Today, President Biden announced his newest attempt to ease runaway inflation and soaring gas prices. He said that up to 1 million barrels of oil per day will be released from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). That will total about 180 million barrels of oil over the next six months.
However, oil consumption by Americans is nearly 20 million barrels of oil per day. Therefore, the total release of 180 million barrels over six months is equivalent to only about 9 days worth of oil consumption.
On March 1, Biden announced the release of 30 million barrels of oil from the reserve in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Yet, gasoline prices have continued to escalate for most of this month. Today the average price per gallon of regular gas, nationwide, is about $4.23. Last year at this time, the average price per gallon was about $2.87.
There have been three Palestinian terror attacks in Israel in a little over a week. According to Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, “Israel is facing a wave of murderous Arab terrorism.”
The most recent attack was last night in Bnei Brak, an ultra-Orthodox suburb of Tel Aviv. The Palestinian shooter, Dia Hamarsha age 27, killed four Israeli citizens. Two police officers also were shot. One of them, Amir Khouri age 32, was an Arab Christian officer; he shot and killed Hamarsha. However, Khouri later died from his bullet wounds.
Two other people were arrested following the shootings. At least one of them was suspected of assisting the terrorist shooter.
Last week, six Israelis were stabbed in Beersheba, four of whom died. Earlier this week, gunmen killed two Israelis and wounded a few others in Hadera.
All of these attacks have taken place not long before the holy month of Ramadan, which begins this weekend. It is a month of fasting, spiritual reflection and prayer for Muslims.
Last year, the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis occurred during Ramadan and is described in the April–May 2021 Ramadan events section. There is fear in Israel that there may be Islamic attacks against Israelis again this year during Ramadan, particularly during the Jewish holy week of Passover and Unleavened Bread (April 15-22), during which the Feast of Firstfruits (Easter Sunday) takes place (April 17).
The 94th Academy Awards ceremony took place last night at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood. I did not watch the Oscars program myself. However, I will list a few of the Oscar winners below.
Best Picture: CODA
Best Actor: Will Smith in King Richard
Best Actress: Jessica Chastain in The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Best Supporting Actor: Troy Kotsur in CODA
Best Supporting Actress: Ariana DeBose in West Side Story
Best Director: Jane Campion for The Power of the Dog
After over a month of invading and attacking Ukraine, the Russian military has failed to take over the whole country. This is a result of strong resistance by Ukraine’s military.
Today, Ukraine’s defense intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, gave his assessment. He said Ukraine believes that Vladimir Putin’s new priority will be to seize the eastern and southern portions of the country. This would include the region of Donbas.
In case this is accomplished, it will be similar to what happened to Korea after World War II. That country was divided into the Soviet-backed North Korea and the U.S.-backed South Korea.
They talked about the rapture event and how the consequences of being “left behind” could be eternal. In many churches, there are no messages given about the rapture or harpazo—the sudden supernatural catching or snatching up and away of believers in Christ into heaven.
Pastor Billy Crone believes that Jesus didn’t just save us from hell; He saved us from “hell on earth”—the time of the 7-year tribulation. He and Jan Markell equate this with the “time of Jacob’s trouble” or Daniel’s 70th Week.
Personally, I definitely do believe in a main Rapture event, which I am convinced will be a Pre-Wrath Rapture. Reasons why I disagree with the Pre-tribulation view of the Rapture and embrace the Pre-wrath view of the Rapture are explained in the first six email responses that I have written in Rapture Questions & Responses.
Those who believe in a Pre-tribulation Rapture feel that the whole “tribulation” period (final 7 years of this age) will consist of the wrath of God. Yet, in the book of Revelation the word “wrath” does not appear until Revelation 6:16,17, following the Sixth Seal disturbances.
The impending wrath will be a response by God to a plea from the souls of those who had been killed following the opening of the Fifth Seal. Their appeal is for God to avenge their blood (Revelation 6:9,10). This will result in God’s day of vengeance, which will consist of God’s wrath and will be preceded by a Pre-Wrath Rapture.
Also, I believe that, in 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8, the one holding back the “secret power of lawlessness” and the “lawless one” (that is, the Antichrist) is the archangel Michael, not Christian believers or the Holy Spirit of God. My explanation for this is in the restrainer section.
I do leave open the possibility for a Mid-tribulation Rapture to take place at or near the middle of the 70th Week. If that possibly should happen to occur this year, it seemingly would be appropriate for it to take place next month on the Feast of Firstfruits (Easter Sunday), the day that Jesus rose from the dead as the “firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20).
Today’s program, lasting 54 minutes, can be heard here:
Encourage One Another With These Words — Audio | Video
Several nations, including the U.S., have issued sanctions against Russia during their attack on Ukraine, which has lasted over a month. Now there are concerns that Russia could retaliate with cyber attacks to shut down various power grids and companies in these countries, which has happened in the past.
President Biden indicated this week that Russia was “exploring” the cyber attack option. He called for U.S. companies to “accelerate efforts to lock their digital doors.” Although Biden didn’t explicitly say it, the concern seems to be about some sort of attack that could affect a critical part of U.S. infrastructure.
This week, four Russian government employees were charged with cyberattacks of companies and organizations in more than 130 countries in the U.S. and globally over many years. Prosecuters said that the attacks have targeted oil and gas firms, nuclear power plants, and utility and power transmission companies.
Putin seemed to be expecting a quick victory. However, according to estimates by NATO, there have been 7,000 to 15,000 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine since the initial invasion. This compares to a previous loss of about 15,000 Russian troops in Afghanistan over a 10-year period.
President Zelensky said about two weeks ago that approximately 1,300 Ukrainian solders had been killed. Yesterday, he asked for people around the world to gather in public today to show support for his country. He also made a virtual video address to members of NATO today in a request to provide “effective and unrestricted” support to Ukraine.
Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die, butGod will be with you and take you back to the land of your fathers.” (Genesis 48:21)
My flesh and my heart may fail, butGod is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:26)
ButGod raised Him from the dead, freeing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him. (Acts 2:24)
ButGod demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him”—butGod has revealed it to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. (1 Corinthians 2:9,10)
Water holds immense value. Every day, people use water in different ways including drinking, agriculture, industry, recreation, hygiene, sanitation and health care.
World Water Day is observed each year on March 22 to promote the responsible use of water and access to safe water for everyone. It raises awareness about fresh water’s scarcity and the need to preserve it.
Following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s speech to the U.S. Congress last week, he delivered another emotional address to Israel’s Knesset yesterday. The address was televised to the public.
Zelensky, who is Jewish, slammed Israel’s leaders, including Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, for their lack of aid to Ukraine. Zelensky said that Israel’s missile defense systems are the best. He questioned Israel’s refusal to provide Ukraine with their Iron Dome technology that would protect it from Russian missile strikes.
He also stated, “We can ask why we can’t receive weapons from you, why Israel has not imposed powerul sanctions on Russia or is not putting pressure on Russian business. Either way, the choice is yours to make, brothers and sisters, and you must then live with your answer, the people of Israel.”
Today, Bennett responded to Zelensky’s caustic speech. He said that he understands the suffering of the Ukrainian people. However, he stated, “I personally believe that the Holocaust should not be compared to anything. It is a unique event in the history of nations, of the world — the systemic, industrial destruction of a people in gas chambers.” Bennett added that Israel, together with other countries, would continue trying to bring an end to the war.
Since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Israel has provided significant humanitarian aid to Ukraine. However, so far, Zelensky’s pleas for Israel to supply military support to Ukraine or to issue economic sanctions against Russia have been rejected.
Spring began in the Northern Hemisphere this morning at 8:33 am PDT = 11:33 am EDT. It is the Spring or Vernal Equinox, when the daylight hours are virtually equal to the nighttime hours.
After today, the hours of light will increase and the hours of darkness will decrease each day until June 21 (the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere). Then the pattern will reverse.
