The first recorded Ebola infection has been diagnosed in the United States.  The man, Thomas Eric Duncan, flew from Liberia to Texas, and now he is a patient at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas.

He described having no symptoms on the flight from Liberia, arriving in Texas on Sep. 20 and seeking treatment for his symptoms six days later, when he was given antibiotics and a pain reliever and released.  Two days after that, after his symptoms had become much worse, he was admitted to the hospital.  It is possible that some of his family members may have been exposed to the virus as well.

It has been revealed by Oklahoma City police that a fired Bellevue Nursing Home employee was arrested two days ago for threatening to behead a co-worker.  His name is Jacob Mugambi Muriithi, 30, a native of Kenya.

This comes soon after Alton Nolen, alias Jah’Keem Yisrael, beheaded a co-worker in Moore, Oklahoma, on Sep. 26.  Nolen was shot, hospitalized, and now is in police custody.  He was charged with “workplace violence.”

The woman whom Jacob Muriithi threatened said that he identified himself as a Muslim and said he represented ISIS.  He was arrested and charged with terrorism, which is what Alton Nolen should have been charged with.  Muriithi’s bail has been set at $1 million.

It looks like the beheadings, by Islamic extremists, have begun in America.  In Moore Oklahoma, a disgruntled factory worker, Alton Nolen, is a suspect in the stabbing and beheading of a fellow female employee at Vaughan Foods.  The suspect was heard to shout Islamic phrases during the attack.

The suspected Islamic terrorist also stabbed a second woman.  He may have decapitated her, as well, had he not been shot by Mark Vaughan—who is both the Vaughan Food chief operating officer and a sheriff’s deputy—and taken to a hospital.

Some of Nolen’s co-workers have said that he previously had been trying to convert them to Islam before being fired.  In the past, he also had spent two years in prison for assaulting an officer.  On Facebook, he goes by Jah’Keem Yisrael.

I like my cooking, but I don’t like to take the time to cook.  I am too busy doing other stuff.  I don’t eat out very often; it is too expensive for me to do that.  Also, restaurant food and fast food typically leave a lot to be desired when it comes to good nutrition, and I like to eat healthfully.

When I heard about Soylent, it sounded like a great idea to me.  Soylent is a healthful powder filled with essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.  One packet, mixed with water and a special oil blend, yields about 2 liters of a smooth, tasty drink.  It is enough to provide three drinkable meals per day.

I ordered a 28-day supply, which also comes with a pitcher and a measuring scoop.  For most of the past 3 days, all I have consumed is Soylent and nothing else, other than tonight.  I went out to dinner with a good friend to celebrate the Feast of Trumpets = Rosh haShanah (although neither of us is Jewish), which began at sunset.

I drank 2 liters on each of the first two days and 2/3 of that amount today.  Surprisingly, during no part of the past three days was I hungry at all, other than the normal urgings of my stomach telling me it was time to drink more Soylent.

         
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There has been an increasing concern about the threat of ISIL (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) on western nations, such as the USA and western Europe.  On Sep. 18, a deadly plot against Australian cities was thwarted before it could take place.

One may wonder why this Islamist terror group incorporates the word “Levant” into its name.  Even Barack Obama uses the term “ISIL” (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) rather than ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria).  I do not like the potential ramifications of the name “ISIL,” though, which I will explain.

Click on the map to see a larger view.  A common decription of “Levant” is the land bordering and included within the region just east of the Mediterranean Sea.  The largest description of Levant is the entire area that is dark green, medium green, and light green.  Note that Israel is included in all of the designations of Levant.

All of this, and more, used to be part of the Ottoman Empire, which was was dissolved in 1923  The Ottoman Empire was a theocracy, with the sultans dedicated to the advancement of the Sunni branch of Islam through military means.  It may be that, when writing the book of Revelation, John saw both a collapse and a revival of the Ottoman Empire, near the end of the age (see Daniel’s fourth beast and John’s beast out of the sea for more details).

I feel it is quite possible that ISIL, along with other radical Islamic groups, may take over the greatest expanse of the Levant and much of the territory within the former Ottoman Empire.  Whatever happens, it is a fact that a major goal of multiple factions of Islam—including the Sunnis and the Shias—is the domination of Israel and the destruction of Jerusalem.  I think it is highly likely that they will fight against each other to win this “prize” and that most of the world will be caught up in this extremely deadly, bloody conflict.

