A major decision was released by the U.S. Supreme Court today.  In the case of Sebelius vs. Hobby Lobby, the ruling was in favor of Hobby Lobby.

Hobby Lobby covers 16 out of 20 contraceptives for its employees, as mandated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  These contraceptives prevent conception from occurring.

However, the company had a problem covering the other 4 contraceptives, which prevent an egg that has been fertilized from being implanted in the womb.  These contraceptives are Plan B and Ella, along with two intrauterine devices (IUDs).  Essentially, these cause an early-term abortion, which violates the religious beliefs of the owners of Hobby Lobby.

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I received an email from someone about sin and Jesus.  The concept behind it was interesting.  We know that the main reason Jesus came to earth as a man was to die for the sins of mankind, I believe on Good Thursday.

The question is whether or not Jesus’ suffering over 1,900 years ago can be lessened if we choose not to perform certain sins now.  Since God inhabits all of time—past, present, and future—then I think it is possible, on some level, for this to be true.  I explain this in the following email response:

• By choosing not to perform a particular sin, can we reduce the amount of pain that Jesus suffered on the cross?

The amount of change in the U.S. gross national product (GDP), for the first quarter of 2014, was released today.  The GDP shrunk 2.9%, which was not expected by most economists.  In fact, it was the largest quarterly decrease in the past 5 years.  I also have heard that it was the biggest non-recession quarterly drop in 58 years.

In Sudan, 27-year-old Meriam Ibrahim has endured an extreme amount of Islamic persecution for her faith.  Although she was raised a Christian, she was accused of converting from Islam to Christianity.

Furthermore, she married a Christian U.S. citizen, Daniel Wani, in 2011.  Since Sudan does not allow Islamic-Christian intermarriage, she was accused of adultery.  However, Meriam refused to renounce her Christian faith.  Early last month, she was sentenced to 100 lashes and then to death by hanging.

Although Meriam was pregnant with her second child, she was forced to spend weeks in a substandard prison.  She gave birth to a daughter in her jail cell on May 28.  Last week, a judge overturned her conviction and death sentence and she was freed.

Yesterday, Meriam was liberated from prison.  Today, Meriam, her husband, and their son and daughter were at the Khartoum airport preparing to fly out of Sudan when the entire family was detained.  Miriam was questioned about providing forged information.  Hours later, though, the family was released and taken to a safe house for protection.

I haven’t made lasagna since July 14, 2013.  I planned to make two of them today.  However, the amount of vegetables I had bought enabled me to make three.  That’s the most I’ve ever made at once.

It was a lot of hard work, but it was worth it because they will last me quite awhile.  I will freeze two of them.

 
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I have been questioned about the ongoing ISIS invasion of Iraq, about which I commented on June 16.  One thing I have been asked is if I think that the Antichrist will emerge from the Middle East and that his appearance is imminent.

I feel that there will be two major end-time leaders, the Antichrist and Gog, as outlined in my Final Battles commentary.  Many believe that these two men will be the same person.  I disagree, as I have explained in these these three email responses:

• How do you know that Gog and the Antichrist will not be the same person?
• Is "the Assyrian," mentioned by Isaiah and Micah, the Antichrist?
• Do you think that the Islamic Mahdi will be the Antichrist and that he will fulfill Islamic prophecies?

The Pentagon announced today that the U.S. captured Ahmed Abu Khattala.  He is suspected of organizing the attacks on diplomatic facilities in Benghazi, Libya, on September 11, 2012.  He was captured in a secret operation two days ago.

Ahmed Abu Khattala is on an American navy vessel sailing back to the USA.  He could be detained and questioned on the ship for up to a month.

The dangerous radical Islamic and jihadist group ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) has been marching from Syria into Iraq.  Last week, they captured two major Iraqi cities, Mosul and Tikrit.  They seem set upon taking Baghdad, the capital.

The merciless warlord leader of ISIS is Abu Bakr al Baghdadi.  For some reason, he was released from a U.S. detention camp in Iraq in 2009.  As he left, he stated, “I’ll see you guys in New York.”  Some now are referring to him as “the new Osama bin Laden.”

Apparently, ISIS members have been posting images of “apostates” in Iraq whom they have been executing along the way.  Warning: These images are graphic and disturbing.

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ISIS has claimed the territory of Syria and Iraq as its own.  It also has made futue claims over Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Cyprus and Southern Turkey.  The involvement of Israel could become a giant leap toward the end of this age.