At Olive Tree Ministries this weekend, Jan Markell spent the hour with Pastor Billy Crone. They talked about how the world is longing for a savior, although he will turn out not to be what the world is hoping for. Conceivably, his identity could be revealed soon.
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine seems to be one of the “weapons of mass distraction” covering up many other stories that globalists do not want us to see. The COVID pandemic was able to take the collapsing of world economies only so far toward the goal of establishing a one-world government. The Russia/Ukraine war might move the world much closer to that point.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is being seen by many to be a “knight in shining armor” who is trying to save Ukraine. He also is one of the young global trainees of the World Economic Forum (WEC). Some consider it possible that WEC might want to use Zelenskyy to help institute the Great Reset in an effort to “reset and reshape” the world and establish a one-world government.
On the Hebraic calendar, the first day of every month—Rosh Chodesh—each month begins with a new moon. A lunar month is a bit shorter than the average solar month on the Gregorian calendar.
Thus, a “leap month” is added to the Hebraic lunar calendar 7 times every 19 years. With a deviation of just a few hours, 19 solar years have very nearly the same length as 235 lunar months, both periods amounting to 6,940 days.
The twelfth month of the Hebraic calendar is Adar. In a Hebraic leap year, the twelfth month becomes Adar Aleph, and the extra thirteenth month is Adar Bet. We are in that thirteenth month right now.
On the lunar Hebraic calendar, Purim falls on a full moon in the final month of the year. Yesterday, Mar. 17 (or Adar Bet 14), was considered to be Purim on most calendars, although the actual full moon is today, Mar. 18 (or Adar Bet 15). Indeed, Shushan Purim is celebrated today in Jerusalem.
The feast of Purim comes from Chapter 9 of the biblical book of Esther. In the final two verses below, Mordecai indicated that the days of joy and feasting (Purim) were to be celebrated annually on “the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar”:
18The Jews in Susa, however, had assembled on the thirteenth and fourteenth, and then on the fifteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy. 19That is why rural Jews—those living in villages—observe the fourteenth of the month of Adar as a day of joy and feasting, a day for giving presents to each other. 20Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far, 21to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar. (Esther 9:18-21)
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to my Catholic friends and acquaintances. Today is a celebration of St. Patrick. He was a Romano-British Christian missionary who became the primary patron saint of Ireland in the 5th Century.
Supposedly, March 17 is the date of St. Patrick’s death. It is observed both inside and outside of Ireland as a religious and cultural holiday.
I like how St. Patrick used the three-leaf shamrock as an illustration of the Holy Trinity or Triune God. Indeed, God is One and Three at the same time. More about this can be found in my singular and multiple section.
Today also is Purim, which began last evening at sunset. Many communities observe Purim tomorrow as well. It is a time celebrated by Jews everywhere in commemoration of being saved from extermination. This is a very interesting account of how God blessed a Jewish girl to the point of becoming Queen over the entire Medo-Persian Empire.
The annihilation of all the Jewish people had been decreed, and Queen Esther was in a position to prevent this from happening, even though she risked her life in doing so. It is a fascinating, true story, in case you would like to read about it in the Book of Esther. In that biblical account is written the mandate that every generation of Jews should celebrate Purim:
These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by every family, and in every province and in every city. And these days of Purim should never cease to be celebrated by the Jews, nor should the memory of them die out among their descendants. (Esther 9:28)
The U.S. Senate passed a bill yesterday to make Daylight Saving Time continue year-round. Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced the bill, which was co-sponsered by a bipartisan group of senators.
It is very rare for there to be a unanimous vote in the Senate. However, all 100 senators voted to pass the Sunshine Protection Act.
The same bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives. If it passes there and President Biden signs the bill, it will not go into effect immediately. Standard Time will begin again on November 6, 2022.
However, on March 12, 2023, Daylight Saving Time will begin again. After that, it will be permanent, and the time never will “fall back” an hour again.
There is a month remaining in the U.S. tax season. Most Americans have yet to file their 2021 income taxes. For those who received social security or supplemental security income last year, they may be entitled to receive special tax credits even if they normally do not file tax returns. These include the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit.
It takes about 5 minutes to read the tax information on the page. On the remainder of the page, and on 46 pages after that, about a zillion people left comments. No doubt, that number will increase over the next several weeks. Some of the interactions that people have with each other are funny and silly.
Pi or π is a mathematical constant used to calculate the area or the circumference of a circle. π is an irrational number, meaning that it has an infinite number of decimal places. Here is the value of π to 40 decimal places:
π = 3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971...
You can see the value of π to 1,000,000 decimal places on the following page, although it might take you about a week trying to scroll to the bottom of the page:
So today is Pi Day. Some people are eating “pi pies,” while others are wearing π T-shirts. This is because if you take the value of π to two decimal places, it is 3.14 or today’s date in month/day format: 3/14.
Back in 2016, Pi Day was particularly applicable, in month/day/year format, if π was rounded up to four decimal places:
I have used the value of π in countless mathematical and optics calculations over the decades.
I always have found it interesting that all of those calculations are only as exact as the number of decimal places of π that are used. For virtually all of the scientific calculations that we make, using only a few decimal places of π will yield results that are close enough.
Presumably though, in the creation of the universe, God—who generated the value of π in His limitless mind—utilized the infinitely exact value of π to fine-tune all of the galaxies, solar systems, stars, planets, and even snails and round fish precisely. Thinking about all of that blows my mind. I think I need a slice of pi pie to recharge my brain.
In most of the United States (except Hawaii and most of Arizona), and in some other parts of the world, time has “sprung forward” an hour today. These regions observe Daylight Saving Time, where the sun will rise an hour later in the mornings and set an hour later in the evenings.
Daylight Saving Time begins tomorrow, Mar. 13, in most of the United States. At 2:00 a.m. Sunday morning, the time will become 3:00 a.m.
I like the fact that there will be an extra hour of daylight at the end of the day for almost 8 months. However, I don’t particularly enjoy losing an hour of sleep the first night.
Therefore, at noon today, I set my watch and the clocks in the house and in my car an hour ahead. So I will be adapting to the new time the rest of the afternoon and evening.
Moreover, I will get my full amount of sleep tonight because I will be going to bed an hour early. That way, I won’t be yawning during the church service tomorrow. I use the official U.S. time clock to obtain the correct time, to the nearest second.
The U.S. Senate passed the government funding bill last night that the House had passed the night before. Passage of the mammoth $1.5 trillion bill included $13.6 billion for aid and emergency assistance for Ukraine, which has been violently attacked by Russia for over two weeks.
The Senate passed it with a vote of 68 to 31, with 18 Republicans and 50 Democrats giving a “yes” vote. The bill now will go to President Biden for his signature. It will fund the federal government until Sep. 30.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed another extremely expensive spending bill last night. The $1.5 trillion bill included federal government funding through Sep. 30. It included a $13.6 billion aid package to Ukraine, but a $15.6 billion COVID pandemic aid package was removed from the bill.
The bill was approved in two votes. A vote of 361 to 69 approved increased defense spending. A vote of 260 to 171 passed the remainder of the bill for domestic social spending. Most Republicans opposed the latter portion of the package.
The federal government is funded through tomorrow. The bill will need to be passed in the Senate before the funding ends to avoid a government shutdown.
A record high average price for regular gasoline was hit in the U.S. yesterday. That record average price was $4.17 per gallon. Prior to this, the average record price nationally was $4.11, which was set on July 17, 2008.
This morning, the average price nationally had increased to $4.25 per gallon. It is expected to continue escalating over time.
The state with the highest average regular gasoline price is California. Yesterday’s record average price was $5.57 per gallon. In Los Angeles, the average price was $5.62. Some gasoline stations in the LA metropolitan area now have gas prices higher than $7.00 per gallon. Prices continue to rise.
