On January 7, 2006, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “Abraham.”

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

 Right NOW–it really is time to flee! But what should we flee from and where should we flee?

Throughout New Testament Church history, the people of God have
anticipated a time when circumstances would necessitate a hazardous
escape in times of eminent peril. Jesus said as much in Matthew 24 when
He specifically identified events that would signal unparalleled world
turmoil, and He told His disciples to be ready (Compare verses 15-22).
In addition, we find His stern warning to watch and pray in order that
we might escape the calamitous end-time events heralding His return to
the earth and the end of this age (Compare Luke 21:34-36). Without
question, this will be a time for Christians to flee to the physical
safety that God will provide for those who are faithful and obedient.

However,
there is another time to flee. There are circumstances and reasons for
Christians to flee–right now! We must flee from sin. Paul succinctly
said: “Flee sexual immorality…” (1 Corinthians 6:18). He instructed
Timothy to flee the enticements of money and to “…pursue
righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness,” and to
“Fight the good fight of faith”; to “lay hold on eternal life…” (1
Timothy 6:11-12).

We also find this vital key to withstanding the
influence of the perverted spiritual ruler of this age: “Therefore
submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).
Our focus must be to come out of this world–we must even, at times,
take the position of fleeing from sin (Compare Revelation 18:4). We
can’t afford to snuggle up to those things that are wrong, because,
inevitably, we are lured into a series of descending compromises that
end up in full-blown sin. That sin leads to death (Compare James
1:14-15)!

If we want life–the kind that God promises that is
eternal–we must be prepared to separate ourselves from what is
often times the easy and familiar. We must develop an attitude of
urgency! We must turn totally to God’s way! We must not go along in a
sleepy-eyed slumber, because our life really is on the line!

When
you confront sin–any sin–it’s time to flee! Turn to God and flee to
Him. Do what God says and you really will find safety–both now and in
all of the dangerous circumstances that certainly lie ahead for all
Christians!

Austria Looks South

The International Herald Tribune wrote on December 31, 2005:

“Austria, once an imperial power in southeastern Europe, is reasserting its economic influence in its former territories and intends to encourage political change in the region when it takes over the European Union presidency Sunday… Austria never really abandoned Central Europe or the Balkans. Even after the collapse in 1918 of the Austro-Hungarian Empire–which at its height stretched from Silesia in what is now Poland to Transylvania in Romania–Vienna remained a beacon for writers, composers and artists from across the region. When Stalin put up the Iron Curtain in 1948, Vienna took on a new status, providing a refuge for people fleeing the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, the failed Prague Spring of 1968, and persecuted Jews fleeing from the former Soviet Union. But it was in the summer of 1989, months before the collapse of the Berlin Wall, that Foreign Minister Alois Mock of Austria and his Communist Hungarian counterpart, Gyula Horn, took the action that was to change the face of Europe. On an abandoned stretch of land that marked the Austrian-Hungarian border, Mock and Horn literally cut through the barbed wire that divided Western and Eastern Europe and allowed 700 East Germans to reach the West without being shot. This breach, later widened after negotiations between Hungary and West Germany, allowed tens of thousands of East Germans to leave the country and precipitated the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War.

“The breach also opened new investment opportunities in the East. But because of the Balkan Wars of the 1990s, Austrian companies concentrated on Eastern and Central Europe. Only now are they venturing into the Balkans, anticipating the boom that EU membership for Romania and Bulgaria, planned for 2007, will bring to the region. Austria’s Economy Ministry says the increase in investment has been enormous. Total investment by Austria in southeastern Europe–Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania, and Serbia and Montenegro–reached E5.9 billion, or $6.9 billion, in 2004, an increase of 57 percent over the previous year. In the same period, Austrian investment in Eastern Europe rose 17 percent…

“And it is not just trade that is on the rise. Politics is playing an ever more important role, with Austria sometimes at loggerheads with its 24 EU partners over the bloc’s policies toward its southern neighbors. In early October, Austria stood alone among the EU members in resisting the start of accession talks with Turkey. In return for its support, it insisted that the EU start negotiations with Croatia as well. After days and nights of intense talks, the EU agreed that both countries could begin accession negotiations.”

Many Austrians and Germans are descendants from the ancient Assyrians, as the Bible and historical records reveal. And the Bible contains startling prophecies for modern Assyria in these end times. It is therefore important for us to watch developments in Germany and Austria.

Iran’s Nuclear Power

AFP reported on January 4, 2006:

“A day after Iran notified the UN atomic watchdog of its decision to ‘start research on the technology of nuclear fuel in a few days,’ the country’s chief official for the nuclear file, Ali Larijani, said the decision was ‘not negotiable.’ His comments followed similar remarks late Tuesday by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was quoted by state television as saying Iran would not ‘step back’ on its decision to resume nuclear fuel work.The increasingly hardline tone from Iranian leaders came despite calls from the International Atomic Energy Agency, Europe and the United States to maintain its suspension of enrichment-related activities.

“Germany, a member of the EU-3 negotiating team that also includes Britain and France, said it viewed Iran’s latest announcement with ‘concern,’ and added that it could ‘throw into doubt the exploratory talks’ to be held in Vienna on January 18. France also urged Iran to withdraw plans to resume research on its nuclear programme, warning that future talks could be put on hold… A Western diplomat said that Tehran’s gesture ‘is the sign that shows Iran’s negotiations with the EU are on their last legs.'”

The Guardian reported about another concern in its article, dated January 4. It was pointed out: “The Iranian government has been successfully scouring Europe for the sophisticated equipment needed to develop a nuclear bomb, according to the latest western intelligence assessment of the country’s weapons programmes. Scientists in Tehran are also shopping for parts for a ballistic missile capable of reaching Europe, with ‘import requests and acquisitions … registered almost daily’, the report seen by the Guardian concludes.”

USA vs. Iran

Der Spiegel Online reported on December 30, 2005:

“Recent reports in the German media suggest that the United States may be preparing its allies for an imminent military strike against facilities [as early as 2006] that are part of Iran’s suspected clandestine nuclear weapons program… DDP [a German news agency] also reported that the governments of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Oman and Pakistan have been informed in recent weeks of Washington’s military plans. The countries, apparently, were told that air strikes were a ‘possible option,’ but they were given no specific timeframe for the operations.”

State of Emergency in California

AFP reported on January 4, 2006, that “Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger broadened the state of emergency in storm-hit northern California as flood waters subsided… ‘Conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property exist,’ Schwarzenegger said in his written decrees. ‘The series of storms brought unusually heavy rains that caused flooding, mudslides, the accumulation of debris, washed out and damaged roads, and the loss of human life.’… Damage estimates climbed past 100 million dollars on Tuesday.”

AFP had reported in a previous article, dated January 3, that “Violent weather across the United States has brought a tempestuous start to 2006, as wildfires swept across southern parts of the country Monday and storms triggered floods in California… Monday’s storm drenched usually sunny southern California, flooding roads and causing landslides in the Los Angeles area. The storm also soaked the Rose Parade, an annual event just north of Los Angeles featuring flowery floats, for the first time since 1955… Meanwhile, runaway fires that have killed at least four people continued to rage across the southern central US states of Texas and Oklahoma, forcing residents to flee [from] burning homes.”

In a TV broadcast on January 3, CNN claimed that the weather conditions in California, Texas and Oklahoma are related. According to the program, the same storm drenching California moved toward Texas and Oklahoma and picked up hot air over the Arizona desert. It caused the prolonged draught in Texas and Oklahoma to continue, raising the fire dangers in those states.

America’s Image

Der Spiegel Online reported on January 4, 2006:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel can look forward to the red-carpet treatment in Washington next week as US President George Bush — who never got on with her predecessor Gerhard Schröder — hopes to signal a fresh start. But a top German official warns that despite improving trans-Atlantic ties, America’s reputation among the European public is waning.”

The article continued:

“‘I’m concerned that the image of America as a haven of state legality where the state protects the personal freedom of individuals has suffered,’ said Karsten Voigt, the German Foreign Ministry’s co-ordinator for German-American cooperation… ‘I hope people in the US are aware of the problem.’ Voigt said… public opinion in Germany and other European countries remained highly critical of US government policy…  While the Iron Curtain divided Germany, the relationship was clear– the United States was West Germany’s protector. The fall of communism had ended Germany’s need for protection and thrust it into the new role of having to help solve crises elsewhere in the world, said Voigt. ‘In the last century we either caused the crisis or were at the center of it,’ said Voigt. ‘We were automatically involved. Now we have to decide whether we get involved…'”

Russia and Europe

Der Spiegel Online reported on January 6, 2006:

“Following a few days of concern that Europe might be in for a very cold winter, Russia and the Ukraine… announced they had managed to end their dispute over natural gas pricing– conveniently just in time for Orthodox Christmas break.”

But even though Russia bowed to European pressure, the waves have not calmed down, and Europe’s suspicions about Russia’s intentions remain. The magazine explained:

“But many officials in the European Union remain unsettled after Moscow simply turned off the tap on Jan. 1 following Kiev’s refusal to pay more for its gas. The episode has raised doubts whether Russia — which supplies some 25 percent of the EU’s natural gas — can be a reliable partner for Europe’s energy needs. Western commentators said Russian President Vladimir Putin was using Russia’s gas wealth as a weapon to intimidate its neighbors and shore up Russian influence in the region. Western-leaning Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has annoyed Moscow by aiming to take Ukraine into the European Union and NATO — a move which would further reduce Russia’s influence over the states of the former Soviet Union.”

In a previous article, dated January 3, Der Spiegel Online had explained the precarious situation, as follows:

“The supply stop has already led to reduced natural gas deliveries to France, Italy, Austria, Hungary and Poland by as much as 35 percent… Germany, Europe’s largest economy, gets about 30 percent of its gas from Russia… The conservative German daily Die Welt wrote: ‘Moscow still regards its western neighbors as a back yard in which self-will isn’t tolerated and is even punished.’ Business daily Handelsblatt wrote that Russia had shown it wasn’t an honest and reliable supplier of gas… The United States government was quick to express its concern. ‘Such an abrupt step creates insecurity in the energy sector in the region and raises serious questions about the use of energy to exert political pressure,’ State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said… German Economics Minister Michael Glos… warned Moscow it must act responsibly if it wants Germany to import more Russian gas in the future.”

The article continued:

“The affair has also fuelled criticism of Schröder for agreeing to take a top job in the Russian-German consortium building a gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea straight from Russia to Germany, a move seen tainted with favoritism given Schröder’s friendship with Putin. The undersea pipeline has been condemned by Poland, the Baltic states and Ukraine because it could be used by Moscow to raise pressure on its closest neighbors, since Russia could shut off eastern pipelines while continuing supplies to Western Europe. ‘A former German chancellor manning the Russian gas cannon. What an absurd idea!’ wrote German mass circulation daily Bild.”

Britons in Debt

According to an article in The Independent, which was published on January 3, Britons are in debt to the tune of 1.13 trillion pounds. It was predicted that 66,000 people will go bust this year. The average household debt is 7,650 pounds (excluding mortgage debts). Two-thirds of EU credit card debt is British. One in five students owes at least 15,000 pounds.  Finally, 40% of women keep debts secret from their partners, and half of all heavy debtors suffer from depression.

Ridiculous Italian Court Ruling

As The Times reported on January 3, 2006, “an Italian judge has ordered a priest to appear in court this month to prove that Jesus Christ existed.” A militant atheist wrote a book claiming that there is no historical evidence that Jesus Christ existed. When a Catholic priest disputed this claim, the atheist sued him for “abusing popular credulity” or “abuse of popular belief” [“Abuso di Credulita Popolare”] and for “impersonation” [“Sostituzione di Persona”], both offenses under the Italian Penal Code–hence the ridiculous ruling by an Italian Superior Court judge in this ridiculous lawsuit. The Times continued to report about some of the evidence for Christ’s human existence on earth, as follows:

“The Gospels say that Jesus was born to the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem, grew up in Nazareth, preached and performed miracles in Galilee and died on the Cross in Jerusalem. In his Antiquities of the Jews at the end of the 1st century, Josephus, the Jewish historian, refers to Jesus as ‘a wise man, a doer of wonderful works’ who ‘drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles.’ Muslims believe Jesus was a great prophet. Many Jewish theologians regard Jesus as an itinerant rabbi who popularized many of the beliefs of liberal Jews. Neither Muslims nor Jews believe he was the Messiah and Son of God. Tacitus, the Roman historian who lived from 55 to 120, mentions ‘Christus’ in his Annals. In about 120 Suetonius, author of The Lives of the Caesars, says: ‘Since the Jews constantly made disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus, Emperor Claudius expelled them from Rome.'”

Signs of the Time

Our English correspondent sent us the following synopsis from British newspaper headlines and quotes, pertaining to the last three weeks, describing appalling conditions in Great Britain. When reading these reports, do we need to be surprised when the Bible tells us that God IS going to punish Great Britain for its sins?

“Acceptance of same-sex ‘marriages.’ 12-year old children offered nicotine patches. Top 100 UK companies facing ‘black hole’ of 75 billion pounds final salary pension schemes thus putting retirees in financial jeopardy. Only one crime in 100 results in offender being prosecuted. About 140 people end up in hospital every weekend because of ‘binge’ drinking. Cherie Blair (Tony Blair’s wife) uses a practice from white witchcraft before important meetings known as ‘casting a circle’. In one school, a woman ‘wican’ (witch) is teaching children about witches as long as they come with a parent. Mobile phones from one company give children a hot line to hard porn. Alarming rise in weapons used by street criminals. Britain is the drug capital of Europe with the highest rate of amphetamine abuse and with the worst record for taking ecstasy; it also has the highest rate of seizures of heroin (per UN statistics).”

Are Western Powers Losing the Battle?

