On August 2, 2014, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “Blessings.”

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.

The apostle Paul spoke of problems he faced because of false brethren (2 Corinthians 11:26). These were those who tried to withstand the Truth of God by teaching doctrines from their own imagination. The conflict over circumcision as recorded in Acts 15 is an example, and the letter Paul wrote to the Galatians shows how pervasive this false teaching was.
 
Jesus, in the parable of the wheat and the tares (Matthew 13:24-30), reveals that not everyone within the Church of God fellowship would be of the same mind. Still, even with these warnings considered, we are also to understand that the Church is comprised of true brethren!
 
The calling from God that leads us to become His begotten children also establishes us as brethren. In fact, we are now brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ (compare Hebrews 2:12-13).
 
We can test ourselves by taking our lead from the Word of God. An especially challenging presentation for us is in Romans 12. If we are actively following these instructions, then we are fulfilling the requirements to be counted among those who are true brethren.
 
Of special note is verse 10: “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another…”
 
You know, every once in a while we need to be reminded to do this in more deliberate ways. We have the opportunity to assemble together on the weekly Sabbath and the annual Feast Days to help us develop within the Family of God—that is, to grow in godliness toward one another.
 
In spite of those who contended with him, Paul kept his focus on the true brethren, and what he wrote finds its full application even today:
 
“We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer…” (2 Thessalonians 1:3-5).

Growing concern about the spread of the deadly Ebola virus begins our reporting; North Korea’s threats draw attention along with their behind-the-scenes arms sales; “crisis” was a much used word to describe the war between Palestinians and Israelis and concern over the conflict in Ukraine.

Ebola Crisis Spreads

Herald Sun reported on July 31:

“A leading medical charity has warned that the outbreak of the deadly west African Ebola virus is out of control and there are fears it ‘can only get worse’. 
 
“Doctors Without Borders (MSF) says the crisis gripping Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone could spread to other continents and warns there is no overarching strategy to handle the world’s worst-ever outbreak of the disease.

“Amid rising fears that the deadly virus could spread to the US, there are already plans to subject even healthy Americans into forced quarantine in the event of an Ebola pandemic.

“Western doctors are now on the lookout for symptoms of the disease after the death of US citizen Patrick Sawyer, who travelled through a major transport hub in Nigeria[,] prompted fears that the disease could spread to the US.

“Symptoms of the disease, which has anywhere from a 50 to 90 per cent mortality rate, include headache, fever, joint and muscle aches, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, and lack of appetite.

“There are now fears that the deadly and highly contagious virus will be passed on through air travel.”

North Korea Threatens US

Yahoo News wrote on July 28:

“A top-ranking North Korean military official has threatened a nuclear strike on the White House and Pentagon after accusing Washington of raising military tensions on the Korean peninsula.

“The threat came from Hwang Pyong-So, director of the military’s General Political Bureau, during a speech to a large military rally in Pyongyang Sunday on the anniversary of the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War.

“Hwang, who holds the rank of vice marshal in the Korean People’s Army, said a recent series of South Korea-US military drills, one of which included the deployment of a nuclear-powered US aircraft carrier, had ramped up tensions.

“‘If the US imperialists threaten our sovereignty and survival… our troops will fire our nuclear-armed rockets at the White House and the Pentagon — the sources of all evil,’ Hwang said in his speech broadcast Monday on state television.”

While no one believes North Korea actually possesses the capability to deliver on these threats, the next article shows what they can do to create problems which nag at the heels of American influence.

North Korea Arms Hammas

National Post reported on July 27:

“Hamas is attempting to negotiate a new arms deal with North Korea for missiles and communications commitment that will allow it to maintain its offensive against Israel, according to Western security sources.

“Security officials say the deal between Hamas and North Korea is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and is being handled by a Lebanese-based trading company with ties to the militant Palestinian organization.

“Hamas officials are believed to have already made an initial cash downpayment to secure the deal and are hoping that North Korea will soon begin shipping extra supplies of weapons to Gaza.

“’Hamas is looking for ways to replenish its stocks of missiles because of the large numbers it has fired at Israel in recent weeks,’ said a security official. ‘North Korea is an obvious place to seek supplies because Pyongyang already has close ties with a number of militant Islamist groups in the Middle East.’

“Using intermediaries based in Lebanon, Hamas officials are said to be intensifying their efforts to sign a new agreement with Pyongyang to provide hundreds of missiles together with communications equipment that will improve the ability of Hamas fighters to coordinate operations against Israeli forces.”

Mid-East Crisis: Death and Blame

BBC reported on July 30:

“Israel attacked a UN-run school housing refugees in Gaza despite warnings that civilians were there, the UN has said.

“UN spokesman Chris Gunness said ‘the world stands disgraced’ by the attack, in which 15 died and dozens were hurt.

“Israel said an initial inquiry suggested soldiers responded to mortar fire. It called a partial, four-hour humanitarian ceasefire but Hamas, which controls Gaza, said it was meaningless.

“More than 1,300 Palestinians and 55 Israelis have died in the conflict.

“Most of the Palestinian deaths have been civilians.

“Fifty-three Israeli soldiers have been killed along with two civilians. A Thai worker in Israel has also died.

“Israel launched its offensive in Gaza after a surge in rocket fire from the territory.

“Hamas says it will not stop fighting until the blockade, maintained by both Israel and Egypt, is lifted.”

The Globe And Mail wrote on July 30 contrasting the differing positions of the US and Canada:

“The United States is condemning Israel’s shelling of a U.N. school in the Gaza Strip that was sheltering displaced Palestinians.

“It’s the sharpest criticism the U.S. has levelled at Israel over the more than three weeks of fighting between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza.

“White House spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan says the U.S. is also ‘extremely concerned’ that thousands of Palestinians aren’t safe in U.N.-designated shelters in Gaza even though Israel’s military has told them to evacuate their homes.

“Prime Minister Stephen Harper reiterated his government’s hard line on Hamas Wednesday, saying the organization is solely responsible for the death and destruction in Gaza following almost a month of fighting between Israel and Hamas militants.

“’Obviously no one likes to see the suffering and loss of life that has occurred,’ Harper told reporters in Air Ronge.

“’That said, we hold the terrorist organization Hamas responsible for this. They have initiated and continue this conflict and continue to seek the destruction of the state of Israel.’”

Kerry Creates More Crisis

TPM wrote on July 28:

“Obama administration officials were fuming Monday over a torrent of Israeli criticism of Secretary of State John Kerry’s latest bid to secure a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.

“In unusually harsh language, officials said the criticism of Kerry could put the relationship between the U.S. and Israel in jeopardy. They also said the personal attacks on Kerry crossed a line and were particularly disappointing at a time of active conflict.

“Israeli media commentators have leveled almost nonstop criticism at Kerry in recent days over his attempts to bring Qatar and Turkey — two countries viewed by Israel as strong Hamas supporters — into the cease-fire negotiations. Kerry was also being accused of abandoning some of Israel’s key demands during the negotiations.

“In trying to implement the cease-fire over the weekend, ‘U.S. Secretary of State of State John Kerry ruined everything,’ wrote columnist Ari Shavit in Monday’s Haaretz, Israel’s leading liberal newspaper. ‘Very senior officials in Jerusalem described the proposal that Kerry put on the table as a ‘strategic terrorist attack’.”

Putin’s “Little Green Men”

Foreignpolicy.com reported on July 30:

“As Malaysia Airlines’ 298 passengers died over the skies of eastern Ukraine, so did the last trace of hope that Russian President Vladimir Putin would back down from his support of eastern Ukraine’s separatist rebels or agree to a negotiated settlement to the seven-month-long conflict. Since the deadly incident, it is no longer in doubt whether or not the future of eastern Ukraine — or Novorossiya (New Russia), as pan-Slavic nationalists call it — will be decided by force. The only question remaining is how deadly the fight will be.

