1848 - Opening of the first German National Assembly (Nationalversammlung) in Frankfurt, Germany 1863 - US General Ulysses S. Grant begins siege on Vicksburg, Mississippi; after 47 days of battle siege, Confederate Lt. General John C. Pemberton’s troops surrender 1922 - Dutch 2nd Chamber agrees to 48 hour work week (was 45 hrs) 1933 - Tennessee Valley Act (TVA) Act signed by FDR, to build dams 1943 - Allied bombers attack Pantelleria, an Italian island 100 km southwest of Sicily 1953 - American Jacqueline Cochran becomes the first woman to break the sound barrier 1955 - Queen Juliana opens E55 fair in Amsterdam, Netherlands 1964 - US Supreme Court rules it unconstitutional to deprive naturalized citizens of citizenship if they return to home country for more than 3 years 1971 - US President Richard Nixon rejects 60 demands of Congressional Black Caucus 1991 - France performs nuclear test at Mururoa atoll More Historical Events »

Jack attended the morning service every Sunday with his wife. In the time I knew him, he never preached from the pulpit or led ministries. But man, he could pray. He passionately encouraged prayer when decisions needed to be made. He hosted prayer meetings at the church and in his home. He messaged leaders—including my husband—to let them know he was thinking of them, writing out prayers in texts and emails. To hear from Jack was to be drawn into an interminable conversation with God. Every church needs a servant like Jack—every church probably has a servant like Jack. He or she simply might be overlooked. When we see teaching and leadership gifts in congregants, it’s easy to get excited, to want to nurture those more obvious gifts. Still, many other gifts and members need to be noticed and encouraged. As the early church displayed, every empowered gift is for the common good, the selfless giving of one’s self for one another (1 Cor. 12:6–7). In Acts, Luke includes stories of men and women who hear the gospel, respond, and serve their churches, keeping pace with the sweeping outward movement of the gospel (Acts 1:8). Many didn’t lead large ministries, write books of the Bible, or preach to crowds. Most remained unnamed. Still, God used these servants where they were—with the gifts they had—to build up and encourage his church. God continues to work through such servants in our churches today, and they need to be encouraged and equipped just like those with more visible gifts. 5 Types of Servants Here are five servants we see woven throughout Acts that every church needs to nurture. 1. The Servant Devoted to Prayer Jesus’s closest friends watched as he ascended into heaven, his final words on their minds: don’t leave Jerusalem, but wait until the Father pours out his Spirit (Acts 1:4–5). So they waited with eager expectation—and they prayed. Luke tells us Mary was numbered with those who prayed continually and with unity (v. 14). We’ve heard her pray before as she humbly accepted her role as Jesus’s mother (Luke 1:46–55), and now we see Mary beside fellow believers doing what Jesus commanded them: Stay. Wait. God will fulfill his promise soon. Who prays boldly and often in your congregation? Who do you see praying for others after the Sunday service? Like Mary’s, one person’s heart for prayer can encourage others to keep seeking, keep believing, and keep praying. 2. The Servant Who Uses Her Skills for Kingdom Ends Some 30 miles outside Jerusalem, disciples called for Peter and gathered around Tabitha’s deathbed. Weeping widows held up the clothes she made them, demonstrating why Luke declared her a woman “full of good works and acts of charity” (Acts 9:36). God brought Tabitha to life again, and her resurrection encouraged many to trust in the Lord (vv. 40–42). One person’s heart for prayer can encourage others to keep seeking, keep believing, and keep praying. Tabitha used the skills she had to meet needs, and there are those in every congregation who do the same. The man who comes to fix the pastor’s fence, the women who make meals for new moms, those who decorate the sanctuary for Christmas—all use their skills to love fellow church members. 3. The Servant Generous with Resources After Paul preached the gospel in the Roman colony of Philippi, a businesswoman named Lydia was converted and baptized. Paul and his companions needed a place to stay, and Lydia gladly offered them her home (16:15). Lydia’s offer of Christian hospitality provided the food and safe lodging these outsiders needed. Her service allowed Paul and his friends to continue preaching the gospel to the end of the earth (1:8). This was no small expense or use of time. Like the family who invites college students for lunch after the Sunday service, the member who provides missionary housing, and the older woman who buys diapers for single moms, Lydia gave generously of what she had to provide for God’s people. 