Caiaphas

The High Priest
was the chief religious official of Israelite religion and of classical Judaism from the rise of the Israelite nation until the destruction of the Second Temple of Jerusalem. The high priests belonged to the Jewish priestly families that trace their paternal line back to Aaron, the first high priest and elder brother of Moses. (wiki)

Scripture on Caiaphas
Mt 26:1-5; Mt 26:57-67; Lk 3:1-2; Jn 11; Jn 18; Ac 4;

John 11:49-52
“You know nothing at all! 50 You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” 51 He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that

Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, 52 and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one.

Wells Fargo inspiration

Yesterday morning I attended the Birmingham Business Journal 2012 Economic Forecast event where I picked up a copy of a Forbes article featuring Wells Fargo and her President/CEO Mr. John G. Stumpf.  Several financial indicators including revenue and profitability make Wells a fine company to study the nature of success.  The inspiration of my writing this blog is the age old Vision and Value of Wells Fargo booklet that is written by their CEO in everyday language and distributed to each employee.

I believe this simple 40 page outline of their values, strategy, and future outlook helps all of their associates (to the extent of the ability) embody spirit of Wells Fargo.  The following points are the key attributes that have made an impression upon me:

- simple growth strategy broken into a three tiered plan.  First cross sell existing customers, second to gain customers from the competitors, and lastly through customer acquisition

- history and purpose a rich knowledge of their history extends a deep sense of their purpose.  The President himself leads his company to future success after being raised in the history of the company

- know thy self and they customer Wells Fargo knows how many products they have to offer each customer and conversely how many products their average customers is actually consuming.  From their they make goals to incrementally increase the average unit per consumer

- investment vs. expense Wells does not see their associates as liabilities but as assets that are truly the center of their success

- cross selling The bank invest its energy into the higher return engagement of selling more products to a single customer rather attempting to grow by adding more customers to few services.  The quality of their work with existing customers attracts new consumers over time

My favorite quote of the book is "A good strategy perfectly executed will beat a great strategy poorly executed every time"

Their are many other points listed in the Vision and Values manuscript, however the points discussed are the ones that have shaped my view of management at present.


written by:
Martin A. Briggs
- KMBriggs, LLC

Basic study of gold investments

Genesis 2:11-12 New International Version (NIV)
11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin and onyx are also there.)

From our understanding of Havilah the Lord instructed me to study gold and it lead me to a book named "The ABCs of Gold Investing: How to Protect and Build Wealth With Gold" by Mr. Michael J. Kosares copyright 2005.  These excerpts are the summary of my understanding from the book:

"What should I buy?"  The short answer is gold bullion coins like the U.S. Eagle, the Austrian Philharmonic, the South African Krugerrand, and the Canadian Maple Leaf in some combination with pre-1933 small-sized European gold coins and U.S. $20 gold pieces. "  

"They can be bought and sold almost anywhere in the world.  They are easily recognizable, of standard weight and purity, and can be readily priced based on their gold content." 

"WIth some exceptions, these coins generally trade among most retail firms at 5 to 8 percent over the gold price." 

"... using the COMEX in New York as a price basis.  COMEX is the leading exchange for gold futures and options in the United States"  

"Deal only with firms that have been in operation for a number of years.  Five years is good; ten years or more is even better." 

 "Check Credentials... Better Business Bureaus"   

"Most of the top gold dealers below to the Industry Council for Tangible Assets (ICTA).  Although ICTA does not rate gold firms or in any way regulate them, it is good for you as a consumer to know how long the firm has been a member."

"Make sure that your metal is sent either registered and insured by the U.S Postal Service, or fully insured by private carrier.  In both cases, you want to be sure it is being sent "signature required".   

"Traditionally Swiss money managers, renowned for their ability to handle money and who manage investments for some of the world's wealthiest people, traditionally recommend a diversification into gold of 10 to 20 percent for good reason."   

"Gold in the modern era, although  it is described , classified, and utilized in many different ways, is still first and foremost portfolio insurance and should be viewed as such." 

"I recommend a fold diversification of 10 - 30 percent of your total assets, not including your residence."  

