Birth Pangs of Mashiach Part 2 - Chevlai Mashiach No 2

To learn about the Hevlai Mashiach we need to read an essay from the Sefer Chesed Avraham written by the Kabbalist Sage Rabbi Avruham Azulai who lived in Chevron during the 1600.s The words i am teaching come from the Nahar (In this context it means section or chapter - In Hebrew it means river) 55. Why Rabbi Azulai chose to call his sections rivers will wait until his reincarnation if necessary (i do not think so) or the Resurrection of the Dead when we can ask him ourselves.

i am paraphrasing Rabbi Azulai's words: When HaShem created the physical world he bonded the physical world to the higher worlds through the creation of Adam HaRishon. This means that the highest potential of Humanity is to reach God and perhaps become GodLike. (The last phrase is chanoch's only)

The human race is connected to HaShem through the Shecinah which is translated as the Divine Presence or the Indwelling of HaShem.

Let's understand what is the Shecinah? There are many metaphors i can use to explain this term. At its lowest level there are atoms and atom components that make up the physical world. How does an electron or a Proton know where to be and what to do? There are forces - some even not yet identified by science - that tell it what to do and what it is. To know that an electron is attracted to a proton but not all succeed in that endeavor. This is what differentiates between compounds and elements in the periodic chart. How does a fetus which starts as one impregnated egg become billions of cells and how do these cells know to become a heart muscle or a liver or a spleen or skin or an eye? That knowledge is HaShem. That knowledge is the consciousness of HaShem. That knowledge is the indwelling of HaShem. That knowledge is the Shecinah.

This consciousness has the power to impact and effect Time and Space. The two levels of our three dimensional world which is what science has measured. Consciousness can change Time and Space. Of course this occurs at the unconscious level. We need to learn to do this at the conscious level. That is what is taught in our Sefer Yetzirah class.

All mystical traditions and experiences demonstrate that the physical world is an illusion. The ultimate teaching of Torah as expressed by Rabbi Azulai is to peer through the illusion and manifest the true reality into our physical world. We do this by bringing our unconscious level of the Shecinah to our conscious level of the Shecinah.

What is all of this about. Why am i bringing this teaching here? The answer is that in order to relate to the Prophecies completely we need to expand our consciousness and bring more of the Shecinah of the unconscious into our conscious world. Understand this to understand these classes of the Prophets. Remember the daoist buddist teaching. I dreamed i was a butterfly and it was so real i did not know if i was a butterfly dreaming i was a man or a man dreaming i was a butterfly. Which is the truth for you?

There are two brains in our head. One called "lawyer" and one called "artist." It is only the artist that ultimately can connect to the unconscious Shecinah. Then and only then can the lawyer deal with the physical world.

Rabbi Azulai explains that this world of illusion is constantly falling lower and lower deeper and deeper into the negative control. This is the plan of HaShem who will ultimately bring his Mercy to bear and change the end. This is referred to Kabbalistically the end of the Right which will come with Mercy.

Let's understand Mercy: Towards the end of WW2 the US military was planning an invasion of Japan which was estimated would cost over a million American men to die. It was estimated it would take over 10 years to complete and the Japanese dead would be on the order of 20 million. That is one path that the world could have gone. President Truman ordered a shorter more merciful path called dropping Atomic bombs. Today we do not consider that merciful because we have forgotten the mentality and consciousness of the day. When it comes to understanding God's Mercy it may not be Human Mercy. It will be sharp and immediate and cause a quick turnaround to this process of falling. It will be merciful but only in the context of God's Mercy not necessarily Man's Mercy. We can bring Man's Mercy as well. Only if we cause our unconscious to be brought to the level of conscious. Only if we start this process ASAP. I bring this discussion to help you understand that it is important for you to do this spiritual work on your own. Stop depending on your leaders that no longer fill the capacity of "wise" men. You must become your own "Wise" Person.

The Gemara states that Mashiach will come in a Generation that is either completely Good or Completely evil. This needs to be understood in the concept of the Tree of knowledge good and evil. We can only go so far down into evil until good comes to rescue us from ourselves. Or we can rescue ourselves by manifesting good ourselves. In either pattern the world changes overnight. One person at a time changes overnight. Until enough one person changes manifest in a complete change of the physical world. May it happen soon it our time and let us say AMEN.

