Update 633

On April 5, 2014, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “Why the Days of Unleavened Bread?”

The live services are available, over video and audio, at www.cognetservices.org (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time; 8:30 pm Greenwich Mean Time; 9:30 pm Central European Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

When you read this Editorial, we will have completed our Church Conference, and my wife and I will have been busy preparing for our trip to Germany. Before leaving our home, we will have finished deleavening our premises, as the Jews had to do at the time of Christ, before beginning their pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

Even though we might think more of the concept of our pilgrimage in respect to the Feast of Tabernacles in the Autumn, when we will live for eight days in temporary dwellings, our entire Christian life ought to be viewed as a pilgrimage, and it is therefore appropriate to apply this comparison to the upcoming Passover season as well. As Israel was saved from physical death during the Passover night and led out of Egyptian slavery on the First Day of Unleavened Bread, with the goal of ultimately entering the Promised Land, true Christians have been and are being saved from spiritual or eternal death through the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and they are leaving behind the captivity of sin with the goal of ultimately entering the Kingdom of God.

At times, the Bible compares sin with leaven, and if leaven is not removed, it grows and permeates the whole lump. In the same way, sin grows and spreads in our lives. The Days of Unleavened Bread picture our complete departure from sin, but this is impossible without God’s help. It is God who must fight our battles. According to tradition, Israel stood in front of the Red Sea on the Last Day of Unleavened Bread. They were completely helpless and in despair, when they saw Pharaoh’s army pursuing them. But God intervened miraculously and saved them from physical death or renewed physical captivity. Today, God is giving us—spiritual Israelites— spiritual victory over sin, if we submit to Him and let Him fight our spiritual battles for us.

A few weeks later, God gave Israel the Law of the Ten Commandments and other statutes and judgments. Following Jewish tradition, this happened on the Day of Pentecost. But ancient Israel was never offered the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is true that the people were supposed to keep the Ten Commandments according to the letter, but they were not able to keep them in spirit. Even though they could and should have refrained from killing someone else, they were not really able to eradicate all hatred from their lives. In New Testament times, God gave His Holy Spirit to His Church on the Day of Pentecost, enabling them to obey Him in the letter AND in spirit—to actually worship Him in spirit, as God is Spirit. God’s converted disciples are to apply and follow the spiritual dimensions of His Law, since the Law is spiritual.

When we, as baptized members of the Church of God, keep the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread, while focusing already on the Day of Pentecost, we ought to remember that everything we accomplish in this life is not because of our might and strength, but because of God’s grace and favor. Because of Christ’s great love for us, He died for us, when we were still sinners and God’s enemies. We did not deserve to be forgiven—God forgave us because of unmerited pardon. It is God who shows us the way out of sin and who enables us to follow His path. And it is God who gives us His Holy Spirit to empower us to obey Him in spirit and truth. In doing this, we can gladly focus on the Holy Days in the Autumn, beginning with the next dramatic event in the plan of God. This earth-shaking occurrence is pictured by the Feast of Trumpets and describes the return of Jesus Christ to establish God’s rule here on earth and to give us His gift of eternal life, by changing us from mortal human beings to immortal members of God’s Family.

How thankful must we be to God for His priceless and undeserved gifts.

We are continuing our report about the great dangers of the Russian bear’s expansion movements, while most Europeans and Americans and many of their leaders are sound asleep.

We address the freedom of the press; Hollywood’s freedom to butcher biblical truth; and the freedom of the NSA to spy on others.

We report on France’s move to the right and the outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in Africa; and we conclude with numerous articles reporting on recent earthquake activities which might lead to much more serious devastations to come.

“Pentagon Alarmed as Troops Mass Near Ukraine Border”

The Wall Street Journal wrote on March 28:

“Russian troops massing near Ukraine are actively concealing their positions and establishing supply lines that could be used in a prolonged deployment, ratcheting up concerns that Moscow is preparing for another major incursion and not conducting exercises as it claims, U.S. officials said. Such an incursion could take place without warning because Russia has already deployed the array of military forces needed for such an operation, say officials briefed on the latest U.S. intelligence.

