The Feast of Trumpets will be observed on Saturday, September 23, 2006.

Dave
Harris will be speaking in the morning from Colorado, at 9:00 am
Pacific Time (which is 11:00 am Central Time). His sermon is titled, “A
Day of Change.”

Norbert Link will be speaking from San Diego,
California, at 1:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 3:30 pm Central Time).
His sermon is titled: “Freedom From Slavery.”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org. Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

On Saturday, September 23, 2006, the Church of God fulfills God’s commandment for His people to celebrate a very special Sabbath–the annual Holy Day of the Feast of Trumpets, which falls this year also on a weekly Sabbath. It is interesting, when studying Jewish literature, how the ancient rabbis understood the meaning of this very important Festival. They associated several designations with this day. Let us review a few:

The Feast of Trumpets is also called the “Birthday of the World” (Rosh Hashana; literally, Head of the Years). It is believed that God created the world in the first week of the Hebrew month of Tishri, which corresponds to September/October according to the Roman calendar. It is also called the “Day of the Awakening Blast” (Yom Teruah, literally, Day of Blowing or Shouting). A trumpet was blown on that day. The trumpet was a ram’s horn or a “shofar,” which was associated with Abraham’s sacrifice of his son Isaac. God intervened and substituted a ram for Isaac in the incident of Abraham and Isaac.

In addition, the Feast of Trumpets is described as the “Day of Judgment” (Yom Hadin). It is understood that on that day, the righteous would receive eternal life.

Another designation is the “Day of Repentance” (Yom teshuvah). The trumpet blast includes the concept of awakening the spiritual dead to a life well pleasing to God. Paul echoes that understanding, when he writes in Ephesians 5:14: “Therefore He says: Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light!”

Further designations of the Feast of Trumpets are the “Day of the Coronation of the Messiah” (Ha Melech); the “Birth Pangs of the Messiah” (Chevlai shel Mashiach); and the “Wedding Ceremony” (Kiddushin/Nesu’in).

All these designations have deep meaning in relationship to the Feast of Trumpets.

But there are still more!

The understanding of the ancient rabbis includes the following additional concepts, as they pertain to the meaning of the Feast of Trumpets:

Israel will be advised of the advent of the Messiah with the sound of a shofar (Zechariah 9:14, 16). The shofar will be blown at the time of the ingathering of the exiles of Israel to their place (Isaiah 27:13). The shofar will be blown at times of war, and to signal the assembly of Israel during those times (Judges 3:27; 2 Samuel 20:1; Joshua 6:13, 16). The watchman will stand upon Jerusalem’s walls and blow the shofar (Ezekiel 33:3-6). The shofar will be blown to pronounce liberty and freedom (Leviticus 25:8-10). And, the blowing of the shofar will usher in the day of the Lord (Joel 2:1).

As we can see, the Feast of Trumpets is a very special annual Holy Day. It is filled with tremendous meaning for God’s people and for all of mankind. It culminates, of course, in the return of the Messiah–the God of the Old Testament–Jesus Christ.

Many of the reasons for Christ’s Second Coming–symbolized by the Feast of Trumpets–will be explained in detail during our morning and afternoon Holy Day services, which will be broadcast live over the Internet. If you cannot personally attend one of our local congregations, please listen to our live Internet broadcasts; or, if the time zone you are living in would prevent you from doing so, listen to our Holy Day sermons, which will be posted promptly on the Web after services. The Feast of Trumpets is a most holy and important annual Festival. Please don’t miss the opportunity to learn more about it.

The Pope Does Not Apologize

The Associated Press reported on September 20, 2006:

“Pope Benedict XVI said Wednesday that he has ‘deep respect’ for Islam, but he did not offer an apology demanded by some Muslim leaders offended by the pontiff’s remarks in Germany last week. The pope acknowledged that his remarks were open to misinterpretation, but insisted he had not intended to endorse a negative view of Islam… At the University of Regensburg last week, Benedict cited the words of a Byzantine emperor who characterized some of the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad as ‘evil and inhuman,’ particularly ‘his command to spread by the sword the faith.’ ‘This quote unfortunately lent itself to be misunderstood,’ the pontiff said Wednesday. ‘In no way did I wish to make my own the words of the medieval emperor. I wished to explain that not religion and violence, but religion and reason go together.’… But not all in the Islamic world were satisfied by Benedict’s statement of regret. The grand sheik of Cairo’s Al-Azhar Mosque, the Sunni Arab world’s most powerful institution, demanded that Benedict apologize more clearly.”

Bild Online reported on September 21, 2006, that thousands of Palestinians demonstrated in Ramallah against Pope Benedict XVI’s comments about Islam. According to the paper, a spokesman of the radical Islamic “Freedom Party,” which organized the demonstration, said that Muslim troops would conquer and destroy Rome.

Did Pope Benedict XVI Mean It?

On September 19, The Asia Times published the following editorial by Spengler on the front page:

“Jihad injures reason, for it honors a god who suffers no constraints on his caprice, unlike the Judeo-Christian god, who is limited by love. That is the nub of Pope Benedict XVI’s September 12 address in Regensburg, Germany. It promises to be the Vatican’s most controversial utterance in living memory… it is a defining moment comparable to Winston Churchill’s ‘Iron Curtain’ speech at Fulton, Missouri, in 1946… To denounce jihad on theological grounds is a blow at the foundations of Islam, in effect a papal call for the conversion of the Muslims… The Regensburg address oversteps the bounds of dialogue and verges upon the missionary…

“Specifically, Benedict stated that jihad, the propagation of Islam by force, is irrational, because it is against the Reason of God. Citing a 14th-century Byzantine emperor to the effect that Mohammed’s ‘decree that the faith he preached should be spread with the sword’ as ‘evil and inhumane’ provoked headlines. But of greater weight is the pope’s observation that Allah is a god whose ‘absolute transcendence’ allows no constraint, to the point that Allah is free if he chooses to promote evil… To ask Islam to become moderate, to reform, to become a peaceful religion of personal conscience is the precise equivalent of asking Catholics to abolish Mass…

“Regarding Benedict XVI’s statement that the characterization of the Prophet Mohammed did not reflect his ‘personal opinion’: In 1938, at the peak of Stalin’s terror, a Muscovite called the KGB to report that his parrot had escaped. The KGB officer said, ‘Why are you calling us?’ The Muscovite averred, ‘I want to state for the record that I do not share the parrot’s political opinions.'”

Please make sure to watch our new StandingWatch program titled, “The Pope in Germany.”

Military Coup in Thailand

On September 20, The Associated Press reported:

“The army commander who seized Thailand’s government in a quick, bloodless coup pledged Wednesday to hold elections by October 2007, and received a ringing endorsement from the country’s revered king. Gen. Sondhi… also hinted that ousted Prime Minister Thaksin… may face prosecution… Australia called the coup a ‘great disappointment,’ while Japan urged the quick restoration of democracy. The European Union condemned the military takeover, while Washington expressed concern about it… King Bhumibol… appointed Sondhi as head of the council ‘in order to create peace in the country.’… Sondhi led a precision takeover overnight without firing a shot, sending soldiers and tanks to guard major intersections and surround government buildings while the popularly elected Thaksin, accused of corruption and undermining democratic institutions, was in New York attending the U.N. General Assembly…

“In launching Thailand’s first coup in 15 years, Sondhi said on nationwide television that the overthrow was needed ‘in order to resolve the conflict and bring back normalcy and harmony among people.’… State-run television also announced that the new leaders had dismissed the state audit commissioners and given additional powers to the auditor general… to investigative government corruption. Analysts said the move is expected to make it easier… to investigate allegations of corruption involving Thaksin and his ministers and could eventually lead to the confiscation of his assets. The British Foreign Office said Thaksin was to arrive Wednesday in London on a private visit.”

The Associated Press added on September 21, 2006:

“Thailand’s new military rulers said Thursday that four top members of deposed Prime Minister Thaksin’s… administration had been detained. The regime also assumed the duties of parliament, which was dissolved when the government was ousted in a coup earlier this week, and banned meetings by all political parties… Other moves include barring the establishment of new parties and placing limitations on public meetings and restrictions on the media… Washington believes Thailand’s first coup in 15 years is ‘a step backward for democracy…’ The European Union demanded ‘that the military forces stand back and give way to the democratically elected political government.’ Other Western governments have issued similar statements.”

Hungarian Riots

In a very key area of Eastern Europe, unrest is brewing. As Hungary–a key center of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire–struggles to bring itself into line with European Union membership, an incriminating revelation has led to serious civil unrest. Bloomberg.com reported on September 20:

“Hungarian rioters clashed with police on the third consecutive night of violence in downtown Budapest, while demonstrations demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany continued… The riots, the worst since the end of communist rule, were sparked by a leaked tape in which Gyurcsany admitted the Socialist-led government misled the public about the need to cut spending before April general elections.”

These open demonstrations may not be the focus of news in the West, but they are another indication of the latent unrest that seethes below the surface of a Europe looking for leadership–strong, decisive, problem solving leadership! To place this current upheaval in perspective, consider these additional comments from the Bloomberg report:

“The past two days were the worst street violence in Hungary since the end of communism in 1989… Rioters invoked the memories [of] 1956, when Hungarians revolted against communist rule, fighting government and Soviet troops for weeks.”

The Associated Press added on September 21, 2006:

“Hungary’s main opposition party on Thursday postponed a weekend political rally amid fears of further street violence, saying state security officials had warned that the gathering could be hit by bomb attacks… and other ‘provocations’ from government and state security officials… fears of a bomb attack reflected the high level of political tensions that have gripped the country… The violence has shaken Hungary, held up as a model of progress following the collapse of communism in eastern Europe.”

It does not seem to take much these days to set an entire country on fire…

Shocking Victory of the Far Right in German State Elections

Der Spiegel reported on September 18:

“Germany’s far-right National Democratic Party [NPD], which wants to repatriate foreigners and believes Germany should stop atoning for the Holocaust, won seats in a state parliament on Sunday in the former communist east… The neo-Nazi NPD won 7.3 percent in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s home state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on the Baltic Sea coast… The result means far-right parties are now represented in three of eastern Germany’s five state parliaments. The NPD entered the Saxony state parliament in 2004 and another far-right party, the German People’s Union (DVU), has seats in Brandenburg, which surrounds Berlin. ‘The fight for Germany continues,’ NPD chairman Udo Voigt said…, noting that [the] far right has gained a foothold in a quarter of Germany’s 16 state parliaments.

“The German Jewish Council called for a renewed attempt to ban the NPD. A previous attempt by the government to have it outlawed failed in 2002 because some of the NPD members called to testify turned out to be government informants. Election analysts attributed the far-right gains in part to discontent with Merkel’s ‘grand coalition’ of conservative Christian Democrats and Social Democrats, perceived as having failed to implement meaningful economic reforms since it was formed in October 2005. The coalition has also been criticized for imposing tax hikes… The NPD has also exploited xenophobic attitudes in [the] east, where many blame immigrants for their economic problems. In addition, resistance to the far right isn’t as strong in eastern Germany as in the west because responsibility for the Holocaust wasn’t addressed as intensely there during the decades of communist rule.”

Der Spiegel Online reported on September 19:

“The unfortunate but not unexpected breakthrough of far-right extremists in the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on Sunday has rattled the Berlin’s political establishment. Voters gave six seats in the state legislature to the… NPD… But in its ‘brownest’ towns a full quarter to a third of voters supported the neo-Nazis. Oskar Niedermayer, political scientist at Berlin’s Free University, told the Financial Times it was a bad sign for Chancellor Angela Merkel. ‘Her popular image has collapsed in recent weeks,’ he said, ‘and that’s why, for instance, she failed… in Mecklenburg, her home state.’…

“The CDU and the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) are clinging to power ‘by their fingernails,’ writes the center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung… If the two parties keep up this ‘ignorant’ thinking, the paper writes, ‘they’ll learn the lesson of (Mecklenburg) and Berlin’ even more clearly at the next election in 2008. ‘The nation always has alternatives.’…

“But it was the leftist daily Die Tageszeitung that studied what neo-Nazis did right in this election while the major parties stood by. The extreme German right isn’t just anti-immigrant; it’s also pro-family and part of the fabric of daily life in towns which larger parties have abandoned… The paper suggests that large parties don’t even try to get out the vote in these regions because they’re afraid to admit they’ve lost touch… Sunday may indeed have been a ‘devastating day,’… writes the paper: ‘But the NPD thinks in years.'”

A powerful charismatic leader will soon arise in Germany to restore confidence, job security and prosperity to the Germans. But in the end, this will not be good news for either the Germans or the rest of the world.

Iran’s Double-Tongued Assertions

On September 20, BBC News reported that Iran’s President, “Ahmedinajad… defended [during a speech at the UN General Assembly on September 19] Iran’s nuclear programme, which he again said was peaceful… He said his country’s nuclear activities were ‘transparent, peaceful and under the watchful eyes’ of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Mr Ahmadinejad has said Tehran will not yield to international pressure to suspend its uranium enrichment programme.”

