Federal Court Rules in Katy Perry’s Favor, Overturns Christian Artist’s Copyright Infringement Lawsuit

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Federal Court Rules in Katy Perry’s Favor, Overturns Christian Artist’s Copyright Infringement Lawsuit


Federal Court Rules in Katy Perry’s Favor, Overturns Christian Artist’s Copyright Infringement Lawsuit

A federal judge in Los Angeles ruled that pop star Katy Perry did not copy a Christian rap song “Joyful Noise,” in her song, “Dark Horse,” overturning a jury’s verdict, according to The Christian Post.

“It is undisputed in this case, even viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to plaintiffs, that the signature elements of the eight-note obstinate in ‘Joyful Noise’ is not a particularly unique or rare combination,” said US District Judge Christina A. Snyder in her decision.

The song “Joyful Noise” was written by rapper Marcus Gray—also known as Flame—in 2008 and featured Lecrae. According to Gray, the song achieved major success and could have been heard by Perry and her producer at the Grammy Awards or on YouTube. But Perry and producer Dr. Luke argued that they had never heard of “Joyful Noise” in the first 2013 trial.

Jurors, nonetheless, ordered Perry, her producer, and Capitol Records to pay $2.78 million for copyright infringement. Perry’s attorneys appealed and asked California to overturn the verdict. Snyder disagreed with the jury and overturned their ruling.

“When the jurors returned a unanimous verdict of infringement, I cautioned my clients that we had only finished Round 11 of a 15-round match and that the next round would take place in the court of appeals,” said Gray’s attorney, Michael A….

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The Metropolitan Opera calls off all performances through March

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The Metropolitan Opera calls off all performances through March

The Metropolitan Opera is canceling the rest of its season and stopping the pay of the orchestra, chorus and other unionized employees at the end of March due to the new coronavirus.

The Met last week called off performances through March 31.

Met general manager Peter Gelb said he is giving up his $1.45 million salary until normal operations resume and higher-paid members of his administrative staff are having their pay reduced — by 10% for everyone earning more than $125,000 and by 25%-50% at the top of the pay scale. The Met is launching an emergency fundraising drive of $50 million to $60 million and has obtained pledges from its board for $11 million of that.

“We have significant cash-flow issues that we have to deal with right now because of the loss of the box office,” Gelb said in an interview. “We’re also at the same time encouraging ticket buyers to donate their tickets rather than take refunds or at least put their money on account so we can hold onto it and reassign it to a future performance.”

With a $308 million budget this season, the Met is the largest performing-arts institution in the U.S. Its season was to have ended May 9, and its 2020-21 season opens Sept. 21. The crisis forced cancellation of about one-third of the season and three high-definition telecasts to movie theaters around the world.

The American Guild of Musical Artists, which represents the chorus and singers, viewed the Met’s step as mandatory unpaid leave rather than layoffs since no artist contracts will be canceled.

Health care coverage for employees who receive it through the Met will continue, a decision praised by AMGA and Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians, which represents the orchestra. Still, AGMA said in a statement “it’s simply not enough during this pandemic.”

“Our artists are facing a scary and uncertain future,” AGMA said. “They depend on performance and rehearsal fees to survive and they are out of work indefinitely.”

Local 802 said orchestra members and their families “are now facing the prospect of no income for an extended period of time. We believe that immediate governmental assistance is essential to avoid a brutal outcome for these musicians.”

Technical rehearsals for next season’s new productions will be compromised, Gelb said. The chorus usually returns to the Met at the start of August and the orchestra right after Labor Day.

The Met, citing force majeure, is not paying individual singers for canceled performances.

“In the history of theater and opera, in force majeure situations, artists who are very well compensated, such as those who perform at the Met, do not get paid. That’s why their contracts are written in such a fashion,” Gelb said. “That does not mean that we are not sympathetic and supportive of them. For the Met to be able to come back and be a house they are able to perform in in the fall, it has to be strong and has to survive.”