4. The Servant Who Wisely Discerns Some people in our churches know their Bibles inside and out—you know who they are. Priscilla and Aquila were two of those people, a trusted husband and wife tentmaking team who worked alongside Paul. When this couple heard fellow believer Apollos teaching boldly in the synagogue, they pulled him aside and privately “explained to him the way of God more accurately” (18:26). Apollos took what he learned from Priscilla and Aquila to Achaia, where he showed through Scripture that the Christ was Jesus (v. 28). Their discernment bolstered Apollos’s teaching ministry and helped him grow. I’m encouraged by pastors who invite men and women from their congregations to discuss Scripture and applications for upcoming sermons. This serves as a mutual sharpening, a public reminder that congregants’ engagement with Scripture and life experiences are valued. Those who live wisely can help answer Monday’s lingering questions for those who preach and teach. Did the applications serve the congregation well? How would the sermon sound to a woman who had an abortion, a man who recently lost his job, or a skeptical unbeliever? We don’t have to answer these questions on our own. 5. The Unnamed Servant Who Loves His Local Church Throughout Acts, we see the promise-fulfilling pattern of the church’s growth. Often, we remember the growth as larger events that led thousands to believe: powerful sermons, miracles, and the laying on of hands to receive the Holy Spirit. Yet what happened when those apostles moved on, leaving thousands of unnamed converts? The early church couldn’t have multiplied on the backs of the apostles alone. As Tim Keller pointed out, “Christian laypeople—not trained preachers and evangelists—carried on the mission of the church not through formal preaching but through informal conversation.” God’s work continued, thanks to the excitement and love these first unnamed converts had for their local churches and the gospel. Yes, they’re unnamed to us, but they certainly weren’t unnamed to God. And if servants like these are in your congregation, they’re not unnamed to you. Take Time to Encourage What might it look like if church members knew their gifts were valued—and heard this either from the pulpit or through the personal reassurance of church leaders? I imagine these gifts might be exercised with greater boldness. So where do we start? Equipping all the saints calls for prayerful self-reflection. It means realizing our possible inclination to value gifts and personalities most like our own, sometimes at the expense of other gifts. It calls for knowing church members, discerning spiritual health, and identifying strengths and weaknesses. The early church couldn’t have multiplied on the backs of the apostles alone. Then, we work to rewrite the narrative that less visible gifts are less valuable. With permission, don’t be afraid to share examples from the pulpit of the woman who encouraged you with Scripture or the college student who shared the gospel with his unbelieving roommates. Take time to encourage the member who prays continually, the woman who makes baby quilts, and the men who always clean the kitchen after potlucks. Since I moved, Jack and I don’t attend the same church anymore. Still, my husband and I receive messages from him letting us know that—you guessed it—he’s praying. This service may not reach a platform or develop into an organized ministry. Simple acts like this may even feel small. But the local church needs all its members and gifts (1 Cor. 12:14–20). When we encourage all members to use their modest gifts for the glory of the Giver, the Spirit uses them to build up his church, near and far.

Colonial Williamsburg archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a Revolutionary War barracks destroyed by British General Cornwallis in 1781. “Here at Colonial Williamsburg, we interpret the American Revolution and the politics that led up to it, and a lot of the events that led up to it,” Gary said. “But then, we don’t have a lot of sites that really tell us about what actually happened during the wartime. And this site does. It allows us to get some insight into the everyday lives of your everyday common soldier. it also tells us about what the officers’ lives were like.” The remains were discovered last summer in anticipation of the construction of a new indoor sports complex near the visitor center. Over the course of five months, the excavation revealed musket balls, lead shot with tooth marks where soldiers poisoned themselves by chewing on the soft, sweet metal like jewelry fragments, pottery, horseshoes, cavalry horse fittings and grooming tools. Structural remains include bricks and chimney bases. Only a small section of the barracks has been excavated. It was large, around three or four acres in area. It was built in 1776-7 and housed up to 2,000 soldiers and 100 horses before Cornwallis’ troops burned it down. Archaeologists plan to pick up where they left excavating the site by 2026. The planned sports center has been relocated and the excavated area covered back up for its safety.

