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IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
The Biblical Significance of the Number 5 – Part I - by Randy Nettles - https://www.rev310.net/post/the-biblical-significance-of-the-number-5-part-i
The number 5 is commonly called the number for humanity. Human beings have five fingers on each hand, five toes on each foot, five appendages (including the head), and five major body systems. We have five senses: sight, smell, touch, taste, and hearing. In the Bible, the 5th chapter of the first book of Genesis lists the beginning genealogy of mankind, from Adam to Noah and his three sons. Throughout the Bible, 5 is the number that symbolically represents grace, specifically God’s grace towards man. In Christian terms, the definition of grace is: the free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessing. The word “grace” is mentioned 170 times in the King James translation of the Bible; 39 times in the Old Testament and 131 times in the New Testament. In the Old Testament, the word grace can be translated as “favor” most of the time. “The five-letter word grace means favor. But what kind of favor? For favor is of many kinds. Favor shown to the miserable, we call mercy; favor shown to the poor, we call pity; favor shown to the suffering, we call compassion; favor we show to the obstinate, we call patience: but favor shown to the unworthy, we call grace. This is favor indeed; favor which is truly Divine in its source and in its character.” {1} In the beginning, Elohim/God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) created the heaven and the earth. This great work was done in six days and is known as Creation. On the 6th day, man was made, as well as land animals. After the temptation (from Satan) and fall of man, creation came under the curse of God and was made subject to vanity, decay, and death. Therefore man and creation had to be redeemed by God Himself. These are the five great mysteries of life:
If 3 is the number for the Trinity and 4 is the number for creation, then 5 is the number for redemption or Divine grace. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Old Testament Grace The first mention of grace in the Bible is found in Genesis. The antediluvian epoch was a time of great evil upon the earth: “There were giants in the earth in those days: and also after that when the sons of God came unto the daughters of them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repents me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 6:4-8). Of course, you know the rest of the story. God told Noah there was to be a great flood that would destroy all flesh. He told Noah to build an ark of gopherwood and to cover it inside and out with pitch (tar). God even gave the dimensions to Noah; it was to be 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high. These dimensions are all multiples of 5. There were 5 things that were on the ark according to Genesis 6:18-21: people, birds, land animals, creeping things, and food. The only people on the ark were Noah and his wife, 3 sons – Shem, Ham, Japeth, and their 3 wives. Only by the grace of God did 8 human souls survive the great flood. 8 is the number for new beginnings. They were on the ark for approximately 1 year. Noah lived after the flood for 350 (5x70) years. He died when he was 950 (5x170) years old. Shem was 100 (5x20) years old when they left the ark. He begat Arphaxad two years after the flood and lived 500 (5x100) more years. This was the lineage from which Abram/Abraham (the father of the Jewish nation) would be born into some 352 years later. God told Abram to leave his family and go to a land He would show him and He would bless him. However, some of Abram’s family went with him.“Terah (Abraham’s father) took his son Abram and his grandson Lot, the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they went out with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan; and they came to Haran and dwelt there. So the days of Terah were two hundred and five (5x41) years, and Terah died in Haran” (Genesis 11:31). Abram was 75 (5x15) years old when he departed from Haran. For Abrams' faith, God told him He would bless him. Here are the 5 blessings God promised Abram according to Genesis 12:2-3.