On December 30, 2005, Great Britain’s The Daily Mail published the following article:

“We were sickened when the Americans thought it necessary to incarcerate terror suspects in the most degrading conditions at Guantanamo Bay. We were sickened when we saw those pictures of Iraqi prisoners being abused by their U.S. captors at Abu Ghraib. We were sickened when America used phosphorus to ‘shake and bake’ the people of Fallujah, burning many of them to death, women and children included. And we remain deeply uneasy at persistent reports on the ‘extraordinary rendition’ of prisoners flown to remote camps to be tortured–especially as Mr Blair sees no reason to investigate whether those CIA flights used British airports.

“So what are we to make of the latest claims that British and Greek security agents colluded in the kidnap and torture of 28 Pakistani suspects in Greece, after the London bombings on July 7? Greek politicians say British intelligence orchestrated the abduction. A leading Athens newspaper has named the MI6 station chief who was allegedly in charge. Greece’s Supreme Court prosecutor says the case ‘warrants detailed attention’. One thing is sure. When the war on terror supposedly defends freedom, democracy and Western values, it simply isn’t good enough for Foreign Secretary Jack Straw to dismiss these accusations as ‘complete nonsense’ and leave it at that. The tragedy is that the Western powers are losing the battle for hearts and minds. No longer are they perceived as commanding the moral high ground.”

The Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation

Der Stern Online reported a while back about the battle of Austerlitz on December 2, 1805, when Napoleon I beat the allied armies of Austria and Russia, “ending the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation.” This battle is sometimes called the Battle of the Three Emperors, because Napoleon, Francis of Austria and Alexander of Russia were all present on the field. Of course, Napoleon himself brought about the eighth resurrection of the ancient Roman Empire–but not “of the German Nation.” The article continued to point out that on August 6, 1806, Emperor Francis of Austria abdicated as German Emperor. According to the article, “after almost 900 years the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation ceased to exist.”

But it did not cease to exist forever. The Roman Empire, under German and Austrian leadership, experienced another revival under Hitler, and the final revival or resurrection of the “Holy Roman Empire” is happening right now in Europe. According to the Bible, ten mighty European nations or groups of nations, which will perhaps be called “core nations,” will unite continental Europe and then turn over their authority to a charismatic and powerful political leader–who will be either a German or an Austrian.

For more information, please read our free booklets: “Europe in Prophecy” and “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”

Sharon’s Farewell From Politics?

Der Spiegel Online reported on January 5, 2006: “After a serious stroke, it appears Israeli leader Ariel Sharon’s political career could be at an end. He came into office as a settlement-loving hawk, but he will leave it as a pragmatist who brought some hope for peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict… Even if Sharon recovers, he is unlikely to return to politics. An Israeli cabinet member said Thursday that it is clear to all that Sharon will be unable to continue his work as prime minister… Israeli private television channel 10 also cited members of Sharon’s family saying that he could recover from the stroke but would never return to office… The biggest worry surrounding Sharon’s stroke is that his absence could be a destructive blow to the Middle East peace process and, coming less than three months to go before elections, it could give a boost to hardliners surrounding former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. And though Sharon is disliked by Palestinians, who consider him an enemy who led brutal military campaigns against their people, he did demonstrate his ability to compromise through his decision to withdraw all Israeli settlements last year in the Gaza Strip… His absence from the political scene now threatens the steps that have been made towards peace in the region. Ultimately, his departure could push the process backwards, with the Palestinians, Israelis and even Americans looking for a new starting point.”

Top This One

We might have thought that we heard it all. But then, an incredibly stupid news report catches our attention. Like the following one about an “unusual wedding” between an eccentric British millionaire and a dolphin. Yes, you read correctly. Here is the story:

“Till death do us part? An unusual wedding ceremony was held in the southern resort town of Eilat on Wednesday, as Sharon Tendler, a 41-years-old Jewish millionaire from London married her beloved Cindy, a 35-years-old dolphin, Israel’s leading newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported Thursday. The groom, a resident of the Eilat dolphin reef, met Tendler 15 years ago, when she first visited the resort. The British rock concert producer took a liking to the dolphin and has made a habit of traveling to Eilat two or three times a year and spending time with her underwater sweetheart… After a years-long romance, Tendler decided to embark on the highly unusual path of tying the knot with her beloved dolphin. Last week, she approached Cindy’s trainer Maya Zilber with the extraordinary request… And so on Wednesday afternoon, the thrilled bride, wearing a white dress, walked down the dock before hundreds of astounded visitors and kneeled down before her groom, who was waiting in the water. Cindy, escorted by his fellow best-men dolphins, swam over to Tendler and she hugged him, whispered sweet nothings in his ear, and kissed him in front of the cheering crowd. After the ceremony was sealed with some mackerels, Tendler was tossed into the water by her friends so that she could swim with her new husband.”

What a mockery of the Godly ordained institution of marriage. How far will this world drift away from our Creator, before He has had enough?

For more information on the Godly purpose for marriage, please read our free booklet, “The Keys to Happy Marriages and Families.”

Creation or Evolution?

500 to 700 million copies of the Bible are produced each year. The Bible has been translated into 2,287 languages. The average reader needs 50 hours to read the entire Bible. If one reads four chapters a day, one has completed the book within a year (according to the magazine, Focus). But how many believe in the accuracy of the Biblical record?

Surprising as it may sound, many Germans claim that they do. They say that they believe the Biblical account of the creation of man, thereby rejecting the Evolution theory. According to Der Spiegel Online, dated December 20, 2005, “Germans… believe in the literal record of the Bible. Every second German believes that a higher Power created life on earth.” The article continued: “Perhaps Germans are much more religious than originally assumed… In West Germany, 54 percent believe in a creative Power outside natural laws… 58 percent of the German people over 50 years old do not believe that apes and men had the same predecessor.”

The Austrian news agency, NetWorld, reported that Christoph Schoenborn, Archbishop of Vienna, criticized the theory of Evolution. He coined the fundamental question: “Is man a product of time and chance, or was a Will responsible for his existence?” He also rejected the concept of “theistic evolution,” as it only allows for God at the beginning of the evolutionary process, without any subsequent involvement and intervention. He sided with Thomas Aquinas who postulated that the Creator is not only the Originator, but also the One Who carries, upholds and directs the Creation.

For more information, please read our free booklet, “Evolution–a FairyTale for Adults?”

We must be very careful that we don’t fall into the trap of trying
to say that what Paul taught was just an instruction for his time, some
2,000 years ago–and that it is not necessarily binding for us today.
This wrong understanding was epitomized by an Anglican Bishop who, when
challenged on a particular issue a few years ago, wrote:

“My
disagreement stems partly from my understanding of the way in which I
read the Bible, praying that the Holy Spirit will enlighten my
understanding of what statements are unchangeable and what are
conditioned by social and cultural norms of the time in which God spoke
to those involved.”

He fell into the trap of “cherry picking”
those portions of Scripture that suited his particular stance and
ignoring those which he considered no longer applicable. This is a very
dangerous thing to do because God clearly states that “ALL
Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped
for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

The problem with the
“social and cultural norms of the time”-approach is that it allows the
culture of the day to become more important than God’s clear
instructions!

It is true that Paul said in 1 Corinthians 7:25:
“Now concerning virgins: I have no commandment from the Lord; yet I
give judgment as one whom the Lord in His mercy has made trustworthy.”
The question is, did Paul, as an apostle of Jesus Christ, have the
authority, under godly inspiration, to “bind and loose” (Matthew
16:19)? That is, was he permitted to explain with authority, under
godly inspiration, God’s will on a certain matter, even though the
written record–until that point in time–might not have been totally
clear? Since he undoubtedly did have such authority, his commandments,
as revealed and retained in God’s Word, are binding for us today. When
Paul said, although there was no WRITTEN law, he was communicating
God’s inspiration to him. Therefore, it has the same strength as a
written command. God inspired it to be written down in the Bible, so it
has now become part of the written commandments as well. A
transgression of God’s written law (not just the Ten Commandments, but
all of God’s words which are still binding today) is sin. After all,
sin is defined in Scripture as the transgression of the law (1 John
3:4, Authorized Version).

The New King James Commentary has this to say about 1 Corinthians 7:25:

“Paul
is now about to deal with another subject about which the Corinthians
had written him (cf. 7:1). I have no commandment of the Lord. In our
Lord’s instruction regarding marriage and divorce recorded in the
Gospels, there is no record of His speaking directly to this issue. And
so, the apostle says, yet I give my judgment. This again is not to say
his advice is less inspired than something he may or may not quote from
our Lord. Rather, Paul gives advice under the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit in order to fulfill this obligation to the Lord to be faithful.”

Matthew Henry’s Commentary makes these observations about this same verse:

“He
[Paul] acted faithfully, and therefore his direction was to be regarded
as a rule of Christ: for he gave judgment as one who was a faithful
apostle of Christ. Though Christ had before delivered no universal law
about that matter, he [Christ] now gives direction by an inspired
apostle, one who had obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.”

It
is important to note that Paul’s writings are now Scripture. In 2 Peter
3:16 we read: “…as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of
these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which
untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do
also the rest of the Scriptures.”

This is critical
understanding because this verse reveals that there will be those who
will twist Scripture [including Paul’s writings], not only for their
own purposes, but to their own destruction; and, secondly, it states
that Paul’s writings were considered Scripture. Jesus Christ is the
same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8) and the Word of God,
likewise, is unchangeable. We must not “cherry pick” Scripture. Rather,
we must take the Bible in its entirety. That includes Paul’s writings
which are part of Scripture and which cannot be dismissed as only
applicable to his own time.

Lead Writer: Brian Gale

A new StandingWatch program
was posted on the Web, titled, “Stay Committed!” In the program, Mr.
Link discusses the importance of staying committed to our physical and
spiritual obligations.

by Eric Rank

They call it “The Problem of Evil.” The argument
states: If there is a God who is perfect and good in every way, why
does evil exist in this world? For many, this apparent contradiction
brings people to intellectually reason that God does not exist.
However, not only do we know that the existence of God cannot be
determined by our limited intellectual capacity for logic alone, we
also understand that the existence of evil is something that God allows
for a reason.

The fact that God allows evil to exist in this
world begs the question of why He allows it. The answer is simple. It
is part of God’s plan for us all to overcome evil, following Christ’s
example. Just as God placed the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil
in the midst of the Garden of Eden to test the obedience of Adam and
Eve, evil exists in this world to test our obedience. The existence of
evil does not contradict the existence of God, but rather, it exists so
that our character may be refined when we overcome it.

We
are
provided with a choice in life. Choose righteousness, or choose evil.
Choose life, or choose death. We know through God’s Word that he wants
us, and even commands us, to choose righteousness. He gives us the
option to overcome evil, but He does not force us to do it. Overcoming
evil and sin is our responsibility every single day. If we obey His
Word, and remain faithful until the end, we will have the opportunity
to be a part of God’s Kingdom.

On December 31, 2005, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “The Word of God.”

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.

How many acts of kindness should we perform each day? The answer for
Christians should be obvious–as many as we possibly can and have
opportunity to. But sadly, in this selfish and unkind world, we often
fall short, being influenced negatively by our society.

There can
be no doubt that especially our Western societies have increasingly
become more and more “unkind.” When I grew up, it was expected of
younger people, for example, to show kindness to the older generation.
When a young person sat in a public bus and an older person approached,
it was expected of the younger one to stand up and offer his seat to
the older person. Today, such conduct would be the rare exception,
because we have become more and more self-centered. Younger people are
not taught anymore to show love and kindness to others, including
showing respect and rising up before the hoary head (Leviticus 19:32).
Indeed, the perilous times just preceding Christ’s Return are described
in this way: “For men will be lovers of THEMSELVES… unthankful…
unloving… despisers of good…” (2 Timothy 3:1-4).

Of course,
it is very much within our human nature to forget to show kindness to
others. Even though young Joseph, as a captive in an Egyptian prison,
prophesied to the imprisoned chief butler that he would be freed,
pleading with him, in return, to “show him kindness” and get him also
out of prison, the butler just forgot him (Genesis 40:14, 23). The
children of Israel did not remember God and refused to show kindness to
the house of Gideon, after his death (Judges 8:34-35). King Joash acted
in the same way, after he had originally done what was right in the
eyes of God (2 Chronicles 24:2). However, later in his life he failed
miserably: “Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness which
Jehoiada his father [foster father] had done to him, but killed his
son” (2 Chronicles 24:22).

But people CAN be kind, if they want
to be. The unconverted “barbarians” showed Paul and his companions
“unusual kindness” when they were shipwrecked and escaped to the isle
of Malta, by kindling a fire and made them all welcome, “because of the
rain … and the cold” (Acts 28:1-2). How much more ought
Christians and their children show kindness to others! This includes
looking for opportunities to show and carry out acts of kindness. We
read that the “law of kindness” is in the mouth of the virtuous woman
(Proverbs 31:26). King David was willing to show “the kindness of God”
to one of Saul’s sons (2 Samuel 9:3), by restoring to him all the land
of Saul, and by letting him eat at his table (verse 7). In fact, we
read that God and men desire to see kindness in a person (Proverbs
19:22).

Paul commended himself as a minister of God by showing
kindness (2 Corinthians 6:4, 6). He encouraged us to put on, as the
“elect of God,” “tender mercies [and] kindness” (Colossians 3:12), and
told us to be kind and tenderhearted to one another (Ephesians
4:32). Peter encourages us to give all diligence to add to our
Christian growth “brotherly kindness” (2 Peter 1:5, 7).

Kindness
requires action! We need to be kind in thought, word and deed. Kindness
is defined as the quality of BEING kind, and includes kindly FEELINGS
as well as kind ACTS of service. When we realize how kind God is toward
us (Ephesians 2:4-7; Titus 3:4), we ought to be kind to others,
including, but not limited to, those who are showing us kindness (2
Samuel 10:2). We are to become like God the Most High, who is even kind
to the unthankful and evil (Luke 6:35).

When God’s love is in us,
we WILL BE kind (1 Corinthians 13:4), as the fruit of God’s Spirit
includes “kindness” (Galatians 5:22). Therefore, as we have
opportunity, let us do good to all, by showing kindness, especially to
those who are of the household of faith (Galatians 6:10).