However, his assertions are disputed by the IAEA. In a report, dated August 31, 2006, the IAEA reached the following conclusions:

“Although Iran has provided the Agency with some information concerning product assays at PFEP [Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant], Iran continues to decline Agency access to certain operating records at PFEP. Iran has not addressed the long outstanding verification issues or provided the necessary transparency to remove uncertainties associated with some of its activities… the Agency remains unable to make further progress in its efforts to verify the correctness and completeness of Iran’s declarations with a view to confirming the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme.”

In addition, WorldNetDaily reported on September 21:

“While most of the reporting and analysis of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s speech at the U.N. focused on what he had to say about the West and specifically the U.S., his chilling closing remarks were lost on most listeners–and apparently all reporters. The last two paragraphs of his remarks revealed his steadfast and driving conviction… that a messianic figure, known as the ‘Mahdi’ to Muslims, is poised to reveal himself after an apocalyptic holocaust on Earth that leaves most of the world’s population dead. ‘I emphatically declare that today’s world, more than ever before, longs for just and righteous people with love for all humanity; and above all longs for the perfect righteous human being and the real savior who has been promised to all peoples and who will establish justice, peace and brotherhood on the planet,’ Ahmadinejad said. ‘Oh, Almighty God, all men and women are your creatures and you have ordained their guidance and salvation. Bestow upon humanity that thirsts for justice, the perfect human being promised to all by you, and make us [to be counted] among his followers and among those who strive for his return and his cause.’

“With Iran on the verge of producing nuclear weapons and already in possession of sophisticated medium-range missiles, mystical pre-occupation with the coming of a Shiite Islamic messiah is of particular concern because of Iran’s potential for triggering the kind of global conflagration Ahmadinejad envisions will set the stage for the end of the world. Ahmadinejad is on record as stating he believes he is to have a personal role in ushering in the age of the Mahdi. In a Nov. 16, 2005, speech in Tehran, he said he sees his main mission in life as to ‘pave the path for the glorious reappearance of Imam Mahdi, may Allah hasten his reappearance.'”

American Hiroshima Coming?

On September 16, Canada Free Press published the following frightening article:

“Urgent news [has been received] from Abu Dawood, one of the newly appointed commanders of the al Qaeda forces in Afghanistan: Final preparations have been made for the American Hiroshima, a major attack on the U.S. Muslims living in the United States should leave the country without further warning. The attack will be commandeered by Adnan el Shukrijumah (‘Jaffer Tayyer’ or ‘Jafer the Pilot’), a naturalized American citizen, who was raised in Brooklyn and educated in southern Florida. The al Qaeda operatives who will launch this attack are awaiting final orders. They remain in place in cities throughout the country. Many are masquerading as Christians and have adopted Christian names… The announcements from Abu Dawood were obtained by Hamid Mir, the only journalist to interview Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri, and Taliban leader Mullah Omar in the wake of 9/11.”

This information was collaborated in an article by WorldNetDaily, dated September 17. For a video commentary on this subject please visit our StandingWatch web site or click here to download.

Muslims Soon in Charge of Jerusalem?

On September 18, ynetnews reported the following:

“Head of the northern faction of the Islamic Movement Sheikh Raed Salah said Friday that ‘soon Jerusalem will be the capital of the new Muslim caliphate, and the caliph’s seat will be there.’ Salah addressed an audience of 50,000 attending the Islamic Movement’s 11th annual rally… ‘Caliph’ refers to a leader of the Muslim nation and in Arabic means the ‘heir’ or ‘substitute’ of the prophet Muhammad. Salah noted that history tells of many occasions in which the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem was occupied by foreign conquerors, but the occupiers left after a short time, and thus will also be the fate of the Israeli occupation… The former mufti of Jerusalem Ekrima Sabri and the archbishop of the Greek-Orthodox church who is considered close to the Palestinian Authority also spoke at the rally. Secretary General of the Arab League Amr Musa also sent his blessings to the assembly.”

The Bible predicts that the city of Jerusalem will become a central point of end-time prophecy. We read in Zechariah 12:2 that God will make “Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem.” God continues in verse 3: “And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it.” We are also told, in Zechariah 14:2, that God will “gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem,” and that “Half of the city shall go into captivity, But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.”

Germany Sends Troops to Lebanon

Der Spiegel Online reported on September 20:

“German forces are bound for the Middle East after the parliament approved the dispatch of up to 2,400 troops to help patrol Lebanon’s coastal waters… Chancellor Angela Merkel said Germany’s first military mission in the region since World War II was historic because it underlined the country’s responsibility for protecting Israel and its growing role in world affairs following unification. ‘This mission by the Bundeswehr in the Middle East is of historic significance,’ she told the Bundestag. ‘We all know that with unification Germany’s responsibility in the world changed. That has consequences, military ones too.’… Addressing concerns by German opposition politicians that the military involvement would weaken Germany’s position as an honest broker in the region, Merkel said: ‘We’re not neutral and we don’t want to be. German state policy hasn’t been neutral ever since 1949. It has been value-bound, and that is the opposite of neutrality.’…

“Berlin ruled out sending ground troops to Lebanon because that may have brought its soldiers into confrontation with Israeli soldiers, an unthinkable prospect in Germany given the Holocaust. Instead, it has agreed to lead an international maritime task force patrolling Lebanon’s coast and will contribute eight vessels to it, including two frigates equipped with helicopters, two supply ships and four speedboats. The task force will also include troops and vessels from Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden… it will be empowered to divert vessels it suspects of carrying arms supplies, and to use force to board and search ships and accompany them to Lebanese ports. Its soldiers will not however be allowed to confiscate weapons — that will be up to Lebanese forces. The German mission is limited until August 31 but most officials expect it to run for much longer than that.”
The article continued:

“Ahead of the vote, the leader of the main opposition party FDP, Guido Westerwelle, said he opposed the mission because it couldn’t be ruled out that German troops may come into conflict with Israelis. ‘The fact that we have a special responsibility that stems from the greatest crime in German history is undisputed in this house,’ he told the Bundestag. ‘We are not neutral as regards Israel, we mustn’t be and we don’t want to be. German soldiers must be spared confrontation with Israeli soldiers or citizens. Can such confrontation, even if it occurs accidentally, between German and Israeli soldiers really be excluded? We shouldn’t get a false sense of security just because this is a naval mission.’ Westerwelle also said he didn’t have much faith in the Lebanese government’s pledge that it would confiscate weapons destined for Hezbollah, especially given that Hezbollah ministers were in the Lebanese government…

“Opinion polls show a solid majority of Germans [about 64 percent] oppose the mission, partly because growing violence in Afghanistan, where Germany has almost 3,000 troops, has fuelled skepticism in a country that has inherited a strong pacifist streak from Word War II.”

The Associated Press added on September 21 that “Germany began its biggest naval operation since World War II on Thursday as eight warships set sail for the eastern Mediterranean to help the U.N. keep the peace in Lebanon.”

Germans Highly Liked by Arabs

Der Spiegel Online is wondering whether the new role of Germany in the Middle East will change the love of the Arabs for the Germans. The magazine reported on September 11, 2006:

“No other Western power [can] rival Germany’s popularity — not the United States, which has few friends in the Middle East right now, and not Great Britain, the old colonial power. Even France comes up short despite helping push the Syrians out of Lebanon… The relationship of the Arabs to Germany is that of a complicated and largely unrequited love, which contains an element of admiration or jealousy, and it sometimes leads to bizarre misunderstandings… The admiration many Arabs have for Nazi leaders is notorious, just like the embarrassing compliments that they make sometimes. One of Egypt’s highest state officials, President Hosni Mubarak’s now retired anti-corruption czar, is called Hitler Tantawi. Arab nationalists have also been known to give their sons names such as ‘Rommel’ and ‘Eichmann.’ In some cases, this love for Germany reflects an explicit anti-Semitism; in others, it is simply a sign of historical ignorance… “This fondness for Germany goes back to a tradition that Germans have forgotten, but which lives on among cultivated Arabs. The tradition begins with German Kaiser Frederick II, the crusader who spoke Arabic. When he entered Jerusalem in 1229, he refused to ban Muslims from praying the way they were accustomed to: ‘You’re wrong to change your customs in your own country because of me. You would not even have to do this if you were in my country,’ Frederick said. Arabs also like to remember Wilhelm II, another German Kaiser. In 1898, when relationships between the German Reich and the Ottoman Empire were especially close, Wilhelm spoke these lofty words in Damascus: ‘If I had not been born a Christian, I would be a Muslim.’…

“Germany’s image in the Middle East improved dramatically when former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder took a stand against the US-led invasion of Iraq. Schröder was credited more for his stance than French President Jacques Chirac, who also criticized the invasion, but was accused of just wanting to place himself in the spotlight. And Vladimir Putin’s reservations about US policy were just explained in terms of Russia’s economic interests in Iraq…

“[German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier] remains confident about the future following the end of the Israeli air and sea blockade. He says many Arab states have assured him they are glad there is now another influential foreign power with good relations to Israel operating in the region, besides the United States. According to Steinmeier, German diplomacy will play an important mediating role in the future, given its good contacts to both the Arab and the Israeli camps. Perhaps Germany can mediate in the question of a possible exchange of prisoners, the foreign minister suggested last week. Just one more example that the Germans appear intent on maintaining their good ties in the region.”

The Bible clearly reveals that in the near future, Germany and many Arab nations will enter into a confederacy or friendship pact. For more information, please read our free booklets, “Europe in Prophecy” and “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”

IRS Fights Liberal Pasadena Church

The Associated Press reported on September 16:

“The IRS is investigating whether All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena violated the federal tax code when its former rector, Rev. George F. Regas, delivered an anti-war sermon on the eve of the last presidential election. Tax-exempt organizations are barred from intervening in political campaigns and elections, and the church could lose its tax-exempt status… Ed Bacon received a summons Thursday ordering the church to present any politically charged sermons, newsletters and electronic communications by Sept 29. Bacon was ordered to testify before IRS officials Oct. 11… ‘There is a lot at stake here,’ Bacon said. ‘If the IRS prevails, it will have a chilling effect on the practice of religion in America.’… In a sermon two days before the 2004 election, Regas did not urge parishioners to support President Bush or challenger John Kerry but was critical of the Iraq war and Bush’s tax cuts, Bacon said in an interview last November when the investigation was announced… “All Saints has a long history of social activism, dating back to World War II, when its rector spoke out against the internment of Japanese Americans. Regas, who headed the church for 28 years before retiring in 1995, was well-known for opposing the Vietnam War, championing female clergy and supporting gays and lesbians in the church.”

Europe and China

The Week in Germany reported on September 15:

“Last year, the 25-nation European Union overtook the United States in terms of trade with China, which now totals some $217.3 billion and is $5.7 billion more than with the U.S… European companies like civil jet maker Airbus, German engineering group Siemens and German automaker Volkswagen helped make the EU the No. 4 investor in China.. [A Chinese official] negotiated bolstered trade agreements with both Britain and Germany during his European tour, which also saw the announcement of a new factory in China for automaker DaimlerChrysler. He signed eight new trade agreements on September 14 with the German government and businesses, including one on copyright issues and another on biotechnology.”

As we have announced for decades, Europe will become the most powerful economic force in the world, while the influence of the United States of America will steadily decline. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

David, in verses 7-11 of Psalm 19, had just described the
considerable blessings which exist in obedience to God’s law and His
Way of life! He spoke to the law of the LORD, to the testimony, to the
statutes of the LORD, to the commandment, to the fear of the LORD and
to the judgments of the LORD. He knew that all of God’s laws were in
existence during his time and had been established for all times–even
to the end of this present society and on into eternity! These laws
describe the very character of our God and a Way of life for us!

David
described the extreme value of God’s requirements of men; and then
raised the question in verse 12, “Who can understand his errors?” He
realized that he was not perfect in all his ways, when compared with
the requirements of the LORD! His desire was to please God in all that
he did, and he understood the need to correct all of the errors in his
life, which were in conflict with God’s Way! Thus, in his prayer to God
for help in overcoming his weaknesses, he requested that God would help
him in overcoming even the sins he committed in ignorance.

This
subject is addressed in detail in Leviticus, chapter 4, by the LORD in
His instruction to Moses; which instruction addressed sins committed in
ignorance as compared to sins committed presumptuously, in open
rebellion to God’s Way of life (See also, Numbers 15:22-31)!

With
the children of Israel, God had established the sin offering to address
such sins committed unintentionally and in ignorance. God had also
established the trespass offering to address intentional sins, which
were not committed presumptuously (Leviticus 5:1-19; 6:1-7). David’s
noting this particular area of unintentional sin in his life
illustrated his great desire to please God and to be perfectly obedient
to all of God’s requirements. David often beseeched God in addressing
this problem in his life (Compare Psalm 26:2; Psalm 77:1-6; Psalm
119:59; Psalm 139:23-24).

This, of course, must
become our attitude to God’s law and His Way of life. In fulfilling our
responsibility in obedience to God, we should be continually examining
our lives with the standard of God’s law and with the perfect example
set by Jesus Christ always in our forethoughts! Being the perfect
example–He fulfilled all aspects of His Father’s Will while living in
the flesh.