Mike Rogers, U.S. Congressman from Michigan, is the Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.  He notes that thousands of Americans and other Westerners are fighting with ISIS in eastern Syria and Iraq.  Rogers also indicates that these fighters are being trained to return to the USA and Europe to wage terrorist attacks.

My dad is in heaven, and I look forward with great anticipation to seeing him again one day.  For all of you other dads:  HAPPY FATHER’S DAY, and God bless you for doing all the great and wonderful things that you do for your families. 

My dad was very smart and knowledgeable about many things.  He had some hobbies, the main one of which was professional photography, but he also enjoyed oil painting.  Although has has been gone for awhile, I would like to share with you three of his nature paintings:

   
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One of the Ten Commandments reads this way:

Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. (Exodus 20:12)

Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you. (Deuteronomy 5:16)

On this Father’s Day, for those whose fathers are living, do something to honor your earthly father or even your heavently Father.  Do it even if, for some reason, you are estranged or alienated from him/Him.

Today is “Flag Day” in the United States.  The flag of the USA was adopted on June 14, 1777, by a resolution of the Second Continental Congress.

It is Friday the 13th.  Although I am not superstitious, I do think it is interesting that there is a full moon tonight.  It actually will be a rare occurrence, as the next full moon on a Friday the 13th will not be until October 13, 2049.

My June 9 entry addressed the ever-increasing problem of illegal immigrants, particularly unaccompanied children, entering the USA from south of the border.  But caring for these tens of thousands of immigrants, paid for by U.S. taxpayers, is not the only problem.

Many U.S. Border Patrol agents in the Rio Grande Valley sector of Texas have contracted scabies from contact with detained illegal immigrants.  The infections do not end with scabies, though.  Other transmittable diseases being brought over by these immigrants include chicken pox, MRSA, and various viruses.

The surge of illegal immigrant minors rushing over the Rio Grande threatens to overwhelm the Texas Border Patrol.  On a daily basis, about 1,200 illegals are entering Texas, with up to 400 of those being under the age of 18.

Unaccompanied children and partial families from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala make up the majority of those crossing the border.  Some of the unaccompanied children are as young as three years old.

The Border Patrol in Texas has been overwhelmed.  Last month, the Department of Homeland Security flew hundreds of illegal immigrants from the Rio Grande Valley in Texas to Nogales, Arizona.  Hundreds more are expected to be transferred.

Today is the Christian celebration of Pentecost, exactly seven weeks following Resurrection Day (Easter).  At the first Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4), Jesus’ disciples were filled, supernaturally, with the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) and spoke in other “tongues.”  Other God-fearing Jews, who had gathered there from many other nations, heard these men declaring the wonders of God in their own languages (2:5,6,11).

The first Pentecost corresponded to the Jewish celebration of Shavuot, or the Feast of Weeks (Leviticus 23:15-22).  On this day, a firstfruits of the wheat harvest was offered to God.  Most calendars usually list Shavuot a few days before Pentecost due to the way the fifty days are counted from Passover week, referred to as the “counting of the omer.”

I believe the fifty-day calculation is made erroneously by most, as explained in this email response:

• How do you calculate the timing of Shavuot or Pentecost?

Today is the 70th anniversary of D-Day: June 6, 1944.  On that day was the Allied invasion of Normandy, France, in World War II.  D-Day may have been the most critical turning point in world history.  It signaled the beginning of the end of fascism and the return of liberty to hundreds of millions of people.

       

       

       
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In the following article are quotations by Harold Bradley, a D-Day veteran who celebrated his 21st birthday on the day he landed in Normandy.

On God’s Learning Channel, I enjoyed listening to music by Troy Mitchell.  He has been blind most of his life and has used music as a way to connect with God and with other people.  I did a search for him and found a few of his songs:

• Yoke of the King
• Isaiah 53
• Live Like a Warrior

My friend Kathy invited me to lunch today.  She has a Scripps Passport card, which entitles her to two meals for the price of one at various restaurants in the San Diego area.  We decided to go to Balboa Park and walk around for awhile.  This included a stoll through the Botanical Building.  Then we ate at the Prado Restaurant.  All of it was very enjoyable.

         

         

         

         

         

         
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After that, we drove to Seaport Village and walked around there for awhile.  We didn’t go there to buy anything; most things are too expensive for our budgets.  We just enjoyed being near the ocean.