Spying on Americans

Germany’s left-liberal and highly popular magazine, Der Spiegel, made a very provocative and somewhat offensive statement in its online edition of December 22, when it titled its article: “Bush’s Impeachable Offense.”

We are bringing you excerpts from the magazine’s articles, as well as from AFP, a French news agency. We are not taking any position as to whether or not the conclusions reached in the articles are factually or legally correct. It is, however, our commission to make you aware of this controversy, as it shows the ongoing and progressive deterioration between the United States of America and continental Europe. The reporting is indicative of how many Europeans view the current US administration with disfavor and disdain. As we pointed out before, this development was prophesied in God’s Word thousands of years ago. And it will continue, until the war of words will end up in a real–bloody and devastating–war between these two power blocs–unless the people of the United States of America, as well as countries such as Great Britain and Canada, repent of their sins against Almighty God.

Der Spiegel Online stated:

“Yes, the president committed a federal crime by wiretapping Americans, say constitutional scholars, former intelligence officers and politicians. What’s missing is the political will to impeach him… Norman Ornstein, a scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, said, ‘I think if we’re going to be intellectually honest here, this really is the kind of thing that Alexander Hamilton was referring to when impeachment was discussed.”… former Nixon White House counsel John Dean called Bush ‘the first president to admit to an impeachable offense.’… ‘The American public has to understand that a crime has been committed, a serious crime,’ Chris Pyle, a professor of politics at Mount Holyoke College and an expert on government surveillance of civilians, [said.] ‘Looking at this controversy objectively, you inevitably end up with a question of impeachment,’ says Jonathan Turley, a professor at the George Washington University School of Law…

“On Dec. 18, Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, released a 250-page report detailing Bush’s misconduct and, on his Web site, called for the creation of a select committee to investigate ‘those offenses which appear to rise to the level of impeachment.’… While noted experts — including a few Republicans — are saying Bush should be impeached, few think he will be… Similar fears are voiced by Bruce Fein, a former associate deputy attorney general under President Ronald Reagan. Fein is very much a member of the right… Suddenly, though, Fein is talking about Bush as a threat to America. ‘President Bush presents a clear and present danger to the rule of law,’ he wrote in the right-wing Washington Times on Dec. 20. ‘He cannot be trusted to conduct the war against global terrorism with a decent respect for civil liberties and checks against executive abuses’… What alarms Fein is not only that Bush has broken laws but also that he has repeatedly shown contempt for the separation of powers. Fein wants to see congressional hearings that would explore whether Bush accepts any constitutional limitation on his own authority… [Fein says:] ‘We just can’t sacrifice our liberties for ourselves and our posterity by permitting someone who thinks the state is him, and nobody else, to continue in office.’

“In fact, though, that may be EXACTLY WHAT AMERICA IS PERMITTING BUSH TO DO. ‘Politically, I see no possibility that impeachment will succeed,’ says Jonathan Entin, a professor of political science and law at Case Western Reserve University… ‘The only question here is the political one,’ says Pyle of Mount Holyoke College. A former military intelligence officer, Pyle blew the whistle on the U.S. Army’s domestic spying program during the Vietnam War. He believes that Bush has committed an impeachable offense — and that right now there’s no prospect he will be impeached. ‘This president has admitted committing the crime. He just claims he’s above the law,’ Pyle says. ‘So the issue is: Is the president above the law?’ If so, Pyle continues, ‘then we need not argue over the PATRIOT Act. We do not need the PATRIOT Act, because THE PRESIDENT CAN DO ANYTHING HE WANTS IN TIME OF WAR. He can ignore all the criminal laws of the United States, including the laws against indefinite detention and against torture. I don’t think we want to go down that road.'”

In a related article, Der Spiegel Online reported on December 22 that “Earlier this week, Judge James Robertson resigned from a special court that issues warrants for electronic surveillance and searches in terrorism cases, shortly after the New York Times reported that the National Security Agency had intercepted hundreds of phone calls and e-mail messages by American citizens without seeking permission from the court. Robertson was protesting President George W. Bush’s domestic spying policy, according to the Washington Post. Bypassing the special court may be an impeachable offense, but Bush and his Attorney General have claimed it was a legal measure to track down terrorists quickly after Sept. 11. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, or FISA… is highly secret and tends to help federal officers do their work; but it needs to hear ‘probable cause’ before it issues a warrant. An emergency provision even allows warrantless eavesdropping for 72 hours in certain cases. Robertson, according to his friends, worried about the ramifications of fast-and-loose domestic spying in the name of fighting terrorism. ‘He would not want the process to be compromised,’ a lawyer friend of Robertson’s told the Los Angeles Times. Tainted or illegally-gathered information — lacking a judge’s authorization — CAN’T BE USED to prosecute terrorist suspects in an American court.”

The French-based AFP is still stronger in the way of their reporting. In their article of December 22, it was stated:

“For a week, Bush has been defending his secret 2002 order enabling the NSA to monitor, without a warrant, international telephone and electronic mail of US citizens suspected of ties to Al-Qaeda. Critics have charged that the unprecedented move is an abuse of power and a violation of the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which requires a warrant to conduct wiretaps and electronic surveillance. The White House has fired back that Bush’s move is legal under the US Constitution and a congressional resolution, passed after the September 11 attacks, that authorized the use of force in Afghanistan. In 2004 and 2005, Bush repeatedly argued that the controversial Patriot Act package of anti-terrorism laws safeguards civil liberties because US authorities still need a warrant to tap telephones in the United States. ‘Any time you hear the United States government talking about wiretap, it requires — a wiretap requires a court order,’ he said on April 20, 2004 in Buffalo, New York. ‘Nothing has changed, by the way. When we’re talking about chasing down terrorists, we’re talking about getting a court order before we do so,’ he added.”

Other American constitutional scholars and politicians maintain that President Bush’s actions were legal. However, many Europeans are convinced that they were not–and this fact, among many others, WILL influence European politicians in their dealings with the US Administration.

Turkey and the EU

The Associated Press reported on December 27 of another interesting development in Turkey, raising doubts that Turkey will ever become of full member of the European Union. The article pointed out:

“Turkish prosecutors said Tuesday they had begun an investigation to determine whether a European Parliament lawmaker should be prosecuted for insulting Turkey’s armed forces, a decision likely to further STRAIN THE COUNTRY’S TIES WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION. EU officials have already criticized Turkey for putting Orhan Pamuk, the country’s best known novelist, on trial on charges of insulting the country and have called on Turkey to do more to protect freedom of expression at a time when Turkey is seeking to join the bloc. A group of nationalist lawyers last week called for the prosecution of Joost Lagendijk, the head of the EU parliament’s committee on Turkey, who reportedly told Turkish journalists that the Turkish military was provoking clashes with autonomy-seeking Kurdish rebels… It is a crime to insult the army in Turkey.”

Europeans for Europe

The EUobserver reported on December 20, 2005, that “Europeans generally back the idea of an EU constitution and reject Turkish EU accession… Of the 25 member states, Austria and the UK appear the most eurosceptic, with just 32 percent of Austrians and 33 percent of Brits saying EU membership is a good thing for their country, followed by Latvia (36 percent), Finland (38 percent) and Sweden and Hungary (both 39 percent). On the other side of the coin are the union’s greatest supporters, Luxembourg (82 percent) and Ireland (73 percent)…

“Remarkably, in the Netherlands, a country that overwhelmingly rejected a European constitution in June, a whole 70 percent of citizens say that EU membership is a good thing… 63 percent of EU citizens believe that the EU will work better with a constitution in place… The number of Europeans opposed to further enlargement has grown since the spring, from 38 percent to 39 percent, with Austria, Germany and France in particular concerned about expansion, and Greece, Slovakia and Poland most in favour… Meanwhile, support for EU membership among Turks themselves has dropped from 66 percent in spring to 52 percent this autumn, while 77 percent of Europeans back Swiss and Norwegian accession.”

Muslims Wait for a Mahdi

The Christian Science Monitor reported on December 21, about the vivid expectations of many Muslims for the arrival of their Messiah–a Mahdi. The article pointed out:

“For those who believe, the devotion is real. Tears stream down the cheeks of 2,000 men ripe for the return of the Mahdi, the 12th Imam they expect will soon emerge to bring justice and peace to a corrupt world… Among the true believers is Iran’s hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who predicted with ‘no doubt’ his June election victory, months in advance, at a time when polls gave him barely 1 percent support… From redressing the gulf between rich and poor in Iran, to challenging the United States and Israel and enhancing Iran’s power with nuclear programs, every issue is designed to lay the foundation for the Mahdi’s return… The Mahdi’s eventual return is an article of faith for Shiite Muslims that taps deeply into Persian consciousness and mystical tradition.”

Wasps Fighting Terrorism?

In the Old Testament, God told ancient Israel that He would use hornets to fight against Israel’s enemies. Now, scientists state that in the near future, wasps could be used to fight terrorists. USA Today reported on December 27:

“Scientists at a Georgia laboratory have developed what could be a low-tech, low-cost weapon in the war on terrorism: trained wasps. The tiny, non-stinging wasps can check for hidden explosives at airports and monitor for toxins in subway tunnels… [Joe] Lewis [a U.S. Agriculture Department entomologist] and his partner, University of Georgia biological engineer Glen Rains, say their device is ready for pilot tests and could be available for commercial use in five to 10 years. Rains says the wasps could one day be used instead of dogs to check for explosives in cargo containers coming in to the nation’s seaports, in vehicles crossing at border checkpoints, at airports and anywhere else where security should be tight…

“The wasps may also be trained for medical uses, including detecting cancer or ulcers by smelling someone’s breath. They probably can be trained like dogs to find bodies buried in rubble, Rains says… When the wasps pick up an odor they’ve been trained to detect they gather by the vent–a response that can be measured by the computer or actually seen by observers. Lewis says the wasps, when exposed to some chemicals, ‘can detect as low as four parts per billion, which is an incredibly small amount.’ He says the ‘ability to capture nature and its marvels is … revolutionary.’ Rains says, ‘The sensitivity of animals (and insects) to chemicals in general is probably beyond what we can comprehend. We don’t really know what the limits are.'”

U.S. Birthright Citizenship

The Associated Press reported on December 26 about a debate in the United States pertaining to birthright citizenship. According to the law, each person born in the USA is automatically a US citizen, regardless of the citizenship of his or her parents. Other countries have different laws. In Germany, for instance, the place of birth is immaterial. Under German law, a person is only automatically a German citizen when at least one parent is German–even if he is born abroad.

The article of The Associated Press pointed out:

“A proposal to change long-standing federal policy and deny citizenship to babies born to illegal immigrants on U.S. soil ran aground this month in Congress, but it is sure to resurface–kindling bitter debate even if it fails to become law. At issue is ‘birthright citizenship’–provided for since the Constitution’s 14th Amendment was ratified in 1868. Section 1 of that amendment, drafted with freed slaves in mind, says: ‘All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.’

“Some conservatives in Congress, as well as advocacy groups seeking to crack down on illegal immigration, say the amendment has been misapplied over the years, that it was never intended to grant citizenship automatically to babies of illegal immigrants. Thus they contend that federal legislation, rather than a difficult-to-achieve constitutional amendment, would be sufficient to end birthright citizenship.”

Some of those opposing such a change in the law point at the situation in Germany. As the article continued to explain:

“Lucas Guttentag, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Immigrants’ Rights Project, said some Western European nations with different policies have suffered problems. ‘Look at Germany–the children of guest workers are not citizens,’ he said. ‘That creates enormous social and racial tensions. That’s the opposite of where we want to go.'”

Big Brother in Britain

On December 22, The Independent reported that “Britain is to become the first country in the world where the movements of all vehicles on the roads are recorded. A new national surveillance system will hold the records for at least two years. Using a network of cameras that can automatically read every passing number plate, the plan is to build a huge database of vehicle movements… cameras [will be able] to read number plates automatically night and day to provide 24/7 coverage of all motorways and main roads, as well as towns, cities, ports and petrol-station forecourts.”

Canada a New Haven for Pedophiles?

According to a shocking article by WorldNetDaily, which was published on December 27, 2005,  Canada’s Supreme Court has given green light to sex clubs, involving boys and girls as young as 14, and has thereby opened Pandora’s Box for pedophiles. The article explained:

“The Canadian Supreme Court ruling that redefined obscenity for that nation and legalized group-sex clubs, combined with Canada’s unusually low age of consent–14–will result in an influx of pedophiles to America’s neighbor to the north, contends a former consultant to the U.S. Justice Department… [Judith] Reisman, [word-renowned scholar and author]… says the court’s decision sends a clear message to pedophiles: ‘You don’t have to go to Asia anymore. Pedophiles can have the blond, blue-eyed kids in Canada, too.’… The liberalization of the Canadian courts, the author contends, shows ‘that pedophiles or politicians who refuse to prosecute these types of crimes are in power more than ever in Canada.'”

Almighty God’s Holy Scriptures condemn pedophiles in no uncertain terms. God also holds those accountable who know of such deviant behavior and do nothing about it [and this does not exonerate or exclude political or church leaders], even though it would be within their power to stop it. God tells us that it will be HE who will intervene in due time, when man refuses to right the wrong, and that He will hold accountable both the perpetrator and the inactive observer.

Is the Pope Above the Law?

The Associated Press reported on December 23 about a deeply disturbing development in a civil sex-abuse lawsuit against a Catholic seminarian and his ultimate superior, the pope. As it was stated in the article, “A U.S. judge in Texas dismissed Pope Benedict XVI from a civil lawsuit accusing him of conspiracy to cover up the sexual abuse of minors by a seminarian, ruling Thursday that the pontiff has immunity as a HEAD OF STATE. U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal cited a motion filed by the Justice Department, known as a ‘Suggestion of Immunity,’ in which the government said allowing the lawsuit to proceed would be ‘INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE UNITED STATES’ FOREIGN POLICY INTERESTS.’ After a suggestion of immunity is filed, it is the COURT’S DUTY to surrender jurisdiction,’ Rosenthal wrote.

