On May 24, 2014, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “Who Will Listen?”

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.

Do you have a problem with time keeping? If you do, maybe you think it’s not that important or that it’s not top of your “to do” list of those things that you need to improve on. We do have to remember that poor timekeeping can be an irritant to many other people, and we shouldn’t want to cause any offence to anyone unnecessarily.

This is something that I have had to battle with and have failed so many times and so I am speaking from the heart! Years ago, as a senior manager, trying to get a quart into a pint pot was something that I used to try and do so often when I had a very busy schedule of appointments. For example, with a spare five minutes before my next appointment I would often try and squeeze a short telephone call in which usually lasted several minutes thus making me late for my next appointment!

I recall being on a management course and the question of timekeeping and punctuality arose. The lecturer said that we should always start meetings on time even if there were people missing. He said that if we waited until everyone arrived that would send out the wrong signals and would reward the latecomers and penalise those who had played by the rules and had arrived on time. I thought this was an extremely good strategy and have tried to implement this wherever and whenever possible unless there was some extenuating circumstance.

If anyone feels that this is too pedantic, then they may just want to consider that God’s punctuality is perfect. He calls people at exactly the right time. He intervened when Abraham was about to sacrifice Isaac at exactly the right time. And He will send His Son, Jesus Christ, back to the earth at precisely the right time in order that man will not blow himself off the face of the earth. Christ will return on time.

In just over two weeks, we will be keeping the Feast of Pentecost. We see in Acts 2 that the disciples were there together “in one accord” when the Day of Pentecost came. They were there waiting for the day and were rewarded with the gift of the Holy Spirit. Had they turned up on the wrong day or had been late, they would have missed this event.

Shouldn’t we take these examples and try to emulate them? After all, it would be a courtesy to others too.

We begin addressing the basically unrealized importance of the ever-growing cooperation between Russia and China, which will be ultimately perceived by Europe to be a threat, as prophesied in Scripture. Among others, we quote especially from one lengthy insightful article in the Huffington Post, which is definitely worth reading. The book of Daniel describes terrible end-time events, following the beginning of developments occurring in front of our very eyes, but sadly, most people are completely indifferent and ignorant as to their true meaning.

At the same time, more and more NATO countries begin to recognize their complete helplessness in regard to Russia’s aggressions, and some propose, as a response, the creation of a strong and unified military Europe—while not realizing that the Bible predicts that such a development will lead to terrible disaster.

Focusing on the Roman Catholic Church and the pope’s visit to Israel, we point out the increasingly important role the Church will be playing on the world scene, while it may even be willing to change some of its traditions to appease the masses of Catholic followers and to attract Protestant and other non-Roman Catholic groups to become again part of their “mother church.”

We conclude with a series of articles on diverse topics, including, but not limited to, California’s wild fires; the mysterious death of 70,000 fish; heavy floods in the Balkans; and the find of the fossils of several huge dinosaurs… the biggest creatures ever unearthed so far, if we can believe the scientists.

All of these articles include some prophetic significance: While there are terrible fires in one part of the world, another part is plagued with devastating floods. We hear more and more about the biblically predicted destruction of marine life; and we are again confronted with the find of huge dinosaurs which confuse adherents to the evolution concept and certain “conservative” Christians who believe that the earth is only 6,000 years old, as all of them reject the record of the Bible.

Russia’s Cooperation with China at All-Time High

The website of cntv.cn wrote on May 19:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin has said his country’s cooperation with China has reached its all-time best and that the two sides were ready to expand ties in numerous spheres… China is currently Russia’s largest trading partner, with the trade volume between the two countries nearing 90 billion U.S. dollars in 2013. The two countries aim to raise the trade volume to 100 billion dollars in 2015 and to 200 billion dollars in 2020… Moscow and Beijing have also been cooperating closely to reduce trade reliance on the external market, Putin said, adding the two sides were now implementing 40 major projects worth 20 billion dollars…

“Speaking of 2015 when Russia and China will jointly celebrate the 70th anniversary of the defeat of the Nazis, Putin said that the two countries are unanimous in opposing attempts to distort the World War II record… ‘Next year, we will organize a series of events to jointly celebrate the 70th anniversary of victory in both bilateral form and within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization,’ he said, adding the two sides would focus on engaging the young people into the activities.”

One needs to ask who is distorting the World War II record, when Russia is still celebrating mass-murderer Stalin as one of their war heroes.

The China-Russia Alliance

The Huffington Post wrote on May 19:

“A specter is haunting Washington, an unnerving vision of a Sino-Russian alliance wedded to an expansive symbiosis of trade and commerce across much of the Eurasian land mass — at the expense of the United States. And no wonder Washington is anxious. That alliance is already a done deal in a variety of ways: through the BRICS group of emerging powers (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa); at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Asian counterweight to NATO; inside the G20; and via the 120-member-nation Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).

“Trade and commerce are just part of the future bargain. Synergies in the development of new military technologies beckon as well. After Russia’s Star Wars-style, ultra-sophisticated S-500 air defense anti-missile system comes online in 2018, Beijing is sure to want a version of it. Meanwhile, Russia is about to sell dozens of state-of-the-art Sukhoi Su-35 jet fighters to the Chinese as Beijing and Moscow move to seal an aviation-industrial partnership.

“This week should provide the first real fireworks in the celebration of a new Eurasian century-in-the-making when Russian President Vladimir Putin drops in on Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. You remember ‘Pipelineistan,’ all those crucial oil and gas pipelines crisscrossing Eurasia that make up the true circulatory system for the life of the region. Now, it looks like the ultimate Pipelineistan deal, worth $1 trillion and 10 years in the making, will be inked as well. In it, the giant, state-controlled Russian energy giant Gazprom will agree to supply the giant state-controlled China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) with 3.75 billion cubic feet of liquefied natural gas a day for no less than 30 years, starting in 2018. That’s the equivalent of a quarter of Russia’s massive gas exports to all of Europe.

“China’s current daily gas demand is around 16 billion cubic feet a day, and imports account for 31.6% of total consumption… If you want to know why no key country in Asia has been willing to ‘isolate’ Russia in the midst of the Ukrainian crisis — and in defiance of the Obama administration — look no further than Pipelineistan…

“And then, talking about anxiety in Washington, there’s the fate of the petrodollar to consider, or rather the ‘thermonuclear’ possibility that Moscow and Beijing will agree on payment for the Gazprom-CNPC deal not in petrodollars but in Chinese yuan. One can hardly imagine a more tectonic shift, with Pipelineistan intersecting with a growing Sino-Russian political-economic-energy partnership. Along with it goes the future possibility of a push, led again by China and Russia, toward a new international reserve currency — actually a basket of currencies — that would supersede the dollar (at least in the optimistic dreams of BRICS members).

“Right after the potentially game-changing Sino-Russian summit comes a BRICS summit in Brazil in July. That’s when a $100 billion BRICS development bank, announced in 2012, will officially be born as a potential alternative to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank as a source of project financing for the developing world. More BRICS cooperation meant to bypass the dollar is reflected in the ‘Gas-o-yuan,’ as in natural gas bought and paid for in Chinese currency. Gazprom is even considering marketing bonds in yuan as part of the financial planning for its expansion. Yuan-backed bonds are already trading in Hong Kong, Singapore, London, and most recently Frankfurt…

“The Russia-China gas deal is inextricably tied up with the energy relationship between the European Union (EU) and Russia. After all, the bulk of Russia’s gross domestic product comes from oil and gas sales, as does much of its leverage in the Ukraine crisis. In turn, Germany depends on Russia for a hefty 30% of its natural gas supplies…

“There’s a consistent rumble in Brussels these days about the possible cancellation of the projected 16 billion euro South Stream pipeline, whose construction is to start in June. On completion, it would pump yet more Russian natural gas to Europe — in this case, underneath the Black Sea (bypassing Ukraine) to Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia, Greece, Italy, and Austria.

“Bulgaria, Hungary, and the Czech Republic have already made it clear that they are firmly opposed to any cancellation. And cancellation is probably not in the cards… Nonetheless, such EU threats, however unrealistic, only serve to accelerate Russia’s increasing symbiosis with Asian markets. For Beijing especially, it’s a win-win situation. After all, between energy supplied across seas policed and controlled by the U.S. Navy and steady, stable land routes out of Siberia, it’s no contest…

“In April, when President Xi Jinping visited the city of Duisburg on the Rhine River, with the largest inland harbor in the world and right in the heartland of Germany’s Ruhr steel industry, he made an audacious proposal: a new ‘economic Silk Road’ should be built between China and Europe, on the basis of the Chongqing-Xinjiang-Europe railway, which already runs from China to Kazakhstan, then through Russia, Belarus, Poland, and finally Germany. That’s 15 days by train, 20 less than for cargo ships sailing from China’s eastern seaboard. Now that would represent the ultimate geopolitical earthquake in terms of integrating economic growth across Eurasia…

“The Pentagon has its own version of this, directed not so much at Russia as at China, which, its think tank on future warfare claims, is already at war with Washington in a number of ways. So if it’s not apocalypse now, it’s Armageddon tomorrow…

“Russia runs a sizeable trade surplus. Humongous Chinese banks will have no trouble helping Russian banks out if Western funds dry up. In terms of inter-BRICS cooperation, few projects beat a $30 billion oil pipeline in the planning stages that will stretch from Russia to India via Northwest China. Chinese companies are already eagerly discussing the possibility of taking part in the creation of a transport corridor from Russia into Crimea, as well as an airport, shipyard, and liquid natural gas terminal there. And there’s another ‘thermonuclear’ gambit in the making: the birth of a natural gas equivalent to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries that would include Russia, Iran, and reportedly disgruntled U.S. ally Qatar.

“The (unstated) BRICS long-term plan involves the creation of an alternative economic system featuring a basket of gold-backed currencies that would bypass the present America-centric global financial system. (No wonder Russia and China are amassing as much gold as they can.) The euro — a sound currency backed by large liquid bond markets and huge gold reserves — would be welcomed in as well.

“It’s no secret in Hong Kong that the Bank of China has been using a parallel SWIFT network to conduct every kind of trade with Tehran, which is under a heavy U.S. sanctions regime. With Washington wielding Visa and Mastercard as weapons in a growing Cold War-style economic campaign against Russia, Moscow is about to implement an alternative payment and credit card system not controlled by Western finance…

“On the other side of the Atlantic, President Obama and his top officials show every sign of becoming entangled in their own pivoting — to Iran, to China, to Russia’s eastern borderlands, and (under the radar) to Africa. The irony of all these military-first maneuvers is that they are actually helping Moscow, Tehran, and Beijing build up their own strategic depth in Eurasia and elsewhere…

“Whatever Washington may want or fear or try to prevent, the facts on the ground suggest that, in the years ahead, Beijing, Moscow, and Tehran will only grow closer, slowly but surely creating a new geopolitical axis in Eurasia…”

An economic and military alliance between China and Russia and other countries, including, apparently, Iran, is prophesied. Current Events show the steady fulfillment of this prophecy, which also predicts the downfall of the USA and the rise of Europe.

Russia and China Sign 30-Year Gas Deal

Deutsche Welle reported on May 21:

“Russia has signed a long-term deal to supply natural gas to China. The agreement comes after more than a decade of negotiations that had repeatedly stalled over the price. Gazprom said on Wednesday that the Russian gas company had inked a long-awaited 30-year contract to supply natural gas to China. Gazprom spokesman Sergey Kupriyanov confirmed the deal had been signed, but he declined to give any further details. China’s state news agency, Xinhua, described the supply contract as a ‘multi-billion dollar deal.’ The gas deal is a financial and diplomatic boost for Moscow, which has been targeted over the Ukraine crisis.”

The Washington Post added on May 21:

“Announced after meetings between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at an Asia security conference, the 30-year deal is worth an estimated $400 billion, according to comments in Russian media by Gazprom chief executive Alexei Miller… On a symbolic level, the deal also provided China and Russia a chance to reaffirm their strategic alliance against the United States, their shared global rival.