We note in the book of Lamentations, chapter 3, verse
40: “Let us search out and examine our ways, and turn back to the
LORD…” The prophet, Haggai, notes in Haggai 1:7 these words of the LORD
of hosts: “Consider your ways!”

David came to understand that
nothing he did could be hidden from God, and he passed this important
lesson on to the one who would rule in his place: “As for you, my son
Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart
and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and
understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be
found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever” (1
Chronicles 28:9).

God speaks directly to each of His people in
respect to the need for self examination, as recorded in 1 Corinthians
11:28, 31. In this case God is making specific reference to His
Passover, where He says: “But let a man examine himself, and so let him
eat of the bread and drink of the cup… For if we would judge
ourselves, we should not be judged.” Of course, self examination should
not be reserved for the Passover season only, but is an exercise we
should be carrying out continually (compare 2 Corinthians 13:5). And
our searching out of sins committed unintentionally or in ignorance, as
well as overcoming sins that we still commit intentionally, because of
the weakness of our flesh, must always be in the forefront of our
minds.

Lead Writer: J. Edwin Pope

A new StandingWatch program was recorded last Friday and has been posted on the Web. It is titled: “The Pope in Germany.”

Set forth below is a summary of the program:

The
Pope has finished his second visit to Germany, since becoming Pope. He
was very warmly greeted by the German people and the German government.
He was encouraged to work for unification between the Catholic and
Protestant Churches. At the same time, he angered Muslims by making
controversial comments about Islam and Mohammed during a lecture at the
University of Regensburg. Even though the Vatican tried to explain that
the Pope did not mean to offend Muslims, the outcry continues.

On September 16, 2006, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “True Worshippers.”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 12:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

Recently, my wife and I acquired a new puppy–an eight-week-old
Chihuahua. We already owned a thirteen-year-old miniature Yorkshire
Terrier, but as she was getting quite old, we thought a new arrival
might perk her up. This episode got me thinking about a number of
analogies to the life of a true Christian. Sounds strange, doesn’t it,
but we can learn lessons in everything we do and are involved in.

I
meditated about how reliant dogs are on their new owner; how much they
put their trust in him; how vulnerable they can be, particularly if the
owner doesn’t have their best interests at heart; how they need
training; and also, how they look to their new owners for leadership.

Notice
how these concepts can apply to us, spiritually. On a spiritual plane,
we are to be totally reliant on God. He created us and for those in the
Church, He has called us to His way of life and a wonderful future in
the Kingdom of God if we endure to the end. By putting our trust in
Him, we can have peace of mind, knowing that God has our welfare and
well being at heart.  We can be very vulnerable, but only if our
reliance and trust in Him is less than required. The great God does
have our best interests at heart–that is why He has called us into His
Family. Finally, with the leadership that He shows, we know that we are
in safe hands.

We should take very seriously the care that we can
have for our animals. But how much more care is God showing to all of
us who have the potential to be in His Family. To achieve our potential
will be the greatest prize of all!

German Troops in Lebanon

As Reuters reported on September 13, 2006, “Germany’s cabinet approved plans on Wednesday to send naval and air forces to Lebanon… Up to 2,400 German personnel will patrol the Lebanese coast to prevent weapons reaching Hizbollah, enforcing the terms of a truce which ended the month-long war… ‘Sending troops to the Middle East is for us a historic decision,’ Chancellor Angela Merkel said.”

Deutsche Welle added: “Defence Minister Franz Josef Jung said Germany would lead the marine component of the UN force and has been given ‘a robust but not aggressive mandate’ to patrol Lebanon’s coast. ‘We will control the whole of Lebanon’s waters, within 50 nautical miles of the coast. We will have the right to use force against vessels that show resistance,’ he said. Two frigates, four fast patrol boats, two supply ships, one tender, and two helicopters will be deployed by Germany in cooperation with naval forces being sent by the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Denmark, said Merkel and Jung. Merkel… said a Lebanese naval liaison officer would be aboard one of the German ships ‘but there would be no chance for a veto’ from the Lebanese. German naval vessels would then be able to take up position off the Lebanese coast by early October. Germany is also providing a small number of border police and customs officials to be stationed at Beirut International Airport to supervise incoming cargo.”

The German Parliament must still approve the deployment. It is to vote next week. Since Merkel’s conservatives and their Social Democrat coalition partners hold a large majority, an affirmation of the German cabinet’s decision is expected.

Der Spiegel Online added that the German government foresees its military intervention in Lebanon to last “for many years,” even though Germany’s current mandate will expire on August 31, 2007. According to the magazine, Merkel stated that this is the beginning of a “far-reaching German engagement in the region.” It was further pointed out that the employment of its troops will cost Germany 46 million euros in 2006 and 147 million euros in 2007. It was stressed that the German navy will function in cooperation with the Lebanese navy, but Germany is authorized to act on its own, if need be.

In order to learn more about the prophetic significance of German troops in the Middle East, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

Leave It to Iran?

USA Today reported on September 13 that “U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Wednesday that most leaders in the Middle East believe the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and its aftermath [is] ‘a real disaster.’ Annan said the United States was now in the difficult position where ‘it cannot stay and it cannot leave.’ He said the leaders he spoke to on his recent trip to the Middle East fell into two camps: Some believed the United States cannot walk away from Iraq, while others, such as Iran, said it should leave and they would help stabilize the country.”

The Associated Press reported on September 13 that “Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki made his first official visit to Iran, a close ally, asking the Islamic regime on Tuesday to crack down on al-Qaida militants infiltrating his country and seeking new deals to help Iraq’s troubled oil industry. The visit reflected the complex relationship between Iran, a mostly Shiite Muslim country, and Iraq’s government, now dominated in the post-Saddam Hussein era by Shiite allies of Tehran. Since Saddam’s fall in 2003, Iraq has sought better relations with Iran… The two enjoy increasingly strong ties that include new oil cooperation. Iraq has already turned to Iran for help with a chronic shortage of petroleum goods, reaching a deal last month to import Iranian gasoline, kerosene and cooking fuel. Iraqi officials said al-Maliki’s visit and other recent exchanges could improve the cooperation.”

Strong Words From Netanyahu

On September 13, ynetnews.com reported that Israel’s Knesset member Benjamin Netanyahu said: “Al-Qaeda can’t develop nuclear weapons, while the militant Shiite movement is galloping forward towards developing nuclear terror… Hitler went out on a world campaign first, and then tried to get nuclear weapons. Iran is trying to get nuclear arms first. Therefore from that perspective, it is much more dangerous… Hitler was defeated because he could not develop weapons of mass destruction. But Iran stands close to developing nuclear weapons. Does the world understand? In Europe, where I returned from, there are glimpses of understanding… International terrorism is a mistaken term, not because it doesn’t exist, but because the problem is international militant Islam. That is the movement… that operates terror on the international level, and that is the movement that is preparing the ultimate terror, nuclear terrorism…”

The German Pope in Germany

Benedict XVI’s second visit to Germany, as Pope, was not just meant to be a vacation. The Associated Press of September 9 reported:

“Benedict’s election aroused mixed feelings in Germany–the now largely secular land of the Protestant Reformation, and home to a shrinking and distinctly liberal Catholic Church. But there is also strong pride in the German pope, particularly in Bavaria. Munich’s Abendzeitung newspaper devoted its front page to a photo of a smiling Benedict under the headline ‘Welcome home!’ The Munich edition of the mass-circulation Bild daily’s front page said: ‘Benedict, we love YOU.’

AFP added on September 11: “In European countries like Germany, the number of churchgoers has dwindled in recent years and papal authority has been questioned. While his visit is partly a trip down memory lane, Benedict is keen to try to halt the decline of religious observance in his native Germany. Recent figures indicate some 100,000 people turn their back on the Church in Germany annually.”

Der Stern stated on September 12 that both German President Horst Koehler and Bavaria’s Prime Minister, Edmund Stoiber, asked the Pope to set clearer signals in support of the ecumenical movement, in order to unify the Catholic and Protestant Churches. Koehler, a Protestant, and Stoiber, a Catholic, encouraged the Pope to empathize the similarities between the two big churches, rather than the issues which separate them. The Pope told Koehler that he will take Koehler’s prayer for unity back to Rome, stating, according to Der Spiegel Online of September 9, that “we will attempt to reach unity with our hearts and with our intellects.” Bavaria’s Interior Minister, Guenther Beckstein, participated with Stoiber at a Mass, conducted by the Pope. Beckstein, a Protestant, stated that “especially during the ‘Lord’s Supper,’ the separation between the two big Christian churches becomes, sadly, very obvious.”

It is presently the official position of the Catholic Church that no Protestant is permitted to participate at Catholic “communion” or the “Lord’s Supper.”

In other news, Der Spiegel Online reported on September 12 that during his visit, “Pope Benedict XVI prayed at the statue of the Black Madonna, one of Germany’s holiest sites.” The statue is situated in the town of Altötting, where the Pope “had worshipped as a child. Legend has it that a three-year-old girl was brought back to life after drowning when her mother put her before the wooden Madonna in 1489.”

In a related article of September 12, Der Spiegel Online quoted the Pope, stating that he was pleading with the “mother of God” to receive her blessing for the Church worldwide, and for all people of good will.

The Associated Press reported on September 9: “German President Horst Koehler and Chancellor Angela Merkel greeted the pontiff ahead of his ride to the city’s central Marienplatz square, where he was to offer a prayer at its 17th-century statue of the Virgin Mary, the patroness of Bavaria — Germany’s Roman Catholic heartland.”

In a veiled attack on evolution, the Pope made the following comments, according to The Associated Press of September 12:

“Benedict in his sermon scoffed at the idea of a ‘mathematically ordered cosmos’ without any hand of God. He said this would mean ‘nothing more than a chance result of evolution. We believe in God… This is a fundamental decision on our part.'”

The Catholic religion has embraced many teachings which are not derived from the Bible, but from pagan cultures and philosophies. Our free booklet, “Don’t Keep Christmas,” proves this fact beyond doubt. The Bible also prophesies that the Catholic and the Protestant Churches will unite. But this temporary and passing unification will not be pleasing to God.

U.S. Sanctions Against North Korea?

The Associated Press reported on September 12 that “The United States is moving to impose sanctions on North Korea for test-launching a series of missiles in July, a senior South Korean official said Tuesday. South Korea’s main news agency reported, meanwhile, that the North had rejected an offer for direct talks with the U.S. over its nuclear program… South Korea’s main spy agency has said the communist regime [of North Korea] could test a nuclear device at any time… Many experts believe the North has enough radioactive material to build at least a half-dozen nuclear weapons.”

Germany Remembers September 11, 2001

Der Spiegel Online made the following comments on September 11, 2006, describing how the world has changed for the worse since September 11, 2001:

“‘Nine-Eleven’ has entered the English language as a metaphor, an abbreviation even bigger than a millennial milestone: 9/11 broke through Fortress America, turning it into another country. George W. Bush has tried to turn the planet into another world. And failed.”

The article continued:

“… At first the United States and Europe closed ranks; yet soon amity turned to enmity in one of the worst ideological conflicts the two continents have ever seen. The United States, by its own definition not an imperial power… considered itself ‘at war.’ To wage its ‘war against terror,’ the U.S. president availed himself of immense powers both at home and abroad. He suspended many of the civil rights that his nation had always cherished, and elevated the ‘preemptive strike’ to a divine doctrine: America had every right to launch an unprovoked attack against any country suspected of abetting terrorists.

“The United States squandered the international sympathy and solidarity showered upon it in the immediate aftermath of September 11. Even in Tehran, people had spontaneously taken to the streets, while the French newspaper Le Monde had declared: ‘We are all Americans.’ But the Bush administration decided to go it alone: it scoffed at traditional alliances and institutions like the United Nations, and arbitrarily ignored international law…

“The dreams of swift strikes and longlasting victories in the war against terror are in tatters, along with illusions of regime change in the Middle East. Much has changed over the past five years, but little has improved. The world has become a more violent and complex place. Osama bin Laden, who has declared war on the West in general and the U.S. superpower in particular, is still at large–presumably hiding out along the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan… The United States now has credibility issues that are both political and moral, and a superpower status that rests solely on arms supremacy. The nation is light years ahead when it comes to investing in military might; in the list of big spenders, it devotes more funds to weapons than the next 10 countries combined…

“Today other countries in other regions are making world history. The Asian century is dawning at this very moment. India, and above all China, are experiencing dramatic economic booms, and styling themselves America’s peers on the world political stage… The winners of the American war are outside Iraq, and one of them is Osama bin Laden. For al Qaeda, Iraq has become the Afghanistan of the 1990s: the battlefield in its jihad against an infidel superpower. Iran, ironically enough, is another of the winners–and didn’t have to lift a finger. Having seen its arch-enemy Saddam toppled, Teheran is happily picking up the pieces.