“The rapid speed of the Russian military buildup and efforts to camouflage the forces and equipment have stoked U.S. fears, in part because American intelligence agencies have struggled to assess Russian President Vladimir Putin’s specific intentions. The troop movements and the concealment—involving covering up equipment along the border—suggest Mr. Putin is positioning forces in the event he decides to quickly expand his takeover of the Crimea peninsula by seizing more Ukrainian territory, despite Western threats of tighter sanctions…

“The U.S. believes Russia now has nearly 50,000 troops in position for possible operations, including those participating in the declared exercises along the Ukrainian border and those already inside Russian-controlled Crimea, officials said… A senior Ukrainian official said Thursday that the number of Russian troops in the area was closer to 100,000… Another senior military official said the Pentagon was increasingly worried that the Russians have moved into place additional supplies including food and spare parts that could both support an exercise or a military incursion into Ukraine. Putting in place the logistics support could allow Russian forces to sustain themselves if they were to cross into eastern Ukraine.”

How Russia Plays with the West

Deutsche Welle reported on March 31:

“The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies Monday that after completing maneuvers in the Kadamovsky range in the Rostov border region, a battalion from the central military district’s 15th motorized infantry brigade would return to its home region of Samara on the Volga… During a call Monday, Putin informed Merkel of the partial withdrawal that he had ordered, the chancellor’s spokesman said in a statement… German Defense Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Putin’s partial withdrawal order was ‘a small signal that the situation is becoming less tense.’”

The naivety of the West is astonishing and frightening at the same time.

BBC News added on April 1: “Nato is not seeing a Russian troop pullout from the border with Ukraine, the military alliance’s chief has said.”

The Washington Times wrote on April 2: “NATO’s top military leader warned Wednesday that Russia was ready enough to move on Ukraine that troops could be across the border within 12 hours of receiving the order to attack.”

Putin Calls Obama—No Mention of Crimea

The New York Times wrote on March 28:

“President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia reached out to President Obama on Friday to discuss ideas about how to peacefully resolve the international standoff over Ukraine, a surprise move by Moscow… But it remained uncertain whether Mr. Putin was seriously interested in a resolution that would go far enough to satisfy the United States, Ukraine and Europe, or instead was seeking a diplomatic advantage at a time when he has been isolated internationally. While the White House account of the call emphasized the possible diplomatic movement, the Kremlin’s version stressed Mr. Putin’s complaints about ‘extremists’ in Ukraine and introduced into the mix of issues on the table the fate of Transnistria, another pro-Russian breakaway province outside his borders.

“Neither American nor European officials expect Mr. Putin to easily reverse his seizure of Crimea, the largely Russian-speaking Ukrainian peninsula Moscow annexed last week after Russian troops took control there. Indeed, the Kremlin statement made no mention of Crimea, suggesting Mr. Putin considers the matter a fait accompli that is no longer up for discussion…”

No leader in the Western World is remotely as shrewd as Vladimir Putin. But at least some understand his tactics and actions better than others. See the next article.

Putin’s Actions Parallel Hitler’s Conduct

Der Spiegel Online wrote on March 31:

“On Monday, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble said he saw parallels between Vladimir Putin’s annexation of Crimea and Adolf Hitler’s land grab of Sudetenland. As Germany’s Mr. Euro, Wolfgang Schäuble is one of the country’s best-known politicians abroad. When the finance minister speaks, people generally tend to listen…

“Russian officials claim ethnic Russian residents of the peninsula are threatened by Ukraine. The Nazis argued similarly in… 1938 that ‘ethnic Germans’ in peripheral regions of what was then Czechoslovakia required protection.”

On the other hand, most Americans are as blind as most of their leaders, paralleling the ignorance of most citizens in other Western countries. Note the next article.

The Blindness of the Nations

CNN wrote on April 2:

“The vast majority of Americans say Vladimir Putin’s not honest or trustworthy, but according to a new national poll they don’t compare the Russian president’s actions in Ukraine with the land grabs in the years leading up to World War II by Germany’s Adolf Hitler.

“A Quinnipiac University survey released Wednesday indicates that only 24% of the public equates Putin’s annexing last month of neighboring Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula with Hitler’s actions, with 51% saying that’s too strong a comparison. Just over one in five admitted they don’t know enough about pre-Second World War history to answer the question.

“Early last month… at a fundraiser in Long Beach, California, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton compared Putin’s military intervention in Crimean to Hitler’s European aggression ahead of World War II.”

That Putin’s actions can be compared with Hitler’s “land grabs” leading up to World War II, there can be NO DOUBT. And as Hitler did not stop with just the “Anschluss” with Austria, so Putin will not stop with just the annexation of Crimea. He may patiently wait a little while until his opportunity presents itself. Note the next article.

