wrigley Field filling in the program and having my mom get my hot dog with ketchup so I didn't miss a pitch.  Actually, last time I was there, I skipped the stats and snuck onto the field and had center fielder, number 37, Michael Hermosillo, take my photo at the Friendly Confines.   Here are his stats this year:

Year	Team	GP	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	HR	Avg
2022	Cubs	31	61	7	7	4	7	27	0	.115

Wrigley Field, Home of the 2016 World Champion Chicago Cubs

Now, my obsession with collecting stats is paying dividends with counting my steps and logging everything I eat.  It has helped me lose 120 pounds and got my health goals on track.  But the health goals aren't the only thing I track.  With the increased amount of exercise, I have started listening to books as I walk.  So, I track that too.  This year, I have listened to 16 books for 203 hours.

Year	Description	Hours	Minutes	Hours
2022	A Course In Miracles: Text, Vol. 1	37	26	37
	Benjamin Franklin: An American Life	24	40	25
	Discipline Is Destiny	7	17	7
	Dune	21	2	21
	Dying Every Day	8	39	9
	How Not To Be Wrong: The Power Of Mathematical Thinking	13	29	13
	How To Think Like A Roman Emperor	8	30	9
	Mere Christianity	7	6	7
	Rome's Last Citizen	13	9	13
	Spark Joy	5	31	6
	The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin	6	35	7
	The Book Of Mormon	28	51	29
	The Compound Effect	4	44	5
	The Four Loves	2	7	2
	The Power Of Habit	10	53	11
	The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde	3	7	3
2022 Total		196	426	203

My favorite book has to be The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.  He was a tracker too.  He used a spread sheet to track his list of 13 virtues:  Temperance, Silence, Order, Resolution, Frugality, Industry, Sincerity, Justice, Moderation, Cleanliness, Tranquility, Chastity and Humility.  While he failed to achieve his lofty goal, he felt that he benefited from the effort of collecting statistics.

“On the whole, tho’ I never arrived at the Perfection I had been so ambitious of obtaining, but fell short of it...Yet as I was, by the Endeavor, a better and a happier Man than I otherwise should have been if I had not attempted it.”

- Benjamin Franklin

So, I thought I would see what the Bible says about statistics.

Here are my top 12 verses on Statistics:

Jesus On Statistics

Matthew 10:30 King James Version

30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Mark 8:19-20 King James Version

19 When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve.

20 And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven.

Luke 14:31-32 King James Version

31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?

32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.

John 21:10-13 King James Version

10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.

11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.

12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.

13 Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.

Statistics In The New Testament

Luke 2:3 King James Version

3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

Acts 2:41 King James Version

41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

Galatians 4:10 King James Version

10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.

Revelation 13:18 King James Version

18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

Statistics In The Old Testament

Exodus 30:11-12 King James Version

11 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

12 When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the Lord, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them.

Numbers 1:2-3 King James Version

2 Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, after their families, by the house of their fathers, with the number of their names, every male by their polls;

3 From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies.

2 Samuel 24:9-10 King James Version

9 And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

10 And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the Lord, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O Lord, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.

Job 14:16 King James Version

16 For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?

Conclusion Of The Whole Matter

Statistic is another word that is difficult to study in the Bible.  It has zero occurrences in most, if not all, translations.  The closest synonyms are Number or Count.  However, these words return so many results that you can get overwhelmed with the data.  The search engine I use also returns words that include the search term.  So, Count is highly inflated due to occurrences of Country and Countenance.  However, I did find one of my favorite verses that includes the idea of counting and reminds me of chess.  The parable of Two Kings is part of Jesus' teaching on Counting The Cost of being a disciple.  This not the first time in the Bible that people are counted.  From the number of men eligible to fight in war to the number of believers who were baptized, population is the most common statistic in the Bible.

The Number search returns more items that relate to statistics than Count.  From hairs on your head, to the steps you take, to the counting of food, the Bible includes many areas where statistics are collected.  However, it also highlights a possible warning about whether numbering things is a good idea or not.  David was smitten when he numbered the people of  Israel, yet it was God who moved 

David to do it.  Why would God move David to do something that was wrong?  

Perhaps the answer come from Exodus 30.  This commandment seems to allow taking a census.  However, there is a condition attached.  A ransom must be included for their souls of the men who are counted.  In the incident when David numbered the people, there is no mention that he included a ransom.  This could be the reason why this numbering was punished with a plague while other numberings seem to be perfectly acceptable.