“Iran’s influence is spreading in southern Iraq where the Shiites form the majority. The longer the war lasts, the greater the political spoils for the mullahs. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a man with apocalyptic visions, has replaced the mild-mannered Mohammad Khatami as president. While a debilitated America falters, Iran is developing the technology to build nuclear weapons, and is well on the way to becoming the region’s dominant power.

“… Of the many depressing statistics from the president’s second term, this is probably his most depressing: More than 50 percent of Americans now consider George W. Bush ‘dishonest.’ Such huge credibility gaps are rare in U.S. politics… In their joint study conducted for Foreign Policy and the highly respected think tank ‘Center for American Progress,’ 84 percent disagreed with Bush’s statement that the United States was winning the war against terrorism. Eighty-six percent said they thought the world was a more dangerous place. Only 10 percent were expecting positives from the Iraq war. A devastating indictment. ‘The Worst President in History?’ the U.S. magazine Rolling Stone asked pointedly on a cover in May…

“Five years after 9/11, a new international order is emerging. While the United States can still boast the greatest economic and military might on the planet, claims of unipolarity and American hegemony are no longer credible. The rise of China and India as major powers and Russia’s return to the major political leagues cannot be denied. And lesser powers are emerging as well, small and mid-sized players, public and private, each of them vying for influence… This world is fragmented, labyrinthine and unpredictable.”

Our free booklets, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America,” and “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord,” give detailed information as to what is prophesied to happen soon in the USA, Great Britain, continental Europe, the Middle East, and the rest of the world.

Germans Angry With America

Der Spiegel Online reported on September 11 about the view of the German press toward the USA:

“As German commentators reflect on the events and aftermath of 9/11 five years later, there is a strangely forceful consensus: the US was right to force the Taliban from power and it was right to strengthen security, even at the cost of some personal liberties. But there is also broad agreement that Washington’s anti-terror policy is deeply flawed in Iraq and in its willingness to sacrifice fundamental rights of its own citizens as well as largely ignore international law. Germans and most Europeans are angry about Guantanamo, about secret CIA prisons, and the president’s continued use of incendiary rhetoric such as referring to the terrorists as ‘Islamic fascists.’ Before Bush launched the war against Iraq, Germany raised its voice in opposition and said the US would ignite a wildfire with no plan for putting out the flames. The tone of Monday’s editorials in German newspapers feel sadly vindicated by the events of the past five years.”

Virtually Untreatable Tuberculosis

The BBC reported on September 6: “A ‘virtually untreatable’ form of TB has emerged, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Extreme drug resistant TB… has been seen worldwide, including in the US, Eastern Europe and Africa… TB presently causes about 1.7 million deaths a year worldwide, but researchers are worried about the emergence of strains that are resistant to drugs. Drug resistance is caused by poor TB control, through taking the wrong types of drugs for the incorrect duration.”

A “New Vision” for Europe

On September 8, the EUOberserver reported about the European vision of French interior minister and presidential hopeful Nicolas Sarkozy, proposing “radical EU reforms such as getting the European Commission president to pick his own commissioners and cross-border European Parliament elections–but first he wants a new EU ‘mini treaty.'”

The article continued: “Mr Sarkozy already caused some alarm in small and mid-size member states last year by proposing that the EU’s ‘big six’ should together take up a leading role in the union–an idea which he repeated on Friday… France and Germany should pioneer… with cross-border political platforms in the 2009 elections… The ‘mini treaty’ would include key parts of the constitution such as its voting rights provisions and plans to create an EU foreign minister, on which there is a ‘large consensus. It would provide a way out for those countries that voted “no” without humiliating those who voted “yes”‘, he said, adding that the French EU presidency in 2009 should finalise the text. On enlargement… he said that Turkey should stay out. ‘We should now say who is European and who isn’t,’ he said.”

Europe will unite soon–and it is most likely that ten core nations or groups of nations–not just six– will ultimately lead the rest of continental Europe, under the strong leadership of a German or Austrian political personage, called the “beast” in Biblical prophecy.

An important key to use when studying God’s Word is to understand
WHY God has inspired certain stories: “Now all these things happened to
them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom
the ends of the ages have come” (1 Corinthians 10:11). Read the context
of this quote in verses 1 through 13, and you will understand that God
used their examples as a warning to others. He also revealed very
detailed information about Moses for the purpose of instruction: “And
Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a
testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward” (Hebrews
3:5).

In Biblical accounts, what is recorded represents the
actual circumstances and actions of people. The fact that God has
chosen to show examples that involved all kinds of human behavior does
not mean that He necessarily sanctions what was done! Rather, the Bible
tells the story of both faithful, obedient people and of those who
rebelled against God.

Concerning prophetesses, the Bible
reveals that certain women spoke in exactly the same fashion as any
number of prophets through whom God revealed both His will and future
events. The first prophetess mentioned in Scripture is Miriam, the
sister of Moses and Aaron (Exodus 15:20). Furthermore, we have this
testimony from God: “…And I SENT before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam”
(Micah 6:4). Another prophetess, written about in Judges, chapters 4
and 5, is Deborah:

“Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of
Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time. And she would sit under the
palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the mountains of
Ephraim. And the children of Israel came up to her for judgment”
(Judges 4:4-5).

Reading further, we find that Deborah conveyed
God’s will to Barak, stating that he should lead some of the tribes of
Israel into battle against their Canaanite oppressors (Judges 4:6-14).
At that time, Deborah was esteemed as God’s representative. Note how
Barak viewed her counsel: “And Barak said to her, ‘If you will go with
me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go!'”
(Judges 4:8).

Here is Deborah’s response: “So she said, ‘I will
surely go with you; nevertheless there will be no glory for you in the
journey you are taking, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hand of
a woman.’ Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh” (Judges
4:9).

This exchange between Barak and Deborah depicts the
prevailing attitude in Israel during the period of the judges:
“…everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6; 21:25).
The people of Israel underwent a cycle of oppression and deliverance,
because they would rebel against God and begin to fall into worshipping
false gods time and time again. When they cried out to God, He would
deliver them through the leadership of someone He specially chose. This
lasted until the time of Samuel and until Israel rejected God and
demanded to have a king like the nations around them (Compare 1 Samuel
8:19).

In a time when the nation of Judah began to turn to God
through King Josiah, inquiry of God was made through a faithful woman
on behalf of the king and the nation: “So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam,
Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of
Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe.
(She dwelt in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter.) And they spoke with
her” (2 Kings 22:14). As it is recorded in verses 15-20 of 2 Kings 22,
Huldah conveyed God’s response.

When some of Judah returned to
Jerusalem following national captivity, Nehemiah’s leadership to
rebuild the wall of Jerusalem faced constant resistance. Among those
who contended against Nehemiah was a prophetess who proclaimed false
messages. Here is what Nehemiah recorded: “My God, remember Tobiah and
Sanballat, according to these their works, and the prophetess Noadiah
and the rest of the prophets who would have made me afraid” (Nehemiah
6:14).

God differentiates between women who act and speak on His
behalf and those who falsely establish themselves by their own
inspiration: “‘Likewise, son of man, set your face against the
daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own heart; prophesy
against them… Because with lies you have made the heart of the
righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and you have strengthened the
hands of the wicked, so that he does not turn from his wicked way to
save his life. Therefore you shall no longer envision futility nor
practice divination; for I will deliver My people out of your hand, and
you shall know that I am the LORD'” (Ezekiel 13:17, 22-23).

We
then see from Scripture that just as there are true and false prophets,
there are also prophetesses designated by God, and there are those who
appoint themselves through lies and evil practices!

In the time
shortly following the birth of Jesus, another faithful woman specially
chosen by God is identified: “Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess,
the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age,
and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and this
woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from
the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And
coming in that instant she gave thanks to [God], and spoke of Him to
all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem” (Luke 2:36-38).

As
we have seen from the examples in God’s Word, some dedicated, faithful
women have been chosen by God for unique service to Him. In the case of
Deborah, it appears that no man at that time had the kind of
faith necessary to serve as judge to Israel. Huldah the prophetess was
faithful to God while the nation of Judah was steeped in false worship,
and she was able to provide God’s encouragement to Josiah and other
national leaders as they sought to repent and turn Judah back to
following God. Anna, as a very elderly woman, was blessed to see the
Messiah and to testify of His presence in that generation.

An
interesting prophecy in the Book of Joel further reveals God’s actions
regarding the men and women who will serve Him: “‘And it shall come to
pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons
and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams,
Your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My
maidservants I will pour out my Spirit in those days'” (Joel 2:28-29).
Peter adds this to his quoting of Joel 2, verse 29: “And they shall
prophesy” (Acts 2:18).

Because of God’s Spirit being poured out
on both men and women, some among them spoke through the inspiration of
God. Certain individuals spoke of God’s will and of future events
revealed by God. We see other examples of this when Hannah prayed (1
Samuel 2:1-10) and in the statements made by Elizabeth to Mary (Luke
1:41-45).

Although we don’t have a record of what they prophesied
about, we do know that the four daughters of Philip spoke under God’s
inspiration (Compare Acts 21:9). Consider the kind of family that they
were a part of–here is the record in Acts: “On the next day we who
were Paul’s companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the
house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed
with him” (Acts 21:8). Philip was one of the seven deacons ordained as
the Church of God began to multiply following the Day of Pentecost
(Compare Acts 6:1-7). He was later raised in rank to the office of
Evangelist (Acts 21:8; also, compare Ephesians 4:11-13).

However,
Philip’s daughters were not ministers! Neither are they called
prophetesses. The Bible only says that they “prophesied.” There is no
Biblical record that women were called or ordained to an office of
prophetess in the New Testament Church. In fact, God does not permit a
woman to preach or to prophesy in Church services. Paul makes this
statement: “And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority
over a man, but to be in silence” (1 Timothy 2:12). Also, Paul
explains: “Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not
permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also
says” (1 Corinthians 14:34).

For more information about this important Biblical teaching, please read pages 13-15 of our free booklet, “The Keys to Happy Marriages and Families!”

When
Apollos first preached about Jesus Christ, “…he knew only the baptism
of John” (Acts 18:25). Note the approach taken by a faithful husband
and wife who were members of God’s Church: “So he began to speak boldly
in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him
aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately” (Acts
18:26).

Aquila and his wife Priscilla had a PRIVATE discussion
with Apollos. They both explained to him things of Christianity that he
had not yet learned. In that sense, Priscilla was involved in teaching
something to Apollos; however, Priscilla did not do this acting as a
minister, nor did she do this publicly.

Based on a careful and
comparative reading of various translations in 1 Timothy 3 and 5, and
in consideration of the broad Biblical statements and examples, the
Church of the Eternal God and its corporate affiliates follow the long
established practice of the Church of God, under Herbert W. Armstrong,
and ordain women to the office of “deaconess.” In Romans 16:1-2, we
read in the NKJV: “I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a SERVANT
of the church in Cenchrea, that you may receive her in the Lord in a
manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she
has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself
also.” The RSV translates the word servant as “deaconess.” “Diakonos”
is the masculine form and gives credence to the idea that Phoebe was a
deaconess. Otherwise, Paul would have used a feminine form for servant.

Men
have served as prophets and women as prophetesses, as the Word of God
clearly illustrates. In the Church of God, today, men may still be
called to be prophets (among other offices)–which is by ordination
(Compare Acts 11:28; 21:10-11; 1 Corinthians 12:27-28; Ephesians 4:11;
Hebrews 5:4). Women, such as the four daughters of Philip, may also be
chosen to speak prophetically through the outpouring of God’s Holy
Spirit, but not in Church services, and not as ordained ministers or as
ordained prophetesses. The ONLY ordained office within the Church of
God that is held by women is that of DEACONESS–an appointment based on
solid maturity and selfless service.

In considering how God
administers His government, remember: “There is neither Jew nor Greek,
there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for
you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). In the future, we
will all be born-again children of God through whom He will continue to
build His unending Kingdom!

Let us attentively serve God in whatever capacity He has called us in this present time!

Lead Writer: Dave Harris

Our new book on prayer, titled, “Teach Us to Pray,” has been posted on the Web.

Our
new speaking schedule for the month of October, including on the Day of
Atonement and during the Feast of Tabernacles, has been posted on the
Web.

Our new booklet on suffering has reached the second review cycle.

A new StandingWatch program was recorded last Friday and has been posted on the Web. It is titled: “Turkey in Prophecy.”

Set forth below is a summary of the program:

Turkey,
the first and so far only Muslim nation with diplomatic ties to the
state of Israel, has pledged to send 1,000 troops to Lebanon to support
Europe’s somewhat futile attempt to create lasting peace in the Middle
East. This development is noteworthy, as biblical prophecy has much to
say about Turkey’s future role and engagement in that part of the
world. In order to understand the Biblical pronouncements, one must
know, of course, where Turkey is mentioned in Scripture.

On September 9, 2006, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “Signs, Dreams and Circumstances.”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 12:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

In spite of what people think…
in spite of what people say…
in spite of what people do…

the following truths comprise a part of THE Truth which is God’s Word (John 17:17):

The 7th day Sabbath is still in effect;
We are to keep God’s Holy Days, not pagan holidays;
We do not go to heaven when we die;
Satan does exist;
We are not yet born again;
God is a Family — not a Trinity;
The Law is not done away;
Abortion and war are murder.

