Good morning, blog readers, from rainy and cool (60 degrees) Wisconsin where, on my morning walk, I saw: 12 robins, 6 deer, 5 geese, a bunny, a cardinal, a dove and a grackle! Thank You, Jesus for the birds and animals You created and the rain!

This recent headline, from Lighthouse Trails, really got my attention this morning: “An AI Program Is Pretending to Be Jesus and Thousands of Lost Young People Are Flocking to It.”

Rachel Emmanuel reported: “There’s an event recorded in the Gospel of Matthew in which Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, and His disciples asked Him what the sign of the end of the age would be. Jesus replied: “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.” At least one of those deceivers is turning out to be an AI (Artificial Intelligence) called ‘Ask_Jesus.'”

Rachel continued: “According to The Independent, a Berlin-based tech collective has developed a chatbot resembling Jesus Christ, which already has thousands of followers seeking advice and guidance. The chatbot, referred to as ‘AI Jesus,’ has the appearance of a bearded white man with a radiant halo and utilizes artificial intelligence reportedly trained on the teachings of Jesus and the Bible. “Jesus,” who responds with gestures and answers, provides advice on topics ranging from gaming to relationships. The chatbot has the ability to remember previous transactions with the user which gives it a false sense of omniscience. The ask_Jesus AI was created by The Singularity Group, a team of self-described volunteer activists working on innovative projects to make a real difference in the world.” Note: And Jesus said, in Matthew 24:24, “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.”

Oh, and one more note before I get ready for a lesson in I Timothy which I will be teaching this morning: Overnight, there was a “minor” (3.2) earthquake, 10 km WNW of Lake Elsinore, California (population: 51,821, as of 2010) and about 36 miles SE of Los Angeles. Stay tuned!

And, if you are a believer in Jesus, “you know the drill,” as Judy Dalton would say, and keep watching, waiting, working, witnessing for, walking with and worshiping Jesus until He comes. And, if you are not a believer in Jesus, please, I beg you, become one today by agreeing with God you are a sinner who needs a Savior Who is Jesus (Romans 3:23, 24) and believe He died on a cross for your sins, was buried and raised from the dead (I Corinthians 15:1-4) to forgive all your sins and give you eternal life (John 3:16). And, if you do, I’ll see you in heaven! Love and prayers, Doug (7/8/23)

Good morning, blog readers, from cloudy and cool (61 degrees) Wisconsin where, on my morning walk, I saw: 12 robins, 8 doves, 7 blackbirds, 6 bunnies, 2 dogs and a grackle! Thank You, Jesus! Yesterday, I wrote about earthquakes in or near New Madrid, MO, Hillsville, Virginia and Maple Valley Washington which, according to my calculations, is “about 20 miles southeast of Seattle and about 90 miles southeast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Interestingly enough, over the last 24 hours, there was a “very minor” (2.5) quake, 20 km South of Friday Harbor, WA which is about 14 miles, southeast of (drum roll) the Vancouver Island Region.

Now, please know, I am not an expert on earthquakes or predicting anything. I’m just telling you to keep an eye on this area for the possibility of something catastrophic in the future. Why? Because Jesus said, in Luke 21:11, that, before His return, “there will be great earthquakes in various places.” And, according to the USGS, a “great earthquake” has a magnitude of 8.0+ on the Richter Scale.

Then, there was this (10/13/16) headline from Johanna Wagstaffe of CBC News: “The ‘Big One’ near Vancouver you may not know about!” In the article, Johanna wrote: “The Juan de Fuca oceanic plate is trying to move under the North American plate. As a result, the South Coast of B. C. (British Columbia) can get both megathrust earthquakes off the coast as well as shallow earthquakes just below some of the major cities. The real ‘Big One’ – the one that keeps engineers awake at night – is actually a magnitude 7.0 crustal earthquake, with an epicenter close to Victoria and Vancouver. And there’s a one in five chance it could hit in the next 50 years.