We are taught that the first Redemption from Egypt came when we reached the 49th gate of Negativity and then HaShem rescued us before we could go into the 50th Gate of Negativity. Rabbi Azulai is teaching that we should measure where we are with respect to the gates of evil in order to know how soon the Final Redemption. He teaches that we should look to our society and leaders. The religious and the secular both show signs of the same spiritual diseases. Pedophilia in the Churches and Synagogues. Murders and Rapes and other negative actions caused by the Gates of Evil. The control of the world by the evil side. Look at our society and its values. Hedonism Greed Selfishness. What could be worse? Are we in the 48th the 49th or have we entered the 50th. Could it be worse? The Prophecies say that the West (Edom) will fall. Islam will control Jerusalem for at least 1 year and then they too will fall to an Army of Angels, which will be God's Mercy manifesting like the Atomic Bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Can it be different? Yes, if we change ourselves. When we stop seeing the western world as the goal and start seeing the spiritual connection as the goal. At the least this path will be our individual protection shield as the Zohar tells us. Of course we may actually bring about the change prior to the 50th Gate of Negativity assuming we have not reached it yet.

Rabbi Azulai continues in the Nahar 56 explaining the Birthpangs of Mashiach. Those who have adorned themselves with Good Deeds. Doing so with the full consciousness of the Mitzvot will be protected as the Zohar teaches. Those of the level of the Mekubal will not have to experience the Birthpangs. They will not have to have this chaos. They will not have to be tested. This testing is only for those who are at the level of Peshat. Study the Zohar. Listen to our recordings of the Zohar located on our website at http://www.yeshshem.com/zohar-recording-links.htm

FYI the family name Azulai implies a Cohen.

In today's class we are going to share the worst of the end time Prophecies. Do not be alarmed. Do not be frightened. We are starting with the worst to show you what your spiritual work is for. What we can change. I will show you my truth and describes truth from others to help you decide your truth for yourself. If you do not understand the above it is ok. Just make sure you do not react to the fear that is Satan's response to these end time prophecies.

Rabbi Azulai teaches that the majority of people will be tested by the Birth Pangs. Yet there will be a group of souls that will not need to be tested by the Birth Pangs.

What will be the difference between these two groups of souls? One group will reject the consciousness of higher levels and will look to physicality to protect them from these spiritual attacks. The other group will accept the spiritual concepts and learn to defend themselves from spiritual psychic attach.

Those people connected to the Zohar will not have to develop specific knowledge of protection yet it will be good if they do so. Rabbi Azulai teaches an explanation of the famous prophecy that Mashiach will come in its time or HaShem will hasten it.

To come in its time means that it will come with Mercy but not all people will feel this Mercy. It will come with a pleasant process and joyful energy. Those who are Kasher, appropriate, and worthy will receive this option. The Others will die and not see this pleasant process. Those who embrace their poverty and lack and do Teshuvah can also achieve this level.

Otherwise the pain and suffering and chaos will reach levels NEVER SEEN BEFORE. Rabbi Azulai forecasts that during the Birth Pangs the Jewish Nation will have nothing but their own skins and not even the clothes on their back. There will be such an abundance of tears that the hardness of all hearts will melt and people will realize that there is nothing to rely upon except HaShem Himself.

Rabbi Azulai explains that there have been many trials and tribulations put upon the nations. Some of these trials were on the level of murder. Some on the level of hunger. Some on the level of forced movement and change of home. Some on the order of poverty. Yet never has these troubles come ALL TOGETHER - ALL OVER THE WORLD with nary a location to temper the difficulties and trials.

When this comes Rabbi Azulai suggests that the state of Israel as we know it today will fall. Anti-Semitism will rise to a level never before seen in this world. Many people speak of this period of the Birth Pangs of Mashiach as having been the Shoah. Yet there was mercy shown even in the Shoah. This description by Rabbi Azulai expresses a much stronger attitude. It will come and it can not be avoided. Since this phase will include all of the tribulations manifested together, there will be no where to turn for comfort. For the impoverished there will be no bread, no other food, no clothing, no place to dwell, no house, no city, no strength due to the freezing weather, The only thing that anyone will have is their own body and its strength to survive this terrible ordeal.

