Update 568

On December 15th, 2012, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “Six-Hundred Years.”
 
The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

With the recent elections behind us, the focus for the USA is now on what the future will bring. Ongoing talks about a compromise to solve or at least “help”  in some way the outcome of the fiscal cliff and the economic issues is the immediate center of attention for this nation.  However, either way one looks at this, the outcome, as we know it, looks grim. This nation will never dig its way out of the hole it has dug, which appears to look more and more like a grave. That is, until Christ returns to put a stop to all of this. 

This is no surprise to those who actually understand what the Bible is saying and what the Bible has prophesied since the beginning, about the fate of this country and the Commonwealth nations of the British Isles, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and others. The current state that this nation is in, is the result of a selfish attitude to put matters in their own hands and ignorantly giving in to Satan, instead of looking to God for help. 

God the Father has given for now His authority to the god of this world, Satan the devil, and the leaders and nations of this world have unknowingly followed Satan instead of the one true God (Revelation 13:4-5).  And so have many of the people we may know, including close friends of ours, who have been deceived by keeping the things that God prohibits and thereby not keeping the things that God commands. God’s plan for this nation is quite evident and clearly prophesied.  Since we are aware of it, we have to be extra vigilant that we don’t slip up and “forget” His plan and purpose. 

At the same time, what we must understand is that God is in overall control of this entire situation, as He is in control of our individual lives.

As we pointed out in our free booklet, “Human Suffering, Why…and How Much Longer?”, “Satan has been given authority over continental Europe, Russia, China, India, as well as the United States of America, Great Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand—the WHOLE WORLD… Is there a conflict then? Is it Satan or God who has control over man? There is no conflict. Although God has not yet taken Satan from his earthly throne, Satan can only do what God allows him to do! Satan is still subject to God’s Will.”

God is the one who places certain individuals in power to FULFILL His purpose, for “He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding” (Daniel 2:21). God is very clear in the book of Hosea as to who should rule a nation. In chapter 13 and verses 9-11, God says: “”O Israel, you are destroyed, But your help is from Me. I will be your King; Where is any other, That he may save you in all your cities? And your judges to whom you said, ‘Give me a king and princes’? I gave you a king in My anger, And took him away in My wrath.” 

In another place, He says to those who forsake Him: “They set up kings, but not of Me; they made princes, but I did not acknowledge them” (Hosea 8:4). God does not take pity on those who rebel against His law for, “He shall come like an eagle against the house of the Lord, Because they have transgressed My covenant And rebelled against My law” (Hosea 8:1).

Just as God has a specific plan for you and me, He also has a predetermined plan and purpose for all the nations (Acts 17:26).  Today, the leaders of this world are not in search of the one true God, to have God fight their battles; yet they look to their own reasoning and resources.  What about us? Do we look to God in EVERY situation we are faced with? 

Situations will become more severe and we will have to stand up for what is right despite what politicians and leaders insist on what is “ok,” but contrary to God’s law.  We must NEVER leave Him out of the picture, but put matters into His hands (2 Corinthians 1:9; Jeremiah 17:5; Deuteronomy 1:30). This is very difficult to do at times, especially in the heat of the moment.  We must keep our head high and look to God for help.  It’s not going to get easier for this nation, but it’s necessary in light of prophecy and God’s plan, for He states in Jeremiah 27:5, “I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are on the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and have given it to whom it seemed proper to Me.” 

Satan may have his glory here on earth, but it is only temporary, for God is in complete control and the end result will be fulfilled victoriously, according to His plan.

We begin with the ongoing troublesome situation in Egypt and the naïve and shortsighted politics of the USA which has been supporting the radical Muslim Brotherhood, while still providing Egypt’s powerful army with weapons. The shocking report of the Muslim Brotherhood’s current torture methods is a terrible indictment against America’s claim of supporting the suppressed. At the same time, the California Supreme Court will be hearing a legal case challenging Barak Obama’s eligibility as President, while leading American politicians are accused of playing “Russian Roulette.” We also relate a shocking report regarding “invisible soldiers.”

Turning to Germany, we are citing from the German press which is now becoming openly critical of Egypt’s return to dictatorship, while stating that neither the government nor the opposition are correct or competent. We are also reporting on the upcoming political battle and fight for the German chancellorship and introducing you to Angela Merkel’s challenger, Peer Steinbrück. Further, the German Parliament legalized circumcision of young boys, but the new law does not annul the negative viewpoint of most Germans on the issue.

While the EU is in the process of taking over Cyprus, frightening reports are being received from Italy, indicating that highly controversial Silvio Berlusconi is contemplating running for the office of Prime Minister, after Mario Monti announced that he will resign. What is even more disturbing is the possibility that the Italian people might actually vote for Berlusconi. Even though present polls suggest that only 20 % of Italians would vote for Berlusconi, it is also speculated that these figures might dramatically change until the new election.

We continue with talking about Europe’s deafening and hypocritical silence regarding Hamas’ declared goal to destroy the state of Israel, while condemning Israel for its settlement policy; report on the wish of the British people to leave the EU and on Britain’s “descent into godlessness”; speak about the discovery of a previously unrecognized asteroid which came dangerously close to earth; and conclude with several articles on Hanukkah and Christmas celebrations, which have become quite similar in recent times.

Egypt’s President Morsi More Dictatorial and Autocratic

The Telegraph wrote on December 10:

“President Mohamed Morsi has ordered Egypt’s army to take on police powers – including the right to arrest civilians – in the run-up to a divisive constitutional referendum that has triggered mass street protests… Late Sunday, the main opposition group, the National Salvation Front, called for huge protests in Cairo to reject the December 15 referendum. It dismissed a key concession Morsi made rescinding another decree giving himself near-absolute powers as too late, saying he had already used it to railroad through the draft constitution…

“National Salvation Front spokesman Sameh Ashour told a news conference [that going ahead] with the referendum ‘in this explosive situation with the threat of the Brothers’ militias amounts to the regime abandoning its responsibilities’… Morsi’s camp argues it is up to the people to accept or reject the draft constitution. If the charter is rejected, Morsi has promised to have a new one drawn up by 100 officials chosen directly by the public rather than appointed by the Islamist-dominated parliament.

“But analysts said still-strong public support for Morsi, and the Brotherhood’s proven ability to mobilise the grassroots level, would likely help the draft constitution be adopted. ‘The Muslim Brotherhood believes that it has majority support so it can win the constitutional referendum,’ said Eric Trager, analyst at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. If that happens, he warned, it would ‘set up the country for prolonged instability’.”

