One of the greatest problems that people in general have, is that of right balance. Why is it that so many can be extreme in their approach, behavior and attitude? Of course, some would see balance as the middle road where fence sitting is a prime attribute and where indecision can reign. That, however, is not true and right balance. Whilst there may be individuals that can fall into such a category, they would not exemplify real balance.

We are to be a light to the world and to set the very best example. Do others see us as truly balanced individuals? Lack of true balance in our Christian lives can impact negatively on the way that others view us and the Christianity that we espouse. It can reduce our effectiveness in this area.

True balance means stability and constancy. It means that we have to become more like God the Father and Jesus Christ. They are the two most balanced individuals that it is possible to be. Malachi 3:6 is a simple little verse but with so much meaning: “For I am the LORD, I do not change.” God is never changing, always constant and balanced. Hebrews 13:8 gives us the same ringing endorsement of Jesus Christ: “Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

God wants us to build His characteristics — the traits of His own nature — into our lives and into the way that we act and behave. Over the years, the true Church of God, “the mother of us all,” has engendered stability and growth in us through a balanced diet of sound doctrinal teaching, personal prayer, study and occasional fasting. The ministry strives to have a balanced approach to sermon subjects, including Christian living, doctrine, and prophecy, as we all continue to strive to be balanced in all things.

True balance is so important. Balance is not extreme. Suicide bombers are extremists. Trappist monks, known for their silence, are extremists. How can extremists interact with fellow human beings and be useful in society? People who watch television all day, every day, are extreme in their behavior, and so are Church members who focus solely and exclusively on prophecy.

We should be thoroughly balanced individuals. In short, balance is required in every aspect of our lives. We are to be followers of Christ. Let us follow Him in this most important area of our Christian lives — that of true and godly balance.
 

ISRAEL & THE UNITED STATES vs THE WORLD?

Dramatic developments in the Middle East during these past two weeks have shown how quickly Israel and the United States can find themselves isolated and condemned by world opinion.

As the Jerusalem Post reported on September 13, 2003, “the United Nations Security Council’s 15 member-nations warned Israel Saturday against carrying out its decision to ‘remove’ the Palestinian leader [Yasser Arafat].” The threat “set off pro-Arafat marches in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and drew opposition from the European Union, the United Nations and Arab countries,” according to the article. The paper continued, “The Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of Yasser Arafat’s Fatah movement, threatened it would wage an ‘all out war’ against Israel if Arafat were to be harmed in any way. In a statement released Friday, the group said Israel would be ‘flooded’ with suicide bombers if action was taken against Arafat. ‘We will prove that we know how to defend our leader and symbol of our resistance,’ the group said.”

The newspaper also pointed out that “a poll conducted Thursday evening and published Friday in the Yediot Ahronot daily shows sixty percent of Israelis would like to see Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat killed or expelled.”

Israel’s reaction to the unanimous view of the Security Council, including the United States, Great Britain, Germany and France, was one of defiance, stating that Arafat is “a complete obstacle to peace and should have been cast aside years ago,” according to the Jerusalem Post.

Subsequently, the United States vetoed a proposed Syrian-sponsored resolution of the 15 Security Council members that would have demanded of Israel not to expel or kill Arafat. Bulgaria, Germany and Great Britain abstained, while France, China, Russia, Cameroon, Guinea, Mexico, Syria, Angola, Pakistan, Chile and Spain voted for the resolution. Many commentators see the US veto as having been prompted by pressure from Israel. As USA Today reported, Washington vetoed the resolution as it did not condemn terrorist groups attacking Israel. Although Washington explained that it continues to oppose expelling Arafat from the West Bank, many observers are doubtful. “Arabs were dismayed by the veto, with some saying the vote showed the United States had lost its credibility as an honest broker in the Middle East,” according to USA Today. Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said that the reasoning for Washington’s veto was “baseless.” He voiced his concern that the veto might be seen as a license to go after Arafat. France said “it regretted that the U.N. resolution on Israel didn’t pass. The resolution had ‘ a balanced message that we believed could bring a consensus,’ Cecile Pozzo di Borgo, the French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, said in Paris.”

Der Spiegel Online added that observers predict serious consequences for which the United States will be held responsible. Germany’s ambassador to the UN, Gunter Pleuger, stated that he was disappointed by the vote, as it had sent the wrong signal, and not all options had been explored.

Arafat dismissed the aborted effort of the Security Council to pass the resolution against Israel. A resolution “will not shake us,” Arafat said, “regardless as to where it’s coming from. We are more important than any resolution,” he added, according to Spiegel Online.

 

IRAQ’S WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION?

The London based Sunday Times newspaper reported that inspectors had found no evidence of any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. It stated that British defense intelligence sources had confirmed that the Iraq Survey Group, an Anglo-American team of 1400 scientists, military and intelligence experts, has delayed indefinitely the publication of a full report, which had been due on September 15. The newspaper added that the report may not be published at all.

JAPAN vs NORTH KOREA

news.independent.co.uk reported on September 15 that “Japan’s Defence Minister [Shigeru Ishiba] has stressed his country’s right to strike North Korean missile sites if an attack is thought imminent.” The article continued that North Korea has allegedly “at least 100 Rodong ballistic missiles capable of striking Japan.” According to Ishiba, “‘the threat from North Korea…. is not just aimed at Japan and the U.S., it’s a problem for the whole world.’… He believes that President George Bush’s strategy is closer to his own approach, than the strategy of Bill Clinton. ‘Clinton’s policy toward North Korea was based on two false premises: one, that Pyongyang would keep its promises [regarding the 1994 agreement to abandon its nuclear programme]; and two, that North Korea would collapse,’ he said. ‘North Korea neither kept its promises nor collapsed. We are now faced with the consequences.'”

The article pointed out, too, that “a number of senior politicians have recently floated the idea of Japan developing its own nuclear weapons, and in June, a bipartisan defence group of 103 junior politicians called for the government to change its defence-only policy to allow for a ‘minimum’ level of offensive capability to attack an enemy.”

SWEDEN AGAINST EURO

“Sweden got a clear message on Monday that it will pay a political price for snubbing the euro by being frozen out of EU decision-making,” according to MSNBC News of September 15. The article continued, “The resounding 56-42 percent ‘No’ to the euro in Sunday’s referendum follows a rejection of the European Union single currency by the Danes in 2000 and a ‘not yet’ from Britain… Asked if Sweden would lose influence by staying outside the 12-nation euro zone along with fellow EU members Britain and Denmark, [European Commission chief Romano] Prosi told Swedish Television: ‘Certainly, yes.’… Britain saw the rejection of the EU’s most ambitious economic project as a blow to Prime Minister Tony Blair. Tabloid daily the Sun said it would ‘send shock waves round Europe and dent Tony Blair’s dream of getting Britain to dump sterling.'”