“At the moment, the government in Kiev is ramping up its fight to reclaim Ukraine’s restive eastern regions. At the same time, thousands of Russian troops are amassed along Ukraine’s eastern border, and not just the elite Airborne or Spetsnaz troops that took over Crimea in February, but also units designed to fight conventional wars and armies, like Ukraine’s. The result could be explosive.

“There was little Ukraine could do to stop the “little green men” who invaded Crimea. By the time Kiev had realized what was going on, Russia’s most elite and best-trained Naval Infantry, Airborne, and Spetsnaz troops (including the new Senezh unit, which seized the Crimean parliament) had prevented Ukrainian reinforcements from entering Crimea. But the separatist militiamen in eastern Ukraine, despite being equipped, trained, and funded by Moscow, are a different story. There, Kiev retains a vast advantage in firepower, [material], and troops, along with the implicit backing of the international community against an increasingly fragmented and uncoordinated separatist movement.”

Vladimir Putin is playing a very high stakes game, and it now seems inevitable to avoid a major conflict in Ukraine–an action that will only serve to further unify European plans for creating their own powerful military!

Before answering this question, here is some background first:

The Church of England website stated the following (as at 14th July 2014):

“The General Synod of the Church of England has today given its final approval for women to become bishops in the Church of England.   The vote in the General Synod on the measure was carried by the required two-thirds majority in the three constituent parts of the Synod:  the House of Bishops, the House of Clergy and the House of Laity.  This means the first woman bishop could potentially be appointed by the end of the year.

“Today’s vote comes 18 months after the proposal was last voted upon in November 2012 when the proposal failed to achieve the required two thirds majority in the House of Laity.

“The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said:

“‘Today is the completion of what was begun over 20 years (ago) with the ordination of women as priests. I am delighted with today’s result. Today marks the start of a great adventure of seeking mutual flourishing while still, in some cases disagreeing.’”

It is interesting that 18 months ago the vote went against the approval for women to become bishops in the Church of England.   There were tears and recriminations at that time but the revised proposals were approved on 14 July (2014).   It appears that the powers that be, and their supporters, were determined to get their way and this paid off in the end.   Interestingly, there will not be a third vote now that approval has been given, showing that this issue was only going to go one way.

In just over 20 years, women have been ordained to the ministry in the Church of England (and many other churches) and the pressure for higher positions has now paid off.

In our weekly Update 120 for the week ending December 5th, 2003, we discussed the subject in our Q&A, “Sermons by Women?” and showed that the ordination of women to the office of minister and bishop is not allowed by Scripture. Is it sexism or favouritism that the true Church of God takes an entirely different view than for instance the Church of England?  

In the Update, the question of women giving sermons was covered and our free booklet “The Keys to Happy Marriages and Families!” was quoted in this respect.   In the final paragraph of this previous Q&A, it stated: “The message of Scripture is unambiguous: Christian women are not to teach Biblical or spiritual matters in church or in a public forum.”

We clarified what we meant by “public forum,” as follows: “… women are not to teach Biblical or spiritual matters in a public forum, such as television, the Internet, or the printing press… In today’s world of mass communication, churches often use radio, television, the printing press or even the Internet to publish spiritual material. Women should not deliver sermons on radio or television, either, nor should they write Biblical, prophetic, ecclesiastical or spiritual articles…”

When women are ordained to the ministry in any church, they will inevitably be involved in preaching and having authority in services.

We now want to add further information:

There is authority in the God Family.   We read in John 5:19-20 that Jesus said: “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.   For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.”    Jesus also said in John 14:28: “You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.”    This verse shows that there is a line of authority in the Family of God – the Father and then the Son – but they are always unified in approach.  

Mr Herbert W Armstrong wrote in “Mystery of the Ages,” 1985 edition, pages 40 and 41 the following (selective quotes for sake of brevity –  and our emphasis with underlining):

“The Word and God LIVED. What did they do? They created. How did they live-what was their ‘life-style’? They lived the way of their perfect character-the way of outflowing LOVE. When Jesus was baptized, God the Father said, ‘You are my beLOVED Son.’ God LOVED the Word. And the Word LOVED God–obeyed him completely.

“When the only conscious Life-Beings existed, God was leader–in authoritative command. Thus, even when the only conscious Life-Beings were God and the Word, there was GOVERNMENT with God in supreme command. The government of God is of necessity government from the top down. It cannot be ‘government by the consent of the governed.’ Its laws originate and are handed down from God-never legislated by the people-never dictated by the governed how the government over them shall rule them. Since they created other conscious, thinking life-beings, this very fact of necessity put the GOVERNMENT of God over all creation, with God supreme Ruler.”

We can compare this difference of position with the marriage relationship where a husband and wife have different responsibilities.   A husband is the leader, the head of the wife and is in a higher position of authority, but he is no better by such instruction than his wife (see Ephesians 5:22-25).

Quoting again from page 10 of our booklet “The Keys to Happy Marriages and Families!,” we read: “The Bible makes it very clear, however, that the husband is supposed to be the leader of the family—not a dictator, not a tyrant, not a proud and arrogant brute—but rather, he was made by God to lead the family. And if he leads in a Godly way, the wife will have little or no difficulty in following.”

As there is authority in the God Family, there is also authority in the human family. And there is also authority in the Church of God. That authority relates to the fact that the Church is not organized as a democracy, where members “vote,”  but it is a hierarchical theocracy—with authority from the top down. God the Father is over all with Jesus Christ under Him. Under Christ, there is the ministry, which is also organized hierarchically (compare Ephesians 4:11; 1 Corinthians 12:28). Further, Christ tells us clearly how Church services should be conducted, and who should or should not preach.

Our above-quoted booklet also states on pages 14 and 15 additional information, which relates to official Church services (This is not applicable, of course, to informal social gatherings of men and women which events do not constitute formal Church services):

“‘Rienecker’s Lexikon zur Bibel points out, under “Women,” ‘The relationship between man and woman, ordained by God, can also be seen in the role of service and function within the church. Women do prophecy (1 Corinthians 11:5; Acts 21:9), but only men are specifically referred to as prophets (v. 10). Paul does not allow the women to teach, that is, to fill the office of teacher in the church (1 Timothy 2:12). It is different when Apollos is introduced more fully, in a personal conversation with Aquilla and Priscilla, to the teachings of God. (Acts 18:26).’

“Jamieson, Fausset and Brown state in regard to 1 Corinthians 14:34–35, ‘For women to speak in public would be an act of independence, as if they were not subject to their husbands (cf. Chapter 11:3; Ephesians 5:22; Titus 2:5; 1 Peter 3:1)… Women may say, “But if we do not understand something, may we not ‘ask’ a question publicly so as to ‘learn’”? Nay, replies Paul, if you want information, “ask” not in public, but “at home”: ask not other men, but your own particular (so the Greek) husbands.’

“Jamieson, Fausset and Brown comment on 1 Timothy 2:11–12, ‘Learn—not teach… She should not even put questions in the public assembly… She might teach, but not in public (Acts 18:26).’”

These passages relate to official and formal Church services and pre-suppose two things—that both the husband and the wife are converted, and that the husband does know the answers. When the husband does not know the answers, then the ministry ought to be consulted.

We continue with the quote from our above-mentioned booklet, to also cite some general remarks pertaining to the relationship between a husband and his wife, which show the establishment of considerate, proper, merciful, kind and selfless loving authority:

“The Scriptures make it very clear that a woman is not to assert authority over her husband. God chided Old Testament Israel for having permitted women to rule over men (Isaiah 3:12). Husbands are to exert proper authority over their wives. They must do so with Godly love and they must never abuse that authority. But, as it is shameful for a wife to exert authority over her husband, and especially in public, so it is shameful for the husband to let his wife exert authority over him.