“Joseph Ratzinger–Benedict’s former name–is named as a defendant in the civil lawsuit, accused of conspiring with the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and some of its officials to cover up the abuse of three boys during the mid-1990s… Lawyers for one of the alleged victims argued in the lawsuit that a May 18, 2001, letter Ratzinger wrote to bishops around the world was evidence that he was involved in a conspiracy to hide [the seminarian’s] crimes and to help him escape prosecution…”

Daniel Shea, lead council for the plaintiffs, stated that an appeal was being considered. “‘I think it’s a setback for the American people that the administration ever gave the Vatican diplomatic immunity to begin with, and that it’s using that to shield them from the conduct that’s involved in here,’ he said. The pope’s lawyer, Jeffrey Lena, said the ruling was significant in that Benedict was identified as ‘head of a foreign state, the Holy See.’ Some plaintiffs have sought to identify Benedict as only head of a religious entity. Lena said Rosenthal’s ruling recognized that ‘the pope is entitled to immunity like any foreign sovereign without any special limitations imposed upon his immunity JUST BECAUSE HE IS A RELIGIOUS LEADER.'”

Archbishop Justifies Christmas

Even though the “Christmas Days” for 2005 seem to be past in most Western countries, the aftermath is still very much noticeable. Therefore, let us review the Catholic Church’s position on the matter–but let us do so with OPEN eyes.

A reader sent us the following article, introducing it as follows: “What a spin. Satan definitely has done a good job of deceiving this world!! “

Here are excerpts from the “spin”-article:

In the Catholic Sentinel, Archbishop John Vlazny wrote on December 22: “The origins of Christmas can be traced back to a Roman festival called Saturnalia. In the second half of December, Romans had a seven-day celebration in HONOR OF SATURN, the god of agriculture. Since the winter solstice fell around Dec. 25 on the Julian calendar, the Romans ENACTED RITUALS to commemorate the lengthening of days marked by this solstice. In St. John’s Gospel, the coming of Jesus is often described as the coming of the Light. The early Christians TOOK OVER THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHT FROM THE PAGANS and made it their own festival of Light, the Light… Jesus, the Christ. My CONCERN would be that we might not be on guard and thereby ALLOW THE FEAST TO BE TAKEN BACK BY THE PAGANS of our own day! No, I am not trying to make them celebrate Christmas. But I am very concerned that you and I continue to celebrate Christmas. After all, we are the ones who bask in the glow of the Light of Christ whenever we gather for Eucharist or hear the Word of God proclaimed. We are the ones who are called to be light for others. How could we ever celebrate ‘holidays’ instead of Christmas?… Gift-giving at Christmas is not a tradition of human origins. Gift-giving at Christmas traces it roots to the great gift of Jesus, sent by the Father, to rescue us from our sinfulness and suffering. God continues to share the gift of Jesus with the world through the church. When we exchange gifts at Christmas, WE ARE TRYING TO BE CHRIST for one another, a practice at the very core of Christian discipleship…

“With the celebration of Midnight Mass, we begin the great feast of Christmas. It doesn’t end the next day! NEW YEAR’S DAY, THE OCTAVE OF CHRISTMAS, THE FEAST OF MARY AS MOTHER OF GOD, is also our World Day of Prayer for Peace. The OFFICIAL CLOSING OF THE CHRISTMAS SEASON WILL TAKE PLACE ON SUNDAY, JAN. 8, when we shall celebrate the feast of the Epiphany. I encourage you to enjoy ALL THESE CHRISTMAS FEASTS and to make the most of the many graces shared among us in this holy season. Yes, it’s Christmas. For some it’s just another holiday. Too bad for them.”

But why shouldn’t we give “Christmas” back to the pagans, since it was admittedly taken away from them? After all, God COMMANDS His followers NOT to worship Him in the way in which pagans worshipped or worship their gods. He says that He does NOT accept that kind of worship! Also, in regard to the claim that gift-giving at Christmas traces its roots to the great gift of Christ, nothing could be further from the truth! This should be obvious when considering that in Catholic Italy, it is not even Santa Claus who brings gifts to the children on January 6 (!), but the old, ugly, “wise” WITCH Befana. She comes through the chimney and places her gifts in the children’s shoes (compare Bild Online, December 24, 2005).

However one wants to put a spin on things, Christmas celebrations are WRONG. Human traditions don’t tell you what is right or wrong. ONLY GOD DOES. But very few today are willing to listen to God.

No More Limbo

As UPI reported on December 28, “Theologian advisers to Pope Benedict XVI have disposed of the Roman Catholic doctrine of limbo started in the Middle Ages by St. Thomas Aquinas. Limbo is the place, Catholics have believed for centuries, to which unbaptized babies are consigned. While official Vatican removal of the doctrine could be a year or more away, the pope, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, said in 1984 that, ‘Limbo has never been a definitive truth of the faith,’ The New York Times reported. ‘Personally, I would let it drop, since it has always been only a theological hypothesis,’ the cardinal said while serving as Pope John Paul II’s doctrinal watchdog. Ideas about limbo have been changing since the 1960s Second Vatican Council. Pope John Paul II omitted the term from an updated catechism and, shortly before his death, asked the Vatican’s theological commission to consider the question of unbaptized babies, the newspaper reported.”

Roman Polanski Speaks Out

In a rare interview with Der Spiegel Online, popular and oftentimes controversial film-maker Roman Polanski (“The Pianist”) talked about his experiences as a nine-year-old boy in Poland during World War 2. Polanski (72) stated in the article, which was published on December 25:

“The real pain was my separation from my parents… I did not know that my mother was murdered a few days after her arrest in Auschwitz. I only learned after the war that she was pregnant… I hid in a stable. It belonged to a terribly poor Catholic farmer who did not know that I was Jewish… I was lucky that I did not look like a Jew. Otherwise, he [and his wife] would have reported me to the Germans… All Poles were anti-Semitic.This was a part of their culture after one thousand years of Vatican propaganda. Every farmer would have slain you with his ax if you had told him that Jesus was a Jew. It is unimaginable what they would have done to you, if you had told them that the Virgin Mary was Jewish… I watched [from the outside] through the wired fence [movies which were shown to the prisoners in the concentration camp.]… Between the movies, paroles were broadcast, such as, ‘Jews=lice=typhus.’… Later, all children in the Ghetto were shot.”

Earth Created For Life

The Russian paper, Pravda, published an interesting article on December 28, claiming that the “Latest geophysical discovery [is] to overturn all concepts of Earth’s history.” In the article, it was pointed out:

“Our planet assumed the present form 4.5 billion years ago. It has not virtually changed the original appearance ever since. Earth was suitable for conceiving and developing life forms from the first moments of existence. A team of Western researchers reject the theories about Earth being completely covered with oceans before the first marine species stepped onto the shore…  ‘Looks like Earth formed in the wink of an eye,’ says one of the researchers, Dr. Steven Moses at the University of Colorado. ‘If the theory proves to be right, all today’s concepts concerning the formation of Earth will have to be completely revised… According to researchers, the new findings indicate that the earth’s crust, its oceans and atmosphere existed from the very beginning, and the planet Earth was suitable for life in those prehistoric times.'”

In the passage in question, Paul was addressing the yearly Passover
ceremony. Beginning in 1 Corinthians 11:23, Paul reminded the disciples
of the event when Christ instituted the New Testament symbols of bread
and wine at the annual Passover service (compare verses 23-26). He then
continued:

“Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup
of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood
of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the
bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy
manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s
body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.”

The
Sacrifice of Jesus Christ includes His death for the forgiveness of our
sins, as well as His suffering for our physical healing. While the
symbol of the wine points to Christ’s shed blood for the forgiveness of
sins, the symbol of the bread points to His physical suffering for our
physical healing.

Passages regarding the forgiveness of our
sins, by our acceptance of His supreme Sacrifice, can be found in
Isaiah 53:12; Matthew 26:28; Hebrews 9:11-14; 1 John 1:7; and Romans
5:6-11.

Passages regarding our physical healing, by our
acceptance of His supreme Sacrifice, can be found in Isaiah 53:3-5;
Psalm 103:1-3; and Matthew 8:16-17. The symbol of the broken bread,
pointing to Christ’s wounded, torn body and His stripes, stands for our
physical healing.

When Paul talked about the need that we
discern the Lord’s body, he was addressing Christ’s PHYSICAL body which
was beaten for our physical healing. Some have said that Paul was
talking about Christ’s SPIRITUAL “broken” body, the Church. They claim
that Paul wanted to make reference to the broken, shattered condition
of the Church (having in mind many different corporate Church
organizations). They teach that we don’t experience physical healing if
we are responsible for any of the divisions in the different Church
organizations, thereby failing to “discern” the spiritual body of
Christ–the Church. It is true that we cannot expect to be healed, if
we refuse to be spiritually reconciled or “healed” with God and with
His people. It is also true that we cannot expect physical healing if
we don’t repent of our sins and trespasses or refuse to forgive our
brethren their trespasses against us (James 5:13-16). However, this
does not mean that Paul was addressing our discernment of the Church,
as Christ’s body, in 1 Corinthians 11. Rather, he spoke clearly of the
idea that we must consider the totality of Christ’s
Sacrifice–including His broken PHYSICAL body–if we want to experience
physical healing.

Let us again notice the context: Paul quotes
Christ in verse 24, saying that we are to eat bread, “which is [or,
which symbolizes] My body which is broken for you.” We are obviously
not to “eat” the Church, but we are to internalize Jesus Christ in our
lives so that He can live in us continuously (compare Galatians 2:20).
That is why we read in John 6:48-58 that we need to partake of the
annual Passover symbols of bread and wine to have a continued part with
Christ. We are also told in 1 Corinthians 11:26 that we proclaim the
death of Christ until He returns, when we eat the bread and drink the
wine on the annual occasion of the Passover service. Obviously, Paul
was not addressing the Church in verse 26, but the body and blood of
Jesus Christ. Paul continues with the same theme in verse 27: “Whoever
eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy
manner…”

Again, there is no hint that Paul was suddenly
talking about anything else but Christ’s physical body–it was CHRIST
Who was tortured and killed. Verse 28 continues that we must eat the
bread and drink the cup after self-examination. Verse 29 warns us that
we eat and drink judgment to ourselves, if we don’t eat the bread AND
drink the wine in a worthy manner, “not discerning the Lord’s body.” It
is still the same theme and context; to say that Paul suddenly
addressed the Church as Christ’s [spiritual] body, while still talking
about eating the bread and drinking the wine, is introducing a thought
which is clearly not contained in that passage. After all, if the
“Lord’s body” was suddenly meant to refer to the spiritual body of
Christ–the Church–are we to EAT the CHURCH (verse 29)? And what would
the meaning of the “blood” be in that context (same verse)–as we are
to eat AND to drink? It is obvious that the analogy of Christ’s body
referring to the Church simply does not fit in 1 Corinthians 11:29.

The
Bible Commentary: Revised agrees: “Every Christian is unworthy, but
Paul defines his meaning as not discerning (lit. not distinguishing)
this bread as signifying the body… of the Lord. Some think body here
refers to the church (cf. 10:17), but a change of meaning from v. 27
seems unlikely.”

Matthew Henry’s Commentary concurs: “The
Corinthians came to the Lord’s table not discerning the Lord’s
body–not making a distinction between that and common food.”

Unger’s
Bible Handbook explains the meaning of the passage in this way: “in an
unworthy manner … means in an attitude of unconfessed sin, and thus
being guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, transgressing against
the very essence of the meaning of Christ’s death… Self-examination
is necessary… to avoid condemnation and consequent chastening,
entailing physical weakness, sickness and even death.”

In
conclusion, when we partake, during the annual Passover ceremony, of
the bread and the wine (as well as the preceding footwashing ceremony,
compare John 13:1-17), we must understand and accept, in faith, the
supreme meaning of the totality of Christ’s Sacrifice. If we discern
Christ’s body, with the knowledge that CHRIST was severely beaten and
then killed on our behalf, we understand that we can have forgiveness
of our sins, as well as physical healing, because of what Christ did
for us: “…having made peace through the BLOOD of His cross… now He
has reconciled [you to the Father] in the BODY of HIS FLESH THROUGH
DEATH, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His
sight–if indeed you CONTINUE in the faith…” (Colossians
1:20-23). And: “By that will [of God the Father] we have been
sanctified through the offering of the BODY of Jesus Christ once and
for all” (Hebrews 10:10). And finally 1 Peter 2:24: “… who Himself
bore our sins in His own BODY on the tree, that we, having died to
sins, might live for righteousness–by whose stripes you were healed.”

The
message rings loud and clear: As Christ suffered and died for us in His
own body, we are to discern His sacrifice and let Him live in us, so
that we can live for Him.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

The hard copies of our new booklet, “Are You Predestined to be Saved?” were sent out Tuesday.

On December 24, 2005, J. Edwin Pope will give the sermon, titled “Why the Church?”

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.

There are many aspects of false worship but one area that has
proliferated in more recent times has been that of the celebrity
culture. It has always been there, of course, but celebrity and hero
worship seems to have become embedded in a society where entertainment
and the media take center stage.

Recently in the UK we had the
spectacle of the funeral of an outstanding footballer [soccer player
for our American readers] who, by common consent, was one of the best
that the country had ever produced. He was just 59 years of age with a
chequered personal history of alcoholism and other problems, and yet he
was worshipped like a god. Hundreds of thousands of people lined the
funeral route, a motorcade escorted the hearse, and there was huge bill
for policing. A massive amount of flowers was laid outside his former
football club, and a minute’s silence was observed at football matches
throughout the land. Perhaps this was hardly surprising as
football is the new religion.