Putin Won’t Stop with Crimea

National Journal wrote on March 30:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin will try to seize more territory beyond Crimea, a slim 54 percent majority of National Journal’s Security Insiders said. ‘There is nothing about the international response so far to his actions in Crimea that would discourage Putin from annexing additional portions of Ukraine,’ one Insider said. After Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimea, National Journal’s pool of national security experts believe Putin is eyeing more territory that was formerly under Moscow’s control. ‘Putin will make every attempt to secure his gains in Crimea by adding predominantly ethnic Russian territories in Ukraine and, quite possibly, Transnistria from Moldova,’ one Insider said. ‘Now that he has an appetite for conquest, Putin may find the idea of seizing further territory irresistible.’

“Poltava, another Insider noted, the site of Peter the Great’s victory over Charles XII of Sweden that established Russia as a major force, is in eastern Ukraine. ‘If Putin can grab Crimea for historical reasons, than Poltava can’t be far behind.’”

Will Putin Invade Finland?

The Independent wrote on April 1:

“After annexing Crimea and with troops massed on the border of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin will not stop trying to expand Russia until he has ‘conquered’ Belarus, the Baltic states and Finland, one of his closest former advisers has said. According to Andrej Illarionov, the President’s chief economic adviser from 2000 to 2005, Mr Putin seeks to create ‘historical justice’ with a return to the days of the last Tsar, Nicholas II, and the Soviet Union under Stalin.

“Speaking to the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet, Mr Illarionov warned that Russia will argue that the granting of independence to Finland in 1917 was an act of ‘treason against national interests’. ‘Putin’s view is that he protects what belongs to him and his predecessors,’ Mr Illarionov said…

“Mr Illarionov has helped draft a host of Russia’s economic policies in recent years, and served as Mr Putin’s personal representative at a number of G8 conferences. He is now a senior fellow at the Cato institute’s Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity in Washington. Finland is not a Nato member, meaning a Russian invasion would not be considered an attack against the alliance… The Scandinavian nation was part of the Russian empire for 108 years as an autonomous Grand Duchy.”

Germany’s Big Business with Russia

Bloomberg wrote on March 30:

“Chancellor Angela Merkel’s deputy chided Siemens AG Chief Executive Officer Joe Kaeser for traveling to Moscow, saying German companies shouldn’t sell out European values to protect business with Russia… While the European Union and the U.S. seek to punish Russia for annexing Crimea, many German corporate leaders view Putin as an economic partner… While Merkel has said Germany could withstand the economic impact of European economic sanctions against Russia, the heads of Adidas AG, ThyssenKrupp AG and Deutsche Post AG questioned the need for sanctions…

“ThyssenKrupp CEO Heinrich Hiesinger said ‘Russia felt cornered.’ Deutsche Post CEO Frank Appel said the U.S. and its allies had meddled ‘in the front yard of another big power’ and questioned calls by EU leaders including Merkel to review Europe’s energy ties with Russia…

“Kaeser said meeting with Putin showed that Munich-based Siemens, Europe’s biggest engineering company, ‘won’t be overly influenced by short-term turbulences’ involving Russia…”

This short-sighted and highly questionable approach by some of Germany’s powerful economic companies (including Krupp which has the controversial reputation of having conducted big business with Hitler) is, to an extent, mirrored by equally short-sighted and totally unrealistic and false statements by former German Chancellors Schmidt and Schroeder, trying to justify, explain or at least downplay Putin’s illegal actions. Note the next article.

German Shortsightedness and Anti-Americanism

Der Spiegel Online wrote on March 31:

“Is it acceptable for a person to be sympathetic towards or have an understanding for Russia’s actions in Crimea? Are Moscow’s claims justifiable? Did the West provoke Russian President Vladimir Putin? For weeks, this debate has dominated the public discussion in Germany like no other…  Nothing, it seems, is as polarizing as the question of whether Moscow’s annexation of Crimea was a justifiable reaction to NATO’s expansion into Eastern Europe or if it was acting in violation of international law, thus making any sympathy for the move unacceptable.