The Lyric Opera of Chicago, which called off its highly anticipated presentation of Wagner’s Ring Cycle, is paying the singers 10%, the company said. The Atlanta Opera, a smaller regional company, paid its cast for the two canceled performances of “Porgy and Bess.” The Houston Grand Opera said it will pay 50% of the salaries to artists in its eliminated stagings of Strauss’ “Salome” and Mozart’s “The Magic Flute.”

“Everyone from our star performers to the ushers will be supported during this uncertain time,” the HGO said.

The English National Opera sent an email Monday to the cast and conductors of three scheduled productions that “we will be honoring all contracts until the end of the main stage opera season, up to and including performances on April 18.”

No decisions have been made by The Royal Opera, Britain’s largest opera company, which said in a statement “we are currently working through the planning on all aspects of temporary closure with all staff and artists a priority.”

The Vienna State Opera said Thursday that ensemble members and administrative staff will continue to be paid.

“Guest artists who have already rehearsed for performances that could not take place due to the closure were paid for the time of the rehearsals and their travel expenses were reimbursed,” it said in a statement. “However, as contractually agreed with guest artists, no fee is paid for performances that could not or cannot take place due to force majeure.”

The Met has started a nightly free video stream of an opera, and Gelb said the website had 477,000 visitors Wednesday, up from its usual average of 3,000.

___

Source: Associated Press – RONALD BLUM

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Chris Palmer on Will God Use a Virus to Heal Our Land?

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Chris Palmer on Will God Use a Virus to Heal Our Land?

In 2020, God used a virus to heal our land. That’s my prediction, at least. And while it’s yet to be seen, I think that sounds like something our Creator might do. 

The God of the Bible operates best behind paradox. He reigned by serving, lived by dying, and overcame through defeat. He does things a little differently than we do down here. He’s ironic and he works from the inside, out.

Now, for his next act, he makes a harmful virus our nations cure and uses social distancing to bring us all together.

Seem a little too absurd? Almost like a Virgin Birth.

I invite you to have a different perspective as these historic events unfold. Look beyond the minute-by-minute news and empty shelves. Squint into the shadows of antinomy. You’ll find the Great Physician operating. He’s healing the most diseased areas of society and life and making use of a virus to bring out the best in us.

For one, the Healer is restoring in our generational divide. Back in October, Millennials joked that their elders were the bane of society. Out of touch. In the way. Antiquated. Just retire already and give us your jobs, they groaned. The tension mounted and the divide grew more-and-more felt. But today, “ok Boomer” has suddenly become “are you okay, Boomer?” Memesters are concerned about the generation they just got billions of likes for resenting. They are out doing errands for them. Grocery shopping. Dropping things off. Picking things up. Shielding the Boomers from taking any unnecessary risks. Good ol’ fashioned respect seems to be coming back into style. Honoring your parents is in. The memes have been laid to rest and it’s now about tweeting ways we can put the elderly before ourselves. It’s the first being last and the last being first.

SOURCE: Christian Post, Chris Palmer

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Utah Earthquake Knocks Trumpet from Hand of the Statue of Moroni Atop Mormon Temple

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A 5.7-magnitude earthquake shook Utah Wednesday morning shortly after 7 a.m., dislodging the trumpet from the hand of the statue of the angel Moroni sitting atop the iconic Mormon temple in its capital city.

Wednesday’s quake, the largest since 1992 when a magnitude 5.9 temblor struck the St. George area of the western state, was centered approximately 10 miles of Salt Lake City, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

A series of aftershocks transpired in the minutes that followed ranging from 2.5 to 3.9 on the Richter scale and are to be likely to continue throughout the day, the Utah Division of Emergency Management said. By 9:25 a.m. the USGS had recorded 27 earthquakes and aftershocks.

Reports indicate that multiple buildings sustained minimal damage, no injuries or deaths have been reported. Speaking before the press Wednesday, Governor Gary Herbert said that the state of Utah was “all in all, very fortunate.”

Most notably, the Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City, which sits at the center of the city was impacted. The trumpet in the hand of statue of the angel Moroni — who Mormonism’s founder, Joseph Smith, claims assisted him in the translation of golden plates that ultimately resulted in The Book of Mormon — was dislodged.