0 Bible results for “statistics” from King James Version.

274 Bible results for “number” from King James Version.

346 Bible results for “count” from King James Version.

0 result for “statistics” from previous Solomon's Colonnade studies.

Hill of Ares - Acts 17:18-19

The stoics had four key virtues:  wisdom, justice, courage, and temperance.  Ben Franklin expanded that list into 13 virtues he tracked.  While he included a couple of the stoic virtues, he did leave off courage and wisdom.  It is interesting to me that he included the imitation of Socrates, a precursor to Stoicism.

1. Temperance. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
2. Silence. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.
3. Order. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
4. Resolution. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
5. Frugality. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.
6. Industry. Lose no time; be always employ'd in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
7. Sincerity. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
8. Justice. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
9. Moderation. Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
10. Cleanliness. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.
11. Tranquillity. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
12. Chastity. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation.
13. Humility. Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

Scripture contributions for October 2022 by: Paul Anderson, Matthew Anderson

Equipment

Introduction

By Paul Anderson

One of the reasons for the success of my weight loss (-120 pounds) this time rather than the failures of the past was from having the right equipment.  In the past (2005-2011), I had a plastic pedometer, that looked like a pager and clipped to your belt.  This time (2017-2022), I had a Fitbit activity tracker, which can be worn on the wrist up to 24 hours a day.  In the past, I went on the "Rice Diet," which could explain why I don't eat rice to this day.  This time, I went on the app "CRONOMETER," and logged everything I ate.  This time, it worked.

With the inferior equipment, I logged less steps in 7 years than I did in just my first year with the better equipment:

Year         Steps

2022 2,868,582

2021 3,588,419

2020 3,377,291

2019 3,300,285

2018 3,077,847

2017 2,257,506

2011 147,884

2010 345,572

2009 272,909

2008 336,477

2007 380,312

2006 490,277

2005 229,238

I guess this is what technology is all about:  Giving me better equipment.

Of course, Solomon says, "there is no new thing under the sun."  We have always had ways to track our steps.  If I hadn't been so lazy, I could have been counting my own steps without either device.  And if I had been closer to God, I could have just gotten that information from Him.

Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?

Job 31:4 King James Version

However, I had to overcome my sloth and gluttony first to get closer to God anyway.  So, having a tool that would do the work of counting my steps for me was enough motivation for me to get off my butt and start to slay that demon of sloth.

So, I am not one to reject any technology that will help me get to my goals.  I know there are some who think that using modern equipment is a sin in itself, but then I wonder at what point do you draw that line.  Sure, Pharaoh used the modern chariot of his time to chase down Moses in the desert of Sinai while Moses relied to God to deliver him.  However, later, Solomon, in his wisdom, collected 1,400 chariots for his army (1 Kings 10:26).

I was travelling to South Bend to see my cousin playing safety for the University of California at Berkley's football team (Go Bears!) against the fighting Irish of Notre Dame.  We stayed the night before the game in Goshen, Indiana, which seems to be one of the bigger cities around a community of Amish farms.  I found it amusing to see the hitching posts and horse-drawn carriages outside the hardware store.  I stopped to talk to a family to see if they would let me take a picture.  They wouldn't let me take a picture of them, but they allowed me to get a picture of the vehicle.  I guess the horse had different values than the family.

It reminded of my trip to see my cousin playing safety for the University of California at Berkley's football team (Go Bears!) against the Washington Huskies.  We stayed in Post Falls, Idaho.  It was there that I thought I saw the oldest vehicle technology, a 1919 Packard owned by Milton Hershey.  It turns out that was just the Fitbit to the pedometer of Indiana.

Having flown on an airplane to see both vehicles (and football games), I realize that I am more like Solomon than Moses in that I will take advantage of the modern technology.

Old Equipment - Indiana

New Equipment - Idaho

So, I thought I would see what the Bible says about having the right equipment.

Here are my top 12 verses on Equipment:

Jesus On Equipment

Matthew 16:24 King James Version

24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Mark 6:8-9 King James Version

8 And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:

9 But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats.

Luke 9:62 King James Version

62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

John 15:22 King James Version

22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin.