Daniel Stevens, Vancouver’s director of emergency management, said it would be a bad scenario if a shallow earthquake were to happen near Vancouver. ‘We would see damage to our bridges, damage to our roads and our telecommunications systems. And the biggest impact is going to be the buildings,’ he said.”

Note: All I (Doug) can say is “stay tuned and make sure you know Christ as your Savior and Lord. For, regardless of what happens on earth, you will have eternal life in heaven (John 3:16). But, without Him, you will be eternally separated from God in hell which will be worse than any earthquake or all the other disasters that are coming. And, if you don’t believe me, read Luke 16:19-31 and see for yourself what hell will be like. And, if you are a believer in Jesus, keep watching, waiting, working, witnessing for, walking with and worshiping Jesus until He comes. Blessings and prayers, Doug (7/7/23)

Good morning, blog readers, from mostly sunny, partly cloudy and warm (68 degrees) Wisconsin where, on my morning walk, I saw: 19 robins, 6 bunnies, 6 deer, 6 doves, 5 blackbirds, 4 geese, 2 cranes and a finch! Thank You, Jesus!

Over the last 48 hours, there have been three “very minor” (2.5, 2.5, 2.7) earthquakes in three interesting places: New Madrid, Missouri (population: 3,116, as of 2010), Hillsville, Virginia (population: 2,681, as of 2010) and Maple Valley, Washington (population: 22,684, as of 2010).

Now, if you have been following my blog for some time, you know I often have written about several “major” earthquakes which struck the New Madrid, Missouri area in 1811-1812 which “reversed the course of the Mississippi River and rang church bells in Boston.” Note: Yesterday, there were two “very minor” (2.5) quakes in the New Madrid area. And, you may have also heard me write about the Vancouver Island Region and how a large earthquake in that region could also be disastrous for the West Coast of the U. S. Well, Maple Valley, Washington is about 20 miles southeast of Seattle which is about 90 miles southeast of the Vancouver Island Region of British Columbia. Oh, and one more item. To my knowledge, in the 19 years I have been charting earthquakes, there have been 18 “minor” quakes in Virginia which includes a “very minor'” (2.7) one today. Stay tuned!

I write about earthquakes because Jesus told us that, one of the “signs” of His return would be “earthquakes in various places (Matthew 24:7, Mark 13:8 and Luke 21:11)” which, like “birth pains” (Matthew 24:8), would come in frequency and intensity. So, stay tuned, dearly beloved, and keep watching, waiting, working, witnessing for, walking with and worshiping Jesus until He comes.

And, if you are not a believer in Jesus, why not become one today by agreeing with God you are a sinner who needs a Savior Who is Jesus (Romans 3:23, 24) Who died on a cross for your sins, was buried and raised from the dead (I Corinthians 15:1-4) to forgive all your sins and give you eternal life (John 3:16). And, if you do, I’ll see you in heaven. Glory to God! Love, Doug (7/6/23)

Good morning, blog readers from sunny and warm (78 degrees ) Wisconsin where, on my morning walk, I saw: 41 robins, 11 doves (a record), 7 deer, 6 blackbirds, 6 grackles, 5 geese, 2 bunnies and 2 cranes! Thank You, Jesus!

This headline, from Reuters, really got my attention this morning: “World registers hottest day ever recorded on July 3.”

And, if that wasn’t enough, there was also this headline from NASA: “The sun produced over 160 sunspots in June, the highest monthly number in more than two decades.”

In the first article, Gloria Dickle reported: “Monday, July 3, was the hottest day ever reported globally, according to data from the U.S. National Centers for Environmental Prediction. The average global temperature reached 17.01 degrees Celsius (62.62 Fahrenheit), surpassing the August 2016 record of16.92C (62.46F) as heatwaves sizzled around the world.”