“The Salt Lake Temple, which is undergoing a seismic upgrade, sustained some minor damage during Wednesday morning’s earthquake. The trumpet on the Angel Moroni statue fell off, and there is minor displacement of some of the temple’s smaller spire stones. No workers were injured. Crews on the job site have been sent home for the day, and a full assessment is underway to determine needs going forward. This event emphasizes why this project is so necessary to preserve this historic building and create a safer environment for all our patrons and visitors,” a spokesman for the church said Wednesday.

SOURCE: Christian Post, Brandon Showalter

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“The demand for streaming services is going to increase exponentially,” analyst Dan Ives says

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“The demand for streaming services is going to increase exponentially,” analyst Dan Ives says

Sports are on hold, theaters are closed and so are amusement parks, a disaster-movie scenario that has Hollywood reeling. But Americans held captive at home by the coronavirus can turn to Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and other streaming services, outliers in an entertainment industry brought to an unprecedented standstill.

The recent launch of Disney and Apple services and the upcoming arrival of NBCUniversal’s Peacock and WarnerMedia’s HBO Max unleashed speculation about winners and losers in an increasingly crowded field. With self-imposed or required isolation the abrupt reality, emerging and niche streamers could draw new subscribers — gains that may even outlast the coronavirus crisis.

The viral outbreak “has caused so much pain across industries globally,” said Dan Ives, an analyst with Wedbush Securities. “Yet on the streaming side, the demand for those services is going to increase exponentially over the next three to six months” as consumers around the world remain stuck in place.

Up to a 20 percent increase is likely in the amount of time subscribers spend watching streamed fare, and millions of new customers will hop aboard worldwide, Ives predicted.

Pay TV channels could benefit as well as more people become shut-ins and reconsider cutting the cord, slowing an accelerating trend, said analyst Jeffrey Wlodarczak of Pivotal Research Group. Broadcast networks facing rating declines also could see a boost in viewership, he said.

Streaming companies are reacting to the moment in varied ways, but always carefully. Media companies want to be seen as good citizens who are serving up an antidote to anxiety over the virus and housebound boredom, not capitalizing on a disaster.

For most people, the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover.

Netflix, sitting comfortably in the front ranks of streamers, emailed customers with a gentle nudge to “Rewind. Replay. Rewatch,” followed by suggestions of previously viewed titles such as “The Crown,” “Schitt’s Creek” and the 2012 movie “Frances Ha” starring Greta Gerwig.

Gerwig.

The Walt Disney Co. put the box-office hit “Frozen 2” on its Disney Plus streaming service three months earlier than planned, “surprising families with some fun and joy during this challenging period.” The animated film became available in the past few days on the service in the U.S., Canada, Holland, Australia and New Zealand.

Hulu, controlled by majority owner Disney, is relying for now on such high-profile programs as the newly released Reese Witherspoon-Kerry Washington series “Little Fires Everywhere,” based on Celeste Ng’s bestselling novel.

For Disney, streaming is the outlier in a corporate portfolio otherwise slammed by the coronavirus: The suspension of theatrical and TV productions and delays in new movie releases, including its long-anticipated “Black Widow,” but also the closure of Disney resorts in the U.S., France and Asia and the sports lull’s impact on its ESPN channels.

Disney and the other major streaming services didn’t respond or declined requests for comment for this article.

As financial hardship builds for people in lockstep with the crisis response, the services have yet to cut fees for new or current subscribers. The current monthly tabs range from the modest (Apple TV Plus, with its fledgling roster of shows is $5, Disney Plus is $7 for a deep bench of old and new fare) to Netflix’s top-tier plan ($16, compared to $9 for basic access).

Niche services are taking a different tack. Acorn TV, which offers British and international programming, expanded its free trial offer for new subscribers from a week to 30 days, as have its AMC Networks siblings Sundance Now, Shudder and Urban Movie Channel (UMC).