In other news, the United States is leading a coalition of nations in air strikes against ISIS in Syria.  The USA, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Bahrain took part in the air strikes.  Qatar is playing a supporting role in the campaign.

       
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The U.S. also took action, on its own, against another terrorist organization, the Khorasan Group.  The Khorasan is using Syria as a safe-haven where they can plan how to topple the West.  U.S. officials said this radical Islamic group has been plotting attacks against the United States and other Western targets.

Tonight, the Autumnal Equinox happened in the USA at 7:29 p.m. PDT or 10:29 p.m. EDT.  In most parts of the world, though, this took place early in the morning on Sep. 23.

As usual, I stood one egg on its wide end and another egg on its narrow end.  It seems that this is easier to do on the Autumnal and Vernal Equinoxes than at any other time of the year.

     
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The results for yesterday’s Scottish vote for independence have been released.  With 3,623,342 people (84.6% of the electorate) voting, the result was No: 55.25% and Yes: 44.65%.  So Scotland will remain part of the United Kingdom.

In Australia today, over 800 federal and state police foiled a major plot by ISIS terrorists, detaining 15 people.  It was a sweeping counterterrorism operation across three cities.  This was the largest raid in Australia’s history.

The radical Islamists had planned to carry out random beheadings in Sydney and Brisbane.  The beheadings were going to be videotaped and spread around the internet to demonstrate the far-reaching influence of ISIS.

This is the 200th anniversary of the national anthem of the USA: the Star-Spangled Banner.  It was written by Francis Scott Key.

Today is the 13th anniversary of the ghastly and horrific terror attacks on American soil, which took place on Sep. 11, 2001.  Only a small minority of people believe that radical Islam was not behind these attacks.

ISIS, also known as ISIL (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant), has been taking over increasing amounts of land in Syria and Iraq, which it calls the “Islamic State.”  This Islamic group has brutally slaughtered innocent Muslims, Christians, and those of other religions in their bloodthirsty conquest of land that is not theirs.  They beheaded James Foley on Aug. 20 and Steven Sotloff on Sep. 2, both of whom were Jews.

Unfortunately, there are many who believe that, fundamentally, Islam is a “peaceful” religion.  They mistakenly feel that brutal murders of the innocent are not performed by those who truly are Islamic.  This is a deception that Barack Obama, apparently, is articulating to the American public.

Last night, in the fourth paragraph of President Obama’s Speech on Combating ISIS and Terrorism, he made a couple of statements that got the serious attention of many, including myself.  He said, “Now let’s make two things clear:  ISIL is not ‘Islamic.’  No religion condones the killing of innocents, and the vast majority of ISIL’s victims have been Muslim.  And ISIL is certainly not a state.”

I do not know what to call these statements other than ludicrous and disingenuous.  Mr. Obama’s father and stepfather both were Islamic.  While he was growing up in Indonesia, Barack Obama was immersed in Islamic teachings.  Presumably, he has read the Qur´an, which states several places, and in no uncertain terms, that “infidels” or “unbelievers”—those who doubt or reject the central tenets and precepts of Islam—should be killed, tortured, tormented, and/or subdued (such as in an-Nisâ´: 89, at-Taubah: 5, an-Nisâ´: 56, al-Anfâl: 12, Muhammad: 4, al-Anfâl: 37, al-Hajj: 19-22, al-Mâ´idah: 33, an-Nisâ´: 150,151, Fussilat: 27, at-Taubah: 29-31).

I have to assume, then, that President Obama knows he is not telling the truth, perhaps because he does not want to disrespect the religion, Islam, with which he was raised.  In my view, that is not a valid reason not to tell the truth about ISIS and Islam.  Hopefully, more and more Americans will come to realize that this is what is happening.

Interestingly, the photo above appears to show horns coming out of the president’s head (click on it to see an enlargement).  It reminds me of this verse, describing the “second beast” or False Prophet, in the book of Revelation:

Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth.  He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. (Revelation 13:11)

Thirteen years ago today (Sep. 10, 2001), the Dabru Emet—meaning “speak truth”—appeared in the Sunday edition of the New York Times.  It was a collection of theological statements urging Jews to relinquish their fear and mistrust of Christianity.