We had a similar outpouring of
grief when Princess Diana died a few years ago. One Church minister
said about this event: “Yes, ‘we all’ had shared the grief at Diana’s
death, ‘we all cried’, we all laid flowers, went to the funeral and
sang along to Elton John. But actually, by trying to pretend that Diana
was something other than human, we were guilty of ‘paganism’,
attributing the characteristics of holiness to an insufficiently worthy
vessel. We had worshipped the wrong thing, and worshipped in the wrong
way.”

Diana, it was implied, had been melted down and turned into
a golden calf. A former Prime Minister said that his perception was
that because we have become a secular society, the outpouring of grief
for Princess Diana was a manifestation of the worshipping of
celebrities.

These two events were linked in many people’s minds
here in the UK. One commentator wrote: “Not since that distant late
summer day when Princess Diana’s coffin was borne through the streets
of London have so many people turned out to demonstrate their surging
affection and sense of loss.”

And yet the Bible is very clear on
this issue: “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3) and:
“You shall not bow down to them nor serve them (verse 5).” Although
specifically referring to carved images, the worship of anyone or
anything can be covered by this verse. Aren’t we most blessed to
understand that, while we can admire others, only the true Creator God
is to be worshipped, and not flawed human beings?

Finally,
let us not forget the false worship that is currently in full swing
with the inevitable Christmas celebrations. Much has been
written about that matter over the years and the recent member letter
discussed the “spirit” of Christmas. But only God is to be worshipped,
and only in the way that He has prescribed, and nothing else will
do!

Christmas Is Wrong… So What?

A shocking headline? Perhaps! But it reflects–sadly–the view point of many Christians these days. Even though they know that it is pagan, they see nothing wrong with it.

USA Weekend published an article on December 18, 2005, pointing out the following:

“If you think Scrooge and the Grinch are grumpy come Christmastime, consider the Puritans: These founding fathers banned Christmas! From 1659 to 1681, the devout Puritans of Massachusetts outlawed Christmas celebrations in Boston in part because they felt the holiday was rooted in, and therefore tainted by, pagan customs. And THEY WERE RIGHT: Much of what we celebrate about Christmas — from decorated trees to yule logs and mistletoe — does come from pagan myths and customs. These folk practices were wrapped around the nativity story and became the colorful array of Christmas customs observed today. Here are the stories behind some of our favorite holiday symbols:

“Christmas trees: The pagans get credit for using evergreens, the ancient symbols of life — trees that remained alive in the dead of winter… Santa Claus:… the predecessor to Santa Claus is based on the Norse god Odin, who rode through the winter skies on his eight-legged horse and brought gifts to the needy. Odin became Father Christmas, and the eight-legged horse transformed into eight reindeer. Mistletoe: The kissing tradition stems from Celtic and Norse myths. Considered sacred by the Celtic Druids, evergreen mistletoe was a healing plant so holy that enemies would lay down their arms if they met beneath it. Mistletoe emerged as a token of peace and, thanks to Norse myths, eventually romance.”

But unbelievable, perhaps, here is the conclusion of the article’s author: “Understanding the roots of Christmas doesn’t change the meaning of the holiday. Whether you say ‘Joyeux Noel,’ ‘God Yul’ or ‘Buon Natale,’ the season is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus and the hope for peace on Earth and goodwill toward men.”

In a related article by the Scripps Howard News Service, the question was asked: “How hard should Christians fight for Christmas?” And a surprising answer was given, as follows: “… I’m not sure we Christians should spend too much time saving the public use of red and green decorations, or candy canes, or ‘Christmas’ trees, or ‘Christmas’ cards or demand that stores wish us a ‘Merry Christmas’ when we purchase our ‘Christmas’ Pods and Palm Trees at this time of year… I mean, none of this has anything to do with Christmas. IN FACT, CHRISTMAS DOESN’T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH ‘CHRISTMAS.'”

“Let’s face it… Early Christians didn’t consider celebrating his [Christ’s] birth. That ‘Holy Day’ came later, probably when early missionaries conflated celebrating Christ’s birth with Pagan festivals as a way of trying to convert lost souls. The holiday didn’t really catch on as we know it today until Victorian times. And no, there was no brightly lighted or decorated Christmas tree in the manger. That was largely popularized as we know it now by Prince Albert in England, who brought one over from his native Germany.

“In fact, in part because our early American puritan forefathers were opposed to the pagan origins of ‘Christmas,’ in many early New England communities its celebration was literally banned. (For the same reasons, it was also banned for a time in England in the 1600s.) No, little puritan children never got to sit on Santa’s lap. And you know all those creche scenes which depict the wise men at the manger? Those fellows probably didn’t actually show up until around the time Christ was a toddler.

“When I lived in Virginia, I was a member of a Presbyterian church that did not officially recognize ‘Christmas.’ While the parishioners, including the pastor, typically celebrated the holiday with all its trimmings as largely a secular celebration, it wasn’t part of our church calendar in any way because an annual celebration of Christ’s birth wasn’t called for in scripture. (I had Christian friends who just could not get that.)”  

But again, after reading all of these correct expressions of wisdom, the author’s conclusion is nothing but shocking: “Now look, I go ga-ga over ‘Christmas.’ I love the songs, the lights, the gifts, the chaos, the parties, the whole deal. I don’t hold back. It’s fun! The older I get, the more ga-ga I get. When my first was born, I was adamant that I wouldn’t tell him that Santa Claus was anything but a lovely story. By the time number four came along, I was adamant that the Santa she was talking to at the mall just HAD to be the real one. I just recognize it for what it is–a largely secular celebration. Now I’m all for Christmas Day being a national holiday.”

How true is God’s Word, telling us that the “wisdom of this world is foolishness with God” (1 Corinthians 3:19). For more information, please read our free booklet, “Don’t Keep Christmas.”

Santa Claus a Myth…

… but teachers are not allowed to say it! In fact, they are instructed to teach the LIE of Santa Claus. And so, our young children are still being told LIES by their teachers–and concerned parents are not permitted to stop it.

This reads like a Crime or Horror Story from the Middle Ages. But, it’s happening in the sophisticated, civilized and modern United States of America–year after year. As WorldNetDaily reported on December 15, 2005:

“After angry calls from parents and involvement of school administrators, an elementary music teacher has RECANTED statements she made to her first-grade students earlier this week that Santa Claus was a MYTH. ‘She told the students that in fact SHE HAD HEARD FROM SANTA, and she WANTED TO REASSURE THEM THAT HE IS ALIVE AND WELL in the spirit of Christmas,’ Jeanne Guerra, Richardson, Texas, school district spokeswoman told the Dallas Morning News. The quick turnaround was the result of the teacher’s bosses receiving calls from parents upset that the part-time instructor would tell such young children that Santa wasn’t real. Guerra said the teacher MISSPOKE during a lesson about holiday traditions. During a discussion about how Christmas presents are delivered, the teacher reportedly told the children it was actually parents who were responsible for Santa’s gifts. According to the paper’s report, a student quickly disputed the teacher’s contention, at which time she realized the age of the children and quickly changed the subject. ‘Santa Claus is an important part of the holiday season for many children,’ a district statement said.”

End-of-Year News Conference

As AFP reported on December 19, 2005, “US President George W. Bush mounted a robust defense of domestic spying programs and hotly disputed anti-terror laws, in an end-of-year news conference at the White House. Bush rolled out a combative performance as he sought to right his presidency after a testing year which saw his popularity tumble amid bloodshed in Iraq, the Hurricane Katrina debacle and scandals soiling his Republican party.

“The president, under fire over revelations that he authorized the National Security Agency to conduct surveillance missions on terror suspects within the United States, contrary to legal precedent, was unapologetic… Bush also said he expected a full investigation into who leaked information about the secret wiretaps to the New York Times, which published a story on the issue last week, after holding off for a year amid administration protests… As debate on civil liberties and the battle against terrorism rumbled on, Bush demanded recalcitrant senators drop their opposition to renewal of the Patriot Act, which has also attracted concern from the civil liberties lobby. ‘The senators … must stop their delaying tactics and the Senate must vote to reauthorize the Patriot Act,’ he said of an act which expires in 12 days.”

Subsequently, it was reported by The Associated Press on December 22, that “The… Senate on Wednesday approved a six-month extension of the USA Patriot Act to keep the anti-terror law from expiring on Dec. 31. President Bush gave it his grudging blessing. The Republican-controlled House is now expected to come back and consider the legislation keeping the 16 provisions of the law passed after the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington from expiring. Republican leaders and Bush wanted to make most of the law permanent, but were stymied by a filibuster in the Senate and had to resort to a six-month extension.”

USA Today stated on December 20:

“President Bush made an unapologetic defense Monday of a controversial program to spy on some Americans’ international phone calls WITHOUT COURT WARRANTS, VOWING TO CONTINUE IT as long as the nation faces ‘an enemy that wants to kill American citizens.'”

AFP wrote in a follow-up article on December 20 that President Bush “vowed TO EXTEND an unprecedented spy effort targeting US citizens with suspected ties to Al-Qaeda and denied that the program was illegal or an abuse of his power.”

But as The Associated Press reported on December 20, “Some Democrats say they never approved a domestic wiretapping program, undermining suggestions by President Bush and his senior advisers that the plan was fully vetted in a series of congressional briefings… Some legal experts described the program as groundbreaking… [Before President Bush’s news conference,] there was a growing storm of criticism in Congress and calls for investigations, from Democrats and Republicans alike… The SPYING UPROAR WAS THE LATEST CONTROVERSY about Bush’s handling of the war on terror. It follows allegations of secret prisons in Eastern Europe and of torture and other mistreatment of detainees, and an American death toll in Iraq that has exceeded 2,150.”

First Afghan Parliament

Reuters reported on December 19, 2005, about the historic fact that the first Afghan parliament in decades was sworn in on Monday. This development was viewed as an overwhelming victory of the international efforts to bring peace and democracy to Afghanistan. But–was it? The article pointed out:

“Former warlords, ex-communists, Taliban defectors and women activists were sworn in on Monday as members of the first Afghan parliament in more than 30 years amid hopes of national reconciliation after decades of bloodshed. The inauguration was peaceful despite threats by Taliban guerrillas and was greeted with tears of emotion although there is disappointment that many in the parliament are accused of serious rights abuses and links to the drugs trade.”

The article continued:

“Human Rights Watch says up to 60 percent of deputies are warlords or their proxies, boding ill for efforts to account for abuses and to stamp out a massive drugs trade. Malalai Joya, a 27-year-old MP, told reporters she was upset by an assembly of ‘warlords, war criminals and drug lords’ and vowed to reveal their crimes, or resign… Opinions differed among Afghans. Government employee Ghulam Faroq, 60, said it was time to forget the past, but businessman Abdul Karim, 40, said parliament was ‘defective.’ ‘It was decided by the U.S.,’ he said. ‘It won’t be able to do anything for Afghans because lots of MPs are illiterate and most are warlords who know nothing except killing people.'”

Turkey in the News

The Associated Press reported on December 15, 2005, about a controversial and unwelcome trial in Turkey, which could jeopardize Turkey’s future proposed membership in the EU. As Turkey is identified as the Biblical Edom, it is highly unlikely that Turkey will become a member of the EU, even though it WILL cooperate with Europe. The article pointed out:

“Turkey’s foremost novelist goes on trial Friday in Istanbul in a free-speech case that has divided the nation, embarrassed its liberals and cast a pall over its dream of joining the European Union. For Europeans who oppose Turkey’s membership in their prosperous club of democracies, the prosecution of Orhan Pamuk reinforces the view that the nation of 70 million Muslims, WHILE A USEFUL BUFFER BETWEEN EUROPE AND THE MIDDLE EAST, is no part of contemporary European civilization. Pamuk… faces up to three years in prison for saying to a Swiss newspaper in February that no one in Turkey is willing to deal with painful episodes in the country’s past treatment of its Armenian minority or its continuing problems with its 12 million Kurdish citizens. His remark that ‘30,000 Kurds and 1 million Armenians were killed in these lands, and nobody but me dares to talk about it,’ is being prosecuted as a breach of a law against insulting the Turkish Republic or ‘Turkishness.'”

The article continued:

“On Thursday, the European Union made the stakes clear. ‘It is not Orhan Pamuk who will stand trial tomorrow, but Turkey,’ said EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn, adding that prosecuting ‘a nonviolent opinion casts a shadow over the accession negotiations between Turkey and the EU.’… The Bush administration regards Turkey as an ally and strongly backs its admission to the EU… The dilemma has grown more acute now that even British Prime Minister Tony Blair, a staunch supporter of Turkey’s admission to the EU, is saying it can only happen if Turkey embraces European standards of free expression.”

These events are interesting in light of Biblical prophecies dealing with Edom. As mentioned, Edom describes modern Turkey–and not, as some erroneously claim–the Palestinians or Arab terrorist organizations. Such views are not supported in Scripture at all–in fact, several Biblical passages refute such an understanding. Let us therefore continue to watch the interesting developments in TURKEY.

“Domino” Bolivia Falls

As Der Spiegel Online reported on December 20, “The leftward shift in Latin America shows no signs of abatement. From the Caribbean to Tierra del Fuego, South American voters are rejecting ’90s-style free market policies for varying shades of socialism. Now Bolivia has followed suit, electing left-winger Evo Morales.” The article continued:

“When George Bush went to the Summit of the Americas in Argentina last November, he found that he had few friends. There was Vicente Fox of Mexico and Alvaro Uribe Velez of Colombia, but the guy who dominated the summit was Hugo Chavez, the left-wing Venezuelan who has become a thorn in Washington’s side. Washington has watched one electorate after another in South America turn its back on pro-globalization leaders and vote for left-wing governments. Now Bolivia has gone the same way.”

Jesus a Magician?

Discovery Channel announced that they will air on “Christmas eve” a special program about the miracles of Jesus, presented by Brock Gill, a world-renown magician and illusionist, who also claims to be a Christian. The program will address such questions as whether the miracles of Jesus can be re-created using 21st century technology.  Brock will be asking: “Was He a magician? Was He an illusionist? Was He a hypnotist?… Was He a paranormalist? Or was He just a master of psychology? What was the deal? Was He a real miracle worker?”

