My friend and I walked around Costco and Whole Foods and ate free samples this afternoon. I call it “eating lunch.” Later, we walked his dog Lulu near a lake. Although it was cloudy, it was a really nice walk. Lulu thought so, too. She even met a new friend. 25-second slideshow Later, at my friend’s house, I was looking out the window and saw some deer in his yard. They hang out here pretty frequently and don’t seem to have any fear. Shooting through window glass decreased the clarity of the photos somewhat. 30-second slideshow I’ve thought about approaching them with food, but I don’t think it’s a good idea for wild animals to become too accustomed to people. They sure are cute, though. |
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I flew up to San Francisco to visit a friend, Barry, whom I’ve known for 32 years. He actually lives in Marin County, but he picked me up at SFO Airport. It has been raining up here for a few days, so it was cloudy flying in. 25-second slideshow He always treats me like a king whenever I come here. Of course, I do not deserve this kind of treatment. Only the King of kings would. |
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Some feel that the Sixth Seal of Revelation 6:12,13 will be opened, along with the occurrence of a Pre-wrath Rapture, in the middle of the 70th Week. Someone has asked me about this possibility, along with the likelihood that the Bowl Judgments can be placed within the seven seals and seven trumpets timeline (that is, before Jesus returns to earth to rule and reign). Here is my response: |
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The U.S. Supreme Court has opened three days of oral arguments pertaining to the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” (PPACA), commonly known as “Obamacare.” This originally was passed by the Senate on Dec. 24, 2009. Some have felt that the Supreme Court could issue a ruling based on the Anti-Injunction Act (AIA) of 1793. In essence, this law says that the legality of a federal tax cannot be ruled upon by a court until the tax has been imposed. |
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There are only two weeks remaining until Easter Sunday (Apr. 8), which also is the Hebraic Feast of Firstfruits. This year, it is the day after Passover (Apr. 7), although that is the exception rather than the rule. |
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With almost 50% of the vote, Rick Santorum won the Louisiana Republican Primary today, boosting his claim as the leader of the conservative wing of the Republican Party. However, his odds of beating Mitt Romney in the overall delegate race continue to appear slim. |
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A foundational assumption by many is that Israel’s seven-year usage of weapons of war for fuel, following God’s destruction of Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 39:6), will be the same seven years as the 70th Week (commonly referred to as the “tribulation” period). After posting an email response on Mar. 18 about the timing of the Gog/Magog bloodbath, I received an email from someone who felt my proposed timing was wrong: |
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Mitt Romney was the big winner in the Illinois Republican Primary today. Rick Santorum came in second. In a speech tonight, Romney contrasted himself with Obama: “It’s time to say ‘enough,’” Romney said. “We know our future is brighter than these troubled times. We deserve a president who believes in us. And I believe in the American people.” We only can hope. |
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There has been some confusion about the battle of Gog and Magog and when it takes place. Some look at Revelation 20:7-9 and think that this is when the events of Ezekiel 38 and 39 will happen. I disagree, and this is why: |
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I often receive emails from people insisting that the Lord or the Holy Spirit has “told” or “confirmed” certain things to them. The implication, therefore, is that I should accept what they have to say as the truth and spread the word around. |
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Several people lately have emailed me pertaining to the timing of the 70th Week in the prophecy of Daniel 9:27. Here is the most recent one, with my response: I absolutely am not convinced that the first half of that 7-year period occurred in the First Century A.D. However, I have considered the possibility that those first 3˝ years have taken place recently, with the second 3˝ years yet to transpire, as reflected in my entries of Feb. 29 and Mar. 11. |