         

         
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Listening to San Diego’s KOGO AM 600 radio this morning, I heard about license plates that have been banned in California.  A few of them are here; some are pretty outrageous:

       

       

       
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Someone asked me about Matthew 25:31-46, in particular whom Jesus may have meant when He referred to His “brethren” (or “brothers”) and the “sheep.”  Here is my response:

• Who are the brethren and the sheep that Jesus referred to in Matthew 25:31-46?

Happy Memorial Day.  Today we honor those who have fought, and especially those who have died, for us.  The following picture was displayed on Bing.com today, which is my preferred search engine.

My friend Joanne’s gym closed early today, and we got there too late.  So she suggested that we walk around Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley.  I used to work about a mile from there, during all of the 1980s and a about a year after that.

We usually walk clockwise around the park (four miles), but today we decided to walk counterclockwise.  We both think we’ll do the same again next time.

         

         

         
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Some friends and I had our Memorial Day “bash” today because a few of the guests have plans tomorrow.  The main course was barbecued baby-back pork ribs.  I rarely ever eat pork, but I could not resist these because they smelled too good on the grill.  They were outstanding.

The friend who cooked the ribs also brought over some vegetables from his garden in Fullerton.  These included a blossoming artichoke (I’d never seen one of those before), zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.  There also were several other food items, all of which were yummy.

     

     

     
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The “Giraffe” meteor shower will be taking place tonight.  It will be visible in most of North America, during the early-morning hours of May 24 (after midnight).  The shower will be radiating from the constellation of Camelopardalis (or the Giraffe).  However, meteors should be observable in much of the sky.

This little-known constellation is located about halfway between Ursa Major (the Big Dipper) and Cassiopeia, right under Polaris, the Pole Star.  However, the meteors should be able to be observed just about anywhere in the sky.  On the west coast (where I am), the best observation time with the most number of meteors per minute (maybe 3 or 4) should be about midnight to 1:00 a.m.

I’ve lost some weight without trying recently.  One of my good friends thinks I need to “put some meat on” and suggested a seafood buffet that we hadn’t tried before.  So she took me to the Teppanyaki Grill & Supreme Buffet on Katella Avenue in Anaheim.  It is less than a mile from Disneyland.

Their lunch price, $7.95 for all you can eat, was very reasonable.  The very first item I put on my plate was a big slab of salmon; I think I could eat that every single day.  I also got several sushi rolls, along with lots of other seafood, vegetables, fruit, and dessert.

           
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Before driving back up to Orange County, I wanted to eat lunch at my favorite Thai place, Taste of Thai, in San Diego.  It is one of the few Thai restaurants that will make my food as hot and spicy as I like it.

I ordered the red curry vegetarian lunch special and requested that it be made ped mak mak.  Basically, that means “as hot and spicy as possible.”  Sometimes, the eyes of the person who takes my order get really big in disbelief, but this waitress just smiled and nodded.

     

     
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A week ago today, the first of several fires north of San Diego began.  One of my good friends lives in that area.  She and all of her neighbors were evacuated because the flames came within a couple of miles of their condos.  Fortunately, the fire was contained, and none of their structures were damaged.

I drove to the canyon where the main section of the terrible fire was located.  I walked right through the middle of it and took photos.  It was pretty surreal seeing the burned-out landscape and plants around me.  It looked like utter desolation, and the smell was terrible.

       

       

       

       
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I mentioned “the Millennium” in my May 15 entry.  Someone has asked me what people and the Kingdom of God will be like during that 1,000-year period of time.  Click here to see my response:

• What will people be like during the Millennium, and what will the millennial Kingdom of God be like?

Numerous fires have ravaged multiple areas of northern San Diego County this week.  High winds, broiling heat over 100°, and a severe drought have made the fires spread rapidly and become difficult to extinguish.

Thousands have been evacuated.  One person, in Carlsbad, has been found dead.  These fires are the worst on record in San Diego County during the month of May.

       

       
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Law enforcement is investigating the possibility that at least some of the fires have been a result of arson.  So far, three arrests have been made.

This morning marked the opening of the September 11 Memorial Museum in Manhattan.  Numerous survivors, rescuers, and victims’ relatives were present, many of whom gave their amazing testimonies of that fateful day: September 11, 2001.

