The COVID-19 Greek

WHO decides the Greek alphabets for the Wuhan virus and why and how? Is Delta not followed by Epsilon? Why jump so many alphabets to Omikron? Are they afraid that if they go sequentially, one of the variants will be Xi?

Α α alpha a

Β β beta b

Γ γ gamma g

Δ δ delta d

Ε ε epsilon e

Ζ ζ zêta z

Η η êta ê

Θ θ thêta th

Ι ι iota i

Κ κ kappa k

Λ λ lambda l

Μ μ mu m

Ν ν nu n

Ξ ξ xi ks

Ο ο omikron o

Π π pi p

Ρ ρ rho r

Σ σ, ς sigma s

Τ τ tau t

Υ υ upsilon u

Φ φ phi f

Χ χ chi ch

Ψ ψ psi ps

Ω ω omega ô

Well, Sydney Morning Herald gave the reason in "Why WHO chose 'Omicron' not 'Xi' for new COVID variant" (added 2021-11-28).

Birthday Celebrations

On the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, he made a feast for all his servants and lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh's hand. But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. (Genesis 40:20-22 ESV)

A friend of mine told me that Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate birthdays because the Bible record only two birthday celebrations (Genesis 40:20-​22, Mark 6:​21-​29). Both were by unbelievers and were presented in a bad light. I did not know that the Bible actually has accounts of birthday celebrations and someone died in each of the celebration.

Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests.
The king said to the girl, "Ask me for anything you want, and I'll give it to you." And he promised her with an oath, "Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom."
She went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask for?"
"The head of John the Baptist," she answered.
At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: "I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter."
The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. On hearing of this, John's disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb. (Mark 6:21-29 NIV)

What Change When One Becomes A Christian

There will be some change when one become a Christian. There may be immediate changes and there are also slow changes. I remember when I became a Christian in Secondary 3, I lose my fear of exams. I no longer worried about any coming exam.

Water Came Out Of The Rock Despite Disobedience

There was no water for the community, so they assembled against Moses and Aaron. The people quarrelled with Moses and said, "If only we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord. Why have you brought the Lord's assembly into this wilderness for us and our livestock to die here? Why have you led us up from Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It's not a place of grain, figs, vines, and pomegranates, and there is no water to drink!"
Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the doorway of the tent of meeting. They fell facedown, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. The Lord spoke to Moses, "Take the staff and assemble the community. You and your brother Aaron are to speak to the rock while they watch, and it will yield its water. You will bring out water for them from the rock and provide drink for the community and their livestock."
So Moses took the staff from the Lord's presence just as he had commanded him. Moses and Aaron summoned the assembly in front of the rock, and Moses said to them, "Listen, you rebels! Must we bring water out of this rock for you?" Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that abundant water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.
But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust me to demonstrate my holiness in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this assembly into the land I have given them." (Numbers 20:8-12 CSV)

God had asked Moses to speak to the rock but Moses struck the rock twice. Please take note of two things:

1. God's severity toward Moses and he was punished for striking the rock twice;
2. God's kindness to the Israelites and brought water out of the rock despite their unbelief.

Thus the mercy (which is injustice) of God often confuse people when their evil deeds bring prosperity instead of punishment.

Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. (Ecclesiastes 8:11 ESV)

Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. (Romans 11:22 ESV)

The Lord is not slow to fulfil his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. (2 Peter 3:9 ESV)

Universally Acceptable Behaviours

You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner - those who are not your offspring. (Genesis 17:11-12 NIV)

On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised. (Leviticus 12:3 NIV)

Imagine there is a country where it is legally mandatory to blind every citizen in the right eye so that they can only have a left eyed view. If anyone have two eyes in this country, it would be considered as illegal and injustice to the rest of the citizens. All citizens are taught this from young and accept this a true and right. But to the rest of the world, this country has a cruel practice.

The Jews circumcised their baby boys on the eighth day. The boys are not given an option to reject and every Jew is taught that this is true and right. This article "Can the religious beliefs of parents justify the nonconsensual cutting of their child's genitals? | Practical Ethics" believed that circumcision of male babies is not right. Is this a cruel practice?

So who decides what is a cruel practice? Where is the line drawn? Who decides what is universally accepted? Only the creator and owner of the world has the right to decide. Thus, if you think you have the right, please prove that you have created the world and owned it.

Then there are others who think that "man is the measure of all things (Protagoras)" and there may be no God. So they think it can be decided by reason, science, consensus and democracy. Unfortunately, truth cannot be decide by democracy and even if 100% of the world voted that 1+1=3, it will still not be true. So finally it will be decided by the size of the military and political influence.

In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit. (Judges 21:23 NIV)

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. (Romans 1:21-23 NIV)

Birth And Death

 Many years ago, I wrote about Death And Judgement. Now I write about birth and death.

Three special birth
1. Adam from dust (Genesis 2:7)
2. Eve from Adam's rib (Genesis 2:22)
3. Jesus by virgin birth (Matthew 1:18)

Those who die twice
1. The son of Zarephath's widow (1 Kings 17:17-24)
2. The son of the Shunammite woman (2 Kings 4:35)
3. Dead man came back to life when he touches Elisha's bones (Kings 13:21)
4. The son of the widow at Nain (Luke 7:13-15)
5. The daughter of Jairus (Matthew 9:25)
6. Lazarus (John 11:43-44)
7. Tabitha / Dorcas (Acts 9:36-42)
8. Eutychus (Acts 20:9-12)

Those who by-pass death straight to eternal life
And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. (Genesis 5:24 KJV)
By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. (Hebrews 11:5 KJV)
And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. (2 Kings 2:11 KJV)

Those who by-pass death straight to eternal death
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshiped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. (Revelations 19:20 KJV)

Sons of Korah

Now Korah son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took two hundred fifty prominent Israelite men who were leaders of the community and representatives in the assembly, and they rebelled against Moses. (Numbers 16:1-2 CSB)

The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, all Korah's people, and all their possessions. (Numbers 16:32 CSB)

However, the sons of Korah did not die that day. (Numbers 26:11 NLT)

God was merciful and the descendants of Korah who survived. Not only did they survived, they were given the opportunity to write psalms 42, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 84, 85, 87, 88.