Update 283

On March 3, 2007, Norbert Link will give the second part of his sermon series on “The Church of God–A Great Mystery.”

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 wouldn’t love to win the Lottery? If you asked the average person, the answer would be a resounding YES! It has become a national pastime buying weekly tickets, especially a few times of the year when the grand prize reaches amounts that garner national attention.

Most of the winners begin with great aspirations when they win a prize of that sort, becoming instant multi-millionaires. But looking at the lives of many of those people today, years after they were awarded that grand prize, we frequently see ruined lives: stories of divorces, family members suing one another, and suicides are not uncommon. Even with the greatest of expectations, lack of financial maturity and planning lead many away from what they thought was a dream come true.

Among the billions of people on earth today, we have been given a precious spiritual gift. The gift of God’s Spirit is rare and priceless, and one that can and does change our lives for the better. But without proper spiritual guidance and planning, God’s Spirit within us can disappear from our grasp. And squandering His Spirit can lead to a much greater ruin than squandering money, much worse than those whose lives were shattered from lost fortunes.

We are told in Proverbs 11:14: “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” Foremost, God’s Word should give us daily counsel. The Ministry and our brethren, secondly, can help to guide our paths.

With these counselors the “dream come true” that has been given to us can become a reality.  But we can’t cash the check just yet!

In Revelation 3:18, 21, we read: “I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see… To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”

Unlike the winners of the Lottery, our gift is despised by the world. Christ was slandered and killed because of His uncompromising willingness to be led by God’s Spirit within Him, and likewise, we will be slandered and hated as well. But we must continue to overcome, continue to strive for that “payout” that is awaiting us. And we will only achieve it if we allow God’s righteous counsel to open our eyes, guiding us away from that which harms and towards our cherished reward.

Jesus’ Burial Cave Found? — Utter Nonsense!

The Associated Press reported on February 26:

“Archaeologists and clergymen in the Holy Land derided claims in a new documentary produced by James Cameron that contradict major Christian tenets, but the Oscar-winning director said the evidence was based on sound statistics. ‘The Lost Tomb of Christ,’ which the Discovery Channel will run on March 4, argues that 10 ancient ossuaries–small caskets used to store bones–discovered in a suburb of Jerusalem in 1980 may have contained the bones of Jesus and his family, according to a press release issued by the Discovery Channel. One of the caskets even bears the title, ‘Judah, son of Jesus,’ hinting that Jesus may have had a son, according to the documentary. And the very fact that Jesus had an ossuary would contradict the Christian belief that he was resurrected and ascended to heaven…

“Stephen Pfann, a biblical scholar at the University of the Holy Land in Jerusalem who was interviewed in the documentary, said the film’s hypothesis holds little weight. ‘I don’t think that Christians are going to buy into this,’ Pfann said. ‘But skeptics, in general, would like to see something that pokes holes into the story that so many people hold dear.’… Pfann is even unsure that the name ‘Jesus’ on the caskets was read correctly. He thinks it’s more likely the name ‘Hanun.’ Ancient Semitic script is notoriously difficult to decipher. [Amos Kloner, the first archaeologist to examine the site] said the filmmakers’ assertions are false. ‘It was an ordinary middle-class Jerusalem burial cave,’ Kloner said. ‘The names on the caskets are the most common names found among Jews at the time.'”

The claims of this “documentary” are utter nonsense. As with the infamous Da Vinci Code postulations, this is another Satanic attempt to discredit the Holy Word of God–the Bible–and the very foundation of Christianity. If Christ did not rise from the dead, our faith is futile and we are still in our sins. In that case, we have no hope for life after death through a resurrection.

The issue is quite simple: Either we are willing to believe God and His unshakable promises, or the assertions of human skeptics and ignorant filmmakers willing to make merchandise of people.

