This is Daniel Whyte III president of Gospel Light Society International with The Scripture & the Sense Podcast #424, where I read the Word of God and give the sense of it based on an authoritative commentary source such as the Bible Knowledge Commentary or Matthew Henry Commentary. This podcast is based upon Nehemiah 8:8 where it says Ezra and the Levites “read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.” The aim of this podcast is that through the simple reading of the Word of God and the giving of the sense of it, the church would be revived and the world would be awakened.

Today we are reading Amos 2:9.

9 Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath.

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That was Amos 2:9. Now here is the sense of it.

The Matthew Henry Commentary reads:

We need often to be reminded of the mercies we have received; which add much to the evil of the sins we have committed. They had helps for their souls, which taught them how to make good use of their earthly enjoyments, and were therefore more valuable. Faithful ministers are great blessings to any people; but it is God that raises them up to be so. Sinners’ own consciences will witness that he has not been wanting to them in the means of grace. They did what they could to lead believers aside. Satan and his agents are busy to corrupt the minds of young people who look heavenward; they overcome many by drawing them to the love of mirth and pleasure, and into drinking company. Multitudes of young men who bade fair as professors of religion, have erred through strong drink, and have been undone for ever. The Lord complains of sin, especially the sins of his professing people, as a burden to him. And though his long-suffering be tired, his power is not, and so the sinner will find to his cost. When men reject God’s word, adding obstinacy to sin, and this becomes the general character of a people, they will be given up to misery, notwithstanding all their boasted power and resources. May we then humble ourselves before the Lord, for all our ingratitude and unfaithfulness.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary reads:

Instead of announcing the punishment immediately after the accusation, as was done in the judgments against the seven other nations, God heightened Israel’s guilt by setting her rebellion against the backdrop of His own gracious acts toward them. Israel’s existence as a nation was only because of His intervention. By themselves they could never have conquered the Canaanites. The Amorite, as the most formidable, stands for all the nations in Canaan at the time of the Conquest. The inhabitants of the land were the greatest of men, tall as the cedars and strong as the oaks. Yet God uprooted them, totally destroying them, both fruit above and roots below.

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Thank you for listening to the Scripture & The Sense Podcast. Remember to read the Word of God each and every day and pray without ceasing to God for wisdom to understand it and apply it to your life. Most importantly, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Please stay tuned for a complete presentation of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ so that you can get your soul saved from Hell to that wonderful place called Heaven when you die. May God bless you and keep you is my prayer.

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A 45-year-old man from Plano has been sentenced to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to aggravated sexual assault of a child, Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis announced Monday.

Everardo Raul Sanchez-Cabrera volunteered as a worship leader at the church where his 11-year-old victim and her family attended.

In 2019, Sanchez-Cabrera began communicating with the victim over social media without the knowledge of her parents.

After several months of communicating on social media, Sanchez-Cabrera asked the victim to secretly meet with him. Sanchez-Cabrera picked up the victim, drove her to his home, and sexually assaulted her.

Source: NBC DFW

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Kobe Bryant, From His Own Mouth, Trusted Jesus Christ as His Saviour and Is Now in Heaven, Not in Hell. The Question Now Is, If You Were to Tragically Die Today Where Would You Go Heaven Or Hell? (GLMX #424)

This is the “chief of sinners,” Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International, reminding you of what the Bible says, that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” like you and me.

James 4:14 reads, “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”

Hebrews 9:27 reads, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”

Kobe Bryant, the retired five-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers, died tragically and unexpectedly on January 26, 2020 at age 41 when his helicopter crashed into a mountainside near Calabasas, California, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, head baseball coach at Orange Coast College John Altobelli, his wife Keri and their 14-year-old daughter Alyssa, wife and mom Sarah Chester and her 13-year old daughter Payton, basketball assistant coach Christina Mauser; and pilot Ara Zobayan. The group of nine were en route to a basketball game at Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy in Newbury Park. These young people with their lives ahead of them were not expecting to die and no one was prepared for the news of their tragic passing as they left behind grieving spouses, children, parents, siblings, friends and coworkers. We have prayed for all of the families impacted since this tragedy happened.