“In 1 Corinthians 11:7–8 we read, ‘…woman is the glory of man. For man is not from woman, but woman from man.’ The woman was created by God to be a helper of her husband —not to take over her husband’s role and exert authority over him. God did not create the wife to tell her husband what to do, and to become angry when her husband selflessly decides, after careful deliberation, meditation, and prayer, not to do a particular thing.”

Reading, or re-reading this booklet, will give a lot of further information and guidance on this subject.

And so we might ask why especially our Western society, and many women, seems to ignore the “Instruction Manual” that God gave for everyone’s well-being?

We would offer the following reasons which may contribute to the ignoring of clear Biblical instruction:

1. The largest Christian group, the Roman Catholic Church, believes that  “Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture make up a single sacred deposit of the Word of God…” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 97).  Their reasoning is that “the apostles left bishops as their successors.  They gave them their own position of teaching authority.” (Par. 77).  “This living transmission, accomplished through the Holy Spirit, is called tradition . . . ” (Par. 78).  “Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence.” (Par. 82). Although on the question of women in the ministry, the Catholic Church does not agree with such ordinations, nevertheless they can make up their minds on any matter with the outcome becoming their tradition; e.g., Sunday worship instead of the observance of the Sabbath, amongst many.  Most other churches use the same approach where what they feel to be right may be implemented.   In the recent Church of England vote, Scriptural instruction was ignored.

2. The antipathy of anything Biblical by society in general.   In many cases the Bible is seen as irrelevant, so why take notice of what it has to say?

3. The argument that as society has changed so should the church in relation to modern cultural norms.   So why not have women priests and bishops?

4. The rise of aggressive feminism where it is insisted that women should not be excluded from any job or employment opportunity, including in a religious setting. We realize, of course, that the sometimes horrible misuse and physical and mental abuse of male “authority” has given rise to female “reaction” of “excessive feminism.” This warning also applies to some men in God’s Church today who literally abuse their wives, at least mentally, erroneously thinking that they are thereby following God’s directive. NOTHING could be further from the truth! But this does not justify, of course, the ordination of women to the ministry, as two wrongs don’t make a right.

5. The obsession with equality.   For example, homosexuality and same sex marriage are equal in law with heterosexuality and a marriage of the God-ordained relationship of a man and a woman.   Any resistance to the current norm is dealt with by sanctions and hostility.   Therefore, any disagreement to women priests and ordinations is treated more and more with contempt and derision by our Western society in general.

We must always take our instructions from the Word of God, and it is clear from all of the evidence that the Bible gives us that women should not be ordained to the ministry and become bishops.

Lead Writers: Brian Gale (United Kingdom) and Norbert Link

“When and How Will Christ Return?,” is the title of our newest booklet, which has now entered its second review cycle. We plan to have this published by the time of the Feast of Tabernacles.

Norbert and Johanna Link are continuing their travels, and they will be in Fort Collins, Colorado, this Sabbath. Mr. Link will give the sermon, which will be a live transmission.

“Haben Wir Gott Vergessen?,” is the title of this week’s German sermon. In English the title is, “Did We Forget God?”

On July 26, 2014, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “How Strong Is Your Faith?”

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.

It is so easy to forget. Especially when one gets older. I may phone someone with a particular purpose in mind, but after being side-tracked during the conversation, I can forget  what I had called about.  It can just “slip” my mind. I try to write down the previous night, or at the beginning of a new working day, what important issues have to be dealt with… lest I forget. But sometimes I forget to prepare or to look at my notes which would have helped me not to forget…

Apart from physical shortcomings like these, we are very clearly told not to be forgetful in spiritual matters.

For instance, we are admonished: “But do not forget to do good and to share” (Hebrews 13:16).  We are also encouraged not to forget to be hospitable (Hebrews 13:2). Proverbs 4:5 tells us: “Do not forget, nor turn away from the words” of wisdom. Many in biblical times had forgotten a very important cause for trials (Hebrews 12:4-6); and, even worse, they had “forgotten” that they were “cleansed” from their “old sins” (2 Peter 1:9).

God warned ancient Israel—and He warns us today—not to forget Him: “Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful, And have forgotten the God who fathered you” (Deuteronomy 32:18).

How can we forget God?

Moses warned the nation of Israel in Deuteronomy 8:11: “Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today.” But they did forget God and did not remember His Law, and notice the consequence: “So the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD. They forgot the LORD their God, and served the Baals and Asherahs” (Judges 3:7).

When we forget God, we will get involved with paganism and false worship. Godly obedience will cease, and evil and wicked conduct will be the result. Jeremiah 3:21 says: “… they have perverted their ways; they have forgotten the LORD their God.” And Jeremiah 13:25 adds: “… you have forgotten Me And trusted in falsehood.”

Forgetting God and living unrighteously is a matter of cause and effect. Ezekiel 22:7-12 states: “… they have made light of father and mother… they have oppressed the stranger… they have mistreated the fatherless and the widow. You have despised my holy things and profaned My Sabbaths…. Men… slander to cause bloodshed… they commit lewdness… they violate women… One commits abomination with his neighbor’s wife; another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; and another… violates his sister, his father’s daughter… they take bribes to shed blood; you take usury and increase; you have made profit from your neighbor by extortion, and have forgotten Me…”

What a terrible list. What an indictment against those who forget God. What a horrible guilty verdict for man who does not remember his Maker.

As Romans 1:28 tells us: “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting.” The list of wicked conduct which follows in verses 29-32 is equally disgusting.

When God opened our minds and called us out of this terrible world to free us from our evil human nature, we were supposed to become a “new creation.” In accepting—and not rejecting or forgetting—the knowledge of God, “we have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge” (Colossians 3:10). That godly knowledge tells us not to sin, but to live righteously, as 1 Corinthians 15:34 says: “Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God.”

People in this world, being cut off from God and forgetting and rejecting God’s truth, really do not have the knowledge to do good (Jeremiah 4:22). They are “destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). They have “rejected knowledge” and “forgotten” the law of God (same verse). As God’s called-out disciples, we must be different.

At the same time, the Bible tells us that there are things we must forget. But for us, it is so easy to forget what we ought to remember, and to remember what we ought to forget.

We must “forget” those things “which are behind” (Philippians 3:13), while “increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10). We are admonished to “grow” in the “knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). God’s knowledge helps us to forgive others and forget their sins against us. But without it, we will hold grudges and remember—sometimes for many years—what we should have forgotten a long, long time ago.

How can we grow in God’s knowledge? Where can we get help to leave our old man behind and become a new man with godly knowledge to save us from sin? Jesus Christ has shown us very clearly that His true ministry can be of assistance. We are told in Ephesians 4:11-12 that Christ built His Church and gave it ordained ministers for the “edifying” of the membership, “till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God” (verse 13). This will help us to be firm in the truth and not to become confused by strange doctrines and prophetic speculations.

Not all heed this admonition. Some reject God’s ministry and, having itching ears, they look for wrong teachers, thereby forsaking the knowledge of God and sliding back into the wrong ideas of this world. Peter does not warn us without reason:

“For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning” (2 Peter 2:20). He even goes on to say: “For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them” (verse 21).

God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4), but there are those who are “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7). Why is that so? Because they are not humble enough to be taught, and while they think that they know everything, they know nothing at all. Lack of humility and obedience will prevent us from receiving godly knowledge, and whatever knowledge we might have received will ultimately be completely lost.

Hebrews 10:26-27 warns us:

“For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.”