Embarrassment for Washington

Deutsche Welle reported on February 21:

“Stuttgarter Zeitung took a tough line on Tony Blair’s announcement he would reduce troops in Iraq. ‘…Blair will hardly be able to improve his image in history books,’ the paper wrote. ‘He said himself that he had wanted to lead Great Britain into the Euro zone, into the heart of Europe, but what he’s ended up doing is turning the United Kingdom into an aircraft carrier for the United States,’ the paper wrote. It also pointed out that British voters will punish Blair’s Labour Party just like American voters did with the Republicans in Congressional elections in November.

“The Obermain-Tagblatt got right to the point: ‘The signal from London couldn’t be more embarrassing for Washington — Tony Blair, the US’ closest ally, disentangles himself from the circle of unity.’ Berlin’s Tagesspiegel pondered the dilemma: ‘…Sir Richard Dannatt, the new, unusually upfront British Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, even believes that the mere presence of his soldiers in Basra triggers more violence than they prevent,’ the paper wrote…The paper said the US’ most loyal allies were following on the heels of the tens of thousands of Iraqis who have fled their country.’

“Braunschweiger Zeitung said withdrawing troops from Iraq is the right thing to do. ‘The West has lost. That should be openly acknowledged,’ the paper opined. ‘The war against Saddam Hussein was based on lies, and the war is ending with lies,’ the paper continued.”

Killing In the Name of God

On February 23, Der Spiegel Online published a provocative article with the title, “Violence in the Name of God.” We do not agree with much of the author’s anti-religious premises, nor his false interpretations of especially the Old and New Testaments. But we do find that the following factual historical observations are worthwhile repeating:

“Religious fanaticism has existed in all ages and all religions. It is the sinister side of faith, and its explanation remains elusive. Such extremism – which is usually unleashed in spasms of violence against dissenters – can even be found in so-called ‘gentle’ faiths like Hinduism and Buddhism. It is most prolific in the three Abrahamic religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam, i.e. the religions that trace their roots to Abraham (or Ibrahim, as he is called by the Muslims). Abraham’s son Isaac is considered the progenitor of the Jews. The Arabs regard his half-brother Ismael (whom Abraham conceived with Hagar, a maidservant, and not his wife Sarah) as their progenitor… Both the Koran and the Bible’s Old and New Testaments bear witness to a good and merciful God. They urge humans to live in peace and harmony. This is reflected most clearly in the instruction attributed to Jesus in the Hebrew Bible: ‘Love thy neighbor as thyself.’…

“Killing in the name of the Lord? Look no further than the Crusades and the Inquisition. Deus lo vult (‘It is God’s will’) was the Crusaders’ battle cry. Popes had called upon Christendom to liberate Jerusalem and the Holy Land from Muslim rule. Beyond the prospect of rich plunder, the Crusaders could expect forgiveness for all their crimes. The Christian armies weren’t content to pillage Palestine during at least six crusades between 1096 and 1291… At home, they butchered Jews who got in their way. All for the glory of their God… When conquering Jerusalem in 1099, the Crusaders embarked on a ruthless rampage on the Temple Mount (Haram al-Sharif). ‘Our men waded in blood up to their ankles,’ one witness reported. All told, an estimated 5 million Muslims, Jews, Christians from the Byzantine Church and Christian invaders died in the Crusades.

“And these unholy campaigns were no exception. For five centuries, various popes joined forces with bishops, emperors, kings and dukes to persecute anyone who deviated from the prescribed methods of worship. >From the 13th century until after the Enlightenment, the Inquisition left a trail of carnage across Europe. At least 1 million are thought to have died at the hands of its tribunals… The bloodletting was particularly horrendous in Spain. The Spanish Inquisition, which started around 1570, claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of conversos, Jews who had converted to Christianity, and Moors. The Spanish conquistadors meted out similar treatment to the ‘heathens’ they encountered in the New World. Millions of indigenous Central and South Americans were slaughtered for refusing to accept the conquerors’ God…

“The Protestants were no better than the Catholics. Just as many women died in Protestant countries as in Catholic areas… Yet the Catholic Church probably incurred its greatest burden of guilt through its treatment of the Jews. Even in early Christendom, anti-Jewish sentiment against the ‘murderers of Christ’ was widespread, and the Church adhered to this course until well into the 20th century… The Holocaust might never have happened, had it not been for this Christian legacy of anti-Semitism…