Due to the violent and destructive invasion of Ukraine by Russia for over two weeks, there have been rising concerns that global crude oil supplies could be disrupted. Also, with an easing of COVID pandemic lockdowns, people have been driving more. These things, along with other factors such as ongoing inflation, have boosted gas consumption and increased gas prices. As Spring and Summer approach, gas prices most likely will continue to climb.
Today is International Women’s Day, which is observed on March 8 each year. It celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women and girls worldwide.
Samaritan’s Purse regularly provides a great deal of needed help to people around the world. They have an outstanding page at their site today, including an excellent short video featuring Cissie Graham Lynch, the daughter of Franklin Graham:
In the U.S. stock market today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) entered correction territory. A decline of 10% or more, from its all-time high, constitutes a correction.
At the closing bell, the Dow’s value was 32,817.38. This was was a decrease of 10.8% from its all-time closing high of 36,799.65 just over two months ago on Jan. 4. The last time the DJIA declined into correction territory was a little over two years ago on Feb. 27, 2020.
A major reason for the big decline is increasing concerns about the Russian attack on Ukraine over the past 12 days. Also, the price of crude oil has surged quite a bit.
Today, the price of a barrel of U.S. crude oil was as high as $130.50, although it settled down to $119.40 a barrel, which still is very high. Gasoline prices are expected to get a great deal higher over the next few months.
At Olive Tree Ministries this weekend, Jan Markell spent the hour with Christian apologist Mike Gendron. For over 34 years, Pastor Gendron was a strong defender of his Catholic faith. After reading the Bible for the first time in 1982, he realized that his previous Catholic teaching contradicted the Bible in many ways. He understood that the Bible is the inspired, infallible and inerrant Word of God, and it became his supreme authority in all matters of faith.
Jan and Mike discussed how Pope Francis, a Jesuit of the Society of Jesus, could be the third member of the unholy trinity. That is the False Prophet, who is described as the second beast in Revelation 13:11-18. They also talked about the possibility that the Catholic Church could be “the woman on the beast” described in Revelation 17.
There is coming a one-world government, economy and religion with a satanic trinity. The global religious system that will be an abomination and have nothing to do with God. Jan and Mike addressed the question, “Who will be part of this one-world religion?”
For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be. (Psalm 139:13-16)
Russian troops have taken over the first major city in Ukraine, Kherson. It is an important port city on the Black Sea with about 300,000 people.
City officials conceded defeat late last night. Today, Russian missiles are continuing to fall on several Ukranian cities. At least a million Ukrainians have fled their country in the past week.
A long column of Russian tanks continues to approach the nation’s capital, Kyiv. Russia has vowed to fight to “the end.”
During a televised news conference in Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, “The end of the world has arrived.” As Russian attacks have intensified across the country, he has made an appeal for help, especially for planes. He also seeks direct negotiations with Vladimir Putin.
Zelenskyy has denied reports that Russian troops have seized the port city of Kherson. He did indicate that if the process of defending Ukraine is unsuccessful, then Russia next will go after Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia in the Baltic region of Europe.
Also today, Russian troops have been shelling the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, located in eastern Ukraine. It is the largest nuclear plant in Europe. Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba stated that if a reactor at the plant were to blow up, the explosion would be 10 times larger than that of the Chornobyl disaster in 1986.
As the end of the age appears to be approaching, circumstances worldwide will continue to become more difficult in many ways. Therefore, it will be increasingly important for us to do what the Apostle Paul recommended in Ephesians 6:10-18: Put on the full armor of God.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has escalated tensions one level higher. Today, Putin ordered Russia’s nuclear deterrent forces to be put on alert. He said he did this due to what he described as “aggressive statements” by leading NATO powers, as well as financial sanctions imposed by the West against Russia.
This means Putin has ordered that Russia’s nuclear weapons be prepared for increased readiness to be launched. This raises the threat that the present tensions with Ukraine potentially could escalate to the cataclysmic magnitude of a nuclear war.
At Olive Tree Ministries this weekend, Jan Markell spent the hour with Curtis Bowers. They agreed that when the world lacks a leader, chaos reigns on earth. God is the true leader of the world, but most of the world either has never known Him or has drifted away from Him. Current instability in the world is a preview of things coming in the Tribulation.
Authoritarianism and totalitarianism are rising, including in the U.S., and a global government is coming. Right now, the world does not have a significant leader. As a result, there are tyrants—starting with Vladimir Putin—who are rising up because they see that there is nobody who is going to push them back and stand for freedom. Today’s tyrants are leading to the ultimate lawless tyrant, the Antichrist, who will blaspheme God and will have authority to reign over the world. (Revelation 13:5-8)
Supreme Court Associate Justice Stephen Breyer, 83, announced last month that he would be retiring. President Biden said that he would select a black woman to replace Breyer.
After weeks of deliberation, it has been reported that Biden will nominate Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, 51. She was a former clerk for Justice Breyer. Since June 17 of last year, she has been serving as a federal judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Jackson will have meetings with U.S. senators next week. At some point, a vote in the Senate will be made to confirm or deny her nomination to be the first Black woman to sit on the high court. There do not to be any Republican votes to confirm her. It is expected that a Senate hearing will take place within a few weeks. A decision should be made by the April 11 recess.
Not surprisingly, last night Russia began missile and air strikes, triggering explosions in Ukraine. Targets included at least five Ukrainian cities including Kramatorsk, Kharkiv, Odessa, Mariupol and the captial city Kyiv or Kiev. Also, in the Battle of Chernobyl, the Chernobyl nuclear site was seized by Russian forces, and hostages were taken.
All of this can be considered to be the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Essentially, Vladimir Putin has declared war on Ukraine.
Putin said he has done this under the guise of a “special military operation” to “demilitarize and de-nazify Ukraine.” He announced this in a live televised speech, after which the bombing began. He also made a threat to countries who might interfere with “consequences greater than any you have faced in history.”
President Biden has called this an “unprovoked and unjustified attack.” He added, “Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering.”
A solar flare or solar eruption is an intense burst of radiation coming from the surface of the sun. It results from an increase of magnetic energy associated with sunspots. These flares are our solar system’s largest explosive events.
These flares emit large amounts of electromagnetic radiation. In the rare event that a flare erupts toward the earth, it temporarily can increase the ionization of the earth’s upper atmosphere. This can interfere with short-wave radio communication. Geomagnetic storms can occur, knocking out satellites and disrupting power grids, the GPS complex, and communication networks.
Lately, there has been an increase in the amount of solar flare activity. For weeks, there have been solar eruptions almost every day. Some days have had multiple solar flares. Just over a week ago, on Feb. 15, two huge explosions fired out into space. Fortunately, they did not come off a portion of the sun facing the earth.
One giant coronal mass ejection (CME), blasting millions of kilometers out into space, was recorded clearly by the European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter spacecraft. A small disc in the instrument blocked the sun’s bright light from entering the camera, so activity around the sun could be imaged.
Today’s date is quite rare: 2/22/2022; six of the seven digits are 2s. A century ago, on 2/22/1922, only five of the 7 digits were 2s. Furthermore, today is Tuesday or “Twosday.”
A good friend is in Arkansas, a state that is on Central Standard Time (CST). For many years, he and I have had this “thing” about various sequences of numbers containing a repeat of the numeral 2. Since today is 2/22 (or, in many parts of the world, 22/2), I sent him a screen shot of the https://time.gov page, showing 2:22:22 P.M. CST:
In Houston, Texas, two babies were born this morning, 2/22/22, at 2:22 a.m. They were born at two different hospitals, and one of them already had two teeth—the same two teeth her mother had when she was born.
Over the years, my friend and I have exchanged photos with lots of numeral 2s in them. The last one is my favorite, which he sent me two months ago. The “best if used by” date of his coffee creamer is today: FEB 22 22.
We’ve also considered the possibility that, perhaps, a very significant event could happen in the world on Feb. 22, 2022. Indeed, this may be in the process of happening.
