Wednesday, December 30, 2020
Wednesday, December 23, 2020
Water baptism via technology
Thursday, December 17, 2020
Wednesday, December 9, 2020
Signs and wonders in December 2020
Dec. 9 -Today, we have a major solar event that could affect our electronics.
[Luke 21:25-28 - " 25 “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”]
Thursday, November 12, 2020
Revelation watch - 2020 U.S. election prophecies
I did not get any personal "revelations" about the outcome of the Nov. 3 presidential election. Numerous others say they did. Most of what I believe I received from the Lord thus far has to do with the rapture (no date) and coming disasters - some starting soon.
Tuesday, November 10, 2020
Revelation watch: 1620 compact made America great
What really made America great
Image: Signing the Mayflower Compact 1620, a painting by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris 1899 (Wikimedia Commons)
Psalm 33:12 - "Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance."
Wednesday, November 4, 2020
Transformation after the U.S. election, prophetic word
The prophetic word is "transformation"
"Transformation:" Looks like Joe Biden may win the White House. Unofficially, he allegedly has 264 electoral college votes, and he needs only 270. Donald Trump with 214 electoral college votes can't catch up. Last night, the Lord dropped the word "transformation" in my spirit. Could mean transformation both spiritually and in the natural. The difference between a reprieve before things go crazy, or heaven's ruling of "no more delay."
Tuesday, October 27, 2020
Saturday, October 17, 2020
Wednesday, October 7, 2020
Revelation watch: Dream about the End Times
Dream with a prophetic message
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| Image by Philipp Berndt/Unsplash |
I woke up today (October 7, 2020) after a dream that about my recent spiritual and practical concerns about the near future events in store for followers of Jesus Christ. I felt I ought to share this dream.
In the dream, I was in a house that felt familiar and relatives were in other rooms. The only one I actually caught a glimpse of or that I knew was in the house was my mother. We were moving out, and most of the house was empty. There was activity in other parts of the house related to the move, but most of the work was already done. I had only a few minor things left to pack or get rid of. We were leaving our current home. Then, I learned that we were moving to Baltimore, Maryland. I asked why Baltimore since it had been predicted that the East Coast would get hit by a massive tsunami. Then, I answered myself that the rapture by Jesus would take us out of harm's way before or on the day of the tsunami. With that comforting thought in mind, I kept busy with the activities related to the move.
Interpretation
Get ready to leave. The rapture is soon. It seemed that most of the things I needed to take care of before such a "departure" were nearly done, in the natural and spiritually speaking. It didn't matter at this point where we lived. I felt ready to go. No looking back wondering if I left something else undone or pending. A series of disasters will come upon the United States and the world. The prophecies in the Book of Revelation will be fulfilled. We are in that prophetic season. Jesus is coming back soon. He will rule with perfect justice. We should believe all of His promises, and that should give us peace.
Bible verses
Luke 21:34-36 (NIV) - "34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”
Acts 2:38-39 (NIV) - "38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
Shalom!
Diana Washington-Valdez/Faith Today Christian Ministries (free End Times ministry)
Exalting the Name of Jesus!
Numerous Bible translations at BibleGateway Bibles online
Monday, September 28, 2020
Revelation watch Day 28: Another prophetic dream
Revelation watch Day 28: Another prophetic dream
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| Illustration by Andre Arvizu/Unsplash |
Fabulous dream: I was with three young men, fellow Christian brothers, one of them was of Asian background. In fact, we were all around the same young age. (Glorification of the first raptured?) We were part of a larger crowd that was preparing to attend a talk by Jesus Christ. We were also preparing for a major evangelistic outreach.
Friday, September 25, 2020
Revelation watch: Day 25
Time to rest ...
Exodus 33:14 (NLT) - "The Lord replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.”
Matthew 11 28-30 - "(28) Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Postings will resume after a break with the family. Will continue receiving prayer requests through Oct. 3.
Shalom!
Diana Washington Valdez/Faith Today Christian Ministries
Exalting the Name of Jesus!