"Diversify to hedge the ultimate disaster.  Diversify with gold." 

"...some excellent sites are devoted completely to gold, like USAGOLD.com (the author's Web site), Gold Eagle.com, and Kitco.com."  

"To plan your portfolio properly, consult with a professional in the gold business."  

"For an extra layer of protection against government intervention, you will want to include the historically significant pre-1933 United States $20 gold coins.  

"...in the United States, gold ownership is a privilege, not a right..."

"Investors whose primary interest is profit should also evaluate the potential in the higher-grade U.S gold coins, particular mint state 63, 64, and 65 $20 gold pieces, graded by the independent services."  

"You will need some combination of pre-1933 gold coins, gold bullion coins, and/or silver, platinum, and palladium bullion bars to achieve this objective."  

"When it comes to currency value, gold is the master of all and the slave of none."  

"Indeed, the fact that certain citizens have the wisdom to accumulate gold may someday be this country's saving grace.  If the dollar were to fail, the gold accumulated in the United States by American citizens would become the capital base required for this nation to recover..."  

"Investors looking to protect themselves against economic disasters should first build a foundation or gold bullion coins and/or pre-1933 European and U.S gold coins."  

"Historic pre-1933 gold coins... were minted by various European governments, as well as the United States, during the ninetheenth and early twentieth centuries for commercial circulation within those countries."  

"All U.S. $20 gold pieces were minted with a pure gold weight of 0.9675 ounces.  It is because of that standardized weight and purity that theses items traded readily back then and continue to trade readily even today."  

"In most nations of the world, including the United States, gold ownership is considered a privilege, not a right.  Historically, nation-states have moved against gold ownership whenever economic conditions are such that public flight from the currency or banking system become a tangible threat.  The most conspicuous and often-cited example of such a flight occurred in 1933 when the threat of bank failures in the United States caused millions of Americans to withdraw their funds in the form of gold coins.  The newly elected president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, reacted to the panic by issuing executive orders that closed the banks and confiscated the gold."  

"...history, even twentieth-century U.S. history, shows us that confiscation has all too often been the option taken by governments threatened with an economic breakdown."  

"...in 1933, when President Roosevelt issued a series of Executive Orders closing the banks, confiscating private gold, and instituting a long list of other economic controls.  All safety deposit boxes were sealed and could not be opened except in the presence of an IRS agent.  Penalty for noncompliance was 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine, which is today's dollars would be closer to $200,000.  
 Another Execute Order issued eight months later exempted "gold coins having a recognized special value to collectors of rare and unusual coins, from the confiscation.  That classification as collectors' items reinforced in Treasure regulations issued in 1954 stating that all pre-1933 gold coins would be classified as collectors' items, and again in 1962 allowing the importation of all pre-1933 gold coins as collectors' items."  

"In 1954, the Treasury Department recognized... gold coins minted prior to 1933 would subsequently be presumed to be rare and of recognized special value to collectors, without the necessity of further specific determinations by the Treasury."  

"Few people are aware that, although gold was illegal in the United States, these items traded freely during the period the confiscation was implemented in 1933, and up until gold's re-legalization in 1975."  

"Today, there are some 49 countries that forbid ownership of gold by their citizens, but do allow holding gold coins for numismatic purposes."  

"Historic European gold coins offer great, largely untouched, and potentially lucrative opportunities in the field of gold investing today."  

"...the United States $20 gold pieces in low-grade uncirculated condition.  If gold is the immovable North Star of investments--the center around which the universe of financial assets rotates--then pre-1933 $20 gold pieces are the solid foundation upon which the modern gold portfolio is constructed.  Pre-1933 $20 gold pieces, which contain nearly an ounce of gold (0.9675 ounce) loosely track the gold price.  These, too, are considered collectors' items by the government in many of the laws and regulations concerning gold promulgated since the early 1930s.  The Liberty, minted from 1840 to 1907, and St. Gaudens, minted from 1907 to 1933, have become the most frequently traded because their prices are usually close to the bullion value, et they are viewed as collectors' items.  In the seminumismatic grades, their value is greatly influenced by the gold price.  The premium expands or contracts due to strengthening or diminishing demand."  