“A chronicle describing the spread of Islam bears the words: ‘See, I was sent with the sword (by God) to bring debasement and dishonor to those who oppose his word.’ When he died in 632, Mohammed controlled nearly the whole of the Arab peninsula. Twenty years later, the entire Middle East was under Islamic rule. In its early days, Islam was a bellicose religion – and an incredibly progressive one… The decline began with the orgy of violence inflicted by Christian crusaders in Jerusalem in 1099… Islam… degenerated into an alibi for unscrupulous Ottoman dictators… Islamic law only permits holy war under extreme circumstances, for instance when a person needs to defend him- or herself, or when the Islamic world is under attack and its very existence threatened. But the Koran also says: ‘So when the sacred months have passed away, then slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them captives and besiege them and lie in wait for them in every ambush!'”

Animal Behavior May Disprove Evolution Theory

The Associated Press reported on February 23:

“Researchers report witnessing a chimpanzee skewering a tree creature for supper with a spearlike tool, a rare observation of a long-studied primate in the wild. ‘It’s not uncommon to have chimps use tools. But to use them in the context of hunting’ is nearly unheard of, said Jill Pruetz, an anthropology professor from Iowa State University… Pruetz said the chimpanzees stripped leaves from tree branches and modified the tip with their incisors, ‘effectively making a point.’ Then the chimpanzees jabbed the tool into a cavity to snag a bushbaby. Chimpanzees commonly use sticks to get food, such as termites, said Ian Gilby, a postdoctoral fellow who studies chimpanzee hunting at Harvard University.”

If these new findings are confirmed, they would show an interesting piece of truth. Even though certain scientists will use these findings, no doubt, as “proof” for the evolution theory, postulating that man developed from apes, the facts would actually show the opposite: That is, they would establish that certain animals were created to use “tools.” Pre-Adamic “human-like” remains would then show nothing else but animals with certain “advanced” abilities. That would be in total harmony with what the Bible actually teaches, namely that God created the first human beings about 6,000 years ago. This means that alleged human-like findings of an older age were either animals without the human spirit, or the age given to those findings was simply untrue. As the age of many fossils is determined by the unreliable Radio Carbon 14 method, the latter alternative is a distinct possibility.

For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Theory of Evolution–a Fairy Tale for Adults.” If you read German, you might want to read our German booklet, “EVOLUTION–ein MÄRCHEN für Erwachsene,” which is published on our German Website (www.aufpostenstehen.de). This booklet includes additional information and discusses in detail the problems, difficulties and unreliability of “scientific methods,” including the Radio Carbon 14 method, which are used to determine the age of fossils.

Disappearance of Bees Threatens American Economy

The New York Times wrote on February 27:

David Bradshaw has endured countless stings during his life as a beekeeper, but he got the shock of his career when he opened his boxes last month and found half of his 100 million bees missing. In 24 states throughout the country, beekeepers have gone through similar shocks as their bees have been disappearing inexplicably at an alarming rate, threatening not only their livelihoods but also the production of numerous crops, including California almonds, one of the nation’s most profitable…

“The sudden mysterious losses are highlighting the critical link that honeybees play in the long chain that gets fruit and vegetables to supermarkets and dinner tables across the country. Beekeepers have fought regional bee crises before, but this is the first national affliction. Now, in a mystery worthy of Agatha Christie, bees are flying off in search of pollen and nectar and simply never returning to their colonies. And nobody knows why… A Cornell University study has estimated that honeybees annually pollinate more than $14 billion worth of seeds and crops in the United States, mostly fruits, vegetables and nuts. ‘Every third bite we consume in our diet is dependent on a honeybee to pollinate that food,’ said Zac Browning, vice president of the American Beekeeping Federation. The bee losses are ranging from 30 to 60 percent on the West Coast, with some beekeepers on the East Coast and in Texas reporting losses of more than 70 percent; beekeepers consider a loss of up to 20 percent in the offseason to be normal.”

