But how? Understand that the Savior of mankind had to be more than just a man; otherwise, man would be saving himself, and that is impossible. Clearly then, the Savior had to be God! For again, only God can forgive sin and save sinners. Jesus spoke to the absolute necessity to see and believe this truth when He said, “…if ye believe not that I am He (God), ye shall die in your sins.” (Jn. 8:24) Meaning to be cast from God’s presence and light into eternal darkness and damnation. Jesus also said, “…I am come that they might have life…” (eternal life) (Jn. 10:10), which He gives by dying in our place on the Cross! Jesus was saying to the Jews that in spite of their Covenant history, they did not have life and were dead (lost) UNTIL HE CAME! Note that this lost, hopeless state applies to Gentiles also; indeed, to all people of the world.

To help believe that Jesus was the God-Man on the Cross, consider the definition of Incarnate: Embodied in flesh, esp. human form. Also consider Incarnation: 1. The assumption of Jesus Christ of bodily form. 2. The bodily form assumed by a deity.

Jesus Christ, as a man, did not exist before being born of Mary. In this regard, God said, “…thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.” ( Heb.1:5) Please note there is no separation between Jesus as man and Jesus as God! So as the Incarnation reveals, the Creator Father God dwelt with His creation as the begotten God-Man (flesh), Jesus Christ! And, thereby, entered the blood line of mankind. In so doing, He shed His own blood as a sacrifice for mankind’s sin!

ENTER: God’s Lamb, The Lamb Of God!

Cries for a Savior were answered at the Cross. The King of the Jews, the King of Israel; yeah, the Eternal Father God who said, “…I am the first and the last, and beside me there is no God.” (Isa. 44:6), was buying back what was lost to Him to establish a holy nation and an everlasting kingdom! Being fully (100%) man and fully (100%) God, Jesus as a man died, but Jesus as God did not. So the 100% God (Jesus) raised up the 100% man (Jesus) from the dead with a new and glorified body!

Jesus, speaking in the first person singular as a man and as God said: “…destroy this temple (kill me) and in three days I will raise it up.” (Jn. 2:19). By saying “I will”, Jesus is saying He is God, for it shows Him present (alive) in the past, present and future at once (the same time), having no constraints as to time or space. Existing not only from the “beginning”, but from everlasting! So, He is alive as God while dead as a man, and is speaking from all time frames because His is an uninterrupted and never-ending life!

So, because of His glorious resurrection, I can shout with the song writer who said, “He’s alive… He’s alive and I’m forgiven. Heaven’s gates are open wide!” Eternal thanksgiving to my Lord and praises to the Darling of Heaven; and oh that I could bow before Him and kiss His lovely feet!

His message? I love you. My life, death and resurrection in your place for your life. So respond with the hymnal writer who said, ” I am coming Lord to thee, dear Lamb of Calvary. Humbly at thy cross I bow. Save me Jesus, save me now.”

Reverend Jess Shifflett
Front Royal, Virginia

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Did you finish your spring cleaning only to realize you need more storage space? Here’s a room by room look at some of the best solutions available.

Kitchen
Install hidden trays under your cabinets to hide chargers, coffee pods and other essentials. In addition, placing pull-out shelves in cupboards will make it easier to organize your items.

Bathroom
Store your cleaning supplies on a Lazy Susan to make them easy to find when you need them. Use baskets to hold things like bath towels or toilet paper.

Living room
Put a bowl on the coffee table to stylishly corral remote controls, magazines and other items. Additionally, a storage ottoman is perfect for holding throws and pillows.

Bedrooms
Take advantage of the space under your bed by adding drawers or using under-the-bed storage boxes.

Garage
Install overhead racks near the ceiling. This allows you to incorporate storage in the garage without sacrificing parking space. Use this area to hold stuff you don’t need to access often, like seasonal decorations and sporting gear.

Workshop, office or craft room
Mount a pegboard above your work area and use it to organize your tools or supplies. By hanging things on the wall, they’ll be easier to find and you’ll free up some room.

In addition, be sure to use the vertical space in your home. Install shelves above doors, get extra tall bookcases and put hooks on the back of closet doors.

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Distracted driving remains a serious issue. While fatalities caused by inattention at the wheel are down, there’s more to do in order to ensure America’s roads are safe. Here are some numbers about distracted driving.

3: the number of seconds within which 80 percent of accidents occur.

9: the estimated number of people who die every day because of a crash caused by distracted driving.

20: the percentage of teens who admit to having long, multi-message text conversations while driving. Ten percent of parents report that they do the same.

27: the number of seconds you’re still distracted after using a hands-free device. Switching between tasks is demanding and increases your risk of crashing.

43: the number of states that have enacted a ban on texting and driving for all drivers, along with the District of Columbia.

55: the percentage of teens who think they can manage texting while driving. Only one out of five teens believe using a phone behind the wheel impacts their driving performance.

90: The percentage of road accidents that could have been prevented.

94: the percentage of teens who recognize that texting while driving is dangerous. Thirty-five percent of them admit to doing it regardless.

2,841: the number of people killed in motor vehicle accidents caused by distracted driving in 2018.

21,000: the approximate number of accidents caused by cellphone use in 2018.

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Warren County Public Schools (WCPS) food services have been on a roll, literally and figuratively.

Last week, WCPS Child Nutrition handed out almost 2,100 free meals to help support local students with breakfasts and lunches during the COVID-19 pandemic, WCPS Interim Superintendent Melody Sheppard told members of the Warren County School Board during its April 1 regular meeting.

On Tuesday, she said 3,582 meals were served to more than 597 students — 1,088 were served at E.W. Morrison Elementary School; 332 were served via the food services van, and 968 were served from Warren County school buses.