GERMANY’S NEO-NAZIS

“The threat to Germany from neo-Nazis has risen to a new level, Interior Minister Otto Shily has warned,” according to news.bbc.co.uk of September 15. The article continued, “The discovery of a suspected plot to bomb a Munich Jewish centre during a visit by the German president [Johannes Rau, as well as Bavarian governor Edmund Stoiber and Jewish leader Paul Spiegel] has ‘dramatically confirmed’ the danger to society, he said on Monday… Officials believe plans were being made to bomb the centre on 9 November, when its foundation stone is due to be laid at a ceremony… The suspected attack would have coincided with the anniversary of the Nazis’ 1938 Kristallnacht attacks, when thousands of Jewish targets were attacked and dozens murdered… ‘There have been hints that right extremists are really a great potential danger for our society… This has now been dramatically confirmed,’ [Schily said]… ‘Faced with the flood of pictures from the Middle East, we had forgotten what extremists could also plan here at home,’ wrote Guido Heinen in Die Welt. ‘German political terrorism is back.'”

SCHILY CONDEMNS UNITED STATES ANTI-TERROR PRACTICE

In other news, Schily attacked the United States in an unusually serious way. According to Der Spiegel Online, dated September 9, Schily condemned the U.S. practice in its fight against terrorism to neutralize suspects without trial, stating that this practice violates fundamental principles of International Law. Schily, himself an attorney who had defended German terrorists in his earlier years, continued that the U.S. did not resolve fundamental questions, but he was hopeful that the thought process in the United States would lead to acceptable solutions.

GARNER TED ARMSTRONG DIES AT 73

As Associated Press reported on September 16, “Evangelist Garner Ted Armstrong … died Monday from complications of pneumonia… He is survived by his wife, three sons and five grandchildren.”

A: 1 Kings 15:5 reads, “…David did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.”

The account of David’s transgressions “in the matter of Uriah the Hittite” can be found in 2 Samuel, chapters 11 and 12. First, David committed adultery with Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba; then, he tried to cover up his sin in different ways; failing that, he had Uriah murdered in war, so that he could take Bathsheba to become his wife. We read that “the thing that David had done displeased [or better: “was evil in the sight of”] the LORD” (2 Samuel 11:27). Later, after David came to his senses and realized what he had done, Nathan the prophet communicated God’s words to David: “Why have you despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon. Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife” (2 Samuel 12:9-10). Nathan added, “…by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme” (2 Samuel 12:14).

David’s conduct “in the matter of Uriah” constituted a great sin. This does not mean, however, that this was the only sin that David ever committed. The passage in 1 Kings 15:5, quoted above, must be read in context with all the other Scriptures on this subject. For instance, note the following statement in 1 Kings 14:8, “… yet you have not been as My servant David, who kept My commandments and who followed Me with all his heart, to do ONLY what was right in My eyes.” Taken all by itself, this Scripture would say that David did not sin at all — not even in the “matter of Uriah.”

A similar passage can be found in Acts 13:22, where Paul relates the following: “And when He had removed him [Saul], He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.'” Again, a superficial reading might suggest that David did not sin at all.

The truth is, of course, that David sinned in many different ways. For instance, David sinned when he numbered the people at the end of his life. We are told in 2 Samuel 24:10: “And David’s heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the LORD, ‘I have sinned GREATLY in what I have done; but now, I pray, O LORD, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.'”

David sinned on other occasions, too. Notice his words in Psalm 38:4, “For my iniquities have gone over my head; Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.” Notice Psalm 40:12, “… My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up; They are MORE THAN THE HAIRS OF MY HEAD…” Notice, too, David’s prayer in Psalm 25:18: “Look on my affliction and my pain, And forgive ALL MY SINS.”

The Bible makes it very clear that everyone sins — even after conversion — and that there is no human being [with the only exception of Jesus Christ, when He was here on earth] who does not sin (compare 1 Kings 8:46). Job thought that he was not guilty of sin, but he deceived himself (compare 1 John 1:8). He was guilty of self-righteousness, thinking that he was more righteous than God (Job 32:1-2). God had to deal with him very severely so that he could see himself for what he really was (Job 42:6).

We are also told in Scripture that God forgives us our sins and even forgets about them, once we confess our sins to God (1 John 1:9). In that case, God cleanses us from all unrighteousness (same verse). He will remember our sins no more (compare Jeremiah 31:34).

David had a loyal heart. When he sinned, he repented and asked God for forgiveness. He did not try to hide his sins, but he was truly heart-broken. He desired earnestly to be forgiven. He said in Psalm 51:3-4, 7, 9-11: “For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight… Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow… Hide Your face from my sins, And BLOT OUT ALL my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.”

When God forgave David, He removed his sins — not to be remembered anymore. Upon forgiveness, David was justified or righteous — but he always understood where his righteousness came from. He said in Psalm 24:5, “He shall receive blessing from the LORD, And RIGHTEOUSNESS FROM THE GOD of his salvation.” Other passages confirm that our righteousness must come from God — in fact, it is God’s righteousness within us that makes us righteous (compare Philippians 3:7-9; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

God said that David followed Him with all his heart. When David sinned, he repented and obtained God’s forgiveness. God would forget his sins. That is why God could say, “David has kept My commandments. He followed Me with all his heart, to do ONLY what was right in My eyes.” (Compare, again, 1 Kings 14:8).

We also understand, of course, that God forgave David his sins “in the matter of Uriah.” Still, in the one passage, in 1 Kings 15:5, God brings this matter one more time to our attention. Not, because God had not forgiven David, but because this was a sin that belonged to a slightly different category. It was not the unpardonable sin, to be sure, since David will be in the Kingdom of God (compare Jeremiah 30:9; Hosea 3:5). However, it was not a sin that was committed “in ignorance” — because of a temporary, passing weakness that had “snuck up” on David. This was a planned, premeditated, carefully designed sin. David thought through very diligently how to cover up his sin with Bathseba, until he resorted to the murder of Uriah. God brings up the “matter with Uriah” one more time, because He was terribly grieved that David would have acted in such a way — and He wanted to impress on the reader the awful consequences of that sin for David and his entire household.

When we sin and subsequently confess our sin to God, God is faithful to forgive us (Compare, too, Proverbs 28:13: “He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.”). We should not sin (1 John 2:1), but as humans, we will (compare again 1 John 1:8-9). Upon forgiveness (compare Romans 11:27), God will remember our sins no more (compare Hebrews 8:12). This should show us that we must strive to do the same. When we forgive, we must also forget. David sinned in many different ways — as we all do — but he obtained complete forgiveness from God, as his heart was right. In God’s eyes, David kept God’s commandments; following God with all his heart, to do ONLY what was right in God’s eyes.

We have placed another Standing Watch program on our Web site. It is titled, “Train Your Child…”

Our new booklet on “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World” is finished and on its way to the printer in Canada. It has been placed on our Web site at: http://www.eternalgod.org/lit/booklets/spirits.htm.

The Global Church of God in the UK has by now received about 1,000 responses to our ad campaign, offering “God’s Commanded Holy Days” and “Don’t Keep Christmas.”

Rene Messier will be giving the sermon this Sabbath, September 13, 2003, from Oregon, where he and Delia are visiting the brethren. The title of his sermon is, “Fear and Humility.”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at the appropriate time, just click on “Connect to Live Stream.”
 

From our youth, we have played games in which some would lose and some would win. That elusive goal of running faster, jumping higher or in some way being considered the best, has always been a powerful motivation in our personal development.

Nations fight wars to win. Athletes and sports teams measure their success in the win/loss column. Businesses are considered winners if they dominate the competition.