For months, there have been warnings and attempts at diplomacy by the Biden Administration to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from ordering his troops into eastern Ukraine. Putin continually has denied that he had any intention of doing that.
However, yesterday Putin announced that he had recognized the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk, two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine that border Russia. Then Putin directed Russian troops to occupy the two territories, allegedly for “peacekeeping functions.”
In an hour-long national address, Putin made erroneous claims that Ukraine was historically part of Russia and “never had traditions of its own statehood.” He also said, “Ukraine is not just a neighboring country; they are a part of our culture.”
The White House said two days ago that President Biden had agreed to meet with Putin as long as Russia did not invade Ukraine. That conversation now appears unlikely. Today, in a 9-minute speech, Biden announced, among other things, “the first tranche of sanctions to impose costs on Russia in response to their actions yesterday.”
Biden’s administration has said that more than 50,000 Ukranians could die in the crossfire of an invasion that leads all the way into Ukraniane’s capital, Kyiv or Kiev. This volatile situation could result in the largest conflict on the European continent since World War II.
George Washington’s farewell address in 1796 was not delivered publicly. It first appeared in the Philadelphia Daily American Advertiser and then in papers around the country. For those with an interest in reading it, it is here:
Many have heard the tale that George Washington, as a young boy, chopped down a cherry tree and then told his father, “I cannot tell a lie. I did it with my little hatchet.” Most likely, this is a myth written about Washington by Mason Locke Weems, one of Washington’s biographers.
The 2022 Olympic Games have concluded. They took place for 17 days this month in Bejing, China. A total of 29 countries competed.
The final olympic events took place today. After that, the closing ceremony took place in China’s National Stadium, which also is referred to as the “Bird’s Nest” because of its design.
The final medal tally, in order of gold medals received, can be seen here:
At Olive Tree Ministries this weekend, Jan Markell spent the hour with journalist Leo Hohmann. They see the stage being set globally for the ultimate tyranny of the Tribulation. Health passports will lead to all personal information in the wrong hands.
More crises must be implemented in the coming months as the globalists scheme. Psalm 2 reminds us that God laughs at such dictators and evil doers. His plan will override their plans.
People in Canada have had enough with forced vaccinations, forced confinement and closed borders. Patriotic Canadian truckers are united and have been driving their trucks cross-country from Vancouver to Ottawa. They are part of a peaceful protest movement, declaring that they want their freedom back. They are tired of the “new normal” of vaccine mandates and want them to be stopped.
Much of the general populace supports the truckers and are increasingly against the orders of tyrannical “dictator” Justin Trudeau, who is calling truckers “fascists” and “insurrectionists” and is having many of them arrested. Likewise, in the U.S., those who exercise their First Amendment rights are being classified as “potential terrorist threats” by the Department of Homeland Security. They all simply want freedom, not vaccine mandates.
Jan spoke about the live hearing held by U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (WI) a few weeks ago on January 24. He called it “COVID-19: A Second Opinion.” A group of world renowned doctors and medical experts provided a different perspective on the global COVID pandemic response. They went into depth about the current state of knowledge of early and hospital treatment, vaccine efficacy and safety, what went right, what went wrong, what should be done now, and what needs to be addressed long term. The detailed and extremely informative discussion lasted about 4 hours 56 minutes. It can be watched on Rumble (beginning at the 40-minute 20-second point) or on YouTube:
Last week, the U.S. House passed a short-term package, with a vote of 272-162, to continue funding the federal government. Yesterday evening, the U.S. Senate passed the measure, with a vote of 65-27, to fund the government through March 11.
Had the measure not passed yesterday, a government shutdown would have begun a few hours later at midnight. The extension of just over three weeks will give lawmakers a little more time to pass a bill funding the government through the remainder of the fiscal year, which ends on September 30.
If the government had shut down today, essential governmental functions would have continued. However, hundreds of thousands of federal employees would have been furloughed. Also, federally funded agencies, national parks, and museums would have been closed.
Earlier this week, some reports were indicating that there was a good chance Russia would invade Ukraine on Wed., Feb. 16, which was yesterday. Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy actually declared a national “Day of Unity” for that day.
Zalensky released a decree calling on every town and village in Ukraine to fly the country’s flag. All residents were to sing the national anthem at 10:00 a.m. The day passed by with no Russian invasion taking place. In fact, Russia said that it was withdrawing troops from Ukraine’s border.
However, an unidentified White House official said that Russia has increased its presence on the border with Ukraine by as many as 7,000 troops. He slammed Moscow’s announcement of a withdrawal as false. There now are about 150,000 Russian troops around Ukraine’s borders, and it seems that they are privately mobilizing for war.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is planning a trip to Europe to discourage an invasion. She is scheduled to attend the Munich Security Conference, beginning Friday, to show U.S. support for NATO, as well as for Ukraine.
While I was in practice as an optometric physician, I saw very few cases of an extremely rare condition called Tay-Sachs disease. This is a genetic disorder that affects the HexA gene. It usually is noticed in infants only a few months old, in which there is a progression of serious complications. These can include seizures, difficulty swallowing, decreased vision, hearing loss, confusion, disorientation and paralysis. Death often occurs by age 4 or 5. More rarely, Tay-Sachs can occur in juveniles and even in adults.
The decrease or loss of vision is due to an abnormal accumulation of pale, undigested material around the macula in the retina of the eye. It gives the macula a “cherry-red spot” appearance. This can be seen by a doctor when looking through the pupil at the back of the eye, using an ophthalmoscope.
Tay-Sachs disease is a genetic disorder in which the hexosaminidase enzyme is disrupted or absent. This enzyme normally breaks down fatty acids (lipids) in the body, brain and nerve cells. Without the enzyme, the nerve cells degenerate and die, triggering an inflammatory response that intensifies damage in surrounding tissue.
After many years of investigation, a team of researchers from UMass Chan Medical School and Auburn University developed a gene therapy that appear to be successful in treating disorders caused by missing enzymes. These include Tay-Sachs disorder. Two infants with that disorder, one age 2½ (now age 5) and another 7 months (now age 2), received gene therapy treatments. Clear improvements have been observed since they were treated.
These are the first humans to have received this type of gene therapy. Hopefully, more clinical trials will continue. However, there is an increasing cost of manufacturing these treatments, which is making the process extremely difficult. Development and testing are being supported by parents, foundations and federal grants, but additional financial support is needed.
This morning, I went to a few stores to get 50%-off Valentine’s candy. I got a total of 55.91 oz. (3.49 lb.) of candy. It was a lot less than I usually get.
Most of the shelves were either empty or already had Easter candy on them. That candy will be 50% off in about seven weeks.
One store had the candy I mainly was looking for: Dove dark chocolate hearts. However, there was no sign indicating that it was 50% off. I asked an employee nearby if it was half-priced Valentine’s candy.
She scanned it and said that it was $2.98, which was the full price. So I left that store without buying anything. One of the best thing about Valentine’s Day is half-priced candy the next day, not full-priced candy.
For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8)
A heart-shaped island with a sandy beach can be seen near a coral reef within the Maldives in the Indian Ocean:
Super Bowl LVI was played today at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA. The two teams were the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinatti Bengals. The game lasted about 3 hours 40 minutes.
At the end of the 3rd quarter, the Bengals were ahead 20 to 16. In the 4th quarter, with 1 minute 47 seconds left to play, the Rams made a touchdown and then kicked the extra point, putting the Rams ahead 23 to 20.
Next, although the Bengals got the ball to the Los Angeles 48 yard line, that’s the furthest they were able to get in 4 downs. After that, there were some questionable penalties, calls and flags. Eventually, though, the clock ran out with the Rams remaining ahead. The final score was Rams 23, Bengals 20.
At Olive Tree Ministries this weekend, Jan Markell spent the hour with Pastor Mark Hitchcock. They talked about how most who are discerning the times know that we are in the final stage of the Church age. They looked at three prominent signs of the times.