That was a substantial increase over Monday when 804 meals were served at E.W. Morrison; 276 via the food services van; and 636 from the buses for a total of 1,716 meals served.

“I really have to give a shout out to our food services department and our transportation department,” said Sheppard. “They have done a phenomenal job of making sure our students are fed.”
Sheppard said that the schedule for the bagged meals program has been modified. (Click here for the full schedule of pick-up and/or drive-through times and locations.)

For instance, WCPS will deliver two-days worth of breakfasts and lunches to specific sites on Mondays and Wednesdays. Then on Fridays, WCPS will deliver three-days worth of breakfasts and lunches at various sites to cover weekend meals.

“We also just received permission from the Virginia Department of Education that the student does not have to be present for food pickup,” Sheppard said. “Parents must provide students’ names, but the children don’t have to be present to receive their free meals.”

Warren County School Board Vice Chairwoman Catherine Bower said that she recently rode on a school bus to help deliver free school meals.

“The kids and the parents are very appreciative,” she said, “and the kids are super sweet and very engaging. Let’s get the word out that we’re going to take care of them and see them through this.”

“Even in this difficult time, our community is pulling through as always,” said School Board member Kristen Pence.

During her superintendent’s report to the board, Sheppard also said that WCPS teachers continue to support students on a daily basis.

“Our teachers and principals have been working very hard to ensure the continuity of instruction,” said Sheppard. “Where we can, we are providing virtual instruction and for those students without internet connectivity, we are providing packets of learning materials.”

Teachers also hold “office” hours from home every weekday during mornings and afternoons, she said, adding that students and their families may interact with teachers via email, Google Classroom, or telephone if they have questions.

“Teachers are reaching out regularly to students via email and phone,” Sheppard told the board members.

Additionally, WCPS is initiating plans for a comprehensive summer school program, but currently is unsure “when and if we can resume normal operations, but we are hopeful we will have a robust summer school program in July to help students get ready for the upcoming school year that starts in August,” said Sheppard.

WCPS also hasn’t lost sight of prom and graduation, which are the big memory-making events for high school seniors. “But it’s still too early to predict when these events will be held based on currently available information,” she said.

School Board Chairman Arnold Williams, Jr. noted that WCPS is “striving hard” to take care of its teachers, children, and staff.

“Bottom line,” he said, “our community will pull out of this and will be fine. I know it’s tough. But if we do what we need to do, we can hopefully move on and get back to our normal routine.”

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Photos of the Joint Task Force raid at 218 East 6^th St., Front Royal, Thursday morning, April 2. Winchester Police led the operation targeting a robbery-carjacking suspect in a city incident of March 28. Royal Examiner Video-Stills/Mark Williams

Prior to 8 a.m., Thursday morning, April 2nd, not far from the Royal Examiner/National Media Services’ Commerce Avenue Front Royal offices, a joint law enforcement operation led by the Winchester City Police Department’s Investigative Unit arrested a suspect on multiple charges in a March 28 incident in the city. Below is the Winchester Police Department’s full press release on its investigation and Thursday morning’s joint-departmental operation:

On April 2, 2020, at approximately 7:15 a.m., the Winchester Police Department (WPD), assisted by other law enforcement agencies, executed a search warrant at 218 East 6th Street in Front Royal, VA following an ongoing investigation into a carjacking in the City of Winchester. As a result of the investigation and search warrant, Diontre Tyrese Bell, 20 years old, of the above address in Front Royal, was arrested and charged with carjacking, robbery, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Diontre Tyrese Bell. Photo courtesy of RSW Jail.

On March 28, 2020, at approximately 12:30 a.m., WPD was alerted to a motor vehicle theft that had just occurred in the 100 blocks of East Pall Mall Street. Upon investigation into the incident, detectives learned that the male victim was standing outside his 1990 Dodge Caravan when he was approached by a group of males. One of the males, later identified as Diontre Bell, grabbed the backpack the victim was wearing and took items including a firearm and keys to the van. Threatening statements were made during the encounter. No injuries were sustained during the incident. The van was later recovered on March 30th, parked and unoccupied, along the roadway in the 1300 block of South Braddock Street.

During the execution of the search warrant, two cell phones were seized and DNA was collected. Bell is being held at the Rappahannock Shenandoah Warren Regional Detention Center without bond. The Winchester Police Department would like to publicly thank the Front Royal Police Department, Warren County Sheriff’s Office and the Northwest Regional Drug Task Force for their assistance in the investigation.

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~ Declaration provides additional support, federal funding to aid statewide response ~

RICHMOND—On April 2nd, Governor Ralph Northam announced that Virginia has received a Major Disaster Declaration to aid in the Commonwealth’s response to the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19. Governor Northam requested this federal disaster assistance on Monday, March 30.

A Major Disaster Declaration designation provides federal public assistance for all areas in the Commonwealth of Virginia affected by COVID-19 at a federal cost share of 75 percent. This allows state agencies, local governments, and certain non-profit organizations to purchase additional supplies and receive reimbursements for COVID-19 related costs under its Public Assistance program. In addition, the Major Disaster Declaration authorizes federal agencies to provide direct emergency assistance to Virginia.

“We thank the federal government for moving quickly to approve Virginia’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration,” said Governor Northam. “This critical funding will support our ongoing, statewide efforts to fight this virus in our Commonwealth and keep Virginians safe.”

On Friday, March 27, the Commonwealth received authorization for Title 32 funding to support the Virginia National Guard. Governor Northam has taken several additional actions to protect the health and safety of all Virginians amid the COVID-19 outbreak, including issuing a statewide Stay at Home order, closing all K-12 schools in Virginia through the remainder of the academic year, and mandating strict social distancing guidelines.

For additional resources and information about Virginia’s COVID-19 response, please visit virginia.gov/coronavirus.

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