Some of these approaches have given winning a bad name!

How about each of us? Do we live our lives with the motivation to win? There is a real danger for those who would be Christian to participate in the process without truly attaining the ultimate goal. Jesus taught about this in Matthew 7:13-14: “‘Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.'”

Again, speaking to the Church identified as Laodicea, Jesus said: “‘I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot'” (Revelation 3:15). In the world of Christianity, having a “Laodicean attitude” is indicative of one who is compromising with the truth–of someone who isn’t serious enough about their calling to completely and without reservation follow the way of Christ.

Paul, in 1 Corinthians 9:24, states: “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain (win) it.” Paul is here explaining that we who have been called are competing for an “imperishable crown.” Also, he has this to say about his own approach: “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).

The Biblical evidence is overwhelming that we must not neglect our call to salvation and that we must not just drift along with the incomparable knowledge God has bestowed upon us. Furthermore, the Word of God reveals that Christians are offered the ultimate reward of eternal life–the greatest prize of any endeavor for which anyone will ever struggle!

Let us never lose sight of that, and let’s do with all our might what we have set our hand to do. With the help that is promised from God and Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit, this is surely the race WE WILL WIN!
 

ROADMAP TO WAR?

The vicious cycle of violence and death is continuing in the Middle East. Palestinian suicide bombings in Israel and Israeli attacks on Hamas strongholds have almost become commonplace. The road map to peace appears dead — and has been replaced with a road map to continued war and bloodshed. The resignation of Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas and the designated replacement of Palestinian parliament speaker Ahmed Qureia seem to have driven the last nail in the coffin. Very few observers believe that a peaceful solution can still be found under Yasser Arafat, Qureia, and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

This week has seen additional violence in the region. As washingtonpost.com reported on September 9, “at least 13 people were killed and dozens wounded in two suicide bombings today, the first at a bus stop and hitchhiking post near the entrance to a major military base south of Tel Aviv, followed about six hours later by an explosion at a popular cafe in Jerusalem. The attacks came after the radical Islamic Resistance Movement, known as Hamas, vowed revenge for Israeli assassinations that have killed 14 of its leaders in the past three weeks and narrowly missed its founder, Sheik Ahmed Yassin, on Saturday… Earlier today, in a firefight in Hebron in the West Bank, Israeli troops killed two Hamas members and a 12-year-old bystander, and blew up a seven-story apartment building where the Palestinians were hiding.”

Hamas claimed responsibility for the subsequent suicide bombings. In the rush-hour bombing at the bus stop, eight Israeli soldiers were killed, at least three of them women, and at least 15 were wounded. Seven additional people were killed in the attack at the cafe, and 31 were injured, according to an article by the Associated Press of September 10. “Among the dead at the Hillel Cafe were two U.S. citizens — a doctor who headed to a Jerusalem hospital emergency room and his daughter, who was to have been married Wednesday. Instead of a wedding, a funeral was held for both.”

Associated Press also reported that “Israel bombed the home of a Hamas leader Wednesday, killing his eldest son and a bodyguard in retaliation for [the] two suicide bombings.” The article pointed out that in addition, twenty-five people were wounded, including the Hamas leader, Mahmoud Zahar, his wife and his daughter. The article continued, “Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon… [allegedly] consider[s] far-reaching options, such as forcing Yasser Arafat into exile or ordering a large-scale invasion of the Gaza Strip. The spiral of violence drew calls for retaliation from Israelis and Palestinians alike… Hamas… said it would now begin targeting Israeli homes and high-rises in response to Wednesday’s airstrike on the home of [Zahar].”

In the meantime, the European Union has declared Hamas to be a terrorist organization, according to Der Spiegel Online of September 11. Israel and the United States had for a long time asked the EU to make this determination, but so far, France had resisted doing so. Now, Hamas supporters can be criminally prosecuted, and Hamas’ funds can be frozen.

The Biblical gospel message of peace also includes the fact that war only breeds more war. The events in the Middle East confirm this timeless truth. Christ told us very clearly in Matthew 26:52, “Put your sword in its place, for ALL who take the sword will PERISH BY the sword.” Man does not believe this. Man does not accept this. Man has chosen instead the way of war and violence. We read that “their feet are swift to shed blood; Destruction and misery are in their ways; And the way of peace they have not known” (Romans 3:15-17). When Jesus thought of Jerusalem’s coming destruction, He wept. He knew what would happen, because man would not believe Him and His words, choosing war rather than peace. He said, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes” (Luke 19:42).

This is WHY we don’t have peace in the Middle East. This is WHY we hear of wars and rumors of wars, of assassinations and suicide bombings, of “retaliations,” death and destruction. In Matthew 23:37-38, Christ said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate.”

Total desolation will come upon that part of the world. Soon, there will be “the abomination of desolation” standing in the holy place (Matthew 24:15). People will look for peace, but won’t find it. War can only heal “the hurt of My people slightly,” while “counselors of war” are assuring them that war will bring peace, “when there is no peace” (Jeremiah 6:14). Until man has learned that war does not produce peace, man will have war. The prophet Isaiah tells us, “Surely their valiant ones shall cry outside, The ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly. The highways lie waste, The traveling man ceases. He has broken the covenant, He has despised the cities, He regards no man. The earth mourns and languishes, Lebanon is shamed and shriveled; Sharon is like a wilderness, And Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits” (Isaiah 33:7-9).

The road map to peace won’t lead to peace, as long as man is unwilling to live in peace with his neighbor.

SWEDEN, THE EURO AND MURDER

According to the latest polls, as published by Die Welt on August 29 and Spiegel Online on September 11, the percentage of Swedes who intend to vote “Yes” to the euro on 14th September is between 32% and 37%, as against between 47% and 50% who intend to vote “No.” The Swedish daily, Dagens Nyheter, has calculated that the “Yes” camp would have to convert 25,000 Swedes a day for it now to win. The “Yes” camp has been severely damaged by infighting within the government, which contains opponents of the euro. For instance, the Finance Minister has attacked the Trade Minister for using “unfactual” arguments in favor of the single currency. The Environment Minister has similarly been accused of spreading “false information.” Even the prime minister himself felt moved to attack his own culture minister. He said that she did not know what she was talking about when she said that the EU was evolving into a superstate to which it was a risk to attach oneself. A split within the Social Democratic Party is now being openly talked about.

The world was shocked when it learned that extremely popular Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh (46) died Thursday from multiple stab wounds, after she was knifed in an upscale department store Wednesday by an unknown assailant. Lindh was a leading campaigner for replacing the Swedish krona with the euro — an issue that had inspired vehement opposition, as USA Today reported on September 11. Lindh was the second Swedish politician to be murdered in the Scandinavian country in 17 years. Prime Minister Olaf Palme was killed in 1986. His murderer has never been found. In spite of Lindh’s murder, the vote on the euro will go forward on September 14.

EU AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

euobserver.com reported on September 4 that “the former head of the French government and president of the European Parliament, Robert Schuman, is on the path to beatification.” The article continued, “The French Minister of Foreign Affairs Robert Schuman put forward a proposal for establishing the European Coal and Steel Community, which led to the subsequent institutionalization of European integration. The Schuman plan unveiled on 9 May 1950 is regarded as a milestone in European integration and celebrated as ‘Europe Day.'”