I agree with the eight points included in the Dabru Emet.  You can read all of it here.

A solid Christian who stongly supports Israel and Jews is Senator Ted Cruz of Texas.  Tonight, he spoke at a dinner in Washington, D.C. hosted by IDC (In Defense of Christians).

Unfortunately, he was booed by some of the audience members for sticking up for Israel, Jews, and Christians.  Before walking off the stage, he stated, “If you will not stand with Israel and the Jews, then I will not stand with you.  Good night and God bless.”

Since then, numerous Jewish groups have come out defending Senator Cruz.

Late this afternoon, we took the dog for a walk in the Rush Creek Open Space Reserve.  We had to walk fast to beat sunset, but I got a few shots.

         
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A 60-foot-wide asteroid, names 2014 RC, is making a very close pass by the earth today.  At its closest, which will be at 2:15 pm EDT, it will be about 25,000 miles or about 40,000 kilometers away.  It will not pose any threat to the earth or to satellites orbiting the earth.

The asteroid will not be visible to the naked eye.  However, it might be viewable with a small telescope.

       
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This asteroid reminds me of what is prophesied to happen at some point in the future:

The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea.  A third of the sea turned into blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. (Revelation 8:8,9)

After all the habanero, serrano, and cayenne peppers were harvested this week, they needed to be chopped up and dehydrated.  That way, they could be sprinkled on or mixed into various foods. 

         
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We did more harvesting in the garden this morning.  There’s not much room to put all of these vegetables; most likely, neighbors will be getting some of them.

         

         
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The weather in Reno the past few days couldn’t be beat.  We walked around downtown quite a bit.  We also stopped into a few casinos.  I didn’t play all that much, other than a little nickel video poker.  Mostly, I just watched my friend play, and we laughed a whole lot.

This morning, we ate the breakfast buffet at Peppermill.  Then it took us 3 hours to drive back to Marin County.  The highest point of the trip was Donner Summit at 7,239 feet elevation.  I took several photos from the moving car, so a few of them are a little fuzzy.

         

         

         
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We drove from Marin County, CA, to Reno, NV, today.  It took about 3˝ hours, including one brief stop.

Along the way, I enjoyed seeing all the pine trees, so I took several snapshots.  Most of the shots are from a moving car, and some of them are a little fuzzy.

Once we got to Reno, we ate at the El Dorado buffet, which was very good.  Of course, I think all buffets are good. 

         

         

         
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This has been an enjoyable Labor Day.  First off, there was another bountiful harvest from the garden this morning.  Actually, I was bad because I slept in and didn’t help with that.    He didn’t mind, though, since he enjoys harvesting his garden.

Later, we worked in the kitchen chopping up vegetables.  Some went into the tomato sauce and other spicy concoctions, and some went to the grill.

Then there was the salmon.  Yummm.  I think I like grilled salmon more than grilled chicken, steak, or maybe anything else grilled.

         

         
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My friend is a wine (mostly Zinfandel) connoisseur.  I like red wine, although I hardly ever drink it because I consume very little alcohol.  Basically, if wine is offered to me, I probably will have some; but I rarely ever will buy any myself.

Usually, when I am here, we go wine-tasting in the Sonoma Valley.  He is a member of a wine club, so he and anyone he brings get free tasting.  So today we visited Mazzocco Winery and Wilson Winery.  In my opinion, every wine that I tasted was excellent.

Mazzocco Winery

       

       

       
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Wilson Winery

       

       

       
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I flew up to San Francisco yesterday.  My friend Barry, who lives in Marin County, picked me up at the airport.  He has scooba-dived all over the world.  I made a Barry’s Scuba-Diving Photos page for him some time ago.  That is just a tiny sampling of the thousands of underwater photos he has taken.

As is usual every summer, his garden has been producing a bumper-crop of vegetables for weeks.  I have enjoyed chowing down on them since I got here.  Like so far, I’ve sliced up and eaten 6 whole tomatoes.

For dinner last night, he made chicken breasts coated with Panko bread crumbs.  They were super tasty.  Along with that, we had beets, butternut squash, and broccoli from his garden, plus I picked a fresh lemon.  He also had made a yummy dip with eggplants, onions, green bell peppers, cayenne peppers, and other ingredients from the garden.  I’ve been dipping Tricuits into that.