“Putin called it a ‘watershed event’.… ‘This is the largest contract in the history of the gas industry of the former USSR and the Russian Federation,’ he told reporters in Shanghai…”

Prince Charles: “Putin Behaves Just Like Hitler.”

Mail Online wrote on May 21:

“Prince Charles has sensationally likened Vladimir Putin to Adolf Hitler. In a withering verdict on the actions of the Russian president in Ukraine, he told a woman who lost relatives in the Nazi Holocaust: ‘And now Putin is doing just about the same as Hitler.’

“The prince’s extraordinary intervention is certain to cause international controversy. It is likely to be seen as a criticism of the West for failing to confront Mr Putin over his seizure of Crimea. The annexation was the first by a major power in Europe since 1945. Observers have compared the crisis in Ukraine with Hitler’s takeovers of Czechoslovakia and Poland…

“Former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton sparked uproar in Washington recently when she said very much the same as the heir to the throne. Lashing out at Moscow’s plan to issue passports to ethnic Russians in Crimea, she said: ‘Now, if this sounds familiar, it’s what Hitler did back in the 1930s.’”

Europe’s Far Right and Far Left Admire Russia

The New York Times wrote on May 20:

“While the European Union has joined Washington in denouncing Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the chaos stirred by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, Europe’s right-wing populists have been gripped by a contrarian fever of enthusiasm for Russia and its president, Vladimir V. Putin… Pro-Russian sentiment remains largely confined to the fringes of European politics, though Mr. Putin also has more mainstream admirers and allies on both the right and the left, including Silvio Berlusconi, the former Italian prime minister, and Gerhard Schröder, the former German chancellor…

“Even among far-right groups, the sympathy for Russia and suspicion of Washington are in part tactical: Focused on clawing back power from the European Union’s bureaucracy, they seize any cause that puts them at odds with policy makers in Brussels and the conventional wisdom of European elites. But they also reflect a general crumbling of public trust in the beliefs and institutions that have dominated Europe since the end of World War II, including the Continent’s relationship with the United States. ‘Europe is a big sick body,’ said Alain de Benoist, a French philosopher… de Benoist said Russia ‘is now obviously the principal alternative to American hegemony’…

“Some of Russia’s European fans, particularly those with a religious bent, are attracted by Mr. Putin’s image as a muscular foe of homosexuality and decadent Western ways. Others… are motivated more by geopolitical calculations that emphasize Russia’s role as a counterweight to American power… Ms. Le Pen has also expressed admiration for Mr. Putin and called for a strategic alliance with the Kremlin, proposing a ‘pan-European union’ that would include Russia. Something like what this could be leading towards [what] happened in 1939 with the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, which allowed the USSR and Nazi Germany…

“This convergence has pushed the far right into a curious alignment with the far left. ‘Russia has become the hope of the world against new totalitarianism,’ Mr. Chauprade, the National Front’s top European Parliament candidate for the Paris region, said in a speech to Russia’s Parliament in Moscow last year. Russia offers the prospect of a new European order free of what Mr. Chauprade, in his own speech, described as its servitude to a ‘technocratic elite serving the American and European financial oligarchy’…

“The view that Europe has been cut adrift from its traditional moral moorings gained new traction this month when Conchita Wurst, a bearded Austrian drag queen, won the annual Eurovision Song Contest. Russian officials and the Russian Orthodox Church bemoaned the victory — over, among others, singing Russian twins — as evidence of Europe’s moral disarray. At the National Front’s pre-election rally, Mr. Chauprade mocked the ‘bearded lady’ and won loud applause with a passionate plaint that Europeans had become a rootless mass of ‘consumers disconnected from their natural attachments — the family, the nation and the divine.’”

Interesting developments…

Russia’s Acquisition of Massive Fortunes

The New York Times wrote on May 17:

“When Russia seized Crimea in March, it acquired not just the Crimean landmass but also a maritime zone more than three times its size with the rights to underwater resources potentially worth trillions of dollars.

“Russia portrayed the takeover as reclamation of its rightful territory, drawing no attention to the oil and gas rush that had recently been heating up in the Black Sea. But the move also extended Russia’s maritime boundaries, quietly giving Russia dominion over vast oil and gas reserves while dealing a crippling blow to Ukraine’s hopes for energy independence.

“Russia did so under an international accord that gives nations sovereignty over areas up to 230 miles from their shorelines. It had tried, unsuccessfully, to gain access to energy resources in the same territory in a pact with Ukraine less than two years earlier.”

We are told in Scripture that when the modern Medes (Russia and Ukraine) will invade Europe, they will not care for modern Babylon’s gold (Isaiah 13:17)—apparently, because they will have enough themselves. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Biblical Prophecy—From Now Until Forever.” 

NATO Helpless

Der Spiegel Online wrote on May 19:

“If Russia were to engage in military aggression in the Baltics, NATO would be unable to defend the region using conventional means…

“At its core, the Western defense alliance consists of a promise that the 28 member states make to each other in Article 5 of the NATO treaty: An attack against one or several members is considered as an attack against all. The article states that if the so-called mutual defense clause is applied, each member state, to the best of its ability, must rush to the aid of the NATO partner under attack. Most recently, Turkey considered invoking Article 5 and requesting assistance after several rocket attacks from neighboring Syria in late 2012. Since then, two German batteries of Patriot air defense missiles have been stationed in Turkey as protection.

“So what happens if the Baltic nations invoke Article 5? What if Russia attempts to destabilize the Baltics with threatening military gestures? And what if it violates its borders with Estonia and Latvia?…

“Elmar Brok, a member of Germany’s center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and a longstanding expert on European Union foreign policy, puts it… directly: ‘When the Baltic countries were accepted into NATO, Russia did not pose a military threat. The alliance complied with the agreement with Russia and did not station any troops east of the Elbe River. But now that Putin’s policy seems to be changing, NATO must come up with a response. At present, the alliance could not protect the Baltic countries with conventional military means.’

“That is the most important sentence, and officials at the German defense and foreign ministries in Berlin agree…”

The Bible predicts that a powerful Europe will emerge and that its leader—the “beast”—will feel threatened by Russia and China and other Far Eastern nations. “But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many” (Daniel 11:44).

Push for Strong European Military Presence

The Telegraph wrote on May 17:

“The European Union must pull closer together and establish a strong military presence, so it can act as a ‘moral anchor’ to the United States, the economist Kenneth Rogoff has warned. Speaking ahead of next week’s European elections, Mr Rogoff, a former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund, said the EU should strive to become more ‘like a single country’. ‘For the sake of the world we need Europe to integrate, to counterbalance the United States, to be able to step in in geopolitical terms,’ he told The Telegraph.

“‘You can’t just depend on the US to do everything, especially as China rises, as Russia rises.’ He also argued that the EU needed its own military capability, adding: ‘The events in the Ukraine are kind of frightening from that point of view.’… Mr Rogoff, who now teaches economics and public policy at Harvard, added: ‘By becoming more integrated, Europe has more weight in the world, and that is a good thing for everyone.’”

Sadly, Mr. Rogoff, as so many others, seem to have no clue as to what they are talking about. Europe will indeed become a strong military power, but this is most certainly not good for everyone.

The Chinese Spy on Spying America

BBC News wrote on May 19:

“The US has charged five Chinese army officers with hacking into private-sector American companies in a bid for competitive advantage… China denied the charges and warned the case would harm US-China relations… The US acknowledges that it conducts espionage but says unlike China it does not spy on foreign companies and pass what it finds to its own companies… China has already announced the suspension of co-operation with the US on an internet working group. And once it has had time to digest this loss of face, it is likely to consider more serious retaliation…

“In Washington on Monday, Mr Holder said a grand jury had laid hacking charges against the Chinese nationals, the first against ‘known state actors for infiltrating US commercial targets by cyber means’. He identified the alleged victims as Westinghouse Electric, US Steel, Alcoa Inc, Allegheny Technologies, SolarWorld and the US Steelworkers Union… It’s no coincidence that four of the six groups named in the prosecution are in the metal industry, business figures say.”

Reuters reported on May 20:

“China summoned the U.S. ambassador after the United States accused five Chinese military officers of hacking into American companies to steal trade secrets, warning Washington it could take further action, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday… The indictment is likely to further roil relations between China and the United States… China’s Ambassador to the United States… also ‘made solemn representations’ to the State Department on Monday… China’s defense ministry summoned the American military attaché on Tuesday to protest…

“China is the United States’ biggest foreign creditor. As of February, China held $1.27 trillion in U.S. Treasury bonds, according to Treasury Department data… The majority of China’s Internet users are now furious because they think the United States has ‘double standards’ on spying…

“Skeptics said U.S. authorities would not be able to arrest those indicted because Beijing would not hand them over. Still, the move would prevent the individuals from traveling to the United States or other countries that have an extradition agreement with the United States…”

When we misbehave towards others, we ought not to be surprised when they misbehave towards us.

Catholic Women Plead with the Pope for Abolition of Mandated Celibacy

The Telegraph wrote on May 18:

“A group of 26 Italian women who claim to be having affairs with Catholic priests have written a joint letter to Pope Francis begging him to end the Catholic Church’s ban on priests having sex and getting married. The women, who met through a Facebook campaign, wrote to the Pope requesting a meeting to put forward their case, claiming they were just ‘a small sample’ of the many partners of priests ‘living in silence’…

“Debate is growing on the merits of ordering priests to abstain from sex and marriage, which is designed to allow nothing [to] interfere with their close relationship with God. Some 6,000 parish priests who have left the priesthood to wed now live in Italy, compared to a total of 33,000 parish priests currently in service.

“Pope Francis has previously supported the tradition of celibacy, but has suggested his position might waiver… He has argued that celibacy is more Church tradition than hard and fast dogma, pointing out that up until 1100, some priests choose it while others did not…

“In one example supporting the anti-celibacy campaigners a prior at a Cistercian abbey near Milan has told how he was advised by his fellow monks to keep an affair he was having under wraps when he revealed he was in love with a woman…”

It is interesting that the pope admits that mandated celibacy for priests is Church tradition and not a “dogma.” In fact, the Bible nowhere commands it.

The Pope’s Anticipated Visit to Israel

The website of thelocal.it wrote on May 18:

“Pope Francis will take part in an unprecedented joint prayer in Jerusalem next weekend with representatives of all the main branches of Christianity in a bid to put aside old rivalries. The ceremony in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre — venerated as the place of Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection — is seen by the Vatican as the highpoint of the papal visit to the Middle East…

“But there are also pitfalls — as shown by recent protests and anti-Christian vandalism by Jewish religious nationalists over rumours about a deal with the Vatican for the management of holy sites. The Shiite Hezbollah movement has also complained about a planned trip by Lebanese Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai to Jerusalem to see the pope since Lebanon and Israel are still officially at war…

“In the city [of Jerusalem], [the pope] will meet Patriarch Bartholomew I — a key Orthodox leader who also attended Francis’s inauguration last year — and the two will attend the joint prayer with other Christian clergymen. ‘There has never been a public ecumenical prayer in a central place for the Christian faith,’ Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said at a briefing. ‘It’s a historic event.’ On May 26th, the pope will visit the Temple Mount and meet the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Mohammed Hussein…”

The Financial Times added on May 18:

“A plan by Pope Francis to celebrate mass in a Jerusalem room believed by Christians to have hosted the Last Supper has brought criticism, controversy and conspiracy theories worthy of a Dan Brown novel. The pope’s first official visit to the Holy Land this month was meant to showcase interfaith tolerance and the improved ties between Israel and the Holy See. But the plan to hold mass in the room, known as the Cenacle, has sparked an ugly disagreement that is threatening to undermine the visit.

“The Cenacle is on the upper floor of a Crusader-era building that is holy to all three monotheistic faiths. Not only was it a mosque in Ottoman times but it is also directly above the site revered by some Orthodox Jews as the burial place of King David.

“This has led to protests from some Jews, who say the planned mass would contravene an agreement in place since the days of the British Mandate under which different faiths have access to the site, but are mostly barred from holding religious rituals there.”