A judge has officially ruled that tacos and burritos can be called sandwiches. Click to read the full fact. The post WTF Fun Fact 13741 – It’s Official: Tacos are Sandwiches appeared first on WTF Fun Facts.

You'll never be able to do any humming while holding your nose. Click to read the full fact. The post WTF Fun Fact 13742 – Humming While Holding Your Nose appeared first on WTF Fun Facts.

Taking language to a new level. The post The soul album that changed Kathleen Hanna’s life: “Mixing language and music” first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

This week, OpenAI decided to bequeath a brand-new toy to the internet — and I’m not entirely sure the internet knows how to use it. It’s called ChatGPT 4o (yes, that’s an ‘o,’ not a zero) and it’s as though Sam Altman handed a 3-year-old a stuffed penguin, and the 3-year-old is still trying to figure out where the penguin fits in his stuffed animal collection (answer: next to the blue donkey). Or maybe I’m projecting my experience on the rest of the internet. Honestly, I’m still unnerved by the fact that the stuffed penguin talks. But enough with the analogies. ChatGPT4o is, unironically, much better than its predecessors. It searches the internet as it formulates a response to queries, making it up to date with current events (good news for this column). If you pay OpenAI, it’ll talk to you, coach you through interviews, and tell you when a taxi is coming and how to hail it (good information for GenZ, who grew up in the age of Uber) — and, apparently, it can pick up on emotion in your voice (which is creepy). Because I don’t like the idea of funding OpenAI’s little social experiment, I don’t pay for it — which means I don’t have to listen to ChatGPT 4o’s voice, but I can still ask it questions using the chat function. Additionally, the new version of the bot is an art critic and can summarize and analyze images and artwork. Eventually, it will also be able to produce images and art of its own, but OpenAI is choosing to roll that feature out more slowly after learning from Google’s disaster. (RELATED by Aubrey Gulick: Could We Endow AI With Reason? Meta and OpenAI Think So.) Where to even start? The news, of course. Yesterday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced the pardon of Daniel Perry, a military veteran who was driving an Uber when his vehicle was swarmed by BLM protesters in 2020. Perry was convicted of murder after fatally shooting a man who pointed an AK-47 at him during the altercation. So, what did ChatGPT 4o have to say? Prompt: Who is Daniel Perry and why did Texas Gov. Greg Abbott pardon him? ChatGPT 40: Daniel Perry is a U.S. Army sergeant who was convicted of murder in April 2023 for the shooting death of Garrett Foster during a Black Lives Matter protest in Austin, Texas, in July 2020. Perry, working as an Uber driver, encountered a crowd of protesters and claimed he shot Foster in self-defense after Foster, who was legally carrying an AK-47, allegedly raised his weapon at him. Witnesses, however, testified that Foster did not threaten Perry with his firearm. The case garnered significant attention, especially from conservative circles. Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced his intent to pardon Perry shortly after the conviction, citing Texas’ strong “Stand Your Ground” laws and arguing that Perry acted in self-defense. Abbott’s move came amid pressure from conservative commentators and figures who believed Perry’s actions were justified. The Texas Constitution requires the Board of Pardons and Paroles to recommend a pardon before the governor can act, and Abbott directed the board to expedite their review of Perry’s case​ (The Texas Tribune)​​ (The Texas Tribune)​​ (Yahoo News – Latest News & Headlines)​​ (Georgia Public Broadcasting)​. I’ll leave the readers of this column to debate the bias of ChatGPT 4o’s response in the comments section below. (READ MORE: Safe and Effective? The New York Times Revisits the COVID Jab.) You may notice that this newest rendition of ChatGPT includes sources (how nice of it), making identifying biases easier — we do love transparency. That got me wondering: What kind of sources does it prioritize? So I asked for examples of “reputable sources,” and it delivered. I’d post the whole response, but it was rather long, so here’s a complete list of just the sources: The New York Times, BBC