“As the extent of the Covid-19 crisis became clear, we realized that a service like Acorn TV could make a meaningful difference in many people’s lives, especially those who are facing prolonged isolation and potential economic hardship as a result of the virus,” said Matthew Graham, the service’s general manager.

Peacock’s U.S. launch isn’t until July, but with an upside for those with budget pressures: It will include a no-cost, ad-supported version, Peacock Free, with content including next-day access to new NBC shows and full seasons of older series. Two other tiers, including Peacock Premium for $5 monthly (free to Comcast and Cox subscribers), will offer more programming and live sports.

Peacock Free is going to be “a no-brainer for people,” Wlodarczak said.

The PBS Video app, public TV’s free streaming service, stepped up its offerings amid virus fallout. With Major League Baseball spring training games suspended and a delayed start to the season, the acclaimed Ken Burns’ “Baseball” documentary was added to the service and online at PBS.org.

“As many of us hunker down in the days ahead, it’s important that we find things that bring us together and show us our common humanity,” Burns said in a video message. “That’s why, in the absence of many of our favorite sports, I’ve asked PBS … to stream my film about America’s pastime. Stay healthy, and let’s look after each other. Play ball.”

(Experts have said the U.S. internet won’t get overloaded by spikes in traffic from the millions of at-home workers and students, although it’s possible that households may find connections slowed because of their service level.)

The duration of the crisis could affect even streamers with well-stocked libraries, Wlodarczak said, given the widespread halt to filming. The fourth season of “Fargo” starring Chris Rock, which was to arrive on Hulu after its April debut on FX, has been postponed until production is back on track.

“The longer this lasts, you’ve got to find content to put on,” the analyst said.

___

Source: Associated Press – LYNN ELBER

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Indonesia Blocks Construction of Baptist Church Amid Protests from Muslims

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Indonesia Blocks Construction of Baptist Church Amid Protests from Muslims

Local authorities are not allowing a Baptist church in the Central Java province of Indonesia to complete the construction of its house of worship, which has the required permit, due to opposition from Muslim residents in the area, according to a persecution watchdog.

The construction of Indonesian Baptist Church in the Tlogosari area in the city of Semarang has halted for six months, the U.S.-based group International Christian Concern reported.

Last August, the local government asked the church to collect more than 60 signatures from local residents, and the church got 84 signatures. However, community groups continued to pressure the government to block the church’s construction.

In the Southeast Asian archipelago of Indonesia, home to the world’s largest Muslim population, churches often face opposition from local groups that typically question the authenticity of the signatures to obstruct the construction of non-Muslim houses of worship.

The church said it will take legal action to resolve the dispute.

“We are ready to take legal channels to fight against the people’s refusal,” the church’s attorney, Zainal Arifin, was quoted as saying. “The reasons for the rejection are changing, starting from falsified signatures, expired IMBs (permits) until finally, the residents’ refusal does not touch the issue of principle permits.”

The church’s pastor, identified only as Wahyudi, said, “We will continue to fight for this because if left unchecked it will set a bad precedent for freedom of religion and worship in Semarang.”

SOURCE: Christian Post, Anugrah Kumar

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Christ the Redeemer Statue Is Lit By International Flags in Tribute to Nations Affected by COVID-19

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Christ the Redeemer Statue Is Lit By International Flags in Tribute to Nations Affected by COVID-19


Christ the Redeemer Statue Is Lit By International Flags in Tribute to Nations Affected by COVID-19

Brazil’s Christ the Redeemer statue was turned into a light show on Wednesday night when flags of the nations affected by COVID-19 were projected upon it. Additionally, the hashtag “pray together” was projected in multiple languages on the statue.

The event was planned out by Rio’s Catholic Archdiocese and during the light show, Archbishop Orani João Tempesta conducted a Mass to pray for all of the people affected by the coronavirus worldwide, CNN reports.

According to the New York Daily News, the event was able to go on despite Brazil’s Chico Mendes Institute closing its national parks – which includes Tijuca Forest National Park where the Christ the Redeemer statue is located – for at least a week amid COVID-19 fears by the end of day on Tuesday.