Hitchcock believes that the globalism we see today, as well as more and more people taking control in government, is a precursor for what is coming. The COVID vaccine is a way to exercist government control over people’s lives, another gateway to globalism, and a further means for people to gain power.
Some point out that the vaccine is a way for government to control who can buy or sell and who can be engaged in commerce. Many see this as symbolic of the prophesied “mark of the beast” on the right hand or forehead (Revelation 13:16,17). However, the mark of the beast cannot be implemented until after the lawless leader, the Antichrist, comes on the world scene. The mark involves loyalty to and worship of the beast/Antichrist and also of Satan, who will give him authority to rule for 42 months (Revelation 13:4,5).
Hitchcock has written, “The COVID pandemic now is in at least stage three. With each variant, the response is predictable and calls for lockdowns and masks. The persistent drum beat is to get vaccinated and re-vaccinated, boosted and re-boosted. People all over the world have been subjugated to alarming government overreach and control, and the end of the tyranny is nowhere in site.
What’s clear is that the global elites and government officials have seized this crisis to stretch their tentacles into every area of life in an attempt to bring about their goal: the Great Reset. Some maintain that global elites have not just leveraged the COVID crisis to their advantage but that they purposely unleashed it to foster their agenda to establish a one-world government and economy. In other words, they believe COVID is a ‘plandemic’ and those who have fallen in line with its endless edicts are ‘sheeple.’ While we may never know the origin of the virus with certainty, we do know what it has created. And one thing we know for sure is that the global reseters are fully aware that the pathway to tyranny is paved with overexaggerated crises. It’s now clear that the default position of the left is bigger government, more coercion, and greater control.”
In the last portion of the program, Jan and Mark talked about the Gog/Magog invasion of Israel, described in Ezekiel 38 & 39. A mutual view seems to be that Gog, “prince of Rosh” seen in many translations of Ezekiel 38:2,3 and 39:1, is an indication that Gog will come out of Russia.
However, the critical phrase in those three verses is “nasi rosh Meshech and Tuval” in the Orthodox Jewish Bible. The literal translations of the Hebrew words “nasi” and “rosh” are prince and chief. So the correct translation into English, describing the identity of Gog, is “chief [rosh] prince of Meshech and Tubal.” The Hebrew word “Rosh,” which should not be in English translations of the Bible, has no connection to Russia.
It is true, though, that there is a growing alliance between Iran and Russia. Iran is modern-day Persia, which is included as one of the nations in Ezekiel 38:5. Therefore, it is quite possible that Russia could be part of the Gog/Magog alliance, although it seems unlikely that Gog will originate from Russia. More information about these and related points can be found in these sections:
In Laguna Beach, CA, the Emerald Bay is about 20% contained. The fire began yesterday morning at a little after 4:00 a.m. PST. As of this morning, approximately 145.2 acres had been burned. The cause of the fire continues to be under investigation.
Many residents in north Laguna Beach were forced to evacuate their homes. Yesterday afternoon, the evacuation orders were lifted in most places, although they may go back into effect if a sudden spreading of the fire occurs again.
A portion of Pacific Coast Highway, from Newport Beach to Laguna Beach, was closed yesterday for a few hours and then was reopened. Fortunately, so far, no one has been injured and no structures have been burned.
The main factors causing the fire to spread have been
worsening drought conditions with low humidity,
fierce Santa Ana winds with gusts from 40 to 60 mph, and
hot mid-winter temperatures in the high 80° range.
Due to the continuing drought, fire season in California now is considered to be year-round. Wildfires in 2022 very well may be worse than 2021 California wildfires.
Thousands of Russian troops have begun military exercises in Belarus, about 50 miles from Ukraine’s capital, Kiev. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has warned that the European community finds itself at a perilous crossroads. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned that the West was entering the “most dangerous moment” in its standoff with Russia over Ukraine.
Johnson did indicate that he doesn’t think that a decision has been made yet by Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin. However, that does not rule out the possibility that something absolutely disastrous could happen very soon.
Russian Foreign Secretary, Sergey Lavrov, continues to deny that Russia intends to invade Ukraine. He said that the deployment of forces in Eastern Europe by Britain and the U.S. are the cause of escalating tensions in the region.
There now are tens of thousands of Russian forces and/or military equipment on three sides of Ukraine. They are located along its eastern border with Russia, to the north in Belarus and to the south in the Black Sea.
The 94th Academy Awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theatre in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles. The broadcast will be live on ABC beginning at 5:00 p.m. PST = 8:00 p.m. EST.
Nominees in 23 categories were announced yesterday. The entire list can be seen on the following page. Scroll down to the “BEST PICTURE” section on the left side of the page and then continue down the page to see all of the nominees.
I listened quite a bit to American Family Radio (https://afr.net) this weekend, as I often do. One program that I often find interesting is “I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist” with Dr. Frank Turek. Sunday’s program was a repeat of one of his programs from a few days ago.
Turek initially said, “If Jesus did not rise from the dead, then there is no hope. We’re just gonna die and it’s gonna be over. Is it really true that Jesus physically rose from the dead 1,989 years ago or thereabouts? Because if He did, there is hope for humanity. There’s hope for me, there’s hope for you, there’s hope for humanity. If He didn’t, there isn’t.”
Turek indicated that he wanted to give examples against this irrational thinking. Then he talked about “9 things that science will never explain. No matter how long we have, no matter how much time we give so-called ‘science,’ it will never, in principle, be able to explain these things.” Here are the 9 things that cannot be explained by science:
the laws of logic and our ability to reason;
the laws of mathematics;
objective moral laws and value judgments;
purpose and meaning;
the origin of the universe itself, which must be supernatural rather than natural;
the origin of the laws of nature themselves;
the fine-tuning of the universe;
the rules, objectives and value of science; and
the things that science uses to do what it does—that is, science cannot explain itself.
The podcast of this program can be heard below. It is a little over 48 minutes in length.
Last week, the gigantic U.S. national debt surpassed $30.0trillion. It has increased about $9 trillion since it exceeded the $21 trillion level in early 2018. That is a massive increase in only four years.
Since the end of 2019, when the national debt was over $23.2 trillion, the debt has increased by almost $7 trillion. Most of this has been due to the escalated amount of government spending and stimulus payments due to the COVID pandemic.
Inflation in the U.S. has continued to increase, especially during the past year. Many are very concerned that the skyrocketing U.S. debt may be a major factor in causing inflation to spiral out of control.
The Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates as early as March in an attempt to curb inflation and an unstable economy, which has been adversely affected by supply and demand imbalances. However, this will increase borrowing costs for the U.S. to finance its debt.
At Olive Tree Ministries this weekend, Jan Markell spent the hour with Pastor Tom Hughes and Pastor Mark Henry. They discussed how everything is being set up as we trend towards the Tribulation. Tribulation-like distress with perplexity is already exploding.
They talked about how globalists are always looking for a crisis to play off of. They also considered potential crises for 2022 as well as the apocalyptic actions of Pope Francis, who was the main focus in the second half of the program. Tom Hughes feels it is quite possible that a Catholic pope may be the False Prophet (the second beast of Revelation 12:11-17), but he is uncertain that it would be Pope Francis.
Archbiship Carlo Maria Viganò, who retired in 2016, has continued to make many public statements about the pope. In 2018, he called on Pope Francis to resign. Last month, an article was written, ‘Pope Francis’ – A Wolf in Shepherd’s Clothing?, describing how Archbiship Viganò has shed a light on the “Deep Church” and calls Pope Francis “a non-Catholic Pope.” He feels that Francis is seeking to purge traditional Catholics from the Church.
Pope Francis is changing Catholicism into a “new religion” that will align with the New World Order. Francis, with his Marxist views, is increasingly appearing to be a liquidator of the Catholic church. Viganò evidently sees what Francis is doing as changing Catholicism into a humanist, progressive, ecumenical and ecological religion of mankind.