In related news, the pope made another appeal to continental Europe not to forget its Christian past. As Zenit reported on September 9, the pope wrote, “The Christian roots are not a memory of religious exclusiveness, but a foundation of freedom because they make Europe a melting pot of different cultures and experiences… From these ancient roots, the European peoples have obtained the impulse that drove them to touch the limits of the earth and to reach the depth of man, of his intangible dignity, of the fundamental equality of all, of the universal right to justice and peace.” He wrote that the city of Aachen in Germany “speaks clearly of the ancient tradition of Europe: It speaks of its ancient roots, beginning with the Christian, which harmonized and also consolidated the rest.” The pope also wrote, “Europe will be that much stronger for the present and future of the world the more it drinks from the sources of its religious and cultural traditions.”

It is perhaps interesting to note that the city of Aachen was mentioned in the context. It was of course in Aachen were Charlemagne was crowned, in A.D. 800, as the first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. It is also a well-know historical fact that Charlemagne brutally killed and massacred thousands of Saxons who refused to become baptized into the Catholic faith.

GERMANY AND ITALY

Der Spiegel Online reported on August 23 that Germany and Italy support a speedy course of action to adopt the European Constitution by the end of the year. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder assured the Italian government that he will do everything to guarantee the success of Italy’s presidency of the European Parliament. He said that he would welcome it if the European Constitution would be signed in Rome.

EUROPE AND THE U.S.

euobserver.com reported on September 5 that “Europeans have grown more critical of US global leadership, while American support for a strong European partner has increased over the last year… Overall, only 45% of Europeans… see strong U.S. leadership as desirable… While majorities in France (70%), Germany (50%) and Italy (50%) believe global US leadership is ‘undesirable,’ the contrary feeling is found amongst the British, the Dutch, and the Poles… 71% of Europeans want to see the European Union become a superpower like the United States in order for the EU to cooperate better, rather than to compete, with the US… Americans were more likely than Europeans to support the use of military force to rid countries of weapons of mass destruction and to bypass the United Nations if vital national interests are at stake.”

Stern Online reported on September 10 that the relationship between the United States and Germany must be newly defined, according to German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer. He stated that the United States is absolutely necessary for global peace and stability. “The worst that could happen to us would be if the United States were to withdraw from world affairs,” he said. He added that both countries must “come together again.” He also mentioned that the American policy in Iraq has failed, and that therefore, the United Nations must play the central role in Iraq. He confirmed that Germany has no plans to send troops to Iraq.

EUROPE TO THE RESCUE?

Time Europe Magazine reported on September 8 that “62% of French citizens surveyed would support their troops being sent to Iraq; 44% of Germans questioned would support a deployment of German soldiers. Nothing of the kind will happen, though, without delicate negotiations to calibrate a level of American control acceptable to Paris and Berlin.” Der Spiegel Online and ABC News reported on September 10 that “France, Germany and Russia are urging a speedy transfer of power from the U.S.-led coalition to an interim Iraqi administration.” Proposed amendments to a U.S. draft resolution demand more power for Iraqis and the United Nations in running the country. The Russian amendment does not go as far as the French-German amendments “in demanding the immediate handover of authority to the Iraqis… under the auspices of the U.N.” The U.S. “also wants the resolution to spur financial contributions for Iraq’s reconstruction. President Bush said Sunday he will ask Congress for $87 BILLION primarily for Iraq, but also for Afghanistan.”

USA Today reported on Thursday that at the United Nations, the United States “dismissed a proposal by France and Germany that would give the U.N. expanded authority over reconstruction of Iraq.”

Washingtonpost.com reported on September 10 that “Germany and the United States asked NATO on Wednesday to consider expanding the mandate of the alliance’s Afghan peacekeeping force beyond Kabul to protect reconstruction teams outside the capital.” The article continued, “Western nations have been reluctant to do that, but in recent days, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder have backed an expanded role.”

AMERICANS QUESTION WAR IN IRAQ

ABC News reported on September 8 that “Americans express a growing suspicion that the war in Iraq will boost rather than ease the long-term risk of terrorism against the United States, a concern that directly challenges President Bush’s rationale for invading. This finding of a new ABC NEWS poll follows continued attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and on civilians elsewhere in the world, and marks a sharp turn in public attitudes.” The article pointed out that 58 percent of Americans thought a week after the fall of Baghdad, that the war would reduce the long-term risk of terrorism. Today only 40 percent believe that, while 48 percent think that the war has raised the risk. “At the same time, the number of Americans who say the war was worth fighting has slipped to 54 percent — a new low, down from the 61 percent in mid-August and a high of 70 percent as the main fighting wound down.” The article also pointed out that “a new high, 57 percent, term the level of U.S. casualties ‘unacceptable,’ compared with 38 percent — fewer than four in ten for the first time — who say it’s acceptable.”

U.S. vs. IRAN

Washingtonpost.com reported on September 10 that “the Bush administration accused Iran today of violating the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty but said the Iranian government had a ‘last chance’ to prove it wasn’t running a covert weapons program.” The article quoted Kenneth Brill, the U.S. ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, as saying, “‘The United States believes the facts already established would fully justify an immediate finding of noncompliance by Iran.’ Still, he said, U.S. officials were ready to give ‘Iran a last chance to drop its evasions’ before pushing FOR PUNITIVE ACTION.” This language is reminiscent of the vocabulary used prior to U.S. invasion in Iraq.

U.S. vs. NORTH KOREA

USA Today reported on September 3 that “North Korea’s parliament on Wednesday approved the communist government’s decision to increase its ‘nuclear deterrent force’ in angry reaction to what it calls a hostile U.S. policy.” The article pointed out that “North Korea’s envoy… last week warned that the reclusive state might test a nuclear device to prove itself a nuclear power.”

IGNORED WAR IN NORTHEASTERN CONGO?

As USA Today reported on September 10, “the fighting in northeastern Congo has created ‘the worst humanitarian crisis on the planet, and the worst documented war in the history of Africa,’ [Jessica] Lange told the Associated Press. “The actress spent a week in the volatile area last month as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Children’s Fund.” The French-led international force handed over the task to U.N. peacekeepers in the town of Bunia in Ituri province. French troops arrived in June after 500 people were killed in weeks of fighting. While foreign troops have withdrawn, “fighting continues in the northeast,” according to the article.

A: Our Question and Answer section in Update #100 (July 4, 2003), explained the facts pertaining to the ancient and modern origins of Mother’s Day. We emphasized that it is a Christian’s personal decision to determine whether the evidence presented was “sufficient or not to establish a direct and immediate connection between pagan origins, Catholic Church influence, and our modern custom of celebrating Mother’s Day — especially in the United States, Canada and continental Europe.”