The idea for the Christ the Redeemer statue came to fruition in the 1850s when Vincentian priest Pedro Maria Boss wanted to create a “Christian monument” to honor Princess Isabel, who was the regent of Brazil and the daughter of Emperor Pedro II, Encyclopaedia Britannica reports.

Under the initial proposition, there was never an official approval for construction. Then, in 1921, a new plan was proposed by Rio de Janeiro’s Roman Catholic Archdiocese. The proposition suggested that “a statue of Christ be built on the 2,310-foot summit, which, because of its commanding height, would make it…

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PODCAST: The Bible: Myth or History?, Part 1 (Reasons to Believe #169 with Daniel Whyte III)

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PODCAST: The Bible: Myth or History?, Part 1 (Reasons to Believe #169 with Daniel Whyte III)

Welcome to The Reasons to Believe podcast, episode #169. My name is Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International.

Our Reasons to Believe Scripture Passage for today is Hebrews 4:12. It reads, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Our Reasons to Believe quote for today is from Tim Keller. He said, “The New Testament is filled with accounts of miracles that Jesus performed during the course of his ministry. Scientific mistrust of the Bible began with the Enlightenment belief that miracles cannot be reconciled to a modern, rational view of the world. Armed with this presupposition, scholars turned to the Bible and said, “The Biblical accounts can’t be reliable because they contain descriptions of miracles.” The premise behind such a claim is “Science has proven that there is no such thing as miracles.” But embedded in such a statement is a leap of faith. It is one thing to say that science is only equipped to test for natural causes and cannot speak to any others. It is quite another to insist that science proves that no other causes could possibly exist.”

Our Reason to Believe powerpoint today is titled “The Bible: Myth or History?, Part 1” from “The Handbook of Christian Apologetics” by Peter Kreeft and Ronald K. Tacelli.

The authors begin with the first part of this chapter subtitled, “Connections among the Bible, miracles and the resurrection.”

The Bible, miracles and the resurrection, each of which takes up a chapter in this book, are closely linked in modern apologetics. They typically stand or fall together. Most of those who do not believe that Christ physically rose from the dead disbelieve for two reasons: (1) “miracles like that don’t really happen,” and (2) “the Bible is myth, not history.”

There is probably no word that causes more confusion in biblical studies today than the word myth. That is because it is used in many different senses by different writers in different fields and genres, which often overlap. G. B. Caird, in The Language and Imagery of the Bible, has distinguished nine distinct senses of the word myth. For our more popular, less technical purposes it is sufficient to distinguish six.

1. The literal sense of myth, from the Greek mythos, is simply “sacred story.” This says nothing about its truth or falsity, historicity or nonhistoricity—just that it is a story and that it is sacred, or about sacred things.

2. The popular sense is simply “something that didn’t really happen,” or “something that isn’t real”—like Santa Claus. Here myth is contrasted with truth or fact. This is the sense in which most people are concerned about the stories in the Bible, especially the miracle stories: did they really happen, or are they only “myths,” that is, mere fictional human inventions?

3. A more technical and narrow sense of myth that is often used to describe biblical stories, especially miracle stories, is that of a literary genre that includes fantasy, talking animals and stories of the gods. These are supernatural stories that are not literally true, nor are they meant by the storyteller to be taken as literally true, but as a way of explaining natural facts by supernatural (or natural) fictions. Both supernatural stories of gods and talking animals, and natural stories like Jesus’ parables, fit in this category.

Lord willing, we will continue looking at this topic in our next episode.

—PRAYER—

Now, if you are listening today, and you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, allow me to show you how.

First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”

Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Now this is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.

Romans 10:9-13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Until next time, my friend, please keep in mind these reasons to believe. God bless!

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PODCAST: Rabbi Says Coronavirus is Punishment for Homosexuality (Second Coming Watch Update #910 with Daniel Whyte III)

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PODCAST: Rabbi Says Coronavirus is Punishment for Homosexuality (Second Coming Watch Update #910 with Daniel Whyte III)

This is Daniel Whyte III with the Second Coming Watch Update. This is update #910. Let’s take a quick look at today’s prophecy-related headlines which point towards the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and the end of the world as we know it.