The Growing Exodus Out of the U.S. Dollar

On February 28, swissamerica.com wrote:

“First it was Warren Buffet, then Bill Gates, then George Soros who began shedding dollars. Now China, Japan, Russia, OPEC and even central banks are chiming in, one by one, with plans to diversify out of U.S. dollars. Who can blame them? Here are a few examples of recent headlines and quotes reported at swissamerica.com which will help explain why there’s a growing exodus out of U.S. dollars and into foreign currencies and commodities like gold.

“Peoples Bank of China Governor Zhou Xiaochuan said at a recent Frankfurt conference that China has very clear plans to diversify its currency reserves, which now stand at more than $1 trillion. A wide range of instruments are under consideration, including gold and oil, reports Marketwatch… Hong Kong billionaire Lee Shau Kee says, ‘I am a bear on the U.S. dollar. The U.S. has a mountain of debt. I don’t believe in debt. Ever since I was young, I have seen how paper money has suffered. If a country is encouraging a lot of debt, at the end of the day, they have to repay. If they don’t, there will be big turmoil,’ reports Forbes… ‘The head of the United Arab Emirates central bank said it will convert 8% of its reserves of U.S. assets into the European currency,’ reported Bloomberg…

“The Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majlis) is agreeable to replacing the US dollar with the euro in Iranian foreign transactions, said a member of the Majlis Planning and Budget Commission, Morteza Tamaddon. In case the West pulls through with its planned economic sanctions on Iran, Tamaddon said the country would still have access to its monetary accounts based on the euro, reports IRNA… The dollar has suffered weakness because of concerns about global imbalances and the future course of the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy, reports London Financial Times… Japanese life insurers, who manage the equivalent of $1.6 trillion in assets, will cut holdings of U.S. Treasuries, according to Calyon Securities… ‘The dollar lost nearly 12 percent against the euro in 2006, as investors became concerned that U.S. economic growth was slowing and that the interest rate differential with Europe may narrow. You should hold as few dollars as possible. The dollar’s decline would go on for years to come,’ Commodity expert Jim Rogers told Reuters…

“‘Two analysts who have reconstructed money supply data after the Fed stopped publishing it argue a coming dollar collapse will set the stage for creating the amero as a North American currency to replace the dollar,’ reports WND… ‘We are entering a critical new phase of the dollar’s decline, which may: – drive up the interest rates on bonds, commercial loans and all forms of mortgages … – crack open the U.S. housing market — not only because of rising mortgage rates, but also because fewer foreigners are willing to speculate on American real estate …- force the Fed to start a whole new round of interest rate hikes to attract foreign money back to the U.S., and … – send contra-dollar investments — gold, silver, oil and other commodities — into a new, rip-roaring surge,’ writes Safe Haven’s Martin Weiss…”

The article continued:

“As central banks and other major investors in global asset markets shift away from holding US dollars, severe implications for the U.S. may become reality:… difficulty for the U.S. in financing its ballooning deficits… a possible collapse in the traded value of the dollar… higher interest rates in order to attract international lenders… compromising of the dollar’s reserve currency status… slower growth in the US economy given our dependence on debt financing.”

More “Hick-Ups” Between Europe and the USA

The Associated Press reported on February 28:

“A senior U.S. administration official on Wednesday warned that ongoing inquiries into secret CIA activities in the European Union may undermine intelligence cooperation between the United States and European nations. The European Parliament accused Britain, Poland, Italy and other nations in mid-February of colluding with the CIA to transport terror suspects to clandestine prisons in third countries. In a report that concluded a yearlong investigation, the parliament identified 1,254 secret CIA flights that entered the European airspace since the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks on the United States. It said that these flights were against international air traffic rules and suggested some of them may have carried terror suspects on board in violation of human rights principles.