As millions around the world mourn the sudden and untimely death of Kobe Bryant, who by all indications was just beginning his new life outside of basketball having already won an Academy Award, the Bible reminds us that all of us will die one day. You may not know how or when but one day you will pass into eternity.

Most of us expect to live long, fulfilled lives where we will be able to “prepare” for death at a ripe old age, such as by making our own funeral arrangements and writing a will. Some say they will think about death “later” and sadly many do not think about death at all or about what comes after.

Following his untimely death, Randy Shepherd and Jamie Johnson of Crossfire Ministry shared a picture they took with Kobe Bryant in London at the 2012 Summer Olympics. This picture comes with a story. Shepherd recalls: “[W]e were telling different guys about Crossfire basketball ministry, and Kobe was there.”

The photo opportunity happened quickly at the Team USA hotel. That encounter gave Shepherd and Johnson a chance to ask Kobe about something bigger than basketball.

Shepherd told News 13, “He was gracious, his bodyguard stepped out of the way. And I said ‘Kobe, have you ever invited the Lord Jesus Christ to come into your life as your Lord and Savior?’ A question I’ve asked a lot of people from kids to the president and he said, ‘yes, I’ve done that’.”

After posing for the picture, they gave him a Crossfire testimony Gospel card.

Now, like everyone else, Shepherd and Johnson are shocked at his death.

Johnson said, “I hope each of us takes a moment to stop and think about what lies ahead. We are not promised tomorrow and it is not a bad idea to ponder what comes next after we die. The Bible says, we are not promised tomorrow. And tomorrow in the Bible means, at some point we will die and we don’t always know when. Therefore it is important for each of us to tackle the question, ‘Where am I going when I die?’ Yes, Kobe will be greatly missed for different reasons, family, sports influence and more, but assuming he placed his faith in Christ [as he told us], along with the others, they’ll all spend eternity with Jesus Christ.”

Kobe Bryant’s death and the deaths of the eight others who perished with him on that fatal helicopter ride, remind us that we all have an appointment with death. Hebrews 9:27 reads, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” You might guess that your death is a long way off, when it might be as soon as…today. So dear friend, you need to think about death and you need to prepare for your death and what comes after. If you do not know how to do that 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 18:8: “Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.” 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’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 whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your Salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.

If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the Cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”

If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please email me at [email protected] and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.

Remember, friend, Believe by faith. Share the faith. and Keep the faith!

God Bless You!

Let me leave you with this prayer. If you pray this daily it will help prepare you for the eventualities of life:

God, prepare us for good days and bad days,
prepare us for celebrations and tragedies,
prepare us for weddings and funerals,
prepare us for life and death.In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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The number of coronavirus cases is increasing exponentially and spreading so fast that scientists fear it could turn into a global pandemic that cannot be stopped.

The World Health Organization is not ready to declare it a pandemic just yet, but others say we are close and the world should be prepared.

“WHO and others don’t like to use the word pandemic,” said Anthony Fauci, director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “But by the classical definition, we’re really teetering very, very close.”

So far, 80,146 people have been infected and 2,699 have died, the majority of those in China.

And while there are signs the number of new cases and deaths on the mainland might be slowing, growing numbers of people are dying outside China.

Virus Spreading Around the Globe

In South Korea, the number of people infected spiked to 977, up 375 from Sunday. Ten people have died there.

In Daegu, South Korea, the epicenter of the outbreak, city officials are going street-to-street disinfecting the ground.

In northern Italy, 12 towns are on lockdown with police manning all entry points after 232 cases were registered in the region along with seven deaths.

Andrea Casalis, 27, is among thousands near the outbreak’s epicenter, quarantined and hunkering down for the next two weeks. “The border of the town is blocked, only those who are working with the military forces and doctors can go in or out of the town,” Casalis said via Skype from Vo’Euganeo.