The same will have to be said regarding the observance of Father’s Day. One source (“About,Inc.”) describes the modern origin of Father’s Day in this way: “The modern origin of Father’s Day in the United States is not clear. Some say that it began with a church service in West Virginia in 1908. Others say the first Father’s Day ceremony was held in Vancouver, Washington. The president of the Chicago branch of the Lion’s Club, Harry Meek, is said to have celebrated the first Father’s Day with his organization in 1915; and the day that they chose was the third Sunday in June, the closest date to Meek’s own birthday! Regardless of when the first true Father’s Day occurred, the strongest promoter of the holiday was Mrs. Bruce John Dodd of Spokane, Washington. Mrs. Dodd felt that she had an outstanding father [Mr. Smart]. He was a veteran of the Civil War. His wife had died young, and he had raised six children without their mother. In 1909, Mrs. Dodd approached her own minister and others in Spokane about having a church service dedicated to fathers on June 5, her father’s birthday. That date was too soon for her minister to prepare the service, so he spoke a few weeks later on June 19th. From then on, the state of Washington celebrated the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day… States and organizations began lobbying Congress to declare an annual Father’s Day. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson approved the idea, but it was not until 1924 when President Calvin Coolidge made it a national event…” The holiday was made official in 1972 by President Richard Nixon (see below).

The Daily Beacon, Volume 90, Number 5 (June 14, 2002), elaborated: “In 1909, as Smart [i.e., Mrs. Bruce John Dodd, daughter of Mr. Smart] was listening to a sermon celebrating Mother’s Day, she thought of her father… Smart wanted a day to honor fathers with special religious services, special meals, small gifts and flowers. After sharing her idea with local religious leaders…, a resolution was passed to observe a Father’s Day.” Biography.com concurs, “… The inspiration behind the celebration of a Father’s Day is owed at least partly to its slightly earlier counterpart, Mother’s Day.” The article also points out that Smart had the idea of setting aside a Father’s Day, when hearing a sermon on the “merits of setting aside a day to honor one’s mother.” (Compare, too, PageWise, Inc., 2002, “History of Father’s Day”).

“Hallmark Press Room” explains, under “Father’s Day 2003”: “Father’s Day is always the third Sunday in June… Father’s Day is the fourth-largest card-sending occasion with nearly 90 million Father’s Day cards expected to be given this year in the United States… Smart’s daughter [Mrs. Bruce John Dodd] got the idea for Father’s Day in 1909 while listening to a Mother’s Day sermon at church. She encouraged local churches to institute a Father’s Day observance the following year on one Sunday in June, the month of her father’s birth… The holiday was made official in 1972 when President Richard Nixon signed a presidential resolution that declared Father’s Day as the third Sunday in June.”

Apart from its obvious connection with Mother’s Day and its religious church background, is there any evidence that Father’s Day is of pagan and/or Catholic origin?

The Laboratorium writes under “Happy Father’s Day”: “Father’s Day was originally a pagan holiday, the Great Sky-Father’s Day. Part of the week of celebrations leading up to the summer solstice, the day was given over to celebrating the Sky-Father’s providing for his human children with rich gifts of sun and rain. Gifts of sacrificial goats and sheep (recognizable by the festive ribbons bound about their necks) were supplemented with prayers for his continued guidance in the human journey towards spiritual adulthood. The precise transition to the Father’s Day we know today is lost in the mists of time, but it seems that several generations of CHRISTIAN PRIESTS gradually ATTEMPTED TO NEUTRALIZE THE PAGAN RITUALS by focusing on the literal steps of the ceremonies, rather than their spiritual meanings. The passing of celebratory garlands from sons to fathers was retained, and reemphasized as the central act of the great Sky-Father’s celebration, rather than the sacrifices and prayers. As part of this reinterpretation, the practice of tying ribbons was moved from the animals to the fathers, and appears to be recognizably the origin of the custom of giving ties on Father’s Day.
(www.laboratorium.net/HappyFather’sDay.html)

The connection with pagan and/or Catholic origins becomes even clearer, when considering modern Father’s Day celebrations and customs in certain European countries. In Palermo, Italy, Father’s Day is celebrated on March 19 in order to honor “Holy Joseph.” On that day, old furniture, tables and other items are burned. As “Bank4Fun” explains, “this custom is derived from the Worship of the Sun, which has an historical origin in Palermo.” In Austria, Father’s Day, which is celebrated in June, is a Christian CHURCH holiday. In Germany, “Father’s Day” is celebrated, since 1936, on the same day as “Ascension Day.” This CATHOLIC holiday, also known as “the Day of the Lord,” is always kept on a Thursday — 40 days or on the 5th Sunday after Easter — to celebrate Christ’s ascension. On this day, men visit restaurants, consuming a lot of alcohol, while it is unfashionable to travel with a woman on that day. “Glaube Aktuell” and Professor Gottfried Rehm, Fulda, explain that these restaurant visits, as well as Catholic processions on that day, have their origins in Germanic customs, when men drank alcohol and asked their gods to bless the harvest for the year. Others, such as Dr. theol. Manfred Becker-Huberti, point out that the Father’s Day celebrations might be derived from honoring Pope Leo III (795-816).

Studying these facts in conjunction with our article on “Mother’s Day,” we must again emphasize that it is the personal decision of each Christian whether or not to keep those days. His decision must be based on personal faith and conviction, knowing that whatever is not from faith is sin (Romans 14:23).

We have placed another Standing Watch program on our Website, titled, “Why did Israel Fight?”

Our new booklet on “Angels, Demons, and the Spirit World” has nearly completed the second review cycle. We hope to be able to give all Feast-goers a copy of this new booklet at our Feast sites in California and in Great Britain.

The Global Church of God in the UK has recently advertised two booklets, “God’s Commanded Holy Days” and “Don’t Keep Christmas,” and to date have received 677 responses with more expected in the next few weeks. The advertisement was placed in “The Consumer Centre” booklet, which is distributed throughout the UK. Previously “the Information Centre” booklet has been used, but it was thought the new medium might be distributed to a new or different audience. The text of the recent ad reads: “Which days did God command us to keep? What does the Bible, which is the Christian’s manual, have to say on this subject? This eye-opening booklet entitled “God’s Commanded Holy Days” is available free to all who are open minded. In addition, those who apply early will also be sent a copy of the origins and background of Christmas.”

Edwin Pope will give the sermon this Sabbath, September 6, 2003. The title of the sermon is, “Four Great Enemies of Faith.”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at the appropriate time, just click on “Connect to Live Stream.”
 

It is always an extremely joyous occasion when someone decides to surrender fully to God and His Way of Life, and to become baptized as an outward sign of inner repentance and faith in Christ’s sacrifice. Even the angels of God shout for joy when a sinner comes to repentance. Once baptized, the gift of the Holy Spirit is bestowed on the newly-baptized person.

Why is it so important that we receive God’s Holy Spirit, and that it continues to dwell in us? Primarily, because without it, we are not even Christians (Romans 8:9, 14). Secondly, we will only be changed to immortality if God’s Spirit dwells in us (Romans 8:11).

Still, there is more, and rightly understood, it is the most fundamental reason why we must have God’s Holy Spirit. We might try to explain this reason by pointing out how God dealt with ancient Israel.

Surprising as it may be to some, God never offered ancient Israel the gift of His Holy Spirit. He never offered them spiritual salvation. Note this quote from our booklet, “And Lawlessness Will Abound…”, page 29:

“God made a covenant with the nation of Israel at the time when He brought them out of slavery to fulfill His unconditional promise that He had made, through a covenant or agreement, to Abraham, later to Isaac, and then to Jacob. But, as we will see, God expected… the nation to obey Him — at least in a general way. Since God never offered them the gift of the Holy Spirit, He knew that they could not obey Him in the same way we can today. Still, God expected obedience to an extent. In fact, when they refused to do so, He expelled them from their land.”