"Grade refers to the state of preservation, or quality, of a coin."  

"... nationally accepting grading services: Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) or the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS)."

"It is a matter of common sense, given the limited supple and burgeoning demand... that the supply will run out some day".  

"Owing gold is important.  Owning the right king of gold is crucial"  

"Gold is a treasure, and he who possess it it does all he wishes to in this world, and succeeds in helping souls into paradise."  
- Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) 

"Gains or profits made upon liquidation of an investment must be reported to the Internal Revenue Services (IRS) in the year in which they occur."  


"Gold can be stored in a safety deposit box at your bank.  This is the option most gold investors exercise.  The downside of safety deposit boxes is that items are not insured against theft, fire, flood, or similar disasters."  

"The solution to this problem is to keep some at home and the bulk in the bank safety deposit box... I believe this one to be the safest and most practical for the majority of gold owners."  

"Since ancient times, gold has served humanity reliably as both a store of value and a medium of exchange."  

"The small gold bullion coins (1/2, 1/4, and 1/10 ounce) best serve these purposes.  Of that group, the 1/4-ounce coin is the most useful".   

"Having money to barter could be crucial during an economic breakdown.  It makes sense to have some gold and silver put away for this purpose.  This is not a complicated problem.  This advice should suffice in the event of a breakdown."  

"... I now believe that gold should no longer be viewed just as a portfolio hedge - although it hasn't lost any of the qualities that make it such--but also as a vehicle for portfolio gains."  

"I believe that insurance offers extraordinary investments potential based on the possible rapid depreciation of the dollar and its loss of status as the world's only and primary reserve unit."  

"Statistics show that 85 percent of all investors in futures and options lose money.  That percentage is probability higher with leveraged gold investments."  

"Instead, the best way to take advantage of gold's price behavior is through a long-term accumulation program of the physical metal itself."  


"With gold, the best advice, as I have proffered more than once in this book, is to buy and accumulate over the medium- to long-term.  Buy what you feel you need, and then sit back and watch the show".  

"The economic house of cards built with paper dollars has begun to wobble.  Its fall will once again teach the world why gold--not paper--has been the preferred store of value for thousands of years."  

"For those who understand those two economic eras, the idea of gold ownership in the present era becomes a completely rational decision based on the lessons of history.  From time to time, financial historians and gold market analysts talk about the ongoing ware against gold waged by the central banks of the world, particularly by the United States, as part and parcel of this era... gold is winning and the dollar is loosing."  

"Now, more than 70 percent of the gold is in the hands of private individuals worldwide."  

"The dollar, in the bigger picture, is slowly fading, and gold is once again in ascendancy... it does not bode well for the United States and the dollar.  This nation must get its financial house in order."   

"As a financial antidote, a diversification into gold by American investors makes a great deal of sense... it is a matter of common sense to prepare for the worst and hope for the best."  

enclosure  

- Martin A. Briggs
KMBriggs, LLC  

Thoughts from Christopher Columbus Book of Prophecies

A few weeks ago media outlets started to speak about the Mayan prophecies of the world ending today Dec 21, 2012 or at least a major shift that would have a major impact on society.  Christopher Columbus and his passion for Zion was mentioned, which caused me to research his life.  I started with wikipedia and discovered that he wrote (contributed) letters called The Book of Prophecies.  I was intrigued by the four elements summed up by Wikipedia:

1. Christianity must be spread throughout the world
2. The Garden of Eden must be found
3. A Last Crusade must take back the Holy Land from the Muslims - It was also believed that when Christ comes, he will come back in the place he lived and died; Jerusalem.
4. A Last World Emperor must be chosen

Since the attributes are much in line our beliefs (especially the first two) I felt compelled to purchase his writings The Book of Prophecies, Edited by Christopher Columbus (Repertorium Columbianium) Edit by Roberto Rusconi.  I was pleasantly surprised that Columbus major obsession, much like mine was the topic of Zion.  Listed below are excerpts from the book that I found of great interest and sum up the theme of his thoughts:

"This is the beginning of the book or collection of auctoritates, sayings, opinions, and prophecies concerning the need to recover the holy city and Mount Zion, and the discovery and conversion of the islands of the Indies and all peoples and nations, for the Ferdinand and Isabella, our Spanish rulers" - pg 59

"Sacred Scripture is interpreted in four ways.  First, as history, which is the narration of events; the world is derived from hystrion, meaning "to see" or "experience," for in previous times no one wrote the history of an event who hand not been present at it.  Second, as allegory, from leon, which means "something else," and gore, meaning "to say" or "speech"; through allegory, a text reveals a truth of doctrine.  Third, tropologically, from tropos, meaning "change," and logos, meaning "a group of words conveying some meaning'; a tropological interpretation of a given text reveals a moral truth.  Fourth, anagogically, from ana, which means "upwards," and goge, which means "leading"; an anagogical interpretation of text reveals something to be desired, for example, eternal felicity."

"A literal reading teaches the facts; allegory, what should be believed; a moral reading, what should be done; anagogy, what one should desire."

"A fourfold meaning of Scripture exists in the word, "Jerusalem." Historically, it signifies the earthy city to which pilgrims travel; allegorically, the Church Militant.  Tropologically, it signifies heavenly Jerusalem, the country or kingdom of heaven."  Page 61

"Because we are not learned, we place ourselves in your power: blessed is the man who you instruct, O Lord, and to whom you teach your law.  We ask, therefore, that you lead us to understand, through the same spirit that inspired them, the discussions, books, and prophecies about you and your holy place.  Amen"

"In Sacred Scripture one tense is often used in place of another; for example, the past tense instead of the future, etc.  "All that I have from my father, I have made known to you."  St. Augustine writes in a sermon on this text, which is ready by some of the feast of St. Thomas the apostle: "Our Lord Jesus Christ, who did things that were going to happen, says that he has already done what he is going to do.  Thus he says through the prophet: "They have pierced my hands and feet,' not 'they will pierce,' " speaking of past events foretelling the future.  Similarly, in the cited passage he says that he told his disciples all the things that his complete knowledge told him he was going to do.  Other examples can be found by anyone who wishes to look"

"In a certain usage of tense, things that are about to happen are related as if they had already taken place.  For example: "They have pierced my hands and feet and they have counted out all my bones," and "they have divided my garments among themselves," and other similar passages.  But why are events that have not yet happened described as if they have already taken place?  Because those things which are presently in our future have already take place in God's eternity" page 63

"The Calabrian abbot Joachim said that whoever was to rebuild the temple on Mount Zion would come from Spain" page 77

"He has made me king of Zion, his hold mountain, and I preach his holy commandment.  The Lord said to me: "You are my son; today I have begotten you.  Ask of me, and I will give you the people as your inheritance and the ends of the earth as your possession." Etc page 79 - 122

"It should be taken into consideration, however, that in a second universal preaching of the gospel, all people will receive the faith of Christ.  This will occur at the end of time.  page 157

"And he will have dominion from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth."  Commentary:  That is to say, over the whole earth, surrounded by sea...  "Their voices went out to the whole earth." etc.  "And from the river," namely of earthly paradise, "to the ends of the earth," that is, to the boundaries of world.  And these boundaries are the extended to the highest heaven, for this will be the extent of the power of Christ.  Because of this, Matthew said in his last chapter: "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me," and so forth, as given above" page 161

"With respect and good cause, I state, most magnificent rulers, that greater things are in store for you, for we read that Joachim, abbot of Calabria, predicted that someone from Spain would recover the wealth of Zion"  page 317 

Conclusion 

Christopher Columbus did not know he would open the gates to Europe to cease the America's.  He also never came remotely close to ceasing Jerusalem and the great Mount of Zion from the Moors.  However one thing is for sure, his pioneering efforts to discover the land of where Havilah would be discovered and shared has come to pass.  KMBriggs acknowledges that with the help of the Holy Spirit Columbus pioneered the clear path of the modern world in the Americas.  Columbus efforts are still paying dividends through so many people including the house of KMBriggs.  We dedicate your life and the works of so many people around you who made it possible to sail to the Americas to the discovery of Zion which is soon to be known and understood around the world.