An Italian doctor staying in the Canary Islands has also tested positive.

Meanwhile, officials in Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Afghanistan are scrambling after cases of the deadly virus were reported in those countries.

And 15 people have died in one single city in Iran as health officials there said 61 people across the country tested positive for the infection.

“The sudden increase in new cases is certainly very concerning,” remarked Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director of the World Health Organization.

Why Global Markets Plummeted

All this is sending global financial markets into a tailspin, the DOW and S&P500 posting their biggest drops Monday in over two years.

“When we see headlines that are now encompassing the Middle East, Iran, Europe, Italy, investors are concerned that this might be moving beyond a containment phase, meaning the outbreak’s more serious and more economies are being affected,” said Mark Hamrick, senior economic analyst with Bankrate.com

Appearing on CBN’s Faith Nation, China expert Gordon Chang says American companies that depend on Chinese manufacturing will begin to feel the economic effects of the virus outbreak in a few months.

“It’s rippling out beyond China because China is a factory floor so we are having a lot of empty shelves in the near future, especially the big box retailers in the US which keep lean inventories,” Chang told CBN News.

The White House is readying to deploy $2.5 billion to fight the coronavirus as scientists at drug maker Moderna plan to start clinical trials in April on a potential vaccine to combat the infection.

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CAIRO (AP) – Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian leader who for nearly 30 years was a fixture in Mideast politics before being forced by the military to resign after nationwide protests that were part of the Arab world’s 2011 pro-democracy upheaval, died on Tuesday, the country’s state-run TV said. He was 91.
  
Throughout his rule, he was a stalwart U.S. ally, a bulwark against Islamic militancy and guardian of Egypt’s peace with Israel. But to the tens of thousands of young Egyptians who rallied for 18 days of unprecedented street protests in Cairo’s central Tahrir Square and elsewhere in 2011, Mubarak was a relic, a latter-day pharaoh. 
  
In recent years, Mubarak and his family continued to live in Egypt’s under current president and former military man Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. They were largely exonerated for crimes they were accused of while he was in power, and were rumored to enjoy a comfortable, if isolated existence far from the limelight. El-Sissi left much of the Mubarak’s government apparatus intact, and his administration saw the return of a number of former Mubarak-era officials. 
  
It was a far-cry from protesters’ calls for Mubarak’s imprisonment for theft. Egypt’s demonstrations were inspired by the Tunisian revolt, and harnessed the power of social media to muster tumultuous throngs, unleashing popular anger over the graft and brutality that shadowed his rule. In the end, with millions massed in Tahrir Square and other city centers around the country, and even marching to the doorstep of Mubarak’s palace, the military that long nurtured him pushed him aside on Feb. 11, 2011. The generals took power, hoping to preserve what they could of the system he headed.
  
The state TV said Mubarak died at a Cairo hospital where he had undergone an unspecified surgery. The report said he had health complications but offered no other details. One of his sons, Alaa, announced over the weekend that the former president was in an intensive care after undergoing surgery on January 23. 
  
Though Tunisia’s president fell before him, the ouster of Mubarak was the more stunning collapse in the face of the Arab Spring shaking regimes across the Arab world.
  
He was convicted along with his former security chief on June 2012 and sentenced to life in prison for failing to prevent the killing of some 900 protesters during the 18-day who rose up against his autocratic regime in 2011. Both appealed the verdict and a higher court later cleared them in 2014.
  
The acquittal stunned many Egyptians, thousands of whom poured into central Cairo to show their anger against the court.
  
The following year, Mubarak and his two sons – wealthy businessman Alaa and Mubarak’s one-time heir apparent Gamal – sentenced to three years in prison on corruption charges during a retrial. The sons were released in 2015 for time served, while Mubarak walked free in 2017.
  
Since his arrest in April 2011, Mubarak spent the nearly six years in jail in hospitals. Following his release, he was taken to an apartment in Cairo’s Heliopolis district.
  
