Happy Resurrection Day. This is the day that Yeshua/Jesus rose from the dead, fulfilling the Feast of Firstfruits, and set a precedent for others to follow in His footsteps: But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. (1 Corinthians 15:20-23) Jesus was a man of love and compassion, as well as a man of principles and convictions. He lived and breathed the commandments and precepts—the Torah—of God, for which He was hated and killed. But He defied death and exited His tomb, and He will return to rule and reign over this earth for a millennium of time, and then over a new creation forevermore thereafter. Following His resurrection, Jesus showed Himself to many people for forty days, after which He was taken up into heaven (Acts 1:3-11). Ten days after His ascension, on day fifty, the Holy Spirit = Spirit of Messiah came upon many and poured out His power upon them (Acts 2:1-4). This fulfilled the Feast of Weeks = Shavuot or Pentecost (Leviticus 23:15,16). Thus, Jesus fulfilled all four Spring Hebraic feasts and holy days at His first coming and will fulfill all three Fall feasts and holy days at His second coming—see How is it that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Jewish Spring and Fall feasts and holy days? The lost see only a hopeless end. Believers in Yeshua haMashiach (Jesus the Christ) have an endless hope. |
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The church I attend had a very nice Passover seder tonight. It wasn’t on Passover (like the one I attended on Tue., Mar. 26). But since most Christians commemorate Jesus’ crucifixion on “Good Friday,” that is why the seder was tonight (although I believe that the crucifixion was on Good Thursday). Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. (1 Corinthians 5:7) The cups of red wine or grape juice at the seder signify the blood Jesus shed for us. The matzo or matzah (unleavened bread) is not made with yeast, which is a representation of sin in the Bible. As believers, we are to get rid of the old sin (“yeast”) in our lives and be new “batches of bread” without yeast. Our Messiah/Christ, who was sinless, was sacrificed as the ultimate Passover Lamb for us. The matzo also has stripes and is pierced with holes. Messianic Christians see this bread as representative of the body of Jesus, who was flogged (causing stripes) and nailed to a cross (creating holes in his wrists and feet). He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5) 45-second slideshow Indeed, Yeshua/Jesus our Passover Lamb was slain, and He lay in the tomb during the first few days and nights of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Fortunately for us, He did not remain there: He rose from the dead on the Feast of Firstfruits = Resurrection Day (Easter Sunday). He is in heaven now waiting to return to earth, at which time He will sit on his throne in Jerusalem. There, He will rule and reign as King over all the earth. I can barely wait. |
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Most Christians have been taught that Jesus was crucified and died on “Good Friday,” which is tomorrow. I disagree. I am fully convinced that He died on Thursday (that is, the fifth day of the week, not the sixth day of the week). |
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Today was Passover, and after sunset I attended a Jewish Passover seder. It was virtually identical to the one I attended two years ago, on Apr. 19, 2011, in case you want to read about that one. The main difference was that I took my camera tonight. 45-second slideshow I love the exodus account of the ancient Israelites that Moses led out of Egypt, which encompasses six chapters: Exodus 7 through 12. God definitely did many miracles on Israel’s behalf in the process of saving them from those who had enslaved them. |
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This is “Palm Sunday,” the day that Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey. This was prophesied to take place centuries before it happened: Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9) |
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Shabbat shalom. This is my Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11 and Deuteronomy 5:12-15), from sunset last night to sunset tonight, so I do things differently than I do the rest of the week. Although I usually attend church on Sunday, that is not my Sabbath day. I was reminded of D’Souza’s successful movie, “2016: Obama’s America,” which came out in 2012. I remembered that I had wanted to see that movie last year but hadn’t gotten around to doing so, mainly because it is extremely rare that I go out to a movie. I figured that, by now, “2016” probably was available to watch free on the internet. Here, it can be watched without having to download any plug-ins: Basically, it provides a very informative summary of Obama’s early life and how Obama has identified with his father’s anti-colonial vision. He is continuing to mold America to that vision; and, presumably, it will be a completely different country—and world—by 2016. I recommend this movie to all Americans. |
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I watched all of President Obama’s speech in Israel today, at the Jerusalem Convention Center. The audience was composed mostly of students. Here is a transcript of his entire speech, as well as a video of the speech (about 50 minutes): American President Barack Obama's Speech at the Jerusalem Convention Center The speech writer(s) included some convincing lines, in portions of the speech, to make Obama sound like a true, loyal friend of Israel and of Prime Minister Netanyahu. However, there were some overt flaws in some of his statements. |
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On this first day of Spring, President Obama has arrived in Israel, his first visit there as president. Ever since it was announced last month that he would be making this trip, I have been receiving emails suggesting that something prophetically significant would happen while he is there. |
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I forgot to wear green today...oops. I also was too busy to make corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, and carrots, and I didn’t want to spend the money to go eat it elsewhere. I didn’t even drink any green beer; of course, it is rare that I drink alcohol of any type. I hope Saint Patrick didn’t get too upset. |
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A new pope was elected at the Vatican today. Jorge Mario Bergoglio, from Buenos Aires, Argentina, became the 266th pontiff of the Catholic Church.