It is from the depths of this tribulation that poverty will be exchanged by death. One will die and be resurrected by his brothers who did not need to go through this process. Israel will be exiled from Jerusalem and be forced to live in the caves of the desert where they will find no solace except for those who have learned the tools of Mind Over Matter. Poverty will be exchanged for death. This means that eventually that through the depth of pain and suffering we will reach a level of LIFE. What does this mean?

My teacher specifies that it is important to learn survival techniques. Do you know how to make a fire without the house heater working? Do you know where to get water and how to gather this and carry it to a protected place like a cave? Do you know how to build a shelter? These are skills that will be useful. Since i personally do not want to learn these things i spend my time learning techniques of opening Gates to the other dimensions that will allow me to balance my life with these experiences.

It is through HaShem's mercy that all of our technological life style will be taken away from us. These are the words of Rabbi Azulai. In the words of my teachers they say that this is the lesson of letting go that most of us struggle with today. We will learn that material possessions do not matter. We will learn that logical analysis of Talmud will not matter. Only the willingness of someone to try something new in order to connect to HaShem will work. We will learn that we do not need the arrogance of modern society but only grains and water will we eat. Can you let it go? Do you want to let it go? Are you willing to let it go?

Will it be this bad? For some yes. For others no. For the people connected to the Zohar - for the people connected to the intuitive level - for those who are willing to let go of that lifestyle before they need to; the answer is no it will not be that bad. For those who are only thinking of themselves it will be very difficult. For those who learn Mind Over Matter and then share - the center column where Mercy and Gevurah exist side by side together in unity will be their lot.

It is in the desert where we will be forced to run that Moshe Rabeinu will be revealed anew. Moshe will sit with us; he will cry with us; he will assist us in our work from before. The prophecy is that we will be in this situation for 45 days corresponding with the gematria of Mah. This will be the process of cleansing for some and mercy for others. It is unclear if this 45 days is a metaphor or an absolute. The Zohar says the days of darkness and living in caves in the desert will be 15 days. Metaphor or not is your decision?

(Remember we are told that what happened to the forefathers will happen to the children. Our forefathers left Egypt. During the plague of darkness 80% of the Nation died. Why? They did not want to leave Egypt - down deep they did not want Freedom. They liked what they had in the Narrow Place (Egypt). They were unwilling to go out and go in. This is a code word for the meditations taught in the Sefer Yetzirah. Check out the class. It is recorded on line.

Food in the desert will be salty roots according to Rabbi Azulai. This will cause us to do Teshuvah. Yet you will be able to see how HaShem provides for your needs and not your wants. You will learn to see that you and HaShem are one. Those who decide that i can not take this will return to the other nations where they spent so many years in exile. The effect of this decision is these Jewish souls will be destroyed when the other nations are destroyed. Many will learn how to perceive reality the way they want it to be and thereby manifest it in their life. This is the fast process that seems to us to be difficult but for the Mekubalim is something they are doing today. The Benoni will do Teshuvah while the Rashaim will either make significant changes or lose everything. Moshe will be unable to change others; only each of us will change us. Remember the idea of mercy that the US Army planned for the Invasion of Japan. This is the mercy; this is what must happen in a short period. Then the Dead will rise immediately and the Shechina will rise from the dust. Then will come a generation of the Jubilee. The redeemed will then come to the rebuilt Jerusalem which will be descended from Heaven.

HaShem will grab the corners of the earth and shake it. Out of this shaking the armies of Gog and MaGog will find their destiny and leave the booty for us to become wealthy. These are the secrets of what is to come, according to some. Yet we must know that all negative prophecies do not have to manifest. We are in control of this until we are no longer in control of this.

Rabbi Ashulai says know the ends so that you can change that end. Manifest a different path for yourself.

In 1989 a man came from Israel with a message for American Jewish People. He was interviewed by a NY Jewish Paper who prints in Hebrew. Here is the English Translation. It was translated by one of my Teachers. In 2004 my teacher updated it and adjusted his notes, this is what i read to you. I read this to you so you know that these items have been reported before, in every generation. Yet There is truth in every lie.

A Warning To The American-Jewish Community

The Secret Kabbalists of Israel Speak Their Message

(My teacher has told me and his other students about this group of Kabbalists. There is a secret group who serve HaShem and the Jewish People. Of course we do not truly know if they authorized this man to speak, or if he just said they did so.)