Martin
KMBriggs

Essay ~ Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson (part 2)

Part 2 of 2 Top Ten Leadership Qualities of Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs had the single greatest impact on the world of business and technology of any person in the last 100 years. A complete list of his accomplishments can be found in part one of this article.  In Part One I declared that Jobs is a prime example of my belief that the outcome of ones life is completely at the mercy of destiny.  Destiny overrules personality, values, and intelligence.

Now I will list ten secondary traits and values of Steve Jobs that I feel were key ingredients to his success.  I have incorporated these tools into my portfolio of management skill as I believe they yield high levels of return in the realm of business. 

one  VISION OF GREATNESS    The skill that gave Jobs the most leverage was the gift of a grand vision.  Jobs vision was to create a great company who distributed great tech products and services that profitably met the demand of millions of ordinary people around the world.  Monetarily his company Apple achieved that goal as it is presently the most valuable company in the world.  Jobs firmly believed in his vision and embodied it as the purpose of his existents.

two  REALITY DISTORTION FIELD    The embodiment of this purpose created a source of power that pulled in required resources to bring his vision into existence.  His ability to motivate others to buy into his vision ultimately helped him and his companies become successful.  He also had the ability to block out or overrule barriers that appeared to make achieving his goals impossible.  Ultimately Jobs often times was able to bend his reality toward the vision in his mind.

three  CONSUMER PERSPECTIVE    Jobs understood products and services from the end user perspective.   At the heart of Jobs systems and products was purity.  A simple easy operating unit with minimal steps to activate function gives the end user a sense of empowerment over technology, making him the master of his new device.  An aesthetically pleasing design and product reliability causes people to have a passionate desire to be a consumer of Apple products.  These variables make up the definition of purity from Jobs perspective.

four   A Players   Jobs believed in himself and only chose to work with people who could help him make the best products.  Jobs felt that working with people he deemed as A players was a necessity and surrounding himself with people he could believe in was never optional.

five  FEARLESS   Jobs was generally not intimidated by anything and aggressively pursued his vision regardless of obstacles confronting him

six  SIMPLISTIC FOCUS   Under Jobs leadership, Apple Inc. focused on no more than three to five projects at one time.  Each product or service had reliable simplicity at the foundation of its purpose.

seven  CARE   Although most would not describe Jobs as a caring person, he in fact cared very much about each project and the experience of the end user.  Jobs constantly challenged himself and his team to reevaluate projects, making sure that what they had in production was really user friendly and aseptically pleasing.  Their best work has many drafts and models created until the perfect one was produced.  Jobs was attentive and present with every aspect of his company.  His obsession to make a great company lead him to spend most of his waking hours working on his career.

eight  APPEARANCE AND PRESENTATION   Purchasing an Apple product is more like joining into a culture and buying a piece of art.  Apple creates this feeling by presenting its brand in a way that gives a consumer the ability to magnify his own identify and or to have something greater than himself to identify with.  Jobs was able to achieve this goal through great marketing including advertising and product launch events.  Jobs believed that anything that was a big deal, only had to look like a big deal.   This was evident in his ceasing the moment on product launches. Anything consumers could see had to be appealing to the senses.  Therefore combining art with technology was a pillar to every project Jobs worked on including product design and package presentation.  Perception of his audience meant everything to him.

nine  CONTROL   Jobs believed in end to end control and responsibility of the entire user experience ranging from product content, design, production, packaging, and distribution.  It was beneficial that Jobs was given a great range of autonomous authority to run his companies the way he deemed fit at critical junctures where the company needed it most.

ten  RESTART, DO OVER   Jobs had the ability to look at works in progress or even his entire company and was willing to restart or phase out what was not working or yielding the best return.  His ability to see when projects or ideas are ineffective and could have a problematic impact long term was essential to Jobs function as CEO.  Using his fearless, unashamed ability to change direction, sacrifice projects in the pipeline or layoff staff was absolutely necessary to save the company and to make it what is today. 