For the man who was long untouchable – even a word of criticism against him in the media was forbidden for much of his rule – prison was a shock. When he was flown from the court to Torah Prison in Cairo in 2011, he cried in protest and refused to get out of the helicopter.
  
Over the years, Mubarak tinkered with reform but shunned major change, presenting himself as Egypt’s sole protection against Islamic militancy and sectarian division. The U.S. tried pushing him harder for reforms, but succeeded only in alienating him. Fearful of losing its alliance with the most powerful Arab country, Washington backed off.
  
But the failure to fulfill repeated promises of change steadily deepened public despair, and those seeking a democratic future were dismayed to see Mubarak making apparent moves to set up a dynastic succession in the shape of his businessman son, Gamal Mubarak.
  
Mubarak, born in May 1928, was vice president on Oct. 14, 1981 when his mentor, President Anwar Sadat, was assassinated by Islamic extremists while reviewing a military parade. Seated next to Sadat, Mubarak escaped with a minor hand injury as gunmen sprayed the reviewing stand with bullets. Eight days later, the brawny former air force commander was sworn in as president, promising continuity and order.

(Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.)
 

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JERUSALEM, Israel – Employees of a Dutch national railway are facing backlash for singing a soccer song about Jews, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reports. 

The company named Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) apologized for the incident on Sunday, calling it “wholly inappropriate.”

The incident took place on a midnight train ride from a parade in the city of Tilburg to Rotterdam.

NS employees reportedly sang, “Where do the Jews come from? From Israel, far away. Do super Jews live there, too? Yeah, super Jews live there, too. Do Jews like soccer? Only when they’re rooting for Ajax.” 

Ajax is Amsterdam’s main soccer team and its fans and players are often referred to as Jews, which is a nod to the city’s rich Jewish history. Many Jews were fans of the Ajax team during the Holocaust, but it wasn’t until the 60s and 70s that the team became known as the “Jewish club.”

Ajax’s Jewish links often spark anti-Semitic abuse from rival soccer fans. They have turned to using anti-Semitic slurs about Hamas, gas chambers, and Nazi ovens when taunting to Ajax team members and supporters.

In response, some Ajax fans have begun calling themselves “Super Jews” and wave the Israeli flag at games.

David Endt, Ajax’s general manager between 1997 and 2013, told CNN he “doesn’t like” the team’s association with the Jewish people because it gives some an excuse to be anti-Semitic. 

“It gives the other party an alibi, to shout wrong things about it, to hurt people who have nothing to do with football,” Endt, who is Jewish himself, said.

“They shouldn’t do it and I don’t think it’s right. I can understand fans a little, because they like walk behind the [Israeli] flag and have a symbol. But this is the wrong symbol, you know? Don’t start calling, ‘We are the Jews.'”

NS condemned its employees for sings “a pro-Ajax soccer song” after receiving complaints from passengers. 

“We find this wholly inappropriate,” the company added.

The controversy comes as anti-Semitism is on the rise in Europe.

A survey released by the Anti-Defamation League in November found that about one in four Europeans holds “pernicious and pervasive” anti-Semitic attitudes towards Jews. 

“It is deeply concerning that approximately one in four Europeans harbor the types of anti-Semitic beliefs that have endured since before the Holocaust,” said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “These findings serve as a powerful wake-up call that much work remains to be done to educate broad swaths of the populations in many of these countries to reject bigotry, in addition to addressing the pressing security needs where violent incidents are rising.” 

The rate of anti-Semitic views in The Netherlands is well below the rest of Europe.

Approximately one in ten Dutch people harbor anti-Semitic views, the survey found. 

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Being a pastor is hard.

Many churchgoers may not realize this because they tend to see us at our best. After all, our job is to encourage others, love them and give them hope. But our jobs are not always easy.