On May 19, Israel National News wrote the following:

“Palestinian Authority (PA) and Arab Christian sources are already celebrating Pope Francis’s visit to Israel starting next Sunday, saying his choice to begin the trip directly in PA-held Bethlehem is meant to ‘recognize Palestine’ and ‘oppose the occupation.’… The claims that his trip will begin in a ‘recognition of Palestine’ comes amid reports from February by Rabbi Sergio Bergman, a member of the Argentinian parliament and close friend of Pope Francis, who said that the pope intends to define himself as the ‘Che Guevera of the Palestinians’ and support their ‘struggle and rights’ during his visit.”

Pope Picks Jordanian Baptism Site

The Washington Post wrote on May 21:

“Christians believe that Jesus was immersed in the waters of the Jordan River by John the Baptist, who wore a cloak of camel’s hair and lived on locusts and honey in the desert wilderness. But the Gospels are not precise about which side of the river the baptism took place on — the east bank or the west. Although it might not matter much to a half-million annual visitors who come to the river for sightseeing or a renewal of faith, it matters very much to tourism officials in Israel and Jordan, who maintain dueling baptism sites, one smack-dab across from the other, with the shallow, narrow, muddy stream serving as international boundary.

“On Saturday, on his first trip to the Holy Land as leader of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis will visit the baptism site at Bethany Beyond the Jordan — on the eastern, or Jordanian, side of the river. Jordanian officials are hoping to capitalize on Francis’s trip and highlight Christian pilgrimage sites across their country to market Jordan as ‘the other Holy Land.’… Francis will be the third pope to visit since 2000, when John Paul II made the first modern papal pilgrimage to the baptism site as part of a jubilee tour, signaling the Vatican’s blessing upon Bethany Beyond the Jordan as the likely site of Jesus’s baptism.

“Yet Jordanian officials grumble that… Bethany languishes in the shadow of Qasr al-Yahud, or the Castle of the Jews, a better-known, more popular and Israeli-marketed site across the river, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The Israeli Tourism Ministry describes Qasr al-Yahud as ‘the traditional spot where the New Testament narrative of the baptism of Jesus took place.’

“Saar Kfir, the manager of the site for the Israeli parks agency, believes it more likely that Jesus was baptized on the west bank, as he arrived here from Nazareth…

“The Israeli site may be more popular because entry is free and it’s an hour’s drive from Jerusalem or Bethlehem. Going to Jordan requires some travelers — including Americans — to obtain a visa… Also, unrest in the region, especially in Syria, continues to discourage Western tour operators from venturing to Jordan…

“In addition to the baptism role of the Jordan River, tradition says this is where the Jews crossed into the Land of Israel and where the prophet Elijah ascended to heaven. Sleuths searching for the baptism site who favor Jordan point to pilgrim diaries dating to the early church, Roman road markers and a 6th-century mosaic map on the floor of St. George’s Orthodox Church in Madaba, Jordan.

“Jordanian archaeologists say the definitive evidence linking Bethany to Jesus’s baptism came in the form of a 4th-century monastery devoted to Elijah, which may have been commissioned by Helena, mother to Roman emperor Constantine, to mark the site of the baptism… ‘We have over 36 sacred Christian sites and 2,000 years of pilgrimages as our credentials,’ says Nidal Qatamin, Jordan’s tourism minister, pointing to Mount Nebo, the summit where Moses is said to have gazed upon the promised land, and Machaerus, the castle where John the Baptist is said to have lost his head to an angry King Herod.

“Through the efforts of King Abdullah II, Jordan is awarding free plots of land along the river to Christian denominations to encourage the country’s budding pilgrimage industry. This year saw the completion of a cavernous Russian Orthodox guesthouse and a Lutheran church and pilgrimage center, adding to the Coptic, Russian Orthodox and Greek Orthodox churches already there. A centerpiece will be a Catholic church set to be one of the largest in the region when it opens in 2016…”

Pope Faces Serious Health Issues

Newsmax reported on May 22:

“As Pope Francis begins a trip to the Holy Land on Saturday with a rigorous schedule that could be challenging even for the healthiest person, Vatican insiders are raising questions about the pontiff’s health. Some in the Holy See are beginning to openly discuss concerns about Francis’ condition… Less than two years into his papacy, the 77-year-old Pope has been on a remarkable whirlwind of activity that a man half his age might find difficult to keep up with. But close observers are noting that the Pope’s physical body may be failing to keep up with his youthful energy and vigor, especially considering he only has one fully functioning lung…

“Some close to the Pope have said they notice he has difficulty breathing, and during the 14 months of his papacy has gained a significant amount of weight, perhaps as much as 20 pounds. ‘It’s a very serious condition,’ Dr. Peter Hibberd told Newsmax in discussing the Pope’s single lung. ‘If you are 20 years old and have one lung, you wouldn’t notice it because all humans have a large reserve capacity in their lungs,’ said Hibberd, a 30-year hospital and emergency medicine specialist who writes for Newsmaxhealth.com.

“Hibberd noted that as they age, people ‘lose lung function,’ which in turn makes the extra or ‘reserve’ capacity of the lung more critical in keeping the blood well oxygenated while allowing the body to exchange gases. ‘His repeated fatigue reports and weight gain suggest he may be slipping into a form of chronic heart failure common among victims of significant lung disorders such as COPD,’ Hibberd suggested… He noted that patients with chronic lung conditions require an inhaler and nighttime oxygen to breath comfortably.”

Israel Strives for Less Dependency on Europe

The Jerusalem Post wrote on May 18:

“The [Israeli] government on Sunday approved a three-year NIS 50 million plan to strengthen its economic ties with at least five Latin American countries, meant to help Israel decrease its dependency on Europe as the primary trading partner. The plan focuses on Costa Rica and the four countries that make up the Pacific Alliance – Columbia, Mexico, Chile and Peru…

“‘We are making a very concentrated and focused effort to vary our markets, from our previous dependence on the European market, to the growing Asian and Latin American markets, in which Israel needs to take a small market share and bring about growth, employment and social welfare in the State of Israel,’ Netanyahu said at the start of Sunday’s weekly cabinet meeting.”

Military Takeover in Thailand

The Washington Post wrote on May 22:

“On Thursday, Secretary of State John Kerry released a sternly worded statement on Thailand’s military takeover, explicitly labeling it a coup. Here’s how it began: ‘I am disappointed by the decision of the Thai military to suspend the constitution and take control of the government after a long period of political turmoil, and there is no justification for this military coup.’

“That’s a remarkable contrast to the considerable lengths Kerry went to avoid describing last year’s military takeover in Egypt as a coup. Remember the comments he made… shortly after it happened? ‘The military was asked to intervene by millions and millions of people, all of whom were afraid of a descendance into chaos, into violence. And the military did not take over, to the best of our judgment so, so far. To run the country, there’s a civilian government. In effect, they were restoring democracy.’

“The Obama administration ultimately side-stepped the decision on whether Egypt was a coup or not entirely. There seems to be a disconnect there, and it clearly wasn’t lost on reporters at Thursday’s State Department briefing

“So what exactly is different about Thailand and Egypt? According to Jay Ulfelder, an American political scientist who focuses on political instability, not as much as the State Department hopes… ‘Under all the major definitions used by political scientists, both today’s events in Thailand and last summer’s events in Cairo qualify as successful coups. So based on the facts alone, there’s no coherent way to conclude that the two cases wind up in different categories.’…

“There’s another big factor here of course: Foreign aid. Section 508 of the Foreign Assistance Act says that the U.S. is required to suspend foreign aid to nations that undergo a military coup, though the language of that law leaves it open to interpretation. Thailand is a major non-NATO ally for the U.S., but receives nowhere near the $1.5 billion in foreign aid that Egypt does…”

Questionable Egyptian “Justice”

Deutsche Welle reported on May 21:

“Egypt’s deposed president, Hosni Mubarak, has been convicted on corruption charges by a Cairo court, being sentenced to three years in prison. His two sons have also been found guilty on the same charges… They were all accused of embezzling more than 100 million Egyptian pounds (around 10 million euros) earmarked for the maintenance of presidential palaces. Instead, the money was spent on upgrading the family’s private residences…

“Mubarak had been under house arrest at a military hospital since August pending retrial in a case of complicity in the killing of protesters during the 2011 uprising that ended his rule. It was not immediately clear if the three years Mubarak and his sons had already spent in jail would count toward this latest sentence and, if not, whether Egypt’s former president would return to hospital or be sent to prison.”

Ridiculous Texas “Justice”

Breitbart reported on May 20:

“On Thursday 19-year-old Jacob Lavoro made his first court appearance for allegedly making and selling pot brownies… Lavoro is being charged with a first degree felony, which in Texas is a, ‘Crime which results in severe body harm to a victim and possibly death.’

“If convicted, the punishment for a first degree felony according to the Texas penal code is a, ‘Jail term of no less than five years, and no more than 99.’ According to Sullo & Sullo LLP, in Texas, other crimes that carry a first degree felony charge are, aggravated sexual assault, solicitation of capital murder, and trafficking of children under the age of fourteen.

“It is unclear whether anyone was harmed by eating the brownies. However, the Huffington Post reports that [there] are no known instances of a marijuana related death. Additionally, a smoker would have to consume 20,000 to 40,000 times the amount of THC found in a joint in order to risk death.

“KHON 2 reports the brownies were made with hash oil, a concentrated form of cannabis that can be used for cooking. While the alleged amount of THC used to make the brownies was well within a misdemeanor level, the state allows prosecution to count the weight of all the other ingredients including sugar, butter, and cocoa to determine the weight of the drug. By this logic, beer could be considered 100% alcoholic if hops and barley were counted as alcohol in the measurement.

“Lavoro’s attorney, Jack Holmes, a former police officer with 22 years of legal experience, told KHON 2 reporters, ‘I was outraged…I’ve never seen anything like this before.’ The report adds that the 19 year old defendant has a clean record, and that both Lavoro and his attorney are, ‘Prepared to fight.’”

55 Percent of Americans in Favor of Gay Marriage

The Washington Times wrote on May 21:

“Support for gay marriage is hitting record-level highs, with fully 55 percent of Americans saying it’s quite OK for homosexuals to trade government-sanctioned wedding vows. The Gallup poll said the… level of approval is… the highest since the question was first posed, back in 1996.

“Those in the under-30 crowd were the most likely to support the same-sex unions, with 78 percent of those between the ages of 18 and 29 saying they’re on board. And 42 percent of those age 65 and older support gay marriage, too. Back in 1996, the figures were switched: 68 percent opposed gay marriage…

“The South, however, still stands somewhat steadfast in its opposition to gay marriage. That’s where “traditional marriage advocates still hold a majority of support,” Gallup found…”

Californians Ought to Prepare for One of Its Worst Wildfire Seasons

ABC News reported on May 18:

“All evacuation orders were lifted Sunday as firefighters gained the upper hand on the remaining four of nearly a dozen blazes that tore through Southern California last week — while the governor warned the state was gearing up for what could be one of the drought-stricken region’s worst wildfire seasons…

“Unusually high temperatures, low humidity and gusty winds set conditions last week for the string of wildfires that broke out in San Diego County, causing more than $20 million in damage… The first blaze started Tuesday and was caused by a spark from construction equipment, according to state officials. It could take months to get to the bottom of the most damaging fires.”

 

70,000 Fish Turn Up Dead

The Website of nbclosangeles.com reported on May 19:

“Authorities are trying to determine what caused tens of thousands of fish to turn up dead in the waters off Marina del Rey over the weekend… The first report came in just after 9 p.m. Saturday at the A-Basin in the 13000 block of Tahiti Way, officials said. When Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies arrived, they discovered an estimated 70,000 dead anchovies floating in the water, along with other sea life, including sting rays and angel sharks… On Sunday afternoon, workers hauled away about 175 garbage bags worth of fish, weighing an estimated 7,000 pounds.”

Hosea 4:3 comes to mind: “… Even the fish of the sea will be taken away.”

Honesty to Be Admired

The Local reported on May 21:

“A 66-year-old man has been praised by police after he found €18,000 on the street and handed it in. The man came across the cash in a bag on a street in Stuttgart (Germany) on Monday at 12.15pm and headed straight to the police station with it. Later on that day a 33-year-old tradesman phoned to say he had lost €18,000. He had left the bag with the money inside on the roof of his car and drove off without realizing he had lost the cash. Police described the 66-year-old man as an ‘honest finder.’”