Fifteen years ago, on page 43 of the Friday, May 26, 1989 edition of the Hebrew language paper Yisrael Shelanu, there appeared an article the likes of which is highly unusual.

The article is titled in Hebrew, “Pah’had,” which is the Hebrew word for “fear,” but the word is spelled with an extra middle letter to emphasize its meaning. The article relates the story of one Dr. David Golander aged 46 at the time the article was printed; originally from England, and at the time the article reached print he was in Kiryat Haim, Israel. The article opens providing some background into Dr. Golander’s life, explaining how everything in his life changed when he met with a group of “secret Kabbalists, whose names and location he stubbornly refuses to reveal”.

Normally this type of person would be ignored by the media, and be viewed as some kind of “crackpot” – but not this time. Even the orthodox weekly The Jewish Press, which is no friend to Kabbalistic pursuits, carried a quarter page article regarding Dr. Golander on its Page 3, alongside the most important news of the time. What Dr. Golander has said then was taken quite seriously, and it has been fifteen years since his trip and message have been given any further attention. Many of you may not like what you are about to read; so be it. I just ask that you read on; Dr. Golander’s message needs to be heard.

When asked why he had come to America, spending his own money and time, he answered:

“I have come here to warn the Jews and to call upon them to move to Israel; for those who will not (move to Israel) will be harmed. This will happen due to anti-Semitism that will in a short time spread throughout the United States. Anyone who trivializes the signs of the coming anti-Semitism will be lost, similar to those who were lost during the plague of darkness that struck Egypt (during the Exodus). With this same energy, the process of the redemption begins, and soon after this will be revealed the one who is to lead it.”

In order to keep the flavor of the original article, I will continue translating and paraphrasing in the question-and-answer format in which the article was written.

Question: How soon will this happen?

Answer: That depends on the people of Israel. If the people of Israel will change their path, and proceed in the path of the Torah and of unity, the revelation will come immediately. If the people of Israel continue in the present path, the scenario will be in accordance with what is written in the Bible: There will be the war of Gog and Magog. Many nations including Russia 1 will rise up against us; then, only then, will we merit the redeemer. Yet this will be the disgraceful way; for the redeemer, this will be even more disgraceful.

1.This article was originally published two years before the collapse of the Soviet Union. Yet today we see Russia becoming involved yet again with world affairs like Syria.

Question: The Kabbalists that you represent – do they know who the redeemer is?

Answer: They say that no one knows who he is, and on the day that he needs to reveal himself he will do so in a simple manner. At that time, no one will be willing to head the people of Israel. He will then proceed with his work. By this time, the United States will already have abandoned us. There will be chaos. Instead of turning to G-d and requesting the redeemer, we have been playing around. Forty years have been given to us as a gift. The War of Independence, the Six Day War, and the Yom Kippur War, we all won; now our credit is exhausted and our bill is due.

The one who calls upon My Name, it is written, I will answer; however, it is not enough to simply cry out to G-d, one must call out with truth and purity.

Chanoch's Commentary: (Please see the Series of Recordings on the Sefer Yetzirah for information on how to call upon the Name of HaShem in truth and purity.)

The absurd thing is that only in Israel, where will be this international heat of the great gathering that is about to break out; only here will be the safe haven for every Israeli and Jew. You must remember that even before the Holocaust, many thought that traveling to Israel was like traveling to the desert; in the end, those who remained in Europe were lost. Every Jew who does not come to Israel but remains here will be destroyed, and this time it will be by the Hand of Heaven. This is what was requested of me to tell you.

Chanoch's Commentary: (Please note that the terms used may not have the conventional definition. A non-traditional definition is Jew = One who opens the door between the Physical World and the Spiritual World; Israeli = One who wrestles with HaShem; Ivrit = One who crosses over or one who goes out and comes in; Israel the Land = May not be a physical location but a consciousness.)

Question: Are you trying to succeed by using threats where other messengers calling (for the move to Israel) have failed?

Answer: I am not threatening. I cannot just sit back and be quiet, and not relate what I know. And I really don’t care how you wish to read this: These events will occur. Don’t say that you have not been warned. Even after the Holocaust people asked why they were not warned – but they were warned (A)…I do not say all these things on my own. The Kabbalists have made this knowledge accessible. They also do not want information released to the public in just any old way. It is forbidden to run after people.