The program will allegedly investigate three different locations where Jesus performed His miracles: Nain, Galilee, where the widow’s son was raised from the dead; the Golan Heights, where the multiplication of loaves and fishes for the feeding of 5,000 people took place; and the Sea of Galilee where Christ walked on water.

“I’ve always been fascinated by miracles, ever since I was a kid reading the Bible stories. They were so outside of the ordinary,” says Brock. “I always liked the idea of being able to walk across the water.” 

We don’t know where this program is heading, or what beneficial value–if any–it will contain. The way in which the program is described, however, may create great disagreement with and damage for the inspired Word of God. We will, however, reserve further comments until after the program has been aired.

Chancellor Merkel–The Peacemaker

The Independent, a newspaper from Great Britain, reported on December 17: “During a day of tense talks, the new German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, emerged as a key powerbroker between Tony Blair and the French President, Jacques Chirac, as she attended her first European summit… The German Chancellor met Mr Blair and M. Chirac separately, then held a meeting with both. She also held talks with the French President, the Austrian Chancellor, Wolfgang Schüssel, and Luxembourg’s Prime Minister, Jean-Claude Juncker.”

AFP added on December 18: “While Europe’s political leaders haggled over the sacrifices underpinning a budget accord, Germany’s Angela Merkel — a newcomer on the EU summit scene — quietly emerged as a key mediator in the diplomatic hurly-burly. It was a measure of her success that the deal eventually clinched by Blair was for precisely the spending limit Merkel had proposed. ‘She played an extraordinarily important role behind the scenes,’ Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel said. ‘It was her debut at a European summit, and she pulled it off brilliantly. She was cool, calm and very professional.’ Her tactics were also hailed by the European press. ‘THE GERMAN WALLET SAVED THE EU BUDGET,’ wrote the Svenska Dagbladet in its online edition, saying she had agreed to a higher budget level ‘so Blair could gather his “Christmas presents” for those who were dissatisfied.’ France’s Le Figaro newspaper went further. ‘It appeared as if WITHOUT HER, Europe would have found itself in a new political crisis.'”

Merkel for Europe

The EUobserver reported on December 19, 2005, that Angela Merkel is determined to save the EU Constitution, as is.  “Germany takes over the rotating EU presidency in the first half of 2007 and could play a key-role in reviving the constitution, Elmar Brok, a prominent member of Ms Merkel’s CDU party in the European Parliament, pointed out. ‘It will be the main task for the German EU presidency’, he said. In May 2007 France is to hold presidential elections while the Netherlands will hold parliamentary elections. ‘Following these terms, it falls INTO THE HAND OF GERMANY, to save the constitution’, Mr Brok said.”

Europe After Blair

The Telegraph, a British paper, reported on December 20:

“Europe’s federalist leaders yesterday celebrated the last days of Britain’s EU presidency and announced that the ‘time is ripe’ for reviving their most cherished project: the EU constitution. With BRITAIN’S PRESIDENCY–seen in Brussels as a time of MISERABLE STAGNATION–expiring this month, the baton is already passing to the next holders, AUSTRIA. Ursula Plassnik, the Austrian foreign minister, flew to Brussels yesterday to hail the constitution as holding the answers to key questions about Europe. Austria would relaunch the debate on the future of Europe at a June 2006 summit, Mrs Plassnik said.”

Europe’s Club Within a Club

The United States of Europe are not dead. But they may evolve differently than many have thought, perhaps as a club within the club–as a group of core nations directing the EU?

Der Spiegel Online discussed Europe’s future in its article, dated December 19, 2005, reporting about the old, but newly emerging idea of several core nations within Europe. The article pointed out:

“The fact is, a 25-member European club has proven to be incredibly unwieldy. The solution could be the creation of an EU core… For months, the EU — the mini-success of a budget agreement aside — has slid from one defeat to the next. And it’s a trend that isn’t likely to reverse itself anytime soon. Which has leant an increasing amount of credence to an idea that has been kicking around the halls of Brussels for some time now: that of creating a club within the European club. The heads of those states that have been in the EU the longest feel that they — working together — can lead Europe out of its current crisis. Old Europe pulling new Europe along behind… The idea would involve some EU core countries taking the next step toward Europe’s future ALONE… Indeed, [Prime Minister of Belgium, Guy] Verhofstadt has already issued a ‘manifesto’ describing just how such a ‘new Europe’ might look. The core of such a Europe would be a small group of states — a sort of ‘United States of Europe’ as he calls it — bound closely together. Those countries wary of such intimate alignment would form a looser alliance surrounding the tightly-knit core group. The ‘Organization of European States,’ as Verhofstadt has christened it.

“Verhofstadt has already started peddling his idea and has approached French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. THEY HAVE SHOWN INTEREST…”

The article continued:

“Verhofstadt’s model of a core EU ALREADY EXISTS: the single currency euro zone… When EU finance ministers meet, the 12 ministers from the euro zone hold talks among themselves before they meet the 13 colleagues whose countries haven’t adopted the euro. In that pre-meeting, THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISIONS FOR THE EURO ZONE ARE MADE — in the club of the avant-garde. And it’s a model that could conceivably be transferred from finance policy to other areas — with the euro zone core leading the way. It’s an idea that has been launched by France and which has found a certain degree of acceptance. Already, the first summit of euro-group leaders has been penciled in for 2006.”

In other words, according to this model, those countries which have adopted the euro would constitute the club of core nations, while those countries which have not adopted the euro, including Great Britain, would NOT. The concluding remarks of the article could prove to be almost prophetic:

“In 2007, Jacques Chirac will likely be facing retirement at the hands of French voters. Chancellor Merkel, on the other hand, will just have taken over the EU presidency — it will be Germany’s turn to run the show for the first six months of 2007. Merkel, who has emerged as Europe’s new star following the weekend’s budget agreement, would have a perfect opportunity to secure her European legacy. SHE COULD TRANSFORM THE EURO GROUP INTO A NEW, SOLID, POLITICAL CORE OF A UNIFIED EUROPE.”

Schroeder’s Pipeline Gains (Some) Support

As Deutsche Welle reported on December 16, 2005, some members of the German Parliament have apparently begun to realize that former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder’s involvement with the German-Russian pipeline might not be all that bad for Germany. While conservatives and those of the opposition, in typical political fashion, condemned Schröder’s conduct, most, but not all, Social Democrats, in likewise typical political fashion, conveniently chose to REFUSE making decisive comments. As the news agency reported:

“The German parliament pondered the ethical implications associated with former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder’s decision to take a top position on a Russian-German energy project so quickly after leaving office. The news that Schröder would head the supervisory board of the North European Gas Pipeline (NGEP) less than one month after leaving the chancellor’s office met with immediate disapproval from parliamentary conservatives Thursday, opening cracks in the governing grand coalition of Christian Democrats and Social Democrats… One of Schröder’s closest confidents, Müntefering, said it was not up to the current administration to make judgments on what kinds of work former politicians should or should not accept. He also said he was convinced Schröder would act in Germany’s best interest. ‘I’m personally glad he did it,’ Müntefering said. ‘It is a strategic project for all of Europe.’… Earlier this week Schröder defended his new post, calling it an honor to lead the project that would bring gas from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea… Social Democratic head and former defense minister under Schröder, Peter Struck, also said Schröder’s participation in the project would be good for Germany.”

Politics in the UK

According to information received from one of our correspondents in the UK, “Already the new UK Conservative leader David Cameron has invited a lesbian as part of his team. In the UK there is an increasing tendency to recognize homosexuals and lesbians in government circles. This week there was an article in the Daily Mail alluding to the persistent chastisement of those who call people ‘homophobic’ who demonstrate against homosexual practices.  I wrote a letter to the Editor that I just wondered if these people would dare call God Himself homophobic because He calls the practice abominable! The Editor wouldn’t print it.”

Homosexual “Marriages” in the UK

As The Telegraph reported on December 22, “The most sweeping social reform for 40 years came to fruition yesterday when nearly 700 couples, including Sir Elton John and David Furnish, celebrated England’s first gay ‘weddings.’ To the delight of gay rights campaigners and the dismay of many Church leaders, homosexual couples ‘tied the knot’ in ceremonies that were hardly distinguishable from civil marriages. The sense of history was heightened by Tony Blair, who welcomed the new civil partnerships as ‘a modern, progressive step’ of which he was proud…

“But hard-line Christian campaigners described the ‘weddings’ as ‘a sham and an affront to almighty God’. Stephen Green, the national director of Christian Voice, said: ‘Ordinary people will be revolted by the sight of these couples embracing and the recognition in our law of what the Bible describes as an abomination and ‘vile affection’ will bring judgment on our land from the same Almighty God who destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.'”

In a related article of the Evening Standard, which was published on December 19, it was reported that prior to Sir Elton John’s wedding, a video message from Bill Clinton was played at a cabaret party. In the message, Mr. Clinton congratulated Elton John and David Furnish, stating, “If there were more people like Elton, the world would be a better place.”

Schwarzenegger vs. Graz

Der Spiegel Online reported on December 20:

“The execution of Stanley ‘Tookie’ Williams in California has sent ripples of outrage through Europe, in part because one of its native sons refused to grant clemency. Now Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Austrian hometown of Graz has threatened to remove his name from its soccer stadium — but the Terminator fights back… No sooner had the Austrian city of Graz begun a petition to remove the name ‘Arnold Schwarzenegger’ from its football (sorry, soccer) stadium than the governor of California fired off a fax. You can’t use it anyway, wrote Gov. Schwarzenegger to Graz Mayor Siegfried Nagl, in German: ‘In the future, the use of my name to advertise or promote the city of Graz in any way is not allowed… In all likelihood… during my term as governor I will have to make similar and equally difficult decisions. In order to spare the responsible politicians of the city of Graz further concern, I withdraw from them as of this day the right to use my name in association with the … stadium. You will receive related correspondence from my legal counsel shortly.’ …

“The earliest Graz would have considered removing the name by itself was January 19. Schwarzenegger beat them to it. He has also sent back a ‘ring of honor’ awarded to him by Graz in 1999. ‘Since … official Graz appears to no longer accept me as one of their own, this ring has lost its meaning and value to me,’ Schwarzenegger wrote. ‘It is already in the mail.'”

Compromise For Unity?

In its attempt to achieve unity amongst all Christians, the Catholic Church has again emphasized that this goal might have to be achieved through compromise. Of course, it was not put quite that way. Rather, it was stated that the submission of “our” will under God’s Will was required.

VIS reported on December 15, 2005: “Benedict XVI today received members of the joint coordinating committee of the International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.” The Pope “pointed out that the renewed dialogue will consider two aspects: ‘On the one hand, eliminating the remaining differences, and on the other, upholding the fundamental desire to do everything possible to re-establish full communion, which is so essential for the community of the disciples of Christ, as the preparatory document of your work makes clear. We must seek out God’s will… though it may not correspond to our simple human projects. We must achieve full unity of the Church and reconciliation among Christians, even at the cost of submitting our own will to the will of the Lord.”

This development might serve, perhaps, as a warning against “unity” at all costs. Even in God’s Church, some advocate mergers between several groups. However, if such a goal can only be achieved through compromise of established and revealed Biblical doctrines and practices, it cannot be pursued in such a way.

Evolution Nothing But A Theory!!!

Thanks to the correct understanding of a Federal Appeals Court, Evolution CAN be CORRECTLY described as merely a theory, and NOT as a fact. The Associated Press reported on December 15, 2005, that “A federal appeals panel Thursday questioned the accuracy of a judge’s ruling that a disclaimer in school textbooks describing evolution as ‘a theory, not a fact’ represents an endorsement of religion. ‘I don’t think you all can contest any of the sentences’ on the disclaimer sticker, Judge Ed Carnes of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals told an attorney arguing for parents who sued.

“‘IT IS A THEORY, NOT A FACT; the book supports that,’ Carnes said… The panel did not indicate when it would rule.”

It is hoped that the court will rule in favor of truth and accuracy–that is, that a label on school books advising that evolution is merely a theory, and not a fact, must NOT be removed from those books. Actually, evolution is really nothing but a fable. For further information, please read our free booklet, “Evolution–a Fairy Tale for Adults.”

But, of course, most don’t [want to] see it that way. As USA Today reported on December 21, 2005, “A federal judge dealt a major setback Tuesday to backers of the idea that some forms of life are so complex that they must be the product of an intelligent designer. Judge John Jones ruled that it is unconstitutional to teach the concept in public school science classes because it is ‘a religious view.’… Jones’ ruling is not binding outside the Middle District of Pennsylvania, but attorneys and outside experts say it will have broad impact on judges, lawyers and school boards… Intelligent design theory does not answer the question of who or what is the designer… In his ruling, Jones said intelligent design ‘violates the centuries-old ground rules of science by invoking and permitting supernatural causation’; it relies on ‘flawed and illogical’ arguments; and its attacks on evolution ‘have been refuted by the scientific community.'”

However, neither Evolution nor Intelligent Design give us critical answers about WHO created Man, and WHY. Please be sure to listen to this week’s StandingWatch program, titled, “Evolution or the Bible?”

Water on Mars?

On December 22, 2005, UPI reported about another major setback to the concept that there must be–or must have been–life on other planets, such as Mars. Earlier this year, scientists proclaimed that they found evidence for water on Mars. Now it was strongly suggested that they did not. UPI stated:

“Two Arizona State University geologists say features at the Opportunity landing site on Mars were formed not by a lake, but by constant meteorite strikes… The site where the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity landed has sediments and layered structures that are thought to be formed by the evaporation of an acidic salty sea. The prevailing thought is that when the Martian sea existed it may have supported life forms and thus would be a prime site to explore for fossils. However, ASU geologists L. Paul Knauth and Donald Burt — along with Kenneth Wohletz of Los Alamos National Laboratory — say base surges resulting from massive explosions caused by meteorite strikes offer a simpler and more consistent explanation for the rock formations and sediment layers.”