“Those expressing understanding for Russia’s move are clearly dominating the Internet forums and talk shows. One former German chancellor, Helmut Schmidt, even declared that the situation in Ukraine is dangerous ‘because the West has gotten so terribly worked up about it.’ The question of whether Putin’s actions were legitimate didn’t even seem to interest him. ‘I find it entirely understandable,’ he said. Another former chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, admitted that he himself hadn’t always respected international law…

“The soft-heartedness for Russia’s iron hand has many origins — some historic, some current, some idealistic and others material. The most obvious are the interests of business, because companies want to continue trading with Russia and therefore oppose sanctions. Other influencing factors include fears of a new cold or even hot war, historic ties to Russia and anti-American sentiment that is widespread in Germany…

“Klaus von Dohnanyi… is a conservative Social Democrat and enjoys widespread respect among CDU politicians as well. He is the personification of Germany’s political center… In an interview at a hotel in Berlin, Dohnanyi says that it wasn’t wise of Putin to annex Crimea. It would have been better, he continues, if the Russian president had used the referendum results to force Ukraine to become neutral. Nevertheless, he believes that the West must show Russia respect.

“Dohnanyi’s understanding for Russia is one side of his worldview. The other is his criticism of the United States. ‘The Americans often don’t have a sense for diplomacy and for Europe’s geopolitical problems,’ he says. The longer one listens to him, the greater the impression becomes that the Americans are the problem and not the Russians. ‘What has the situation produced? The situation has produced an attempt to bring Ukraine into NATO,’ he said in a talk show…

“As a consequence of so much understanding for Russia, the interests of Eastern European countries are often ignored… Today, it is the Ukrainians who are being sacrificed on the altar of sympathy for Russia. When the Polish government imposed martial law in 1981 and stepped up its fight against the opposition, the US initiated sanctions against the Soviet Union and Poland. Then-German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt of the SPD refused to join…”

German Anti-Americanism clouds the issues and ignores the real dangers. Germany will bitterly pay for such false ideologies.

Russia Is Winning in the Middle East

The Mosaic Magazine wrote on March 26:

“On March 19, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov warned that if the West imposed sanctions over the annexation of Crimea, Russia would retaliate by exacting a much greater price: it would throw its support to Iran in the nuclear talks…  the Kremlin sees itself as the great-power patron not just of the Assad regime but also of Iran and Hizballah—the entire Resistance Alliance… [Putin] will never sell out Tehran and Damascus in order to win compliments in Washington; if forced to choose, he will always side with the former against the latter, and will certainly leave them in no doubt that Russia is their most dependable friend in the United Nations Security Council. It is this fact that makes Russia a revisionist power in the Middle East and the permanent adversary of the United States…

“Putin has a strong track record of supporting some actions designed to prevent an Iranian bomb… he also has a strong track record of building the Iranian nuclear program and of providing security assistance to the Iranian military… On the key issue of stopping Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, he is never so supportive as to be taken for granted…

“No matter which course the president follows, the Ukraine crisis has damaged the prestige of the United States in the Middle East. America’s Arab friends in the region, who are on the front line against Iran, Syria, and Hizballah, already feel the pinch, and are deeply uncertain about how to respond…

“The ally who most immediately feels the fallout is Israel. On March 17, Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon described, with unusual bluntness, the consequences of what he called the ‘feebleness’ of American foreign policy. The Obama administration’s weakness, he argued, was undermining the position not just of Israel but also of America’s Sunni allies. ‘The moderate Sunni camp in the area expected the United States to support it, and to be firm, like Russia’s support for the Shiite axis,’ Yaalon lamented. Yaalon spoke no less despairingly of Obama’s ability to make good on his pledge to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon…

“Whether Israel actually has the political will and military capability to launch an independent strike against Iran is anybody’s guess. But two facts are undeniable. First, Putin’s muscular foreign policy and Washington’s timorous response have increased the pressure on Israel to strike independently. Second, Obama has lost influence over the Israelis—just as he lost influence over his Arab allies when he refused to back them on Syria.

“Adrift in Machiavelli’s no man’s land, neither a true friend nor a true enemy, Washington is left with the worst of both worlds, treated by its adversaries with contempt, charged by its friends with abandonment and betrayal… in the Middle East, Russia and its clients are winning and the United States, despite huge natural advantages, is losing.”

It is sad that when decisive American leadership is needed, the same is lacking or non-existent.

Catastrophic Consequences of Regional Nuclear War

CBS wrote on March 26:

“With an estimated 17,000 nuclear weapons in the world, we have the power to exterminate humanity many times over. But it wouldn’t take a full-scale nuclear war to make Earth uninhabitable, reports Live Science. Even a relatively small regional nuclear war, like a conflict between India and Pakistan, could spark a global environmental catastrophe, says a new study…

“Firestorms would belch over 5 million tons of ash into the sky. The ash would absorb the sun’s rays, causing deadly cooling on the surface… Rainfall and other precipitation would be reduced by about 10 percent, triggering worldwide droughts and leading to wildfires in the Amazon, which would spew more smoke into the atmosphere. The sky ash would heat the stratosphere and accelerate the chemical reactions that destroy the ozone layer. The intense ultraviolet radiation that would get through to the surface would be a dramatic threat to human health and damage fragile ecosystems on land and sea.”