Total obedience — and the lack thereof — is inseparably connected with the gift of the Holy Spirit. Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong explains this fact very forcefully in his book, “Mystery of the Ages,” on pages 169 and 175:

“He [God] was going to prove to the world that without [His] Holy Spirit their [ancient Israel’s] minds were incapable of receiving and utilizing such [spiritual] knowledge of the true ways of life. He was going to demonstrate to them that the mind of man, with its own spirit, and without the addition of God’s Holy Spirit, could not have spiritual discernment — could not solve human problems, could not cure the evils that were besetting humanity… The problems and evils are of a spiritual nature. And a carnal mind without God’s Spirit cannot come to grips with spiritual problems… The Holy Spirit meant more than spiritual knowledge of good. Not the hearers of the law (good) but the doers of the law (good) are justified (Rom. 2:43). Love is the fulfilling of the law, but not human love. It requires the ‘love of God… shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy [Spirit]’ (Rom. 5:5).”

Only with God’s Holy Spirit in us CAN we keep God’s Law. Only if we keep God’s Law, can we become born-again members of the Family of God. THAT is WHY the receipt and the utilization of the Holy Spirit is so important.

Ancient Israel was never offered the gift of the Holy Spirit. God does offer it today to you and me! To quote again from pages 48-49 of our booklet, “And Lawlessness Will Abound…”: “First of all, before the New Covenant came, there was no forgiveness of sins — animal sacrifices do not forgive sins (Hebrews 10:4, 11). Also, there was no promise for receiving the Holy Spirit, which alone gives us the strength and power to conquer sin, and to obey and keep God’s law. The Israelites had the law written on tablets of stone (2 Corinthians 3:2-3). These tablets of stone never became part of their being — they never entered their hearts. As the tablets were of stone, so were their hearts. That is the reason why God, in a New Covenant, replaces our stony hearts with hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 11:19).”

God gives you and me the opportunity to receive and to utilize His Spirit — an opportunity that He has withheld so far from the vast majority of mankind, including ancient Israel and Judah. How thankful are we for this tremendous and uniquely priceless gift? How deeply do we understand that we MUST have God’s Spirit WITHIN us to live a life pleasing to God — that we are only entitled to be called Christians and God’s children, if the Spirit of God the Father and of Jesus Christ dwells in us? It is ONLY by the Holy Spirit in us that we can LIVE, by putting to death the evil deeds of the body (Romans 8:13).

Our new booklet, “Baptism — a Requirement for Salvation,” which is fresh off the press, explains in detail how you can receive God’s Holy Spirit. Please order a free copy, unless you are already on our regular mailing list. This new booklet will show you, as you have probably never heard it explained before, WHY you NEED God’s Holy Spirit. You just cannot afford to be without this precious and priceless knowledge.
 

THE “JESUS BOX” — FACT OR FAKE?

As we had reported earlier in our Updates, “after nearly 2,000 years, historical evidence for the existence of Jesus has come to light literally written in stone,” according to an article of Biblical Archaeology Review, published in November 2002. The article continued, “An inscription has been found on an ancient bone box, called an ossuary, that reads, ‘James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus.’… The new find is also significant in that it corroborates the existence of Joseph, Jesus’ father, and James, Jesus’ brother and a leader of the early Christian church in Jerusalem… The container is one of very few ancient artifacts mentioning New Testament figures. One such object is the ossuary of Caiaphas, the high priest who turned Jesus over to the Romans, according to the Biblical account. Caiaphas’s tomb was uncovered in 1990. Also, some 40 years ago, archeologists discovered an inscription on a monument that mentions Pontius Pilate.” The article pointed out, too, that “Laboratory tests performed by the Geological Survey of Israel confirm that the box’s limestone comes from the Jerusalem area [and that]… it shows no trace of modern elements.”

On July 4, 2003, “The Hindu,” reported that “tests on a 2,000-year-old stone support claims that it once held the bones of St. James, said to have been the brother of Jesus and an important early Christian leader, scientists have concluded. The results of the experiments, which are disclosed in a television documentary, back the suggestion that the ‘bone box,’ or ossuary, may be the oldest archeological link with Christ. Last year, the tomb ossuary, inscribed with the words, ‘James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus,’ came to light in Israel… Since then, the box has been subjected to tests which are consistent with it coming from the right place and the right time, said Ed Keall, a curator at the Royal Ontario Museum, Canada.” The article continued, “A team at the Geological Survey of Israel extracted the patina, a cream-coloured film adhering to the stone, and found it matched that inside one of the letters after a study with electron microscopy, as would be expected with the genuine item. The Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto subjected the inscription to a tougher test, using long-wave ultraviolet light, which should highlight attempts to fake it. Again, it looked genuine, said Dr. Keall.”

However, on or about June 18, 2003, it was reported that Israel’s Antiquities Authority had concluded that the artifact was a fake. They had confiscated the artifact during a two-day display in Israel. CNN.com, New Scientist.com, and BBC News quoted the panel as stating that “while the box may date from the correct era, the inscription is a forgery added at a much later date. ‘The inscription appears new, written in modernity by someone attempting to reproduce ancient written characters,’ the official said in the statement.”

Scholars and scientists have heavily disputed the “findings” of the Israel’s Antiquities Authority. The Biblical Archaeology Society pointed out, “A committee appointed by the Israel’s Antiquities Authority (IAA) has declared the inscription on an ancient bone box that refers to ‘James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus’ to be a modern forgery. Case closed? Far from it — this is only the last chapter in a fascinating story. Two other groups of specialists — from the Geological Survey of Israel and the Royal Ontario Museum, in Toronto — also studied the bone box and concluded the inscription was ancient. And some of the world’s leading paleographers — specialists in ancient scripts — have dated the inscription’s style of writing to the first century A.D. Who is right? We still await a scientific report from the IAA [So far, only a two-page summary has been released, but not a full report].”

ChristianityToday.com stated on July 20, 2003, that “Witherington, a professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky, is not convinced [that the artifact is a forgery]…. ‘The commission report is incomplete, and possibly inaccurate,’ he told Christianity Today. ‘They did not take into account all of the detailed and meticulous work that the Royal Ontario Museum did after the museum exhibit closed in January,’ Witherington maintains, ‘For example, under an electron microscope they found surface marks, which are deeply cut scratches that go through the box and through the letters. And these are ancient.'”

The United Methodist News Service stated on June 19, that according to Witherington, “what you have here is a case of dueling scholars.” He also pointed out that “The Israeli Geological Survey found conclusively that the ossuary stone and the dirt found in the ossuary both came from the Silwan area of Jerusalem. How did dirt from Silwan get encrusted in a box that Israel’s Antiquities Authority claims is from Cyprus or northern Syria?… No paleographer or Aramaic specialist in the world has suggested that a modern forger tried to imitate an older Aramaic style prior to the report by Israel’s Antiquities Authority.”

Crosswalk.com quoted Hershel Shanks of the Biblical Archaeological Review in Washington, stating that there “may be disagreement among the scientists. ‘There may be some archaeological politics involved.'”