Though
some or even all of these may appear inconvenient, in actuality the
Truth is not nearly as difficult or burdensome as it may first seem. In
fact, the real inconvenience is in NOT keeping the Word of God. As we
look around the world today and honestly assess it; we see poverty,
sickness, perversion, unfairness, atheism, hatred and murder. The
reason for this is that most have a belief system grounded in either
personal scruples, politics, false religion, and/or science. There is a
direct causal relationship between obeying the Scriptures and contrary
behavior (Galatians 5:17-23).

Our foundation needs to be the
Bible, and we need to commit to living “by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). If we do this, we will no longer
be a slave to sin and its horrible consequences, but rather we will be
truly free (John 8:32).

The Truth is the Truth; no amount of
protesting is going to change that; and ignoring it, surely, will not
make it go away. Go ahead and put God’s Word to the test! You will be
better off for it, and you will find that it is not inconvenient after
all.

September 11th Terrorist Attack Puppeteered?

Almost unbelievable allegations have been launched against the Pentagon by “leading academics” in the United States. It stands to reason that some or many people will believe their accusations–especially outside the United States. This might, in turn, create additional feelings of animosity against the USA.

The British Daily Mail reported on September 6:

“The 9/11 terrorist attack on America which left almost 3,000 people dead was an ‘inside job’, according to a group of leading academics. Around 75 top professors and leading scientists believe the attacks were puppeteered by war mongers in the White House to justify the invasion and the occupation of oil-rich Arab countries. The claims have caused outrage and anger in the US which marks the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on Monday. But leading scientists say the facts of their investigations cannot be ignored and say they have evidence that points to one of the biggest conspiracies ever perpetrated… They believe a group of US neo-conservatives called the Project for a New American Century, set on US world dominance, orchestrated the 9/11 attacks as an excuse to hit Iraq, Afghanistan and later Iran… The group also maintains World Trade Centre 7–a neighbouring building which caught fire and collapsed later in the day–was only partially damaged but had to be destroyed because it housed a clandestine CIA station.”

Fortunately, other experts, as well as the 9/11 Commission, have rejected as totally without basis “the numerous conspiracy theories after [an] exhaustive investigation into the terror attacks.” The Daily Mail continued to state:

“Christopher Pyle, professor of constitutional law at [Mount Holyoke] College in Massachusetts, has dismissed the academic group. He said: ‘To plant bombs in three buildings with enough bomb materials and wiring? It’s too huge a project and would require far too many people to keep it a secret afterwards. After every major crisis, like the assassinations of JFK or Martin Luther King, we’ve had conspiracy theorists who come up with plausible scenarios for gullible people. It’s a waste of time.'”

The Death of the Crocodile Hunter

Australia, as well as the rest of the world, mourns the death of an extremely popular filmmaker, entertainer, animal activist, zoo director and animal preservationist and conservationist–Steve Irwin, the “Crocodile Hunter.” Irwin’s daring face-to-face confrontations with all manner of deadly crocodiles, snakes and spiders made him a global media phenomenon. His death was as dramatic as many of his life performances–Irvin, 44, was killed Monday off the Great Barrier Reef when the tail barb of a giant stingray punctured his heart as the creature lashed out at him while he was filming. More bizarre yet, Irwin’s death was caught on tape. Close friend and “Crocodile Hunter” producer John Stainton watched the tape. He said that Irwin plucked the stingray’s barbed tail from his chest before dying.

All kinds of speculations, assumptions, suspicions and questions surround Irwin’s death. Animal “experts” explain that it is extremely rare that a stingray would attack and hurt or kill a human being–in spite of the reported fact that hundreds of beachgoers are stung each year by stingrays at San Diego beaches alone. People, in order to satisfy their thirst for thrill and sensation, want to see the tape. Fortunately, some TV broadcasting companies have stated that they will refuse to show the tape, but it stands to reason that somehow the tape will be shown–even if it ends up on some weird Internet site.

Stainton was quoted by the AFP of September 6 as saying that the tape featuring Irwin’s death should never be shown. “It should be destroyed… At the moment, it’s in police custody for evidence.” Stainton had earlier told reporters in Australia the footage was “shocking,” and that it is “a very hard thing to watch because you’re actually witnessing somebody die … and it’s terrible.”

Yes, indeed! The Bible says that we should cry over the deaths of innocent people–not get excited and thrilled about them!

Irwin dedicated his life–and that of his family–to animals and their preservation. AFP continued to report:

“But even in death, Irwin was rallying people to the wildlife conservation cause he so passionately promoted on television. An environmental charity he set up, Wildlife Warriors Worldwide, had been overwhelmed by donations from around the world… The website had received ‘something like a million hits in the first few hours of the news breaking’ and on Tuesday ‘we were getting 55 donations every 10 minutes’… Staff at Irwin’s zoo were also astounded by the extraordinary global outpouring of grief for Australia’s most famous export… The shrine and outpouring of popular grief is being compared by Australian media to the floral mountain created in London after the 1997 death of Princess Diana.”

It is good to see that in this evil world, there are still some who are determined to make a difference for the better–and whatever one may think of Steve Irwin, he was such a man, dedicated to a worthy cause. How much more ought the Church of God be diligent and dedicated to its cause and commission–to preach the gospel in all the world as a witness (Matthew 24:14) and to feed God’s people (Matthew 28:18).

Turkey Gets Involved–and Fulfills Prophecy

The Associated Press reported on September 6, 2006, that “Turkey’s ruling party lawmakers voted Tuesday in favor of the deployment of peacekeeping troops [in Lebanon], despite objections from opposition parties and street protests by thousands of people… Turkey is the first Muslim nation with diplomatic ties with Israel to pledge troops for the force… Turkish leaders have not specified how many troops would be sent to Lebanon but… the number is unlikely to exceed 1,000.”

In spite of this rather small force, it is interesting that Turkey would send any troops to Lebanon. In Biblical prophecy, Turkey is known as modern Edom or Esau, the brother of Jacob. When Isaac blessed Esau, prophesying about his and his descendants’ future, he stated, in Genesis 27:39-40: “Behold, your dwelling shall be of [correct: without] the fatness [or fertility] of the earth, And of the dew of heaven from above. By your sword you shall live, And you shall serve your brother [Jacob or Israel–including his descendants, the modern nations of the houses of Israel and Judah]; And it shall come to pass, when you become restless, That you shall break his yoke from your neck.”

This prophecy was fulfilled under the Ottoman Empire of the Turkish people.

The book of Obadiah contains further prophecies about Edom or Turkey. It was prophesied that Turkey would become “small among the nations” (verse 2). It is also stated that “all the men in your confederacy Shall force you to the border; The men at peace with you Shall deceive you and prevail against you” (verse 7). Verses 10-14 explain why God will be very angry with modern-day Turkey–as Turkey will participate in the conquest of Jerusalem and the children of Judah. That is one of the reasons why it is noteworthy that Turkey is sending troops into that part of the world.

Blair in Big Trouble

President Bush’s most supportive ally on the war on terror, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, is facing great difficulties. As The Associated Press reported on September 6, “Seven junior members of Prime Minister Tony Blair’s government resigned Wednesday to protest his refusal to leave office as calls for the British leader to announce when he will step aside gained momentum. The rebellion in Blair’s Labour Party flared despite strong hints by senior ministers that Blair planned to step down within a year, and a news report claiming the departure date would be July 26. Though the lower-level revolt was unlikely to force Blair from office, it raised fears that the eventual change of command will be rancorous and messy…

“Blair… is not obliged to leave office before the next national vote. However, many Labour lawmakers, angry over his handling of the recent fighting in Lebanon and Iraq and anxious about their slide in the polls, are demanding he say when he’ll go because they fear the continued uncertainty will damage the party’s electoral prospects.”

The Associated Press reported on September 9 that “Blair reluctantly promised Thursday to resign within a year, hoping that revealing a general time frame for his departure will appease critics.”

Sooner or later, Tony Blair will step down from the political world scene. And it stands to reason that the new Prime Minister will not follow in Blair’s footsteps of an unquestioned alliance with, and support of, the Bush Administration. When that happens, the current American government will have lost its strongest supporter. Presently, many American citizens are not really aware of how much America’s prestige has decreased in the world. There are reasons for this development. Our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America” explains these reasons.

Iran Toys With a Sleeping World

Even before the arrival of the deadline set by the U.N. Security Council forcing Iran to halt its uranium enrichment, Iran had explained that they would not comply. The deadline came and went, Iran did not comply, and it should now be expected that the world would act in some fashion! But far from it!

Reuters reported on September 2 that “European Union foreign ministers agreed on Saturday to give diplomacy two more weeks to clarify Iran’s stance on halting sensitive nuclear work… “

This is almost beyond belief! By now, it should be very clear what Iran’s “stance” is on the matter.

To nobody’s surprise who is cognizant of Iran’s clear agenda, The Associated Press reported on September 6:

“Iran abruptly announced Wednesday that last-ditch talks on its disputed nuclear program were postponed… The talks between Iranian nuclear envoy Ali Larijani and European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana had been tentatively set for Wednesday in Vienna as a final attempt to see if common ground could be found to start negotiations… But while Solana had been ready to fly to the Austrian capital at short notice, the talks had been left hanging by uncertainty over whether Larijani would come. ‘We will not have the meeting today in Vienna,’ Ali Ashgar Soltanieh, the chief Iranian envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency, told The Associated Press. ‘Both sides are arranging (a meeting) for a couple of days later.’ Instead, Iran’s president proposed that he and President Bush hold a debate at the U.N. General Assembly later this month.”

On September 7, The Associated Press reported that “Solana said Thursday that he expects to hold talks with Iran’s top nuclear envoy on Saturday. The talks are considered a final attempt to determine whether there is common ground to start negotiations between Iran and the five U.N. Security Council nations, plus Germany.”

In spite of these all-too-obvious tactics, countries such as Russia and China are apparently still unwilling to impose any sanctions on Iran. And so, Iran is continuing to stay its course, while much of the world seems to be sound asleep. For example, Iran’s President is determined to establish radical Islam in his country. As The Associated Press reported on September 6, “Iran’s hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called Tuesday for a purge of liberal and secular teachers from the country’s universities, urging students to return to 1980s-style radicalism.”

Is the world listening?

Please make sure to watch our StandingWatch program, “Iran’s Frightening Intentions.”

A Divided Europe Cannot Stand!

Slowly recovering from its poor performance during the Lebanon war, the EU ministers are trying to agree on a course of action regarding the Israeli-Palestinian “peace” process. But proposed solutions are hotly disputed–again. As the EUObserver reported on September 1:

“EU foreign ministers meeting in Finland agreed that the bloc should take the lead in reviving the Israeli-Palestinian peace process – but member states are divided over plans to hold talks with the Palestinian Hamas movement.”

Dissensions like these might very well ultimately lead to the establishment of a core of 10 European nations or groups of nations, which will give autocratic power to a charismatic political and military leader–the “beast,” as he is known in Biblical prophecy. But even then, the 10 European nations will not be totally united. Daniel 2:41-43 predicts that “the kingdom” of Europe “shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron [to make war] shall be in it… the kingdom shall be partly strong [militarily] and partly fragile [in other matters]… they will not adhere to one another.” In addition, Revelation 17:12 adds that these ten kings will be “of one mind [militarily], and they will give their power and authority to the beast. These will make war with the Lamb [Jesus Christ]… For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.”

Keep watching for the unification of Europe, but don’t make the mistake of expecting a totally unified Europe in all respects. Remember, the “core” European Union will be partly strong and partly fragile; they will be divided and still be of one mind in certain matters.

Poll Results in Europe

The EUObserver reported on September 6, that a “majority of EU citizens [65 percent] are in favour of having a single EU foreign minister for the bloc… The EU foreign minister position is one of the key innovations of the European constitution which was shelved last year after French and Dutch voters rejected it in referendums.”

The report continued:

“But while there was some strong support for a foreign minister, the idea of the bloc strengthening its military power to play a larger role in the world proved more controversial. On average, 51 percent were against the idea but there were big differences between countries with the Portuguese (68%) and the French (56%) more in favour of the bloc assuming military responsibilities but the Germans (64%) and the Italians (56%) more against.

“The same survey shows that European support for US leadership in world affairs has dropped significantly (from 64% to 37%) since the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington five years ago. On a similar note, European disapproval of US president George W. Bush’s handling of international affairs has risen strongly from 56 percent to 77 percent–with the French, Germans and Spanish proving to be the most critical with an 85 percent disapproval rate.”

For more information as to what will soon happen in Europe, including its relationship with the USA, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

Next War Between Israel, Iran and Syria?