Elections in Iraq

Many have hailed the success in Iraq by pointing at the most recent historic governmental election. But not all seems to be “satisfactory” or a cause for joy. As AFP reported on December 20, there is already increased cause for concern due to the surprisingly low approval rate of Sunnis and the surprisingly high approval rate of Shiites in partial election results.

The news agency reported:

“Iraq’s largest Sunni political coalition has contested partial election results and threatened to demand a new ballot despite calls from US President George W. Bush for a swift new government. Iraqi President Jalal Talabani also appealed Tuesday for a broad-based government representing the entire ethnic and political spectrum following Thursday’s landmark general election.

“The National Concord Front, a coalition of three major Sunni powers that competed in parliamentary polls for the first time, condemned what it described as fraud and violations in the election… The conservative Shiite United Iraqi Alliance list won 58 percent of the vote in Baghdad while the National Concord Front came second with 18.6 percent, according to partial results announced by the electoral commission on Monday. ‘The electoral commission can still rectify the situation, otherwise it will be entirely responsible for this fraud which will have SERIOUS REPERCUSSIONS ON THE SECURITY AND ECONOMIC SITUATION,’ said Tareq al-Hashimi of the Iraqi Islamic Party, a coalition member.”

Absolutely not! God’s Word is very clear that such a possibility simply does not exist.

First
of all, let us remember that God made animals and humans according to
their kind (Genesis 1:21, 24-28). Animals can only reproduce other
animals, according to their kind (two dogs can produce another dog, but
they can’t produce a horse or a bird), and men can only produce humans
(they can’t produce animals). Since men and angels belong to a
different “kind,” it is impossible for that reason alone, that they
could produce human offspring.

In addition, as created spirit
beings, angels or fallen angels (demons) do not reproduce sexually or
by any other means. Jesus made this very clear. He said in Luke
20:34-36 that the “sons of this age,” i.e. human beings who live today,
“marry and are given in marriage.” One of the purposes of marriage is
reproduction, as well as having a sexual relationship (compare Genesis
1:28; 2:24). Married couples are to become “one flesh”–including
sexually. That is the reason why it is wrong to have sexual
relationships with a prostitute (1 Corinthians 6:16, 18). But
Christ told us that those who are worthy to attain the resurrection to
eternal life, will not marry or be given in marriage, but they will be,
in THAT sense, equal to angels. They will be OVER angels in authority
and essence (1 Corinthians 6:3; Hebrews 2:5-8), being children of GOD,
not of angels, but they will be EQUAL to angels in the sense that they
will no longer “marry”–physically–and engage in sexual activities. If
we want to accept Christ’s saying, it is obvious that angels (including
fallen angels) CANNOT have sexual relationships with humans and produce
human offspring.

Some quote Genesis 6:4 for the false idea that
angels married women and produced human offspring prior to the flood.
However, this interpretation is totally erroneous and must be rejected.
In Genesis 6:1-4, the context shows that sexual intercourse and
reproduction strictly through humans is described. We read:

“Now
it came to pass when MEN began to multiply on the face of the earth,
and daughters were born to them, that the SONS OF GOD saw the daughters
of MEN, that they were beautiful; and they took WIVES for themselves of
all WHOM THEY CHOSE. And the LORD said, ‘My Spirit shall not strive
with MAN forever, for he is indeed FLESH; yet his days shall be one
hundred and twenty years.’ There were giants (lit. mighty ones) on the
earth in those days, and also afterward, when the SONS OF GOD came to
the daughters of MEN and THEY BORE CHILDREN to THEM. Those were the
mighty MEN who were of old, men of renown.”

Although it is true
that in rare instances, “sons of God” can refer to angels (compare Job
1:6-8; 2:1), it refers most of the time to human beings (compare
Malachi 1:6; 2:10; Luke 3:38; Romans 8:14; Revelation 21:7). This is
also the case in Genesis 6. God decided to destroy sinful
men–flesh–not angels. We read that all flesh and every MAN died in
the flood (Genesis 7:21-23). Because of this, some commentaries point
out that the term “sons of God” might, in this instance, refer to the
“godly line of Seth” (compare Ryrie Study Bible). Halley’s Bible
Handbook allows for the possibility that the “sons of God” were
“leaders in Sethite families who intermarried with godless descendants
of Cain. These abnormal marriages… filled the earth with corruption
and violence.”

Even though the “sons of God” (human beings)
belonged to the line of Seth, and might have worshipped the true God
(compare Genesis 4:26), they took for themselves whatever women they
wanted–including those who did not believe in and worship the true God
(compare God’s warning in Malachi 2:15 and in 1 Corinthians 7:39; 2
Corinthians 6:14). The consequence was that “the wickedness of man was
great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart
was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5).

The Commentary of
Jamieson, Faussett and Brown agrees that Genesis 6 refers strictly to
human marriages, stating: “‘the sons of God saw the daughters of
men’–by the former is meant the family of Seth, who were professedly
religious; by the latter, the descendants of apostate Cain. Mixed
marriages between parties of opposite principles and practice were
necessarily sources of extensive corruption. The women, irreligious
themselves, would as wives and mothers exert an influence fatal to the
existence of religion in their household, and consequently the people
of that later age sank to the lowest depravity.”

Matthew Henry
agrees with this explanation: “The sons of God (that is, the professors
of religion) married the daughters of men, that is, those that were
profane, and strangers to God and godliness. The posterity of Seth did
not keep by themselves, as they ought to have done. They intermingled
themselves with the excommunicated race of Cain.”

Similar the
Soncino Commentary, identifying the “sons of God” as “the sons of
princes and judges,” referring to the fact that the word “Elohim” (in
“sons of God” or “Elohim”) always implies rulership and can refer to
human judges (compare Exodus 4:16; 7:1). It goes on to say that “thus
the very men who should have defended justice openly committed
violence” and that they took wives “by force,” including those “married
to others.”

The New Bible Commentary: Revised agrees with the
conclusion that Genesis 6 describes sexual relationships between human
beings only, but gives a slightly different meaning of the passage.
They point out that “‘the sons of God’ could be translated ‘the sons of
the gods.’ Ancient texts attest to an ideology of divine kingship;
human kings were called sons of various gods. This blasphemous cult was
a culmination of the Cainite name-lust… ‘daughters of men’ are the
daughters of men in general. By ‘such of them as they chose,’ polygamy
is meant…”

Based on the Biblical evidence, it is abundantly
clear that Genesis 6 does NOT teach at all that angels or demons had
sexual intercourse with women and produced human offspring.

Some
refer to a passage in Genesis 3:15, for the concept that Satan and his
demons can produce human offspring. However, this passage does not
allow for such an understanding. In Genesis 3:15, God speaks to Satan,
after he had tempted Eve to sin, stating: “And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall
bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”

The reference
here is to Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the “Seed of a woman,” and to the
human beings who would be under the influence of Satan the devil–his
“seed.” Christ, born of a woman, would nullify Satan’s power over man.
Satan bruised Christ’s heel, causing Him to suffer and to be put to
death, but Christ conquered death through the resurrection (Hebrews
2:14-15). He overcame Satan and will ultimately replace him, when He
returns. “Satan’s seed” refers to human beings in general who are still
under Satan’s sway. Satan, as the god and ruler of this world, has
deceived the whole world. Humans follow him, and they are called in the
Bible “children of the devil” (John 8:44; compare Matthew 13:38). They
are not the LITERAL physical offspring of Satan, of course, but his
spiritual seed. Once we accept God’s way of life and receive God’s Holy
Spirit, we become begotten children of God (1 John 3:1-2)–but again,
not in the sense that we are the LITERAL physical offspring of God, but
we are His spiritual seed. The ONLY one who was LITERALLY physically
begotten by God the Father, through the Holy Spirit, was Jesus Christ
(Luke 1:30-35)–that is why He is called the “ONLY-begotten Son” (John
1:18; 1 John 4:9).

The Ryrie Study Bible explains Genesis 3:15 in
this way: “‘between thy seed’ (the spiritual descendants of Satan, cf.
John 8:44; Eph. 2:2) ‘and her seed’ (those who are in the family of
God)… An individual from among the woman’s seed, namely Christ, will
deal a death blow to Satan’s ‘head’ at the cross [and His subsequent
resurrection from the dead], while Satan (‘thou’) would ‘bruise
Christ’s heel’ (cause Him to suffer).”

Even though the woman’s
“seed” might very well include the “family of God”–that is, converted
Christians–it is nevertheless true that the most obvious reference is
to Jesus Christ. As Halley’s Bible Handbook points out: “Here… is
God’s prophecy that His Creation of Man would yet prove to be
successful, through the ‘seed of the Woman.’ This is the Bible’s first
hint of a Coming Redeemer. The use of ‘He’ (15) shows that One Person
is meant. There has been only ONE descendant of Eve who was born of
Woman without being begotten of Man.”

In conclusion, the idea
that angels or demons can produce human offspring is a dangerous and
wrong concept. It has inspired Hollywood’s movie writers to produce
some terrible and demonic pieces, such as “Rosemary’s Baby.” But many
ARE deceived today, thinking that such a diabolic act might be possible.

For more information on the world of angels and demons, please read our free booklet, “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World.”

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

A new StandingWatch program
has been posted on the Web, titled, “Evolution or the Bible?” In
the program, Norbert Link discusses the dangers of both the concepts of
Evolution and Intelligent Design, and points out the real answers for
man’s existence.

by Manuela Link (22)

Many of us may be familiar with a popular TV
series called Smallville. It depicts the adolescent to young adult life
of the famous person, Superman. Despite his incredible abilities, Clark
Kent portrays a wonderful character to the public: having a soft-spoken
tongue, being compliant and respectful to parents, helping those in
need, being a true friend, trustworthy and strong — mentally and
physically.

Everyone knows him as Clark Kent, a hard-working farm
boy, but they don’t know his secret, his true calling or destiny —
that of which he will one day save the world. He keeps his abilities a
secret because he believes that if he accidentally shows his strength,
people may not accept him for the man he really is.

In the real
life, we too have a true calling. We not only have to be a light to the
world by showing our true Christian character, but we cannot hide from
the person we were called to be. We cannot be afraid of what others may
think of us, because we understand that God will help us through
anything. We should be willing to explain anything about the person we
really are, when asked, because in these situations, secrets only
separate friendships. I know why I’m here. I am not of this world, and
like the fictional Clark, my future of faith contains greater
possibilities.

On December 17, 2005, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “Son of Man and of God.”

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.

There are many blessings that we receive from God every day as we
keep His Law.  But many are not recognized by the five senses. It
is these that we need to fully appreciate, along with the tangible
ones. It would be easy to live year to year without recognizing that
God is indeed working in this way in our lives on a daily basis.

The reason that we are not as cognizant of these blessings is because nothing happens. That is the blessing–nothing.

Look
at it this way: Traffic law decrees that you are to stop at a STOP
sign.  If you run a stop sign there is a good chance of getting
into an accident where the injuries can range from the mild to the
devastating.  If you stop and look both ways and proceed
cautiously through the intersection–NOTHING happens.

In the same
way, those who are living God’s Way every day benefit by keeping His
Laws, here and now, whether they know it or not.  If you don’t
have sex outside of marriage you won’t get an STD; if you don’t eat
unclean meat you can avoid diseases such as Hepatitis, SARS and
Trichinosis; if you don’t cheat on your taxes the IRS won’t see to it
that you are fined or put in jail. If you do what’s right in these
cases–NOTHING happens.

When we keep the commandments of God we
may not be fully aware of the consequences of breaking them, but we can
be assured that if we continue in them, many times we will receive
“nothing”–that is, a blessing of omission.

The WRONG War on Christmas

AFP reported on December 10, 2005, about an alleged war on Christmas which angers the conservative right in the USA. The article stated: “Conservative Christians and commentators are seeing red as ‘Merry Christmas’ has been replaced by ‘happy holiday’ in many places in an effort to include the many beliefs of the country’s diverse population… The right wing has launched a counter-attack against secularists by calling for boycotts of stores refusing to wish shoppers ‘Merry Christmas.’… A Republican lawmaker from Virginia has introduced a resolution asking that Congress declare that it ‘strongly disapproves of attempts to ban reference to Christmas.’ Conservatives are not alone in their concerns, as some in the left cringe at what they see as excessive political correctness. ‘Christmas is a Christian holiday, and trying to eliminate the religious aspect is insulting,’ wrote Los Angeles Times columnist Joel Stein.”

It is a tragedy that the problem with Christmas celebrations is raised by the wrong people and for the wrong motives. IF Christmas WAS Christian, it should be kept, as Christmas, in a Christian country, regardless of the cultural diversities. BUT, Christmas is NOT Christian and NEVER HAS BEEN. It is the TRUE Christians who ought not participate in Christmas celebrations. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Don’t Keep Christmas.”

Schröder’s Pipeline

Der Spiegel Online described former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder’s controversial future management role in a big German-Russian consortium, building a gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea. The magazine stated:

“On Friday, Schröder confirmed he would head an advisory committee of a massive undersea Russian-German gas project, sparking a storm of protest about a potential conflict of interest. Schröder, along with his old chum Russian President Vladimir Putin, signed off on the Euro 4-billion gas pipeline less than a fortnight before he lost Germany’s general election in September. Now only weeks after leaving office he has agreed to take a plum job in a project headed by partially state-owned Russian energy giant Gazprom.”

The reaction from the German press and the German and international political spectrum was basically one of condemnation. However, what might be overlooked in the discussion is the tremendous economic and strategic advantage which Germany will gain from Schröder’s new role.

Surprisingly, a lone voice of support came from one of Schröder’s former political opponents, Germany’s minister of economics, Michael Glos (CDU). He welcomed Schröder’s appointment to the new post, as the pipeline will satisfy one-third of Germany’s energy needs from 2010 (Bild Online, December 9, 2005).