Severe Balkans Floods

Deutsche Welle reported on May 19:

“Flooding and landslides are the major problems being tackled by rescue teams and volunteers as the Balkans struggle with the consequences of the worst flooding in southwestern Europe in more than a century… Russian cargo planes carrying boats, generators and food joined rescue teams from around Europe and thousands of local volunteers in evacuating people and building flood defenses after the River Sava, swollen by days of torrential rain, burst its banks…

“In Bosnia, there are growing concerns over the possible outbreak of disease as temperatures rise. There is a lack of drinking water and electricity, water is polluted and dead animals lie on flooded land… infectious diseases such as enterocolitis, typhus, and hepatitis were the major threats in stricken areas. The towns of Doboj and Samac were particularly badly flooded. Access to some areas can only be made by air as landslides and sinkholes have closed dozens of roads in Bosnia.”

The EUObserver added on May 20:

“A dozen EU countries have sent equipment to Bosnia and Serbia to help them deal with ‘the incredible force of nature’ of springtime floods… The member states offering assistance include: Austria; Belgium; Bulgaria; the Czech Republic; Croatia; France; Germany; Latvia; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Slovenia; and the UK. The US and Russia have also sent help… Heavy rainfall in the region began on 13 May, with the two Balkan states formally filing for EU assistance four days later.

“The flooding has affected 1 million people in Bosnia and 300,000 in Serbia, with some 500,000 evacuated from their homes and at least 47 killed. In Serbia, the water also threatens to damage the country’s biggest power plant, the Nikola Tesla complex near Belgrade. Bosnia is said to have about 120,000 unexploded landmines in more than 9,400 sites dating from its 1992 to 1995 war. Many of them were buried near river banks and have already killed some 600 people and wounded 1,110 in accidents over the past 20 years. ‘Water and landslides have possibly moved some mines and taken away mine warning signs … [people] must be extremely cautious when they start cleaning their houses, land, or gardens as the remaining mud could hide mines and other explosive devices brought by rivers,’ Sasa Obradovic, from Bosnia’s Mine Action Centre told AFP.”

Divine Punishment?

The Telegraph wrote on May 23:

“… several church leaders have now claimed the recent devastating flooding across the Balkans, which was the worst in a century and left over 50 people dead, was ‘divine punishment’ for [bearded transvestite] Conchita [Wurst’s] victory [at the Eurovision 2014]. ‘This [flood] is not a coincidence, but a warning,’ Patriarch Amfilohije of Montenegro said… ‘God sent the rains as a reminder that people should not join the wild side.’

“Patriarch Irinej, the spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox Serbs, reportedly said the floods were ‘divine punishment for their vices’ and that ‘God is thus washing Serbia of its sins’. The Russian Orthodox Church has previously described Conchita as an ‘abomination’ and that his victory was ‘one more step in the rejection of the Christian identity of European culture’”.

Huge Dinosaur Found

CNN wrote on May 19:

“They may be the biggest boys on any block — any block, ever. In fact, the dinosaurs unveiled Saturday by Argentina’s Museo Paleontologico Egidio Feruglio may be the largest to grace the Earth. At about 130 feet (40 meters) long and 180,000 pounds (80,000 kilograms), it’s no wonder, then, that these colossal creatures are dubbed titanosaurs — titan being a nod to the giants of ancient Greek mythology. ‘It’s like two trucks with a trailer each, one in front of the other, and the weight of 14 elephants together,’ said Jose Luis Carballido, a dinosaur specialist at the Argentinian museum who played a big part in the discovery…

“These herbivores dated back to about 95 million years ago, in the late Mesozoic Era. In 2011, scientists exploring a remote swath of Argentina’s Patagonia some 160 miles (260 kilometers) from the city of Trelew came across a site with 200 fossils — a find that the museum characterized as ‘a dinosaur cemetery.’…

“According to a news release from the museum… experts were able to piece together seven specimens of titanosaurs out of this. The belief is that they died together there, perhaps from dehydration or being stuck in the mud.”

The German magazine Focus added on May 18 on its website that the remains had to be covered very quickly to be preserved, for instance through “a Flood.” According to the Bible, God created dinosaurs long before He created man. Through the rebellion of Satan, the earth became void and empty, and all living things on earth died—including the dinosaurs. After the destruction of the pre-Adamic world, when the earth was covered by water, God restored and renewed the surface of the earth and created man and “modern” animals and plants. Noah’s flood occurred much later. Please read our free booklet, “The Theory of Evolution—a Fairy Tale for Adults.” 

Some feel that because pagans might use certain symbols, Christians are prohibited from using them. This, however, is an erroneous conclusion. For instance, some wonder whether true Christians ought to use the symbol of the heart.

In this regard, the following correct answer was given by the Letter Answering Department of the Worldwide Church of God, shortly after the death of its human leader, Herbert W. Armstrong:

“You asked whether there is any biblical prohibition against using the symbol of the heart, since it is often associated with the pagan observance of Valentine’s Day. We should remember that it is God who made the heart. Reference is made to it many times in the Bible. God uses this organ as a SYMBOL of our attitude and thoughts, for example.

“The pagans merely adopted a stylized drawing of a heart as a symbol in their worship, as for Valentine’s Day. In fact, a number of other objects in God’s creation have been treated in a similar manner. But, the misuse of an object by this or that group, even if the people are atheistic, should not prohibit a Christian from putting it to a proper use. Based on this principle, it is not wrong to use the heart shape in jewelry, pillows, or other items.”

The article warns against using it if our conscience prohibits it (compare Romans 14:23). At the same time, we must not try to convince others of “our” individual conscience and persuade them not to engage in a certain course of action which is not prohibited in Scripture. For instance, some are vegetarians or refuse to drink alcohol, even though the Bible clearly shows that it is right and proper to eat clean meat and to consume alcohol in moderation. A vegetarian or someone who rejects alcohol must NEVER try to persuade others to become vegetarians or to refuse alcoholic consumption. (Of course, someone who refuses to drink alcohol would exclude himself from proper observance of the annual Passover service and his partaking of the symbols of bread and wine).

The above-quoted comments regarding the symbol of the heart apply to many additional symbols and courses of conduct. For instance, only because “nominal” Christians and even pagans decorate fir trees around Christmas time would not compel a true Christian to cut down his fir trees in his yard. If a Christian has decorating lights in his back yard all year long, he is not compelled to take them down just because nominal Christians and pagans use them around Christmas time. A Christian is not prohibited from buying and eating eggs around Easter time only because nominal Christians and pagans eat eggs around that time of year. The same is true for so-called Christmas pastry. Of course, it should never be eaten AS Christmas pastry, associated with Christmas celebrations, but the pastry itself is not wrong (neither are eggs around Easter time). Paul explains the underlying principle that for us, there are no idols, so we can eat clean meat that was offered to idols, as long as our conscience does not condemn us for this (1 Corinthians 10:25-28).

There are certain neutral or even meaningful signs which we might use in a positive way. For instance, there is one gesture or symbol which is used in sign language, meaning, I love you. However, some Satanic groups might have misappropriated that gesture or a similar sign for their own devilish purposes. The fact that they do so does not prevent a Christian from using it for the right reasons. The same is true for other signs, meaning victory or peace.

Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong was at one time reluctant to use the word “gospel,” as so many “Christian” groups had misappropriated the word to give it their ungodly and unbiblical spin. But Mr. Armstrong rightly concluded and decided that it was good and proper to use this word, as the Bible uses it, and we must not be concerned about our use of it, even though others are misapplying it.

Some have raised the idea that the Star of David, in the form of a hexagram (the compound of two equilateral triangles) is of Satanic origin. But even though pagans might have misappropriated a hexagram for their own sinister purposes, this does not mean that godly people cannot use it, and that the national symbol of the state of Israel is of Satanic origin.

The website http://www.scoutingresources.org.uk/countries/countries_flags.html states the following regarding the flag of Israel, which incorporates the Star of David:

“Religious symbols make up the flag of the modern State of Israel. The Star of David, its center piece, both leads back to Jewry’s glorious past and points to a Messianic future…”

Others add that the six points refer to the six days of creation, with the Sabbath being represented in the middle. Others claim that it represents the relationship between God and man—the three upward points represent the fact that we look to God for help, and the three downward points show that God is giving us His help.

The website http://www.juedische-allgemeine.de/article/view/id/2805 adds that the ”hexagram” has been discovered in the nation of Judah at least as early as during the time of the Second Temple.

Mr. Armstrong did not consider the Star of David as a symbol which should be avoided. When he met with Jewish representatives regarding planned excavations in Israel, he explained, by wearing and showing his Star of David cufflinks, that he was related to King David.

The same conclusion must be reached about the use of other star-shaped symbols, including a pentagram (a five-pointed star). The Wikipedia Encyclopedia states the following:

“The pentagram was used in ancient times as a Christian symbol… By the mid-19th century a… distinction had developed amongst occultists regarding the pentagram’s orientation. With a single point upwards it depicted spirit presiding over the four elements of matter, and was essentially ‘good’. However, the influential writer Eliphas Levi called it evil whenever the symbol appeared the other way up. ‘A reversed pentagram, with two points projecting upwards, is a symbol of evil and attracts sinister forces because it overturns the proper order of things and demonstrates the triumph of matter over spirit…’”

As we should be able to see, the fact that pagans and occultists attach a particular meaning and human interpretation to certain pre-existing symbols should not compel a Christian to refrain from using these symbols. Otherwise, Christians will soon be prevented from using ANY symbols and signs, because pagans and occultists will undoubtedly misappropriate in time EVERY symbol in existence.

When referring to the pentagram, we should realize that that particular symbol of a star has been used throughout history, including for proper purposes. The website http://www.scoutingresources.org.uk/countries/countries_flags.html states the following about the American flag, which depicts stars in the shape of pentagrams:

“George Washington explained the flag’s features to the people in stirring words. He said: ‘We take the stars from heaven, the red from our mother country, separating it by white stripes, thus showing that we have separated from her, and the white stripes shall go down to posterity representing liberty.’… Several theories have been brought forward as to the origin of the stars… The story is told that in June, 1776, George Washington with two other men called on Betsy Ross, a widowed seamstress renowned for her needlework, at her upholstery shop in Philadelphia. They showed her a rough draft of the suggested flag and inquired whether she could make one. Betsy convinced her callers that it was advisable to use five-pointed stars instead of the proposed six-pointers because these could easily be made by a single clip of the scissors…

“Washington is said to have suggested that the stars should be arranged in a circle, to emphasize the full equality of the states. Actually, there was no definite rule about the arrangement of the stars at first. Earliest samples show a circle of 12 stars, with the 13th occupying the center… Originally it was intended to add a new stripe and star for each state joining the initial 13. By 1818, their number had grown to 20, and it became obvious that the method adopted was impractical. Consequently, Congress resolved to revert to the original 13 stripes, but to indicate the admission of new states by adding a star for each. That procedure has been followed ever since.”

One would be hard-pressed to conclude that Washington and others, who devised the American flag, did so with the desire of using Satanic symbols and with the ultimate ulterior motive of worshipping Satanic forces.

We must realize that God created and maintains or upholds the universe—including the stars and their constellations (Genesis 1:16; Psalm 136:9; 147:4). He used stars as symbols for Joseph’s brothers; for the entire nation of Israel; and also for angels (Genesis 37:9-10; Deuteronomy 10:22; Job 38:4-7; Revelation 1:16-20; 12:1). Both the symbol of the heart and the numerous symbols of stars have been designed to represent what God has created. That Satan and pagans may misuse them (compare Amos 5:26; Acts 7:43), and that fallen angels are also described as stars (Revelation 12:4), does not compel a Christian to avoid using the symbol of a star.

We might also note that the five-shaped star is represented in God’s nature as well, in the world of animals and plants. Therefore, we cannot conclude that the symbol of a five-shaped star is evil per se.

