Does it seem like the summer is going by quickly? Yesterday, we shopped at a fruit stand and got corn on the cob. I thought that we used to get corn in September, but some delicious corn is already available. I found an article entitled “It’s About Time” in cleaning our place. Here are some excerpts:

“The calendar was invented to help measure ‘time.’ An early Egyptian calendar determined, by the changes in the seasons, consisted of 365 days, divided into 12 months of 30 days each, with 5 supplementary days added at the end of each year. The ancient Greeks recorded the year according to real lunar months. At one time the Romans had a year of 10 months!

The last four months in our calendar betray their relationship to the numbers 7 to 10. For example, September comes from the Latin ‘septum’ (or seven). October and November mean 8^th and 9^th, while December stems from ‘decimus’ meaning 10^th and also giving us our English word ‘decimal.’

Around 200 BC, Rome’s chief priests of religion held the power to regulate the calendar. When more money was needed in taxes, a month could be shortened here and there – making taxes come due sooner … If ‘higher ups’ wished to get rid of a bad official, they could knock a few days or weeks out of the calendar and thus shorten his term!

By the time Julius Caesar came to the emperorship, the calendar was so mixed up that in one instance, Autumn began in January! Julius Caesar, taking time ‘by the hair,’ and enlisting the aid of an eminent Egyptian astronomer, adopted the Egyptian calendar which he had encountered during his military campaign in that country. Called the Julian Calendar, the yea consisted of 12 months, totalling 365 days and every 4^th (or ‘leap year’) having an extra day! Incidentally, the month ‘July’ received its name from Julius! Later, Emperor Augustus, after whom ‘August’ was named, wanting his 30 day month to be as long as Julius’ 31 day period, took a day from February and added it to August!

A year is not exactly 365 and ¼ days, but 11 minutes and 14 seconds less. So by 1582, the calendar was ‘off’ by 11 days. In that year, Pope Gregory decreed that October 4^th should be followed by October 15^th. Not until 1752 did Britain and her colonies adopt the Gregorian calendar. According to family records, George Washington was born on February 11, 1732, but on the changed calendar, it became the well-known date we celebrate now – February the 22^nd.

Since present calculation makes the calendar only 26 seconds over every year, our descendants by the year 4905 will have an extra day on their hands and they’ll have to decide what to do with it!”

The above was given in a message by Pastor Art Larson at a Global Outreach Mission conference in 1996. You can listen to some of his sermons at: https://www.missiongo-radio.org/sermons/. May we determine to walk with the Lord and share His love with many others.

Scripture for the weekend: “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:15-16 (NKJV)

Thought for the weekend: “Satan tempts people to bring out the worst; God tests people to help bring out the best.” – Dr. David Jeremiah (from his Study Bible in reference to Hebrews 11)

Steve