This is the story of God’s faithfulness triumphing over ancient king Ahaz’ faithlessness. This is the story of God giving temporary deliverance to Judah despite Ahaz. This is also the story of God promising future deliverance by Another.

Some slogans just stick with you, no matter how much time passes. Some clever phrasing or a catchy tune becomes a part of your psyche after you hear it a few times. Some are very simple, but capture the essence of the company, product or service that is being touted.

April witnessed tornados wreaking havoc in Alabama and the Carolinas.  On Sunday night, May 22, a major tornado devastated Joplin, Missouri.  The 200-mile-per-hour winds destroyed an estimated 2,000 buildings.  More than 125 people lost their lives and more than 230 people are still reported missing (Wall Street Journal Online, May 26, 2011).   The Joplin tornado was the deadliest tornado in the U.S. since 1947 (irishweatheronline.com, May 25, 2011).

The Russia Today news agency reports a boom underway in the iron market! Business is prospering for the defense contracting industry as a whole. Iraq, Afghanistan and the more than 1,000 United States military bases worldwide provide a ready stream of business for these contractors. During a career-day expo held in Charlottesville, Virginia, one interviewee stated, “I am a pacifist, but sometimes war is necessary.” Is war really necessary?

The EU’s high court has ruled that homosexuals living in “civil partnerships” must experience the same pension rights as those living in heterosexual marriages (euobserver.com, May 10, 2011).  When the French Secretary of State for Health commented that homosexuals are a “high risk group” for HIV/AIDS, her statistically accurate comments resulted in calls for her resignation, noting that she was “stigmatizing” homosexuals (Lefigaro.fr, May 4, 2011).