Forgetting God and rejecting His knowledge puts us on a dangerous and slippery road. We must be doers of His Law and can’t be forgetful hearers (James 1:23-25). When Christ returns and asks us what we did with the knowledge that He gave us, we had better not answer Him: “Sorry, I forgot!” Christ will not accept that kind of an answer. But He will praise us as His friends for remembering and doing what He commanded us (John 15:14). Christ tells us in John 13:17: “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”

Let us not forget, but let us always remember what we must do!

We are reporting on the terrible atrocities being committed by ISIS and other radical Islamists; the worldwide anger and some despicable accusations against Israel, while the real culprit, Hamas, is largely ignored; and the dubious and repulsive role Russia has been playing in eastern Ukraine and its culpability for the shooting down of the Malaysian passenger plane.

We are continuing with the acquittal of Silvio Berlusconi; tackle the question as to what it means to be a German—especially after Germany’s victory in the Soccer [Football] World Cup; and review the 70th anniversary of the unsuccessful attempt of German resistant fighters to assassinate Adolf Hitler.

We conclude with reports on the word’s rejection of American conduct and activities; and warn that a huge earthquake, hitting Los Angeles, is inevitable.    

ISIS Forces All Christians Out of Mosul

On July 19, 2014, The Associated Press wrote the following:

“The message played over loudspeakers gave the Christians of Iraq’s second-largest city until midday Saturday to make a choice: convert to Islam, pay a tax or face death. By the time the deadline imposed by the Islamic State extremist group expired, the vast majority of Christians in Mosul had made their decision. They fled…and headed for the largely autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq or other areas protected by the Kurdish security forces.

“Their departure marks the latest — and perhaps final — exodus of Christians from the city, emptying out communities that date back to the first centuries of Christianity, including Chaldean, Assyrian and Armenian churches.”

Minorities Persecuted by ISIS and Iraqi Militias

The New York Times added on July 18:

“Christians are among several minorities who are being systematically expelled or killed by ISIS…

“Among them are Yazidis, a tiny sect that has survived for centuries and whose theology fuses elements of Islam, Christianity and Zoroastrianism; Shabaks, who are often described as Shiites whose language is close to Persian and who take beliefs from different traditions; and Shiite Turkmen. The Yazidis and the Shabaks are being persecuted in the Sinjar area west of Mosul… The United Nations has documented scores of abductions and killings as well as the destruction of shrines.

“The United Nations report noted that extrajudicial killings had also been carried out by Iraqi security forces and allied militias, and warned that the executions on both sides might constitute war crimes…

“As the Christians leave Mosul, ISIS has painted the Arabic letter that means ‘Nasrani,’ from Nazrene, a word often used to refer to Christians, on their homes. Next to the letter, in black, are the words: ‘Property of the Islamic State of Iraq.’ The militants have also told Muslims who rent property from Christians that they no longer need to pay rent, said a businessman who rents from a Christian. The landlord now lives in Lebanon.”

This is so reminiscent of the systematic persecution and ultimate extermination of Jews and other minorities in Nazi Germany. The demons which possessed Hitler’s henchmen resurface now in ISIS and others.

Persecution of Christians in the Middle East

Breitbart wrote on July 22:

“Jews are not the only religious minority in the Middle East under fire… Christians have come under the heaviest hand in the Middle East in generations thanks to the weakness of the United States…

“The rise of the Islamic State in Syria and the Levant (ISIS) has led to the wholesale slaughter or exile of hundreds of thousands of Christians…

“Thousands upon thousands of Christians have been forced from Syria… opposition fighters drove some 80,000 Christians from Homs alone…

“The rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt led to a massive spike in persecution of Christians within the country.

“… the Christian population under Palestinian rule has dwindled with each passing year….Even though Hamas denies involvement in the attacks and claims that it is attempting to protect the small, ancient Christian community in Gaza, attacks on the 3,000 Christians residing there have increased since the Muslim terror militia came [to] seized power…

“Iran has been a disaster area for Christians since the fall of the Shah, but an increasing number of Iranian Christians are fleeing the country now…  Christians have been persecuted in Iran with more and more alacrity as fear of the United States wanes…

“Christianity is no more welcome in Libya after the Arab Spring than under the rule of Muammar Gaddafi before it…

“In the 1970s, before the collapse of the country [Lebanon] into Islamist violence, Christians represented a majority of the population. Now, that number has dropped to 34%…. continued violence and the rise of Islamist groups like Hezbollah has dramatically decreased the Christian population.

“No wonder Pope Francis stated in November 2013, ‘We will not resign ourselves to imagining a Middle East without Christians.’ That reality is already well within imagination, thanks to the Islamist Spring…  and the persecution of Christians continues to increase in other countries, including Turkey, Nigeria, and Pakistan.”

Worldwide Demonstrations Against Israel

The Times of Israel wrote on July 19:

“Tens of thousands protested in London Saturday afternoon against Israel’s military operations in Gaza, denouncing Israel as a terrorist state and castigating British Prime Minister David Cameron for backing Israel’s right to self-defense against Hamas rocket fire… Saturday’s demonstration in London came on the heels of numerous protests Thursday and Friday worldwide, including Cairo, Istanbul, Cape Town, Berlin, New York and Washington. Many of the protests have turned violent… Calls for the destruction of the Jewish state were heard in both Turkish cities [Ankara and Istanbul].”

Anti-Semitic “demonstrations”, instigated and stirred up by Palestinians, radical Islamists and ignorant and gullible “observers,” are a sign of our time. Note the next article.

Anti-Israel Demonstrations Instigated by Islamist Groups

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 22:

“In many European cities, what began as peaceful protests turned into outpourings of anti-Jewish sentiments and violence against counter-demonstrators. The situation became particularly heated in France… The Gaza conflict has stirred up public opinion in Europe, and it has brought Israel-hatred to Germany along with it… the current demonstrators are mostly members of Islamist groups…

“Many of the participants openly express support for Hamas, Lebanon’s Hezbollah or Islamic jihad… there is a perfidious tactic behind the Islamists’ campaign… In a recent survey by the ‘Stern’ magazine, more than half of respondents place the blame for the conflict on both Israel and Hamas – and 86 percent believe that Germany should not publically stand on the Israeli side… In the meantime, pro-Gaza demonstrations are set to continue in Germany and other European countries…”

Turkey Condemns Israel

The Times of Israel wrote on July 19:

“Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel of ‘barbarism that surpasses Hitler’ during its ground invasion of Gaza… He has been speaking out strongly against Israel during its offensive against Hamas in Gaza, which has killed more than 300 Palestinians. Hamas has fired some 1,500 rockets at Israel and carried out a series of terrorist infiltrations via tunnels and from the sea in recent days.

“Erdogan accuses Israel of using disproportionate force and has said the operation there has derailed efforts to normalize Turkish-Israeli ties…

“Early Saturday, the Israeli Foreign Ministry issued a travel warning to Israeli citizens against nonessential travel to Turkey… Israel decided Friday to pull some of its diplomatic staff out of Turkey in the wake of violent protests targeting the buildings of its embassy and consulate in Ankara and Istanbul, an embassy spokesman said, as well as recent statements that accused Israel of attempting a ‘systematic genocide’ on the Palestinian people…

“Turkey’s foreign minister also ‘vehemently’ condemned Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza…”

The Bible shows that Turkey (biblical Edom) will become a fierce enemy of the Jews and support military actions against the state of Israel. 

UN Warns Israel of War Crimes

BBC News reported on July 23:

“The UN’s top human rights official has condemned Israel’s military actions in the Gaza Strip, saying that war crimes may have been committed… She also condemned Hamas for ‘indiscriminate attacks’ on Israel.”