In the second article, Tereza Pultarova wrote: “The sun produced over 160 sunspots in June, the highest monthly number in more than two decades. The data confirm that the current solar cycle, the 25th since records began, is picking up intensity at a much quicker pace than NASA and the U. S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric (NOAA) forecasted, sparking concerns of severe space weather in the coming months and years to come.”

And, before you say “global warming,” let me remind you of what Jesus said, in Luke 21:25, “And there will be signs in the sun, the moon and the stars, and upon the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”

Then, John wrote in Revelation 7:16, “They (those who have come out of the so-called “Tribulation,” shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; neither shall the sun beat down on them, nor any heat.” And, in Revelation 16:8, he added: “And the fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun; and it was given to it to scorch men with fire.”

Please know: you all have a choice: you can either agree with God you are a sinner who needs a Savior Who is Jesus (Romans 3:23, 24) and believe He died on a cross for your sins, was buried and raised from the dead to forgive all your sins and give you eternal life or you can go your own way, die in your sins and spend your eternity in hell. Praying I’ll see you in heaven. Love, Doug (7/5/23)

Good morning, blog readers, from partly cloudy/sunny and warm (71 degrees) where, on my morning walk, I saw: 29 robins, 8 doves, 7 crows, 4 bunnies, 3 blackbirds, 3 geese, 2 grackles, a dog and, get this, heard: a rooster crowing! Thank You, Jesus!

This recent (7/3/23) article, from israelAM, caught my eye this morning: “The IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) is in the midst of a major counterterrorism operation in Jenin and the refugee camp in the city. A large number of ground troops then entered the city. Armored bulldozers were deployed to clear the city roads and identify and avoid improvised exploding devices (IEDs). There were heavy gunfights between troops and terrorists, firing from residential buildings and mosques. Airstrikes have been called in. Several terrorists have been killed and dozens wounded and arrested. There are no reported IDF casualties.”

A Syrian anti-aircraft missile fired towards Israel exploded midair last night. The IDF is investigating. A Syrian security source in Syria told the Arabic-language Sputnik news agency that ‘air defense systems operated against an Israeli attack on several targets in the Damascus area. The attack was carried out by Israeli Air Force planes using missiles that were launched from Israeli territory in two waves. Syrian air defense systems intercepted the missiles before they hit their targets.”

So, you might ask, “What’s the big deal since these two countries have been fighting against each other for years, especially since Israel became a nation in 1948?” Well, the big deal is the prophecy of Isaiah 17:1 where the prophet wrote: “The oracle concerning Damascus. Behold, Damascus is about to be removed from being a city and will become a fallen ruin.”

I believe (and I could be wrong) that this prophecy is yet to be fulfilled. And, as a result, I also believe (and I could be wrong), we could actually see this prophecy fulfilled in our lifetime. So, you might also ask: “How could this Scripture fulfilled?” Answer: “Israel nukes Damascus!” Stay tuned!

And, if you are a believer in Jesus, keep watching, waiting, working, witnessing for, walking with and worshiping Him until He comes. And, if you are not a believer in Jesus, please agree with God you are a sinner who needs a Savior Who is Jesus (Romans 3:23, 24) and believe He died on a cross for your sins, was buried and raised from the dead (I Corinthians 15:1-4) to forgive all your sins and give you eternal life (John 3:16). And, if you do, “I’ll see you in heaven! Blessings & Love,, Doug (7/4/23)

Good morning, blog readers, from sunny and warm (72 degrees) Wisconsin where, on my morning walk, I saw: 23 robins, 8 doves, 7 blackbirds, 7 deer, 7 grackles, 5 geese, 3 crows and a bunny! Thank You, Jesus!

This recent headline, from FOX NEWS.com, got my attention this morning: “North Korea holds rally with promise to ‘annihilate’ U.S.”