Facebook.com/faithtodaypage1
YouTube user: dwvaldez (Diana shares)
Thursday, September 24, 2020
Revelation watch: Day 24
Revelation watch: Day 24
... wait patiently
Jesus is coming with the clouds: Rev.1.7 (Photo by DZN)
It happens every time. People get excited about the return of Jesus, and they check the latest prophetic messages making the rounds, new dates are set, but their interest fizzles out soon after the dates arrive and nothing happens. Well, some things are going to happen. God, who cannot lie, said they will happen.
The closer we get to them - things of the Lord's appointed times - the sooner it will become evident that we are at the end. The end of the world? No. The end of this age. Matthew 23:3 - "As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
Another age will begin. In Habakkuk, we are told that we are to "wait patiently," and from the context of the Book of Habakkuk, the instruction is aimed at the people who are living at the time that Habakkuk's future vision was to be fulfilled. The Lord's instruction clearly applies to us today. Wait patiently.
Scriptures
Habakkuk 2:1-3: (NLT) -
(1) I will climb up to my watchtower
and stand at my guardpost.
There I will wait to see what the Lord says
and how he will answer my complaint.
(2) Then the Lord said to me,
“Write my answer plainly on tablets,
so that a runner can carry the correct message to others.
(3) This vision is for a future time.
It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled.
If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently,
for it will surely take place.
It will not be delayed.
Genesis 41:32 - "Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that the matter is determined by God, and God will quickly bring it about."
Ezekiel 12:28 - "Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “None of My words will be delayed any longer. Whatever word I speak will be performed,”’ declares the Lord God."
Revelation 10:6-7 - "He swore an oath in the name of the one who lives forever and ever, who created the heavens and everything in them, the earth and everything in it, and the sea and everything in it. He said, “There will be no more delay. 7 When the seventh angel blows his trumpet, God’s mysterious plan will be fulfilled. It will happen just as he announced it to his servants the prophets.”
Revelation 22:20 - "He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!”
Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!"
Shalom!
Wednesday, September 23, 2020
Revelation watch: Day 23 God with us
Immanuel: God with us
Prophecy is fulfilled ...
I had such an experience recently that I would like to share here in case it might encourage others. There are things or concepts about the Christian faith that I understood and accepted intellectually. But this time, it was like the Holy Spirit showing me to make certain truths about Jesus my very own. Let them sink deep into my spirit. My hope is that you will be blessed by reading this today.
Scriptures
Isaiah 7:14 (NLT) - "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel."
Galatians 4:4 (NLT) - "But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law."
Matthew 1:23 (ESV) - “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us)."
Note: Don Stewart, in a post for blueletterbible.org explains that Immanuel is not a personal name, as in Jesus, but rather a role that Jesus was to fulfill: "It is not that Jesus ever bore the name Immanuel but that it indicates His role, bringing God's presence to man." Don Stewart
The humanity of Jesus
I Timothy 3:16 (NLT) - "Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ was revealed in a human body and vindicated by the Spirit. He was seen by angels and announced to the nations. He was believed in throughout the world and taken to heaven in glory."
Hebrews 2:14-18 (NIV) - (14) "Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like them , fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted."
Jesus is the builder - the constructor
Matthew 16:18 (NLT) - "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
Jesus is fully God and man
John 1:3 (NIV) - "Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made."
John 1:14 (NLT) - "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."
He is "with" us
Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV) - "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 18:20 (NIV) - "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Revelation 3:20 (NIV) - "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me."
It came unexpectedly
A couple of things from a video series by Brenda Weltner on the Book of Revelation grabbed my attention, which started the ball rolling. I will summarize here and you can watch the entire Weltner lesson on YouTube.
From Brenda Weltner's video series: God "formed" Adam. God "made" (constructed) Eve. Adam and Eve are types and shadows of the bridegroom (Jesus) and the bride (the church). When God said it was not good for Adam to be alone, which is why He made Eve; it it like saying it was not good for Jesus to be "alone." Weltner on Revelation
I really 'got it' this time!