South Africa Praises Adolf Hitler

Newsmax reported on July 20:

“An aide with the African National Congress, South Africa’s ruling party, has drawn sharp rebukes from Jewish groups for an outrageous Facebook post praising Adolf Hitler for the Holocaust. Rene Smit, a social media manager with the ANC in the Western Cape province, posted an image of Hitler with the comment: ‘Yes, man, you were right!’ Below Hitler’s face were the words: ‘I could have killed all the Jews, but I left some of them to tell you why I was killing them.’ …

“Smit’s original post came just days after ANC Deputy Secretary General Jessie Duarte posted a statement on the ANC’s website comparing Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians to Nazi war crimes.”

With all these unqualified attacks on Israel, one should not forget who the real terrorists are. Please note the next article.

Hamas’ Abominable Terrorist Activities

The Telegraph wrote on July 20:

“Hamas militants sent a donkey laden with explosives on a suicide mission in one of the most unconventional tactics yet seen in the fighting in Gaza, the Israeli army has said. Troops said they were forced to open fire on the animal – blowing it up – as it approached their position in the southern city of Rafah, near the Egyptian border…

“‘They used this donkey as a human shield, or an animal shield, if you like,’ said… an army spokesman. ‘Anything, an animal or an international building, that can help make use of innocent people or international [citizens], they will use it.’… Soldiers in the field have reported ‘multiple incidents’ of dogs trying to approach with explosives attached to them, according to the army.”

Bild Online added on July 18 that Hamas uses children, families, sick and old people as “human shields,” placing them in locations where they are bound to be killed by the Israeli rockets, while the cowardly Hamas leaders seek protection in bunkers.

Why Hamas Tunnels Must Be Destroyed

The Washington Times wrote on July 22:

“A Hamas force wearing Israeli army uniforms emerged from a tunnel inside Israel and inflicted losses on Israeli troops before being wiped out… Israeli losses as of tonight in the four-day-old incursion were 25 dead and several score wounded. An Israeli official said the number of Hamas combatants killed amounted to ‘several hundred.’ Hard fighting was continuing in Gaza as dusk fell, with artillery and air strikes pounding Hamas positions. The fighting focused on the town of Shujaiya. Located only a mile from the Israeli border, it is the source of many tunnels leading towards the border…

“Meanwhile… Hamas gunmen have been killed in the past two days after they emerged from the mouths of tunnels inside the Gaza Strip. Ten of them emerged from a tunnel inside a mosque. Among them was a female suicide bomber who attempted to charge the Israeli soldiers… A senior Israeli officer in Shujaiya said yesterday that one tunnel he had examined was 27 meters deep—equivalent to a seven-story building—and was lined with at least 800 tons of reinforced concrete. He said the existence of such tunnels leading into Israel would have permitted Hamas to send commando forces at night through all of them simultaneously to wreak havoc in the Israeli villages in the area.”

Sunni World Bitterly Divided

The Times of Israel wrote on July 19:

“… the continuing escalation of the conflict in Gaza has actually got nothing to do with Israel itself. Unfortunately, Israel has found itself tangled up in a battle of far wider proportions — a war between two competing axes in the Sunni Muslim world. On the one side are Egypt and the Palestinian Authority, with Jordan and Saudi Arabia likely to join them… On the other, Qatar, Turkey and Hamas, as well as other global supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood.

“This is a proxy war for all intents and purposes… Hamas remains committed to the destruction of Israel. But Hamas is firing rockets at Tel Aviv and sending terrorists through tunnels into southern Israel while aiming, in essence, at Cairo. It is backed in this by Doha and Ankara.

“… the Sunni war rages and the possibility of a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel becomes more remote. Abbas is still trying to bridge the gap between the parties — between Qatar, Turkey and Egypt, that is; not between Hamas and Israel. But it’s doubtful he will be the man to reunite the bitterly divided Sunni world.”

It is interesting that the Muslims are terribly divided amongst themselves. Not only are Shiites and Sunnis at each other’s throats, but Sunnis are fighting against each other. The view that an Arabic “King of the South” will arise in the Middle East, who will unite all the hostile Sunni and Shia nations under his banner, sounds far-fetched and hardly believable, nor is it in accordance with biblical teaching. For the biblical revelation on this matter, see our free booklet, “Middle Eastern and African Nations in Bible Prophecy.”

Flights to Israel Suspended or Cancelled

JTA reported on July 22:

“The Federal Aviation Administration prohibited all U.S. airlines from flying to Israel for at least 24 hours. All three U.S. carriers with nonstop flights to Israel – United, U.S. Airways and Delta Airlines — canceled their flights to Tel Aviv on Tuesday… The FAA order came after a rocket fired from Gaza struck and destroyed a home in Yehud, an Israeli town about a mile from Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv…

“A slew of other airlines also canceled their flights to Tel Aviv, including Air Canada, Lufthansa, Austria Airlines, Germanwings, Turkish Airlines and Swissair…

“Delta diverted a flight en route to Tel Aviv from New York’s Kennedy Airport on Tuesday… Delta said it made its decision to suspend all flights to Tel Aviv ‘in coordination with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’ and ‘to ensure the safety and security of our customers and employees.’ Korean Air suspended its flights to Tel Aviv last week.”

The Washington Examiner commented on July 22:

“For Hamas, [the ban] could be the biggest break the Islamist group has had since the most recent fighting started — potentially increasing Israeli’s physical and psychological isolation from the rest of the world. The airport handles about 14 million travelers a year.

“Most of the more than 2,000 rockets fired at Israel in the past two weeks have had little effect. Only two Israeli civilians have died, and the Iron Dome missile system — partially funded by the U.S. and incorporating U.S. technology — has been almost 90 percent effective at intercepting rockets fired at populated areas.”

“Russians Did It! Putin’s Rebels BLEW UP MH17 Plane”

Sunday Express wrote on July 19:

“… damning evidence emerged that Moscow supplied the Buk anti-aircraft ­system to pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine… US President Barack Obama also laid the blame for the outrage on Russia while investigators from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe were blocked from accessing the crash site by rebel forces…

“President Obama confirmed that the plane was shot down from Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine, which is controlled by Putin supporters fighting for independence. He said the rebels could not ‘shoot down fighter jets without sophisticated equipment and sophisticated training and that’s coming from Russia’…

“Among the dead were 80 children, including three babies, and more than 100 Aids experts on their way to a conference.”

Russia Is to Blame… One Way or the Other

The Washington Post wrote on July 18:

“This plane crash is a result of the Russian invasion of eastern Ukraine, an operation deliberately designed to create legal, political and military chaos. Without this chaos, a surface-to-air missile would not have been fired at a passenger plane.

“From the beginning, the Russian government… sent Russian mercenaries and security service operatives… With the help of local thugs, these Russian security men besieged police stations, government offices and other symbols of political authority to delegitimize the Ukrainian state. In this task, they were assisted by the Russian government and by Russia’s state-controlled mass media… Just in the past week, Russian reporting on Ukraine reached a new pitch of hysteria, with fake stories about the supposed crucifixion of a child…

“Into this ambiguous and unstable situation, the Russians cynically funneled a stream of heavy weapons: machine guns and artillery and, eventually, tanks, armed personnel carriers and anti-aircraft missiles. In recent days, the separatist forces were openly using man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS) and boasting of having taken down large Ukrainian transport planes, clearly with Russian specialist assistance.

“Indeed, Strelkov on Thursday afternoon reportedly boasted online of having taken down another military plane before realizing that the plane in question was MH17. The blog post was removed. In late June, several different Russian media sources published photographs of Buk anti-aircraft missiles that they said had been captured by the separatists — though they were probably outright gifts from Russia. These posts have also been removed.”

Separatists Shoot Down Two Ukrainian Fighter Jets

Deutsche Welle reported on July 23:

“Separatists have shot down two Ukrainian fighter jets just under a week after the crash of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17. According to reports, the two pilots managed to parachute out… the planes went down about 25 kilometres (15 miles) from the crash site of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17… Local health officials say that fighting since the removal of Ukraine’s previous president in February has led to the deaths of 432 people and left 1,015 injured.”

