THE EXECUTION OF LADY JANE GREY

     According the the Julian Calendar, it was on a Monday, on the twelfth day of the month of February, in the year of our Lord 1554, that the nine days Queen of England, Lady Jane Grey, was beheaded at Tower Hill, an elevated spot northwest of the Tower of London, and went to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Lady Jane was about the age of eighteen when she died. Before being executed, and after she placed her head on the chopping block, her last words were the same as the last words of Jesus, as recounted in the Gospel of Luke:

"Lord, into thy hands I commend my spirit!"

     In her youth, Lady Jane was able to receive a comprehensive education that included studies in Latin, Greek and Hebrew as well as contemporary languages. It was during these lessons that her tutors would lead Lady Jane to a true knowledge of Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. Lady Jane would become a serious student of the Bible, and was able to read it in the original languages.
     When King Henry VIII died, his only son, Edward VI, assumed the throne of England at the age of nine years old. King Edward and Lady Jane were cousins. There was an attempt by some, including Jane's father, to have Edward marry Jane, but nothing came of it. During Edwards short reign of six years, he would make changes to the Church of England that were more of a religious nature than one of a political one as his father, King Henry VIII did. Edward, like his cousin Jane, was a true evangelical Christian. Unfortunately, for England, Edward would died at the age of fifteen.
     After Edwards death, there was an attempt to keep Henry VIII's oldest daughter, Mary Tudor, from ascending to the throne of England. Many Protestants knew that if Mary would become queen, as a devout Roman Catholic, that she would attempt to place England back under the rule of the Roman Pontiff. Jane's father, and other men of high positions in the court and government, unknown to Jane, carried out a conspiracy to put Jane on the throne in order to keep England a Protestant nation. Some of these men, like her father, did this move just for self gain. Lady Jane did hold the throne for nine days. Mary was able to gain enough support from the people and officials to gain her place on the throne of England. Lady Jane's reign, and the conspiracy were quickly over.
     As her cousin, Queen Mary had no desire to see Jane executed. Even though, as a devout Roman Catholic, she did not agree with Jane's protestantism, she had great affection for Jane. Mary's counsel advised her though that as long as Jane lived that she could be used as a rallying point for any further rebellions to overthrow Mary's reign on the throne. With a heavy heart, Mary agreed that Jane should be executed.
     Before Jane would be executed, Queen Mary attempted to convince Jane that she should return to the Roman Catholic Church. As an attempt to do this, Mary sent the church scholar John Feckenham to convince Jane of the "errors" of her ways. It has been reported that after one of his debates with Jane that Feckenham was to say, "She should be my tutor than I hers." Lady Jane never did waver in her faith, or deny her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

SELAH

Matthew 10:32-33

     So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,
     but whoever denies me before men, I will deny before my father who is in heaven. (ESV)

Matthew 10:32-33

HAPPY 144TH BIRTHDAY TO LAURA INGALLS WILDER

     It was on a Thursday, on the seventh day of the month of February, in the year of our Lord 1867, near the village of Pepin, in the "Big Woods" of Wisconsin, to Charles Phillip Ingalls (01-10-1836 to 06-08-1902) and Caroline Lake (Quiner) Ingalls (12-12-1839 to 04-20-1924), that Laura Elizabeth Ingalls was born. She had three sisters, Mary Amelia (01-10-1865 to 10-20-1928), Caroline Celestia "Carrie" (08-03-1870 to 06-02-1946), Grace Pearl (05-23-1877 to 11-10-1941), and one brother, Charles Frederick, who died in infancy.
     When she was a young child, her family would settle in what was the Indian Territory near Independence, Kansas. Her novel, Little House on the Prairie, would be based on the experiences of those years.

HAPPY 199TH BIRTHDAY TO CHARLES DICKENS

     It was on a Friday, on the seventh day of the month of February, in the year of our Lord 1812, that Charles John Huffam Dickens was born.

     Dickens would go on to become an accomplished English novelist. His novels contained social commentary about those who were part of the underbelly of Victorian society (i.e. the poor, orphans).

     Many of his novels have been adapted to the motion picture screen.

REAGAN QUOTE OF THE DAY

There are no easy answers' but there are simple answers. We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right.

HAPPY 174TH BIRTHDAY TO THE EVANGELIST

     It was on a Thursday, on the fifth day of the month of January, in the year of our Lord 1837, in Northfield, Massachusetts, that Dwight Lyman Moody was born. His second birth took place in April of 1855 when his Sunday school teacher, Edward Kimball, led him to the Lord.
     Moody would go on to become a evangelist who would preach in America and in England.  Out of a growing Sunday school congregation that needed a permanent home, he started a church, the Illinois Street Church, in Chicago, Illinois.
     After the Great Chicago Fire of October 1871, Moody would become more fervent in his personal witnessing to anyone that he would come across in his daily life.
     On January 22, 1886, Moody proposed to his congregation the formation of the Chicago Evangelization Society, for the training of gifted men for the purpose of reaching people with the Gospel. After his death, it would be renamed the Moody Bible Institute.

SELAH

Romans 10:15

     And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

Romans 10:15

HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY TO "THE GIPPER"

This is posted today due to February 6th falling this year on a Sunday.

     It was on a Monday, on the sixth day of the month of February, in the year of our Lord 1911, in an apartment on the second floor of a commercial building in Tampico, Illinois, to John "Jack" Reagan and Nelle Wilson Reagan, that Ronald Wilson Reagan was born.
     What can I say about a man who had such an impact on the United States and the world. He was my Commander-in-Chief when I served I the United States Navy from December of 1984 to January of 1988.
     On the 100th anniversary of the day of his birth, I believe that the best way of remembering President Reagan is hearing something of his on words.
     On January 11, 1989, he gave his farewell address from the Oval Office of the White House. Below is a video of that address. After hearing it, you might say like I did, "We miss you Mr. President. We wish you were hear today to lead us through these difficult times."

Reagan " The Shah of Iran Was Our Best Ally "

Are we about to make the same mistake in Egypt? Just asking.