While I was watching, a choir sang one of my favorite songs ever, “Somewhere.”  It is from one of my favorite movies of all time, West Side Story (1961).  Here are the lyrics to that great song:

This evening on God’s Learning Channel, the fascinating guest for two hours was Rabbi Scott Sekulow, a Messianic Jew.  He is the brother of famous attorney Jay Sekulow, of the ACLJ (American Center of Law and Justice), who frequently argues cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Scott talked about many interesting topics.  I thought that one of the most relevant was his discussion of how God’s Torah/Law actually dated back further than Moses; it went back to Adam and Eve.  Furthermore, the Torah is not just for Israel; it is for all the nations (as described briefly in my Torah and Prophets section).

To see Rabbi Scott discuss this topic for 15 minutes (out of the two hour interview), first click on the following link (which should work for about 5 days):

Start the video, and then place your arrow at the bottom of the video player it to bring up the time line.  (To see this more clearly, click on Scott’s picture at the top of this entry to see a larger view of it.)  Move your arrow back and forth on the time line until it indicates the 1-hour (1:00:00) mark and click there.  Then listen for the next 15 minutes.

Of course, you can listen to the entire two-hour interview if you have the time.  All of it was very interesting.

I like Scott’s mathematical equation: Torah + Grace = Salvation in Messiah.  That is, the Torah alone brings death, since no one can keep all of God’s laws completely, and any violation of the Law leads to death.  On the other hand, God’s Grace alone is meaningless, since without the Torah/Law, we would not know how we have “missed the mark” and why we need His Grace.  The Messiah, Yeshua/Jesus, is the epitome of both the Torah and Grace, together.

My mom is in heaven, and I look forward with great anticipation to seeing her again one day.  For all of you other moms:  HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY, and God bless you for doing all the great and wonderful things that you do for your families. 

I’m staying at a friend’s place this weekend.  The weirdest thing happened a little while ago that completely freaked me out.

I was in the kitchen and had started the microwave going.  About ten seconds after it began running, I heard a LOUD popping sound just to the right of me.  My first thought was that an object had come through the window, and my second thought was that something in the microwave had exploded.  Neither of these things was the case.

There was a glass bottle of Lecithin capsules on the counter.  For some reason, the bottom exploded off of it, causing all the capsules to come out.  I am thinking that, somehow, the waves from the microwave, which was nearby, caused this.

   
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An Islamic extremist group, Boko Haram, is waging a campaign of violence in northern Nigeria.  Boko Haram means “Western education is sinful.”

Boko Haram members have kidnapped nearly 300 girls, aged 16-18.  They plan to sell 223 of these girls, to the highest bidders, as child brides (essentially, as sex slaves), which is permissible under Sharia Law.

In 2011, Boko Haram terrorists bombed the United Nations building in Abuja, Nigeria.  Members of the U.S. Congress, and even the Obama administration, requested that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton add Boko Haram to its official list of designated terror organizations.  However, the State Department fought this and did nothing.

The group’s ambitions range from the stricter enforcement of Sharia Law to the total destruction of the Nigerian state and its government.

Speaking of Sharia Law, it has become the law of the land in the Islamic nation of Brunei.  As a result, many Hollywood celebrities, such as Jay and Mavis Leno, are protesting by canceling their event reservations at the Beverly Hills Hotel, which is owned by Brunei.

A large number of Christians believe in a Pre-tribulation Rapture event.  Although I do believe in a main Rapture event, I believe that it will be a Pre-wrath Rapture.  Here is my email response to someone who feels that some Bible verses may point to a “Pre-trib” Rapture:

• What is your view of the Rapture, and what do you think about Bible passages that seem to point to a Pre-tribulation Rapture?

Today is the National Day of Prayer.  Be a good prayer warrior and seek God’s grace, mercy, guidance and safety for your family, the place where you live, and the world as a whole.

I read the following short verse in the book of Isaiah recently, and it stuck with me.  I like the way it reads in the NIV better than in any other version of the Bible.

O LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress. (Isaiah 33:2)

After a Freedom of Information Act request dating back to June 21, 2013, Judicial Watch finally has received documents from the U.S. Department of State.  One email in particular sheds light on erroneous statements made by Susan Rice a few days after the Benghazi, Libya, attacks of September 12, 2012.