Equipment In The New Testament

Matthew 3:10-12 King James Version

10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

Ephesians 6:11 King James Version

11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Hebrews 9:4 King James Version

4 Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;

1 Peter 3:20-21 King James Version

20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

Equipment In The Old Testament

Genesis 27:3-4 King James Version

3 Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison;

4 And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die.

1 Samuel 17:38-40 King James Version

38 And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.

39 And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.

40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.

Proverbs 27:17 King James Version

17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

Zechariah 11:15 King James Version

15 And the Lord said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd.

Conclusion Of The Whole Matter

Equipment must be a fairly modern word as it does not appear in the King James Version.  However, I did find it in some more current translations that show the idea was included under some synonyms like "instruments" and "weapons."  Most of the occurrences dealt with the tools use in worship from the tabernacle and temple, but also a number of references had to do with military implements.  One of my favorite verses is where David rejects the modern weapons or more superior technology to fight Goliath.

I also ran across some uses of hand tools in the bible like the plough, axe, or pitch fork (fan).  There is advice about keeping these items sharp for effective use.  This made me think about what is the most important equipment mentioned in the Bible.  For the Old Testament, I picked a verse to highlight Noah's Ark, and in the New Testament, I went with a verse on the cross.

0 Bible results for “equipment” from King James Version.

8 Bible results for “equipment” from New American Standard Bible 1995.

11 Bible results for “equipment” from New International Version.

1 result for “equipment” from previous Solomon's Colonnade studies.

Hill of Ares - Acts 17:18-19

Jesus seems to be a bit of a Stoic in regards to equipment.  The main tools He uses or recommends is clothing and even then He doesn't allow any extras; nothing for under the seat and nothing in the over-head bin.  Well, except maybe a staff.

Scripture contributions for September 2022 by: Paul Anderson, Matthew Anderson

Habits

Introduction

By Paul Anderson

I am a creature of habit.  I love being in a rut.  There are less decisions to make and less chances for making the wrong decision.  However, it is better if the rut is filled with good habits.  My son told me about a phone application that you can use to track your habits.  I have been using it for a couple of months now.  I have realized the power of replacing the bad habits with good habits.  From drinking more water, to getting more steps, to tracking my calories every day, the good habits I created for health helped me lose 117 pounds.

Prior to the weight loss, the main habit I had was the brown robe I wore at the Colorado Renaissance Festival as a chess-playing monk.

Habit:  a long, loose garment worn by a member of a religious order or congregation.

It is hard to say whether that habit was good or bad, but after years of use, my mom thought it was time for it to be replaced.  Since 1998, the brown robe had slowly faded to gray with 121 days and close to 1,000 hours in the sun.  She picked out 3 new, dark brown robes to encourage me to get rid of the old habit.

Perhaps it was just coincidence, but the change in clothing habit mirrored the change in eating habits.  Not only was I a monk in new apparel, but also I was a monk in a new body.  The transformation was documented by the before and after photos on my employee id.

Before - Fat Monk

After - Thin Monk

Now, I am trying to create the good habits to make me more productive.  So, I thought I would take some time to study out what good habits will benefit me the most.

Here are my top 12 verses on Habits:

Jesus On Habits

Matthew 12:33 King James Version

33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

Matthew 12:43-45 King James Version

43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.

44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.

45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

Luke 9:23 King James Version

23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Luke 16:19 New American Standard Bible 1995

19 “Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day.

Habits In The New Testament

1 Timothy 5:13 New International Version

13 Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to.

Romans 7:19 New American Standard Bible 1995

19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.

Philippians 2:14 King James Version

14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:

Hebrews 10:23-25 New American Standard Bible 1995

23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; 24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

Habits In The Old Testament

Exodus 21:29 New American Standard Bible 1995

29 If, however, an ox was previously in the habit of goring and its owner has been warned, yet he does not confine it and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned and its owner also shall be put to death.

Judges 2:19 King James Version

19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.

Proverbs 22:6 King James Version

6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Jeremiah 13:23 King James Version

23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.

Conclusion Of The Whole Matter

The Bible focuses on the negative aspect of habits.  From being idle to giving up on meeting together, from goring people to falling back into idol worship, it seems like the authors only mention the bad habits and how hard it is not to fall back into them.  Even when you want to do good, you practice the very evil that you do not want to do.

However, the Bible is not alone.  Other authors have realized that negative habits are hard to replace.  In his book, The Power Of Habit, Charles Duhigg describes the habit loop.  This subconscious process involves three main components:  Cue, Routine, and Reward.