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Comet Pan-STARRS is supposed to be visible every night this week in the western sky. It should be near the horizon, about 30-40 minutes after sunset, near the crescent moon. Although the comet will be the closest to the sun today, it may be that Tue., Mar. 12, will be the best evening to see it. to Sun Today: See It at Sunset |
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Most of the United States will go on Daylight Saving Time (DST) early in the morning, Sun., Mar. 10. DST will extend until Sun., Nov. 3. I probably will forget to change my clocks tomorrow, so I will do it tonight before I go to bed. I do not like losing an hour of time, so I will go to bed an hour earlier than usual. I do enjoy the extra hour of daylight at the end of the day, though. |
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Early this morning, Republican Senator Rand Paul from Kentucky ended a marathon filibuster in the U.S. Senate. He had been speaking, almost continuously, for almost 13 hours, from 11:47 a.m. EST yesterday morning to 12:39 a.m. EST this morning.
Another video provides more details. Technically, Rand Paul was filibustering the nomination of John Brennan as director of the CIA. However, in an interview today, I heard him say that his filibuster “wasn’t really about John Brennan.” |
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Hugo Chavez, socialist president of Venezuela for 14 years, finally has “bit the dust” and assumed “room temperature.” This was after a two-year battle with cancer. |
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While I was at WalMart, I saw some Great Value trail mix for $4.98 per bag. There were a few varieties, so I picked up three different kinds: Tropical, Mountain, and Indulgent. 5-second slideshow I dumped the contents of all three bags into a large bowl and mixed all of it thoroughly. Then I scooped it all back, in equal amounts, into the three bags. That way, I can get a larger selection of ingredients in every handful. |
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The $85 billion in sequestration cuts are scheduled to go into effect today. President Obama and the U.S. Congress were unable to agree on any alternatives that would avoid the automatic cuts. On His Sequester The Obama Sequester: He Was For It, Before He Was Against It Obama Caught in Bald-Faced Lie on White House Sequester Today, during a 40-minute press conference, Obama said, I recognize that it's very hard for Republican leaders to be seen as making concessions to me. I sometimes think, is there something I could do to make some of these guys — the House Republican caucus — to not paint horns on my head. I was listening live when, at 11:48 A.M. EST, he spoke the phrase, “horns on my head.” It reminded me of this verse in the Bible: Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. (Revelation 13:11) I still cannot help but feel, as I wrote exactly four years ago today, that Mr. Obama could turn out to be the prophesied False Prophet. This is the (second) “beast” described in the verse above. |
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My brother-in-law Mel, in New Mexico, is very ill. He has a malignant tumor in his bile duct, jaundiced skin and eyes, some type of internal infection, and is starting to have kidney failure. Pray for a miracle, if it could be God’s will to perform one. |
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This is the first full day of Purim, which began at sunset last night, and it also will be celebrated tomorrow. (See the Calendar of Hebraic Holy Days 2012–2020 for dates of other Hebraic feasts, festivals, and holy days.) Here is a brief account I have written about Purim: Feast of Firstfruits Sometimes I make matzo balls and potato latkes, like I did last year, but this year I wasn’t in the mood. Instead I made a lasagna with the same ingredients as the one I made on Jan. 20. 5-second slideshow I doubt that the great Queen Esther ate lasagna, but I bet she would have liked mine. |
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I bought four bags of Valentine’s candy for 50% off, totaling almost exactly $10. I never buy it before Valentine’s Day because there’s no way I’d pay full price for it. I also would not like it if someone bought it at full price and gave it to me; fortunately, no one did. This stash easily can last me a year. |