Like Adolf Hitler and his SS and SA militias gambled on the support of a majority of the German people—and got it—so are President Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood and their military allies engaged in a huge gamble which they might win. Egypt seems to be heading towards a full-fledged (Islamist) dictatorship, and especially the USA has proven to be totally oblivious to this development—as they were for a long time towards Nazi Germany in World War II. Please also note the Gestapo torture methods of the Muslim Brotherhood in the next article.

The Muslim Brotherhood’s Torture Chambers

Al Monitor reported on December 6:

“Al-Masry Al-Youm spent three hours in total in the torture chambers established by the Muslim Brotherhood at the gates of the Ittihadiya Palace in the suburb of Heliopolis. The central torture chamber, which is located in front of the gate facing the Omar Ibn Abdel Aziz Mosque on al-Merghany Street, is secured with a cordon and iron barriers, where the Central Security Forces (CSF) prevent the access of any persons without the authorization of the Brotherhood… The torture process starts once a demonstrator who opposes President Mohammed Morsi is arrested in the clashes or is suspected after the clashes end, and the CSF separate Morsi’s supporters from his opponents. Then, the group members trade off punching, kicking and beating him with a stick on the face and all over his body. They tear off his clothes and take him to the nearest secondary torture chamber…

“It is hard to determine how many locations there are, given that the torture chambers are established as near as possible to where a person is arrested. Before the interrogation process starts, they search him, seize his funds, cellphones or ID, all the while punching and slapping his face in order to get him to confess to being a thug and working for money. They ask him why he took to the street, whether he got paid to take part in the protest and whether he supports Mohamed ElBaradei, founder of the Constitution Party, or Hamdeen Sabahi, founder of the Egyptian Popular Current or the dissolved Egyptian Nationalist movement. As long as this person denies the allegations, they beat him and insult his parents…

“After a while, the detainee is transported from the secondary torture chamber to the central one. On his way, the beatings and insults continue. Every time the prisoner encounters a member of the Brotherhood, that person gets in his share of the insults and beatings. They also may collectively insult him before he enters the central room, while a Brotherhood lawyer hands over his national ID card, his funds and his belongings to the SSIS chief…

“The health conditions of some of the prisoners was very bad and they were unable to answer questions. Some of them were bleeding all over their bodies, severely exhausted and not receiving any medical aid…”

The Associated Press reported on December 11:

“They showed a military-style precision: Crowds of bearded Islamists proclaiming allegiance to Egypt’s President Mohammed Morsi and chanting ‘God is great’ as they descended on tents set up by anti-Morsi protesters outside the presidential palace, swinging clubs and firing rifles… a former Brotherhood member and now an opponent of the group, said the Brotherhood was surprised by the public opposition to Morsi’s moves ‘and they had no hesitation in hastening to implement their ideas and resorting to violence.’…

“One of the detention center victims, Yehia Negm, an Egyptian diplomat who has been an outspoken critic of Mubarak, told The Associated Press he was dragged on the ground from one of the frontlines to the center, where he was beaten. He is suffering from multiple injuries in the head, eye, nose, and ribs from beating and had remains of pellets in his forehead from gunfire during the clashes. ‘When they found my ID that says a diplomat, they started accusing me of working with security agencies, of being a spy and of serving foreign countries,’ Negm said. ‘They rained beatings down on me. They started yelling at me, saying, “You infidels, you want to burn the country down, you are not Muslims.’”

And these are the people the West is supporting to govern Egypt! Continue to read about Washington’s naivety in the next article.

Muslim Brotherhood Best Friend of Washington

The Washington Post wrote on December 7:

“How did Washington become the best friend of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, even as President Mohamed Morsi was asserting dictatorial powers and his followers were beating up secular liberals in the streets of Cairo? It’s a question many Arabs ask these days, and it deserves an answer.

“Morsi and his Brotherhood followers are on a power trip after decades of isolation and persecution. You could see that newfound status when Morsi visited the United Nations in September and even more so during the diplomacy that led to last month’s cease-fire in Gaza, brokered by Morsi and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The Brotherhood leaders had gone from outcasts to superstars, and they were basking in the attention…

“The Obama administration has been Morsi’s main enabler. U.S. officials have worked closely with him on economic development and regional diplomacy. Visiting Washington last week, Morsi’s top aides were touting their boss’s close contacts with President Obama and describing phone calls between the two leaders that led to the Gaza cease-fire… Probably thinking he had America’s backing, Morsi overreached on Nov. 22 by declaring that his presidential decrees were not subject to judicial review…

“Through this upheaval, the Obama administration has been oddly restrained…

“For a lesson in the dangers of falling in love with your client, look at Iraq: U.S. officials, starting with President George W. Bush and Gen. David Petraeus, kept lauding Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, despite warnings from many Iraqis that he was a conspiratorial politician who would end up siding with Iran. This misplaced affection continued into the Obama administration: Even after the Iraqi people in their wisdom voted in 2010 to dump Maliki, the United States helped him cobble together enough support to remain in power. Arab observers are still scratching their heads trying to understand that one…”

America’s futile (and foolish) attempts to buy allies are strongly condemned in Scripture. If you are still not convinced, then read the next article:

USA Supports Muslim Brotherhood Militarily

The Washington times wrote on December 8:

“For Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood-dominated government, more battle tanks and jet fighters are on their way from the United States. Cairo’s military link to Washington has remained intact, meaning the U.S. will continue to modernize the biggest military in Africa… Analysts say Egypt’s military buildup presents risks for Washington — and Israel — with the growing influence of the Brotherhood, whose overriding goal is to establish Shariah, or Islamic, law worldwide… Egypt is due 200 M1A1 Abrams battle tanks, the same mechanized firepower manned by American soldiers, bringing Egypt’s inventory to a robust 1,200. Also in the pipeline is a squadron of the Air Force F-16 Falcon, a multipurpose warplane able to dogfight and drop ordnance… The billions of dollars in U.S. military aid — in annual $1.3 billion stipends — have made the Egyptian air force the fourth-largest F-16 operator among 25 countries. Egypt’s 4,000 tanks, including the 1,000 or so M1A1s, make it the world’s seventh-largest tank army…

“Frank Gaffney, a senior defense policymaker in the Reagan administration, has been warning about the rise of the Brotherhood as it relates to the U.S. ‘My principal concern with the Obama administration’s approach to Egypt is they seem oblivious to the fact it is now in the hands of a regime that is deeply hostile to the United States and certainly poses an immediate threat, I believe, to our friends in Israel,’ said Mr. Gaffney… ‘Under those circumstances, it is alarming that they are continuing to arm Egypt in a way that can only exacerbate the threat… There are two things that are troubling… One is the sheer quantity of the weapons that these enemies of the United States have inherited, let alone those they will be getting if we continue to make arms sales with them. The second is the quality of these weapons’…

“Could U.S.-produced F-16s, manned by Egyptian pilots, one day attack Israel? ‘I think that is a valid concern, given the ideological goals of the Muslim Brotherhood,’ Mr. Phillips  [James Phillips, a Middle East analyst at the Heritage Foundation] said… Egypt is the second-largest recipient of U.S. military aid; Israel is first.