I’m enjoying going on walks with him and his dog.  I also plan to use his elliptical machine each day that I am here.  I don’t want to gain too much weight with all the food I’ll be eating.  Fortunately, vegetables aren’t very fattening.

         

         

         

         

         
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An al-Qaeda affiliate, al-Nusra Front, has captured the Syrian side of the border separating Syria from the Golan Heights of Israel.

A 6.0 earthquake struck north of the Bay Area in Northern California early this morning at 3:20 PDT.  The epicenter was about 6 miles south-southwest of Napa and about 51 miles west-southwest of Sacramento.

There were several gas line breaks, with some associated fires, as well as numerous water main ruptures.  Extensive damage to buildings, homes, and trailers took place.  Power to thousands was knocked out in the surrounding California wine country.

Fortunately, there were no fatalities, although there were at least 120 injuries, with 6 critically injured.  It was the largest temblor to shake the Bay Area since the 6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake on October 17, 1989.

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My friend Barry lives in Marin County, about 20 miles from the quake’s epicenter.  Although he was awakened by the shaking, which was significant, there was no damage at his house, at least upon initial inspection.  The ground in that area is firm bedrock and absorbs much of the shock.

A video has surfaced showing American photo-journalist James Foley being murdered.  The U.S. State Deparment has confirmed the video to be authentic.

Foley was beheaded by a terrorist of ISIS or IS (the Islamic State).  ISIS has said that Mr. Foley’s death was revenge for U.S. air strikes on its fighters in Iraq.

The terrorist had a British accent.  Most likely he was a deluded recruit to ISIS from Great Britain.

British Prime Minister David Cameron has said he is shocked that a British citizen very likely was involved in the killing.  He should not be shocked, as Islamic jihadists have a significant presence in Great Britain.

I spent much of the day making three meat and vegetable lasagnas.  The last time I did that was on June 20.

       

       

       

       
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A friend was driving down the street and took this photo of a sign on the truck in front of him:

Here is how the sign reads, with proper punctuation added:

Whatever you’re going through, hang in there.  In one instant, God can change any situation, and He can make something out of nothing!  Trust Jesus!!

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), is now calling itself, simply, the “Islamic State.”  Its government is an Islamic caliphate, and its capital is Ar-Raqqah, Syria.

ISIS terrorists continue to sweep through northern Iraq, killing and beheading those of other faiths as they go.  Many in the U.S. are sounding an alarm that ISIS could be a bigger threat than pre-9/11 al Qaeda.  After all, there already are radical Islamic networks present in America, including al Qaeda, Hamas, Hezbollah, Muslim Brotherhood, Islamic Jihad, and others.

ISIS, which is a rival faction of al Qaeda, has more enhanced combat capabilities and a much greater territory than al Qaeda.  This Islamic jihadist group is advancing rapidly in fundraising capabilities and operational ability.

Their advanced social networking allows them to have a substantial global outreach for recruitment.  As such, they are able to attract sympathizers from other nations to join ISIS.

Some of those who have become part of ISIS have passports that enable them to re-enter the U.S. and other Western countries.  I suspect that many have been walking over the border from Mexico into the U.S., undetected.

The fundamentals of Islam come, primarily, out of the Qur’an.  Islam, at its core, is not a peaceful religion; those who believe that it is are deceiving themselves.

I feel very strongly that radical Islam is the greatest threat to world peace and security that now exists.  The ultimate goal of an increasing number of Islamists, such as ISIS, is to create a worldwide caliphate.  I believe that this not only is very possible but likely.

ISIS, Hamas, and other radical Islamic groups like them are, essentially, “malignant tumors” in the world.  Either they die, or freedom will die—and countless innocent victims along with it.

Unfortunately, the way I see biblical prophecy, the latter will happen.  However, this is what will trigger the appearance of the Messiah Yeshua/Jesus, in the clouds, just prior to the day of vengeance, during which He will avenge their deaths.

For those who do not understand the dangers of fundamentalist Islam, this 36-page booklet is worth reading (keep scrolling down once you get there):

   
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Tonight, tomorrow night, and the next night will be the optimal nights to watch the meteor shower known as the Perseids.  This is an annual event that I look forward to each summer.