The cue is the trigger to start the habit, the routine is the actual behavior, and the reward is the satisfaction that makes you return to the behavior again and again.

Duhigg admits that replacing a bad habit may not be as easy to do as it is to say.  However, he highlights an example from Tony Dungy, NFL Hall of Fame Coach.  Dungy had a system of keeping most of the habit loop but just replacing the Routine.  The Cue and Reward could stay the same as long as the Routine was good.

I could relate to this trick.  When I first decided to improve my health at 295 pounds, I had a habit of going to Taco Bell's happy hour.  They offered a dollar burrito and a dollar slushy.  The cue was my hunger and the reward was tasty food at a cheap price.  Unfortunately, a routine of drinking sugar covered in syrup triggered an attack of gout.

After a week of not being able to walk or even pull a shoe over my big toe, I was motivated to change the routine.  Goodbye slushy.  Hello water.  I now have a goal to get 90 ounces of water every day, and the bonus was that water was even more of a reward to my frugal nature.

The main reason that habits are hard to change is because they are designed to be done without thinking.  Habits are the brain's way of taking a break.  You can conserve a lot of mental energy if you don't have to think about every decision for daily living.  Therefore, your will is given over to other influences.

One of those influences, according to Duhigg, is cravings.  I used to underestimate the power of cravings when I ate whatever I wanted whenever I wanted.  Now, I have a scheduled diet plan to create a good routine.  However, I notice that I think about some foods more now that I can't have them often.  When I drive by a restaurant and see the logo, I think of the foods I used to enjoy there and how I never could make it home with a large, McDonalds fries intact.  When I watch TV and see a commercial, I want my favorite item on the menu and say, "Oh, my, a M&M Blizzard looks so good!"

But there is hope.

I see a connection between the power of spirits and habits.  If I can exercise my spirit of self-denial, the cravings go away.  Just like in Matthew 12:43-45, when you recognize a bad routine, it is not enough to eliminate it.  You have to replace it with a good routine.  Otherwise, you will fall back into the routine and be worse off than before.

Even Duhigg mentioned the power of belief in changing habits.  His example came from the most successful behavior modification group, Alcoholics Anonymous.  He mentioned that the founder, who had no medical or scientific background, decided on 12 steps due to the fact that there are 12 Apostles and that 7 of the steps require spirituality.

Belief will carry you through the difficult parts of replacing a bad habit.  A leopard does not change his spots overnight.  It takes practice.  According to Hebrews 5:13-14, it takes practice to even discern good from evil.

But if you believe you can make the tree good, then the fruit will be good.

Habit was a hard word for which to search on BibleGateway.  It came back with 78 occurrences.  However, I noticed most of them were due to the fact that the word "habit" appears in the word "habitation."  Since habitation returned 77 results, I was determined to find the one occurrence of habit.  Well, I didn't think that the word "habitable" would show up one time in Proverbs 8:31.

So, I had to break from my habit of using just the King James Version to get some verses with the word "habit" in them.

78 Bible results for “habit” from King James Version.

77 Bible results for “habitation” from King James Version.

1 Bible results for “habitable” from King James Version.

26 Bible results for “custom” from King James Version.

13 results for “habit” from previous Solomon's Colonnade studies.

Hill of Ares - Acts 17:18-19

My son sent me a video about the habits of Stoics.  Working on this study got me motivated to finally watch the clip.  I think I am turning into a stoic.  I am now trying to journal (or work on my blogs) every day.  I get physical exercise every day.  Food has become fuel (although not completely).  Also, I decided to change habits on the blog and start with a clean slate each month, which came from the video.

Scripture contributions for August 2022 by: Paul Anderson, Matthew Anderson

Blood

Introduction

By Paul Anderson

My mom decided to have knee replacement surgery in June.  I was her responsible adult.  I didn't know going into surgery that was my role, but the hospital staff kept asking me, "Are you her responsible adult?"

 

Clueless to what that entailed, I just responded, "I will have to do since her daughter is on the east coast."

 

I began to discover for which tasks I would have to be responsible when the hospital pushed her out the door hours after surgery.  I got to drive her home:  no problem.  I got to pick up her medications and remind her to take them:  piece of cake.  I got to make dinner:  we ate out.  Day one made the responsibilities seem like something I could manage.  She was coming out of the anesthesia fog and following all of the copious doctor's notes with little difficulty.