“Most of Egypt’s assistance is in the form of weapons, such as tanks and fighters, bought with U.S. tax dollars through a program called Foreign Military Sales. According to the Congressional Research Service, Egypt has ordered $14 billion in equipment since 2003.”

Israel National News reported on December 12:

“Egypt’s increasingly unstable Muslim Brotherhood regime, voted into power on an anti-US and anti-Israel platform, is about to receive 20 F-16 fighters jets [from the USA]…  The order for the Lockheed-Martin planes is another win for the American military-industrial complex… Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Wesley Miller explained to Fox, ‘The U.S.-Egypt defense relationship has served as the cornerstone of our broader strategic partnership for over thirty years. The delivery of the first set of F-16s in January 2013 reflects the U.S. commitment to supporting the Egyptian military’s modernization efforts. Egyptian acquisition of F-16s will increase our militaries’ interoperability, and enhance Egypt’s capacity to contribute to regional mission sets.’

“President Barack Obama had distanced himself from the Muslim Brotherhood until it became clear that it was a driving force following the fall of Mubarak. In a radical shift of foreign policy, Obama’s advisors, some of whom support a more liberal policy towards Hamas, began making contacts with the Muslim Brotherhood and eventually established open contacts with the radical Islamic party.”

America’s desires to “buy” allies have rarely been successful. They “bought” the alliance of Russia against Germany in World War II; the friendship of Saddam Hussein against Iran; and the cooperation of Osama bin Laden against Russia in Afghanistan. In each case, those “friendships” with “allies” have turned to challenges and defeat through Frankenstein monsters.

California Supreme Court to Rule on Barack Obama’s Eligibility as President

On December 5, Beforeitsnews.com published the following press release from the Law Offices of Dr. Orly Taitz:

“Breaking news! Supreme Court of CA to rule whether Obama should be declared illegitimate for the U.S. Presidency due to his use of forged IDs and a fraudulently obtained CT Social Security number. Loss of 55 CA electoral votes will certainly mean new elections in the U.S.

“After originally refusing to hear the case under the original jurisdiction, Supreme Court of California was persuaded by Attorney and Candidate for the U.S. Senate Dr. Orly Taitz to take on a case Noonan, Judd, MacLaren [sic], Taitz v Bowen under the provisions of the California Constitution, which allow Supreme Court of California to hear special cases under the Original Jurisdiction…

“This case is brought on behalf of four plaintiffs, all of whom have perfect standing. Edward Noonan won the American Independent Party Presidential Primary in CA and certificate of his win was submitted to the court. Keith Judd is a Democratic Party candidate for the U.S. Presidency, registered with the FEC, he was a runner up to Barack Obama in West Virginia Democratic Party Primary with 40% of the vote, Thomas Gregory Macleran was a Republican candidate for President, registered with the FEC. Attorney and Doctor Orly Taitz was a candidate for the U.S. Senate in CA.

“This case has two premises.

“First. Plaintiffs provided the court with evidence of nearly One and a half million invalid voter registrations in the state of California. Such a large number of invalid votes justifies STAY of certification of the results.

“Second. Plaintiffs provided evidence of Candidate Barack Obama committing massive elections fraud by using forged IDs and a fraudulently obtained Connecticut Social Security number 042-68-4425, which was never assigned to Obama and using a name, which is not legally his, as he is listed under the last name Soebarkah in his mother’s U.S. Passport and there is no evidence of him ever legally changing his name from Barack Obama Soebarkah to Barack Obama. Additionally, in his school records in Indonesia his citizenship is listed as Indonesian, not American. There is no record of him relinquishing his Indonesian citizenship and gaining the U.S. citizenship. Even if one were to believe that he arguendo changed his citizenship from Indonesian to American later in life, he would be a naturalized citizen and not natural born.

“Additionally, plaintiffs provided the courts with a sworn affidavits of Maricopa county, AZ investigator Mike Zullo, who is currently conducting a criminal investigation of forgeries in Obama’s IDs, and who attested that Obama’s birth certificate, Selective Service certificate and Social Security card represent forgeries. Similarly, Plaintiffs provided affidavits of Sheriff Joseph Arpaio, Senior Deportation Officer John Sampson, experts Paul Irey, Douglas Vogt and Felicito Papa and investigator Susan Daniels, all of whom are attesting that Obama’s IDs are forgeries.

“Affidavit of Assistant Clerk for the City of Honolulu Timothy Adams attests to the fact that there is no birth certificate for Barack Obama in any hospital in Hawaii. Statement of the Minister of Health of Kenya, James Orenga attesting to Obama’s birth in Kenya and Obama’s own biography submitted by him to his literally agent in 1991, stating that he was born in Kenya and raised in Indonesia. Plaintiffs are stating that if this court does not STAY the certification of the election results, this court will commit treason against the United States of America by allowing a foreign national, a citizen of Indonesia and possibly still citizen of Kenya to get in the position of the U.S. President and Commander in Chief by virtue of fraud and use of forged IDs and a stolen Social Security number.

“Attorney Orly Taitz is a civil rights attorney, who is conducting this and a number of other cases pro bono… If the Supreme Court of California does not grant a STAY, the case will go to Supreme Court of the United States Justice Anthony Kennedy, who is in charge of the 9th Circuit.”

There are truly far too many questions surrounding Barack Obama’s eligibility as US President than to simply ignore, and premature and rather naïve and uninformed comments by conservative Fox News commentators such as Bill O’Reilly (who is highly promoting his Christmas merchandize around this time of year and just mockingly denied the FACT that the Christmas tree is being condemned in Jeremiah 10) or Greta Van Susteren that they are satisfied with Barak Obama’s legal legibility are extremely counterproductive. Donald Trump IS correct in pursuing this issue, even though his constant flip-flops and ridiculous public stunts have not helped either.