In the article, Patrick Hauf reported: “North Korea held mass rallies across the nation Saturday, which marked the ‘day of struggle against U.S. imperialism,’ when government leaders promised to ‘annihilate the enemy,’ according to its propaganda outlet. Rallies were held in each providence of the nation, and an extensive list of government leaders spoke to denounce the U.S. as ‘imperial beasts,’ according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency. The gatherings in Pyongyang reached 120,000 attendees, the propaganda wing reported.”

Keep in mind that “rumors of war” can turn into “war,” as evidenced by Russia’s threat to invade Ukraine which was followed by Russia going to war with Ukraine which made me think of Revelation 16:12-16 where John wrote: “The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east (perhaps China, North Korea and other nations). And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon (Satan) and out of the mouth of the beast (the Antichrist) and out of the mouth of the false prophet (the Antichrist’s spokesman), three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. (Jesus: “Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame).” And they (the spirits of demons) gathered them (the surviving nations) together to the place which in Hebrew is called ‘Har-Magedon’ (Armageddon).”

Personally, I believe (not all Christians do) that the church (that is, all who have been saved by God’s grace through faith in Christ, His death, burial and resurrection (Ephesians 2:8,9; I Corinthians 15:1-4) will be “raptured” before God brings His wrath upon an unbelieving world, although I also believe that many will be saved during the so-called “Tribulation,” based on the witness of the 144,000 Jewish evangelists in Revelation 7. But, you can be saved from your sins and the wrath of God today by simply agreeing with God you are a sinner who needs a Savior Who is Jesus (Romans 3:23, 24) and believe He died on a cross for your sins, was buried and raised from the dead to forgive all your sins and give you eternal life (John 3:16). Then, watch, wait, work, witness for, walk with and worship Jesus until He comes. Praying I’ll see you in heaven, if not sooner. Blessings, Doug (7/3/23)

Good morning, blog readers, from cloudy and warm (67 degrees) Wisconsin where, on my morning walk, I saw: 45 robins, 17 blackbirds, 8 doves, 5 geese, 2 crows, 2 deer, a bunny and a cardinal! Thank You, Jesus!

As many of you know, I have been studying earthquakes for some time now (18 years), all because Jesus said, in Matthew 24:7 and Mark 13:8, that, one of the signs of His return would be “earthquakes in various places.” And, everyday, according to the USGS (United States Geological Survey), there are “earthquakes in various places.” For instance, over the last 24 hours, there were 34 (3.0-6.0) quakes in: Alaska, Argentina, California, China, the Dominican Republic, Fiji, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Peru, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Russia, Texas, Timor Leste, Tonga and the Virgin Islands. Of note, there was a “minor” (3.8) quake near Malibu, California and a “strong” (6.0) quake near Tonga.

Now, keep in mind, Jesus said, in Matthew 24:8, that the “signs” of His return would occur like “birth pains,” that is, in frequency and intensity, as we get closer to His return. I like to think of the time in which we now live as a “first trimester” of the pains. And, if I am right (and I could be wrong), we will see the “signs,” in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21, increase in frequency and intensity. And so, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, keep watching, waiting, working, witnessing for, walking with and worshiping Jesus until He comes. And, if you are not a believer in Jesus, please become one today by agreeing with God you are a sinner who needs a Savior Who is Jesus (Romans 3:23, 24) and believe He died on a cross for your sins, was buried and raised from the dead (I Corinthians 15:1-4) to forgive all your sins and give you eternal life (John 3:16). Blessings and prayers, Doug (7/2/23)

Good morning, blog readers, from cloudy, misty, muggy and warm (72 degrees) Wisconsin where, on my morning walk, I saw: 49 robins, 32 blackbirds, 8 doves, 7 grackles, 5 bunnies, 5 geese, a deer and a dog! Thank You, Jesus!

And Jesus said, in Matthew 24:6, “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.”

Here are a couple of recent headlines from the AP (Associated Press) which definitely fit into the “rumors of war sign” which Jesus told His disciples to look for before His return:

#1. A US nuclear-powered sub arrives in South Korea, a day after North Korea resumes its missile tests. #2. The US flies nuclear-capable bombers in a fresh show of force against North Korea.