After hearing Weltner's comments about Adam and Eve, things started to click, fall into place. Why would Jesus ever feel alone? After all, He is God and has no need of anything or anyone. And, I've always wondered, why would the Lord want to fellowship with us frail and imperfect humans? Really.
However, in His humanity, Jesus wants to fellowship with other humans, with us. He is a part of them and they are a part of Him. He is fully God and He became fully human (the formal term is the "Incarnation)", and that is forever. The role of Jesus as "Immanuel" includes His identity with humanity.
In order for Jesus to live among us, He first had to redeem us (salvation); He had to destroy the power of sin and death over us. The account of the torn curtain in the Temple at Jerusalem when Jesus was crucified also took on a greater significance for me.
Jesus allowed His body to be brutally tortured, and ultimately, He died on the cross so that we could have access to the Holy place, so that we could approach the Lord. The Temple curtain symbolized His body. Through His suffering, death, burial and resurrection, Jesus makes us "good enough." By faith in Him, we receive forgiveness for our sins, and we can fellowship with Him, the King of Glory.
Matthew 27:50-51 (NIV) - (50) "And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split
Hebrews 10:19-20 (ESV) -"Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,"
Run with it
I've said repeatedly before that the study of Revelation, which began for a second time about a year-and-a-half ago, has drawn me closer to the Lord. However, it was not until this moment that I understood the extent of God's love toward us, and why on earth He bothered with humanity.
Jesus is coming back, we know that from His prophetic words. He is coming back for His people. Jesus wants to hang out with us! The invitation is open to anyone, young and old, men and woman, boys and girls, of every nation, tribe, language and culture. No one who calls on Jesus for salvation will be excluded.
John 3:16 (NIV) "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Revelation 22:17 (ESV) - "The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say,
“Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires
take the water of life without price."
May Almighty God bless all of you
Shalom!
Diana Washington-Valdez/Faith Today Christian Ministries
Exalting the Name of Jesus!
Facebook.com/faithtodaypage1
YouTube user: dwvaldez (Diana shares)
Tuesday, September 22, 2020
Revelation watch: Day 22
Songs of celebration
Image by Unsplash
Revelation 15:1-3 (NLT) - "Then
I saw in heaven another marvelous event of great significance. Seven
angels were holding the seven last plagues, which would bring God’s
wrath to completion. 2 I
saw before me what seemed to be a glass sea mixed with fire. And on it
stood all the people who had been victorious over the beast and his
statue and the number representing his name. They were all holding harps
that God had given them. 3 And they were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb:
“Great and marvelous are your works,
O Lord God, the Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
O King of the nations.
4 Who will not fear you, Lord,
and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come and worship before you,
for your righteous deeds have been revealed.”
Chapter 15:3 connects the songs of Moses and the Lamb, both accounts of God's supernatural rescue, first of the Israelites and then of all the other peoples. [See also Romans 1:16 - "For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.]
There are many instances of worship and praise in the Book of Revelation. Scenes portray angels and people worshiping and praising the Lord in heaven. In this account of Chapter 15, the Lord Himself is involved in the musical aspect of the celebration.
God has defeated His enemies and a special group of people is being singled out for refusing to take the mark or number of the beast (antichrist) and or refusing to worship the beast statue (image). Rev. 15:2[c] - "They were all holding harps that God had given them." The Lord provided the instruments and the inspiration.
The magnificent "Handel's Messiah" musical borrows from Revelation 11:15, 19:6 and 19:16 for its famous "Hallelujah!" chorus. Once we see Jesus, there is no doubt that untold numbers of people will break out into worship and praise and dance; the already musically gifted will immediately begin composing songs and musicals to mark the event. There will be much to celebrate.
The Song of Moses and Miriam
The deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt's pharaoh and his army was astounding, and it included the parting of the Red Sea. Although they were on the move, no permanent home yet, they were inspired to sign about the Lord's mighty deliverance. The entire song, the lyrics, can be found in Exodus 15:1-21. Here is a part of the account of the musical celebration attributed to Moses and his sister. Aaron, their brother, is not mentioned as leading in the song. Maybe he couldn't carry a tune (smile):
Exodus 15:20-21: "Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing. 21 Miriam sang to them:
“Sing to the Lord,
for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver
he has hurled into the sea.”