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From time to time, people who believe in a Pre-tribulation Rapture will email me and tell me how certain they are that their view is correct. Some of them are aggressive and antagonistic, trying to convince me of their view. Occasionally they are downright hostile. This one wasn’t too bad: I firmly believe that a Pre-wrath Rapture will be the main catching up occurrence but that there will be other, smaller events as well. |
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By wide margins, Rick Santorum has won the Republican Primaries in the two southern states of Alabama and Mississippi. Many expected Newt Gingrich to win these state, since they are neighbors of his home state, Georgia. Gingrich did come in second in both states. |
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I have been asked why I have suggested that the period known as the Great Tribulation possibly could begin during Passover week, April 6-14, 2012. This certainly is not something I have stated emphatically will happen. By no means am I trying to alarm people, nor am I proclaiming the likelihood that an end-time situation is imminent. However, I will say that I am being watchful and vigilant for that possibility. In particular, four weeks from today (the Feast of Firstfruits = Easter Sunday), my eyes will be focused on Israel—particularly Jerusalem—to see if potentially incendiary events might be pushing things to the boiling point. Let’s hope not. |
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With over 51% of the vote, Rick Santorum has won the Kansas Republican Caucus today by a wide majority today. I doubt that this result will be of any concern for the overall leader Mitt Romney, though. In other news, Daylight Saving Time begins at 2:00 am tomorrow (Sunday) morning. Every state in the USA, other than Hawaii and Arizona, will jump ahead one hour. Standard time will return on November 4, two days before the general election. Don’t forget to reset your clocks before you go to bed. |
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Pertaining to end-time prophecy, it traditionally has been assumed that the “first beast” (Revelation 13:1-8) will be the Antichrist, while the “second beast” (13:11-18) will be the False Prophet. In other words, they will be two different men. |
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Besides being a full moon, this is the first day of Purim, which is celebrated for two days: Adar 14 and 15 on the Hebrew calendar. Here are a few verses from the book of Esther, showing briefly how Purim originated: On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the edict commanded by the king was to be carried out. On this day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand over those who hated them. ... This happened on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy. The 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. ... For Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast the pur (that is, the lot) for their ruin and destruction. But when the plot came to the king's attention, he issued written orders that the evil scheme Haman had devised against the Jews should come back onto his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. Therefore these days were called Purim, from the word pur. Because of everything written in this letter and because of what they had seen and what had happened to them, the Jews took it upon themselves to establish the custom that they and their descendants and all who join them should without fail observe these two days every year, in the way prescribed and at the time appointed. 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 9:1,17,18,24-28) This is a good day to read about Esther, who was a Jewish queen in the ancient Persian empire. It is one of my favorite accounts in the Bible. Also, there is a connection between Queen Esther and the Feast of Firstfruits. 25-second slideshow I made matzo balls and potato latkes. These are not traditional Purim foods; they are more appropriate for Hanukkah or Passover. However, I was in the mood for them. Also, I’m not Jewish, so I took the liberty to make what I wanted. Although the matzo balls didn’t turn out as fluffy as they usually do, they are super yummy. I may make them again in a month for Passover. |
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This was “Super Tuesday” in the Republican presidential primary race. Voting took place in 11 states. It looks like Romney has a substantial lead now. |
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There has been concern lately that Israel might make a unilateral pre-emptive strike on Iran, in an attempt to take out its nuclear program. Israel’s fear is that if Iran develops a nuclear weapon, it could be used on Israel.