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A huge meteor flared through the skies over Russia’s Chelyabinsk region early today, at 9:20 am local time (watch a video and another video). Traveling at a speed of about 33,000 mph (updated to 40,000 mph), the 50-foot wide, 7,700-ton (updated to 10,000-ton) meteor caused a massive shock wave that injured well over a thousand people and blew out windows and doors in many buildings. It also created a giant, fiery crater. Russia with force of atomic bomb 30-second slideshow Coincidentally, a 150-foot asteroid, named 2012 DA14, passed only 17,239 miles away from the earth today. This was the closest distance of an asteroid on record. It was traveling about 17,450 miles per hour. This is nearer than the orbit of most satellites, which are about 22,200 miles away. Facts About Friday's Earth Flyby 15-second slideshow Then, tonight at about 7:45 PST, a fireball streaked across the Northern California sky: northern California sky It is extremely amazing to me that all of these celestial events occurred within only 24 hours of each other. Some have called it “a chilling coincidence.” It makes me wonder if, perhaps, it is a harbinger of more formidable events to come within a few years. The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water—the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter. (Revelation 8:8-11) In my opinion, these could be depictions of an asteroid and then a comet crashing into the earth. They will cause mass destruction and devastation. |
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Happy Valentine’s Day. Actually, I am looking forward to tomorrow and the next day, when all the V-Day candy will be on sale. |
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In a tribunal meeting at the Vatican today, Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation, effective Feb. 28. He will be the first pope to resign in nearly 600 years, since 1415 when Pope Gregory XII stepped down.” first pope in 600 years to resign Interestingly, a 12th Century archbishop, St. Malachy O’Morgair, wrote a prophecy about the final five popes of the Catholic Church. You can read about this prophecy in my final Popes section. If the prophecy is correct, it would seem that the next pope will be the final pope. |
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Chicken breasts and green beans were on sale at the store today (both 99¢ a pound), so I bought some and baked/steamed them. I also made whipped potatoes and black rice plus salad and a little gravy. |
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Today is the exact middle of Winter. Counting Dec. 21 (the first day of Winter) as day #1, today is day #45. Then counting today as day #1, Mar. 20 (the first day of Spring) is day #45. I look forward to Spring and then to Summer, since I love hot weather, just like I love hot (spicy) food—the hotter, the better. |
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Super Bowl XLVII was played in New Orleans today. The Baltimore Ravens, led by quarterback Joe Flacco, were victorious over the San Francisco 49ers, led by quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The final score was 34 to 31. |
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There are common misconceptions, I believe, about some of the terms in the book of Revelation. I have responded to a couple of them here: |
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I eat crunchy peanut butter virtually everyday. The brand I prefer is 365 Crunchy Peanut Butter from Whole Foods. It consists of peanut butter and salt, that’s it. It contains no unhealthful additives such as sugar, molasses, or diglicerides. It must be mixed well upon opening the first time, due to natural oil separation, but that takes only a few of minutes. 25-second slideshow Probably most people, after seeing the perfect box at the checkout counter, would think, “Hmmm, that’s a nice coincidence.” That’s not how I view it, though. I don’t really see “lucky” events as flukes or accidents; I see them as my heavenly Father God providing for me, since He is my Provider (YHWH-Jireh). |
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Surprisingly, one of the topics about which I have received the most questions and comments, over the years, is the day of Jesus’ crucifixion. The traditional view is that it took place on a Friday. Some feel it was on Wednesday. I believe it was Thursday, as explained in my Good Thursday commentary. Actually, the Hebraic days of the week are referred to as the first day, the second day, etc. The only day that has a name is the seventh day, which is the Sabbath. But for ease of understanding, I have called the days of the week by their common names that the western mind understands. |
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I have believed, for some time, that radical Islam is the greatest threat to peace and stability in the world. I also have felt for awhile that the “mark of the beast” described in Revelation 13:16-18 very well could come out of Islam. A friend sent me the following commentary, by Kimberly Rogers, which seems very plausible to me: |
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Today is the 40th anniversary of the controversial Roe vs. Wade decision. On this day in 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it is “constitutional” for any woman to have an abortion. That is, women were given the legal right to choose to end the lives of their unborn children. Since then, tens of millions of fetuses in the womb, intended to be children in the world, have had their lives forcibly taken from them without their consent. I believe that abortion, for the “convenience” of the mother and/or the father, is murder and is in violation of the Sixth Commandment of God (Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17). The life of every American is an unalienable right extended by our Creator; and abortion for convenience is a violation of the phrase “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” included within the United States Declaration of Independence. |
