Today's verse

He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5 (KJV)

Today's verse

Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Matthew 6:33 (KJV)

Today's verse

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:16 (KJV)

Reading list

Dark Space: Origin, by Jasper T. Scott.

Today's verse

For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.

Hebrews 3:4 (KJV)

Stumbling through mathematics: the Chaos Game revisted

Some time ago I wrote a few Matlab programs to investigate the Chaos Game.

For this set of plots I used Scilab, a free math program that immitates Matlab. Below is a plot of the Sierpiński Sieve with verices (0,0), (1,0), and (0.5, sqrt(3)/2), and r = 1/2 (2500 points):

The following is a plot of a square with vertices (1,0), (0,1), (-1,0), and (0,-1), and r = 2/5 (2500 points):

Today's verse

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

Psalm 122:1-2 (KJV)

Today's verse

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Matthew 7:15 (KJV)

Today's verse

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Isaiah 41:10 (KJV)

The ULTIMATE Pi Day!

Today is 3/14/16 - the ultimate Pi Day. And since no one can get enough pi, here is pi to one thousand digits:

3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993751058209749445923078164062862089986280348253421170679821480865132823066470938446095505822317253594081284811174502841027019385211055596446229489549303819644288109756659334461284756482337867831652712019091456485669234603486104543266482133936072602491412737245870066063155881748815209209628292540917153643678925903600113305305488204665213841469519415116094330572703657595919530921861173819326117931051185480744623799627495673518857527248912279381830119491298336733624406566430860213949463952247371907021798609437027705392171762931767523846748184676694051320005681271452635608277857713427577896091736371787214684409012249534301465495853710507922796892589235420199561121290219608640344181598136297747713099605187072113499999983729780499510597317328160963185950244594553469083026425223082533446850352619311881710100031378387528865875332083814206171776691473035982534904287554687311595628638823537875937519577818577805321712268066130019278766111959092164201989

Here is a video about pi:

Today's verse

How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?

Matthew 18:12 (KJV)

Today's verse

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:28-30 (KJV)

Why worry? God is in control!

Update on Asia Bibi

New threats against the life of Asia Bibi.

Key quote:

The fear spread among Christians in Pakistan when news appeared in section of press to hang Asia Bibi by group of Muslim followers of Mumtaz Qadri who was hanged in Rawalpindi Jail on February 20, 2016, on murdering Punjab Governor Salman Taseer on seeking clemency for Christian mother Asia Bibi sentenced to death on accusations of blasphemy.

Read Asia Bibi's own words.

The online petition calling for mercy for Asia Bibi can still be found here.

For those who do not know who she is, here is the story about Asia Bibi's unjust imprisonment and death sentence for "blasphemy" against the Prophet Muhammad.

Please pray for Asia Bibi and her family. Also, please pray for those who are risking their lives to free her.

Today's verse

And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

Mark 12:28-31 (KJV)

Today's verse

Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

Matthew 17:20 (KJV)

Today's verse

A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Proverbs 17:17 (KJV)

Today's verse

Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.

Psalm 5:2 (KJV)

Reading list

The Ship Who Sang, by Anne McCaffrey.

Today's verse

Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. And he spake this parable unto them, saying, what man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

Luke 15:1-10 (KJV)

Today's verse

For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes.

Jeremiah 16:17 (KJV)

Today's verse

And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

Luke 6:31 (KJV)

Today's verse

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Galatians 2:20 (KJV)

Today's verse

I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

John 14:6 (KJV)

Today's verse

He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.

Psalm 147:4 (KJV)

Today's verse

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

1 Peter 5:8-9 (KJV)

The devil doesn't take vacations, so always be on guard. Call upon the Lord, and He will defend you!

Today's verse

Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.

Philippians 4:4 (KJV)

Today's verse

Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.

Psalm 43:1 (KJV)

Today's verse

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Revelations 21:4 (KJV)

Today's verse

Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

Psalm 91:5-7 (KJV)

Nothing can separate us from the love of God!

Today's verse

[W]hatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Philippians 4:8 (KJV)

Today's verse

O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.

Psalm 95:1-5 (KJV)

Today's verse

And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

1 Peter 4:8 (KJV)

Today's verse

But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Romans 10:8-10 (KJV)

We cannot earn salvation. It is a gift freely given to us by a loving God. Call out to God and He will hear you!

Today's verse

I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations.

Psalm 108:3 (KJV)

Today's verse

O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.

Psalm 38:1 (KJV)

Reading list

Dinosaur Planet, by Anne McCaffrey.

Today's verse

The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

Exodus 14:14 (KJV)

We are in a spiritual battle that we cannot possibly win by ourselves. So why not let God fight for you?

Today's verse

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Galatians 5:1 (KJV)

Today's verse

I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.

I am an expert sinner. And I deserve punishment because I have willingly separated myself from God with my sin. But Jesus has taken away my guilt and reconciled me to God! How can I help but rejoice at receiving this wonderful gift that I could not possibly earn by my own efforts? Praise God!

Today's verse

Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? 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: 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.

Mark 4:30-32 (KJV)