Russia Supplied Missile Launchers to Separatists

The Washington Post wrote on July 19:

“The United States has confirmed that Russia supplied sophisticated [Buk] missile launchers to separatists in eastern Ukraine and that attempts were made to move them back across the Russian border after the Thursday shoot-down of a Malaysian jet liner, a U.S. official said Saturday…

“Russia and the rebels have denied any involvement in the attack on the Boeing 777…

“In an oped column in the Sunday Times, British Prime Minister David Cameron said: ‘The growing weight of evidence points to a clear conclusion: that flight MH17 was blown out of the sky by a surface-to-air missile fired from a rebel-held area. If this is the case then we must be clear what it means: this is a direct result of Russia destabilising a sovereign state, violating its territorial integrity, backing thuggish militias and training and arming them.’”

Putin’s and the rebels’ denial of any involvement is ridiculous and blatantly untruthful. Such lies would be laughable, if they were not that horrible. Putin, a former KGB spy,  should be viewed as a ruthless “leader” without any credibility. From all the evidence available, it is abundantly clear and beyond the shadow of any doubt that Putin’s Russia is directly or at least indirectly responsible for the terrible situation in eastern Ukraine and the most recent destruction of almost 300 innocent lives in shooting down the Malaysian passenger plane. One may also still ponder, in this context, what actually happened to the previous Malaysian airliner which disappeared without any trace. 

Bild Online reported on July 22 that a Russian rocket killed 298 people on board of the Malaysian airliner, but that the Euro bosses are intimidated by Putin. The paper wrote that they are behaving in a “despicably passive” way. Even further sanctions are being hotly debated, partly due to German business bosses warning that sanctions might hurt the economy. In addition, London has been recently described as a “safe haven” and the “Las Vegas” for “Russian investors.”

According to Der Spiegel Online, Europe’s hesitancy might cause a further rift with the USA.

On the other hand, we also understand that Bible prophecies show that, ultimately, Russia and Ukraine will join forces and collaborate militarily against continental Europe. 

Japan’s New Military Drone Ambitions

The website of defenseone.com reported on July 21:

“For decades Japan has been the world’s playground for design innovation. But now it may become ground zero for the future of something far more hostile: military drones. The country has positioned itself as one of the unlikely players in the escalating global race for military drones… A veteran Japanese politician even warned that the country’s re-armament looked like ‘a kind of pre-war revival.’…

“Japan is now in a position it hasn’t been in for nearly 70 years, when it gave up its right to engage in conflict outside its borders… The country will invest [$372 million] in the coming decade to drastically expand its virtually non-existent military unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) program… which would make Japan’s the fastest growing UAV program in the world… The military alliances could quickly devolve into something much larger. Japan’s drone situation isn’t just a boom, it’s a potential game changer with global implications…”

Berlusconi Acquitted

The Local wrote on July 19:

“An Italian appeals court on Friday cleared Silvio Berlusconi of having sex with an underage prostitute and abuse of power in a surprise ruling that will strengthen the former prime minister on the political scene…

“The [decision] effectively scraps Berlusconi’s seven-year sentence and lifelong ban from holding public office…”

Like a cat with nine lives, we should not dismiss Berlusconi quite yet from any future political role in Europe.

What It Means to Be a German

The victory of the German national soccer [football] team in the World Cup has caused understandable euphoria in Germany. Some have hastily concluded that this event has now given rise to renewed German feelings of nationalism. They even tried to use biblical passages for their opinion. Their conclusion, however, is premature and unrealistic. American audiences became very supportive of their American soccer team, but no one would suggest that this has caused a renewed feeling of American nationalism. International success in sporting events comes and goes, without a real lasting effect. On the other hand, growing self-confidence can be observed in Germany, but it is still a country uncertain of itself. This will change in time.

The following article in Der Spiegel Online, dated July 17, gives an interesting picture of the present status in Germany—pointing out some facts which might not be realized by some.

“[Germany] has indisputably become a nation of immigration…  Germany [is] ranking second in the world after the United States in attracting permanent immigrants, beating out even such melting pots as Britain and Canada… Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats still don’t like thinking of Germany as a country of immigration, and the nation could also be a lot more generous in its handling of refugees. Some immigrants, on the other hand, could also make more of an effort to integrate.

“Germany has become one society, but also a diverse one — and that is contributing to this new lightness of being. This is also reflected in the national football team, for which immigrants have since become indispensable, with players like Mesut Özil, a Turkish-German, Jerome Boateng, who has a German mother and a father [who] originates from Ghana, and Sami Khedira, who has Tunisian roots…

“Nothing occupies Germans more than the idea of Hitler’s return, regardless in what form. It could be a swastika tattooed on the chest of a Russian opera singer at the Bayreuth Wagner festival that sparks a massive debate. Or it could be a rower on the German national team who is engaged to a neo-Nazi, which again triggers a national uproar… People from other countries also sometimes like to hold us prisoner of our own history. Even during the semifinal against Brazil, this celebration of beautiful football and lightness, some felt compelled to evoke the Nazis. ‘The Germans have stormed into a foreign country and taken charge,’ tweeted New York Times Washington correspondent Binyamin Appelbaum…

“Today we can remember the past with anger and with sadness, but without becoming overly uptight about it… German virtues… too contribute to the country’s lightness. Prosperity makes life easier and improves moods everywhere. And prosperity, thanks to hard work, discipline and harmony, is currently on the rise… Fully 42 million people have jobs in Germany, more than ever before, and wages have risen substantially…

“Angela Merkel… runs a country that regained its sovereignty with reunification… A strong feeling of self-confidence is bound up in Germany’s lightness… A German chancellor thinking beyond the country’s borders? Here too, things have changed.

“… the US is making it difficult for the Germans to stand by their side…

“One still can’t speak of a relaxed German nation; rather it is a country that is losing its inhibitions. It is finding its way back to itself, but is still searching for its role in the global community. Should it sit quietly in the corner or should it take on a leadership role reflective of its size and economic strength? What is missing is a national team coach, one that stipulates a clear path forward.”

This national team coach will arise in due time.

July 20, 1944

Deutsche Welle reported on July 20:

“On July 20, 1944, Adolf Hitler cheated death when military officers planned an assassination attempt. It took a long time until the Germans came to honor those who took part in the coup attempt…

“In the summer of 1951… [o]nly a third… had a positive opinion about the men and women who had tried unsuccessfully to overthrow the Nazi regime…The resistance fighters [especially Count Stauffenberg] came mainly from the German aristocracy and the upper echelons of the Wehrmacht… [They] were portrayed [by the Nazi Government] as traitors who had broken the oath of allegiance they had sworn to Adolf Hitler. This opinion was shared by many Germans even after the end of the Second World War.

“But Theodor Heuss, West Germany’s first postwar president, played a key role in persuading Germans that the resistance against Hitler was not treason and Stauffenberg’s insubordination was even honorable. ‘The oath of allegiance was paid to a man who formally, legally, morally and historically had many cases of perjury behind him,’ Heuss said in 1954, on the tenth anniversary of the attempted assassination. It was the first official memorial service for the resistance fighters of July 20… ‘There have been cases of refusal to carry out orders that have achieved historic greatness.’…

“In 1958, Social Democrat Carlo Schmid said there was a moral obligation to kill a tyrant… It is striking how often speeches and debates of that era address the limits of oaths and obedience, with a ‘duty to commit high treason’…

“A remarkable memorial service took place in 1990: the first all-German remembrance for the resistance. East Germany’s communist leadership had ignored the assassination attempt for decades, mainly because the conservative and aristocratic conspirators around Stauffenberg did not match the socialist ideal… In 1990, Herzog [Constitutional Court President Roman Herzog, later German president] warned about people ‘who have done nothing but look the other way.’ Even today, he said, most people would behave that way…

“In this respect, the words of Theodor Heuss in 1954 are still valid today: ‘The legacy is still effective, the obligation has not yet been removed.’”