First, today, under the Sign category of INCREASED HOMOSEXUALITY AND SEXUAL IMMORALITY — According to The Times of Israel, Rabbi Meir Mazuz [MEER MAH-ZOOZ], an Orthodox Israeli rabbi, has claimed the spread of the deadly coronavirus in Israel and around the world is divine retribution for gay pride parades. On Saturday night he gave a talk at the yeshiva, during which he said a pride parade is “a parade against nature, and when someone goes against nature, the one who created nature takes revenge on him.” Mazuz [MAH-ZOOZ] said that countries all over the world are being called to account because of their gay pride events, “except for the Arab countries that don’t have this evil inclination.” The outbreak in Iran, one of the most serious in any country, he explained as being due to the wicked ways of Iranians and “their hatred of Israel.”

Second, today, under the Sign category of FAMINES — According to The Times of Israel, Rome-based Senior Locust Forecasting Officer Keith Cressman said a plague of locusts the likes of which have been unseen for over 30 years is about to hit Africa and the Middle East. Adding to the perfect biblical storm, the current coronavirus pandemic is affecting travel of international experts and in-country gatherings for training to combat the locust threat. Cressman works at Locust Watch, a division of the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization. According to the organization’s most recent forecast report, there are new “extremely alarming” swarms forming in Horn of Africa. The Locust Watch website says while one locust may not seem a major eater, the swarms can grow to millions of individuals, “with the capacity to consume the same amount of food in one day as 35,000 people.” The current widespread breeding in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia represents “an unprecedented threat to food security and livelihoods at the beginning of the upcoming cropping season.”

Third, today, under the Sign category of EARTHQUAKES IN DIVERS PLACES — According to CBS News, A 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck near Magna, Utah, Wednesday morning. The temblor knocked out power for tens of thousands and operations at Salt Lake City International Airport came to a halt. It is the largest earthquake to hit the state since a 5.9 magnitude quake struck southern Utah in 1992, according to Utah Emergency Management. The quake was felt across Salt Lake County and in Ogden and as far away as Wyoming. According to the governor, the earthquake damaged both the state’s department of health lab and its coronavirus hotline. According to Johns Hopkins, Utah has 51 confirmed cases of the coronavirus.

Fourth, today, under the Sign category of RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF ISRAEL — According to Breaking Israel News, As the COVID-19 crisis worsens worldwide, the Nation of Israel requests that the Vatican immediately return to Jerusalem the Temple vessels that have been stored in Rome for nearly 2000 years. Rabbi Levi Sudri [SU-DRI], an award-winning Bible expert, noted that a divine message must surely be contained within the coronavirus. He pointed out that the coronavirus began in China and very quickly took hold of Italy in a counter-intuitive manner. “What is the connection between China and Italy? They are geographically distant from each other. That is true but they have a spiritual connection in that they are both centers of two different types of idolatry. In Daniel’s vision, he spoke of the feet of the idol which is Rome.” Rabbi Sudri [SU-DRI] noted that the distinctive boot shape of Italy hints at this Biblical reference and is referred to in Hebrew as er-etz ham-a-gaf; land of the boot. Rabbi Sudri [SU-DRI] noted that the word ma-gaf; boot shares the same root as the word ma-ge-fa; epidemic. Rabbi Sudri [SU-DRI] said, “The word ‘corona’ means crown and that is precisely the issue. Rome stole the crown from Israel, the utensils from the Temple, so they are being struck by the crown virus.”