Press Freedom Under Serious Attack

Daily Caller wrote on March 24:

“New York Times reporter James Risen called the Obama administration ‘the greatest enemy of press freedom that we have encountered in at least a generation’ on Friday, explaining that the White House seeks to control the flow of information and those who refuse to play along ‘will be punished’…

“Risen made the remarks while speaking at Sources and Secrets conference — a meeting of journalism, communication and government professionals held in New York City. The foreign policy reporter, who is currently fighting a fierce court battle with the federal government over his protection of a confidential source, warned that press freedom is under serious attack in today’s America… And the media has been ‘too timid’ in pushing back against the onslaught.”

Hollywood’s “Noah” and the Bible

Newsmax wrote on March 31:

“People expect to see literalism in Bible movies, says Fox News Channel’s Bill O’Reilly, so it isn’t surprising there has been adverse reaction to Darren Aronofsky’s blockbuster ‘Noah.’ On his show Monday, O’Reilly noted that conservative talk show host Glenn Beck had called the movie ‘dangerous disinformation.’…

“Chicago Sun-Times film critic Richard Roeper countered that ‘Noah’ is a big-budget picture that has to have a lot of elements to succeed, including the stone giants who protect Noah and help him build the ark… EWTN’s Arroyo said people were willing to give the film a chance, but then once they saw it on screen they were hit with Noah’s trying to kill his grandchildren because he thinks it is what God wants him to do. O’Reilly noted that the story in the Bible is dark. God is vengeful and says humans have spit in his face, he said.”

Stone giants protecting Noah? Noah trying to kill his grandchildren? Enough said.

Ongoing NSA Spying Scandal

AFP wrote on March 29:

“According to German news magazine Der Spiegel, the US National Security Agency kept a spy database on more than 100 world leaders. This included 300 files on German Chancellor Angela Merkel… The list was 122 names long, but only 12 of these names were shared with Spiegel…

“The Spiegel story also indicated that Britain’s GCHQ intelligence service infiltrated German internet firms and that the US National Security Agency (NSA) obtained a court order to spy on Germany.”

France’s Move to the Right

Deutsche Welle reported on March 31:

“The shake-up of Hollande’s deeply unpopular government comes after nationwide local elections on Sunday in which both the far-right National Front (FN) and the mainstream opposition party Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) made historic gains, while Hollande’s Socialists suffered some of their worst losses ever.

“The UMP, the party of former president Nicolas Sarkozy, snatched a number of towns long considered Socialist bastions, a performance that bodes well for its chances in national elections scheduled for 2017. The FN under Marine Le Pen also put it its best showing at the grassroots level of French government, winning control of 11 towns and more than 1,200 municipal seats nationwide.

“The results reflect the growing discontent in France with Hollande’s government, which came to power in 2012. Critics say it has been helpless in the face of a stagnant economy, persistently high unemployment and falling living standards in many quarters.”

Outbreak of Deadly Ebola Virus in Africa

BBC News reported on April 1:

“The WHO says 83 people in Guinea have died in suspected cases of Ebola, which is spread by close contact and kills between 25% and 90% of its victims. It has now spread to neighbouring Liberia, as well as Guinea’s capital, Conakry, which has a population of two million people… The traditional handshake is no longer a part of salutations in Guinea as people are really terrified of being infected with Ebola… The disease originated in the southern Forest Region where bats, a local delicacy, are thought be carriers of the virus. Their sale and consumption has been banned…

“‘We are facing an epidemic of a magnitude never before seen in terms of the distribution of cases,’ said Mariano Lugli, a co-ordinator in Guinea for the medical charity. ‘This geographical spread is worrisome because it will greatly complicate the tasks of the organisations working to control the epidemic.’… Sierra Leone has also reported five suspected cases, none of which have yet been confirmed, while Senegal, which also borders Guinea, has closed its land border. Saudi Arabia suspended visas for Muslim pilgrims from Guinea and Liberia on Tuesday, in a sign of the growing unease about the outbreak… The tropical virus leads to haemorrhagic fever, causing muscle pain, weakness, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in severe cases, organ failure and unstoppable bleeding.”

Big Los Angeles Earthquake Just a Preview?