An email from September 14, 2012 shows that Ben Rhodes, the White House Deputy National Security Adviser at the time, advised Rice to state that the attacks were a “spontaneous protest” resulting from a YouTube video insulting Islam and the prophet Muhammad.  Yet, transcripts revealed since then have shown that senior defense officials had informed the Obama administration that the assaults were terrorist attacks.

U.S. secretary of state John Kerry has been pressing for a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians for months.  However, there is not much chance of this happening in the near future, as mentioned in my Apr. 24 entry..

Seemingly in utter frustration, Kerry recently made a blunt statement indicating that if Israel does not make a peace deal with the Palestinians, it risks becoming an “apartheid state.”

There has been widespread criticism of Kerry for making these comments.  These even include statements by liberal politicians.  Here are statments made by three Democrats in the U.S. Congress:

• Senator Barbara Boxer (D-California): “Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East and any linkage between Israel and apartheid is nonsensical and ridiculous.”
• Senator Mark Begich (D-Alaska): “I am disappointed with Secretary Kerry’s reported remarks...(he) knows as well as anyone that negotiating lasting peace in this region of the world is difficult but it’s not productive to express his frustration in this way.”
• Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-New York): “Inflammatory rhetoric comparing Israel’s democracy to repugnant apartheid policy is irresponsible, inaccurate and counterproductive.”

There have been several noteworthy earthquakes in the world since the ones I included in my Apr. 4 entry.  A couple have been in the U.S. in locations where quakes are not too common.

Rival Palestinian political factions have announced a surprise reconciliation deal.  It includes plans for a unified government.  This deal, if it continues (since other similar deals have fallen through), will unite the moderate Fatah faction in the West Bank with the radical Hamas faction in the Gaza Strip.

As a result, Israeli/Palestinian peace talks have come to an end, at least for now.  Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, made the following statement:  “This evening, as peace talks were about to take place, Abbas chose Hamas and not peace.  Whoever chooses Hamas does not want peace.”

During Holy Week each year, plus or minus a couple of weeks before and after, the number of emails about my Good Thursday commentary skyrockets.  The vast majority of the emails are from people who are convinced of my position after reading what I have written.

However, there are some die-hard, often intransigent advocates of either a “Good Friday” crucifixion or a “Good Wednesday” crucifixion.  I have heard virtually all of their arguments over the past 25 or so years, and none of them have convinced me of their views.  I posted a couple of responses to “Good Friday” advocates on Apr. 18.

The foundational assumption of those who promote a Wednesday crucifixion focuses on Jesus’ words that He would be in the heart of the earth for “three days and three nights” (Matthew 12:40).  Almost universally, they insist that this signifies a period of exactly 72 hours.

However, if the foundation of a theory is built on sand, as I believe this one is, then that theory is in danger of collapsing, as I believe this one has.  Since today is Wednesday, it seems like a good day to feature the most recent attempt to get me to consider that Jesus was crucified and died on a Wednesday.  Notice that the person who emailed me did not include even one specific Scripture reference from the Bible.

• How could Jesus have been crucified on any day but Wednesday when the women prepared their spices on Friday, and Jesus rose from the dead at sunset following Saturday?

At WalMart today, Easter candy was 50% off.  A friend wanted me to get a big batch for her, so I did.  It was quite a savings.  I might have a few chocolate eggs and a Reese’s peanut butter egg.

This is the Feast of Firstfruits or Resurrection Day.  It is the day that Jesus rose from the dead.  Eventually, all who believe in His blood atonement for their sins will do the same.

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)

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3-5)

The majority of these resurrections, I believe, will take place at the main Rapture event.  These glorified saints never will need to fear God’s severe judgment, and they will be exempt from His righteous wrath.

During the week of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, the Feast of Firstfruits fell on the date of Aviv 17 on the Hebraic calendar.  It was the same date that Noah’s ark landed and rested on Mount Ararat (Genesis 8:4).  On that day, Noah and his family were safe and secure from harm, with no further chance of sinking or drowning.

Someone looking at my Holy Week chart questioned me about this.  Here is my response:

• How can the day Noah's ark came to rest on Mount Ararat, the 17th day of the seventh month (Genesis 8:4), be the same date that Jesus rose from the dead if the latter was the 17th day of the first month?

Today is “Good Friday,” traditionally accepted as the day that Jesus was crucified and died.  I do not believe that myself.  Here are my email responses to two people convinced of a Friday crucifixion:

• How can you say that Jesus was crucified on any day other than Friday, when the calculations do not work out for a Thursday crucifixion?
• Do you think the three hours of darkness prior to Jesus' death on the cross could account for the third night in the prophecy of the three days and three nights?