However, the bright moon (which was full yesterday, Aug. 10) will brighten the sky, making it difficult to see the dimmer meteors.  The best viewing probably will be during the pre-dawn hours.

   
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There is a full moon tonight, and many are calling it a “Super Moon.”  That is because it is the biggest full moon, as well as the closest full moon to the earth, in 2014.

The following article does a good job of explaining all of this.  It is somewhat lengthy but very informative:

I’ll be out looking at the full moon tonight.  However, I won’t be having any “great expectations.”

Just before dawn, I snapped a few photos of the full moon.  My camera usually does a poor job of registering the moon’s surface detail.  Oh well, I did enjoy looking at it up in the sky, and it did appear to be a little larger and brighter than normal.

   
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Most Christians in the West, especially in America, do not understand what real persecution for their faith is.  But there are many in other parts of the world who do.

For example, radical ISIS jihadists in Iraq have been giving Christians, along with those of other faiths (such as Yazidis and Turkmen), three choices: convert to Islam, pay a tax, flee, or be killed.  Even moderate Muslims are being threatened.  People have been uprooted from communities where their families have lived for millennia.

Today is Tisha B’Av or the 9th of Av, which actually began at sunset last evening.  It is a day of mourning to commemorate the many tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people in the past.

We all jump to invalid conclusions about viewpoints, people, or situations sometimes.  Those conclusions lead to the development of foundational beliefs, on which we then evaluate other aspects of those viewpoints, people, or situations.

As we do this, our beliefs (or belief systems) become more embedded and entrenched in our thoughs and feelings.  This is shown in a “Ladder of Inference” diagram, three representations of which are here:

   
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The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 317.06 points today.  At 16,563.30, this was a 1.88% plunge, canceling out all of the gains made during the month of July.

The all time record high close was 17,138.20 on July 16.  Today’s close was 3.35% down from that.

The drop follows weak earnings of companies like Exxon Mobil, Yum Brands, and Whole Foods.  Investors also may be worried about tensions with Russia, fighting in Gaza, debt in Argentina, and the possible end of the stimulus by the Federal Reserve.

   
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One of the best ways to find out about a corrupt ideology is from someone who used to be part of it, “saw the light,” and bailed out of it.  Mosab Hassan Yousef is the oldest son of a Palestinian Hamas founder and leader, Sheikh Hassan Yousef.  Mosab, raised to be his father’s “heir apparent,” converted to Christianity in 1999.

Joel C. Rosenberg provides more information about Mosab in his blog today:

It seems impossible for many to acknowledge, or even to fathom, that God can have a triune nature.  Even some Christians—though acknowledging that Jesus performed great miracles, died for our sins, and was resurrected from the dead—deny that Jesus was God.

On the contrary, I am absolutely convinced that God has (at least) a triune nature, composed of Father and Son and Holy Spirit.  Here is my response to someone who believes that “God” and “Jesus” are two separate entities:

• Can't you see that God and Jesus are two distinct individuals, not one person?

Yesterday morning, I noticed a large spider making a big web outside the window.  I occasionally checked on her throughout the day and evening.  I assume it is a “she” because there were smaller spiders around her.  Either they were some male suitors or they were her babies; I don’t know which.

This morning, I saw that she had captured something.  I think it was a butterfly, which must have been quite a feast for her.

Interestingly, at no time today did I see the other smaller spiders.  If she ate them, I didn’t see any remnant of them anywere.  I’m guessing that they went elsewhere.

The first six photos below are from yesterday, and the last six are from today.  It may appear that she changes colors, sometimes appearing pink or orange and sometimes appearing brown.  Actually, this difference in her appearance is due to variations in the lighting and camera settings; she does not actually change colors.

         

         
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In my June 24 entry, I highlighted Meriam Ibrahim and her release from prison.  However, Ibrahim then spent more than a month at the American Embassy in Khartoum after an attempt to leave Sudan was halted by that country’s authorities.

She was charged with attempting to use false travel documents.  But yesterday, one month later, the Sudanese government finally dropped these charges.

Meriam finally was allowed to leave Sudan and travel to Italy.  Today, she met with Pope Francis.  The Reverand Federico Lombardi, a Vatican spokesman, said that the pope “thanked her for her faith and courage, and she thanked him for his prayer and solidarity.”