America Plays Russian Roulette

Newsmax wrote on December 12:

“Sens. Joseph Lieberman and John McCain say they’re not encouraged by the talks between President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner and worry that they’re playing ‘chicken’ and ‘Russian roulette’ with the approaching year-end deadline for striking a debt reduction deal… Lieberman, an independent who is retiring from the Senate at the end of this year, said everybody knows that both Republicans and Democrats ‘have got to act’ to avert the combination of automatic spending cuts and tax increases due to begin on Jan. 2…

“But he added, ‘Right now I feel the contrary happening… That is playing with fire,’ he said, calling it ‘high-risk . . . Russian roulette’ to allow the country to go ‘over the cliff’ and then ‘come back under that pressure and negotiate a deal in January’ when the new Congress convenes. ‘The consequences could be disastrous,’ Lieberman continued…

“[Republican] McCain… indicated Republicans would have to be guaranteed that spending cuts and entitlement reforms would be addressed early next year in exchange for tax hikes on higher income earners. ‘We know what the elephant in the room is. It’s entitlements,’ McCain said.”

Whether or not intentionally jumping or inadvertently falling from the fiscal cliff can be avoided, this country is in deep and irreversible trouble.

Completely Invisible Soldiers?

The Daily Mail reported on December 10:

“The U.S. military is backing the development of camouflage fabrics that could one day make their soldiers completely invisible, it has been claimed. The so-called ‘Quantum Stealth’ camouflage material is said to render its wearers completely invisible by bending light waves around them…

“However, its development is apparently so secret the Canadian company behind it says it cannot even show the technology in action and offers only mock ups of its effect on their website. Nevertheless, Guy Cramer, CEO of Hyperstealth Biotechnology Corp, says he does not care that some observers remain sceptical as to his company’s claims since ‘the people that need to know that it works have seen it. Two separate command groups within the U.S. Military and two separate Canadian Military groups as well as Federal Emergency Response Team (Counter Terrorism) have seen the actual material so they could verify that I was not just manipulating video or photo results,’ Mr Cramer said. ‘These groups now know that it works and does so without cameras, batteries, lights or mirrors… It is lightweight and quite inexpensive. Both the U.S. and Canadian military have confirmed that it also works against military IR scopes and Thermal Optic’…

“In a statement published on his company’s website, Mr Cramer… says it would… allow special forces teams to carry out raids in broad daylight without detection; it could enable the creation of the next generation of stealth aircraft, invisible not only to radar but also the naked eye; and it would enable submarines to remain concealed even when they surface near an enemy fleet. Most incredibly, he imagines a group of Canadian battle tanks decked out with Quantum Stealth camouflage that could engage an enemy unit with no signs of their location except the sound of their engines and guns. ‘As news spreads of an invisible Canadian army which can move without detection, the psychological effect on the enemy is devastating, they never know when or even if this invisible army has them targeted or surrounded,’ he said. ‘How can you hit a target you cannot see, how do you defend from the invisible?’”

Of course, if true, enemies of the USA, the British Isles and Canada could use this weapon too, if it falls into their hands.

German Reactions to Morsi’s Power Grab and the Arab Spring

Süddeutsche Zeitung wrote on December 7: “The only thing that Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood functionary who rose to become head of state, has proven, is his inability to facilitate the integration of Egypt’s 85 million people… Neither side can be counted on for understanding…”

Handelsblatt wrote on December 7: “In light of the current polarization between the Islamists and the secular camps, Egypt now finds itself in a deep political crisis. The crisis contributes to the worsening of the country’s long-standing and severe economic problems and weakens the role of Egypt in the region… The country suffers from the incompetent governance of the Muslim Brotherhood and at the same time the immaturity of the opposition.”

Die Welt wrote on December 7: “… people who have no experience with freedom will misuse it, and the consequences will be chaos and renewed violence… Morsi … is an Islamist, but not a holy warrior. Rather, he is a crafty power-hungry politician… The Arab Spring is turning into a hard winter…”

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung wrote on December 7: “Violence as a means of political confrontation is escalating and a calming of the situation is not in sight…”

Egypt will suffer much in the future, as the Bible clearly prophesies.

Steinbrück vs. Merkel

Der Spiegel Online wrote on December 10:

“Germany’s opposition Social Democrats attempted to relaunch their campaign to oust Chancellor Angela Merkel in the 2013 election by giving strong backing on Sunday to their candidate, Peer Steinbrück… Steinbrück, a former governor of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state, served as finance minister under Merkel from 2005 to 2009 in a ‘grand coalition’ between her conservatives and the SPD. He won praise for his assured handling of the global financial crisis and subsequent economic downturn in 2008 and 2009. But he has been unable so far to allay doubts about whether he will be able to mobilize enough center-left voters to have a chance of ousting Merkel… He faces an uphill struggle to beat Merkel… were Germans able to vote directly for their chancellor, 49 percent would support the incumbent chancellor with just 39 percent of respondents saying they would vote for Steinbrück. Still, that gap has narrowed in recent weeks.

“More to the point, Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union party (CDU), together with its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), stood at 39 percent in the poll, well ahead of the SPD at 30 percent. The Greens scored 14 percent and the pro-business FDP, Merkel’s junior coalition party, was at 4 percent, below the 5 percent threshold it would need to be able to stay in parliament… Steinbrück, 65, ruled out serving in another grand coalition. ‘I don’t just want a partial change of government… I want an entirely new government. I want an SPD-Greens government for our country. I’m not available for any grand coalition.’ Political analysts say, however, that such a coalition is the most likely outcome of the next election.”

This would be another unwelcome development for Germany. In its history, grand coalitions between CDU and SPD have never worked, but have led to violent developments in the 60’s.

Who is Steinbrück?

The Local wrote on December 10 that Steinbrück “has the uphill task of stopping the world’s most powerful woman from winning a third term,” continuing:

“Voters recently had a taste of his fiery debating style in the Bundestag lower house of parliament, notably when he accused Merkel of doing the ‘dance of the seven veils’ on saving Greece and challenging her to ‘tell it how it is’… He has not been helped by a rocky start to his campaign, first accused of using his influence when finance minister to gain sponsorship for a chess match, then admitting he earned €1.25 million ($1.61 million) for speeches… Gero Neugebauer, political scientist at the Free University in Berlin, also said Steinbrück’s style was similar to that of Merkel’s, although more dynamic. ‘If Merkel is often described as hesitant, Steinbrück is a man of action,’ said Neugebauer.