These ten attributes are gifts that I believe helped propel Jobs and his companies to the level of greatness they are today.  I ask King Jesus, Lord of all to grant them to KMBriggs, LLC according to his will.  Amen   


Martin A. Briggs
KMBriggs, LLC   

Essay ~ Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson (part 1)

Part 1 or 2 Destiny the Basis of all Things

In an effort to improve myself as a leader, I have made it my goal to read (or rather listen to) autobiographies of highly influential people and organizations. I immensely appreciate the increased value of the time I spend on the road listening to audio books. Many of my car trips have become leadership seminars that improve my perception of the world and how I interact with it.

I just completed the book Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, wow what an experience! From a technology and business perspective I can think of no other persons life who has had more influence on the human experience than Steve Jobs since the 20th century.

Steve Jobs pioneered Apple Inc. which is now one of the most valuable companies in the world with revenues over $100 billion and retaining a third of it in net income from the labor of fewer than sixty-thousand employees. Compare that to Walmart who makes over $400 billion in revenue with over two million employees but only retains half the net income made by Apple. The efficiency and ability to produce products with a global demand valued far greater than their cost is what makes Apple such a remarkable company.

Through the integration of several technology and service concepts Apple has broadened its meaning beyond the definition of a company as it is more suitably categorized as an industry. In a short 56 year life span Steve Jobs pioneered the development of some of the most significant products and services the world has ever experienced including:

- Apple developed and produced the first personal computer that was easy to use and readily accessible to the average person
- graphical design bridging technology and art
- Pixar Animation Studio the first digital animation film company that has produced many of the most profitable movies in the film industry
- Apple Inc. retail stores are the most profitable stores in all the world
- the ipod with a thousand songs in your pocket
- iTunes and apps that gives users access to millions of ideas and services through one easy to use portal
- iPhone which is more than a phone, it is a computer in our pocket
- iPad the first tablet computer and soon to be the future of business and academic communication
- iCloud the most empowering online concept since the internet was created

As I consider the remarkable impact Steve Jobs had on the world, I empathize with communities throughout history who falsely idolize people and deem mere men as Gods upon earth. I am amazed that Jobs life is not more celebrated as he had the most impact on the world than any other single life in at least the last 150 years. Like Michael Jackson was to music or Michael Jordan to sports, Steve Jobs standing in the world of business technology is supreme.

Steve Jobs life is certainly worth the time to analyze and learn how he made such a tremendous impact on the world. The objective of this report is to pull the essence of what made Jobs a great leader and incorporate those principles into my nature. Many aspects of Jobs leadership style stand out as key components on how he reached his level of achievement. However after much consideration I have come to conclude the basis of Jobs success is rooted in the law of destiny.

destiny (dictionary.com)
1. something that is to happen or has happened to a particular person or thing; lot or fortune.
2. the predetermined, usually inevitable or irresistible, course of events.
3. the power or agency that determines the course of events.

FLAWS   The proof of destiny
I sincerely appreciate how the author Mr. Walter Isaacson was given the ability and authorization to write what I felt was a truthfully biography of the nature of Steve Jobs. From a Christian perspective Jobs conducted much of his life in a manner we deem as destructive behavior and against the will of God. Given my understanding from the book, I think very few of the people who intimately knew Jobs would disagree with the conclusion that he lend toward having a self absorbed personality. For the most part Mr. Jobs did not work well with people as his personality tended to be extremely disagreeable and distasteful. Jobs was also a rebellious student throughout most of his growing up and never attained academic diplomas in higher eduction past grade school. Although Steve Jobs made his fortune in the tech world, he was not a very good technician and never was the sole inventor of the products that made his companies great. In spite of Jobs robust life it was short, as he only lived to the age of 56 (twenty year shy of his expected life span).

ANOMALY 

Most people would agree that the flaws of Steve Jobs life do not correlate with the level of achievement he obtained. This juncture is an anomaly and requires further study until a point of understanding is reached as it stands as the most significant attribute of his success.