“John Bellinger, legal adviser to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, called the European Parliament report ‘unbalanced, inaccurate and unfair’ and called on the EU governments to challenge the suggestion that Europeans need to be concerned about secret CIA flights… Germany, Italy and several other EU countries have been carrying out their own inquiries into secret CIA activities in Europe, probes Bellinger said ‘have not been helpful with respect to necessary cooperation between the United States and Europe. I do think these continuing investigations can harm intelligence cooperation, that’s simply a fact of life,’ Bellinger told reporters…

“EU parliamentarians have rejected Bellinger’s criticism and called on the United States to address concerns that some flights have carried kidnapped terror suspects. Bellinger also said the United States would refuse any Italian extradition request for CIA agents indicted in the alleged abduction of an Egyptian cleric in Milan, one of the cases the European Parliament focused on in its inquiry… Bellinger also said the U.S. government was keen on closing the Guantanamo detention center in Cuba but has not yet figured out what to do with the inmates… ‘We have not seen Europe has been willing to help. We have seen many statements from European governments saying Guantanamo must be closed immediately. It’s not clear how Guantanamo would be immediately closed. Europe has been prepared to criticize … but has not been prepared to offer a constructive suggestion,’ Bellinger said. He added that the United States has been looking to Europe for help with inmates from the Middle East who cannot, for various reasons, return to their home countries, but has not received any offers from European countries to accept these people.”

Prince Charles Wants McDonald’s Fast Food Banned

The Associated Press reported on February 28:

“Prince Charles suggested Tuesday on a visit to the United Arab Emirates that banning McDonald’s fast food was crucial for improving people’s diets, a British news agency reported. Charles made the comments while visiting the Imperial College London Diabetes Center in Abu Dhabi…’Have you got anywhere with McDonald’s? Have you tried getting it banned? That’s the key,’ Charles was quoted as asking one of the center’s nutritionists… Charles, who is first in line to the British throne, is an active advocate of organic food and in 1986 set up a farm on his Highgrove Estate that does not use artificial pesticides or fertilizers… The United Arab Emirates has the world’s second highest number of diabetes cases per capita, with more than 20 percent of those aged 20 to 79 already diagnosed with the illness, while 40 percent of the population are at risk.”

The website of “thisislondonco.uk” added:

“Princess Diana often took sons William and Harry to the McDonald’s restaurant opposite Windsor Castle. Charles’s comments will fuel the debate about obesity in Britain. He has already called for a total ban on GM food, which he considers a health risk – a stance that has left him at odds with the Government… He immediately laid himself open to charges of hypocrisy after it was pointed out that the company’s signature Big Mac contains fewer calories, fats and salt than some products in his own organic Duchy Originals food range… His Cornish pasty contains 264 calories per 100g compared to the burger’s 229 calories, and 5.5g of saturated fat as opposed to the Big Mac’s 4.14g.”

Pentecostals a Threat to Catholic Church

Der Spiegel Online reported on February 28:

“Pentecostal ministers in Latin America are luring increasing numbers of Roman Catholics away from their faith with modern marketing tactics… Hordes of believers from the world’s largest Catholic country are defecting to the evangelicals. The archbishop of São Paulo, Cardinal Cláudio Hummes, estimates that the Catholic churches have lost one-third of their members over the past 40 years. Seven out of 10 former Catholics are seeking salvation in a Protestant community… The trend is running rife throughout Latin America, once a Third World bulwark of Roman Catholicism. From Mexico to Argentina, the Church is in retreat. In just a few years, over half the populations of Guatemala and El Salvador are expected to be Protestant.”