“… his sense of humour has at times landed him in hot water and led to one newspaper dubbing him the ‘most hated man in Switzerland’ after he compared the Swiss to ‘Indians’ during a bitter tax row between the two neighbours… SPD supporters will hope that his campaign follows the example of his favourite animal, the rhinoceros. ‘It starts very slowly but when it gets going, nothing can stop it,’ said Steinbrück.”

Even though very few seem to be willing to predict that Steinbrück will win the next election, stranger things have happened.

Circumcision Legal in Germany

The Local wrote on December 12:

“Members of lower house of parliament the Bundestag passed the cross-party motion with 434 votes for the measure, 100 against and with 46 abstentions. The legislation states that male infants may be circumcised for religious reasons within six months of their birth by a ‘specially trained’ practitioner, although this person does not have to be a doctor. Nevertheless, the rite must be carried out ‘in a professional medical manner,’ the law states and stipulates exemptions for infants who could be at risk from the practice such as haemophiliacs.

“The legislation sought to clear up confusion after a judgement published in June by the regional court in the western city of Cologne. While considering a case brought against a doctor who had circumcised a Muslim boy, the court ruled the rite was tantamount to grievous bodily harm. The decision united Jewish and Muslim groups in opposition and caused outrage from religious and political leaders in Israel and Muslim countries.”

Even though the law might now allow circumcision of Jewish and Muslim boys, almost 150 members of parliament did not vote in support of the legislation. In addition, the majority of the German people are opposed to the practice. The many published negative commentaries on the issue in the weekly, Die Zeit, are rather telling. And at a given moment, laws can always be changed again. Notice also the next article.

Concerns Remain

NBC reported on December 12:

“‘The basic sentiment here is anti-religious,’ said Sylke Tempel, editor-in-chief of Internationale Politik, a foreign policy journal published by the German Council of Foreign Affairs. ‘And Germans throw overboard anything that has to do with tradition.’ According to Tempel, the Cologne ruling was not a deliberate attack on Islam or Judaism but showed a total misunderstanding of how important circumcision is to both religions. TNS Emnid, a German polling organization, found in a July 2012 survey that 56 percent of Germans agree with the Cologne ruling.

“Deirdre Berger, executive director of the American Jewish Committee in Berlin, a Jewish advocacy organization, said that the Cologne ruling can be traced to a body of law and medical literature that has been accumulating over the past decade… While applauding Wednesday’s vote to legalize circumcision, Berger does not believe this ends the controversy. The law is likely to be appealed to Germany’s Supreme Court, she said, and could open the door to more restrictive legislation in other European countries that are having similar anti-circumcision debates.”

EU Takes Over Cyprus

Der Spiegel Online wrote on December 10:

“Cyprus wants help from the European Union’s bailout fund. But the price for the billions in emergency aid money is high. The country will effectively lose its sovereignty… it is already clear that in return for billions of euros for the debt-ridden country from the European bailout fund, the ‘troika,’ made up of the European Commission, the European Central Bank (ECB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), will essentially take control of the Mediterranean island.”

The Return of Italy’s Berlusconi?

Der Spiegel Online wrote on December 10:

“Italy faces a return to political chaos after Prime Minister Mario Monti announced at the weekend that he will resign, prompting his notorious predecessor Silvio Berlusconi to say he would attempt a comeback.  The renewed uncertainty sent European shares into a slump as trading for the week began on Monday morning. Investors aren’t the only ones worried, either…

“After a crisis meeting with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano on Saturday, Monti, a well-respected economist who is largely seen as responsible for restoring trust in the country’s ability to weather the euro crisis, announced that he would step down before the end of his term, pending parliamentary approval of next year’s federal budget. This is expected to occur before Christmas…

“In response, 76-year-old Berlusconi, who is embroiled in a sex scandal, said he would pursue a fifth term as prime minister. The election was scheduled for March or April, but is now likely to be brought forward to February. Many fear that Berlusconi could send Italy spiraling into ruin if he is re-elected… Meanwhile, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso warned on Sunday that the euro zone’s third-largest economy cannot be allowed to turn its back on reforms… European Central Bank executive board member Jörg Asmussen told German newspaper Bild that Monti’s government had ‘achieved great things in a short amount of time,’ including the return of investor trust and budgetary consolidation. ‘Whoever governs Italy — a founding member of the EU — after the election, must continue this course with the same seriousness,’ he added…

“But Berlusconi, who was sentenced to jail time for tax fraud in October, seems determined to fight his way through his upcoming trial — over paying for sex with an underage prostitute — and back to the top of the country’s political world.

“The billionaire media tycoon has his popularity measured by polls on weekly and sometimes even daily basis. And these have recently shown that the time may be ripe for a comeback, with Monti’s government no longer as popular as it once was thanks to drastically rising taxes, a tough fight against tax fraud in the sports world and the loss of thousands of jobs through austerity measures. Berlusconi, by contrast, has promised to save Italy and defend it from the ‘diktat’ of German Chancellor Angela Merkel that he alleges was followed dutifully by Monti. Berlusconi’s campaign promises to be heavily populist, and with his party on the verge of falling apart, the media mogul has little to lose.

“At this point, no one can predict who will lead Italy after the election…”

Berlusconi, not unlike Hitler, promises his people great things. And who knows, he might deliver some, but under his rule, Italy is bound to lose. However, the Bible makes it very clear that Italy will remain a strong member of the EU, but the usual Italian political chaos and economic uncertainty could trigger the need and necessity for Italy to give over their authority to a central European power, led by Germany.

Europe’s Deafening Silence Towards Abbas and Hamas

The Times of Israel wrote on December 10:

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday slammed the international community and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for failing to speak out against explicit calls for Israel’s destruction by Hamas leaders on Saturday. Speaking at a Hanukkah ceremony with the foreign press, Netanyahu contrasted Europe’s condemnations of Israel for approving construction plans in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, with its lack of response to Hamas political leader Khaled Mashaal’s weekend speech in Gaza, in which he said the Palestinians would ‘not give up an inch of Palestine,’ and that ‘Jihad and armed resistance is the only way.’