For a few weeks, Russia has been sending troops and military equipment to its border with Ukraine. NATO nations, including the U.S., have been concerned that this could indicate that a Russian invasion of Ukraine is imminent. Russia has said that this will not happen.
Now there are allegations by the U.S. intelligence officials that Russia is planning to film and broadcast fake videos of Ukranian forces attacking Russian or Russian proxy soldiers. The claim is that Russia would use this as a pretext to invade and attack Ukraine.
The Pentagon announced last week that the Russians had planned to release “very graphic propaganda,” including footage of “corpses, and actors that would be depicting mourners, and images of destroyed locations as well as military equipment in the hands of Ukraine or the West.” Officials said Russia plans to use the videos to accuse Kiev of genocide against those who speak Russian, thereby justifying military action against Ukraine. Russia has denied these accusations.
The 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China, began with the opening ceremony last night. It took place in China’s National Stadium, which also is referred to as the “Bird’s Nest” because of its design.
NBC will rebroadcast the ceremony at 8:00 p.m. tonight. A brief slideshow of portions of the ceremony can be viewed below. Click on images to see larger views.
The leader of the Islamic State (or ISIS), Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, has killed himself. He had been the second caliph (leader) of the Sunni Islamic State since Oct. 31, 2019, three days after the death of the previous caliph, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, on Oct. 27, 2019.
The U.S. conducted a counter-terrorism raid in northwest Syria last night. The operation took place in Atmeh, near the border of Turkey. This motivated al-Qurashi to detonate a bomb, which killed himself and 12 more people, including several members of his family.
Following the explosion, U.S. Special Forces commandos entered the building and had a shootout with survivors. These included a lieutenant of al-Qurashi, who also was killed. There were no reported casualties among U.S. soldiers.
Today is Groundhog Day. Punxsutawney Phil came out and saw his shadow, which allegedly is an indication that there will be six more weeks of winter. So the world’s most famous weather-prognosticating groundhog has spoken.
There have been some severe blizzards and freezing weather in the northeast this winter. So those living there may not be thrilled that this weather could continue for quite awhile longer.
However, some reports indicate that Phil has gotten it right only about 40% of the time over the past 10 years. Time will tell if he was correct or not this year.
At Olive Tree Ministries this weekend, Jan Markell spent the hour with financial analyst Dan Celia. They think that the Bible suggests that the black horse of the four horsemen represents coming economic turmoil, mainly during the Tribulation. They feel that we are in a run-up to that now. Eventually, the cost to buy even simple things will skyrocket.
When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a blackhorse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a day’s wages, and three quarts of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!” (Revelation 6:5,6)
Money issues are casting a shadow on the Church Age. The new COVID economy, which includes growing inflation and the tightening of supply chains, are making things worse. The inflation will not be temporary. There also is increasing shrinkflation, which is the reduction in the size or weight of retail products, especially items of packaged food, with no corresponding reduction in the retail price. Among many price increases, some reports indicate the following percentage increases during 2021:
used cars: 32%
beef: 21%
crude oil: 55%
lumber: 35%
wheat: 37%
sugar: 33%
corn: 39%
palm oil: 43%
coffee: 108%
oats: 114%
We appear to be heading toward a cashless world economy. It may be that the coming Antichrist will wipe out all debt and offer deceptive solutions to a desperate world so that everyone will submit completely to him. This “beast” will have authority over the world for 3½ years = 42 months (Revelation 13:5).
Even if end-time events are not imminent, it always is a good idea to prepare for unforeseen disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, massive and lengthy power outages, and other catastrophes. It would be prudent to begin stocking up on necessary supplies and also on foods, both regular and dehydrated, described on the following pages:
Today is International Puzzle Day. It is celebrated every year on Jan. 29. The day was created in 1995 by game companies in the United States.
In day-to-day life, a “puzzle” is something that often is perplexing, confusing and unclear. It involves some type of scutiny and investigation to achieve a comprehensible explanation and solution.
On a physical level, though, a puzzle is a fun form of entertainment that works both sides of a person’s brain at once. There are puzzles of all types, sizes, shapes and forms. Perhaps the most common one is a jigsaw puzzle.
The first jigsaw puzzle was created by John Spilsbury in 1776, although he did not use an actual jigsaw to carve out the pieces. He wanted it to be an educational tool to teach geography.
Earlier this week, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that a new version of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is “increasing in many countries.” So far it has been found in at least 40 countries, including the United States. The WHO is urging researchers to investigate whether or not the latest strain poses any new threats fo the current state of the pandemic.
The initial Omicron variant is known as BA.1, while the new subvariant is known as BA.2. It has been given the nickname “stealth Omicron” because it has certain traits that make it more difficult to identify as Omicron on diagnostic tests. BA.2 also has several mutations. This does not mean that the BA.2 virus itself is undetectable but, rather, that it is harder to classify as Omicron.
So far, it is unknown whether or not BA.2 is more transmissible than BA.1 or has any other type of advantage over BA.1. It continues to be monitored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
People who are most likely to become severely ill are those with certain medical conditions. These include cancer, heart disease, digestive disease, pulmonary disease, diabetes and other conditions. Obesity may increase the risk for these conditions.
It is a good idea to know what your Body Mass Index (BMI) is. It is easy to calculate your BMI. All you need to know is your height (in feet and inches) and your weight (in pounds). Adults can use the calculator below.
BMI is below 18.5: underweight
BMI is 18.5 to 24.9: normal weight
BMI is 25.0 to 29.9: overweight
BMI is 30.0 or above: obese
In case the BMI calculator does not appear above, you can see it here:
During the remainder of 2022, there will be an interesting variety of celestial events to view in the sky. There will be some multi-planet alignments, two total lunar eclipses and some meteor showers.
A few days ago, on Jan. 22, was the 49th anniversary of the Roe. v. Wade decision by the Supreme Court. It held that women in the U.S. had a fundamental right to choose whether to have abortions without an excessive governmental restriction.
Many Americans are anti-abortion (pro-life), while many are pro-abortion rights. Within a few weeks or months, the Supreme may make a decision either to overturn the Roe. v. Wade ruling of 49 years ago or to refuse to block it.
For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be. (Psalm 139:13-16)
This is what the LORD says—your Redeemer, Who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, Who has made all things, Who alone stretched out the heavens, Who spread out the earth by Myself. (Isaiah 44:24)
Did not He who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same One form us both within our mothers? (Job 31:15)
All of the NFL divisional round games this weekend had close scores, and one went into overtime. Four teams remain in the divisional round. They are the following:
Next will be the two AFC and NFC Conference Championship games. They will take place on Sun., Jan. 30. The two winners of those games will be in Super Bowl LVI on Sun., Feb. 13, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA.
Highway 1, also called Pacific Coast Highway, is a coastal pathway between southern and northern California. In the past, it has been closed due to fires and mudslides.
An example of the latter was almost a year ago when a big storm caused a massive mudslide that washed away a 150-foot section of Hwy 1 a few miles south of Big Sur (see Jan. 31, 2021). That part of the highway remained closed for almost three months, until Apr. 23.
This weekend, a big wildfire broke out in the rugged mountains between Big Sur and Carmel in Monterey County. The fire appears to have begun in Palo Colorado Canyon, giving it the name Colorado Fire.
Hundreds of residents were forced to evacuate, and Highway 1 was shut down. It is very unusual to have a fire this size along the coast near the end of January. However, there are very dry conditions in the area right now, which is uncommon during the winter. Extremely strong winds toppled not only trees but powerlines, which may have started the fire. Investigations are ongoing.
At Olive Tree Ministries this weekend, Jan Markell welcomed back, for a second hour, health expert and emergency room registered nurse, Twila Brase, and an attorney, Marjorie Holsten. They talked about how they believe we are not being told the truth as it concerns COVID-19.