Chanoch's Commentary: (A) (Many Kabbalists in Israel published warnings about the coming World War and the Shoah. Rabbi Ashlag published a dream he had in which he warned He Saw A DARK Cloud Over Europe. It was time to leave Europe was his interpretation. We also know of people who immigrated in the late 1930's to "Palestine" and then found themselves unhappy and returned to Europe some as late as August 1939. Germany invaded Poland in Sept. 1939. That was the beginning of the year תש. This is 5700 in the Hebrew Calendar. The meaning of this word in Hebrew is "The weakening". Can anyone argue with the understanding that the Jewish People were weakened by the Shoah? Can anyone argue with the Kabbalistic teaching that the Tzadikim become ill in order to weaken the body of the Jewish People?)

Question: Then why are you relating all this to us?

Answer: The Kabbalists said to me that it is now forbidden to relate (these things) to the public. They have said “it is enough”; however, being that I was traveling here now, I was given permission to speak.

Question: Who are these Kabbalists?

Answer: I am not at liberty to say.

Question: Do they live in Israel?

Answer: I will not say. However, they are people of flesh and blood.

Chanoch's Commentary: (How does He Know? This is a world of illusion! I did an internet search for Dr David Golander and the only references to him on both Bing and Google were to this interview i am reading to you. Where did he go? It was 1989. He did not just disappear like Adolf Hitler did in his Bunker in 1945; or did he?)

Question: When did you begin your connection with the Kabbalists? Did it just happen…like, you went to work one day and there they were?

Answer: I am not at liberty to say.

Question: Aren’t you concerned that someone might investigate you to find out who these Kabbalists are?

Answer: They will not succeed. I don’t want to threaten, but if someone were to try, they would be harmed.

Chanoch's Commentary: (Actually dissuaded would be a better understanding if they are true Kabbalists. Or perhaps the translation could be better.)

Question: How does the news media regard you?

Answer: I don’t know, and I don’t care. The left-wing journalists, like dogs in the street, will all die in the upcoming turmoil. Dahn Ben-Amotz will be the first; he does not know what is awaiting him from above.2 After him will come a whole list – they will all die one after another.

Note 2: Israeli author, columnist, humorist, and radio host Dahn Ben-Amotz died of liver cancer on October 20, 1989, nearly five months to the day from the original publication of this article. He was 66 years old. As many of us know it is quite possible that 5 months prior to his death he did not know that he was living with Liver Cancer.

Question: You don’t care much for journalists, do you?

Answer: It’s not that I don’t care for them; rather, because of them an entire generation is going down the wrong path.

Question: What is the scenario according to the Kabbalists; or better put, according to their faithful representative?

Answer: Israel will have war with seven western nations and Russia.3 The United States will abandon us, as they did Vietnam and Lebanon. The war will begin with a gas attack; every event in the Land will be tied to gas. There will be a lot of it. This is the sign. The redeemer will save us at the very end, without the need for arms. The percentage of survivors depends on how many go in the path of the Torah; if they do not walk in the ways of the Torah, (our enemies) will grind us up. However, in the end everyone will go in the ways of G-d.

The final scenario will be that a remnant in Tzion will return to G-d. It will be the redeemer’s job to destroy all the armies that terrorize Israel; what will happen to them will be like what happened to the armies of Sanheriv. According to this scenario there will be fifteen days of darkness; the sun simply will not shine. A frightening, powerful cold will grip the entire earth. Hunger and thirst will fall upon everyone. No one will be able to find food; it will not help to store food, for (because of the darkness) no one will be able to find it. All electric generators will fail to work. Many people will die.

Note 3 This article was originally published before the breakup of the Soviet Union, which had strong ties to the Arab world.

Chanoch's Commentary: In December 2011 Israel confirmed that its Leviathan field had a huge deposit of Natural Gas that would provide for its energy growth for the foreseeable future (300 years at today's usage). There are signs that this field also has oil deposits. I find it significant that the Name of the Field is Leviathan a mythical fish connected to the coming of Mashiach.

Chanoch's Commentary: To learn what happened to the Army of Sanheriv read Second Kings Chapter 19.

Question: What will happen to those who walk the straight path?

Answer: They will pass through this. Yet even those who walk the straight path will have to go through this situation that will come along with the wars, for we are all souls who have to repay something. This will be a period of purification.