The Sunday Times reported on September 3 that Israel is preparing for a “possible war with both Iran and Syria.” The article continued:

“The Israeli defence establishment believes that Iran’s pursuit of a nuclear programme means war is likely to become unavoidable…  There has been grave concern in Israel over a military pact signed in Tehran on June 15 between Iran and Syria which the Iranian defence minister described as a ‘mutual front against Israeli threats’… both Iran and Syria have ballistic missiles that can cover most of Israel, including Tel Aviv.”

If you want to learn more about what is prophesied to happen soon in the Middle East, please read our free booklet, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”

This well-known law has been grossly misunderstood by some, thinking
that God actually required the maiming of an offender who was guilty of
injuring another person. However, this is clearly not the intended
meaning of the “an eye for an eye” principle, and the Church of God has
never taught otherwise.

The “an eye for an eye” principle is
commonly known as the “lex talionis,” which is Latin for the “law of
retaliation.” It is mentioned in the Old Testament in Exodus 21:23-27;
Leviticus 24:18-20; and Deuteronomy 19:21.

Rather than
requiring the literal maiming of a guilty person, this law has been
correctly understood as requiring equivalent monetary compensation. The
law made it also clear that victims were to be compensated fairly, as
determined by judges and magistrates. Victims were not to resort to
“self-help.”

The Wikipedia Encyclopedia states the following about the “an eye for an eye” principle:

“The
basis of this form of law is the principle of proportionate punishment,
often expressed under the motto ‘Let the punishment fit the crime’…
The Torah’s first mention of the phrase ‘an eye for an eye, a tooth for
a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot’ appears in Exodus
(21:22-27). The Talmud… based upon a critical interpretation of the
original Hebrew text, explains that this biblical concept entails
monetary compensation in tort cases. The same interpretation applies to
this phrase as it appears in Leviticus (24:18-20). Personal retribution
is explicitly forbidden by the Torah (Leviticus 19:18), such reciprocal
justice being strictly reserved for the social magistrate (usually in
the form of regional judges)… The Oral Law explains, based upon the
biblical verses, that the Bible mandates a sophisticated five-part
monetary form of compensation, consisting of payment for ‘Damages,
Pain, Medical Expenses, Incapacitation, and Mental Anguish’…

“However,
the Torah also discusses a form of direct reciprocal justice, where the
phrase ‘An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a
foot for a foot’ makes another appearance (Deuteronomy 19:16-21). Here,
the Torah discusses false witnesses who conspire to testify against
another person. The Torah requires the court to ‘do to him as he had
conspired to do to his brother’ (ibid. 19:19)… the court carries out
this direct reciprocal justice (including when the punishment
constitutes the death penalty). Otherwise, the offenders receive
lashes… it is impossible to read ‘an eye for an eye, a tooth
for a tooth’ literally in the context of a conspiratorial witness…
the phrase is never meant literally in the Torah.”

In a related
article, the Wikipedia Encyclopedia, in quoting from the website of the
Union of Orthodox Congregations, points out:

“The oral law of
Judaism holds that this verse [Exodus 21:24] was, from the beginning,
never meant to be followed literally… to follow the spirit of this
law, it must be interpreted as applying to financial damages that are
commensurate with the severity of the crime… Ah, you ask, how do you
know the Torah means that, and is not to be taken literally? Because
the Torah says, ‘Do not take a ransom for the life of a Murderer, who
is wicked to the extent that he must die’; for the murderer, there is
no monetary amount that is sufficient to grant him atonement in the
eyes of God! Only payment with his life will secure that atonement! But
for other forms of injury, we will [inflict monetary damages on] the
criminal…”

In addition, Jamieson, Fausset and Brown state in
their Commentary on the Whole Bible, pertaining to Exodus 21: “The law
which authorized retaliation… was a civil one. It was given to
regulate the procedure of the public magistrate in determining the
amount of compensation in every case of injury, but did not encourage
feelings of private revenge. The later Jews, however, mistook it for a
moral precept, and were corrected by our Lord.”

The Soncino
Commentary states the following in regard to Exodus 21:24-25: “In all
these cases monetary compensation is intended. Strict justice demanded
the principle of measure for measure…”

The NIV Study Bible,
1985, points out to Leviticus 24:19: “This represents a statement of
principle. The penalty is to fit the crime, not exceed it. An actual
eye or tooth was not to be required, nor is there evidence that such a
penalty was ever exacted.”

As mentioned, the Church of God has
taught consistently that the “an eye for an eye principle” was not
meant to be applied literally in the sense of maiming a person. A
careful analysis of the Scriptures clearly confirms the accuracy of
this conclusion.

For instance, we read in Exodus 21:22-25: “If
men fight, and hurt a woman with [an unborn] child, so that she gives
birth prematurely, yet no harm [to the woman] follows, he shall surely
be punished accordingly [this shows, by the way, that in God’s eyes, it
is wrong to hurt or kill an unborn child] as the woman’s husband
imposes on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if any
harm follows [to the woman], then you shall give life for life, eye for
eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn,
wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” In other words, the
specific, determined value of the life, the eye, the tooth, etc. had to
be paid. The whole context of this passage in Exodus 21 is addressing
COMPENSATION, not REVENGE or literal MAIMING. This can also be seen,
when continuing in verses 26 and 27:

“If a man strikes the eye
of his male or female servant, and destroys it, he shall let him go
free for the sake of the eye [freedom from slavery compensated for the
eye–that was the value of the eye in such a case]. And if he knocks
out the tooth of his male or female servant, he shall let him go free
for the sake of his tooth [again, in such a case, the value of the
tooth was freedom from slavery].”

The same intent of having to pay just compensation can be seen, when analyzing Leviticus 24:17-21:

“Whoever
kills any man [intentionally and deliberately, with foresight and
malice] shall surely be put to death. Whoever kills an animal shall
make it good [or, make restitution, pay for the value], animal for
animal. If a man causes disfiguration of his neighbor, as he has done,
so shall it be done to him [The Soncino Commentary points out that in
the Hebrew, the words for “done unto him” literally mean “given unto
him”; “he must pay the value of the damage in money that passes from
hand to hand”]– fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth;
as he has caused disfigurement of a man, so shall it be done
[lit. given] unto him [that is, monetary compensation shall be given to
the disfigured person]. And whoever kills an animal shall restore it
[pay for its value]; but whoever kills a man shall be put to death [in
the case of a deliberate malicious murder, no monetary compensation was
allowed in lieu of capital punishment].”

In the New Testament,
Jesus Christ sometimes used figures of speech to stress a point, but He
did not mean a literal application in those cases. For instance, He
said in Matthew 5:29-30: “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it
out and cast it from you… And if your right hand causes you to sin,
cut it off and cast it from you…” Christ did not mean, of course, to
apply this literally; rather, as the Lamsa Bible explains, these are
Aramaic idioms, meaning that we are to stop envying [with our eyes] or
stealing [with our hands].

In the same chapter, Jesus also addressed the “an eye for an eye” principle. He stated, in Matthew 5:38-39:

“You
have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a
tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist [forcefully, by resorting to
violence and thereby injuring or killing] an evil person. But whoever
slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.”

According
to the Lamsa Bible, the concept of “turning the other cheek” is another
Aramaic idiom, meaning, “Do not start a quarrel or a fight.”

The Wikipedia Encyclopedia explains Christ’s saying in Matthew 5:38-39 as follows:

“The
passage continues with the importance of showing forgiveness to enemies
and those who harm you. This saying of Jesus is… interpreted [by
some] as criticism of the Old Testament teaching, and often taken as
implying that ‘an eye for an eye’ encourages excessive vengeance rather
than an attempt to limit it… Most Christian scholars and commentators
have agreed that such an interpretation is a misunderstanding of this
section of Matthew. The ‘Expounding of the Law’ includes a series of
six sayings in similar format, known as the ‘antitheses’. In each of
them Jesus quotes the provisions of the… Law without
criticism–indeed, the passage is prefaced by a ringing endorsement of
the Law as [a] whole. However he then calls on his followers to go
further than the [letter of the] Law demands, in order to ‘be perfect’.
It seems clear Jesus was not criticising the Law, but calling on his
followers not only to refrain from the abuses the Law condemns, but to
go to the opposite extreme by exercising forgiveness and love–even
when one has a just claim…”

Jamieson, Fausset and Brown clarify
in their Commentary on the Whole Bible, that Jesus was not stating, in
any way, that under Old Testament Law, offenders had to be maimed.
Christ was addressing quite a different issue: “An eye for an eye, and
a tooth for a tooth, i.e., whatever penalty was regarded as a proper
equivalent for these. This law of retribution–designed to take
vengeance out of the hands of a private person, and commit it to the
magistrate–was abused in the opposite way… [justifying in the minds
of the people] a warrant for taking redress into their own hands,
contrary to the injunctions of the Old Testament… (Prov. 20:22).”

In
order to prevent personal vengeance, as well as an unwillingness to
forgive, to reconcile, and to live peaceably with all men, Christ
continued to encourage His followers, in Matthew 5:40, to settle a
claim with their adversaries out of court, without insisting on their
“rights.”

Paul cautioned us in the same way in 1 Corinthians
6:1-7, especially when lawsuits before worldly courts involve spiritual
brethren. He said, in verse 7: “… it is already an utter failure for
you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather
accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated?”

Finally,
in Matthew 5:41, when encouraging His followers to go the “extra mile,”
Jesus referred to the Roman practice that “obliged the people not only
to furnish horses and carriages [for government dispatches], but to
give personal attendance, often at great inconvenience, when required.
But the thing here demanded is a readiness to submit to unreasonable
demands of whatever kind, rather than raise quarrels, with all the
evils resulting from them” (Jamiesson, Fausset and Brown, Commentary on
the Whole Bible).

In conclusion, the Old Testament “lex
talionis” of an eye for an eye principle was never meant to be applied
literally by actually maiming an offender. It was meant to outlaw
personal vindictive “self-help” and to allow, instead, a magistrate or
a judge to consider the case and render righteous judgment by ordering
the offender to pay just compensation to the victim. Jesus Christ
addressed a wrong understanding of His listeners who thought that they
could avenge themselves. He cautioned all of us to be forgiving and
kind, and He encouraged us to avoid fights and especially violence,
even, if need be, at the price of foregoing our legal rights.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

A new member letter
has been written and posted on the Web. Hard copies were sent out on
Thursday. In the letter, Dave Harris explains the importance of keeping
God’s Holy Days at the correct time, and in the correct way.

Our new book on prayer has been sent to the printer in Canada. It will be posted shortly on the Web.

A new StandingWatch program was recorded last Friday and has been posted on the Web. It is titled: “Iran’s Frightening Intentions.”

Set forth below is a summary of the program:

As
anticipated and expected, Iran has refused to comply with the U.N.
Security Council’s resolution to halt uranium enrichment. How is the
world going to react to Iran’s defiance? Will the United States of
America have to act alone, as Russia and China, as well as some
European countries, don’t seem to be willing to impose sanctions on
Iran? Will the USA launch a military strike against Iran–perhaps even
with nuclear weapons? How real is the threat from Iran and its
president? Given Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s religious convictions and
philosophy, the threat is very real. Does Biblical prophecy tell us
what is soon going to happen?

On September 2, 2006, Bill Grams will give the sermon, titled, “Noah–Life and Times.”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 12:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

As we rapidly approach the time of year God has set apart for His
Fall festivals, how excited are we that we have been blessed with such
awesome knowledge; knowledge which reveals many details of God’s great
plan for all of humanity; knowledge of plans He will see completed
according to His faithful Word; events which will change forever the
course of the world and universe?

No doubt, when we first learned
of God’s intent of fulfilling His awesome plans–events which will
astound this world–it was difficult for us to contain this knowledge
within ourselves! We had an urgent need to tell all we had learned to
family, friends, and yes, even everyday acquaintances.

As time
passed and we all grew in the knowledge of God’s Holy Days, we came to
realize even more the significance of these precious days! Leviticus 26
reveals tremendous blessings for all who will walk in God’s Law, His
Statutes (which include God’s Holy Days), and His Judgments; while
revealing in the same set of Scriptures retributions which will surely
come on Israel and on all the nations of the world who fail to follow
these instructions! 

Deuteronomy 16 gives an outline of
all of God’s annual festivals wherein God instructs us to observe these
days and to rejoice therein! We observe these days for the purpose of
honoring our God, showing respect for Him and His instructions, and to
learn even more of Him and His Way–something impossible for anyone who
observes the holidays of this world ever to achieve.

Yet, with
many who once knew and observed these days, this enthusiasm has waned
over time, with the result that many of these no longer observe God’s
wonderful commands relative to His Holy Days! Many of these today are
no longer faithful in following God’s tithing laws (which include funds
to attend the festivals, funds to assist the less fortunate in
attending the festivals and funds to help in providing facilities
needed to observe the festivals, as God instructs in His Word). We
know, of course, that some do not have the financial resources to
attend God’s festivals.

Such lack of obedience to God’s
instructions demonstrates a total lack of enthusiasm in following God’s
Way, and in participating in His very important and significant Holy
Days.

How seriously do we take God’s commands relative to His festival season?

Powerless America!