Recently, a reporter emailed me to ask for my thoughts on the intense stresses that clergy in America face. I told him, “People may think pastors simply preach sermons, do an occasional wedding and have a relatively easy life. That is simply not true. In reality, we often find ourselves dealing with some of the hardest situations imaginable: like trying to help save a marriage that’s on life support, attempting to give hope to a young person who is addicted to drugs or offering comfort to a family that just lost a child. Perhaps the hardest part is people find it easy to critique us each step of the way as well.”

Then I added, “Pastors are people, just like everyone else. We are broken people who live in a broken world. Sometimes, we need help too.”

These last few sentences were later quoted in an article that has gotten a lot of attention.

I know I am not alone in feeling this way.

The reporter also interviewed another pastor who said, quite frankly, “Had  I known the ugly side of ministry – the hospital visits, burying the dead, being in the room when someone is dying and trying to comfort their family … Had I known all that, I don’t think I would have accepted being a pastor.”

I understand how this pastor feels because I have been in his shoes many times and have struggled with the same feelings. Yet my experiences have driven me to draw a different conclusion: I have found that the hardest times in ministry — the points when I have felt like giving up — have confirmed my calling as a pastor. It’s in these moments I have experienced the most profound expressions of God’s love and grace.

I have been a pastor for almost 50 years, and I consider it a great honor.

Yes, I have been with parents when they heard the news that their loved one died.

Yes, I have presided at the funerals of, sadly, many children.

Yes, I have spoken to people on their deathbeds.

But I don’t consider that the “ugly” side of ministry — it is actually a great privilege. Because I, too, have been on the other end and needed a pastor’s comfort.

When my son Christopher died in an automobile accident in 2008, I was not the pastor called in for support, I was the person in need of a pastor.

My pastor was Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa. He helped me when I was at my lowest. I still remember his words to me as I struggled with the question, “Why did my son die?”

He said, “Never trade what you do know for what you don’t know.”

Source: Christian Headlines

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One of the main principles of Christianity that we hear the minister preach about all the time in church is the idea of helping your fellow brothers and sisters in their time of need. We know that, even as Christians, we’re going to experience hard times but those hard times can be made so much more manageable with the assistance of our fellow Christians. It’s this special relationship that we share with those in our church and our religion that make the power of Christianity so great.

For so many of us, some of the most challenging times in our lives have to do with health issues, either of our own or those close to us. Often, it is not only the physical condition itself that poses so much concern for us, but also the financial strain that accompanies it. When we, or someone close to us, are facing health concerns, we have enough to worry about without the added burden of expensive medical bills. Wouldn’t it be nice if you had someone on your side who not only cared about what you were going through but also was able to help you financially?

That is where healthcare sharing ministries fill a unique role in the healthcare payment system. These organizations are based on the Biblical principle of “bearing one another’s burdens” and have been easing the burden of medical expenses for decades. In fact, membership in these organizations have grown most rapidly since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, with over one million Americans currently being a healthcare sharing member. That’s over one million Americans who have a group of fellow Christians who are there for each other not only emotionally but also financially when someone in the group has an unexpected medical incident.

One of the largest and most well-known healthcare sharing ministries, with over 200,000 of those million-plus members, is Liberty HealthShare^SM. Throughout their rapid growth over the past decade, Liberty HealthShare has continued to keep their organization rooted in the Christian principles upon which it was founded. These Christian principles are evident not only in the organization’s shared belief statement and sharing guidelines but also in how financially accessible they make membership in the organization.

First, it’s important to know that participation in healthcare sharing ministries is precipitated by agreeing to a shared belief statement based on Christian principles. The Liberty HealthShare statement of shared beliefs states that members “believe every individual has a fundamental religious right to worship the God of the Bible in his or her own way.” This is not the case with many health-care sharing ministries, some of which accept only specific denominations of Christianity and even require members to have a pastor or minister sign off on weekly church attendance. It’s an approach that embodies Liberty’s mission to make the Christian tradition of healthcare sharing available and affordable to all.

Source: Christian Headlines

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