The Los Angeles Times wrote on March 28:

“The 5.1 magnitude earthquake that rattled Southern California on Friday night raises the possibility that a larger quake is on the way, seismologists said. The swarm of earthquakes began at 8:03 p.m., when a 3.6 earthquake hit. That ended up being a foreshock of the largest earthquake to hit, a magnitude 5.1 at 9:09 p.m. At least two more aftershocks hit, a 3.4 at 9:11 p.m. and a 3.6 at 9:30 p.m.… The quake was felt over a large swath of the region…”

The Los Angeles Times added on March 30:

“Experts say a bigger earthquake along the lesser-known fault that gave Southern California a moderate shake could do more damage to the region than the long-dreaded ‘Big One’ from the more famous San Andreas Fault. The Puente Hills thrust fault, which brought Friday night’s magnitude-5.1 quake centered in La Habra and well over 100 aftershocks by Sunday, stretches from northern Orange County under downtown Los Angeles into Hollywood — a heavily populated swath of the Los Angeles area.

“A magnitude-7.5 earthquake along that fault could prove more catastrophic than one along the San Andreas, which runs along the outskirts of metropolitan Southern California, seismologists said. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that such a quake along the Puente Hills fault could kill 3,000 to 18,000 people and cause up to $250 billion in damage. In contrast, a larger magnitude 8 quake along the San Andreas would cause an estimated 1,800 deaths…

“Part of the problem with the potential damage is that the fault runs near so many vulnerable older buildings, many made of concrete, in downtown Los Angeles and Hollywood. And because the fault, discovered in 1999, is horizontal, heavy reverberations are likely to be felt over a wide area.The shaking from a 7.5 quake in the center of urban Los Angeles could be so intense it would lift heavy objects in the air…”

Big Earthquakes Will Strike

The Christian Science Monitor wrote on March 28:

“John Dvorak, a geophysicist who now works at an astronomical observatory in Hawaii, warns that a quake break can just be the calm before the earthquake storm… As he notes in an interview, plenty of other parts of the country are vulnerable to earthquakes, including the Northwest, the Midwest, the South and – yes – even the Big Apple… earthquakes, even large ones, tend to cluster in time and space. An earthquake storm is when there is a cluster of large earthquakes in a region occur over a period of several decades.

“The best examples are the earthquakes that are now happening in northern Turkey along the North Anatolian fault. The storm began in 1939. Since then there have been 13 major earthquakes, and scientists expect at least one more major earthquake is yet to happen at the west end near Istanbul… The last major earthquake to strike Istanbul was in 1509.  The next one is expected in the next few decades.

“There is also an earthquake storm happening at the eastern end of the Indian Ocean. It began in 2001 with a magnitude-7.9 event and includes the disastrous December 2004 earthquake that struck Sumatra. In total, there have been seven major earthquakes there since 2001, and at least a few more are expected…

“Most of the motion between the Pacific and North American plates occurs along coastal California. In the last hundred years, there has been only one significant earthquake along those plates: the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, also known as the World Series earthquake. But during the previous hundred years before that, there were five significant earthquakes along the California coast, in 1812, 1838, 1857, 1868, and 1906. Large earthquakes are the major means by which seismic energy gets released after building up between the two tectonic plates. And so one or more large earthquakes are in California’s future. It is a matter of when…

“Alaska is the most seismically active place in the United States, followed by California. In third place is Utah, fourth is Hawaii. And there is a big seismic potential in the Pacific Northwest. There is also the New Madrid area in southeast Missouri where a series of four major earthquakes struck in 1811 and 1812. A repeat of those events will cause major damage in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas. There’s also New York and New England. The largest historic earthquake in New York occurred beneath New York Harbor in 1884. It was felt along most of the East Coast. The largest New England earthquake occurred in 1755 off the coast at Cape Ann. It is still a mystery why earthquakes occur in these areas.”

Major Earthquake Strikes Chile

BNO News reported on April 2:

“A major earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 8.0 struck off the coast of northern Chile on Tuesday evening, prompting tsunami warnings for Pacific coastlines in the region, seismologists and officials said. The 8.0-magnitude at 6:46 p.m. local time was centered about 83 kilometers (52 miles) northwest of Iquique, the capital of the Tarapaca Region in northern Chile. It struck about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) deep, making it extremely shallow, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

Reuters added on April 2:

“A major earthquake of magnitude 8.2 struck off the coast of  northern Chile on Tuesday, causing five deaths and triggering a tsunami that pounded the shore with 2-meter-tall waves.”