In the first article, Byhung-JinKim and Tong-Hyung reported: “The United States deployed a nuclear-powered submarine capable of carrying about 150 tomahawk missiles to South Korea on Friday, a day after North Korea resumed missile tests in protest of the U.S.-South Korean live-fire drills. The USS Michigan’s arrival in South Korea, the first of its kind in six years, is part of a recent bilateral agreement on enhancing ‘regular visibility’ of U.S. strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula in response to North Korea’s advancing nuclear program, according to South Korean officials.”

In the second article, Byhyung-JinKim wrote: “The United States flew nuclear-capable bombers to the Korean Peninsula on Friday, June 30, in its latest show of force against North Korea, days after the North staged massive anti-U.S. rallies in its capital.”

As I have written before, we have seen how Russia threatened to invade Ukraine, then invaded Ukraine, turning a “rumor of war” into a “war.” I am thinking (and I could be wrong) but, based on Scripture, I also believe we will see, perhaps in our lifetime, a Psalm 83 war between Israel and her Muslim neighbors which Israel will win, paving the way for a future Russian and Iranian-led invasion of Israel which Israel will win when the Lord God Himself comes to Israel’s defense and destroys her enemies (Ezekiel 38-39). Then, of course, there will be Armageddon when the remaining nations of the world, including “the kings from the east” (perhaps China, North Korea and others) will march to Megiddo (Revelation 16:12-16) and be defeated and destroyed by the Lord Jesus Christ (Revelation 19:11-21). Then, I believe (not all Christians do), there will be a 1,000-year reign of Christ on earth when Satan is bound, to be followed by one, final rebellion when Satan and his followers are released to go to war against Jesus and His people, only to be defeated and sent to hell for their eternity (Revelation 20:7-15). And then, He (Jesus) shall reign forever and ever!! Glory to God!

So, let me ask you: “Where will you spend your eternity? In heaven or hell?” The answer depends on what you believe about Jesus. Do you believe you are a sinner who needs a Savior Who is Jesus (Romans 3:23, 24) Who died on a cross for your sins, was buried and raised from the dead (I Corinthians 15:1-4) to forgive all your sins and give you eternal life (John 3:16). If you do, you will spend your eternity in heaven with Jesus and all the believers in Him of all time. If you don’t believe in Jesus as your Savior, you will spend your eternity in hell with the devil and his followers. Please know I am praying for your salvation and that I will see you in heaven. Love in Christ, Doug (7/1/23)

Good morning, blog readers, from sunny and warm (72 degrees) Wisconsin where, on my morning walk, I saw: 26 robins, 14 blackbirds, 10 grackles, 4 geese, 3 doves, 2 deer, a cardinal and a crow! Thank You, Jesus!

A month or so ago, I saw this headline in the Boston Globe: “Learning to treat long COVID could help those with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, too.” In the article, Amanda Gokee, of the Globe Staff, wrote:

“Veronica Dane had always been active, from playing soccer as a kid to working a demanding job as a critical care nurse. Until, one day, she just couldn’t do it anymore. She started eliminating activities and duties, whittling away the things that had once brought joy and a steady income but were now, instead, bringing unbearable physical pain. It took Dane years of working with doctors and doing her own research to understand how she had gone from a healthy, active person to being bed-bound for over a year, so sensitive to sound that she couldn’t be in the same room as her children.

In 2020, she finally learned she had myalgic encephalomyelitis, or ME/CFS. The disease is still something of a mystery to modern medicine – researchers don’t know what causes it, most doctors don’t learn about it in medical school, and it goes undiagnosed in around 90% of the cases, according to the Centers for Disease and Prevention.

It’s also been largely overlooked when it comes to research and funding, according to disability rights advocates and researchers in the field. But now, several preliminary studies show, about half of the people with long COVID have severe symptoms to be diagnosed with ME/CFS – and doctors and disability advocates hope this will shine a light on the disease, leading to more education and research.”