When God confirmed the land covenant of Canaan with Abram/Abraham, He had Abram offer a sacrifice of 5 animals: a heifer of 3 years old, a she-goat of 3 years old, a ram of 3 years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon (Genesis 15:7-9). The Bible tells us that the Lord visited Abram 5 times and on the 5th visit He changed Abram’s name. Abraham was 99 years old at this time. ”My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations” (Genesis 17:4-5). “When God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, he inserted the 5th letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the “heh” into the middle of Abram’s name, forever imprinting upon Abraham the quality of God’s grace. In Judaism, the “heh” is also the numeral 5, representing grace.” {2} Abraham was 100 (5x20) years old when Isaac was born. By the grace of God, Sarah gave birth to the son of promise at the ripe old age of 90 (5x18). Sarah died at the age of 127 and Abraham was 175 (5x35) years old when he died. “And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac” (Genesis 25:11). Isaac lived to be 180 (5x36) years old. God blessed Isaac’s son, Jacob, as well. After spending 20 years in Haran, Jacob and his wives and children returned to Canaan. God appeared again unto Jacob at Bethel and confirmed His covenant with him. “And God said unto him, your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name. And God said unto Israel, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of you, and kings shall come out of your loins: and the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to you I will give it, and to your seed after you will I give the land” (Genesis 35:10-12). Just as God changed Abram’s name during the original confirmation of the covenant, so he did with Jacob. The name Israel means “a prince who prevails with God”. God blessed Jacob and his descendants and they became God’s chosen people. Eventually, Jacob and his family joined his son, Joseph, in Egypt. This move occurred during the 2nd year of the great famine. There were still 5 more years of the great 7-year famine to come. (Genesis 45:6). God in his infinite grace used Joseph to save his family from certain death. Jacob died at the age of 147 years. Joseph lived to be 110 years old. After several centuries, there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph or of his accomplishments. The children of Israel had multiplied and became so plentiful that the Egyptians began to fear them, so they enslaved them. God chose Moses to lead them out of Egypt and save them from a life of slavery. Moses' life was divided into 3 equal parts of 40 (5x8) years. His life was marked by grace and new beginnings. He was 40 when he fled from Egypt (Acts 7:23). He was 80 (8x10) when he returned to Egypt to lead his people out of bondage (Acts 7:30). He was 120 (8x15) years old when he died (Deuteronomy 34:7). It took 10 (5x2) plagues sent by God before Pharaoh relented and let the Hebrew people leave Egypt. Moses and Aaron led 600,000 (5x120,000) Hebrew men (not counting women and children) out of Egypt on Nisan 15 (5x3) 1446 BC. It is believed that the children of Israel went up by 5 in a rank or ranks (as in 50). This may have some reference to the belief that the number 5 was especially hateful to the Egyptians, in fact, it was probably the cause for this hatred. Due to the sins and rebellion of the children of Israel, they spent 40 years wandering in the desert before they entered the Promised Land. 40 and 10 (5x2) are the main numbers involved during their wanderings and especially the events of the time they spent at Mount Sinai. Moses fasted 2 times for 40 days and 40 nights on Mt. Sinai (Elijah and Jesus also fasted for 40 days and nights during their ministry). The first time Moses fasted was when he went up to receive the 10 Commandments from God (Exodus 24:18 and Deud.9:9). Moses stayed on the mountain for 40 days and nights and neither ate bread nor drank water. The next fast occurred after Moses came down from the mount after the people had corrupted themselves by making and worshipping a golden calf. When Moses saw the calf and the lewd dancing, his anger became hot, and he cast the tablets of stone out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain (Exodus 32:19). Moses then destroyed the calf and had the sons of Levi kill about 3000 (5x600) idolaters that day. The next day, Moses returned up the mount with two tablets of stone and a wooden ark. Once again Moses fasted for 40 days and nights, where he did neither eat bread, nor drink water (Exodus 34:1-2 and Exodus 34:28). During these 40 days and nights, Moses pleaded with God not to destroy the children of Israel. He even asked God to forgive their grievous sin, and if not, blot his name out of the book of life. The Lord told Moses to continue their journey to the Promised Land and He would send His angel before them. However, He would not go up in their midst, for He might destroy them for their rebellious ways. “So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend” (Exodus 33:11). Moses then said to the Lord, “Now therefore, I pray, if I have also