Some may say that Christians should then also be free to use the sign of the cross. However, a fundamental difference exists. Pagans created and used the sign of the cross in their worship ceremonies before it ever played a role in Jewish or Christian thought. In fact, Christ was apparently not even nailed to a cross, but to a stake. There is no example that Christians ever used a cross, even as a symbol, until the time of the pagan emperor Constantine who claimed to have seen a vision of a cross prior to a decisive battle. In any event, even allowing for the idea that Christ died on a T-shaped cross, why would anyone with spiritual understanding use this symbol of murder and death for the purpose of decoration or worship?

But to repeat, the fact that PROPER symbols are misappropriated by pagans and applied to non-godly concepts does not prohibit a Christian from using them for right reasons. For instance, Christ is clearly symbolized as a lion (Revelation 5:5), but so is Satan (1 Peter 5:8). Still, a Christian is free, of course, to use the symbol of a lion. The old seal of the Worldwide Church of God portrayed a lion, a lamb and a little child.

We should also realize that we are told in Numbers 2:2 that God ordered the tribes of Israel to use banners or standards, as well as emblems, to identify each tribe. Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible says:

“…what they were is not easy to say … [the] ancients were used to say, that there was in the standard of Reuben the form of a man, on account of the mandrakes, Genesis 30:14; and in the standard of Judah the form of a lion, because Jacob compared him to one, Genesis 49:9; and in the standard of Ephraim the form of an ox, from the sense of those words, the firstling of his bullock, Deuteronomy 33:17…”

The Jamieson Fausset and Brown Commentary adds:

“Jewish writers say that the standards of the Hebrew tribes were symbols borrowed from the prophetic blessing of Jacob—Judah’s being a lion, Benjamin’s a wolf…” [Genesis 49:3-24].

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible writes:

“Tradition appropriates the four cherubic forms (Ezekiel 1:5-12; Revelation 4:7 ff), the lion, man, ox, and eagle, to the camps of Judah, Reuben, Ephraim, and Dan respectively; and this, as to the first, has a certain support from Genesis 49:9 (compare Revelation 5:5), and as to the third, from Deuteronomy 33:17…”.

Some have suggested that the emblem of Joseph or Ephraim in particular was that of a unicorn (Deuteronomy 33:17 in the Authorized Version); and that Dan’s emblem was that of a serpent or a snake (compare Genesis 49:17).

Whatever they were, it is clear that God did not prohibit the Israelites from using banners and standards with pictures of men and animals. The fact that pagans might have misappropriated the same or similar pictures for their own false worship did not prohibit ancient Israel from using them for a right and proper purpose. The same principle applies for us today.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Here is a run-down on the most popular StandingWatch programs (the recent SW program on “Ukraine in Prophecy” has been viewed in excess of 9,000):

“When Will Russia Attack Israel” has by now topped 146,000; followed by “How Germans Really Feel” (45,000); “Germany Is Back–Why Now?” (37,000); “Coming–The Great Depression” (almost 36,000); “New Great Depression In 2012?” (almost 36,000); “Is The Fourth Reich Coming?” (34,000); “When Will Israel Attack Iran?” (25,000); “Food Shortage In The USA” (23,000); “666–Number Of The Beast’s Name” (20,000); “Why Atheists Are Wrong” (almost 19,000); and so on.

Additional popular programs include the one on “A Singular Nuclear Bomb Could Destroy America” (13,000); “WHY Is Christ’s Return Near?”(over 10,000) and “Germany’s Trier Much Older Than Rome?” (almost 11,000); also, the one on “The Bible and the Mahdi” (almost 8,000)–followed by programs in the 7,000 range, 6,000 range, 5,000 range, etc.

“Let’s Count Our Blessings in the USA!,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Even though we are committed to warn our nation of impending disaster, if we don’t change our ways, we need to be thankful for the freedom we still have in the USA. This program gives you some stirring eyewitness examples of attacks on individual liberties in Germany and Europe, serving as a warning that we, as a nation, do not fall into the same trap. At the same time, we are rectifying a common error about Europe’s unification, which some hold because of a misunderstanding of biblical prophecies. We are offering our free booklet, “The Ten European Revivals of the Ancient Roman Empire.”

“Wie Weise Sind Sie Wirklich?,” is the title of this week’s German sermon–title in English: “How Wise Are You Really?”

“Christ’s Parables in the Book of Luke,” presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted. Here is a summary:

Less than two months ago, we discussed many of the parables in the Book of Matthew. In this sermon, we will address those parables in the book of Luke, which are not addressed in the book of Matthew. They include, among many others, the parable of the good Samaritan; the rich fool; the great supper; the lost son, the unjust steward; the Pharisee and the tax collector; the minas; and of course the mostly misunderstood parable of Lazarus and the rich man.

We have also posted a recent sermon by Pastor Brian Gale (United Kingdom), given during his recent visit to the U.S. The title is “No Hiding Place.” 

by Shana Rank

On a recent adventure with my youngest son, while we were looking for special rocks and beads at a local craft store, we had an interesting encounter. We slowly moved around two aisles for almost half an hour, looking and thinking, when one of the employees—a young man, determined to engage my son in conversation—asked him a handful of questions, hoping to help my son make a decision on a purchase. All I could think to myself was how patient this employee was.

Rushed by the fact that we needed to leave in order to pick up my older son from school, I gave a final “warning” to my son—with a calculated eye, he found a strand of glass beads shaped like stars. We hurried over to the register, only to be stopped by the young man who had just been helping us. The employee pulled out a handful of dollars and asked my son if he would like to add the sum to his own allowance to help pay for the beads. My son shyly said “thank you,” and the employee scooted off. I was humbled at that moment and couldn’t help but smile. What a great act of unsolicited kindness!

I really enjoy these types of experiences, when I am struck by character qualities (in this case kindness) that people are capable of. These are the same character qualities that I should exemplify!

On May 17, 2014, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “Christ’s Parables in the Book of Luke.”

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.

We are faced with decisions that we have to make every single day and many decisions that people make are either simplistic, common sense decisions or they can be poor and costly ones.  We see how our leadership in this nation has made poor decisions, especially ones that are unconstitutional and absolutely contrary with what the Bible teaches.  It goes hand in hand with what the Bible predicts, and it will not improve until Christ’s return.

In regard to decisions that we are faced with, it comes down to the choices that we have to make.  We have to know within ourselves just what is the right or wrong choice. We have to be careful with our decision making since we are the minority in this world who believe the truth, for WE are the called out ones, the hated ones (compare Matthew 10:22; John 15:18).  Because of this responsibility we have, there is a lot of pressure we are faced with in this world, since we have to live as examples and stay true to our faith.  We can’t compromise with our beliefs, but we must stand up for what is right.  People will know by our convictions and our actions where we stand.

Now we know that God does not change and He never will.  He will not compromise (Malachi 3:6).  His purpose for mankind is the same today, as it was then!  Every person on this earth makes choices, every day, whether they will live righteously or not. But there is one critical difference. While the world continues to go its evil way, there is a group of people that God has called out of this world; to come out from the evil ways, and to live their lives based upon His laws, His statutes, and His judgments!  Even God had a choice to make, choosing those out of the world for a purpose (1 Corinthians 1:26-29).

We are supposed to live as examples and shine as lights.  Each of us being called to this Way of Life, make choices every day. Will we obey God or not? Will we walk in His Way or not? Will we attempt to worship Him in a false way, by worshipping false gods? Will we bow down to gods made with human hands, wooden or stone images? Will we dishonor God by taking His name in vain? Will we faithfully keep and properly observe His Sabbath and His Holy Days?  Will we keep man-made holidays originating from pagan origins? Will we kill another human being, for instance in war, or even murder him in our thoughts through the sin of hatred? Will we steal from others, including our brethren, or steal from God by not giving Him what is owed to Him through tithes and offerings?  Will we lie against our neighbor or God? Will we covet that which does not belong to us, thus sinning against our God?

The world continually finds itself in the struggles of evil.  We have to make sure that we don’t become a part of that.  God has His eyes on us.  Judgment is now on the house of God! With every decision we come to, with every choice we make; God is taking notice! He is ready and able to help in times of need (compare Psalm 34:15-20, 22). Will we do what is right in God’s eyes, in reference to our mates and our children, and in reference to our neighbor?  Each time we break a law of God, it is the result of a wrong choice we have made!

Noah was righteous before God.  Because of the choice made by this one man, God decided that He would allow life to continue on the earth for mankind, starting over with this one righteous man and his family, including the animals brought onto the ark. 

When it came to the obedience of His law, God chose Israel as the nation He would work through to continue to carry on His Way on the earth, because of Abraham’s right choices. Sadly, Israel chose to disobey God.

David was a man after God’s own heart. Jesus Christ walked upon the earth in the flesh and lived a perfect life. Each of these men had to make choices every day. God was pleased overall with the choices they made, and of course, in the case of Christ, He was always pleased.

After God had delivered Israel from the hands of the Egyptians and had revealed to them once again His righteous and perfect Law, He had given them a choice, as He gives us that same choice.  Let us see what this choice is: “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil… I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live (Deuteronomy 30:15, 19).”

We start reporting about unpleasant and disturbing developments in America’s political landscape; continue with events in Ukraine, Russia and China; speak of Israel’s desire to adopt the Talmud as Israel’s national law; address the belief in the devil and the celebration of a black mass; report on Pope Francis’ political ambitions and other occurrences within the Catholic Church; point out the dramatic rise of male syphilis in the USA; address a bearded Austrian drag queen’s victory in Europe’s prestigious national Song Contest; reveal the virtually unknown wide-ranging powers of the European Parliament; and conclude with a scientific debate on the truth or falsity of man- made climate change.

US Democrats….

The Washington Post wrote on May 8:

“On the West Coast to raise millions of dollars for his party, President Obama spent the second half of this week preaching to rich supporters about why Democrats are better than Republicans. It sounded like a conventional stump speech in the windup to the midterm battle… Listen closely, however, and you could hear the president making a much more dramatic statement about the importance of this year’s elections…

“He described the public’s dissatisfaction with Washington as nearly at a tipping point, where working-class Americans see leaders as unresponsive to their most basic concerns. If that were to continue, he said, more middle-class Americans could dismiss the political process completely…

“The president rejected the idea that America was in decline, but he said it could happen if the right steps weren’t taken to invest in the economy… what was striking about his comments this week was that he described the stakes for the midterm elections in almost catastrophic terms… Obama’s remarks suggest that, despite the progress made since the financial crisis and recession from 2008 to 2009, he sees the country as deeply vulnerable if gridlock endures…”

President Obama recognizes that Democrats are in big trouble. But so are Republicans, as the next article shows.

… vs. Republicans

The Washington Times wrote on May 9:

“Gay marriage and abortion, divisive issues within the Republican party, have flared again at the RNC’s meeting here, with Nevada’s delegation firing back at criticism of its April decision to remove anti-abortion and anti-gay language from its state platform.

“Angered by an email from Oklahoma Republican National Committee member Carolyn McLarty… the Nevada delegation sent a stinging rebuke to the 168-member national committee. ‘The removal of two social issues from our platform does not mean that “we” as individual people are “for” gay marriage or “for” abortion, the email said… The delegation also took issue with Mrs. McLarty, an evangelical Protestant and staunch opponent of abortion, calling its action an ‘attack on God and family.’…

“Grass-roots Republicans themselves are divided over whether abortion should be banned nationally by a constitutional amendment or whether it’s a matter of states’ discretion.”

A house divided cannot stand. Both Democratic and Republican voters are hopelessly confused, as are their representatives. And most deny the undeniable—that America IS in decline and facing its inevitable downfall. No amount of sugarcoating can hide this basic truth, and no baseless hope in the “American Way” can delude the realization that America’s sins separate the people from God.