According to a ruling in a federal appeals court today, subsidies or tax credits for Obamacare are not legal in 36 states.  This decision, if not over-ruled by the full circuit court (which, unfortunately, it probably will be), could threaten the stability of the entire health care law.

I last organized my vitamins and supplements into individual compartments on Mar. 29.  Each day, I take the following: a daily multiple; vitamins A, B complex, C, and E; magnesium, selenium, zinc, fish oil, saw palmetto, glucosamine and chondroitin.

Rarely do I link directly to pages at other web sites.  However, I am going to make an exception.  A good friend sent me a link to the following article, which was posted yesterday at The Economic Collapse website:

My friend said it reminded him of a commentary that I wrote on Mar. 1, 2009, not long after Mr. Obama was inaugurated as President the first time:

I feel very strongly that America and the world are headed for a gigantic financial and economic collapse within the next few years.  It appears that Barack Obama’s policies, in particular Obamacare, are leading the way to this calamity.

Due to Obamacare, healthcare premiums and deductibles are going to skyrocket in 2015.  This, among other failed policies, is going to cause tremendous financial and economic hardship for U.S. citizens.

I think it is very possible that at some point during 2015 thtough 2017, there will be a critical, perilous downturn in the U.S. economy, as well as in the global economy.  It would fit into my proposed hypothesis in this commentary:

For days, Israel has been warning Hamas in Gaza that it would send in troops if they did not stop shooting rockets into Israel.  When Hamas militants broke a recent cease-fire, Israel’s ground invasion appeared to be inevitable.

Today, after 24 hours of warnings made to the Palestinian citizens to get into shelters, the invasion began.  Israel says that its ultimate objective is to wipe out the infrastructure of Hamas.

Hamas has placed rocket launchers in populated areas, using the civilians as human shields, so that civilians will be killed when they are destroyed by Israeli missiles.  That way, they can blame Israel for killing their people.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, has pointed out the difference between the Israelis and the Hamas terrorists.  He stated, “We’re using missile defense to protect our civilians, and they're using their civilians to protect their missiles.”

In other news, a huge Boeing 777 commercial jetliner, Malaysian Airlines flight MH117, crashed in eastern Ukraine today.  It was shot down by a Russian-made SA-11 missle near the border with Russia.

It is not known yet whether the missle originated from Ukraine or Russia.  However, there is strong suspicion that the missle was fired by pro-Russian separatist rebels, mistakenly thinking that the plane was a Ukranian military or cargo plane.

There were 298 people aboard the plane, including 283 passengers (three of them infants) and 15 crew members.  Initial reports said 23 of the passengers were Americans; however, however, a later report said that only one American, with dual (Dutch) citizenship, was on board.

In any case, none of the 298 people survived.  Plane wreckage and bodies stretched for almost ten miles.

The violence between Israel and Gaza continues to escalate.  Rockets and missles keep flying back and forth.  There seems to be a general consensus that the weapons being used by Hamas, in Gaza, are being supplied by Iran.

Israel is convinced that Iran’s ultimate goal, with its uranium enrichment program, is to develop one or more nuclear weapons.  This is very plausible, since Iran’s official stance is that the “Zionist State” of Israel should be wiped off the face of the earth.

The possibility that Iran might be close to developing “nukes” reminds me of an email I received.  This person feels, as many do, that the events immediately following the opening of the Sixth Seal in Revelation 6:12-14 will be caused by the detonation of nuclear weapons.

On the other hand, I believe that the Sixth Seal events will be supernatural in nature.  I explain this in my response here:

• Have you considered that the Sixth Seal might be man's doing and that some of the events could be a result of nuclear weapons?

I monitor earthquakes at USGS daily.  Since April, there seems to have been some “clumps” of notable earthquakes.  They have tended to be large (6.0 or above) or in locations that typically do not have earthquakes.

I recorded a couple of these “quake clumps” in my Apr. 4 and Apr. 26 entires.  Here is another cluster of notable earthquakes over the past few weeks:

There is a marked escalation in violence in Israel, which is on high alert for further attacks tonight.  This is the first day of Operation Protective Edge for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).  Benjamin Netanyahu has called up 40,000 reservists for active duty.