CONCLUSION   Destiny overrules personality and values

I argue the greatest factor Steve Jobs contributed to earth was not his material success, but concrete evidence to the fact that destiny overrules personality, religion, values, academic achievement, purity, knowledge, wisdom or any other indicators. Moreover each and every life is limited to the invisible hand of destiny that chooses the placement, position, and time for everyone. For example it is not probable that the identical person of Steve Jobs would have reached the same level of success if his paternal parents living in the Midwest did not choose to relinquish Jobs as an infant to a lower-middle income family who adopted Jobs and raised him in Silicon Valley just before the region clearly became the center of the technology world. Jobs gleaned his love of technology from his adopted father and other role models in his community during the formative years of his youth. These circumstances orchestrated by a higher power outside of mankind's control undoubtedly serve as the basis of how Steve Jobs came to be such a great success. Destiny provides both external earthly conditions and internal soul conditions that lead to the outcome of each persons life.

The inescapable hand of destiny is the single greatest lesson I learned from the book Steve Jobs by Walter Isaascon. What ever purpose God places in each of us cannot be hindered weather we are aware of his influence in our lives, deny his existence, or readily embrace him. No persons internal factors (including soul, mind, and body) or external factors can prevent any of us from being what God has planed for our lives. His purpose is our destiny and the reason each person exist. The root of why you exist, what you have become, and are going to be is a result of being chosen to be such person. Our responsibility is to witness what God is making of us and with the little power destiny allots to us, position ourselves so that we may reap the most optimal yield when the wind of destiny blows upon our sails.

There are secondary traits beyond destiny that are key tools of Jobs leadership and made up much of the ingredients of his greatness, a complete list of those attributes are listed in part 2 of this essay.

Martin A. Briggs
KMBriggs, LLC

The morning star an expression of God

Did you know there are about 13 planets in our solar system all sharing the same morning star; a large hot plasma mass called the Sun. From our perspective looking at the Sun from Earth seems like the Sun is not too far or too big. When in fact that could not be farther from the truth. The Sun compared to planet Earth is almost incomprehensible.

Consider the following facts:

- the distance between Sun and Earth is just under 93 million miles

- the earth is just under 8000 miles across, while the sun is just under 865,000 miles across. Meaning you would need at least 109 Earths side by side to go from one end of the Sun to the other

- planet Earth shares a solar system with 12 other planets and the Sun. All 13 planets make up only .14% of the total mass of our solar system, while the Sun makes up the remaining 99.86%

- the Sun is so large that you could fit 1.3 million earths within the sun if it were hallow

- the mass of the Sun is 333,000 times that of the earth

The analogy of the Sun compared to the earth is the only comprehensible way for us to have some understanding of two facts about the Lord:

1) how immense he is and how small we are, yet

2) he loves us with the same measure of intensity

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches

In fact He loves us so much that he promised twice in scripture to give his sons through Christ Jesus the bright and morning star. Meaning one day during this age Gods people of this earth will harness powers and authority so great that it can only be likened to the degree of strength of the Sun. This is the extent of Gods allowance for mankind's abilities on planet Earth.

Furthermore we must keep in mind that this power and authority is yet a microcosm compared to Gods actual being. Consider that as vast as our star The Sun may be, that it is in fact the smallest of the other stars in the universe known to mankind. The largest known star we have been able to identify is VY Canis Majoris. The Sun would look like the size of pin hole compared to that star. Check out this YouTube video Planet Sun Star Comparison and this posting by Mr. Fraser Cain - What is the Biggest Star in the Universe for further elaboration.

Truly the Lord our God is vast, there are no words to describe him, He is magnificent in every way, no man can or ever will understand Him, He deserves all the glory and the praise. He is the utmost, The Sovereign one. He has commanded us to follow his chosen Son Christ Jesus and has placed him between He and us. And with a pure heart let us honor his will and gladly serve King Jesus with all our hearts and minds.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches

Amen,

KMBriggs, LLC

December 2011

References and appreciation:

Cool Cosmos, Liberty.com,