Der Spiegel Online published this week a thought-provoking article on Europe, the United States, Israel, Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon and Iran. This article is almost prophetic. It addressed the continuing downfall and defeat of the United States of America and Israel, as well as the growing influence of Muslim nations and Europe’s goal to create “peace” in the Middle East.

In referring to Iran, the article was titled, “The Spider’s Web.” It stated:

“More people than ever are dying in Iraq while the United States looks on powerlessly. In the wake of its invasion of Lebanon, Israel is riven with self-doubt, while Europe tries to establish peace. But there is one country that is benefiting from every crisis in the region: Iran… Thousands have died in Iraq in recent weeks, far more than those killed in Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, which has dominated this summer’s headlines. The world seems to have grown weary of the misery, the mounting death toll and the bad news constantly coming out of Baghdad or the Sunni triangle, which has been poisoning the Middle East since the spring of 2003. Amr Mussa, Secretary General of the Arab League, once warned that a war in Iraq would open ‘the door to hell.’ Who would disagree with him today?… Meanwhile, Washington continues to indulge in rosy rhetoric about the ‘new Middle East’ it claims to have created… ‘I’m confident in our capacity to leave behind a better world,’ announced US President George W. Bush, sounding more defiant than triumphant…

“Nothing seems to be going well at the moment for the United States, the superpower with its vastly superior military might. The Taliban is on the rise again in Afghanistan, Iraq is in the throes of civil war and Washington’s reputation in the region has plunged to [an] historic low, its authority as a broker in the region’s conflict frittered away for now — and probably for a long time to come… Israel, the US’s staunchest ally in the region, isn’t faring any better. Far from achieving any of its war objectives, the country has only managed to bomb Lebanon’s remarkable ‘Cedar Revolution’ into distant memory. Israel seems determined to repeat the Americans’ mistakes. It became involved in an asymmetrical war against [the] terrorist organization Hezbollah, and its bombardment of areas filled with civilians has done nothing but strengthen the adversary it tried to destroy. In Lebanon, an international force numbering several thousand, initially under French leadership, will be expected to secure the peace, apparently with a far-reaching mandate, the details of which are being worked out.

“But everything seems to be going well at the moment for America’s greatest foe, the government of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. It has crafted a finely woven web of relationships stretching from Ankara in Turkey to the Gulf and on to Russia, India and China. And what the regime hasn’t developed itself seems to be falling into its lap. The United States has done Iran a favor by eliminating its two worst enemies, the Taliban in Afghanistan and Saddam in Iraq. The US ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, jokes that he’ll send Tehran the bill one day. Iran has also emerged as a winner in the Iraq war, without having fired a single shot. Whether in Baghdad, Beirut or Kabul, everything is going according to the Iranians’ wishes — badly, that is…

“Iran, like a spider in a web, [is] steadily collecting its prey, and has become astoundingly weighty in the process. Despite a general lack of clarity over its domestic situation, the regime deals with the rest of the world with the gravitas of a major power… The Islamic Republic has established itself as a regional power, even without nuclear weapons. According to a recent report by Chatham House, a British think tank, Iran has more influence in Iraq than the United States does. Although the Americans have 135,000 troops stationed there, Iran controls the Shiite militias, whose membership numbers in the hundreds of thousands. ‘The debate is over,’ says Kenneth Pollack, a Middle East expert who once supported the war. ‘By any definition, Iraq is in a state of civil war.’ … One hundred thousand Arabs have fled from the Kurds in northern Iraq, 200,000 Sunnis from war-torn regions in the west, and between 50,000 and 100,000 Shiites from mixed districts in central Iraq… Now more than ever, Iran, 17 years after the death of Ayatollah Khomeini, is the opinion leader in the anti-American and anti-Israeli discourse raging in the Islamic world…

“It appears that President Bush is now ready to listen. Iranian-born Vali Nasr, who teaches political science at the Naval Postgraduate Academy in Monterrey, California, recently explained the situation to Bush… According to Nasr, America, by marching into Iraq, destroyed the Sunni wall that had kept the mullahs in check. ‘This genie won’t go back into the bottle,’ he told the US president, adding that the old allies of the US have lost control of the region. How can America regain control?”

America’s military and political influence is shrinking–in spite of a German press release that Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld allegedly said on August 29 that America would be capable, militarily, to deal with Iran. America’s declining role in the world is just the beginning of prophetic developments which will surely come to pass. For more information, please read our free booklets, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord,” and, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

U.S. Plains Withering in Drought

UPI reported on August 29:

“Five U.S. Plains states are experiencing a drought that has been setting records, decimating crops and careers for ranchers, The New York Times reports. The drought affecting North and South Dakota, Montana, Nebraska and Wyoming is the result of several years of dry conditions and a winter with little snow, climatologists with the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln told the newspaper. South Dakota Gov. Michael Rounds has requested 51 of the state’s 66 counties be designated a federal agricultural disaster area, as sunflower, corn and pasture grasses have withered and died.”

Iran Won’t Concede!

On August 26, The Associated Press reported:

“An Iranian plant that produces heavy water officially went into operation on Saturday, despite U.N. demands that Tehran stop the activity because it can be used to develop a nuclear bomb… Mohammed Saeedi, the deputy head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said the heavy water plant is ‘one of the biggest nuclear projects’ in the country… He said the plant will be used in the pharmaceutical field and in diagnosing cancer…”

On August 29, Der Spiegel Online reported about Iran’s most recent defiance, showing that Iran will not concede. Will the world respond to Iran’s relentless search for power? And if so, how? The magazine stated:

“At a wide-ranging press conference only two days ahead of a United Nations deadline calling for Iran to suspend uranium enrichment for its controversial nuclear program, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made clear that Tehran would not ‘bow to threats and ultimatums’ made by the international community… Prior to Ahmadinejad’s press conference, Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani said on Monday that Iran’s efforts to master the nuclear fuel cycle were ‘irreversible’ — similar to previous comments made by the country’s supreme religious leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Washington is pushing for quick action at the Security Council if Iran fails to comply with the UN deadline. However, it remains to be seen if the world body can stick to a unified line, since both China and Russia are seen as being reluctant to harm their considerable economic interests in Iran by slapping harsh sanctions on Tehran.”

The German daily, Die Welt, wrote this week: “Washington will have a difficult time taking unilateral action if the Council shies away from imposing sanctions. The only thing that remains to be negotiated — that has become clear after the verbal muscle-flexing and theatrical self-portrayal — is whether and how the international community will accompany Iran’s genesis as a nuclear power while exerting some control. The alternative is war.”

Will America Have to Go Alone Against Iran?

The LA Times reported on August 26:

“With increasing signs that several fellow Security Council members may stall a United States push to penalize Iran for its nuclear enrichment program, Bush administration officials have indicated that they are prepared to form an independent coalition to freeze Iranian assets and restrict trade. The strategy, analysts say, reflects not only long-standing U.S. frustration with the Security Council’s inaction on Iran, but also the current weakness of Washington’s position because of its controversial role in a series of conflicts in the Middle East, most recently in Lebanon.

“Despite assurances from Russia and China in July that they would support initial sanctions against Iran if it failed to suspend aspects of its nuclear program, Russia seemed to backtrack… Under U.S. terrorism laws, Washington could ramp up its own sanctions, including financial constraints on Tehran and interception of missile and nuclear materials en route to Iran, [U.S. Ambassador John] Bolton said, and the U.S. is encouraging other countries to follow suit… He said Washington was focusing on European and Japanese banks to restrict business with Iran, because most of Tehran’s transactions are done in U.S. dollars, euros, British pounds and yen.”

America’s Options for Iran — “All of Them Bad!”

On August 24, David Horovitz wrote the following in “the Jerusalem Post”:

“Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, if he ever became the supreme decision maker in his country, would ‘sacrifice half of Iran for the sake of eliminating Israel,’ Giora Eiland, Israel’s former national security adviser [said]. At present, Eiland stressed, the ultimate decision maker in Iran was Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 67, whom he said was ‘more reasonable.’ But, Eiland went on, ‘if Ahmadinejad were to succeed him–and he has a reasonable chance of doing so–then we’d be in a highly dangerous situation.’ The 49-year-old Iranian president, he said, ‘has a religious conviction that Israel’s demise is essential to the restoration of Muslim glory, that the Zionist thorn in the heart of the Islamic nations must be removed. And he will pay almost any price to right the perceived historic wrong. If he becomes the supreme leader and has a nuclear capability, that’s a real threat.’

“In facing up to Iran’s nuclear ambitions, Eiland said the United States had three possible courses of action, ‘all of them bad,’ and that a decision could not be postponed for too long, ‘since delay, too, is a decision of sorts.’ The first option was ‘to give up’–to accept that Iran was going nuclear and try to make the best of it… Washington’s second option was to launch a last-ditch effort at diplomatic action, he said… The third option, said Eiland, was a military operation… this would be action that would have to be taken within months…”

German Troops in Southern Afghanistan?

Der Spiegel Online reported on August 29 about the German reaction to pressures from its allies to send German troops into southern Afghanistan:

“With growing unrest and fighting in southern Afghanistan, a major debate is shaping up in Germany over whether Bundeswehr army soldiers should be dispatched to the region… The conservative Die Welt writes that current developments are ‘forcing Germans to face a reality about the Bundeswehr’s foreign deployments that they didn’t take seriously before.’ And that’s that deployments aren’t just simple peacekeeping operations — they could put soldiers in harm’s way at any time. ‘If German soldiers are deployed to southern Afghanistan, they could face Taliban fighters,” the paper writes. “The perils facing German troops in Congo, where they are providing election security, was demonstrated a few days ago by a shootout in Khinshasa.’…

“The left-leaning Berliner Zeitung uses the debate over a southern Afghanistan deployment as the jumping off point for a bigger issue: the lack of a vision for the Bundeswehr. Since 1992, a total of 150,000 German soldiers have participated in missions abroad — sometimes for humanitarian reasons, at times for combat. But it is still unclear under what criteria Germany sends troops abroad. ‘There is no recognizable strategy whatsoever,’ the paper complains. ‘What German interests are represented in Afghanistan, in Congo and, in the future, in the Middle East?’ The paper says its almost laughable that a country with Germany’s economic might has already reached its military limit with less than 10,000 of its 260,000 troops being deployed abroad. ‘If Germany is going to have an army that gets its orders from parliament,’ the paper argues, ‘then parliament is going to have to take its job seriously. It has to provide a definition of the Bundeswehr’s actual role: It’s obviously no more than an army of self-defense at the moment. But should it become an army of intervention?’ The paper then calls on the government to develop a clear German policy that can determine whether a deployment of troops makes sense or not.”

As Biblical prophecy reveals, Germany will soon have a powerful army, and it will be used as an “army of intervention”–not only as an “army of self-defense.” For more information, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

“More France Means Less Europe”

On August 25, Germany’s conservative daily, Die Welt, published a guest commentary by Dominique Moisi, one of the founders of the French Institute for International Relations (IFRI). According to Der Spiegel Online, summarizing the editorial, “Moisi argues that the conflict in Lebanon has ‘widened the emotional gap between Europe and the United States that began to open up with the beginning of the war in Iraq.’ The United States ‘may not be convinced of the tactical choices made by Israel’s Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and his administration,’ Moisi writes, ‘but the Americans still believe that there was no choice but to conduct this war — just as with the 1982 war in Lebanon.’ On the other hand, the ‘majority of Europeans’ view the war ‘as an operation that was useless from Israel’s point of view, and which could trigger a clash of civilizations between Islam and the West.’…

“[According to Moisi] ‘Spain and Italy have become more critical of Israel, and they’ve also moved closer to France.’ That this last country should be playing an increasingly central role in the debate over the UN peacekeeping mandate in Lebanon is not a good thing, in Moisi’s view: France’s decisions are dictated less by a clear strategy than by the country’s need to retain political ‘credibility’ and its ‘reputation for being a country that doesn’t shy from military intervention.’ Moisi also suggests that ‘more France’ means ‘less Europe,’ or that France’s tendency to take over the reins when it comes to intervention in the Middle East reflects the absence of a consistent EU policy.”

Europe Asked to Act More Decisively!

The EUObserver reported on August 28:

“The Middle East crisis has exposed weaknesses in EU foreign policy with the 25-member bloc reacting too slowly to stop the destruction of Lebanon, president Jacques Chirac said at an annual gathering of top French diplomats in Paris on Monday… ‘The future of the European project is today predicated on Europe’s ability to be a leading political player,’ the president added… The EU’s so-called high representative on foreign affairs, Javier Solana, flew to Lebanon at the height of the conflict in July but the Finnish EU presidency all-but-ignored Mr Chirac’s 20 July plea to give the unofficial EU foreign minister special powers in this case. Speaking at the time, EU diplomats said the UK was unwilling to let Mr Solana negotiate for the whole bloc because there was no unanimity on how to handle the crisis, while other EU states were afraid of losing control in foreign policy areas… ‘In a few short days we saw Lebanon laid to waste, its people battered, 15 years of [diplomatic] effort laid to waste,’ Mr Chirac said.”