“Said Netanyahu: ‘This weekend, the leaders of Hamas openly called for the destruction of Israel. Where was the outrage? Where were the UN resolutions? Where was President Abbas?’ Soon after Netanyahu spoke on Sunday afternoon, the EU did issue a statement saying that it found ‘inflammatory statements by Hamas leaders that deny Israel’s right to exist unacceptable. The European Union will never cease its efforts to combat terrorism which seeks to undermine the openness and tolerance of societies through indiscriminate acts of violence against civilians.’… ‘Why weren’t Palestinian diplomats summoned in European and other capitals to explain why the PA president not only refused to condemn this but actually declared his intention to unite with Hamas,’ Netanyahu asked…

“Hamas chief Mashaal completed a three-day visit to Gaza on Sunday. In a speech marking the terrorist group’s 25th anniversary, he reiterated his movement’s commitment to wipe out the state of Israel… Netanyahu made his statements as 27 foreign ministers of EU countries were convening in Brussels to debate [and condemn] Israel’s approval last week of the thousands of housing units to be built in East Jerusalem and the West Bank… Ahead of the meeting, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said Europe’s political view of the Middle East has changed profoundly because of Israel’s advancement of plans to build 3,000 new settler homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem… British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he expected ‘the entire EU will be strongly opposed’ to the settlement building.”

Europe’s double-standard and hypocrisy regarding Israel and the Palestinians should clearly be visible for every objective observer. The Bible shows that Europe will turn totally against Israel—even with military means. Notice the next article.

Europe Determined to Destroy Israel?

The Times of Israel wrote on December 12:

“Europe rushes to condemn any settlement activity in the West Bank, but regards with equanimity the prospect of the Jewish state’s destruction, Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman charged on Tuesday, comparing European UN delegates to members of Fatah, and reiterating his long-standing view that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is not a figure with whom Israel can negotiate.

“Liberman also said that the next rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza would prompt a far more dramatic Israeli response than last month’s eight-day Operation Pillar of Defense. Israel would not be able to suffice with what he called surgical strikes, but would have to use ground forces and retake all of Gaza, from which Israel withdrew completely in 2005. ‘The next missile attack will obligate us to send in ground forces and, unlike with Pillar of Defense, to take complete control of Gaza. And the world should not urge Israel to exercise restraint.’

“Speaking at a Hanukkah menorah-lighting ceremony in Tel Aviv, Liberman slammed the international community for applauding Abbas’s speech last month to the United Nations General Assembly during a deliberation of the PA’s successful bid to upgrade its status in the international body to ‘nonmember state.’…

“Liberman also directed critical remarks at the European Union, which on Monday issued a scathing condemnation of an Israeli announcement of plans to build 3,000 new units in the West Bank… ‘Many European Union foreign ministers simply ignore reality,’ the foreign minister said. ‘As far as they’re concerned, the destruction of Israel is a matter of course.’… Liberman claimed that some of the EU foreign ministers had refused to censure Hamas… ‘I don’t want to name names and cite exact quotes, but a significant number of foreign ministers did not want to mention Hamas in their statement and did not want to insert [in the statement] a sentence calling for the cessation of incitement, when the incitement in question was a direct call for our destruction,’ Liberman said.”

Whether Europe may or may not realize it, the Bible clearly prophesies that in the not-too-distant future, Europe will intervene militarily in the Middle East and occupy the state of Israel.

Britain In or Out?

The Economist wrote on December 8:

“Opinion polls show that most Britons are in favour of leaving the European Union. Baroness Thatcher’s Conservative Party, which took Britain into Europe four decades ago, is divided between those who long for an arm’s-length relationship and those who want to walk out. The second camp is swelling.

“Even the fiercest British critics of the EU are astonished by the speed at which things are moving… A referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU now seems a matter of timing. Continental Europeans are surprised too—and annoyed. They are bewildered that the British should be talking of leaving a club that many believe has shifted decisively in a free-trading, Anglo-Saxon direction in the past two decades.

“They also resent the way Britain seems to be using the threat of an exit as a bargaining tool, especially at a time when the euro is in crisis. As they see it, Britain wants to carve out a privileged place for itself in the European club, where it can enjoy free trade without any of the other membership rules. In Berlin and Rome, political leaders argue that Britain needs to make up its mind once and for all: does it want to be in or out?”

It IS only a matter of time until Great Britain is no longer a part of the EU… at least not of the core European nations.

Britain’s Descent into Godlessness

The Economist wrote on December 11:

“Britain continues its descent into godlessness, according to the latest 2011 Census data. Just over a quarter of people in England and Wales… say they have no religion… The proportion of Christians has fallen from 71.8% to 59.3%. All other main faiths have edged up, and Muslims now account for 4.8% of the population, compared with 3% in 2001. What of less common creeds? About a quarter of a million people ticked the ‘Other religion’ write-in box. Among them, 56,620 wrote Pagan, while Agnostics and Atheists claimed around 30,000 adherents apiece. Rastafarianism, Zoroastrianism and Shamanism made the list, while the most common was Jedi Knight, by 176,632 Star Wars fans…”

And even most of those adhering to “Christianity” are not even trying to follow the dictates of Jesus Christ.

Asteroid Comes Dangerously Close

CBS News reported on December 11:

“A newfound asteroid gave Earth a close shave early today, zipping between our planet and the moon just two days after astronomers first spotted it.The near-Earth asteroid 2012 XE54, which was discovered Sunday (Dec. 9), came within 140,000 miles of our planet at about 5 a.m. EST Tuesday (Dec. 11), researchers said. For comparison, the moon orbits Earth at an average distance of 240,000 miles or so.

“Astronomers estimate that 2012 XE54 is about 120 feet wide — big enough to cause substantial damage if it slams into Earth someday. An object of similar size flattened 800 square miles of forest when it exploded above Siberia’s Podkamennaya Tunguska River in 1908… 2012 XE54 will be coming back to Earth’s neighborhood before too much longer. The asteroid completes one lap around the sun every 2.72 years.

“Scientists have discovered about 9,000 near-Earth asteroids to date, but perhaps a million or more such space rocks are thought to exist. And some of them are potentially dangerous. Observations by NASA’s WISE space telescope suggest that about 4,700 asteroids at least 330 feet wide come uncomfortably close to our planet at some point in their orbits. So far, researchers have spotted less than 30 percent of these large space rocks, which could obliterate an area the size of a state if they slammed into Earth.

“But there are much bigger asteroids out there, such as 4179 Toutatis, a 3-mile-wide behemoth that’s in the process of flying by Earth now. Toutatis will remain 4.3 million miles away during its closest approach Wednesday morning, but it may come closer on future passes. Toutatis would inflict devastating damage if it slammed into Earth, perhaps extinguishing human civilization. The asteroid thought to have killed off the dinosaurs 65 million years ago was about 6 miles wide, researchers say.”