The truth-tellers are called conspiratorial. Evangelical Christians are blamed for vaccine hesitancy even though great injury is being reported from the vaccines. What can we do to protect ourselves and those we love?
The U.S. Senate has voted down changing the filibuster rule. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) joined Republicans in voting against the “talking filibuster” change. The measure failed 52 to 48.
Had the measure passed, it would have allowed Democratic senators to pass voting legislation with a simple 51 to 50 majority. Vice President Harris would have been able to cast the tie-breaking vote.
Yesterday, astronomers tracked a large and “potentially hazardous” asteroid that made a relatively close pass by Earth. At about 2:51 p.m. PST = 4:51 p.m. EST, it passed about 1.2 million miles away, which is about five times the distance between the earth and the moon. It was flying at about 45,000 miles per hour.
(7482) 1994 PC1 was discovered in 1994. It is a stony asteroid approximately 1.1 kilometers or 3,451 feet (about 0.65 mile) in diameter. This is more than the height of the tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa in Dubai, and more than twice the height of the Empire State Building in New York City.
While it did not hit our planet, NASA deems this asteroid to be a “potentially hazardous object” because of its size and relatively near distance to Earth. It will pass by the earth again in July of this year. However, it will not be as close again to us, as it was yesterday, until Jan. 18, 2105.
The NFL wild card games have taken place. On Jan. 15, two AFC wild card games were played. On Jan. 16, two NFC wild card games and one AFC wild card game were played. On Jan. 17, one NFC wild card game was played.
He was born Michael King, Jr. In 1934, his father, Michael King, Sr., visited sites in Berlin associated with the Protestant reformation leader, Martin Luther. After that, he began referring to himself as Martin Luther King, Sr., and his son as Martin Luther King, Jr. In 1957, when Michael King, Jr., was 28 years old, his birth certificate was changed to read “Martin Luther King, Jr.”
MLK, Jr., was a strong Christian. At age 5, he memorized and sang hymns and stated verses from the Bible. One of his main messages as an adult was that people should be judged by the content of their character, not by the color of their skin.
I listened quite a bit to American Family Radio (https://afr.net) this weekend, as I often do. One program that I often find interesting is “I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist” with Dr. Frank Turek. Sunday’s program was a repeat of one of his programs from a few days ago.
Talking to Christian believers, one thing that Turek said was, “You do not need to bring every person that you talk to to the foot of the cross and ask them to pray a sinner’s prayer. That’s not what your overall objective should be in every conversation. If it is, you’ll never do this because it’s too intimidating.”
He recommended that it is a good idea to “plant seeds” with people and get them closer to the truth. We’re supposed to do what we can do and then leave the results to God. At some point, if someone seems to have an earnest and sincere acceptance of Jesus as Lord and Savior, then having them say a “sinner’s prayer” would be a positive thing to do.
The apostle Paul, a Jewish follower of Jesus, stated the following about belief, confession, and salvation:
"The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, [Deuteronomy 30:14]" that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame. [Isaiah 28:16]" (Romans 10:8-11)
Frank Turek talked about ten questions to ask skeptical friends that he would use in a personal conversation to get someone “on base” and “move the ball forward.” He recommends attempting to get the person to believe something that is congruent with the Christian world view. Hopefully, as time goes on, someone else—or you yourself—will do some more work with that person at a later time.
The podcast of this program can be heard below. It is a little over 48 minutes in length.
At Olive Tree Ministries this weekend, Jan Markell spent the hour with a health expert and emergency room registered nurse, Twila Brase, and an attorney, Marjorie Holsten. They talked about the chaos of COVID, which appears to be an end-time plague. The second hour of their discussion will take place next week.
One health expert, Dr. Peter McCullough, called the vaccine the “biggest biological disaster in human history.” He also stated, “Censorship that has suppressed for two years information on safe and effective early treatment and censorship on vaccine safety has led to large numbers of deaths, hospitilizations and permanent disability. There is no bigger Public Health crisis than the impact of censorship in COVID-19.”
Hear first-hand stories of COVID abuse and needless deaths happening in hospitals. Has it become legal and profitable to let patients die? Why are truth-tellers called sensational or conspiratorial? Calling this two-year nightmare a “plandemic” only draws scorn.
The Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) is an independent organization within the IRS. They help taxpayers understand their rights and strive to make sure that taxpayers are treated fairly and understand their rights.
Erin M. Collins is the “voice of the taxpayer” within the IRS and before Congress. This week, in the annual report from the TAS to Congress, Collins stated that 2021 was “the most challenging year taxpayers and tax professionals have ever experienced.” She also indicated that “the outlook for the upcoming filing season is bleak.”
There still is a backlog of millions of unprocessed individual tax returns and business returns from 2021. It appears likely that many people will experience even longer delays with their 2022 returns than they did with their 2021 returns, due to additional complications that were not present when processing last year’s returns and refunds.
Tax season this year is scheduled to begin on January 24, and the filing deadline will be April 18. The earlier that people have their tax returns processed, the more likely it is that they will receive their refunds in a timely manner. Also, it is advisable to have tax returns filed electronically and to allow refunds to be received by direct deposits into bank accounts.
Today, the Supreme Court voted, 6 to 3, to block a mandate by President Biden’s administration. It stops the enforcement of a requirement that employees at large businesses, with 100 or more employees, wear masks on the job and be vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing.
However, the Court also voted, 5 to 4, that a vaccine mandate still applies to workers at health care facilities that receive federal funding through Medicare and Medicaid. The latter mandate will affect about 10 millions employees and will take effect this month.
Yesterday in Atlanta, GA, President Biden gave a speech on voting rights. He also endorsed changes to the Senate filibuster rule, which requires 60 votes to advance legislation.
Biden, along with most Democrats, want there to be a simple majority of 51 votes in the Senate to advance two “voting rights” bills. Among other things, he stated, “To protect our democracy, I support changing the Senate rules whichever way they need to be changed to prevent a minority of senators from blocking actions on voting rights.”
Yet, Biden has been a notable proponent of the Senate filibuster since 2005, including as recently as July 2021. In 2005, he defended the filibuster, saying it was “about compromise and moderation.” About six months ago, he claimed that getting rid of the filibuster would “throw the entire Congress into chaos and nothing will get done.”
In any case, the process of changing the filibuster rule will require a “yes” vote by all 50 Democrats. However, Senators Manchin (D-WV) and Simena (D-AZ) have stated, repeatedly, that they oppose major changes to the rule.
Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) has not been a supporter of the social spending measure, the multitrillion-dollar Build Back Better Plan (BBBP), for awhile. Last month, he did have discussions about it with President Joe Biden and with White House officials.
Manchin even proposed a $1.8 trillion compromise bill that would have made several changes to the very expensive BBBP. Among other things, he wanted the bill to be smaller, and he wanted it to do more to lower prescription drug costs. He also wanted additional requirements for the expanded child tax credit to be included in the bill.
However, last week Manchin told the media that he no longer was discussing the BBBP with the White House, nor was he having further negotiations with anyone else. Then it was reported this weekend that Manchin has withdrawn his proposal for a compromise bill. At this point, it appears that the Build Back Better Plan will not be passing in the Senate.
The 2021-22 season final games of the National Football League (NFL) were played this past weekend. Of the sixteen games, three of them went into overtime. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Green Bay Packers ended the season tied with the most number of wins (13) and least number of losses (4) of all the teams.
Next will be the AFC and NFC Wild Card Round games. They will take place from Sat., Jan. 15 to Mon., Jan. 17.
The NFL playoff schedule was pushed back one week this month. Therefore, Super Bowl LVI has been pushed back one week, from the first Sunday to the second Sunday in February. It will take place on Sun., Feb. 13, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA.