The Washington Post added the following interesting comments in its article, dated December 13, 2005:

“But the announcement should also raise questions in German voters’ minds about the real reasons Mr. Schroeder was so keen to see this pipeline project launched. The pipeline has cost Germany diplomatically by infuriating its Central European and Baltic neighbors. They point out that the Russian government chose to use the sea route rather than run a new pipeline alongside one that already exists on land, despite the far greater expense. The only possible reason for doing so was political: The Baltic Sea pipeline could allow Russia, a country that has made political use of its energy resources, to cut off gas to Central Europe and the Baltic states while still delivering gas to Germany.”

Tsunamis Threaten California

The Associated Press reported on December 12, 2005, about a frightening scenario, threatening the very survival of coastal areas in California. The article pointed out:

“Tsunami waves generated by a large offshore earthquake would threaten at least 1 million coastal residents in California and inundate the nation’s largest port complex… In the past century, more than 80 tsunamis–mostly minor–have been recorded or observed along the California coastline.The most deadly was in 1964 when a magnitude-9.2 earthquake in Alaska generated massive waves that killed 12 people. Scientists have also kept a close eye on a 680-mile fault 50 miles off the West Coast that behaves much like those that produced the 1964 Alaska quake and the Southeast Asia tsunami that killed more than 176,000 last year…

“If a tsunami shut down the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach for two months, the economic loss could reach $60 billion. The ports make up the third busiest port in the world, but its docks and terminals are only about nine feet above the water.  A massive wave higher than that could cause extensive damage.”

Gigantic Explosion Near London

The Pravda reported on December 12 about the terrible explosion at an oil depot near London. The paper stated:

“A fire at an oil depot north of London blazed for a second day after explosions rocked the complex in probably the biggest such incident in peacetime Europe… Authorities said the blasts Sunday morning appeared to be accidental, though they came just four days after an Al Qaeda video appeared on the Internet calling for attacks on facilities carrying oil ‘stolen’ from Muslims in the Middle East…  The blasts could be heard up to 100 miles away–some reports suggested that they were felt as far away as northern France and the Netherlands.”

In a related article, The Associated Press added on December 12 that “A smoke cloud also drifted over northwestern France and was expected to reach Spain” within a few days.

The Associated Press also reported on December 14 that “Investigators searched Wednesday for the cause of [the] explosion… Since suicide bombers targeted London’s Underground and bus system in July, killing 56 people including the bombers, questions have arisen over Britain’s preparedness to deal with terrorist attacks and terror-related disasters…”

CIA Flights Under Investigation

The EUobserver reported on December 13, 2005, that “A Council of Europe report has reinforced suspicions that… the CIA has detained suspected Islamic terrorists without proper judicial procedure, and violated sovereignty laws in Europe… Meanwhile, the European Parliament is planning to set up its own temporary committee to deal with the allegations of secret jails and CIA flights in Europe… Despite secretary of state Condoleezza Rice’s assurances in Brussels last week that the US does not condone inhumane acts or torture, an increasing number of EU member states are trying to find out whether the CIA has been violating sovereignty and anti-torture laws in Europe.”

USA and EU Clash Again

The EUobserver published the following headline on December 14, 2005: “EU-US clash on food aid at WTO summit.” The article pointed out that “The first day of a key World Trade Organisation (WTO) summit saw an open clash between the EU and the US, with EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson accusing the United Nations of supporting US food dumping in the developing world… Brussels accuses Washington of offering large amounts of its superfluous agricultural products to developing countries in the form of food aid for hunger relief.”

Syria Guilty of Political Assassinations?

The AFP reported about the assassinations of two prominent Lebanese political and public figures critical of Syria. Investigations suggest that Syria supported or even carried out both murders, according to the news agency. The following was stated: “A UN enquiry report delivered to the Security Council cited new evidence further implicating senior Syrian officers in the murder of Lebanese ex-premier Rafiq Hariri and raised doubts about Syrian cooperation in the probe… The 25-page document was released amid rising tensions in Lebanon sparked by the killing of anti-Syrian lawmaker Gibran Tueni… The attacks have created a climate of fear in Lebanon… Many Lebanese blame Damascus for Hariri’s death and the other attacks, charges Syria denies.”

Iran Isolates Itself

The Jerusalem Post reported on December 10 about German reactions to the Iranian President’s recent controversial statements about Israel and the Holocaust. The paper pointed out:

“German church leaders on Saturday joined international protests against Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s demand that Israel be moved to Europe and his statement doubting whether the Holocaust happened. Roman Catholic Cardinal Karl Lehmann said he was ‘outraged’… Lutheran Church leader Wolfgang Huber said the international community needed to take action against Iran, but he did not elaborate. ‘Whoever denies the historical fact of the murder of millions of Jews during the Third Reich in Germany and denies Israel’s right to exist has committed incitement,’ Huber was quoted… as saying. Incitement to racial hatred is a crime in Germany… The United States, Israel, Europe, [the] United Nations and even Iranian ally Russia have condemned Ahmadinejad for his remarks.”

Subsequently, Iran’s President added comments on Wednesday to the effect that “the Holocaust is a ‘myth’ that Europeans have used to create a Jewish state in the heart of the Islamic world,” according to an article of The Associated Press of December 14, 2005.

The press also reported that Israel threatened an attack on Iran, which was subsequently denied by Israel. The Pravda stated:

“Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ordered the Israeli military command to prepare a military operation against Iran. An air strike on nuclear objects of the Islamic republic was set for March 28, Israeli military structures said. The date of the supposed attack coincides with the general election in Israel. Israel intends to strike Iran for the country’s persistent arms race and anti-Jewish statements released from [the] Iranian President… News messages about Israel’s intention to fire missiles on Iran first appeared on the pages of Britain’s Sunday Times.”

The paper continued: “The news about the IMMINENT WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST appeared several days after Iran’s [President] released another portion of anti-Israeli statements. It goes without saying that Iran will not sit on its hands and watch Israeli missiles hitting targets. The Islamic country will attack Israel in return too.”

The Russian paper also admitted: “Russia plays a significant role in Iran’s growing defensive capacity. Russia assisted Iran in launching its first satellite, the Sinah-1, which can perform the functions of a spy satellite too. Moscow also agreed to deliver Tor-M1 air defense complexes to Iran last week. To crown it all, Iran’s entire nuclear program is being conducted with the participation of Russian specialists.”

Modern Pharisees in Israel

On December 8, 2005, news.telegraph published the following article: 
“Machines will perform euthanasia on terminally ill patients in Israel under legislation devised not to offend Jewish law, which forbids people taking human life. A special timer will be fitted to a patient’s respirator which will sound an alarm 12 hours before turning it off. Normally, carriers would override the alarm and keep the respirator turned on but, if various stringent conditions are met, including the giving of consent by the patient or legal guardian, the alarm would not be overridden. Similar timing devices, known as Sabbath clocks, are used in the homes of orthodox Jews so that light switches and electrical devices can be turned on during the Sabbath without offending religious strictures.

“Parliamentarians reached a solution after discussions with a 58-member panel of medical, religious and philosophical experts. ‘The point was that it is wrong, under Jewish law, for a person’s life to be taken by a person but, for a machine, it is acceptable,’ a parliamentary spokesman said. ‘A man would not be able to shorten human life but a machine can.’ The bill… will become law next year.”

This article pinpoints the wrong Jewish teaching on both the stringent man-made prohibitions of activities on the Sabbath and the concept of “taking” human life. The article reflects the Pharisaical approach which was condemned by Jesus Christ. As it is absolutely not wrong to turn on light switches and electrical devises on the Sabbath, so it is also not necessarily wrong, and does not constitute the “taking” of human life, to end the ARTIFICIAL AND UNNATURAL prolongation of human life–for instance in case of a brain-dead person, who has been in a coma for several months, and who has been kept “alive” by machines.

Persecution of Christians in Pakistan

On December 13, WorldNetDaily reported about persecutions of Christians in Pakistan with the at least passive approval of the government. The article stated:

“Militant Islamists in Pakistan have called for the elimination of Christians and the public hanging of a Christian accused of blasphemy… [During a gathering on December 2,] Islamic leaders using loudspeakers urged Muslims to rise up and eliminate Christians. They also passed a resolution demanding that Yousaf Masih, a Christian accused of desecrating the Quran, be publicly hanged. A resolution [adopted by Pakistani minority religious and civil society leaders] accused the Pakistani authorities of having ‘done nothing to defuse the tension,’ and of ‘failing to repair the situation.’ It claimed the government was ‘not admitting the facts and is rather protecting the instigators of mob violence.’ Procedural delays have meant vital evidence has been lost, which has made the judicial process ‘ineffective,’ the resolution claimed.”

The answer is yes, and the way in which this might occur involves personal growth as well as God choosing someone to fulfill a special function in His service.

First of all, understand that God gives man His Holy Spirit as a gift. Peter explains this in context in Acts 2:38: “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission [Margin: forgiveness] of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'”

Paul further describes the purpose of God’s gift: “In Him [Christ] you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, [which] is the guarantee [Margin: down payment, earnest] of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14; also, compare 2 Corinthians 5:5).

Besides being a kind of “down payment” of eternal life, Christians are to use God’s power–His Holy Spirit–to live a converted life. We find this dramatic contrast of two ways of living explained in Romans 8: “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Verses 5-6).

Just repenting and just receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit is not enough–this is not the complete process God has established for mankind to enter into eternal life. In His message to the seven churches found in Revelation 2 and 3, Jesus Christ summarizes His instructions to each group with these words: “‘To him who overcomes…'” (Compare Revelation 2:7; 2:11; 2:17; 2:26; 3:5; 3:12; 3:21).

Consider how Paul encouraged Timothy, a young minister under his guidance, to use the gift of the Holy Spirit:
“Therefore I remind you to STIR UP the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:6-7).

Power, love and a sound mind are all areas in which Christians are to grow, and that growth comes through utilizing God’s Holy Spirit. One particular way for each of us to experience this kind of change and growth is revealed in Paul’s letter to the Christians in Philippi: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…” (Philippians 2:5).

Jesus taught a parable concerning a barren fig tree (Compare Luke 13:6-9). The issue was that this tree was not bearing any fruit. In the end, if this tree did not bear its fruit, it was to be cut down. The point for us is that we must utilize the Spirit of God and bear the fruit of conversion–that is, lives that are becoming more and more like those of the Father and Jesus Christ (Compare Matthew 5:48).

King David understood that his own actions had separated himself from God. In deep and bitter repentance he acknowledged his mistakes. David’s prayer is recorded in Psalm 51, and in it, he makes this startling request: “Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me” (verse 11).

Christians have an accountability to utilize what God has given them. In fact, Jesus taught in the parable of the talents that we will be judged and rewarded according to how productively we incorporate God’s power in our lives (Compare Matthew 25:14-30)! Here is how Peter presents this challenge: “…but GROW in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

We also find the record of individuals who did just that. When the seven were chosen to fulfill needed roles in the Church, the men were to be “full of the Holy Spirit…” (Acts 6:3). Quite obviously, these men were chosen based on their fruits of God’s Holy Spirit (Compare Galatians 5:22-23).

In 1 Corinthians 12, spiritual gifts that are given for the conduct of the Church of God are explained: “There are diversities [Margin: allotments or various kinds] of gifts, but the same Spirit” (verse 4); “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers,
after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues” (verses 27-28).

Further explanation of these various kinds of gifts is found in Ephesians 4: “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ…” (Verses 11-13).

Numbers 11 shows that God actually took some of the Spirit given to Moses and gave it to elders in Israel in order that they could be empowered to assist Moses (Compare verses17; 25-26). And Elisha received a double portion of the Spirit that Elijah had (Compare 2 Kings 2:9-12).

However, in the case of Jesus Christ and God’s giving of His Holy Spirit to Him, we find this statement from John the Baptist: “‘For he [Christ] whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him [Christ]'” (John 3:34, Authorized Version).

Another example is that of John the Baptist. Here is what the angel, Gabriel, said to Zacharias: “‘…He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb'” (Luke 1:15).

Generally, God gives us only a small portion of His Holy Spirit at the time of our proper baptism. But God expects of us that we use His Spirit, and that we grow in God’s Way of life so that He can give us MORE of His Spirit. That is why we read that we have to consistently be RENEWED in the spirit of our mind (Ephesians 4:23). Paul addresses converted Christians in Romans 12:2, when he tells them: “And do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” This is a continuous process, and the supply of the Holy Spirit helps us to accomplish this change (Philippians 1:19).

We read in the NewTestament, in the Book of Acts, that Paul and Barnabas were ordained for a special work in the Church of God (13:1-4).

The Biblical record shows that God will use zealous individuals. In explaining the qualifications of an elder, Paul states: “This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work” (1Timothy 3:1). In these instances, when a man is ordained to the ministry, God grants helps through His Holy Spirit (Compare Luke10:17-20; Mark 16:15-18).

Finally, if you desire to have more ofGod’s Holy Spirit, ask! (Compare Luke 11:13). We have this further assurance: “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14); “And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight” (1 John 3:22).

Lead Writer: Dave Harris

A new StandingWatch program was recorded this week and placed on the Web. It is titled, “Your Reaction to World News.”

Our new German booklet, “Gott ist eine Familie” (“God Is A Family”), has been posted on the Web.

The Global Church of God in the UK received this letter from a reader:

“About
a month ago I requested some booklets of the Global Church of God,
after having found your interesting website. Again, I would like to
thank you for having sent the literature. Meanwhile, I managed to study
almost all of the booklets (except for ‘Jesus Christ‘, which I will
start reading this very weekend), and I really enjoyed the reading very
much–although I must admit, it wasn’t always very easy. Being a
baptized Catholic, there are some items that are different from what I
learned in school, but then again, it was a challenge to check whether
my opinion about these things is right at all. (Furthermore, I am proud
I didn’t have to use my English dictionary very often, me being a
non-native speaker.) In these booklets, I found some other publications
that would interest me [requests 6 booklets]. I would be very pleased,
if you could send me a copy of these titles, too! Thank you very much
in advance. Kind regards from a very cold Germany.”