Subsequently, the owner of the artifact, Israeli antiquities dealer Oded Golan, was arrested on the suspicion of forgery, but soon released on bail. The Jerusalem Post and Southern Cross Online from Sydney, Australia, reported on July 24 and 29, that Canadian Jewish filmmaker Simcha Jacobovici, who had made a documentary on the subject, “stands by the authenticity of the ossuary inscription. She pointed to the belief of noted paleographer Andre Lemaire of Paris’s Sorbonne, an expert in the study of ancient inscriptions, that the inscription was authentic. ‘Normally the opinion of Andre Lemaire of the Sorbonne, the world expert on Aramaic inscriptions, who first declared the inscription as real, would be enough,’ she told reporters in Jerusalem this week. ‘As far as I’m concerned, the Antiquities Authority [of Israel] is conducting a disinformation campaign against the ossuary because it believes that antiquities should be found in their archaeological settings.’ Dr. Gabi Barkai of Bar-Illan University in Tel Aviv, who also believes the inscription on the ossuary is genuine, expressed similar views…. ‘The ossuary itself is genuine. The only question is whether the inscription was added later, and the shape of the letters suggests it was not.'”

Whether the truth of the artifact will ever be “scientifically” proven may be doubtful. Too many interest groups with different goals and agendas are involved. This might include those who want to deny the existence of Christ (see our O&A in this Update), or who claim that Christ had no brothers. Also, as has been suggested, motives of personal hurt or rejection might play a role.

Maybe that’s the way it’s supposed to be: Those who don’t want to believe in God, Jesus Christ, and the Bible, may be “permitted” for a while to find “excuses” as to why they don’t have to, while believers will be strengthened by archeological findings supporting the accuracy of their belief. As we read in Daniel 12:10, “Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.”

Let’s also note Christ’s pronouncement, through the voice of an angel, in Revelation 22:10-12: “And he said to me, ‘Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.'”

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND EUROPE

As Zenit reported on August 31, 2003, the pope “placed Europe in Mary’s hands, so that it will ‘become a symphony of nations committed to building together the civilization of love and peace.’ Last Sunday, the [pope] urged that the final draft of the European Constitution should recognize explicitly the Christian roots of the continent, as they constitute a ‘guarantee of a future.'”

The Spectator in the United Kingdom commented on August 30 on the pope’s “recent demand that ‘God’ be featured in the emerging European constitution,” stating that it had been “echoed by many leading Catholic politicians and bishops. While on the surface such a reference may offend only Europe’s atheist and humanist contingent, it must be observed that when the Vatican refers to God, she sees herself as God’s
infallible vice-regent upon earth, the leading organ of divine expression; indeed, according to its publication Dominus Iesus (5 September 2000), as the only mediator in the salvation of God’s elect, insisting that all other Churches, including the Church of England, ‘are not Churches in the proper sense.'” The article continued, “The Roman Church is founded on a political dogma claiming that the Pope is ‘supreme ruler of the world’; superior to all kings, prime ministers and presidents. These spiritual and temporal claims remain very much fundamental dogmas of Catholic teaching, permitting the Pope, through Cardinal Ratzinger, the Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, to issue clear directives to Catholic politicians on how they should vote. Since their obedience is considered a ‘moral duty’, devolve everything [sic] to the overwhelmingly Catholic European Council of Ministers, Commission and Parliament, and the ultimate Caesar is the Pope.”

The article continued to point out: “There is much debate about whether the EU is a democracy, a theocracy, an oligarchy or a collective dictatorship, but at root it is none of these. It is an amphictyony – a confederation of states established around a religious centre. A Catholic EU will inevitably result in the subjugation of Britain’s Protestant ethos to Roman Catholic social, political and religious teachings. The Queen’s coronation oath ‘to govern the peoples of the United Kingdom according to their laws and customs’ and ‘to maintain the Protestant Reformed religion established by law’ is negated by the process of deeper European integration. It is almost a symbolic confirmation of the Queen’s vassal status that a 20p coin of Gibraltar bears an engraving of Mary crowned ‘Our Lady of Europa’ – the suzerain spiritual authority…”

COMMON EUROPEAN SECURITY

As Stern Online reported on August 29, Germany’s Foreign Minister, Joschka Fischer, said in an interview that the German government will accelerate the European Foreign and Defense Policy, with or without Great Britain’s participation. He rejected Great Britain’s concerns against the draft of the European Constitution, stating that Great Britain’s position would create a “rebirth of a debate of central European issues.”

TERROR ATTACKS IN THE UK

“Britain faces a threat from suicide bombers, with a terror attack almost inevitable, Britain’s top police officer [Sir John Stevens] says,” according to MSNBC News. The article continued, “Stevens also said al-Qaida was recruiting in Britain and that a real threat existed of chemical and biological attacks. ‘We are at the highest level of alert, I think, that we have ever been,’ he said.”

EARTHQUAKES & ASTEROIDS

New Zealand and Samoa have experienced strong earthquake actvitiies during the last two weeks, fortunately causing no injuries or casualties. “A powerful earthquake struck the remote southern coast of New Zealnd on Friday… The magnitude 7.1 quake, about 12.5 miles deep… was felt across southern New Zealand… The quake shook parts of Sydney, Australia, 1,330 miles away… Hundreds of aftershocks occured in the first six hours after the temblor, including one with a magnitude of 6.2” (Associated Press, August 21). On September 2, 2003, Associated Press reported, “A strong earthquake shook the small South Pacific nation of Samoa early Wednesday… The magnitude 6.2 quake struck… 2000 miles northeast of Wellington, New Zealand.”

CNN reported on September 2 that “a giant asteroid is heading for Earth… It’s potential strike date is March 21, 2014… On impact, it could have the effect of 20 million Hiroshima atomic bombs.” Scientists tried to calm our nerves by assuring us that the “chances of a catastrophic collision are just one in 909,000.” Still, as one commentator pointed out, it’s a bigger chance than hitting the jackpot in the lottery.
 

A: Very few educated people doubt the existence of Christ. There are more than 1,000 works of literature written very early in Church history affirming the existence of Christ. Much of it was written by pagans or Jews.

H.G. Wells wrote in “Outline of History”: “…one is obliged to say, ‘Here was a man. This part of the tale could not have been invented.'” Will Durant, professor of philosophy and a non-Christian, wrote extensively about Christ’s existence and His effect on society in “The Story of Our Civilization.” The Encyclopedia Britannica refers to Christ more than 20,000 times; more than Socrates, Aristotle, Buddha, Napoleon, Confucius, Mohammed, or Shakespeare. It says on one occasion, “These independent accounts prove that in ancient times even the opponents of Christianity never doubted the historicity of Jesus, which was disputed for the first time and on inadequate grounds by the end of the 18th, during the 19th, and at the beginning of the 20th centuries.”

John Singleton Copley, also known as Lord Lyndhurst, one of the greatest legal minds in British history, commented once in this way on the existence of Christ, His death, and His resurrection: “I know pretty well what evidence is: and I tell you, such evidence as that for the resurrection has never broken down yet.” Also, Lord Chief Justice of England, Lord Darling, once said that “no intelligent jury in the world could fail to bring in a verdict that the resurrection story is true.”