found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is your people. For if Your Presence (this word is sometimes translated as “face”) does not go with us, how will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth” (Exodus 33:13-16). The Lord said to Moses, “My Presence (2nd Person of the Trinity/Jesus/Jehovah) will go with you, and I will give you rest, for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.” (Exodus 33:17) This emboldened Moses enough for him to ask the Lord, “Please show me Your glory! Then he said, I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me and live.” (Exodus 33:18-20) The Lord told Moses to stand in the cleft of a rock, while He passed by and He would cover him with His hand. After He passed by, the Lord would remove His hand, and then Moses would be able to see His back. After Moses saw the glory of God, he asked Him to pardon the Hebrew people’s iniquity and sin, and take them as His inheritance. God agreed and renewed the covenant with the children of Israel. The Lord then wrote on the tablets the ten commandments for the 2nd time. When Moses came down from Mr. Sinai with the tablets of the Law, the skin of his face shone brightly from his exposure to God’s glory. Because of Moses’ friendship and fear of God, he was able to acquire God’s grace for himself and his people; thus securing Israel’s destiny as His chosen people. The Ten Commandments contain two sets of 5 commandments written with the finger of God. The first 5 commandments are related to our treatment and relationship with God (representing the right hand of God), and the last five concentrate on our relationship with other humans (representing the left hand of God). The sanctuary is known as the” tabernacle” or “tabernacle of meeting” was where God dwelt among His people. “Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.” (Exodus 40:34) The tabernacle reflected God's grace in its use of the number 5. Its design was given directly by God to Moses and is described in Exodus 26. The tabernacle contained 5 curtains divided into 2 groups of 5 each (like the 10 commandments). Each curtain included 50 (5x10) loops and 50 clasps of gold. The altar of the tabernacle was made of acacia wood and was 5 cubits long, 5 cubits wide, and 3 cubits high (Exodus 27:1). The tabernacle was built from boards ten cubits long made of acacia wood. The north and south sides of the tabernacle consisted of 20 (5x4) boards each. There were 3 sets of 5 bars made from acacia wood laid over the boards. The tabernacle's dimensions were all multiples of 5. “The length of the court shall be 100 (5x20) cubits, the width 50 (5x10) throughout, and the height five cubits, made of fine woven linen, and its sockets of bronze” (Exodus 27:18). The screen consisted of 5 pillars of acacia wood overlaid with gold and 5 sockets of bronze for them. By God’s grace, He allowed the Israelites to come together in the tabernacle to worship Him by offering sacrifices. God, in turn, would cover-up their sins (temporarily) through the blood of the sacrificed animals. “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul” (Leviticus 17:11). The Holy anointing oil (Exodus 30:23-25), was used to consecrate the furniture of the tabernacle. This oil was a concoction designed by God Himself. The proportion of spices used in making the oil were all multiples of 5, which also had a hin of olive oil added to it. The 5 ingredients consisted of: liquid myrrh, 500 shekels; sweet cinnamon, 250 shekels; sweet cane, 250 shekels; cassia, 500 shekels; and a hin of oil. It was a gracious gift from the Lord to the Hebrew people. The Holy incense that was used in conjunction with the burnt offerings was also comprised of 5 parts; 4 parts were of sweet spices and 1 part was salt. The 4 spices were stacle, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense. What a sweet, wonderful odor it must have had! The incense was to symbolize “the prayers of the saints” offered by Christ Himself (Revelation 5:8 and 8:3). Moses wrote the first 5 books of the Old Testament known as the Torah or Pentateuch (Penta means 5). The books consist of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The first 5 chapters of the book of Leviticus describe the 5 sacrificial offerings the Israelites were to offer up to God. The offerings are:
On the day Moses had fully set up the tabernacle and had anointed and sanctified it, the princes (leaders/elders) of the tribes of Israel offered sacrifices unto the Lord according to Numbers 7:7 (seems like appropriate numbers for this chapter and verse!) They also anointed and sanctified the vessels that were used for the ceremony and the altar itself. During the dedication offering for the anointing of the altar, each of the 12 princes brought the required animals and flour (for grain offering) necessary for their offerings unto the Lord. For the particular sacrifice of peace offerings, all of the princes brought 2 oxen, 5 rams, 5 male goats, and 5 male lambs in their first year. I believe the 15 (5x3) sheep/goats symbolically represent Jesus (Lamb of God). The Prince of Peace, Jesus, represents the number 3, and he would by the grace (5) of God be sacrificed (once and for all) so mankind could have peace with God. The 17 total animals sacrificed by each of the 12 tribes could represent a typology of Jesus’ resurrection, which made it possible for man to be redeemed with God. Jesus was resurrected on Nisan 17, AD 33. What a gracious day that was for mankind! Randy Nettles [email protected] Endnotes: {1} Number in Scripture by E.W. Bullinger, Kregal Publications pg.135 {2} Beth Elohim Messianic Synagogue The “Heh” v in Abraham’s and Sarah’s Names (rabdavis.org) How Many “2 Minute Warnings” Do Americans Need? - by Michael Snyder - http://endoftheamericandream.com/how-many-2-minute-warnings-do-americans-need/ After everything that has taken place over the past year, there shouldn’t be a need to sound the alarm any longer, because everyone should be awake by now. But of course that is not the case. At this moment, the vast majority of the population is still dead asleep. This greatly frustrates me, because there has been warning after warning, but most people choose not to listen. Since I am a sports fan, I like to use sports analogies, and to me it certainly appears that we have been given a series of “2 minute warnings” over the past 12 months. Humanity is steamrolling toward disaster, and time is running out. Unfortunately, to a very large extent the warnings are not being taken seriously. Let’s start by talking about COVID. Every time I write a new article about COVID, some of my readers inevitably become very frustrated with me. In fact, I have had a number of people send me emails that try to convince me that the COVID pandemic is not that serious. And I agree with that point 100 percent. Compared to other killer pandemics throughout human history, COVID is small potatoes. COVID has killed more than half a million people in the United States, and the global death toll is now above 2.5 million. Every single person that dies without hope represents a great tragedy, and I don’t want to minimize that one bit. But the truth is that tens of millions of people around the world die from disease every single year, and that will continue to happen whether there is a COVID pandemic or not. COVID is simply not a main event. We have been warned that there will be “pestilences” in the times that we are living in, and down the road other pandemics will cause death tolls that will be absolutely catastrophic. COVID was just a warning. The main events are coming later. Next, let’s talk about civil unrest. The death of George Floyd unleashed a tsunami of rioting, looting, arson and violence that has continued into 2021. It has been the worst outbreak of sustained civil unrest in U.S. history, and it is one of the factors that has prompted a mass exodus from our major cities. For years, I have been warning that this sort of civil unrest was coming. And for years, many others have been specifically warning that this short of civil unrest was coming. But once again, what we have witnessed so far is not the main event. The violence that has erupted in our streets has been a “2 minute warning”. When things get really crazy, you definitely will not want to be anywhere around. So if you are thinking about relocating, I would do it as quickly as possible, because there is not too much sand left in the hourglass. The economic shaking that we have experienced so far is also just a warning. Yes, economic conditions have gotten quite bad. More than 70 million new claims for unemployment benefits were filed last year, and at this moment more than 10 million U.S. households are in danger of eviction because they are behind on their rent payments. Now that the federal moratorium on evictions has been ruled unconstitutional, we could soon see the largest tsunami of evictions in U.S. history by a very wide margin. But stock prices are still hovering near all-time highs, most Americans are still working, and there is still plenty of food in the stores. What we have gotten so far is just a “2 minute warning”. The main event is still to come. The nightmare that we witnessed in Texas last month was yet another warning. If a snap of cold weather can cause the temporary collapse of a very wealthy state like Texas, what is going to happen when a long-term major national crisis finally hits us? When the cold front arrived, a tremendous surge in demand almost caused a “catastrophic collapse” of the Texas power grid. In fact, we are being told that if rolling blackouts had not been instituted the damage to the power grid would have taken many months to repair. As it was, millions of Texans were without power for days. Without power, many Texans had no other way to heat their homes, and one man actually froze to death sitting in his own recliner. Of course most water pipes in Texas were never intended to handle such cold temperatures, and so there were thousands upon thousands of reports of pipes bursting. It will take a really long time for all of that damage to be fully repaired, and many Texans are still having to rely on outside sources for water. With all of the chaos that was going on, countless Texans suddenly found themselves without sufficient food and supplies, and we witnessed seemingly endless lines at local supermarkets. Unfortunately, many local supermarkets didn’t have much to sell because normal deliveries had been interrupted. This is how crazy things got in just a few days. But it was just a warning. Much, much worse things are coming to this country, and the vast majority of the population is not prepared at all. The “perfect storm” that myself and so many others have been warning about is now here, and it is going to get a whole lot more severe. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the general population still does not realize what time it is. For decades, the American people have not suffered any serious consequences for their self-destructive behaviors, and many people are entirely convinced that the party can continue indefinitely. But now a day of reckoning is upon us, and everything that can be shaken will be shaken. So please don’t listen to those that would have you believe that our current problems are just temporary and that America will soon enter a golden new era of peace and prosperity. It isn’t going to happen. Instead, the time for warnings will soon be at an end, and we will enter a chapter of American history that will be the most painful of them all. Nearing Midnight: The Great Cold Blast of 2021 – Todd Strandberg - https://www.raptureready.com/category/nearing-midnight/ There was a general belief on the part of most people that 2020 would stand as a year where a chain of disasters all occurred during the same year. The historical run of major disasters has now followed us into 2021, with a cold blast that set over 3,000 records. I had a first-hand view of the disaster from my home here in Arkansas. When I moved down here from Nebraska, I quickly realized the deep south doesn’t handle cold weather very well. If you don’t cover up your crawl space vents, your water pipes can freeze and rupture. From the 11th of to the 21st of February, the thermometer was below 32 degrees. We set so many records, I lost track of many of them. We had three days in a row with record lows, we had a record amount of snow on the ground from two back-to-back weather events, and we had record peak electricity demand for any winter season. The record I didn’t want to see is how cold the water was coming out of my faucet. When it dropped from the upper 40’s to the low 30’s, I knew my pipes might freeze. While I was monitoring the cold faucet, old man winter froze up my hot water pipe. After an hour of using a space heater in my utility closet, the hot water finally coughed back to life. To top off my experience, the city told all residents to boil their water. A main pipe had ruptured, which allowed untreated groundwater to leak into the system. Even the hardy United States Postal Service had to call it quits because of the cold and 20 inches of snow that clogged the streets. The Postal Service said, “…in an abundance of caution, and to ensure the safety of both postal customers and employees, the Arkansas District is temporarily suspending retail and delivery operations.” I’m sure many of my readers in Texas would gladly switch locations with me. Rolling power outages and outages from ice affected a large section of the state. At the peak, there were nearly 4.2 million Texas customers without power. The great need for electricity and natural gas generated a huge price spike for these commodities. Wholesale power for delivery was trading at anywhere from $3,000 to $9,000 a megawatt-hour in some places. A megawatt-hour is normally priced around the $25 range. Oklahoma natural gas prices have swung anywhere between $50 to the high of $600 per mmBtu. Gas normally sells for three dollars per mmBtu. Many producers of natural gas made huge profits on the massive price rise. The owner of one producer estimated that his company brought in $600,000 to $700,000 a day — up from just a few thousand dollars a day. That’s enough to make conventional wells drilled years ago, and all but forgotten, profitable again. “We’ve got a roustabout crew hooking up wells that are so old they were disconnected,” he said. The blackouts in Texas were the result of a cascade of events. Massive failures occurred at natural gas plants as the product froze up, along with failures at coal and oil sources. Wind turbines and solar panels also got knocked out, and a major nuclear plant lost half of its generating capacity. I don’t normally open any of my gas or electric bills, but I will when I get the next month’s bill. Some people in Texas are getting billed as much as $17,000. This is an insane level of price gouging. It is just plain greed to sell something at a 200 times markup. As warmer Pacific air invades the south, prices have come down about 90% according to ERCOT, Texas’ largest power company. The parent of a boy who died of hypothermia is suing the local utility for $100 million. As the south thawed out, many residents had their homes flooded with water from ruptured pipes. I think the Great Cold Blast of 2021 will not stand long in people’s memory. In a few months, we will likely be on to our next disaster. Few people take the time to ask themselves, Why are all these disasters happening in such a short period of time? The only answer that I can find is Bible prophecy. “Watch out,’ replied Jesus. ‘Don’t let anyone deceive you. You see, there will be several who will come along, using my name, telling you ‘I’m the Messiah!’ They will fool lots of people. You’re going to hear about wars, actual wars and rumoured ones; make sure you don’t get alarmed. This has got to happen, but it doesn’t mean the end is coming yet. Nations will rise against one another, and kingdoms against each other. There will be famines and earthquakes here and there. All this is just the start of the birthpangs” (Matthew 24:4-8). Godless America: Congress Debates God's Role In Laws Of The Land – Tony Perkins - https://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=4590 There were a lot of powerful arguments against the Equality Act, but Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) resorted to the ultimate authority: the Bible. During an intense debate on the House floor, the Florida representative said it was time for his colleagues to hear the truth about the transgender issue. But Democrats aren't interested in the truth -- or God. And far-Left radical Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) didn't mind saying so. "'A woman must not wear men's clothing nor a man wear women's clothing, for the Lord your God detests anyone who does this,'" Steube read from Deuteronomy 22:5. But let's be clear, he said. "It's not clothing or personal style that offends God, but rather the use of one's appearance to act out or take on a sexual identity different from the one biologically assigned by God at birth." What's happening when men, women, and children do that, Steube said, is that "they're making a statement that God didn't know what He was doing when he created them." And if Congress supports that -- by passing extreme transgender bills like the Equality Act -- then this country is "going directly against what is laid out in scripture." Democrats, irate that the Florida congressman dared to quote the word of God on the House floor, unleashed on Steube. Everyone from Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) to Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), shamed him for being transphobic and intolerant. But it was Congressman Nadler's response that was the most shocking and revealing. "Mr. Steube," he said pointedly, "what any religious tradition describes as God's will is no concern of this Congress." In other words, take your God and your Bible and leave them out this. Almost immediately, a picture of Nadler started circulating on social media with the line, "God has no authority in the House of Representatives" at the top. It was a paraphrase of Nadler's comment but a legitimate expression of his belief and the Left's, which is that there's no room for God in public policy. Not surprisingly, the fact checkers rushed to Nadler's defense, insisting that he'd said nothing of the kind. "Quote falsely attributed to Jerry Nadler," USA Today insisted -- followed by PolitiFact, whose headline was, "Jerry Nadler didn't say 'God has no authority in the House of Representatives.'" Only at the bottom of the piece does the outlet concede, "That's similar to what's in the Facebook post, but it's not a direct quote. We rate the post False." Of course, anyone who's followed Jerry Nadler knows that it isn't a leap for the Democrat who dropped "God" from the congressional oath to demand we leave him out of the public debate altogether. It's fine to split hairs and point out that the New York liberal's exact words weren't the way some people repeated them. But the pattern is clear: Nadler wants God removed from the House. If it weren't for our friend, Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.), who knows how many witnesses might have been sworn in during the last Congress without God? "Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chairman," interrupted Johnson during a 2019 Judiciary Committee meeting. "Point of parliamentary inquiry.... We had a conversation on the floor last week, and I just noted you left out 'So help me God.'" "Sorry," Nadler said. "Do you want me to repeat the whole oath?" he asked. "I would love that," Johnson responded. "Thank you." Later, Nadler told reporters he "forgot." And that's exactly what we're seeing in this gender identity chaos. Since the minute Joe Biden became president, he's made it his mission to destroy any sense of sanity on the issue, even nominating a man who identifies as a woman to the second most important post at HHS. Yet when people like Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) point out the utter disaster this agenda has been for children, they're shamed and marginalized. Unfortunately for Americans, Democrats aren't forgetting faith -- they're fighting it. And the Equality Act is all the evidence anyone should need. Under it, there's no room for orthodox religion anywhere -- not in Congress, not in the workplace, not in social services or medicine, not in schools, not even in Christian schools. It's one thing for liberals to kick God out of the Pledge of Allegiance or their Democratic National Convention, but it's quite another to