Personally, I am convinced that Jesus' crucifixion and death took place on Good Thursday.  Most would refer to that day (yesterday) as Holy Thursday or “Maundy Thursday.”  At a local church service last night, this excellent video (under 30 minutes) was shown:

Very early today (Passover), while it still was dark, there was a total eclipse of the moon.  The time of maximum totality was 12:46 a.m. PDT = 3:46 EDT.  I was up watching it, off and on, for almost two hours.  It was pretty awesome.  This was the first of four Blood Moons on Hebraic Feast and Holy Days during 2014 and 2015.

To the right and down a bit from the moon, the bright star Spica could be seen.  Further up and to the right, Mars was visible.  Mars is the closest to the earth that it has been in 6½ years, as described in my Apr. 8 entry.

   
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Tonight, I attended a traditional Jewish Passover Seder.  It was well-attended, and the rabbi did an excellent job of going through the haggadah.  Besides all that, the food was outstanding.

       

       

       

       
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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)

The Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Kathleen Sebelius, has resigned.  Pending upcoming congressional approval, she will be replaced by Sylvia Matthews Burwell, who presently is the director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Many Christians wonder about whether or not the historical patriarchs in the Bible—such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph—were saved unto eternal life, since they lived before Jesus walked the earth.  Some also wonder if there is any possibility that people who never have heard of Jesus could be saved.  I have responsed to these and related questions here:

• How could salvation come to the historical patriarchs in the Bible and to the Jews who lived before Jesus came, since none of them could not follow the law completely?

Tonight, Mars, Earth, and the sun will be in a direct line.  This happens only every 26 months.  Mars also will be much closer to Earth than it normally is, as well as the brightest that it has been in 6½ years.

Today is the fourth anniversary of the 7.2 Baja California earthquake.  It shook all of Southern California, as well as parts of Nevada and Arizona, at 3:40 pm on Resurrection Day (Easter Sunday), Apr. 4, 2010.

Although I was not there at the time, several friends from San Diego to Los Angeles told me they were majorly rocked.  I knew how that felt, as I have felt many quakes, including the 7.3 Landers earthquake and the 6.5 Big Bear earthquake, both on the same day in 1992, and the 6.7 Northridge earthquake in 1994.

A large earthquake is quite unnerving.  There is a general feeling of helplessness, since there is nothing you can do to stop it, nor anywhere you can go to escape it.

There seems to have been a notable increase in global earthquakes over the past 3½ weeks, many of which have been in California:

Someone sent me the following cartoon.  I do not see it as a joke; I feel it should be taken very seriously:

A good friend and I have extremely similar views about God and the Bible (although he prefers the KJV, and I prefer the NJKV or the NIV).  Also, we both love Israel.  He has been there a few times, but I never have.

Here, you can see a few of the photos he took the last time he was there:

He’s such a nice guy that he sends me gifts sometimes.  For instance, my keychain has a menorah on it, which he brought back from Israel, that I really like.

Today, I received a package from him filled with cool gifts.  My favorite was a painting he did of Moses parting the Red Sea.  I really like all of the colors in it.

He painted it on a 14" x 10½" canvas while looking at the original picture on a postcard.  I don’t think I would have the spatial transference ability to do that, but he does.  I am honored that he sent it to me, as he could have sent it to anyone else.

He also send me an Eretz Yisrael calendar and a Hawai’i calendar.  I now have his painting and the Eretz Yisrael calendar on the wall behind my desk, and the Hawai’i calendar is hanging in another room.

Another thing he sent me was a book by Brad Scott.  I’ve enjoyed many of his programs on God’s Learning Channel, so I’m sure I will like the book.

I do not have a lot of time to sit down and read, but I do it at least once a week after I order the breakfast combo at Subway on Shabbat (Saturday) morning and sometimes on Sunday morning.  Presently, I am reading The Return of the Kosher Pig (www.kosherpig.org) by Rabbi Itzhak Shapira.  It provides a great deal of evidence demonstrating the divinity and deity of Yeshua haMashiach (Jesus the Christ) from a Hebraic/Jewish perspective.  I plan to send this book to Tim.

Finally, Tim sent me six packets of spicy green peas.  He knows that I like hot stuff a lot...the hotter, the better. 

         
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