Over 120 rockets have been fired from Gaza into Israel.  Some reports are putting the number at 160 rockets.  The Iron Dome intercepted missiles fired at Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.  Tel Aviv last was defended from a missle attack in 2012 by Operation Pillar of Defense.

Terrorists in Gaza said that they “view Israelis as one collective target for their attacks.”  That statement was issued shortly after a rocket was fired over central Israel.  Netanyahu stressed that Israel will not tolerate rocket fire into its cities.

       

       
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Recently, I received a monthly newsletter from Monte Judah of Lion and Lamb Ministries.  I have enjoyed his teachings over the years, including his articles in his YAVOH publication.

I do not endorse everything stated by Monte, just as I do not endorse everything that any one person states or teaches.  However, I agree with the majority of that he has said in his most recent newsletter.  I would like to feature some of his information, as it seems to point to the possible beginning of the Great Tribulation during Passover of 2015 (although I feel that the week of Passover of 2017 is a more likely possibility).

Most Christians who have studied Bible prophecy believe that the end-time sacrifice and offering—which is brought to a stop according to Daniel 9:27—must take place in the third manmade temple in Jerusalem.  Obviously, there is no temple yet standing, and I am not at all convinced that there must be one.

In fact, a predecent was set in the time of Ezra.  Sacrifice and offering took place on an altar before the foundation of the second temple had been laid:

Then Jeshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses the man of God.  Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the LORD, both the morning and evening sacrifices.  Then in accordance with what is written, they celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles with the required number of burnt offerings prescribed for each day.  After that, they presented the regular burnt offerings, the New Moon sacrifices and the sacrifices for all the appointed sacred feasts of the LORD, as well as those brought as freewill offerings to the LORD.  On the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the LORD, though the foundation of the LORD’s temple had not yet been laid. (Ezra 3:2-6)

• Doesn't the word "temple" in 2 Thessalonians 2:4 and Revelation 11:1 indicate that the Third Temple will stand on the Temple Mount for the last 42 months of the final seven years?

I usually read through the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, every other year.  I did it last in 2013.  For some reason, though, I felt like starting it again before 2015 rolls around; so today I have begun reading it from cover to cover again.

In case you’ve never read the Bible straight through, from cover to cover, you might want to do it along with me.  Go to the following page, print out the pages in either .doc, .pdf, or .html format, and check off the passages as you read them:

Tensions and violence are soaring in Israel.  Three Israeli teens had been missing since June 12.  Their bodies were found in the West Bank on June 30, and their funerals were the next day.  Israel has blamed Hamas for the kidnappings and murders.

Hamas has denied the kidnappings and killings.  However, the extended version of Gilad Shaer’s phone call for help has been released.  The murderers can be heard celebrating after the shootings occurred.  One of the killers can be heard saying, in Arabic, “We got three!”

The recording seems to dispel the notion that the kidnappers possibly had panicked and not meant to kill the three boys.  Two suspects in the kidnapping are Marwan Quasma and Amar Abu Eisha.

There has been a recent barrage of rockets fired into Israel by Palestinian militants.  Hamas has not claimed responsibility for launching the rockets, but Israel holds them responsible for everything coming out of Gaza.  Israel has struck back with air strikes on numerous terror targets in the Gaza Strip.

Today, Israeli soldiers and Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem clashed.  This was after reports that an Arab teenager, Mohammad Abu Kheider, had been kidnapped and murdered, possibly by Israeli settlers.

Furthermore, street battles broke out between troops and residents from the boy’s neighborhood in the Arab part of the city.  U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said that Washington condems and abduction and murder.

I think that most people do not believe that we all are born sinners, much less conceived in sin.  For them, it is ridiculous to think that a newborn infant or little child could be “sinful.”

Furthermore, it seems that, generally, adults do not like to acknowledge their sins as anything more than “mistakes.”  If the bad things we do are mere “mistakes,” then it can be argued that we really should not be held accountable for them.

But that is not the case.  Indeed, God does hold us accountable for our sins; but in His grace, He sent His Son, Jesus, as the one and only atoning sacrifice for those sins.  More about these and other topics can be found in the following email response I wrote to someone who had some pertinent questions:

• Where in the Bible does it say that people are sinners from birth?