European Policy Needs Cohesiveness!

Der Spiegel Online wrote on August 28 about the German perception that Europe’s and Germany’s foreign policy flip-flops. The magazine pointed out:

“The EU has long indicated it wants to play a larger role in world events. But this episode [pertaining to Lebanon] shows Europe still lacks the cohesion and decisiveness in foreign policy, German commentators [said] on Monday.

“Business daily Financial Times Deutschland… singled out France for its waffling on the number of troops it was going to send… In short, the paper writes: ‘The EU has taken on a big responsibility with its participation. Now it must show that it can live up to it.’ Left-leaning Berliner Zeitung says Germany is making itself part of the problem in the Middle East conflict by first rejecting any deployment that could bring its troops into confrontation with Israeli soldiers and then stressing that its navy will use force to stop arms shipments to Hezbolla.'”

Terrorists in Turkey

Der Spiegel Online reported on August 29 about the most recent horrible terror attacks in Turkey by Kurdish extremists, suggesting that more terrible attacks will follow. The magazine stated:

“Several bombs rocked Turkey’s Mediterranean coast and Istanbul late Sunday and Monday, causing at least three deaths and injuring many more. But the toll could have been even higher: Police have reportedly foiled another attack in the western port city Izmir after arresting a member of the banned Kurdish Workers Party (PKK)… The Kurdistan Liberation Hawks (TAK), believed to be tied to the PKK, claimed responsibility for the bombings… The TAK made clear that it was targeting Turkey’s tourist industry to further its separatist cause for the country’s sizable Kurdish minority. ‘We have warned the public of Turkey and the international public before, Turkey is not a safe country, tourists shouldn’t come,’ the group said in a statement on its Web site… The TAK tactic of trying to damage Turkey’s tourist industry, an important part of the country’s economy, could have serious repercussions for the number of foreign visitors… Turkey’s tourist industry, which brings in $18 billion each year, has already been hit this year by other militant attacks and a bird flu outbreak.”

Catholic Church Questions Theory of Evolution

The Guardian Unlimited reported on August 28 about a remarkable development within the Catholic Church, which is apparently willing to review its stance regarding creation and evolution. For decades, the Catholic Church followed the influence of intellectual science to postulate that the concept of evolution was more than a hypothesis. But this erroneous position might perhaps be revised. The article stated:

“Philosophers, scientists and other intellectuals close to Pope Benedict will gather at his summer palace outside Rome this week for intensive discussions that could herald a fundamental shift in the Vatican’s view of evolution. There have been growing signs the Pope is considering aligning his church more closely with the theory of ‘intelligent design’ taught in some US states. Advocates of the theory argue that some features of the universe and nature are so complex that they must have been designed by a higher intelligence. Critics say it is a disguise for creationism.

“A prominent anti-evolutionist and Roman Catholic scientist, Dominique Tassot, told the US National Catholic Reporter that this week’s meeting was ‘to give a broader extension to the debate. Even if [the Pope] knows where he wants to go, and I believe he does, it will take time. Most Catholic intellectuals today are convinced that evolution is obviously true because most scientists say so.’… The Pope also raised the issue in the inaugural sermon of his pontificate, saying: ‘We are not the accidental product, without meaning, of evolution.'”

For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Theory of Evolution–a Fairy Tale for Adults.”

Europe Needs Christians!

On August 27, the Catholic news agency, Zenit, published an interview with Hans Maier, retired professor of Munich’s Ludwig-Maximilians University. Maier was minister of Education and Culture in Bavaria from 1970 to 1986, and president of the Central Committee of German Catholics from 1976 to 1988. He has written some 30 books, including “Democracy in the Church?” (1970), in which he collaborated with Joseph Ratzinger, now Benedict XVI.

In the interview, Maier advocated the concept that Europe needs united and active Christians, and that Europe does not need the import of Arab Muslims. He stated:

“… there are common foundations and principles, manifested in the cultural specificities of each nation. And these unifying principles are Roman law, which led Europe to develop an efficient juridical culture; the Judeo-Christian belief in one God, which has imprinted itself on institutions and thought… We cannot say that Europe is only Christian, but the Judeo-Christian heritage profoundly influenced its cultural and political soul. To import in Europe the same Islam that has been structured in Arab countries would mean the suppression of present-day Europe to create another, radically different continent. This does not mean that we cannot have a Euro-Islam, an Islam adapted to Europe. But it presupposes on the part of Muslims respect for religious freedom, pluralism of thought and the distinction between religion and politics. It requires that the mullahs accept to live their faith along with the Jewish synagogues and Christian cathedrals. It is a process of transformation and maturation to which we must call Muslims, if they wish to be part of this Europe of ours…

“Freedom is something typically European, and I would also say, typically Christian. The contribution made by Christianity to the development of freedom as well as of democracy, is very strong. As for the rest, the totalitarianisms of the 20th century, Communism, and Fascism especially in their National-Socialist expression, are the substitute introduced when there was an attempt to suppress [the Judeo-Christian] religion in Europe… the roots of modern democracy [are] not by accident… Christian roots… Christians are called to unite, to seek ties with others. It must never be forgotten that one of the factors that led to the affirmation of Nazism in Germany was the division between Catholics and Protestants, who were unable to form a common front.”

A Christian European Constitution

Bild Online reported on August 29 about a formal visit between Pope Benedict XVI and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, daughter of a Protestant minister. During the visit, Merkel promised that she would strongly advocate that Christianity is firmly rooted in the European Constitution, as “Christianity has formed essentially our European history.” The Pope is scheduled to visit Bavaria on September 8.

An important tool in understanding a particular passage in Scripture
is to look at the passage in context, as well as in the light of other
Scriptures. In John 9, Christ healed a man on the Sabbath who had been
born blind. The Pharisees and the Jews accused Christ of breaking the
Sabbath and concluded that He was not from God (verse 16) and a
“sinner” (verse 24, in Greek, “hamartolos”). In response, the healed
man said: “Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is
a worshipper of God and does His will, He hears him… If this Man were
not from God, He could no nothing” (verses 31, 33).

As a
consequence, he was put out of the synagogue (verse 34), and Christ
later told some of the Pharisees that they were not blind, but that
their unrepented sin remained (verses 40-41).

The Pharisees had
made terrible accusations against Jesus. They had accused Him of
casting out demons with the help of Beelzebub, the “ruler of the
demons”–another designation for Satan (Matthew 12:24). Some even
claimed that He was possessed by Satan (Mark 3:22). Christ warned them
in that context that they were in danger of committing the unpardonable
sin, which cannot be forgiven, for they were blaspheming God’s Holy
Spirit dwelling in Christ (Matthew 12:31-32; Mark 3:28-30).

When
the Pharisees, Scribes and other leading Jews accused Christ of being a
“sinner,” they did not just refer to Him as One who might occasionally
sin. They were implying that He was influenced or even possessed by
Satan, and that He did miracles through demonic powers. Paul later
said, in Galatians 2:15, that “we… are Jews by nature, and not
sinners of the Gentiles,” which do not know God. In addition, as we
will see, when Christ was called a “sinner,” He was also accused of
having a depraved character and of deliberately and intentionally
rejecting God.

In the majority of cases, the Greek word for
“sinner” is used to describe those who are practicing, as a way of
life, a depraved and ungodly lifestyle. Christ was “betrayed into the
hands of sinners” (Matthew 26:45). He ate with “publicans and sinners”
(Matthew 9:10-11), because He had come to call “sinners” to repentance
(Mark 2:16-17). He said that God’s angels in heaven would rejoice over
a “sinner” who repents (Luke 15:10). Christ came into the world to
“save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). He warned His true disciples not to be
ashamed of Him and His words in this adulterous and sinful generation
(Mark 8:38)–literally, in this “generation of sinners.” Peter
would later ask: “If the righteous one is scarcely saved, Where will
the ungodly and the sinner appear?” (1 Peter 4:18). A woman who
anointed Christ’s feet with fragrant oil was a well-known
“sinner”–apparently a prostitute (Luke 7:37-39).

Paul places
“sinners” in the same category as “the lawless and insubordinate… the
ungodly… the unholy and profane,… the murderers of fathers and
murderers of mothers… manslayers…, fornicators,… sodomites…
kidnappers…, liars… [and] perjurers” (1 Timothy 1:9-10). He also
stated that he was a “chief” sinner (1 Timothy 1:15), as he had
persecuted the Church of God. Peter adds that even converted Israelites
“spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles
[the “sinners”]–when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness,
revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries” (1 Peter 4:3).

The
implication is that Jesus, when He was called a “sinner,” was accused
of being a “pervert” and a “bastard,” born of fornication (John 8:41),
influenced and possessed by Satan the devil and his demons (John 7:20;
8:48, 52; 10:20).The man who was healed of his blindness responded that
Jesus could not have been guilty of such accusations, because if He was
such a “sinner,” God would not have heard Him and used Him to heal his
eyes.

The Bible does not teach that God does not hear us when we
slip and fall occasionally, committing a sin because of weakness or
neglect. All of us sin occasionally (1 John 1: 8). We are told that if
we sin, we can repent of and confess our sin to God, and ask God for
forgiveness, and “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and
cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). This shows that God
WILL HEAR us when we pray to Him, even though we have sinned.

However,
Isaiah 59:2-3 tells us that God does not hear us when we live in
iniquity and when we are unwilling to repent of it: “But your
iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden
His face from you, So that He will not hear. For your hands are defiled
with blood, And your fingers with iniquity; Your lips have spoken lies,
Your tongue has muttered perversity.” God says in Isaiah 1:15: “Even
though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of
blood.”

God clearly states in Micah 3:4: “Then they will cry to
the LORD, But He will not hear them; He will even hide His face from
them at that time, Because they have been evil in their deeds.” Verse 2
explains that they “hate good and love evil” and that they steal and
rob mercilessly from the people.

David understood that if he “had
cherished iniquity in [his] heart, the Lord would not have listened” to
his prayers (Psalm 66:18, Revised Standard Version).

God told
Jeremiah that He would not hear those who rebelled against God and who
continued to live in rebellion: “Do not pray for this people, for their
good. When they fast, I will not hear their cry… But I will consume
them by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence” (Jeremiah
14:11-12). In fact, the prayers of those who REFUSE to listen to God
and to obey His law are called an abomination (Proverbs 28:9). God will
NOT LISTEN to prayers of people who REFUSE to hear His law (Zechariah
7:11-13).

The way to be heard on high is to “Seek the LORD…
[and to] Call upon Him… [and to] Let the wicked forsake his way, And
the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He
will have mercy on Him” (Isaiah 55:6-7).

God may hear the
prayers of people whom He did not call to salvation at this time, when
He sees genuine remorse on their part. He listened to the prayer of the
Ninivites and spared their city (Jonah 3:5-10). Jesus confirmed later
that their “repentance” was sufficient for God to relent from the
disaster that He had intended to bring upon them (Matthew 12:41).

Christ
listened to the prayer of a Gentile woman and healed her young
daughter, by casting out a demon, when He saw her faith (Mark 7:25-30).
In that case, we don’t even know whether she was conscious of, and
whether she had repented of her sins, but God honored her faith in Him.
God says that until He calls someone to repentance, He overlooks the
time of ignorance (Acts 17:30), but even then, He desires that people
“seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him,
though He is not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:27).

Someone
who is looking to God and who is trying to do what is right, as much as
he or she understands it, might very well be heard by God. Christ
healed many people who had faith in Him, even though they did not
understand many things about God and His Way of Life. But once God
calls us to salvation, He expects of us to respond to His call, repent,
get to know Him and His Way better, and to obey Him. We have to forsake
the ways of this world and choose to live God’s Way of Life. 1 John
3:22 says: “And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep
His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.”
And 1 John 5:14 adds: “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him,
that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”

However,
if we continue to openly rebel against God; refuse to listen to Him and
His Word; refuse to repent of our sins; refuse to keep His law and to
be obedient to Him; then God will not listen to our prayers. If we want
to remain “sinners,” even though we have been taught the truth–if we
choose to continue to follow the dictates and devices of our own evil
heart–then we cannot expect to be heard on high.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

In our effort to participate in fulfilling the Church’s commission,
as much as God gives us the means to do so, to preach the gospel in all
the world as a witness and to warn of pending disaster, we have
launched a German website in Germany, under http://aufpostenstehen.de.
Several additional new German entries, which are in preparation, will
be posted soon on the Website.

A new StandingWatch program was recorded and has been posted on the Web. It is titled: “Terrorism in Germany.”

Set forth below is a summary of the program:

Germany
is not immune from terrorist attacks. Fanatical terrorists might strike
anywhere–any time. If they had been successful in their foiled attempt
in late July to blow up several trains in Germany, hundreds of innocent
passengers would have been killed. In the meantime, several
suspects–Lebanese students living in Germany–were apprehended, but
the German government is convinced that they acted with the help of a
terrorist group in Germany, with connections to terrorist organizations
overseas. Germans are on edge and wondering, what is going to happen
next. And more importantly, will their government be able to protect
them from terrorists?