However, Obama seems determined to allow sanctions and diplomacy to work before considering military action. One thing is certain, though: the clock does continue to tick. |
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The last statewide Republican presidential match-up prior to the “Super Tuesday” contest was held today. Mitt Romney has won the Washington caucuses. |
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Six months ago, an investigation was begun to determine the validity of the document released on April 27, 2011, as President Obama’s birth certificate. Arizona’s Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio headed the investigation. According to the investigative group, the “Cold Case Posse," there is reason to believe that the document is a forgery. |
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The timing of the 70th Week, described in Daniel 9:27, has been debated by many. Most, including myself, agree that it is referring to a “week” of seven years. The main discussion is about whether that “week” of seven years took place in the First Century A.D. or will take place at the end of the age. In my response, I have pointed out the possibility that there could be a pause or gap of time between the first and second halves of the 70th Week. This would be similar to how a halftime period separates the two halves of a football game. In other news, David Barton of Wallbuilders has written a revealing article about President Obama. It cites cases of the following:
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Mitt Romney pulled out wins in both the Michigan and Arizona Republican Primaries today. Michigan is Romney’s home state; he was born in Detroit, and his dad, George, was a three-term governor of Michigan. Rick Santorum took second in both MI and AZ. Romney will get all 29 delegates in Arizona, since it is a winner-take-all state. Michigan is different, though. Of the 30 delegates there, 2 delegates were awarded for each of the 14 congressional districts, with the final 2 delegates going to the winner of the most votes statewide. As it turns out, Romney will be awarded 16 delegates, with the remaining 14 delegates going to Santorum. |
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It was reported today that in Tunisia yesterday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told a group of Arab students that President Obama will be re-elected and will serve four more years. Of course, there is nothing unusual about her saying that, since she would be expected to support Obama in his second bid for president. What caught my attention is how Hillary responded to a question from someone in the audience who was concerned about a clear pro-Israel stance from most political candidates in the USA. Presumably, this mainly would include Republican candidates for president. The majority of Tunisians are not pro-Israel, so one would expect that they would be very troubled that anyone who might become President of the United States might be pro-Israel. |
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If you have a dog, you should show it this 1-minute video and ask it why he/she can’t do that: Maybe after a few viewings, your dog will jump up onto the piano bench and give it a try, assuming of course that you have a piano. |
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Recently, someone emailed me and said that he disagreed with my belief that Christian believers go to heaven when they die. He said he felt that believers merely fall into a state of “spiritual sleep” and “unconsciousness” when they die, awaiting the day of resurrection. His comments (including a link to his study notes) and my response are here: This guy has some good points in his study notes to back up his views. However, I continue to maintain that believers today go to heaven, not experience “spiritual sleep,” when they die. |
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I made a very healthful and tasty chicken and vegetable soup today. It contains the following (in no particular order):
That pot is bigger than it looks. I’ve become pretty proficient at putting in the exact amount of water and ingredients to fill it right to the top. I cook the firmer vegetables (like potatoes) a lot longer than the softer vegetables (like broccoli). |
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Yesterday, I indicated that I probably would go looking for discounted VDay candy today, which I did. Actually, I scored pretty well. 5-second slideshow All of the candy was 50% off. The 5 bags cost a total of $7.77; there was no tax. I didn’t get the peanut butter M&M’s that I wanted, but peanut M&M’s are good, too. I will share the candy with others, but it still easily could last me a year. |
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You can read my Feb. 14, 2011, entry to see how I feel about Valentine’s Day. However, I did get some roses and a card for someone; she deserves them. |
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This week’s Maine Republican Caucuses have been won by Mitt Romney. Of course, Maine is adjacent to Massachusetts; so this win was expected, since Romney was the Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007. Ron Paul came in a close second place in the state’s caucuses. |
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Rick Santorum has won the Minnesota and Colorado Republican Caucuses and the Missouri Republican Primary today. It seems that he now is putting pressure on the front-runner, Mitt Romney, to be the Republican presidential nominee. Personally, I hope Santorum’s momentum continues. In other news, there was a full moon tonight, but it barely could be seen here in San Diego. It rained most of the day and part of the evening. Tonight, there were only brief glimpses of the moon through all the clouds. |