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The apostle Paul urged the following: ...that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time. (1 Timothy 2:1-6) We need to pray for our leaders, whether newly elected or still in office. However, we should not forget that our God is in control of all things and that all events, whether we understand them or not, will take place according to His sovereign purposes and objectives. |
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I hadn’t made lasagna in a few months, so I made one today. One of my favorite vegetables is bok choy, and I don’t think I’ve ever put it into a lasagna before. I chopped up the stems and sautéed them with chopped onions. I used the big green bok choy leaves instead of spinach, which I virtually always include. 30-second slideshow It tastes even better than it looks. In other news, today was the private inauguration of Barack Obama and Joe Biden for their second term as president and vice-president. According to the constitution, the official inauguration must take place on January 20. Tomorrow, there will be a public ceremony. |
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I don’t like to waste anything. For instance, when I eat a plate or bowl full of food, I eat all of it; nothing is left behind. When I have used almost all of a bar of soap, I stick the remaining fragment onto the new bar. I don’t think I’ve thrown away even the smallest piece of soap in many decades. 15-second slideshow Americans waste way too much, including natural resources. We certainly are not the only nation in that boat, but I think we lead the way. We are a “throw away” society, and it mostly is due to our unwarranted demand for “convenience.” |
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The following commentary in the “To The Editor” section of a NC newspaper is one of the funniest things I’ve ever read because it is so stupid. Whoever wrote it must be a bonafide moron. Click on it to see an enlarged version so you can read it. The section implying that a person born by a C-section is not a “natural born citizen” is a knee-slapper. It’s got to be one of the dumbest liberal rants ever written. |
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Lately, I have had somewhat of a spike in emails from people talking about other people they’ve seen with “black eyes.” I don’t mean the kind of black eye that someone gets when the area around their eye gets smacked. I am referring to eyeballs that are completely black, including the white parts (scleras). Man in Restaurant with Black Eyes My responses to both emails are not included because they are immaterial. I’m only including these because this uncanny phenomenon seems to be growing. You can do a web search for “black eyes” and see what you come up with. Some say these are “extraterrestrial” beings, but I don’t buy that. I’ve even heard of “black-eyed kids” or “BEKs,” who lurk around places and ask people for permission to come into their cars or homes. I know I wouldn’t let one in. |
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My last day of work was 22 years ago today. Technically, Jan. 11 was my last day, but I called in sick that day and went to the beach. I never had enjoyed my freedom so much before that day. |
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I have been asked to comment on a few Bible passages and how they correlate with the Jews and events that, I believe, are yet to occur: |
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An excellent new teacher on GLC (God’s Learning Channel) is Audra Grace Shelby. The name of her program is Behind the Veil. |
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Happy New Year. Below are links to my annual calendar and list of 2013 holidays and observances that many like to download and tape to a wall nearby. That is what I do, with the calendar on one side and the holidays/observances on the other side of one piece of paper. Both are in .doc and .pdf format. Or else you could print out these two pages (.pdf files), with no name on the calendar page: If you’ve never read the Bible straight through, from cover to cover, you might want to do it in 2013. Go to the following page, print out the pages in either .doc, .pdf, or .html format, and check off the passages as you read them: The Bible is God’s Law and Instruction Manual for life. Don’t worry if you are unable to understand everything you read; eventually, God will give us answers to everything we wonder about. One of the main things you will come to understand is God’s everlasting covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—see God’s Covenant: with Israel or the Church? |