Italian’s Prodi “Back-Pedals”–and Stays On

AFP reported on February 28:

“Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi on Wednesday survived a close vote of confidence in the Senate, ending a weeklong political crisis after his shock resignation. The 67-year-old former European Commission chief, serving his second stint as prime minister, is expected to sail through another vote Friday in the Chamber of Deputies, where he has a comfortable majority… Prodi’s disparate centre-left coalition, which won a general election 10 months ago by a hair’s breadth, was thrown into crisis last week when the prime minister resigned after losing a vote of support on foreign policy issues…

“Prodi rallied his coalition around a 12-point ‘non-negotiable’ pact before agreeing to stay on. Taking the floor as the debate opened Wednesday, the embattled prime minister back-pedalled on a bill that would grant legal status to unmarried couples including gays. In an apparent gamble aimed at garnering support from the Catholic centrists in his centre-left majority and the opposition — at the expense of far-left groups who promote the legislation — Prodi said that in presenting the bill to parliament, the government ‘has done its duty.'”

There is no inconsistency, but we must understand the context of the passages involved.

Titus 1:2 tells us: “… in hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.” God CANNOT lie. In other words, it is IMPOSSIBLE for Him to do so. Malachi 3:6 adds: “For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.” God’s character does not–CANNOT–change, because God has WILLED not to change in that respect. Since He has a perfect Will and a perfect character, He CANNOT do something against His own nature. It is impossible for God to sin because He has WILLED never to sin. And His Will is perfect. To put it still differently, God CAN DECIDE to make something impossible with Him.

Note another example when something has BECOME unalterable–so that even God cannot change it. Due to a perfect unconditional promise, He binds Himself never to deviate from it. Since breaking an unconditional promise is tantamount to lying, it is impossible for God to break His unconditional Word. We read in Genesis 9:11 about one of God’s unconditional promises in this way: “Thus I establish My covenant with you:… never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

It may be difficult for the human mind to grasp that Someone can have such a perfect Will that He can decree never to sin–and that because of this, it is impossible for Him to sin. Based on our human experiences, we find ourselves sinning, even if we have set our minds against doing so. Paul had to struggle with sin, as every Christian has to do. He tells us in Romans 7:15-17, 22-23:

“For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me… For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”

Paul did not want to sin. He willed not to sin. But weak as we are as human beings, our will does not make it impossible for us to do something which is against our will. Christ admonished the disciples to pray to God for help, as their mind or spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak (compare Matthew 26:41). Even Christ had to fight against sin, but He was the only human being who, through the power of God’s Holy Spirit dwelling within Him without measure, submitted perfectly to God’s Will in all things, and never sinned. But He still had to fight against His human nature (Romans 8:3), tempting Him to sin (compare Luke 22:40-44; Hebrews 5:6-10).

Paul sinned, as was and is the case with every other Christian except Jesus Christ. And so, he asked the question: “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24). He himself gives the answer: It will be accomplished “through Jesus Christ our Lord” (verse 25). Christ, living in us through the Holy Spirit, helps us more and more to overcome sin. And when we are changed from flesh and blood to spirit–at the time of Christ’s return– then we will not be able to sin anymore. Then, we will have become born-again members of the Family of God–God beings–and as such, it will be impossible for us to sin, as it is impossible for God the Father and the Son of God, Jesus Christ, to sin. Then, our will not to sin will be perfect–as God’s Will is perfect (Matthew 5:48)–and we will not be able to sin anymore. 1 John 3:9 confirms this, when it says: “Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.”

Matthew 19:26 tells us: “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” But what is Jesus referring to here? Verses 23-25 tell us it is the question of a rich man having the potential of entering God’s Kingdom. Jesus is not saying that it is possible for God to lie or to sin, when making the point that nothing is impossible with God. God’s power is limitless, but this does not mean that He would or could do something which would be against His Will and His very character. God CANNOT sin, because He has WILLED not to sin. His very character makes it impossible for Him to sin. And this is the character which God wants you and me to develop.

Lead Writers: Norbert Link and Tom Shadoin

A new StandingWatch program was placed on Google Video and on our Website. It is titled, “Nuclear War Between Russia and America?”
 
In the program, Norbert Link discusses the fact that in light of Vladimir Putin’s recent verbal attacks on the USA, many observers feel that we are entering a new cold war between Russia and America. Some even ask whether we will experience soon a nuclear war between these two countries. The Bible clearly tells us what will happen in the near future–but it is not at all what most people think.