force the rest of the country to abandon Him too. Consider the fallout, Steube warned. "Whenever a nation's laws no longer reflect the standards of God, that nation... will inevitably bear the consequences." Daily Jot: Stupidocrisy: Biden true to his word – Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com During the campaign, Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden said he was going to shut down the petroleum and coal industries, stop the border wall, and re-up the US in the Paris Climate Accords. Within his first week in office, he did most all those things and more through executive orders. The stop work order on the keystone pipeline killed 11,400 jobs. The American Petroleum Institute says halting oil and gas drilling on federal lands will cost a million jobs. The Chamber of Commerce estimates the Paris Climate reentry will cost 6.5 million jobs. All in all, the new president may have put over 7.5 million Americans out of work in his first week. Plus, his actions raised fuel costs, which raises the cost of everything. On January 18, just before Joe Biden took office, the national average of gasoline at the pump was $2.464 per gallon. On March 1, it was $2.796, an increase of 33 cents per gallon or about 12% in only 40 days. Similarly, in January of 2009, just before Barack Obama was inaugurated, pump prices were $1.74 per gallon and rose to an average of $2.79 ($1.04 higher) and they peaked in 2013 at $3.53 and ebbed to a $2.14 per gallon average in 2016. I can actually remember paying over $4.05 per gallon several times during the Obama years. Let us also remember that Obama’s economic policy increased unemployment to 9.6% and the only reason it decreased was that 94.7 million Americans had given up and dropped out of the workforce. There were record numbers on welfare and the economy grew at only 2.1% per year. Under just four years of Donald Trump, the economy grew at an average of 2.5% per year, but the last year was mostly under COVID lockdown. Under the first three years of Trump, unemployment declined to 3.5%. Democrats and the mainstream news media like to say that Trump’s final employment report was far worse than any president, but they fail to say that the COVID lockdown turned Trump’s employment record upside down. Prior to the lockdown, the number of employed Americans broke 25 records, reaching an all-time high of 158.8 million. More Black folk were employed than in any time in US history. All this gone as Democrats lock down the economy, kill jobs, and vote to give you some small payment as a consolation. The man comes out and says he is going to kill the oil and coal industries and do all these things that will financially harm every American. The city population areas vote him in anyway. Then he does it, costing us all, especially those poor fools who voted this guy into office. Proverbs 18:2 says, “A fool has no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.” You would think that when a guy says he is going to put you out of work, raise your taxes, and his actions will raise the cost of living for everyone, that people would understand his words. But as Proverbs says, a fool has no delight in understanding. Say it with me…Stupidocrisy. Biden was true to his word. I smack my forehead and repeat: Stupidocrisy. Daily Devotion: A New Hill to Climb - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org Moreover He said, ‘I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. —Exodus 3:6 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/a-new-hill-to-climb/ - Listen Moses was 80. He wasn’t the young prince of Egypt anymore, and maybe he thought he was over the hill. But God said, in effect, “No, you’re just getting started. I’ve got a new hill for you, and it’s a big one. I’ve been prepping you. I’ve been getting you ready. I’ve been equipping you.” And notice what the Lord said in Exodus 3: “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (verse 6 NKJV). We think of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob with great respect—patriarchs of the faith. But Abraham, as godly as he was, had some serious lapses of faith. His son Isaac was biased and didn’t listen to the Lord. Jacob’s mistakes are legendary. Yet the Lord mightily used these men. I think God was saying to Moses, “I am the God of men who have failed. I am the God of people who need second chances. I am the God of ordinary people who have accomplished some extraordinary things.” It reminds us that God has a plan for every stage of our lives. Serving God is not only for young people; it’s for all people. It’s for young people, middle-aged people, old people, and even old people who think they’re young people. God wants to use us. I think one of the reasons young people are so willing to be used by the Lord is because they’re flexible. On the other hand, you like routine when you’re older. Yet so many young people today could use a godly, older Christian to mentor them. Older Christians were there for me when I was young, and it made a great difference in my life. So get to work for God’s kingdom because God still wants to use you.
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