This earthquake was followed on Wednesday, April 2, by a 7.8 earthquake.

The Ring of Fire

ABC News added on April 2:

“The 8.2 earthquake that shook northern Chile and surrounding countries late Tuesday night was one of a string of recent earthquakes along what is known as the ‘Ring of Fire,’ a circle of quake-prone areas on the Pacific Rim. A magnitude 5.1 quake hit Los Angeles last week, followed by aftershocks along the California coast… Both cities lie along the so-called Ring of Fire, where two plates underneath the earth’s surface occasionally bump up against other plates… The 9.0 magnitude quake that hit Japan and cause the Fukushima meltdown in 2011 was on the Pacific’s Ring of Fire… The most susceptible areas on the Ring of Fire include such populated cities as Santiago, Chile; Los Angeles and San Francisco, California; Seattle, Washington; Tokyo, Japan; and Lima, Peru.”

Powerful Earthquake at Yellowstone

NBC News reported on March 30:

“A 4.8 magnitude earthquake rocked Yellowstone National Park in Montana early Sunday…the quake, which hit at 6:34 a.m. local time, was centered almost in the middle of Yellowstone National Park, near the Norris Geyser Basin… Jessica Turner, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Service, said the quake was the most powerful to hit the park since 1985…”

Is Yellowstone’s Supervolcano About to Blow?

Epoch Times wrote on April 2:

“A number of bloggers are posting videos that show bison and other animals allegedly leaving Yellowstone National Park, prompting theories that as earthquakes ramp up the seismic activity will set off the Yellowstone supervolcano. Two of the main bloggers behind the discussion stress that there’s no way to know when the supervolcano will go off but note that the 4.8 magnitude earthquake that hit on March 30 seemed to set off a reaction from the animals, who are moving for a reason…

“A series of smaller quakes have hit the region over the past few weeks, and those quakes have been linked to the recent 5.1 magnitude quake (and aftershocks) that hit in the Los Angeles region. Tom Lupshu, who describes himself as a “noted Ohio survivalist and search-and-rescue expert,” said on YouTube that nearly one quarter of the northern elk herd at Yellowstone National Park are missing, according to the annual winter count… ‘The more the Earthquakes in the region, the more are the chances of the volcano being activated from its dormant state. Last time an earthquake struck in 1980…’

“Researchers recently discovered that the supervolcano is far bigger than previously thought, about 2.5 times… The findings point to the potentially disastrous consequences if the volcano were ever to blow… the Yellowstone Volcano is still active, and… nothing can be done to prevent an eruption.”

The Great Alaska Earthquake

Quartz wrote on March 30:

“Fifty years ago this week, the Great Alaska Earthquake ravaged the Pacific Northwest, killing more than 100 people. Nine-tenths of those weren’t caused by the earthquake, though, but by a series of tsunamis that pummeled the coast, one of which towered 219 feet (66 meters) high. They come taller than that, though. The 1958 tsunami that ripped through Lituya Bay, a sleepy fjord near the Gulf of Alaska, was eight times bigger…

“Calamity struck at 10pm on July 9, 1958, when a 8.0-Richter-scale earthquake rammed the Alaskan coast up and northward. That impact shook free between 40 million and 60 million cubic yards (30.6 million and 46 million cubic meters) of rock and ice that rimmed the Lituya basin, dumping it 3,000 feet into the bay below. The 1,720-foot monster that reared up as a result shot through the bay at 100 miles per hour (161 kilometers per hour)…”

In our last Q&A, we stated that the rich ruler in Luke 18:18-23 (and in the parallel passage in Mark 10:17-22), who was unwilling to sell all he had, “turned down an opportunity to become a minister.” But is this conclusion correct, as the Bible only says specifically that Jesus asked him to “follow Him,” without expressly stating that He wanted to ordain him to the ministry?

It is true that Jesus made some very general statements about following Him, requiring of all His disciples to follow Him. He said in Matthew 16:24: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” He also said in John 8:12: “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

We also read about a general statement about His apostles, in Matthew 19:28, when answering Peter’s question what the apostles would receive who had left everything: “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration (Luther translates: “when you are born again”), when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

It is true, of course, that all of His disciples will have rulership positions in the Kingdom of God, but here, He was specifically addressing the apostles.

We should note, however, that when Christ speaks directly TO a disciple and commands him to follow Him, it appears that He does so exclusively for the purpose of calling that disciple into the ministry.