News, Reuters, the Washington Post, Nature, the New England Journal of Medicine, IEEE Transactions, Science, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Census Bureau, the World Health Organization, the Environmental Protection Agency, Mayo Clinic, Gartner, Pew Research Center, Brookings Institution, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, and the Conference Board. I guess The American Spectator isn’t going to be appearing in parentheses at the end of ChatGPT 4o responses anytime soon. (READ MORE: Is Your Face Conservative or Liberal?) I was also curious to try was image analysis. I’m not entirely sure what use this would have, other than to come up with a slightly more charitable description of modern artwork like this: Well…that's hideous. When were they planning on finishing it? https://t.co/qloSwPRFw4 — Aubrey Gulick (@AubGulick) May 15, 2024 ChatGPT 4o’s analysis was quite long, so enjoy. As always, leave your thoughts in the comments below! This image is a painting of a distinguished elderly man dressed in an elaborate red uniform adorned with medals and decorations. The background is a vibrant mix of red and orange hues, giving the piece a warm, almost fiery appearance. The man is positioned centrally, with a composed expression and his hands resting gently on what appears to be a cane or ceremonial staff. Analysis: 1. Subject Matter: The subject appears to be a significant figure, likely a military or royal personality, as suggested by the uniform and the decorations. His dignified posture and serious expression convey a sense of authority and respect. 2. Color and Composition: The predominant use of red and orange tones creates a dramatic and intense atmosphere. Red often symbolizes power, passion, and intensity, which might reflect the subject’s personality or status. The background is abstract, with swirling patterns that give a sense of movement and depth, drawing the viewer’s attention to the central figure. 3. Style and Technique: The artist employs a realistic style for the subject, capturing fine details in the man’s face and uniform, which contrasts with the more abstract, expressive background. The texture and layering of the paint add a tactile quality to the piece, enhancing its visual impact. 4. Symbolism: The butterfly in the background could symbolize transformation, delicacy, or a fleeting moment, possibly indicating a contrast between the subject’s enduring legacy and the transient nature of life. The ceremonial staff or cane held by the man might symbolize leadership, authority, or tradition. Context: Without specific details about the artist or the context of the painting, it is challenging to provide a definitive interpretation. However, the elements of the painting suggest it is a portrait meant to honor and commemorate the individual’s status and achievements. The combination of realistic portraiture with abstract elements creates a dynamic and engaging work that invites viewers to ponder the subject’s life and legacy. This is a weekly column at The American Spectator dedicated to exposing the left-wing bent of generative AI machines. If you enjoyed it and want to see what else ChatGPT comes up with, feel free to leave ideas for prompts in the comments section below! The post ChatGPT 4o Is Better But Still Biased appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Venezuela is busy taking advantage of a world distracted by Ukraine and Israel — and of a U.S. president without any interest in protecting his allies — by amassing troops at the Guyana border, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. On today’s episode of The Spectacle podcast, hosts Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay discuss what these kinds of developments mean for world peace and observe that this would never have happened under former President Donald Trump. Buy Scott’s newest release, King of the Jungle, here. READ Scott and Melissa’s writing here and here. Listen to The Spectacle with Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay on Spotify. Watch The Spectacle with Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay on Rumble.    The post <i>The Spectacle</i> Ep. 109: Will Communist Venezuela Attack Free Guyana Just as Scott McKay Predicted? appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Biden's Tariffs Are Bad. Biden's Tariffs Coupled With EV Mandates Are Even Worse.