Hanukkah and Its Christmas Influences

The New York Times wrote on December 7:

“When my brother was in kindergarten, where he was the only Jewish student, a parent organizing enrichment activities asked my mother to tell the class the story of Hanukkah. My mother obligingly brought in a picture book and began to read about foreign conquerors who were not letting Jews in ancient Israel worship freely, even defiling their temple, until a scrappy group led by the Maccabee family overthrew one of the most powerful armies in the world and won their liberty.

“The woman was horrified. The Hanukkah story, she interrupted, was not about war. It was about the miracle of an oil lamp that burned for eight days without replenishing. She urged my mother to close the book. My mother refused. The woman wasn’t alone. Many Americans, Jews as well as Christians, think that the legend of the long-lasting oil is the root of Hanukkah’s commemoration. And perhaps that mistake is no surprise, given that for many the holiday has morphed into ‘Christmas for Jews,’ echoing the message of peace on earth accompanied by gift giving. In doing so, the holiday’s own message of Jewish survival and faith has been diluted.

“Hanukkah is one of the most widely celebrated Jewish holidays in America. But unlike Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and Passover (or even the lesser-known Sukkot and Shavuot), all of which are explicitly mentioned in the Torah, Hanukkah gets only a brief, sketchy reference in the Talmud, the voluminous collection of Jewish oral law and tradition written down hundreds of years after the Maccabees’ revolt.

“There for the first time the miracle of the oil is recorded: the ancient temple in Jerusalem held an eternal flame, but after the desecration by the foreign invaders — including the sacrificing of pigs, a non-kosher animal, on the altar — only one day’s worth of purified oil remained. Yet the faithful went ahead and lighted it.  The oil burned in the rededicated temple for eight days, long enough for a new supply to arrive. Hence the practice of lighting candles for eight nights to observe Hanukkah, which means dedication in Hebrew…

“Though Hanukkah is a minor Jewish holiday, 19th-century activists in America promoted it to encourage their coreligionists to take pride in their heritage. During the 20th century it was embraced more broadly by Jews who wanted to fit in with other Americans celebrating the holiday season — and to make their kids feel better about not getting anything from Santa. It helped, of course, that Hanukkah falls near Christmas on the calendar and traditionally involved candles and small monetary gifts. Over time, children began receiving grander presents, and Hanukkah-themed season’s greeting cards proliferated. Some families even started to purchase ‘Hanukkah bushes,’ small trees often decked out with Stars of David and miniature Maccabees.

“By the 1980s, when I was a child, menorahs had been placed next to mangers in the public square and Hanukkah songs had been incorporated into winter holiday concerts. Despite this recognition, I still felt excluded enough to brag to classmates that my holiday was better than Christmas, since it had eight days of gift giving, instead of one…”

The fact that Christmas and Hanukkah celebrations have become more and more similar should make us pause to think. Also note the next article.

Jewish Organizations in Israel Sell Christmas Trees

The Jewish News Archive reported on December 10, 2012, that “The Jewish National Fund began distribution today of Christmas trees to Christian institutions and individuals.

“The Jerusalem Tree Nursery, in cooperation with the Christian Department of Israel’s Ministry of Religions, also will provide trees for Christian diplomats and foreign experts on duty in Israel.” This was a quote from the Jewish Telegraph Agency, dated December 22, 1959.

Such conduct is most certainly not acceptable in God’s eyes, and it is no surprise that God accuses modern Judah of engaging in idolatrous practices.

The Pagan Lies of Christmas Customs

The Local wrote on December 6:

“[The German] Nikolaus is not to be confused with Santa Claus, who Germans call the Weihnachtsmann… They are two different people… [Nikolaus “appears” each] year on December 6… Known as Nicholas the Wonderworker for his miracles, he is also identified with Santa Claus. Beliefs and traditions about Nikolaus were probably combined with German mythology, particularly regarding stories about the bearded pagan god Odin, who also had a beard and a bag to capture naughty children…

“According to the legend, Nikolaus comes in the middle of the night on a donkey or a horse and leaves little treats – like coins, chocolate, oranges and toys – for good children… Sometimes Nikolaus only leaves a switch in the boot, ostensibly for spankings, to show that the child doesn’t deserve a treat. In other families, a man disguised as St. Nicholas will visit the family or the child’s school alone or with his… sinister-looking alter ego Knecht Ruprecht [representing a demon or even the devil] to question the children about their behaviour…

“Children were often quite frightened of being questioned about their behaviour because they’ve been told that St. Nicholas will hurt them with his rod or even put them in a sack and take them away. Though the custom is in decline, in more Catholic regions, parents inform a local priest of naughty behaviour. The priest then pays a personal visit wearing the traditional Christian garb to threaten the little rugrats with a beating… He is usually pictured with a long white beard, a bishop’s mitre and a red cloak, sometimes with a sack over his shoulder and a rod in his hand…

“Santa Claus, or the Weihnachtsmann, usually comes to German homes – often in person – on the afternoon of Christmas Eve.”

As we can see, all of this is a conglomeration of pagan rites and “Christian” lies. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Don’t Keep Christmas.”

It was Satan’s goal from the outset to try to kill Christ physically and spiritually. Satan attempted to have Christ killed as a Child, including through Herod’s mass murder of young boys from two years old and under. If he had succeeded, this would have altered or even defeated God’s plan for a Saviour, but Satan’s attempt was thwarted by God, and Christ was protected as a Child in Egypt. We might even recall that Satan tried to wipe out all the Jews to prevent Christ from being born as a Jew from the tribe of Judah, but through Esther’s and Mordecai’s brave conduct, that plan was thwarted as well.

Later, Satan tried to defeat Christ spiritually, by tempting Him to sin. He knew that just one sin would have disqualified Christ from being our Saviour. After His baptism, Christ fasted for forty days and forty nights in the wilderness. Satan thought that that was the moment to strike, and that he had the upper hand. He did not realize that God allowed Satan to tempt Christ for the purpose of defeating Satan. After all, it was God the Father’s Spirit which led Christ into the wilderness to be tempted there by Satan.

We read in Matthew 4:1-2: “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.”

Satan felt confident that in Christ’s physically weakened state, he could get Him to sin and thus disqualify Him as Saviour of mankind. After Christ had fasted for such an unusually long period of time (the Bible only records that Elijah and Moses fasted that long—Moses even twice), He was very weak physically. But what Satan did not realize was that Christ was now very strong spiritually and extremely close to God. Christ had prepared Himself for Satan’s temptation through fasting, prayer and meditating on God’s Word.