“Voting” in Eastern Ukraine

Deutsche Welle reported on May 11:

“Pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine’s eastern industrial regions said turnout for their referenda Sunday was ‘overwhelming’… That was rejected by Ukraine’s Western-backed interim administration in Kyiv, which described the balloting as a ‘criminal farce.’ Presidential chief of staff Sergei Pashinsky said no voting was taking place in wide parts of eastern Ukraine – a sprawling region with 6.5 million inhabitants. They were being asked to approve a declaration of so-called sovereign people’s republics in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions…

“Sunday’s referenda went ahead despite appeals by Western powers for a Ukrainian presidential election on May 25 and a call by Russian President Vladimir Putin for the rebels to postpone their ballot… Officials in battle-scarred Mariupol said there were merely eight polling centers for half a million voters. At several locations, ballot boxes were seen outdoors, among other places in Mariupol and at the village of Ternovoe (pictured) in the Luhansk region.

“Polling lacked international monitors. Western correspondents said balloting was similar to the March referendum in Crimea, which was annexed by Russia days later. Ballot papers used on Sunday were printed without safeguards against duplication and voter registration was patchy.”

Bulgaria—in the Kremlin’s Grip

Der Spiegel Online wrote on May 12:

“Concerns are growing within the German government that the European Union’s most impoverished member state, Bulgaria, could fall into the grips of Moscow’s influence…

“Bulgaria is an easy target for the Kremlin because the country is almost entirely dependent on energy imports from Russia to survive. One third of its economic output is either directly or indirectly controlled by Moscow… Bulgaria’s governing coalition — of the Bulgarian Socialist Party and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms party, which represents the country’s Turkish minority — is considered closely aligned with Moscow. It includes an illustrious group of former Communist Party members, intelligence service workers and Bulgarian oligarchs who do business with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s minions…

“Relations are so close that Russia apparently even has direct influence on Bulgarian lawmaking…

“Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev, an independent politician who is fighting openly with his government because he wants to keep Bulgaria on a course toward the West… warned of dangerous developments across the entire region. He fears Putin could destabilize Bulgaria and the Balkans and seek to bring it under its sphere of influence…

“In Berlin, the Bulgarian president pushed for a more determined stand against Russia in the EU. ‘We are currently experiencing a historical moment in which Europe should not be using calculators to add up the consequences of sanctions,’ Plevneliev said…”

The Powerful Resurgence of Putin’s Russia

The New York Times wrote on May 9:

“Putting his personal seal on the annexation of Crimea, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia arrived in the naval port of Sevastopol on Friday, where he used the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany to assert that Moscow had the right to take over the Black Sea peninsula.

“Over the past decade, Mr. Putin has gradually turned Victory Day into a celebration of resurgent Russian power and nationalism. The visit to Sevastopol, in southwestern Crimea, the historical home of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, was a potent manifestation of his goal of reviving Russia as a global power.

“The West reacted to the annexation in March with sanctions against Mr. Putin’s closest circle of advisers and a few significant companies. By going to Sevastopol, the Russian president was effectively telling Western leaders that Moscow would do as it pleased…

“The annexation provoked the worst tensions between Russia and the West since the height of the Cold War…

“The secretary general of NATO, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, condemned Mr. Putin’s visit as ‘inappropriate.’ Speaking in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, Mr. Rasmussen said that NATO considers the annexation illegal, The Associated Press reported. Mr. Rasmussen also said that NATO had ‘no visible evidence’ that Russia was withdrawing its 40,000 troops from the border with Ukraine, as Mr. Putin said he would on Wednesday…

“Mr. Putin’s visit came just hours after a thundering Victory Day parade, a lengthy review of Russia’s refurbished military and advanced hardware, rolled through Red Square in Moscow… In the parade, the tribute to the annexation of Crimea was not subtle, as the first vehicles to enter the square behind row after row of tightly choreographed marching soldiers made clear. The first vehicle, an armored personnel carrier from a Black Sea Marines brigade, flew a big Crimean flag.”

 Deutsche Welle added on May 9:

“President Vladimir Putin has led parades in Moscow’s Red Square – to mark the ex-Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany – and then in Crimea… During his televised Red Square address in Moscow, Putin said May 9 remained Russia’s ‘most important holiday’…

“Despite Western sanctions and condemnation of Russia’s annexation in March of the southern Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, it emerged on Thursday that Putin was likely to be welcomed to Normandy, France, next month… The June 6 commemoration will mark the 70th anniversary of the US-led Allied D-Day landings in France in 1944 that opened a western front against occupying Nazi forces while Soviet troops advance on Nazi Germany from the east…”

The cowardly behavior of the West is incredible. The barbaric and murderous actions of Stalin’s invading Russian army, causing havoc in Germany at the end of World War II, is nothing to be proud about. Even though Russia is celebrated today for fighting Nazi Germany, Stalin was no better than Hitler. 

Recasting Russian Superiority—Trouble for the Future

The Christian Science Monitor wrote on May 9:

“Victory Day, Russia’s annual homage to the 27 million Soviet citizens who died in the colossal struggle to defeat Nazi Germany, has always been more than a day of remembrance. Both Soviet and Russian leaders have sought to enhance their own legitimacy by bathing in the reflected light of that triumph, and blatantly used the annual parade of tanks, troops, and intercontinental missiles to advertise continuing military prowess.

“But there were some fresh notes this year that suggest the Kremlin may be recasting Soviet nostalgia and a sense of Russian superiority into a new doctrine: one that would gather ethnic Russians and other former Soviet ‘compatriots’ into a new Moscow-dominated empire that will once again challenge the West. This idea, combined with a renewed taste for military expansionism that was test-driven in Crimea, may spell more trouble in future…

“In his speech after signing the treaty to join Crimea with Russia, Mr. Putin spoke evocatively of Russia’s humiliation at being treated like a vanquished country after the cold war ended, and of his anger at how the West exploited Russia’s weakness to expand NATO eastward into former Soviet territory. The final straw, he said, was US and European encouragement of a street revolt in Kiev that brought a pro-Western government to power that did not represent the interests of millions of Russians and compatriots in Ukraine’s east…

“That kind of talk clearly works with Russia’s public. Putin’s popularity ratings have soared since the Ukraine crisis began, especially after the annexation of Crimea. A late April survey by the independent Levada Center found a near-record 82 percent of Russians approved of Putin’s job performance. Russian media commentators have consistently claimed that the pro-Western interim government in Kiev is dominated by fascists, making the clear suggestion that Moscow’s pushback against the new Ukrainian regime is in some way a continuation of the Soviet Union’s war against Nazi Germany. The same thought seemed to lurk between the lines of Putin’s Victory Day speech as well.”

Bild Online reported on May 9 that former German Foreign Minister and Vice-Chancellor, Joschka Fischer, warned of Putin’s militaristic and violent ambitions and stated that if Ukraine falls, more will fall. The Bible says that once the European Beast is in power, troubling rumors from the East will motivate him to attack Russia and China. What we are experiencing now might give us a hint as to how these developments will come about. See the next article.

Russia and China

Bloomberg reported on May 9:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to open the door to Chinese money… Putin is turning to Asia as financing from the U.S. and EU tightens and capital outflows surge… Russia has been building trade ties with China, including long-term oil deals worth hundreds of billions of dollars… China is Russia’s largest trading partner with $95.6 billion of business in 2012…  Russia will develop ties with China and the two countries’ union will be a ‘significant factor’ affecting the architecture of modern international relations, Putin said…

“Putin’s decision, coming as competition from U.S. and European financing slows, may offer China a good opportunity to gain access to Russia’s economy. Joining existing resource projects will probably be more appealing than starting from scratch… Russia is also seeking China’s help to build a bridge to the annexed Crimean peninsula…

“Russia’s relations with China are developing steadily…”

Talmud to Become Israel’s Law?

Israel National News wrote on May 9:

“Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu reportedly revealed at a Likud conference on Wednesday some remarkable facets of the Basic Law he submitted last Thursday, which would enshrine Israel’s status as the nation-state of the Jewish people… he intends to make the Hebrew calendar, which is based on Jewish law, the official calendar of Israel… The new law also would establish the Talmud, the core work of Jewish law, as an official basis for Israeli state law…

“Netanyahu stressed the law would not restrict the rights of non-Jewish citizens of Israel… ‘They want a Palestinian national state to be built beside us, and to turn the State of Israel, meanwhile, into a bi-national state, Jewish-Arab, within our restricted borders,’ Netanyahu argued, saying the new Basic Law would prevent such a situation.”

If adopted, this would not make many nations happy.

Satanic Black Mass Celebration at Harvard University

CBS wrote on May 8:

“A reenactment of a Black Mass celebrating Satan is scheduled to take place at Harvard University on Monday evening. It has outraged the Catholic Church, but the group holding the event says it’s educational. The Harvard Extension Cultural Studies Club is hosting the Satanic Temple from New York…

“In a recent statement, Pope Francis warned of the danger of being naïve about or underestimating the power of Satan, whose evil is too often tragically present in our midst…

“Harvard University says it supports the rights of students and faculty.”

This is plain foolishness and blasphemy. Left-liberal Harvard University should be ashamed of itself for allowing, under the disguise of liberty and freedom, the open worship of Satan and his most blatant idolatries.

Subsequently, crimson.com wrote on May 12:

“Although the Harvard Extension School Cultural Studies Club dropped its sponsorship of a reenactment of a satanic ‘black mass’ ritual earlier in the night, members of the New York-based Satanic Temple gathered for what appeared to be a black mass on the second floor of the Hong Kong restaurant and lounge shortly after 10 p.m. Monday. About 50 people, mostly dressed in black and some wearing face makeup, were present for the ceremony. A consecrated host, believed by Catholics to be the body of Christ, was not used in the ritual…

“The ritual came after the cancellation of a black mass reenactment organized by the Harvard Extension School Cultural Studies Club, which had the event scheduled for Monday evening in Cambridge Queen’s Head Pub in Memorial Hall. Shortly before the planned starting time, the club said that it was moving to an off-campus site, citing in an email that ‘misinterpretations about the nature of the event were harming perceptions about Harvard and adversely impacting the student community.’…

“The club emphasized in the 5 p.m. email that Harvard had not asked them to move the event from its previous location, the Cambridge Queen’s Head Pub in the basement of Memorial Hall, and commended the University for affirming its members’ rights to free speech and assembly. ‘Harvard always demonstrated that it understood its responsibility to defend protected student speech. That was always made clear to us,’ the club wrote in a second email.”

The Devil IS Real!

The Washington Post wrote on May 10:

“A darling of liberal Catholics and an advocate of inclusion and forgiveness, Pope Francis is hardly known for fire and brimstone. Yet, in his words and deeds, the new pope is locked in an epic battle with the oldest enemy of God and creation: The Devil.

“After his little more than a year atop the Throne of St. Peter, Francis’s teachings on Satan are already regarded as the most old school of any pope since at least Paul VI, whose papacy in the 1960s and 1970s fully embraced the notion of hellish forces plotting to deliver mankind unto damnation…

“Since its foundation, the church has taught the existence of the Devil. But in recent decades, progressive priests and bishops, particularly in the United States and Western Europe, have tended to couch Satan in more allegorical terms. Evil became less the wicked plan of the master of hell than the nasty byproduct of humanity’s free will. Even Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, a lofty German theologian, often painted evil with a broad brush.

“Enter the plain-talking first pope from Latin America, where mystical views of Satan still hold sway in broad areas of the region. During his time as cardinal of Buenos Aires before rising to the papacy, Francis was known for stark warnings against ‘the tempter’ and ‘the father of lies.’…

“Vatican officials talk about a resurgence of mystical rites in the church, including exorcism — or the alleged act of evicting demons from a living host. Cardinals in Milan; Turin, Italy; and Madrid, for instance, recently moved to expand the number of exorcists in their dioceses to cope with what they have categorized as surging demand… ‘The sad truth is that there are many bishops and priests in our church who do not really believe in the Devil,’ said the Rev. Gabriele Amorth, the 89-year-old priest who is perhaps the closest thing the church has to a Hollywood-style exorcist…

“In a rare glimpse of an official exorcism last week, in a white-tiled room outfitted with images of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary, Amorth wrapped his purple sash around a Neapolitan housewife in her 40s who said she was afflicted by multiple demons. He then began chanting in Latin, commanding the devils inside her to reveal themselves.”