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Wow, that was a pretty exciting Superbowl game. For the second time in five years, Eli Manning and the New York Giants defeated Tom Brady and the New England Patiots in Superbowl XLVI (46). |
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As expected, the winner of the Nevada Republican Caucus was Mitt Romney, who received over half of the total vote. Newt Gingrich came in a distant second. In fact, Romney received well over double the number of votes that Gingrich did. |
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My gym chain, Bally Total Fitness, was taken over by LA Fitness. That’s actually good for me, since I can go to any LA Fitness club, plus my membership renewal charge has remained the same. There are several of these located in So. CA, and I can go to any of them. 15-second slideshow The reception room is where my patients checked in and waited, although it now is part of the pediatrics department. The place has been remodeled, and the long hallway did not used to be there. In the last photo, the door on the right opened into my room, where I examined thousands of people’s eyes during the time I worked there. |
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I hadn’t been to the Botanical Building in Balboa Park (San Diego) in awhile. I don’t really care all that much about flowers. Before long, they’re dead, and it’s almost like they’d never been there. About the only way to prove they ever existed is with photos, so I took several, mainly because I wanted to test some shutter and light settings on my camera. 1-minute slideshow Admittedly, I do kind of like orchids. That is what much of the display was, so that is what I mostly photographed. I think I got a prom date in high school an orchid corsage, and as I recall it was expensive. I can see why. |
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In the Florida Republican Primary today, Mitt Romney trounced the other three contenders. He also is expected to win the next few states. I am guessing that he is going to win the Republican primary, but it isn’t possible yet to know for certain. |
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Tonight, I saw one of the best movies I’ve ever seen: Courageous. That is saying something, since it takes a great deal for me to be impressed by a movie. It seems that the majority of producers feel a need to fill their movies with sex, cursing, and other filth in an attempt to draw large audiences. |
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Here are some thoughts for today: The Spirit of the living God/Yahweh, now residing within us, gives us the supernatural power to love our enemies, forgive those who harm us, overcome the trials of day-to-day life, defeat sin in our lives, help out others in need, and know YHWH’s love in ways we never could comprehend without the Spirit. Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law [Torah] or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. (Matthew 5:17,18) With these words, Jesus was not saying that the ancient Law was “nailed to the cross” or “done away with.” On the contrary, He was revealing that He Himself was the ultimate goal of the Torah, the written Word of God. In essence, He was the walking fulfillment of it. Furthermore, He could not have been the ideal sacrifice for our sins had He not lived the written Law perfectly. We all should strive to imitate Yeshua in every possible way. In doing so, it is a good idea to keep in mind that not even one tiny detail of the Father’s eternal Law, which Yeshua followed and obeyed, will pass away until this present heaven and earth pass away (Revelation 20:11, 21:1). |
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The winner of the South Carolina Republican Primary today was Newt Gingrich. I suspect that a big part of that was due to Sarah Palin’s statement that she would vote for him if she lived in South Carolina, and many Republicans respect her opinion. |
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I think that most people who live in America earnestly want for this country to emerge from its deep economic recession, to get out of debt, for unemployment rates to go way down, and for the nation to be prosperous again. They are hoping that the president sworn in a year from today will take a leading role in accomplishing these and other benefical things for the USA. Scripture linked to 9/11 in the most amazing uncanny ways The Harbinger — Rabbi Cahn, Full Version A lengthier version of the same theme is here: The basis of Rabbi Cahn’s message is this significant passage in the book of Isaiah: The Lord has sent a message against Jacob; it will fall on Israel. All the people will know it—Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria—who say with pride and arrogance of heart, “The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with dressed stone; the fig [sycamore] trees have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars. ... But the people have not returned to him who struck them, nor have they sought the LORD Almighty.” (Isaiah 9:8-10,13) All of this reminds me of ancient Judah. Josiah, one of the last kings of Judah, began to reign at the young age of 8 years old. During the majority of the 31 years that he reigned, he kept God foremost in all that he did. Nevertheless, the destruction of Judah, at the hands of the Babylonians (2 Kings 25:8-11), already had been determined by God; and even a near-perfect king could not change God’s mind. This is what the LORD says: I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book the king of Judah has read. Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and provoked me to anger by all the idols their hands have made, my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched. (2 Kings 22:16,17) You can read the account of King Josiah in 2 Kings 22:1 through 23:30 and in 2 Chronicles 34:1 through 35:27. Basically, the stiff-necked, foolish people and most of their leaders had forsaken God and had worshiped other gods. They were not going to repent and alter their allegiance and behavior, though they were implored repeatedly by God to do so (2 Chronicles 36:14-16). The most righteous king who ever ruled over Judah humbled himself and reformed the official policies of the nation to conform to the Book of the Law of the Lord, given through Moses; yet God would not recind His inexorable judgment on the nation. This was because the king could not change the minds and hearts of the people. Collectively, they might have been able to change God’s mind by humbling themselves before Him, seeking His face, and turning from their evil ways (2 Chronicles 7:14); but they would not do it. |
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Google blacked out its name on its main search engine page. On most of Wikipedia’s pages, there was a message that read, “Imagine a World Without Free Knowledge.” Both sites were encouraging visitors to contact their representatives in the Senate and in the House to request that they not support these bills. If you want to read these lengthy, confusing bills, you can do so here: PIPA | SOPA. I skimmed through them and got a very negative feeling about them. They are inexact and too broad in their scope of control. If you want to read Google’s and Wikipedia’s pages about these bills, go here (these pages may change over time): Google | Wikipedia. Personally, I do not like the amount of power that these bills, if passed into law, would give the government over internet sites. Furthermore, there are too many ways that things could be twisted and the innocent could be falsely charged and/or sued. I have a personal stake in this. A few months ago, I was falsely accused of copying someone else’s information and including it on pages at my eye site. I knew that I had written my own material on the pages in question. By using the “Wayback Machine,” I was able to prove that the website accusing me of copying their information, in reality, had copied mine, since my information pre-dated theirs by several years. I did not like, at all, that I was being wrongly charged with something of which the accuser was guilty. Furthermore, everything at my website is free; and I do not mind if other people use my information, as long as they give me credit or a link to my website in return. In my opinion, if PIPA and SOPA pass, there will be many prosecuting attorneys making billions of dollars and many innocent people paying settlements when they are not guilty. That is not the way things should be. |
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Today is Friday the 13th. It is of no significance to me, since I am not supersitious. However, I do find it interesting that there are three Friday the 13th’s during 2012 (which is rare in any given year). Also, there are 13 weeks from the first Friday the 13th (Jan. 13) to the second one (Apr. 13) and 13 weeks from the second one to the third one (July 13). Go figure. It seems appropriate that Tim paints John 3:16 on his face sometimes. 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) He is like a walking billboard for Jesus Christ. And, like Jesus, Tim helps those who cannot help themselves, such as in raising money to build a children’s hospital in the Philippines, where he was born. I wonder if all the 316s indicate that God is demonstrating His approval. |
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The clear winner of the New Hampshire Republican Primary today was Mitt Romney, followed by Ron Paul and John Huntsman. Rick Santorum, who tied Romney in the Iowa Caucus last week, came in fourth. |
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In the Iowa Republican Caucus today, the two top winners—Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum—were essentially tied. With 99% of the vote being tonight, Santorum was ahead by 4 votes. After all the votes were in, Romney had won by 8 votes. That is about as close as you can get. |
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I like free stuff; I always have. I feel that some of the best things in life are free, and at the top of the list is eternal salvation through Jesus the Messiah, who already has paid the price of atonement for us. Last week, a different friend and I were in another city and stopped at a McDonald’s to use their free WiFi (wireless internet connection). He bought me a cup of coffee. I saved that cup; today, I poured my own coffee into it at home and brought it with me. So I didn’t need to buy coffee with my breakfast. |
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Happy New Year. Below are links to my annual calendar and list of 2012 holidays and observances that many like to download and tape to a wall nearby. That is what I do. Both are in .doc and .pdf format. Or else you could print out these (.pdf files), without my name on the calendar, and write in your name. If you’ve never read the Bible straight through, from cover to cover, you might want to do it in 2012. I did it last year. Go here, print out the pages, and check off the passages as you read them: The Bible is God’s Law and Instruction Manual for life. Don’t worry if you are unable to understand everything you read; eventually, God will give us answers to everything we wonder about. One of the main things you will come to understand is God’s everlasting covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—see God’s Covenant: with Israel or the Church? |