Dear friends:

The past two days, now just one day before Passover, have seen two stirring events:

1.  On Thursday, the U.S. Army Chorus has received worldwide attention singing, "Battle Hymn of the Republic" at the White House welcoming ceremony for Pope Benedict XVI.  Note some of the prophetic words and exaltation of Christ as sung to the whole world, referring to His coming:

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on....

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat;
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet;
Our God is marching on.

He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave,
He is wisdom to the mighty, He is honor to the brave;
So the world shall be His footstool, and the soul of wrong His slave,
Our God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God is marching on. 

Watch It At! The Battle Hymn of the Republic performed by the US Army Chorus

TV host Rush Limbaugh remarked: "You have to hear it and you have to imagine a crystal-blue sky, a crisp day in Washington, the pope and the president on the reviewing stand with others, the camera occasionally focusing on the US Army Chorus. You realize, this is at the White House, and a song written in tribute to God is being played at the White House. In this country there has been such an effort, and it has been way too successful, to remove God from anything public. Not only was God present, but the largest White House welcoming ceremony ever participated in a ceremony thanking God and respecting God and offering up a tribute to God, and you just have to hear this. It runs about 4:47. It's infectious, so well done."  (Rush was very moved by this public recognition of God.)

2.  A rare 5.2 earthquake hit the mid-west this morning, April 18, at 4:37 a.m. near W. Salem, Illinois.  In Hebrew, Salem is a root word for Jerusalem, around which world history and present world events revolve.  Is it on the Pope's agenda to pressure Bush to pressure Israel to divide or give up Jerusalem, the City of David, which God has given to the Jews?  Is the earthquake a warning?  I suspect it is.

Jim