According to the report, the housewife was possessed by five demons who were “cast out” by the Catholic priest. We do not believe that true exorcisms can be accomplished through the superstitious hocus-pocus implemented by the Catholic Church, but we do believe, of course, that the Devil and demons exist.    

Pope Francis’ Political Ambitions

Fox News wrote on May 9:

“Pope Francis has spent a year on the Throne of Peter. In that time, his modest style and high-minded ideals have ignited a new optimism and fervor among Roman Catholics, including those who left because of disagreements with some of its teachings. Francis has gone out of his way to voice support for the world’s poorest citizens, rightly noting that their plight is too often ignored or brushed aside. Until this week, his statements have called for voluntary action by wealthier countries and individuals as the right way to relieve economic inequality. He appealed to our better selves, and in so doing, made us all ask if we could be kinder and more generous. The answer, of course [is, that we should be.]

“On Friday, however, Francis chose a meeting with – of all people — officials of the United Nations to endorse what he called ‘the legitimate redistribution of economic benefits by the state, as well as indispensable cooperation between the private sector and civil society.’ By appearing to sanction what amounts to forced redistribution, Francis grievously exceeded his authority and became what amounts to a robe-wearing politician. He also exposed his Church, one of the wealthiest institutions in the world, to inevitable charges of hypocrisy…”

Vatican Announces Jesus Is Not Coming Back?

The Examiner reported on May 2:

“A spokesperson for the Vatican officially announced that the coming of the Lord may not happen. They stated from the looks of it, Yashua, the only begotten Son of God will not return per John 14:1-3. Cardinal Giorgio Salvadore told WWN [Waterford Whispers News] reporters that Jesus may have been drinking (perhaps from the last Supper with his disciples) when he uttered the statements of his return. He rationalized that people make promises they can’t keep when they’re drunk…

“Yes, people should stop ‘waiting’ on a future return of Christ. His presence arrived almost two thousand years ago when he came in judgment upon the city of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. These were the days of vengeance upon Jerusalem for persecuting and murdering the Son of God, the apostles and saints…”

WWN also wrote on April 18:

“The Vatican defended Jesus’ broken promise, claiming ‘he was probably drinking wine’ at the time when he made the comments. ‘Having the ability to turn water into wine had its ups and its downs,’ added Cardinal Salvadore. ‘We all make promises we can’t keep when we’re drunk. Jesus was no different.’ The church said it will now focus attentions on rebuilding its reputation around the world, but will keep an optimistic mind for the savior’s second coming.”

There has been quite a discussion on the Internet as to whether the above-quoted comments were actually made, due to the fact that apparently no mainstream paper or news agency reported them. But this is not conclusive, as our new StandingWatch program, “Does the Vatican Question the Return of Christ?,” points out.

Male Syphilis Explodes in the USA

Breitbart wrote on May 12:

“The sometimes-deadly disease syphilis is exploding in the United States, with most of the increase since 1995 among men who have sex with men (MSM), according to a new report from the Atlanta-based Center for Disease Control (CDC).

“As recently as 2000, researchers believed the total elimination of syphilis was within reach. The recent dramatic increases in infections, coupled with the observation that syphilis closely tracks with other diseases like AIDS, have the medical and scientific community deeply concerned. The CDC report considers ‘the increase in syphilis among MSM is a major public health concern.’… The report also says that ‘men contributed an increasing proportion of cases, accounting for 91.1% of all primary and secondary syphilis cases in 2013.’

“Most of the increases came from men who have sex with men, which were responsible for 77% of cases in 2009 but 83.9% in 2012, what the report calls ‘the vast majority of male… syphilis cases.’ The report warns that the numbers in the new report are likely far less than the true number because only 34 states and the District of Columbia fully report sex of sex partners…”

Austrian Transvestite Wins European Song Contest

Mail On Line reported on May 11:

“Bearded Austrian drag queen Conchita Wurst wins… the Eurovision Song Contest 2014… Pushing the boundaries of gender identity is nothing new at Europe’s annual song contest, which is known for its eclectic, sometimes unlistenable lineup of techno beats, love songs and pop tunes.

“Prior to her performance, the transvestite has faced a barrage of homophobic and transphobic attacks from within her own country and from other countries including Russia, Armenia and Belarus, who branded the contest a ‘hotbed of sodomy’, the BBC has reported…

“The annual competition is supposed to be completely removed from politics. Still, every time Russia got votes from mainly neighboring countries, many in the audience of 10,000 booed. And when Moscow gave its respective 8, 10 and 12 points to Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus – all former Soviet republics – more boos were heard.”

BBC News added on May 10:

“Collecting her trophy on stage the singer said: ‘This night is dedicated to everyone who believes in a future of peace and freedom. You know who you are – we are unity and we are unstoppable.’

“Speaking backstage later, Wurst said she felt Europe had taken a stand by voting her the winner. ‘I dream of a world where we don’t have to talk about unnecessary things like sexuality, who you love. I felt like tonight Europe showed that we are a community of respect and tolerance,’ she said.”

The Local wrote on March 11:

“Austria won, and they deserved to, too – it was a victory for vulnerability, emotional songs and also for the right of men in beards to wear dresses if they want to.”

The Local added on May 12:

“American photographer David LaChapelle has designed a provocative poster for this year’s Life Ball in Vienna – depicting the transgender model Carmen Carrera, pictured nude, as both a man and a woman. Carrera appears under the slogan: ‘I am Adam – I am Eve – I am me’. The image is designed to communicate a message of tolerance and acceptance, according to Life Ball organiser Gery Keszler…

“Vienna’s annual Life Ball is the biggest charity event in Europe supporting people with HIV or AIDS. This year it takes place on 31st May. LaChapelle’s poster will be on display around Vienna… Conchita Wurst’s victory at the Eurovision Song Contest is a happy coincidence, Keszler said. She will perform ‘Rise Like A Pheonix’ live on the main stage at the Life Ball.”

The signs of the time…

The Powerful European Parliament

Der Spiegel wrote on May 8:

“European voters generally pay little attention to [the] European Parliament, but over the years, the body has become increasingly powerful. Already, a representative in Brussels wields more influence than one in Berlin. And the gap is growing…

“At the beginning of the 1950s, when the EU was still the European Coal and Steel Community, there was nothing but the ‘Common Assembly,’ which had little more than consultative duties. Once the Treaties of Rome went into effect in 1958, the body wanted to rename itself the European Parliament…

“The first direct elections didn’t take place until 1979 and only in 1987 was the European Parliament allowed to adopt its current name. The Treaty of Maastricht, signed in 1993, granted parliament a role in lawmaking for the first time. Subsequent treaties — Amsterdam (1997), Nice (2003) and Lisbon (2009) — expanded the body’s power to include a say in almost all areas of policymaking…

“Members of the traveling circus that is the European Parliament would be pleased by a further gain in power. It would finally put them at the center of power in Europe.”

While Europe is uniting—and a charismatic political leader cannot be that far off to rule the continent—anti-American feelings are growing there. Stern Online reported on May 8 that one third of Austrians desire the return of a “Fuehrer.” And the same magazine wrote on May 7 that Putin takes ice-cold advantage of the crisis in Ukraine, but that America’s negligent politics are to be blamed for the crisis.

Several Fires Burn in San Diego County

The Associated Press reported on May 14:

“A fast-moving wildfire ignited hillsides and destroyed more than two dozen homes Wednesday in the coastal city of Carlsbad as weary firefighters scrambled to control multiple blazes in Southern California on the second day of a sweltering heat wave. Flames were shooting up along canyon ridges as thick black smoke darkened blue skies over the small city, about 30 miles north of San Diego, known for its Legoland California amusement park that was closed Wednesday because of a power outage.

“Mandatory evacuations were in progress, and more than 11,000 notices were sent to homes and businesses… The blaze was one of several wildfires that firefighters in San Diego County were battling amid hot, dry and windy conditions…

 “Another wildfire further north, forced the evacuation of residents in military housing at Camp Pendleton, and the closure of an elementary school on the Marine Corps base. A third fire spread from a burning vehicle on coastal Interstate 5 to roadside brush near the northwest corner of the Marine base. Earlier, authorities reported 25 percent containment of a 2.42-square-mile fire that broke out Tuesday and forced thousands of people to flee the Rancho Bernardo area of San Diego. In Santa Barbara County, a 600-acre blaze near the city of Lompoc was 50 percent contained.

“State fire officials say triple digit temperatures and the drought were setting conditions for an unusually busy firefighting season…”

The fire season has just started. This might become a very hot summer.

“Scientists Slam Latest Doomsday Climate Report”

Newsmax wrote on May 11:

“Climatologists and other experts are blasting a new climate change report from the Obama administration, calling it a ‘litany of doom’ that objective scientists won’t take seriously.

“The National Climate Assessment (NCA), an 840-page report compiled by 300 scientists and experts that was released at a White House event on Tuesday, warns that climate change is a clear and present danger. ‘Climate change, once considered an issue for a distant future, has moved firmly into the present,’ according to the report. Rising temperatures, it asserts, will be responsible not only for more drought, wildfires, flooding, and sea level rise, but also an increased risk of heat-related deaths…

“Heartland Institute Senior Fellow James Taylor declared: ‘Leading authors of this report include staffers for activist groups like the Union of Concerned Scientists, Planet Forward, the Nature Conservancy, and Second Nature. Few objective climate experts will take this report seriously. Even those scientists who are not overtly affiliated with environmental activist groups were almost uniformly on the record as global warming alarmists before being chosen to write this report.’

“Mark Morano offered a round-up of reactions to the global warming report on his Climate Depot website.

“Former Colorado State University climatologist Dr. Roger Pielke Sr.: ‘That much of the media accepted the NCA without questioning its findings and conclusions either indicates they are naïve or they have chosen to promote a particular agenda and this report fits their goal.’

“Dr. Judith Curry, chairwoman of the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the Georgia Institute of Technology: ‘The report effectively implies that there is no climate change other than what is caused by humans, and that extreme weather events are equivalent to climate change. Worse yet is the spin being put on this by the Obama administration.’

“Competitive Enterprise Institute Senior Fellow Marlo Lewis: The report is ‘designed to scare people and build political support for unpopular policies such as carbon taxes. Alarmists offer untrue, unrelenting doom and gloom.’

“Dr. Roy Spencer, principal research scientist at the University of Alabama in Huntsville: Part of the report ‘is just simply made up. There is no fingerprint of human-caused versus naturally-caused climate change.’

“Weather Channel Co-founder John Coleman: The report is a ‘litany of doom,’ a ‘total distortion of the data and an agenda-driven, destructive episode of bad science gone berserk.’

“Climate Depot’s Morano said: ‘By every measure, so-called extreme weather is showing no trend or declining trends on 50-100-year timescales. Droughts, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes are not increasing due to man-made global warming. Why does the report now call “global warming” a new name, so-called “climate disruption”? Simple answer: Due to earth’s failure to warm — no global warming for nearly 18 years — another name was necessary to attempt to gin up fear. This report is predetermined science.’”

Der Spiegel Online added on May 12:

“Meteorologist Lennart Bengtsson has long been considered a cool head in the often heated conflict over global warming. In an interview, he defends his decision to join an organization that is skeptical of climate change.

“The debate over climate change is often a contentious one, and key players in the discussion only rarely switch sides. But late last month, Lennart Bengtsson, the former director of the Hamburg-based Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, one of the world’s leading climate research centers, announced he would join the academic advisory council of the Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF).

“GWPF, based in Britain, is a non-profit organization and self-described think tank. Conservative politician Nigel Lawson founded the organization in 2009 in order to counteract what he considered to be an exaggerated concern about global warming… [Bengtsson said:] ‘It is frustrating that climate science is not able to validate their simulations correctly. Since the end of the 20th century, the warming of the Earth has been much weaker than what climate models show… the scientific report… does not bring up the large difference between observational results and model simulations…’”

Man-Made Climate Change or Global Warming–or Neither? You’ll be the Judge.