My story began, about 40 years ago, when I came down with a pneumonia which, when I had a chest x-ray about a month later, revealed the pneumonia was gone. But, I still felt like I had it. And so, after seeing about 100 doctors, including two trips to the Mayo Clinic, and having had hundreds of tests, including four sleep studies with four different diagnoses, been treated with numerous medications, most of which I have had a reaction to, including headache and chest pain, I still feel lousy. After seeing a neurologist, I learned that a lot of my issues were nerve-related and, as such, whenever I have a test or take a new medication, my body often sees it as a threat, not a help, and reacts negatively to it. All this to say, I still feel like I have the pneumonia, but have learned to live with it, though it is still, literally, a “pain.” Thankfully, my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and God’s grace have helped to sustain me all these years and, I trust will continue to do until the Lord comes for me. P.S. I also wrote a book about my trials called, “When Thorns Remain,” which, if you are interested, is available on Amazon. Please know I love you and am praying for those of you who are lost, for your salvation and, for those of you are saved, for your sanctification. Blessings, Doug (6/30/23)

Good morning, blog readers, from cloudy, hazy and warm (70 degrees) Wisconsin where, on my morning walk, I saw: 41 robins, 24 blackbirds, 5 geese, 3 deer, 2 bunnies, 2 cardinals, 2 crows, 2 doves, 2 grackles and a dog! Thank You, Jesus!

These two headlines really caught my eye and curiosity this morning:

#1. Shepherds of Singularity (Dr. Joseph Mercola)

#2 “China’s Saboteurs Are Coming to America (Gatestone Institute)

In the first article. Dr. Joseph Mercola reported: “Experts warn artificial intelligence (AI) may destroy mankind and civilization as we know it unless we rein in the development and deployment of AI and start putting in some safeguards. The public also needs to temper expectations and realize that AI chatbots are still massively flawed and cannot be relied upon. An attorney recently discovered this the hard way, when he had ChatGPT do his legal research. None of the case law ChatGPT cited was real. And, in 2022, Facebook pulled its science-focused chatbot Galactica after a mere three days, as it generated wholly fabricated results.

The unregulated deployment of autonomous AI weapons systems is perhaps among the most alarming developments. Foreign policy experts warn that autonomous weapons technologies will destabilize current nuclear strategies and increase the risk of preemptive attacks. They could also be combined with chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons, thereby posing an existential threat.”

And, if that wasn’t scary enough, Gordon D. Chang wrote, in the second article: “There is now a Chinese invasion of the U. S. homeland. Chinese migrants are entering the United States on foot at the southern border. Almost all are desperate, seeking a better life for themselves and their children. Some, however, are coming to commit acts of sabotage. … Once here, the military fighters can link up with China’s agents already in place or Chinese diplomats. How many PLA fighters have slipped into the United States this way? Some estimate 5,000, others 10,000, Those numbers sound high, but whatever the actual figure more are coming.”

Despite all these terrible threats, one Scripture came to mind (Psalm 112:7, NIV): “He (the righteous man in verse 6) will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.” And so, despite all this terrible and scary news, I need to remind myself daily, perhaps even hourly, that God is still on the throne, Jesus is still coming for His bride, the church and, one day, all will be well for eternity, as Peter reminds us, in II Peter 3:13, “But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.” Glory to God! I can’t wait! But, wait I must and watch, work, witness for, walk with and worship Jesus until He comes.

And, if you are not a believer in Jesus, please “flee from the wrath to come” (Matthew 3:7) by agreeing with God you are a sinner who needs a Savior Who is Jesus (Romans 3:23, 24) and believe He died on a cross for your sins, was buried and raised from the dead (I Corinthians 15:1-4) to forgive all your sins and give you eternal life (John 3:16). Blessings & prayers, Doug (6/29/23)