Is the weather crazy or what? Another record fell today. 74 degrees in Greensboro, broke the daily record of 73. But, beware! By the time we get to the first week of March, it’s going to change. How cold? It’s hard to tell at this point, but I’m convinced it’ll be below freezing and with those tender buds popping out on the apple trees and other trees…OUCH! I’m concerned it could be tough for the various fruit crops and the farmers praying for not so mild weather.
Some of the weather blogs I read are still saying there could even be cold and snow in the Mid-Atlantic. How far south could that go? Well, it’s hard to say. But, we all knows snow is possible in March. Here’s some of the latest thinking…
Van Denton of Fox8 in Greensboro says:
“While we’re expecting more unseasonable warmth Friday and Saturday–and again after a brief cool down on Sunday–there are hints of a cold spell during the second or third week of March. Longer-range models are suggesting we may see an extended period of mostly below normal temperatures during this time.”
Interestingly, in 1980 after we hit 70 degrees in Wilkesboro, one week later we had 10 inches of snow on the ground. Here’s the map:
Lately, I’ve been reading this book:
I love history and I am convinced not only is the Bible the Word of God, the Bible is also history. Read it and you’ll see people repeating the same problems over and over again. Truly, “there is nothing new under the sun.” Throughout my 48 years on this earth I’ve watched humankind wrestle with life and how they’re going to live it.
In the book mentioned above, I’ve been reading about WWII and the Pacific theater. As everyone knows, that piece of the war was finally won by the Allies by the dropping of two atomic bombs. As I have studied the history of WWII I’ve been intrigued by the decision-making of people in power. And I’ve been reminded once again of Jesus’ words:
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Matthew 16:26
Think about those words. What does it mean to “gain the whole world?” Well, what means the world to you? For many of the decision-makers in WWII they were literally dealing with the world and millions of lives.
I was struck by this man.
That’s J. Robert Oppenheimer. He is considered to be the genius and mastermind of the Atomic Bomb. He was hired by the US Government to design the bomb and ultimately it was tested on July 16, 1945 in Los Alamos, New Mexico. The project was called the Manhattan Project and Oppenheimer called the testing of the bomb the “Trinity.” Are you thinking: “Father, Son and Holy Spirit?” Don’t. Oppenheimer was a fan of Hinduism and the “Trinity” were the three major gods of Hinduism: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. He would quote a verse from the Hindu Vedas, Bhagavad Gita over and over during the development of the bomb.
“If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the mighty one.”
Years later he would explain that another verse had also entered his head at that time: namely, the famous verse: “I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”
Interestingly during the development of the bomb, Oppenheimer would have an affair with a lady who would ultimately commit suicide after swallowing a bottle of sleeping pills. His wife would eventually leave him and return to her parent’s home in Pittsburg. Ultimately, Oppenheimer would seldom eat, and even though he was 6 feet tall, he would lose down to 115 pounds and his teeth were rotting out. It’s also reported that he lived off of five packs of Chesterfield cigarettes per day, and tons of gin and coffee.
Yet, this was one of the smartest men who ever lived. He is said to have been equal to Einstein, pictured together here:
Yet, Oppenheimer died at the early age of 62 after complications and a subsequent comma from throat cancer. One of the smartest men who ever lived, yet his life was a colossal train wreck. A man of intellectual brilliance, who rejected Christianity because he was heard to say it was “unintellectual.” He was cremated and his ashes were dropped of the coast of a small island he bought in the Virgin Islands.
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Matthew 16:26
If someone were to write a description of your life today, what would they write? What are you living for? What motivates you? Think about it today. What’s going to matter in eternity?
The Apostle Paul got it right…
Philippians 3:7-11
7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
What’s J. Robert Oppenheimer doing right now? What will he be doing 100 billion years from now? Do you think he regrets his rejection of Christ and his teachings as “unintellectual?” Do you think Brahma and Vishnu and Shiva are helping him now? Of course not! They don’t even exist!
I’ve been thinking of Oppenheimer a lot lately and I’m sobered by my reading of his life. Make your life count for Christ, Kevin! That’s all I can think of! Make your life count for eternity. Live for Jesus…the one who died for you! Live for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, for there is purpose and meaning in that.
Kevin