Deborah and Barak
The "Song of Deborah" was a celebratory song after a mighty victory in battle. The Book of Judges, in the fifth chapter, tells us that Deborah (a judge at the time) and Barak (a military leader) sang this song after teaming up to lead their countrymen. The Lord gave Deborah a prophetic message for Barak, who was to lead the Israelites in battle against their foes.
The full song is in Judges 5:1-41. We don't know if this pair was musical, or who exactly composed the song, much less anything about the tune or instruments. The point was that the achievement by the Lord's hand was so huge that it called for a song!
My prayer is that everyone receives a personal revelation of the enormity of what Jesus had to do to save us.
Shalom!
Acts 2:38 (NIV) - "Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
Romans 6:23 (NIV) "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
John 1:12-13 (NLT) - "But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God."
Diana Washington-Valdez/Faith Today Christian Ministries
Exalting the Name of Jesus!
Facebook.com/faithtodaypage1
YouTube user: dwvaldez (Diana shares)
Monday, September 21, 2020
Revelation watch: Day 21
The judgment of God is complete
Psalm 145:17 (RSV) - "The Lord is just in all his ways,
and kind in all his doings."
One of the ways that believers now and in the past react to a wrong view of the Lord is legalism. The idea is that if we obey enough rules, then our good will outweigh the bad. Or, that by developing certain rituals and or religious traditions - which create an appearance or environment of "holiness" - God might regard us with mercy.
Recently, a believer revealed that her concept of God the Father was that He deals with us severely, Jesus less so. It's like putting the Father and Son into "tough cop/nice cop" roles. When the Bible talks about the "fear" of God, it does not mean we should cringe in a corner as if He is about to strike us at any moment. That kind of concept actually leads people to avoid God, instead of drawing closer to Him. Reverence is not the same thing fear as in afraid.
In the case of believers, this kind of wrong fear of God stems from ignorance of the finished work of the cross. The salvation that Jesus Christ achieved for us is complete. "It is finished," He said (John 19:30), nothing more can be added. We cannot "earn" salvation because we can never be good enough. But praise God, Jesus makes us good enough. When we get saved, by faith we can put on the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Part of the armor of God in Ephesians, Chapter 6, includes the breastplate of righteousness.
Ephesians 6:14 (WEB) - "Stand therefore, having
the utility belt of truth buckled around your waist, and having put on
the breastplate of righteousness," ...
What righteousness is the apostle Paul talking about here? Why, it's the righteousness of Jesus Christ. As believers, we have the privilege of wearing His righteousness. We confess and repent daily of our sins, and we continue in that attitude until we die or the Lord returns, whichever comes first.
Believers at the Judgment Seat of Jesus Christ
To get back on point, the Bible mentions two judgments that include people. One is the judgment of all believers which is to determine the rewards for the work done in this life to advance God's kingdom. Did we share the Good News with others? Did we pray for other people and not just our own concerns?
Within our ability, did we help the poor, widows and orphans, visit people in jail, serve our communities, all the things that Jesus talked about during His ministry on the earth. Our judgment - of the saints - is not to decide whether we go to heaven or hell, it is to recompense us for helping the Lord, including discipling others and carrying out our responsibilities as representatives of Jesus.
2 Corinthians 5:10-11 (NLT) - "For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.11 Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too."
1 Corinthians 9:24-25 (NLT) - "Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize."
1 Corinthians 3:14-15 (ESV) - "If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire."
According to gotquestions.org (a great website), five types of "crowns" await faithful believers: "the imperishable crown, the crown of rejoicing, the crown of righteousness, the crown of glory, and the crown of life." See more Five crowns
Acts 24:15 (NIV) - "and I have the same hope in God as these men themselves have, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked."