The question of sickness and healing has confused many people. Some don’t believe in godly healing; others claim that given enough faith, God will heal every sickness in this life. Some carry with them feelings of guilt, as they prayed to God for healing and were not healed, concluding that the reason must be their fault and their lack of faith. Some conclude that if we prayed to God for healing “in accordance with” or “subject to” His Will, this would already signify our doubt in God’s intervention. Some say that when Paul asked God for healing (compare 2 Corinthians 12:7-10), Paul did not really have the faith that God would heal him. They make the same argument regarding Elisha (2 Kings 13:14, 20-21), stating that Elisha was not healed because he did not have the faith that he would be healed.

We should be able to see that these conclusions cannot possibly be correct. To suggest that Paul and Elisha did not have enough faith in God’s healing is absolutely wrong. But those ideas show the confusion some people have regarding this often-misunderstood topic of sickness and healing.

It is true, of course, that when we are sick, God commands us to call for the elders of His Church to anoint us with oil—a symbol of God’s Holy Spirit—and to pray for us, and Scripture says that the prayer of faith will “save the sick,” and God will ”raise him up.” And we are also encouraged to pray for one another that we may be healed (James 5:13-16). But how is this passage to be understood, and what all is involved here?

We have prepared a free booklet, titled, “Sickness and Healing—What the Bible Tells Us.” We are going to quote pertinent excerpts in this Q&A, strictly focusing on the question of faith and healing:

“Some say that if we only have enough faith in God to heal, then we have an unconditional promise for healing in each and every case. But… this is not correct. If it were so, why was the apostle Paul not healed? Why were righteous prophets, like Elisha, not healed? …

“God may very well heal in this life, and quickly. Although God may heal people with little or no faith in Him, He generally only does so, if we believe that He can and will heal us. But without faith, there is no reason to think that God will heal us. Christ healed a blind man, saying to him: ‘according to your faith let it be to you’ (Matthew 9:29). He healed the demon-possessed daughter of a Gentile woman when He saw the woman’s faith. He said to her: ‘O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire!’ (Matthew 15:28). He healed a blind man, telling him: ‘Your faith has made you well’ (Luke 18:42). Sarah was healed and received a child, ‘because she judged Him faithful who had promised’ (Hebrews 11:11).

“… this does not mean that if we only have enough faith, we have an absolute unconditional promise that God will heal us immediately. More than faith may be involved. God may decide that it is best for us not to be healed right away. We need to always submit to the will of God, saying, as Christ did in the garden of Gethsemane: ‘O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will… O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done’ (Matthew 26:39, 42). Christ did not doubt God’s power to intervene; likewise, we must never doubt God’s power to heal. Still, Christ was willing to submit to the Father’s will. Christ prayed to the Father, as it says in Mark 14:36: ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.’”

To interject, we must understand that it may NOT be God’s Will to heal us right away, or completely, or at all, in this life. And there are reasons for that. To argue with and deny this, we are really “tempting” God or better “testing Him severely,” trying to force OUR Will on Him. Some have done this, refusing to take medical help–for instance, an insulin-dependent diabetic refuses to take insulin–“believing” that God would heal the person of diabetes. In some cases, they nearly died, and some did, in fact, die. This is not unconditional faith—it is “foolishness” and unbiblical conduct.

To continue:

“Christ experienced what it was like to suffer in the flesh, so that He could become our merciful High Priest (Hebrews 2:17; 4:14–16; 5:6–8). All of us need to be compassionate and merciful toward others. In going through trials and suffering, including [a prolonged] sickness, we develop empathy for others who are also afflicted with sickness (compare 2 Corinthians 1:3–7). This may be, at times, one of the reasons why God may decide not to heal us right away.”

This is an important observation which we must never overlook when contemplating the issue of sickness and healing. Christ was familiar with sickness (Isaiah 53:3), so that He could become our MERCIFUL High Priest—knowing how it is like to be sick—and we must experience similar occurrences so that we can empathize with those who are sick and become merciful and compassionate people.

Continuing:

“Without faith, however, we have absolutely no guarantee that God will heal us, even though He otherwise might have done it. Notice the following revealing examples: We read that Christ ‘did not do many works’ in Nazareth ‘because of their unbelief’ (Matthew 13:58). We are even told in Mark 6:5–6 that He could not do mighty works there because of their unbelief. If we do not have enough faith in God, then we are to pray and fast in order to GROW in faith. Christ said that given enough faith, ‘nothing will be impossible for you’ (Matthew 17:20). At the same time, He explained to His disciples that they needed to pray and fast MORE in order to be given the kind of faith that was necessary to cast out a powerful demon (verse 21)…

“Faith is necessary for healing, but faith alone is not enough. Our way of life has a great deal to do with whether God may choose to heal us or not. We read in 1 John 3:22: ‘And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.’ (Compare, too, Matthew 21:22.) If we please God, by keeping His commandments, then we CAN have confidence that God WILL heal us, in HIS time, and when it is BEST for us.”

To summarize at this point, in order to be healed, we need to have faith and we must live lives which are pleasing to God, which includes, keeping His commandments in the letter and in the spirit.

Related to this is another extremely important condition that we must fulfill so that we can look confidently towards healing. We state the following:

“… James says in chapter 5, verses 13–16: ‘Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray… Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.’

“We are being told in James 5:16 that we are to ‘confess [our] trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that [we] may be healed.’ The Greek word for ‘trespass,’ paraptoma, is used in numerous additional passages, for instance in Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 2:1; 2:5; or 2 Corinthians 5:19. It is consistently and correctly translated in the New King James Bible as ‘trespasses’ in those passages. We are told in Colossians 2:13 that God, upon our repentance, forgives us all of our ‘trespasses.’ We are also told that if we forgive men their ‘trespasses,’ our Father will forgive us our ‘trespasses’… [What] we need to confess to our brother or sister, in order to obtain his or her ‘forgiveness,’ are those [trespasses] that we have committed against our brother or our sister. Mark 11:25–26 tells us: ‘And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.’

“Unresolved problems between brethren might even prevent healing of physical sickness. James 5:16 tells us, ‘Confess your trespasses to one another [with the goal to ‘clear the air’], and pray for one another, THAT you may be healed.’ After all, Christ told Peter to forgive his repenting brother ‘seventy times seven’ (Matthew 18:22). In Peter’s question, the brother had sinned against Peter and had come to him to express to him his sorrow—in other words, to ‘confess’ to Peter his trespass or sin against Peter.

“We also read in Luke 17:3, ‘Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.’ Notice, too, Matthew 5:23–24, ‘Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First, be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.’

“If we commit a sin or trespass against someone else, resulting in an offense and a problem within our relationship with that other person, we are to ‘confess’ our sin or trespass to that person, asking him or her for forgiveness, with the goal of restoring our relationship…

“The Scripture in James 5:14–16 is a command for us, that if we are sick, we are to ask for God’s true ministers to anoint us with oil [a symbol of God’s Holy Spirit of power] and to pray over us. We have to pray with faith, and we have to repent of our sins, if our sickness is a result of sin. This shows that not every sickness is the result of sin, but sin CAN be the cause of it. Further, we have to repent of our trespasses towards others, and we have to forgive others the trespasses committed against us. Then, we are told, God will heal us if we are sick. He might do it immediately, or within a short while. But then again, He might not do it in this life. He will, however, do it without question at the time of our resurrection. We read that God will raise up the sick person. The word for ‘raise up’ is the same Greek word used when God talks about the resurrection from the dead.

“The connection is clear: IF we fulfill the conditions mentioned in James 5, we WILL be in the resurrection, having had our sins and trespasses forgiven and our sicknesses healed. If, on the other hand, we do NOT repent of our sins AND of our trespasses committed against our brothers and sisters, and if we do not forgive our brothers and sisters their trespasses, we will NOT be in the resurrection, nor will we receive physical healing from God.

“In effect, God is saying: ‘I will raise you up, perhaps right now to honor your faith in Me, but for sure at the time of Christ’s return, IF you have faith in Me and IF you repent of your sins and IF you confess your trespasses to your brother and sister, against whom you have sinned, thereby bringing about reconciliation between the two of you.’ We are not to confess sins against God to others, but if we have wronged another human being, we must go to that person and bring about reconciliation.”

And still, even if we had “perfect” faith and lived a “perfect” life and had brought about perfect reconciliation with our brother and sister, God might STILL NOT heal us in this life from a particular sickness. Why not? Because God might have in mind a superior purpose for us in this life which He deems much more important than our healing from temporary frailties. We state in our booklet:

“If we REALLY love God, then we will have developed such a close relationship with Him that we will understand and accept the fact that God may respond to our plea for healing with the words, ‘Not yet, My child.’ God will make His Will known to us as He did to Christ in the garden, and to Paul, and we will accept it, knowing that God will never do anything that is bad for us. We will understand that ‘all things work together for good to those who love God’ (Romans 8: 28). When Paul understood that God would not heal him from his sickness in this life, he said, ‘Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities… for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong’ (2 Corinthians 12:9–10).

“At the same time, we are not to give up. In Paul’s case, God revealed it very clearly to him, leaving no doubt that He would not heal him. But even Paul asked three times for healing before God made His will known to him. We must, therefore, in faith, continue to pray to God for healing when we are sick, never doubting that He can heal us and that He will do so (compare James 1:6–8), unless important reasons prevent Him from doing so. We must never have the frame of mind, ‘I will ask God for healing, but I’m not sure whether He will heal me, since He might not be able to, or want to.’ Rather, we must be convinced that God WILL heal us, and we must ask Him in faith, while making sure that we do everything we can so that God is not prevented from healing us by our conduct (such as lack of faith, refusal to repent of sin, etc.).”

Christ died for us so that we can have forgiveness of sins. He suffered for us so that we can have healing from our sicknesses. His Sacrifice accomplishes both, and because of it, we can have eternal life in God’s Kingdom. When we are born-again members of the Family of God, we will have a new body… a spiritual body, freed from sickness and decay. Some say that applying God’s promise for healing to the “next life” is insufficient as by then, we do not need healing. But we do. It is not self-evident or to be taken for granted or that God owes it to us that we enter the Kingdom of God with “healthy” bodies. We only will do so because of the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And even those who die with sickness in this life and are resurrected in the Second Resurrection as physical beings will be resurrected with healed physical bodies. This fact is not self-evident or to be taken for granted either… it is only going to occur BECAUSE of Christ’s Sacrifice and God’s promise that He will heal our physical infirmities.

To conclude, if we are sick, we are to pray to God for healing and avail ourselves of the privilege of calling for the elders of His Church to anoint us with oil and to pray for us. MANY were healed who did this – some miraculously in an instant. Others did not experience immediate healing, or healing at all in this life, but lack of faith or ungodly living or lack of reconciliation with others did not HAVE to be the reason. We must of course make sure that we do our part, and we must then have the unshakable confidence and trust that God WILL heal us—in HIS due time—never questioning Him, and never trying to ”force” Him to do what WE want Him to do, even though it would not be in our best interest and might even prevent us from entering His Kingdom. We might not fully understand all the reasons why someone is not healed right away or at all… but we MUST have the absolute faith and conviction that God knows everything; that He can do everything; and that He will do everything that we ask… in His due time and subject to His Will.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

A new Member Letter has been written and mailed this week. In it, Dave Harris reviews prophecies given to help Christians prepare for future trials and points to the need to more fervently draw close to God.

“Does the Vatican Question the Return of Christ?,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

A spokesperson for the Vatican, Cardinal Giorgio Salvadore, allegedly announced that the coming of Christ may not happen. The Cardinal reportedly said that Jesus may have been drinking when he uttered the statements of His return, and that people make promises they can’t keep when they’re drunk. Other religious teachers postulate as well that Jesus will not return, or that He has already returned. Why does the Bible condemn these views as deceitful, blasphemous and ungodly?

“Warum Heilt Gott Mich Nicht?,” is the title of this week’s new German sermon–the title in English: “Why Doesn’t God Heal Me?”

“The Book of 2 Thessalonians,” the sermon given by Norbert Link this past Sabbath is now posted. Here is a summary:

What significance does Paul’s prophetic writing have for us today? Who is the son of perdition and the man of sin, sitting in the temple of God, claiming to be God?  What is meant with “antichrist”? Are God’s people still going to face the falling away from the truth? Does the Bible teach that Christ returns twice? How does God send strong delusion?