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This weeks Sabbath School lesson was very interesting because of the content from Daniel's time, but also the striking parallels to current events. Daniel only saw the problems with the temple being rebuilt and the problems that were being encountered in the rebuilding. The angel tells him he has been struggling with the King of Persia for twenty one days or so. This I found to be a new understanding of the text because I had always thought of the King of Persia to be Satan as in the King of this world and thereby being King of Persia. But as the lesson brought out, it really was Satan that the angel was in controversy with until the the First Prince came to help. But they were struggling for control of Cyrus's mind and will. So, in like manner, the great struggle was like unto the Battle of Armegeddon where Jesus is warring with the dark side for the hearts and minds of the people. (Har Meggido, or Mount Carmel was the mountain on which Elijah challenged the people to choose this day whom they would serve) What the lesson brought out to me is even when we can not see the spiritual war going on, there is tremendous activity unseen to humans. Whenever, a huge disturbance occurs, we can be sure that unseen to human eyes there is a tremendous warfare going on that we can not see. If we only had Elisha to pray that our eyes could be open to see! This is where this Sabbath School lesson parallels intense activity in the world that we cannot see today. Yeah, the corona virus has everything messed up in the world and it came on so fast and took over the world. Was it as fast as a thief in the night? We can have our humor in our Facebooks memes about the panic buying of toilet paper while the economy is crashing about us. I highly suspect that in the spiritual realm an extreme amount of activity is going on. I do not believe this is one of the last plagues, but the reactions of the populace is a foreshadowing of things to come. I do not believe it is too far gone for the sleeping virgins to awake and get oil for their lamps, but it is way past time to be casual about God. The panic is also very strange in that another disease is running amok and has killed over 22,000 people this year and is now virtually ignored. 41 states are still red for high influenza activity by the CDC standards. Large numbers of people still refuse to get their flu shots when 99 percent of the cases this years are covered by the flu shot this year. Probably most of those people died needlessly. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm

So, what should congregations do in response to COVID-19? One such response is given below: https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2020/march-web-only/seattle-churches-stop-meeting-to-slow-covid-19-coronavirus.html?utm_source=ctweekly-html&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_term=16245031&utm_content=701922595&utm_campaign=email

It sounds like deciding who lives and dies, but is different. It is not far off from military style triaging. This now applies in mass civilian casualty situations. As I recall it divides people up into three categories and those who cannot be helped due to lack of resources, be it supplies, personal, or even just beds, will have to be let go so those can be helped with the available resources can be helped. Unfortunately, not just corona virus patients will be let go, but anyone needing intense levels of care. triage: the sorting of and allocation of treatment to patients and especially battle and disaster victims according to a system of priorities designed to maximize the number of survivors. With limited resources, healthcare workers are trying to save as many as possible. Huge resources to those very sick could allow many more not so sick to have a not good end. But it still doesn't sound good if it is someone important to you. I even read something today that they are considering how to get retired nurses back into the workforce. Not sure if I am not up to that for a number of reasons! I do not wish to start spending more days at the chiropractors office, although I do miss the ICU environment.

slowing down the rate of virus patients is good. If a bulge of the population needing medical care gets greater than the hospital facilities to treat them.... like in Italy now. they will have to be deciding who lives and who dies. Here in my community all schools are closed from elementary to university as of tuesday this next week. They will be arranging remote education. and they are looking at closing the washington oregon border.

Promises start tonight and tomorrow depending on what country you live in around the world. Memorize them and use them against temptation as ‘it is written.’ With the promises it doesn’t always lend to a 3-word phrase. It may be only 2 words or as much as 4 words to complete the right thought. God bless

No, its not accurate. The Pope is here saying Catholics should lead by example (such as living the Christian life) and by that example we share the Gospel. This is the difference between evangelism (sharing the Gospel) and proselytizing (trying to talk or convince someone out of their religious beliefs). Romans 15, 20 Vs. Matthew 23:15. This may help: https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/pope-francis-on-proselytism

Keep My words ? John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Doesn't this article contradict Ellen White's prophetic schema of the Catholic Church forcing the world to 'get-in-line'?