At Olive Tree Ministries this weekend, Jan Markell spent the hour with Pastor Cary Gordon. He is one of the producers of the new film, Enemies Within the Church. He acknowledges that the film may be difficult for many Christians to watch, especially those who have been developed a “progressive” mindset.
The film points out that certain organizations and individuals are hijacking the literal Gospel message in the Bible. Marxism, Socialism and globalism are coming into the Church, pretending to be pro-Jesus and pro-Gospel, and spreading false doctrines such as antinomianism. Jan and Cary talked about what kind of damage these people are doing to the Church. If unchecked, “wokeness” and leftism will destroy all it touches.
The Bible predicts a “falling away” from the faith, especially near the end of the age:
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. (2 Timothy 4:3,4)
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. (Matthew 7:15)
Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons. (1 Timothy 4:1)
Earlier this week, leaders of the five nuclear weapon nations issued a joint statement on preventing nuclear war and avoiding arms races. This came a month after the P5 Conference that took place in Paris on Dec. 2,3.
The nations issuing the statement were the People’s Republic of China, the French Republic, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America. They are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.
The five superpowers say that they have put aside their differences and have pledged to stop the spread of atomic weapons to avoid a catastrophic nuclear Armageddon. They assert that they have committed to work together to avoid an unwinnable World War 3. Their hope is that, despite increasing tensions around the globe, the statement will calm fears of an incoming deadly fallout.
In an effort to describe the purpose of nuclear weapons, they stated, “As nuclear use would have far-reaching consequences, we also affirm that nuclear weapons—for as long as they continue to exist—should serve defensive purposes, deter aggression, and prevent war.” Another statement indicated that the arms race would “benefit none and endanger all.”
This is the first anniversary of the Capitol riot in Washington, DC, on Jan. 6, 2021. The next day, the electoral college certified Joe Biden as the official winner of the 2020 presidential election.
Since then, the Congress, as well as Democratic and Republican voters in America, have become more deeply divided than ever before. Also, the Capitol Police force is nearly 400 officers short of its authorized level, and there are multiple vigils, commemorations and demonstrations planned for today in Washington, DC.
Today, President Biden delivered a speech bashing Trump (though not by name), which included some of the following statements:
He's not just a former president. He's a defeated former president—defeated by a margin of over 7 million of your votes.
For the first time in our history, a president had not just lost an election; he tried to prevent the peaceful transfer of power as a violent mob breached the Capitol. But they failed.
He spread a web of lies about the 2020 election ... because his bruised ego matters more to him than our democracy or our Constitution.
Former President Trump canceled a planned speech at Mar-a-Lago today. Instead, he announced that he would address his claims at a Jan. 15 rally in Arizona. However he emailed a statement from his Save America Pac, which included some of the following statements:
Biden is working hard to try and deflect the incompetent job he is doing, and has done, on the horrible Afghanistan withdrawal (surrender), the Borders, COVID, Inflation, loss of Energy Independence, and much more.
Everything he touches turns to failure. That's what you get when you have a rigged Election.
What has become more and more obvious to ALL is that the LameStream Media will not report the facts that Nancy Pelosi and the Capitol Sergeant-at-Arms denied requests for the D.C. National Guard or Military to be present at the Capitol.
Earth’s orbit around the sun is elliptical, not circular. The average yearly distance between the earth and the sun is almost 93 million miles.
Once a year, in early January, the earth is at its perihelion or closest location to the sun—about 91,406,842 miles between them. On the contrary, in early July, the earth is at its aphelion or farthest location from the sun—about 94,509,598 miles between them.
Yesterday Jan. 4, at 1:52 a.m. EST, the earth was at its perihelion or closest annual distance to the sun. However, it is not the changing distance from the sun that causes the seasons of Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. The seasonal changes are caused by our planet’s axial tilt and how that tilt is toward or away from the sun.
In the northern hemisphere, the earth’s axis was tilted most directly toward the sun last year on June 21, the beginning of Summer. Six months later, the earth’s axis was tilted most directly away from the sun on Dec. 21, the beginning of Winter.
Many southern California beaches, in parts of Los Angeles County and Orange County, still remain closed. This follows a massive sewage spill last week.
There was a huge rainstorm in the region. On Dec. 30, evidently a large amount of water caused a sewer to collapse in the city of Carson. Untreated wastewater and sewage overflowed into a nearby storm drain, and soon thereafter it emptied into Los Angeles Harbor.
Before the spill was able to be stopped the next day, Dec. 31, from 7 million to 8½ million gallons of sewage had flowed into the ocean. An ongoing investigation is taking place to determine the exact cause of the spill and whether aging or faulty infrastructure was involved.
Closure signs were placed at all beaches affected by the spill. Residents were advised to completely avoid any contact with ocean water that may have come into contact with the waste.
The first portion of the program was the replay of a 23½-minute message that Bachmann gave at the Behold He Comes Conference on Sep. 11, 2021. She talked about the horrific attacks on the Twin Towers and on the Pentagon that had occurred 20 years earlier, on Sep. 11, 2001. More recently, the attack and takeover of Afghanistan, on Aug. 26, was a major defeat to the U.S. military and to the superpower status of the U.S.
The ultimate intent of radical Islam was and is to subdue the United States economically and militarily, a nation whose foundational belief system was and is Judaism and Christianity. The Qur´an teaches that these are antithetical belief systems to Islam. In the past 20 years, there has been increasing opposition and hostility to Jews and Christians, which continues today. Prophetically, Israel will be severely attacked at the end of the age. Evidently, the U.S. will fail to come to Israel’s defense.
She chronicled the strong delusion that the world is in at this time. Lawlessness utterly and completely surrounds us, and it only will continue to get worse. Bachmann recommended watching these virtual broadcasts that took place earlier in 2021 on Mar. 23 and on Sep. 9:
The remaining portion of the Jan Markell program was a replay of a discussion at the Behold He Comes Conference on Sep. 11, 2021. The participants were Stagner, Tsarfati, Hibbs and Markell. They feel that both the U.S. and Israel began a sharp decline in 2021, with the removal of two strong leaders from office (Trump and Netanyahu). Behind the scenes, evil spiritual forces have been using the political realm and issues of culture to bring deception to the U.S., Israel, and the world. Seemingly, this decline may escalate into end-time prophetic events relatively soon.
They also talked about the delusion in the Church. They agreed that we are near the “last hour” that is predicted for a last generation. Markell believes that Satan soon will send the Antichrist, who is behind a prophetic curtain that is just about to be opened. He is the “man with a plan” who will bring signs and lying wonders to humanity (2 Thessalonians 2:9-11).
Today’s program, lasting 59 minutes, can be heard here:
Let us be praying that 2022 will be a year of blessing, favor and open doors for us. We should not be afraid to step out of our “comfort zones.” By doing this, we will see the Hand of God.
When we have God, that is all we need (John 14:8). When God is our primary focus, He will grant us the desires of our hearts and fulfill all of our purposes (Psalm 20:4).
Below is a link to my annual calendar and a list of 2022 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.
This calendar is not meant to substitute for a 12-page calendar on which scheduled reminders can be written. I have mine on the wall behind my desk and frequently use it as a quick reference for future dates.
Click on each image below and save the pages to your computer. Then print out the two pages on either side of one piece of paper.
PDF
If you’ve never read the Bible straight through, from cover to cover, you might want to do it in 2022. Go to the following page, print out the pages in PDF, HTML, DOCX or DOC format, and check off the passages as you read them:
Another option is a daily reading schedule that skips around the Bible. I now prefer reading it this way myself. Samaritan’s Purse has a yearly reading list, which I like, that does this. You can download and print it in any of these three formats:
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?
So in case you’ve never read the Bible all the way through, do it! If you’ve done it before, do it again; you never can get too much of God’s written Word! I am in the process of doing it now, which I have done numerous times before.
You can read one of a number of Bible versions at BibleGateway.com. If you read it for an average of 15 minutes a night before bed, you will sleep better for a whole year.
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