In a related article, Deutsche Welle wrote:

“President Joachim Gauck said [on July 20, 2014] that the events of July 20, 1944 were a reminder to Germans about the importance of ‘bravely standing up for our values.’… Earlier, the president had taken part in a church service in Berlin Cathedral, where the head of the council of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), Nikolaus Schneider, said it was important to honor the efforts to resist Hitler made by the conspirators.”

These reports mix truth with error, which is not surprising; given the fact that humanity as a whole is still eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, deciding for themselves what is right and wrong. God, in the Bible, reveals to us true knowledge and understanding—including how to behave as true Christians in a hostile environment and in a world ruled by Satan—but most reject this precious truth, as Adam and Eve neglected to eat from the tree of life which would have given them godly knowledge.

Very Few Support U.S. Drone Strikes and Spying

“People around the world overwhelmingly oppose U.S. drone strikes targeting extremists in countries such as Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia, a new poll reveals… A majority of respondents in only three nations approve — the United States (52 percent), Israel (65 percent), and Kenya (53 percent), which has suffered terrorist attacks in recent years.

“The strongest opposition to the strikes is in Venezuela, where 92 percent disapprove and just 4 percent approve… followed by Jordan (90 percent disapprove), Greece (89 percent), and Nicaragua (88 percent). A majority of respondents in several strong U.S. allied nations also disapprove of the drone strikes against extremists, including South Korea (75 percent disapprove), Italy (74 percent), France (72 percent), Germany (67 percent), and the United Kingdom (59 percent). Not surprisingly, just 3 percent of respondents in Pakistan approve of the strikes.

“… people around the world generally oppose the National Security Agency’s surveillance practices. Asked if they consider U.S. monitoring of citizens from their country ‘Acceptable’ or ‘Unacceptable,’ 81 percent say it is unacceptable and just 12 percent consider it acceptable.  Sixty-two percent say U.S. monitoring of Americans is unacceptable.

“Asked about monitoring of leaders in their country, 73 percent say it is unacceptable. However, 64 percent of respondents believe that monitoring terrorist suspects is acceptable, and just 29 percent say it is unacceptable… overall ratings for the United States remain mostly popular… 65 percent have a favorable view of America, while 25 percent have an unfavorable view. The lowest favorable rating in the survey is in Egypt, just 10 percent.”

Sadly, the overall ratings for the United States will dramatically change in the not-too-distant future, when only very few will retain a favorable view of America.

Big Earthquake Hitting Los Angeles Inevitable

The Telegraph wrote on July 19:

“The southern section of the San Andreas fault that runs near the city [of Los Angeles] has not had a ‘mega-quake’ of more than magnitude-7.5 since 1680 and it is, according to seismologists, more than a century overdue.  A flurry of lesser earthquakes in recent months has refocused attention on whether America’s second city can withstand a major hit…

“‘A big earthquake is inevitable,’ Los Angeles’ recently appointed ‘quake tsar’ Dr Lucy Jones, told The Telegraph. ‘Each earthquake that happens increases the probability. We know… it will happen. We know everything but the time.”

It is indeed only a matter of time.

This question addresses some important issues about the Christian Way of Life.

As we pointed out in our previous Q&A, “Does God Give His Holy Spirit to People Who Have Not Been Baptized?”, since the establishment of the New Testament Church, a person needs to be properly baptized to receive the Holy Spirit, and he will not enter the Kingdom of God at the time of his resurrection if he did not have God’s Holy Spirit within him at the time of his death. Normally, he must spiritually grow after the receipt of the Holy Spirit, until he has qualified for the entrance of the Kingdom of God. (To clarify, when the Bible or we speak of a Christian in the masculine gender, the feminine gender is ALWAYS included, unless the context demands a different understanding in a given case.)

We state the following in our free booklet, “Are You Already Born Again?”, under “The ‘Born-Again’ Process”:

“Using the process of human conception, gestation and birth as an analogy, we can gain a clearer understanding of the concept of being born again into SPIRIT. In this physical life, one is not born immediately at the time of conception. There is a time interval between conception and birth. A human baby must be conceived. A human baby must grow in the womb (the period of gestation). A human baby gains life of its own through birth.

“The same principles apply to our spiritual birth. Although we will be born again at the time of our resurrection or our change to immortality, something else must happen first so that we CAN become born again. The Bible describes this prior event as spiritual conception or ‘begettal.’ Simply put, before we can be born again, we must be begotten again—a spiritual begettal. This spiritual begettal takes place at the time of our baptism, after repentance, and after coming to an understanding of, and belief in, Christ’s sacrifice and the gospel of the Kingdom of God. At the time of baptism we then receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, through the laying on of hands, as a down payment—a guarantee—(Ephesians 1:14; 2 Corinthians 5:5) of our ultimate new birth at our resurrection to spirit.

“In applying the analogy of human birth to spiritual birth, the receipt of God’s Spirit at conversion is a type of spiritual begettal. With the receipt of God’s Spirit, we acquire God’s divine nature (2 Peter 1:4), but there is still another step in the process. Just as an embryo must grow and develop, we must also grow spiritually and develop the fruit of the Spirit—the actual character of God. God considers those who have received His Spirit as being His children (2 Corinthians 6:17–18). Finally, Spirit-begotten children become SEPARATE SPIRIT BEINGS upon being born again—at their resurrection and change to immortality.

“Romans 8:11 tells us that ‘…if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit [which] dwells in you.’ 1 Corinthians 6:14 adds, ‘And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.’ In other words, God will resurrect us by His Spirit, which is a spirit of power (Acts 1:8; 2 Timothy 1:7).

“To come to the point of being ‘born again’ is a process. It starts with the moment we receive God’s Holy Spirit, in the same way that a human being begins to live in his mother’s womb at the time of conception. God baptizes us through His Holy Spirit into the Church, which is called ‘the mother of us all’ (Galatians 4:26–27, 31). A human baby grows in his mother’s womb until he is ready to be born. Likewise, we are to grow in our Christian lives in the womb of the Church, increasing in the ‘grace and knowledge of Christ’ (2 Peter 3:18; compare Ephesians 4:11–13), until we can become born again—Spirit beings.

“A father begets a child, while the mother delivers it. After the father has initiated the process, there is an intervening time of about nine months before birth, or parturition, occurs. During this intervening time, the mother nourishes and protects the unborn child in her womb for the entire gestation period. The same is true for our spiritual begettal, growth and birth. During the spiritual ‘gestation’ period, after our conversion, it is the duty and responsibility of the Church, of which Christ is the Head (Ephesians 5:23), to nourish and protect the begotten children of God. These spiritually begotten children of God, the Father, need nourishment from good spiritual food supplied by God, and they need to absorb the food so they can grow spiritually, striving to become perfect in this life. In this way, they can become born again children at the time of Christ’s return…”

So we see that normally, a newly-baptized person must spiritually grow before he can enter the Kingdom of God. Some have claimed that this is not always the case as the thief on the cross who came to conversion a few hours before his death, was promised by Christ that he would enter “Paradise” or the Kingdom of God on the day of his death… and he was not even baptized. However, in addition to the fact that this incident occurred PRIOR TO the establishment of the New Testament Church, this is not what Christ promised the thief.

We read in Luke 23:39–43, in the translation of the New King James Bible: “Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, ‘If you are the Christ, save Yourself and us.’ But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.’”

We addressed this question in our free booklet, “Jesus Christ—a Great Mystery”, under “Did the Thief Go To Paradise on the Day of His Death?”.