 

However, on day two, everything changed. 

 

When she woke up and stood up for the first time, blood gushed from bandage.  I scrambled to comb through the mountain of paperwork to find the details on bleeding.  It was the shortest section and contained only one sentence:

 

Minor bleeding may visible on the bandage but if it continues for more than a couple of days you should seek medical attention.

 

Minor bleeding?!?!?

Since I don't have a medical background and have done a marvelous job of avoiding blood most of my life, I had no idea what "minor bleeding" constituted.  This blood was pouring down her leg and pooling on the carpet.  I could not see waiting a couple of days for this to stop.  I rushed her to the ER.

 

The ER was willing to break the doctor's notes about not removing the bandage and looked at the wound.  They replaced the bandages, gave her fluids, and observed her until her blood pressure came up to a normal level.  They got the bleeding to what seemed like a minor level, we applied new bandages for a couple of days, and the bleeding finally stopped.

 

It all turned out fine.  However, I could not help but think of the line from the movie City Slickers:

"You know, this was not in the brochure!"

Well, this topic may not have been in the brochure, but I am pretty sure it is covered quite a bit in the Bible.

Here are my top 12 verses on Blood:

Jesus On Blood

Matthew 16:15-18 King James Version

15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Mark 14:24 King James Version

24 And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.

Luke 13:1-3 King James Version

1 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?

3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

John 6:54 King James Version

54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

Blood In The New Testament

Luke 22:44 King James Version

44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Acts 17:26-27 King James Version

26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

Hebrews 9:22 King James Version

22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

Revelation 7:14 King James Version

14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Blood In The Old Testament

Exodus 7:17 King James Version

17 Thus saith the Lord, In this thou shalt know that I am the Lord: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.

1 Chronicles 28:2-3 King James Version

2 Then David the king stood up upon his feet, and said, Hear me, my brethren, and my people: As for me, I had in mine heart to build an house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and for the footstool of our God, and had made ready for the building:

3 But God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood.

Psalm 58:10 King James Version

10 The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.

Ezekiel 16:9 King James Version

9 Then washed I thee with water; yea, I throughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil.

Conclusion Of The Whole Matter

The Bible uses "blood" in many ways.  It is more than just the fluid that moves chemicals around the body.  Although, that is probably the most common use of the word.  I can't be sure what is the most common use since there are close to four hundred references in the Bible and I was just looking for twelve.  The vast majority of occurrences of "blood" are in the Old Testament, with Leviticus leading the way.  The book with the most occurrences in the New Testament is Hebrews, which is similar to Leviticus in that it deals with the Jewish priesthood and sacrificial system.  Clearly, "blood" was a critical part of worship, holding the power of the remission of sin in both the Old and New Testaments.

"Blood" can also refer to mankind, especially as in a close relation.  You can see the idea in the expression:  flesh and blood.  The blood-relative is a key element that ties the sixty-six books of the Bible together.  From the promise to Abraham that his descendent would bless all mankind to the prophecy that the messiah would come from the line of David, the Bible has tracked the blood-line of the Jews better than Ancestry.

However, it seems that the Bible portrays "blood" most often with a dual-personality.  It can be evil.  King David was not able to build the temple due to his shedding of blood.  But it can also be good.

• Blood can refer to punishment and sacrifice.
• Blood can refer to violence and peace.
• Blood can refer to death and life.
• Blood can refer to guilt and forgiveness.

The very thing that can take a life is the one thing that will save a life:  the shedding of blood.

In addition, there is a close connection between blood and water.  The first plague on Egypt was turning the water of the Nile into blood.  Pilate washed his hands to remove any guilt from the blood of Jesus' death.  The Bible concludes with a reference to the saints' robes being washed with blood.  It is ironic that one of the hardest stains to remove is used as the cleansing agent.  Is it any wonder that Paul compares the waters of baptism to sacrifice of Jesus' death  (Romans 6:3-4)?

392 Bible results for “blood” from King James Version.

• Old Testament (298)
• Exodus (22)
• Leviticus (66)
• Ezekiel (48)
• New Testament (94)
• Matthew (10)
• Acts (13)
• Hebrews (20)
• Revelation (17)

47 results for “blood” from previous Solomon's Colonnade studies.

Scripture contributions for July 2022 by: Paul Anderson, Matthew Anderson