People all around the world will be wiped out during this process; more than this, the power of destruction will run rampant. Souls will just leave their bodies. These days of darkness will be that portion of the process mentioned in the Biblical book of Yoel, chapters two and three. The next phase will be what is written in Ezekiel chapter thirty-eight. There will be a great earthquake; what happened in Armenia will be nothing compared to this.4 There will be nothing left of all the high rise buildings. The idolatry of the gods of stone will be finished.

4 On December 7, 1988, an earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale devastated several populous towns in the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, killing 25,000 people, injuring 15,000, and leaving over 500,000 homeless. It was the second-worst earthquake of the twentieth century.

Question: Who performs idolatrous service to stone today?

Answer: All young couples! See how they worship their homes.

Question: How is it that with this long process of destruction, only those who walk the right path will survive? When an airplane crashes, how is it that only the guilty are hurt?

Answer: It is similar to an auto accident. For example, five people are traveling together in a car. They have an accident and four of them are seriously injured, whereas the fifth – who was also in the car – is not hurt at all. So it will be during this process: Some will be hurt, others will not.

Here are some other things that will happen if the people do not walk the straight path:

• All 120 Members of the Knesset, the Prime Minister, the President (of Israel), even the religious Members of the Knesset – these specifically will all be destroyed if the people do not publicly turn back to G-d.

Chanoch's Commentary: The Torah teaches that the leaders of a generation have the responsibility to teach the members of the Generation to follow the Torah. If they do not try they are punished more severely than if they try and fail. In either case they have the responsibility to see that the Torah is manifested in this world. This punishment is the effect of their desire for honor and glory.

• Women in particular will pay for the way that they provocatively tempt men. This type of woman is very dangerous, and they do not know what is awaiting them.

• Another thing: Jews love money and have a lot of it. In one day all money will be rendered worthless. During this time many will suffer heart attacks, for the many people who own (and will lose) a great many possessions will be broken-hearted.

Therefore even today, one must give all one has to charity. Tzedaka matzil m’mavet (The giving of charity saves from death) – this is not just a saying! The giving of charity will be very important. Even prayer is not as important as the giving of charity. Thus, according to the Kabbalah, all the Torah can be summed up with the performance of good deeds. This is how one purchases a place in the world to come after the destruction. Therefore, one who is able to get rid of his wealth should do so now, for afterwards his wealth will be of no value.

Author's Commentary

While some of you reading this piece might mock Dr. Golander as a crackpot, I don’t. I believe that we should take his warnings to heart.

First of all, I personally know that there is a secret group of Kabbalists in Israel and abroad who, shall we say, have more power than meets the eye. I do not want to sound like there is any kind of conspiracy going on, G-d forbid, because there most certainly is no Jewish conspiracy. Yet Kabbalists, like the Biblical prophets before them, bear the responsibility of being the Hand of G-d in our world.

Throughout Jewish literature we have learned about the 36 righteous men in every generation, and that by their merit the world is sustained. This group is very real, and each knows who the others are. We do not have to know them. Their anonymity is their protection from those forces who would turn the world in a different course. My Rabbis informed me that this “group” is quite real, and I believe them. I cannot divulge why. My advice is that you too believe them, and that you believe Dr. Golander.

Things are definitely happening to bring the messianic travails upon us. Watch and wait; you’ll see, too. I just hope it won’t be too late. We all must return to Torah. Assist me and all Israel in fighting the eastern mystical and other cults, especially the Jews for Yeshu who prey on our people. We must go on the offensive to fight them. Make this your personal and congregational priority.

We Torah faithful Jews have Truth on our side, and it is time not only to rock the boat, but to tip it over entirely. When we do so, we might find out that the boat was upside-down all along, and our tipping it over is in reality tipping it right-side up. This is the act of Tikkun (rectification).

We all speak of wanting a better world. A better world cannot be founded on anything other than Truth. Isn’t it time that we all stood up for it? If we want a better world, if we want Mashiah to come, we have to be willing to make it happen!! G-d will bless our endeavors, but we have to take the necessary first step. In Kabbalistic terminology this is called “Aliyat HaMan”. Let us reclaim our fallen heritage, and raise up the fallen sukkah of David (Amos 9:11). It is not too late. Maybe we can still avoid the lion’s share of trouble; at least let’s try.