Fifth, today, under the Sign category of ARAB HOSTILITY TOWARD ISRAEL — According to The Jerusalem Post, according to the Middle East Media Research Institute, some members of Turkey’s press and public have said, the coronavirus is a Zionist plot spread by Jews to decrease the world population. MEMRI, which specializes in translating Middle Eastern media into English, has uncovered a number of incidences of Turks blaming the coronavirus epidemic on Jews and Zionism. In a video posted to Twitter on March 13, a minibus driver and his passengers can be heard engaging in antisemitic conspiracy theories. On March 6, Fatih Erbakan [FAH-TEE UR-BAH-KAN], head of Refah Party and the son of former prime minister Necmettin Erbakan, was reported to have said in a speech: “Though we do not have certain evidence, this virus serves Zionism’s goals of decreasing the number of people and preventing it from increasing, and important research expresses this.”

——–

The prophetic passage of Scripture that we are looking at today is Ezekiel 17:22-24. It reads: “Thus saith the Lord God; I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant it upon an high mountain and eminent: In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it: and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell. And all the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the Lord have spoken and have done it.”

Allow me to share with you some commentary on this passage from Exploring Bible Prophecy from Genesis to Revelation, by Tim LaHaye and Ed Hindson.

The interpretation that Israel will be restored and the temple will be rebuilt can be understood only in light of the ruin of Judah, which was tied to the problem of temple desecration. From the perspective of Ezekiel’s audience, it should be obvious that the prophet’s exhortation to his people of a literal national destruction would be coupled to the prophet’s encouragement of a literal national restoration. Nothing less would meet the need and expectation of the vanquished nation. And nothing less would demonstrate that the Lord was the sovereign and gracious deliverer of His people. The transformation of the restoration promises by the symbolic symbol as merely the spiritual blessings of the New Covenant transferred to the church violates the fundamental law of biblical interpretation, which demands texts to be interpreted within their context. If national Israel received divine restoration, national Israel must receive divine restoration. This is also true of the messianic prophecies woven throughout the first division of Ezekiel, which, though part of the church’s heritage of faith, were exclusively given to national Israel.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at the prophetic passages of the Bible in our next broadcast / podcast.

Our Second Coming quote for today is from Charles Spurgeon. He said, “Apart from the second advent of our Lord, the world is more likely to sink into a pandemonium than to rise into a millennium.”

Let’s Pray

***

If you are not ready for the return of Jesus Christ, may I encourage you to get ready today by receiving Him as your Savior. Here is how.

First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”

Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Now that is bad news, but here is the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will. Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Keep looking up for your redemption draweth nigh. Let us join in the prayer of John the Revelator — “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” God bless you.

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Pastor Miles McPherson Says While Carefulness is Needed, Christians Should Have Faith and Not Fear Amid Coronavirus Crisis

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Pastor Miles McPherson Says While Carefulness is Needed, Christians Should Have Faith and Not Fear Amid Coronavirus Crisis

California’s Rock Church went solely online for its Sunday worship services due to the coronavirus scare, and the megachurch’s pastor, Miles McPherson, said in his sermon that carefulness was needed, but with faith and not fear. He also interviewed a health official and two mayors about the pandemic.

We have to be careful in the wake of the novel coronavirus crisis, which is “serious and real,” McPherson stressed in his sermon.

In California alone, there are so far 335 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and six deaths.

But “God doesn’t want you to be filled with fear,” he said. “He wants you to be filled with faith.”

He cited 2 Timothy 1:7, which reads, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” and explained each key term.

“Fear” means having “a heart filled with dread and panic.” Power means “the ability to exert the spiritual force necessary for change.” Love means “affection towards God and others.” And having a sound mind means making “sensible, intelligent and reasonable decisions.”

We need to walk around with the faith that God can not only keep us safe but also help us to help others, the pastor said.

We don’t need to pray for the coronavirus to go away, but for God’s presence, he added.

He asked one of the special guests, Dr. Wilma Wooten from San Diego County Health and Human Services, about the symptoms of COVID-19.

Wooten said the symptoms include fever, cough and an acute respiratory syndrome that could include pneumonia. Additionally, doctors would also ask if the person showing these symptoms has been to one of the affected regions like Wuhan in China or Italy or Iran, or has been in contact with someone who has the disease.

SOURCE: Christian Post, Anugrah Kumar

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