Some commentaries agree that Christ offered the rich ruler a ministerial position. They point out that Christ’s command to the rich ruler to sell everything that he had  was specifically given to that ruler because Christ saw that one thing was lacking in his qualification to become a minister, and that one thing was his love for money and his trust in riches (compare Mark 10:24). Note the following statements concluding that Christ was indeed calling the ruler into the ministry.

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible writes: “Follow me – To follow Jesus then meant to be a personal attendant on his ministry; to go about with him from place to place, as well as to imitate and obey him.”

Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible is even clearer, stating:  “…come and follow me – be my disciple, and I will appoint thee to preach the kingdom of God to others. This was the usual call which Christ gave to his disciples… and it is pretty evident, from this, that he intended to make him a preacher of his salvation.”

In support of this conclusion, Clarke refers to certain passages, which show that on each of those occasions, Christ’s “invitation” to “follow” Him refers to a call to the ministry and to the obligations of a minister.

For instance, we read in Matthew 4:19 that Christ spoke to Peter and Andrew: “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” In Matthew 8:21-22, He said to one of His disciples: “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” As this was already a disciple of Christ, His remark to follow Him included obviously more than just “mere” discipleship. The parallel passage in Luke 9:59-60 makes this point even more compelling, as He is quoted as telling the man: “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and PREACH the kingdom of God.” Christ was offering him a ministerial position at that point in time, and He was telling him not to wait several years until after his parents had died.

In Matthew 9:9, Christ used the same expression (“Follow Me”) when He addressed Matthew, the tax collector, and called him to become an apostle: “As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, ‘Follow Me.’ And he arose and followed Him.” Clarke also quotes the parallel passage in Mark 2:14, where Matthew is identified as “Levi the son of Alphaeus.”

Another example where Christ’s statement to an individual disciple to “follow” Him clearly referred to a calling to the ministry and apostleship can be seen in John 1:43, where Christ found Philip and told him: “Follow Me.” 

It is interesting that all of these named disciples (Peter and Andrew; Matthew or Levi; and Philip who did follow Christ’s “invitation,” were later numbered among the twelve apostles (Matthew 10:1-4), and they were ordered to preach the kingdom of God (Luke 9:1-2).

In John 21:19, 22, Christ reiterates the great and ongoing ministerial responsibility to Peter when He tells Him twice after His resurrection: “Follow Me” and “You follow Me” (John 21:19, 22). He had just told Peter three times to “Feed My lambs”; “Tend My sheep”; and “Feed My sheep” (John 21:15, 16, 17).

Returning to Christ’s statement to the rich ruler to follow Him, it appears that He was indeed willing to call him into the ministry, but sadly, the ruler loved money more than God and he rejected this unique opportunity to follow Christ as a minister and to perhaps later become even one of His apostles. In refusing to accept his ministerial calling, Christ pointed out that it will be very difficult for a rich person to even enter the kingdom of God (Luke 18:25-26; Mark 10:23-25).

Lead Writers: Norbert Link and Brian Gale

We have just finished a very successful and highly productive Church Conference, conducted in San Diego, California. Look for more details in our April Member Letter.

Norbert and Johanna Link will travel to Germany on April 7th. Plans are being made for counseling brethren as well as conducting services for Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread along with finalizing organizational arrangements for the Church in Germany. Michael Link will also travel to Germany for Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread and assist with Church functions and organizational arrangements. Several baptisms are anticipated, and Norbert Link is scheduled to officiate at a church wedding on May 1. Norbert and Johanna Link will return to the US on May 5, 2014.

Brian and Jill Gale are staying following the Conference, and Mr. Gale will conduct Passover services in Ramona, California. Rene and Delia Messier will travel to Oregon for Passover and the beginning of Unleavened Bread. Passover Services will be conducted by the ministry in Fort Collins, Colorado, as well.

“One Nation Under WHAT God?,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

What God are we worshipping? Is it enough to believe in just any “god”? Does the true God of the Bible accept our worship of pagan idols? Does He want us to worship Him as just one Person, or as three Persons in one Person, or as one Person in three hypostases or modes of being? Who and what IS God? Who was and is Jesus Christ? Are the Jews or the Moslems correct, who worship just one God Being, or orthodox Christians, who worship a Trinity, believing that the Holy Spirit is God? Or are they perhaps ALL wrong?

“Warum die Tage der Ungesaeuerten Brote?,” is the title of this week’s German sermon. In Enlish, the title is, “Why the Days of Unleavened Bread?”