Then, there is the resurrection and judgment of all others, also known as the White Throne judgment. We can read about it in Revelation Chapter 20. Everyone else probably includes our first parents, Adam and Eve, and everyone after them. Their faith in the prophetic promises of God no doubt will be a factor in determining their eternal destiny. I wonder at times what would happen to people before Abraham was called out of the idolatrous culture he lived to become the father of faith to millions. What about those who never heard the Gospel or even knew what to believe about God. What about everyone else?
Revelation 20:11-12 (ESV) - "Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done."
We have to believe that the Lord will deal with people eternally consistent with His justice, mercy and grace. His justice is complete, His mercy endures forever, His grace is motivated by love, the same love that prompted the Father to sacrifice His son Jesus to save humanity. The Lord will be as merciful as possible in meting out sentences, and He will do so without compromising His holiness. His justice is perfect.
Matthew 25:41 (NIV) "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are
cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels." Here, we're told that initially hell was prepared for the devil and the wicked angels; they will be joined by evil-doers, those who took the mark of the antichrist, the antichrist and his false prophet, and those who rejected Jesus Christ.
Psalm 136:1 (KJV) - "O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever."
Shalom
Diana Washington-Valdez/Faith Today Christian Ministries
Exalting the Name of Jesus!
Facebook.com/FaithTodayPage1
YouTube user: dwvaldez (Diana shares)
Sunday, September 20, 2020
Revelation watch: Day 20
God's calendar
Date-setting in the End Times
There are literally dozens of historical and cultural calendars from around the world. Some had days in the week that ranged from five days as in the Korean calendar to the 13 days the Aztecs used to define a week. Regardless of how many systems were created to count days, to delineate seasons and to mark days of religious significance, most calendars in use were lunar, solar or lunar-solar and seasonal, according to Wikipedia's information.Calendars
The calendars of most interest to Bible scholars include the Gregorian (in wide use today), Julian, Jewish or Hebrew, Coptic, Enoch, and Torah (Creation) calendars. Many dates in the Bible, in the Old Testament, reference dates according to the scholars' interpretation of the Hebrew calendar.
For example, in chapter 1 of the Book of Jeremiah, the author provides a time-frame for the prophet's work and for the events he predicted that became part of Israel's history:
Jeremiah 1:2-3 (NLT)- (2) "The Lord first gave messages to Jeremiah during the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah. 3 The Lord’s messages continued throughout the reign of King Jehoiakim, Josiah’s son, until the eleventh year of the reign of King Zedekiah, another of Josiah’s sons. In August of that eleventh year the people of Jerusalem were taken away as captives."
The Book of Ezekiel stands apart because the prophet Ezekiel in some cases recorded the month and day of several of his visions, according to the New Living Translation (NLT):
Ezekiel 8:1 (NLT) - "Then on September 17, during the sixth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, while the leaders of Judah were in my home, the Sovereign Lord took hold of me."
Without trying to develop a dissertation of which calendar we should apply to the future prophecies in the Book of Revelation, we've touched on enough highlights to understand why Bible interpretation for future prophecies can be challenging.
Which calendar - if any of these mentioned here - would God use to alert us to an important divine event? In a previous dream, I saw "March 19" in front of me clear as day. The year was not included. I asked myself, 'is it a future date of some significance?' 'Is it purely symbolic?' I looked up the day in the regular (Gregorian-based) calendar on the wall. But I also had to wonder, March 19 according to which calendar, assuming this was a prophetic message?
It seems to me that the Lord would use something we are familiar with. I am not knowledgeable of the ins and outs of the Enochian or Torah calendars, for example. [March 19 of 2020 came and went without anything unusual about it, that I know of. Next year?]
The sovereign Lord has His calendar, and things will happen when He decides. Because of His mercy, He will warn us - just like he used Jeremiah to alert the people - so we can repent and be prepared spiritually for His return. One thing is certain. Jesus said He is coming back and He will!
Shalom!
Faith Today Christian Ministries/Exalting the Name of Jesus!
Facebook.com/faithtodaypage1
YouTube user: dwvaldez (Diana shares)