After discussing Christ’s statement in detail, we offered the following conclusion:

“… both the throne of God and the tree of life are in the Paradise of God. Revelation 22:1–3 teaches us that the throne of God and the tree of life will be in the New Jerusalem, when it descends to [the new] earth. This means, then, that the Paradise of God will be here on [the new] earth.”

This means, Christ promised the thief that he would be in Paradise when the heavenly Jerusalem descends to the new earth—which will occur long AFTER the first resurrection. Christ did not say he would be in Paradise on same day of his death. Rather, to continue with quoting from our above-mentioned booklet:

“Jesus Christ was telling the thief on the cross that he would be with Christ in Paradise, AFTER it had been established on [the new] earth.

“In the original Greek, there are no commas… This means, rather than stating, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise,’ this passage could also be translated as, ‘Assuredly, I say to you today, you will be with Me in Paradise.’ The Companion Bible states in its appendix, in paragraph 173, that the interpretation of this verse depends exclusively on the punctuation, which is totally dependent on human authority. They explain that until the 9th century, Greek manuscripts had no punctuation at all, and even after that time, they only had a dot separating words from each other. The Broadman Bible Commentary admits: ‘It is possible to place the comma after today…’

“Christ did not promise the thief that he would be in Paradise the day he died. But since He saw his repentant attitude, He did promise him on that very day that he would be in Paradise—here on [the new] earth, in the future.”

On the other hand, God looks at the heart of a person, and when He determines that a newly-converted person is qualified to enter the Kingdom of God, He may let him die soon after his baptism. We find that Samson will be in the Kingdom of God (compare Hebrews 11:32, 39-40), even though we understand that he only came to true repentance and conversion shortly before his death, when his hair grew again in the dungeon (Of course, in Old Testament times, God gave the Holy Spirit to some without any requirement of prior baptism. This changed with the establishment of the New Testament Church.)

In any event, converted Christians do not die because of time and chance. When a converted Christian dies, God decided to let him die, because He had determined that he had qualified to enter the Kingdom of God. In other words, when a person dies and the Holy Spirit dwells in him at the time of his death, then that person WILL be in the first resurrection and in the Kingdom of God. God would NOT let a converted Christian die if he was not ready for the Kingdom at the time of his death.

Some quote Ecclesiastes 9:11 for the idea that true Christians may die BECAUSE of time and chance.

We stated the following in our free booklet, “Human Suffering, Why… and How Much Longer”: under “True Christians Not Subject to Time and Chance”:

“Note what Solomon said: ‘Time and chance happen to THEM all.’ He did NOT say—‘to all men,’ or ‘to all of us.’ In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon was mainly addressing and writing about people in this world—people who only live and work for material possessions (Ecclesiastes 5:13–17), or people who do not understand God’s plan (Ecclesiastes 8:17). When he addressed true Christians, however, he referred to them as ‘you’ (compare Ecclesiastes 9:10: ‘Whatever YOUR hand finds to do, do it with YOUR might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where YOU are going.’)…

“Christ made the same distinction, in Luke 13:1–5: ‘There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but UNLESS YOU repent, YOU will ALL LIKEWISE perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower of Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but UNLESS YOU repent, YOU will all LIKEWISE perish.”’

“Christ’s teaching is unmistakable: If we don’t repent, we might very well die as those did, on whom the tower of Siloam fell; that is, through an accident, apart from, or being cut off from God, by time and chance. If we repent, however, according to Christ, we will NOT likewise perish or die in that way. Rather, even if we were to die in an ‘accident,’ God would have specifically—not just ‘generally’—DECIDED not to intervene and to LET US die. God is always in control over our lives. Nothing happens to us, which God is not aware of and which God does not ‘approve of’ (compare Job 1:21–22; 2:10).

“True Christians are NOT in the ‘hand’ of time and chance. Rather, Solomon tells US: ‘… the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God’ (Ecclesiastes 9:1). David understood, too, that he was in God’s hands. He wrote, in Psalm 31:15: ‘My times are in Your hand.’ He knew that he was always, constantly, and completely under God’s observation, His protection, and in His loving care (compare, Psalm 4:7–8; 9:9–10; 17:8; 23:1–6; 33:18–19; 34:7, 15, 19–20, etc. etc.), as are all true Christians today. God promises that nothing will happen to us that is too difficult for us to bear (compare 1 Corinthians 10:13). This means, then, that God must be watching us every second to guarantee the fulfillment of His promise…

“The very idea that a true Christian could die… because of time and chance, limits God and weakens our faith. It is a patently unbiblical concept. When a Christian dies, it is because GOD has DECIDED that it was time for His son or daughter to die…

“Isaiah 57:1–2 states: ‘The righteous perishes, And no man takes it to heart; Merciful men are taken away, While no one considers That the righteous is taken away from evil. He shall enter into peace; They shall rest in their beds, Each one walking in his uprightness.’ Psalm 116:15 teaches: ‘Precious in the SIGHT OF the LORD Is the death of His saints.’ (Compare, too, Psalm 72:14). So, God’s people just don’t die without the knowledge of God. Rather, they die in God’s SIGHT!…

“Did Paul teach that we are hopeless and helpless victims of time and chance? Quite the opposite is true: ‘For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, WE ARE THE LORD’S’ [Romans 14:8]…

“What exactly is Solomon saying in Ecclesiastes 9:10–11?

“Simply this: In Ecclesiastes 9:10 he encourages us to do with our might what we ought to do. In other words, to be very careful how we live our lives as Christians. Give all glory to God, he says, and don’t lean on your own understanding or strength. Because, he says in verse 11, when you fail, you’ll be right back in the world, which you once belonged to, and in the world, you WILL be subject to time and chance. Your own human abilities won’t necessarily help you in the world. Understand that without God’s help, we are pretty much lost, having become victims of time and chance. Solomon says, you may even die in a terrible accident or because of a terrible sickness.

“But, as long as we are in God’s loving hands, we are not victims of time and chance. And when we die, it is NOT because of time and chance. Rather, when a Christian dies, it is because GOD has decided that it was time for him or her to die, as he or she has qualified for God’s Kingdom (Numbers 23:10; Isaiah 57:1–2; Romans 14:8; Revelation 14:13).”

In conclusion, the Christian Way of Life requires spiritual growth. God will decide when a converted person is ready to enter the Kingdom of God. In doing so, He also looks at the heart, the attitude, the motives and the desires of the person. God will not let a true Christian die before his time and before he is ready. If the Holy Spirit dwells in a person at the time of his death, he WILL be in the first resurrection and in God’s Kingdom.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Norbert and Johanna Link will be in Oregon this weekend. Mr. Link will be giving the sermon, and live transmission of services will be from that location.

The July Member Letter has been mailed this week. In the letter, Eric Rank reminds us of the incredible human potential God has set before us. Additionally, he points to our need to focus on and participate in the Work of the Church of God right now.

A recent StandingWatch program (Feb 27, 2014), “Ukraine in Prophecy,” has received over 10,000 viewings.

“Why the Hatred for Israel?,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Israel stands condemned. Anti-Semitism and hatred for Jews can be again observed worldwide. This program gives you some truly shocking examples and explains from history why there is continuing war and strife in the Middle East, and what constitutes the only solution for peace in that region.

“Wie Stark Ist Ihr Glaube?,” is the title of this week’s German sermon. In English, the title is “How Strong Is Your Faith?”

“Does Sin Lead to Success?,” the sermon given last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Does sin pay? Are sinners happy people? Are they more successful and blessed than others? Can they look with confidence at a peaceful future? The Bible shows us that none of this is true. Sin leads to disaster. It sets in motion an automatic chain of events. There is a cause for every effect. There is a fundamental difference between the righteous and the wicked. We will reap what we sow. Our sin will find us out.