However, Satan thought Christ’s weakened physical state and His hunger were His vulnerable points, and so the devil’s first temptation was to ask Christ to turn stones into bread. Satan reasoned that playing on physical needs and desires would be the best attack against a person who was almost dying of hunger because of such prolonged fasting.

Matthew 4:3-4 continues:  “Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, ‘If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.’ But He answered and said, ‘It is written, “MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD.”’”

First, Satan tried to appeal to vanity and selfishness, by questioning Christ’s status and position, saying, “IF you are the Son  of God.” He was hoping that Christ would respond by exclaiming, “What do you mean, ‘IF’? I’ll show you who I am,” and that He would then prove the point by turning the stones into bread.

This demonstrates Satan’s tactics. He first questioned the truth and appealed to human nature. He did so in the Garden of Eden, tempting Eve to question whether she should really obey God and refrain from eating the forbidden fruit. But where Eve failed, Christ succeeded. There was no vanity or the lust for selfish glory in Christ. How did Christ deflect Satan’s attack?  He used the Word of God by quoting Scripture.

Having been defeated with his first blow, Satan moved on to the next temptation.

Matthew 4:5-7 reports:  “Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: “HE SHALL GIVE HIS ANGELS CHARGE OVER YOU,” and, ‘IN THEIR HANDS THEY SHALL BEAR YOU UP, LEST YOU DASH YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.”’ Jesus said to him, ‘It is written again, “YOU SHALL NOT TEMPT THE LORD YOUR GOD.”’”

Notice Satan’s same tactic with the tempting question, “IF you are the Son of God…”, hoping for a better response than the first time. But now Satan added another element: He also quoted Scripture. However, he quoted the Word of God out of context, and he twisted the meaning. He is still doing the same today for gullible and ignorant people, and he is using his ministers to deceive those who do not understand the truth (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). They will quote Scripture too, but they will twist it and cite it out of context, to mislead people to think that they can continue to sin and disobey God and still inherit eternal life.

But in quoting the Word of God correctly and with the intended meaning, Christ responded to and deflected Satan’s second attack—as we must do today, when confronted by Satan’s ministers, who might be deceived themselves and who are deceiving others (2 Timothy 3:13).

Satan does not give up easily. He is not one to quickly throw in the towel, and so he put it all on the line with his next temptation.

Matthew 4:8-10 tells us:  “Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, ‘All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! For it is written, “YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND HIM ONLY YOU SHALL SERVE.”’”

Here is Satan’s real agenda revealed. He wanted Christ to worship him. It is important to understand Satan’s agenda of wanting to be worshipped as God. We read that before the creation of man, Satan attempted to depose and displace God and become (like) the Most High (Isaiah 14:14). He has deceived the whole world (Revelation 12:9) which, unknowingly, worships Satan as the “god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4; compare Revelation 13:4).

He wanted to be worshipped by Christ, and so he offered Him all the kingdoms of this world and all their glory for the prize of being worshipped. Christ did not dispute Satan’s claim that he and the demons under his command were the rulers of this world (compare Luke 4:6; John 14:30; Ephesians 6:12); He knew that this was so and that this was and is NOT (yet) God’s world—but it will be when God sets up His Kingdom here on earth at the time of Christ’s SECOND coming in power and great glory.

Satan tempted Christ by offering Him there and then all the glory of this world’s kingdoms. In other words, he was telling Christ, you don’t have to go through all that suffering by being rejected, betrayed and beaten, and you don’t have to die by crucifixion, and then have to wait some two thousand years to become the ruler over this world. He told Him: You can have it all now—without pain and suffering. And reading between the lines, he also told Christ in effect: You can change the world now by making this a better place and by converting the minds of people and by bringing peace, happiness and health, destroying all of man’s pain and suffering.

From a human perspective, this would sound appealing for the average person—and even for well-meaning individuals who do want to eradicate the miseries on this planet—but Christ, out of love for God and His Master Plan, turned down Satan’s offer by quoting Scripture once again.

Satan, having used the biggest guns as it were to try to get Christ to fall short of the mark and sin, withdrew from Him for a season or until “an opportune time” (Luke 4:13).

Matthew 4:11 concludes: “Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.”

As Jesus was near death because of hunger, the angels undoubtedly brought him food and drink. They also encouraged and congratulated Him for passing this test and defeating Satan’s temptations, as an angel of God would later encourage and strengthen Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, shortly before His arrest (Luke 22:41-44).

Through fasting and prayer and knowing and being able to quote God’s Word correctly in times of need, Christ was well armed to take on Satan. He had been clothed with the complete armor of God. Satan wants to destroy God’s people today, as He tried to destroy Christ. He is going around as a roaring lion, seeking whom he can devour—physically and spiritually (1 Peter 5:8). We must resist him, as Christ did (verse 9). Christ was protected by God’s armor, and so we need to be as well. This armor is described in this way in Ephesians 6:13-18:

“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all fervent prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication…”

Christ utilized the sword of the Word of God to deflect the temptations of Satan. This is a good lesson for us: The more we know our Bibles, the more we are in a position to defeat Satan’s attacks and evil devices.

Satan choose the time, just prior to Christ’s three-and-a-half years of public ministry, because he thought that because of His fasting, Christ was very vulnerable. He miscalculated His odds and while strictly focusing on His physical weakness, he underestimated Christ’s spiritual strength. Christ overcame Satan by using the sword of God’s Word and the power of God’s Spirit in Him. The encouraging truth is that we can use the same sword and the same Spirit of God to overcome Satan’s temptations, following Christ’s perfect example.

Lead Writers: Rene Messier and Norbert Link

The new member letter for December, written by Dave Harris, has been posted on the Web, and hard copies were sent out this week.

“Neu! Abrahams Herkunft und Berufung, Teil 1 (Abraham’s Ancestry and Calling, Part 1),” is the title of the new German sermon for this week. This is the first part on a series on Abraham. This part covers Genesis 11:10-Genesis 15:1. It discusses Abraham’s background and calling, his occasional lack of faith and his sins from time to time, and the lessons that he had to learn to grow in faith and become more and more righteous.

“America’s Disastrous Foreign Policy in Egypt” is the new StandingWatch program recorded by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary: The Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt is a violent Islamist organization which is kidnapping and torturing their opponents. It has become the best friend of the USA which is still supplying Egypt with battle tanks, jet fighters and billions of dollars in military aid. God strongly condemns the American policy of trying to buy friends and allies, which the Bible calls lovers. Far too often, they will turn around and become America’s bitter enemies. Egypt will be no exception.
 
StandingWatch Radio will air this program beginning on Sunday, January 6, 2013.