Romans 3 is full of memorable quotations: “let God be true, but every man a liar.” It speaks of God’s faithfulness and God’s Judgment, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one” , “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God,“and “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law,” just to name a few. Read them all, and marvel.
Nehemiah 11 lists the people of Jerusalem and the people outside Jerusalem.
Psalm 55, of David. When treacherous friends and a multitude of enemies attacked, David still trusted God.
Romans 2. Paul pointed out that you have no excuse, God’s judgement is righteous, Jews and Gentiles are equally guilty, and circumcision is of no avail.
Nehemiah 9. The people did confess their sins and recited Israel’s miraculous history.
Nehemiah 10 lists the people who sealed the covenant and its content.
Romans 1:18-32 Paul explained how the wrath of God was to come on mankind because they “changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator.”
Nehemiah 6. There arose a conspiracy against Nehemiah, but he was on to them and managed to get the wall completed.
Nehemiah 7. Finally the wall was finished, and the chapter gives a list of the captives who returned to Jerusalem.
Nehemiah 8. Ezra read the Law and the returnees celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles.
Romans 1:1-17 starts with an eloquent greeting to all in Rome, and it is just as valid for us today as it was then. Paul longed to visit Rome and impart scriptural spiritual wisdom, such as “the Just shall live by Faith.”
Nehemiah 4. Through strong opposition the building of the wall was defended.
Nehemiah 5. Nehemiah encountered oppression but showed great generosity.
Psalm 54 , of David. A short prayer with conviction that God is David’s helper.
Acts 28 records Paul’s ministry on Malta and his final sailing to Rome. After Paul arrived in Rome it tells of Paul’s ministry there, and he stayed in Rome freely proclaiming the gospel for two full years.
Nehemiah 2. After some days of praying Nehemiah went to King Artaxerxes, told the King why he was sad and was sent to Judah where he viewed the wall of Jerusalem.
Nehemiah 3 retells the start of rebuilding the wall.
Acts 27:13-44. Against better advice from God via Paul the captain and Centurion ignored Paul’s warning, and sure enough a great storm grew up and they were shipwrecked on Malta, but all got safely ashore.
Proverbs 9 contrasts the way of wisdom with the way of folly.
Psalm 51, of David, written after Nathan confronted David after his adultery with Bathsheba. This Psalm explains fully, how God would say, after David was pointed out to be both an adulterer and a murderer: “He was a man after God’s own heart”.
Psalm 52, of David. The Psalm is a contemplation of David, contrasting the final end of evil men with the rewards of the righteous.
Psalm 53. This is a short Psalm telling about fools that say “No God”
Acts 27:1-12 starts with Paul’s Voyage to Rome, how the winds were contrary and made the journey last into the stormy season. Paul’s warning was ignored, so the ship sailed on.
Ezra 8 starts with a list of the heads of families who returned with Ezra. Ezra separated twelve priests to be temple servants and led in fasting and prayer for protection. The people came with gifts for the temple as they returned to Jerusalem.
Ezra 9. Ezra prayed about Intermarriage with pagans and called it a sin according to the Law.
Ezra 10. The returning exiles made confession of improper marriages, and their pagan wives were put away
Acts 26. Paul gave his testimony, recounted his early life, his conversion and his life as a Christian. Festus shouted “Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad” but Agrippa said “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”
“Energy is a critical asset to ensure mission continuity at our installations,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Environment, Safety, and Infrastructure Mark Correll. “Micro-reactors are a promising technology for ensuring energy resilience and reliability, and are particularly well-suited for powering and heating remote domestic military bases like Eielson AFB, 15 miles South East of North Pole, AK which is 10 miles east of Fairbanks, Alaska.”
An F-16 Aggressor flies over Eielson Air Force, Base, Alaska, Sept. 14, 2009. The F-16 is assigned to the 18th Aggressor Squadron, who are responsible for training and preparing joint and allied aircrews for comabat missions. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Christopher Boitz)
The micro-reactor pilot was initiated in response to the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorisation Act requirement to identify potential locations to site, construct, and operate a micro-reactor by the end of 2027. The micro-reactor will be commercially owned and operated and US Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensed. “This technology has the potential to provide true energy assurance, and the existing energy infrastructure and compatible climate at Eielson make for the perfect location to validate its feasibility,” said Correll.
He is working with the Air Force Office of Energy Assurance, the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Environment & Energy Resilience, the Department of Energy, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to facilitate the micro-reactor pilot, and to ensure this pilot is conducted with safety as the number one priority.
DAF said it is building energy resilience capabilites as a key enabler of mission success at its installations. Concurrently, the Department of Defense (DoD) is actively working to mitigate risks posed by climate change, and seeking energy sources that are reliable, resilient, and clean. To that end, the 2019 National Defense Authorisation Act (NDAA) required the Secretary of Energy to report on a pilot programme to provide resilience for DoD facilities by contracting with a commercial entity to build and operate at least one licensed micro- reactor by 31 December 2027. Building on this, Executive Order 13972, “Promoting Small Modular Reactors for National Defense and Space Exploration” outlined requirements for micro-reactor development specifically within the DoD.
The chronology is as follows:
September 2020: Request for Information (RFI) released
December 2020: RFI responses received
July 2021: Data gathering and environmental baselining site visit
October 2021: Public Announcement of Eielson as chosen micro-reactor pilot location
Fall 2021: Draft Request for Proposal (RFP) and compile environmental data
December 2021: RFP reviews
February 2022: Release RFP
Late 2022: Select vendor and release Notice of Intent to Award (NOITA)
2022-2023: Begin permitting and licensing
2024: Execute contract
2025: Begin construction and pilot phase
2026: Pre-operational testing
2027: End pilot phase, enter commercial operation
The reactor technology has not yet been determined.
In September 2022, the Department of the Air Force, in partnership with the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, released a request for proposal (RFP) for the project. The power purchase agreement request for proposal (RFP) closed on January 31, 2023. DAF plans to select a vendor and release the Notice of Intent to Award in 2023. Permitting and licensing activities, including the National Environmental Policy Act assessment are expected to begin by 2025. Micro-reactor demonstration and operational testing is targeted to begin in 2027.
It seems that they will decide on s molten salt, low enriched Uranium reactor to minimize proliferation risks. One step at a time.
Acts 25. Paul stood trial before Festus, and Festus found that the charges were all religious, so he suggested sending Paul to Jerusalem, but Paul Appealed to Caesar. To finalize the charges Paul then went before King Agrippa and client Queen Bernice (Festus could find nothing chargeable according to Roman Law on his own).
Ezra 1 begins with the end of the Babylonian captivity and Cyrus decree to rebuild the Temple. The people prepared to return to Jerusalem.
Ezra 2 lists the captives who returned to Jerusalem.
Ezra 3. Worship was restored in Jerusalem and the restoration of the Temple began to great rejoicing, but also weeping.
Ezra 4. The resistance to building the Temple was great, and the rebuilding of Jerusalem was successfully opposed (for a while).
Len Bilén's blog, a blog about faith, politics and the environment. 