From the many non-Biblical sources attesting to the historicity of Jesus Christ, the following is just a brief synopsis:

The Huleatt fragments were written in AD 50 and contain the quote from Matthew 26:7-15, referring to Christ’s anointment with oil. Tatian the Syrian wrote in AD 170 that “God was born in the form of a man” (Address to the Greeks 21). Melito of Sardis wrote in AD 177 about the baptism of Christ and His miracles (Fragment in Anastasius of Sinai’s The Guide 13). Thallus, a Samaritan historian, wrote in AD 52 about the darkness that occurred at the crucifixion of Christ. Mara Bar-Serapion wrote in AD 73 to his son about the death of Socrates, Pythagoras and Jesus. Cornelius Tacitus wrote in AD 112 or AD 115 in his Annal (15.14) that “Christus, the founder of the name, was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberias.” Lucian of Samostasa (AD 115 -200) wrote about Christ as “the man who was crucified in Palestine because he introduced this new cult into the world.” Phlegon wrote in his “Chronicles,” in AD 140, about the ability of Jesus to foresee future events.

In addition, Christian authors such as Clement of Rome [AD 30-101], Ignatius [martyred in AD 117], the epistle of Barnabas [written between AD 70 and 135], and Justyn Martyr [AD 100 – 165] wrote about Christ and His followers.

The Jewish Talmud contains several references to Jesus Christ. It states on one occasion, “On the eve of the Passover Yeshu was hanged” (The Babylonian Talmud, vol. iii, Sanhedrin 43a, p. 281). Another quote states, “Our rabbis taught: Yeshu had five disciples — Mattai [i.e. Matthew], Nakkai, Netzer, Buni and Yodah” (from Sanhedrin 43a). Other sources talk about Christians who were following Christ (compare, Aristides, Apology 16 [AD 140]; Pliny the Younger [AD 112]; and Suetonius [AD 120]).

In addition, the famous Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus, mentions Christ on at least two occasions, in addition to John the Baptist; Herod; James, the brother of Christ; and Ananias, the High Priest. An undisputed reference about “James, brother of Jesus Who was called Christ” can be found in Antiquities of the Jews, Book 20, chapter 9, paragraph 1. A rather lengthy reference to Christ, which can be found in Antiquities of the Jews, Book 18, chapter 3, paragraph 3, has been disputed as not genuine by some “scholars.” This quotation reads:

“About this time appeared Jesus, a wise man (if indeed it is right to call Him man; for He was a worker of astonishing deeds, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with joy), and He drew to Himself many Jews (many also of Greeks. This was the Christ). And when Pilate, at the denunciation of those who are foremost among us, had condemned Him to the cross, those who had first loved Him did not abandon Him (for He appeared to them alive again on the third day, the holy prophets having foretold this and countless others marvel about Him.) The tribe of Christians named after Him did not cease to this day.”

Some “scholars” regard the whole passage as spurious. Others regard the passage as authentic, with some spurious additions. Then, there are scholars who regard the entire passage as completely genuine. The Catholic Encyclopedia points out:

“The main arguments for the genuineness of the Josephan passage are the following: … all codices or manuscripts of Josephus’ work contain the text in question; to maintain the spuriousness of the text, we must suppose that all the copies of Josephus were in the hands of Christians, and were changed in the same way… Eusebius…, Sozomen…, Isidore of Pelusium…, St. Jerome…, Ambrose, Cassiodorus, etc., appeal to the testimony of Josephus; there must have been no doubt as to its authenticity at the time of these illustrious writers.”

The Catholic Encyclopedia continues to state about other Jewish writers (sources omitted): “The historical character of Jesus Christ is also attested by the hostile Jewish literature of the subsequent centuries. His birth is ascribed to an illicit…, or even adulterous, union of His parents… The later Jewish writings show traces of acquaintance with the murder of the Holy Innocents…, with the flight into Egypt…, with the stay of Jesus in the Temple at the age of Twelve…, with the call of the disciples… , with His miracles…, ‘Schabbath,’… with His claim to be God…, with His betrayal by Judas and His death… Celsus… tries to throw doubt on the Resurrection, while Toldoth… repeats the Jewish fiction that the body of Jesus had been stolen from the sepulcher.”

The evidence of Jesus’ existence becomes of course indisputably compelling, when considering the Bible itself. Some scholars of the “Historical Jesus” movement hold that the Gospels were fabricated or seriously distorted as the stories of Jesus evolved into the late 1st or early 2nd century. However, this theory is not supported by the evidence. Time and again the New Testament writers claim to be eyewitnesses to the facts. As one source explains:

“For instance, we know from sources outside the Bible that the Apostle Paul died during Nero’s persecution in 64 A.D. We also know that Paul was still alive at the close of Acts, so Acts must have been written sometime before 64 A.D. Since Acts was a continuation of Luke’s Gospel, we know that Gospel must have been written even earlier still. Any scholar, including those in the ‘Historical Jesus’ movement, will tell you that the Gospel of Mark predates the Gospel of Luke. This supports the writing of Mark in the 50s A.D., only about two decades after the crucifixion of Jesus. Outside the Gospels, no legitimate scholar will dispute that Paul wrote Romans in the mid-50s. Why is this important? Because Paul declares that Jesus is the resurrected Son of God in the opening lines of that New Testament letter. Galatians is another undisputed letter of Paul written in the mid-50s. Why is this important? Because Paul discusses his interaction with Peter and James, two of Jesus’ primary disciples, at least 14 years earlier in Galatians 1:18 and 2:1. Finally, in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Paul proclaims the earliest record of the Christian creed, in which Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and was raised from the dead three days later. Why is this early creed so important? Because scholars, using the historical records of Paul and his early travels to Damascus and Jerusalem, place the above creed at about 35 A.D., just 3 to 5 years after the death of Jesus Christ.”

Further, Paul’s testimony of Christ’s resurrection and His appearance to His disciples is important, as Paul was referring to over 500 witnesses who saw the resurrected Christ, “of whom the greater part remain to the present” (1 Corinthians 15:6). In other words, Paul was naming witnesses of the events who were still alive when he wrote the letter. Paul was describing these events and naming witnesses, so that people could check up on them. Are we to assume that all of these witnesses had collaborated to lie — including Paul, who had formerly PERSECUTED Christianity?

As the Catholic Encyclopedia states, “The four great Pauline Epistles (Romans, Galatians, and First and Second Corinthians) can hardly be overestimated by the student of Christ’s life; they have at times been called the ‘fifth gospel’; their authenticity has never been assailed by serious critics; … it is the testimony of a highly intellectual and cultured writer, who had been the greatest enemy of Jesus, who writes within twenty-five years of the events which he relates.”

In conclusion, considering the overwhelming and undisputed evidence, it is nothing less than willful and deliberate ignorance that would bring one to believe that Jesus Christ never existed.

We have placed another StandingWatch program on our Website, titled, “What’s Wrong with the Legal System?” A new program will be recorded on Friday.

Our current member letter, which you can find at: http://www.eternalgod.org/lit/letters/brethren-20030905.pdf will be sent out this Monday, together with a hard copy of our new booklet, “Baptism – a Requirement for Salvation.”