On March 8, 2014, Eric Rank will give the sermon, titled, “God’s Peace.”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time; 8:30 pm Greenwich Mean Time; 9:30 pm Central European Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

As we watch the world draw closer to a prophesied end, what seemed unlikely decades ago is now becoming reality. Nations are invaded, new currencies are created and political alliances are formed, while the world watches in bewilderment. Leaders, with misguided confidence, rally support to serve their own agendas. Political bickering, both national and international, stifles meaningful progress while savagery and godlessness flourish.  But we should not fear, for God’s Plan is unfolding according to His Will!

When God hardened the heart of Pharaoh, it wasn’t to make Egypt suffer as retribution for Israel’s enslavement.  On the contrary! Egypt was fulfilling God’s plan – that “I may show these signs of Mine before him, and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and your son’s son the mighty things I have done in Egypt, and My signs which I have done among them, that you may know that I am the LORD” (Exodus 10:1-2). The turmoil that is quickly unfolding before our eyes is now necessary in order for this callous world to truly understand who God is.

Digging one’s heels into the ground, has become a typical method of conflict resolution, especially in politics.  This obstinate society is stymied in meaningless opinion, lacking Godly wisdom and knowledge. Mankind is failing, and they don’t know why. Everything EXCEPT God is looked to for guidance and hope. 

Christ spoke as to why mankind cannot see the mire they are slowly sinking into. “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:5-6). Jesus later outlined what we should strive to take in: “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:13-14).

Obstinance isn’t bad if you are “digging in” to the truth, if you refuse to be swayed by the blindness that permeates the world.  Consider Paul’s admonition: “…we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:13-14). It is an honor to be considered foolish by the world around us.

We report on the escalating events in Ukraine and the Crimean Peninsula and shed some light on the “Budapest Memorandum”; Vladimir Putin’s real goals; and the weakness of the USA and its allies.

We continue speaking about Britain’s desire to run away from Europe; the shameful conduct of America’s corporate business world; and President Obama’s threats against Israel.

We report on a “scary” interview with President Obama; and conclude with German persecution of homeschooling families and the inconsistent conduct of the American government.

The Budapest Memorandum

Daily Mail wrote on March 1:

“A treaty signed in 1994 by the US and Britain could pull both countries into a war to protect Ukraine if Putin’s troops intervene. Bill Clinton, John Major, Boris Yeltsin and Leonid Kuchma – the then-rulers of the USA, UK, Russia and Ukraine – agreed to the… Budapest Memorandum as part of the denuclearization of former Soviet republics after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

“Technically it means that if Russia has invaded Ukraine then it would be difficult for the US and Britain to avoid going to war.”

This conclusion is not compelling. Note the next article.

What Exactly Is the “Budapest Memorandum”?

Voice of America wrote on March 2:

“The ‘Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances’ is a diplomatic memorandum that was signed in December 1994 by Ukraine, Russia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. It is not a formal treaty, but rather, a diplomatic document under which signatories made promises to each other as part of the denuclearization of former Soviet republics after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

“Under the memorandum, Ukraine promised to remove all Soviet-era nuclear weapons from its territory, send them to disarmament facilities in Russia, and sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Ukraine kept these promises. In return, Russia and the Western signatory countries essentially consecrated the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine as an independent state. They did so by applying the principles of territorial integrity and nonintervention in [the] 1975 Helsinki Final Act — a Cold War-era treaty signed by 35 states including the Soviet Union — to an independent post-Soviet Ukraine…

“In the ‘Budapest Memorandum,’ Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States promised that none of them would ever threaten or use force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine. They also pledged that none of them would ever use economic coercion to subordinate Ukraine to their own interest. They specifically pledged they would refrain from making each other’s territory the object of military occupation or engage in other uses of force in violation of international law…

“Is there anything legally binding about the ‘Budapest Memorandum’ regarding Russia’s obligations to respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity? ‘That’s actually a much more complex question than it may sound. It is binding in international law, but that doesn’t mean it has any means of enforcement,’ says Barry Kellman, a professor of law and director of the International Weapons Control Center at DePaul University’s College of Law…

“Kellman concludes that there are a host of other sources of international law that oblige Russia to respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity — including the provisions of the CSCE treaty and the UN Charter.”

Russia Takes Crimea Without a Shot

The Associated Press reported on March 2:

“Igniting a tense standoff, Russian forces surrounded a Ukrainian army base Sunday just as the country began mobilizing its military in response to the surprise Russian takeover of Crimea. Outrage over Russia’s tactics mounted in world capitals, with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry calling on President Vladimir Putin to pull back from ‘an incredible act of aggression.’ Fearing that Europe’s borders were being rewritten by force, world leaders rushed to find a diplomatic solution to reverse what had already happened on the ground: Russia captured the Black Sea peninsula on Saturday without firing a shot…

“Putin has defied calls from the West to pull back his troops, insisting that Russia has a right to protect its interests and those of Russian-speakers in Crimea and elsewhere in Ukraine. His confidence is matched by the knowledge that Ukraine’s 46 million people have divided loyalties between Russia and Europe. While much of western Ukraine wants closer ties with the 28-nation European Union, its eastern and southern regions like Crimea look to Russia for support.

“Russia has long wanted to reclaim the lush Crimean Peninsula, which was part of its territory until 1954. Russia’s Black Sea Fleet pays Ukraine millions every year to be stationed at the Crimean port of Sevastopol and nearly 60 percent of Crimea’s residents identify themselves as Russian…”

Putin seems to think that no earthly power will stop him at this point.

Ukraine Mobilizes Its Troops Against Russia

The Independent wrote on March 2:

“Ukraine’s acting Prime Minister described the country as being on the ‘brink of disaster’ while his government ordered the full mobilisation of its army in response to Russian military movements across the peninsula…

“Kiev had asked its forces in Crimea, numbering around 3,500 and facing up to 30,000 better-armed Russians, not to ‘react to provocation’.”

A war between Russia and Ukraine would result in total subjection of Ukraine towards Russia. Whether anyone would intervene militarily to assist Ukraine in such a war against Russia is highly doubtful.

Putin’s “Defense” and His “Contact Group”

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 3:

“Russian President Putin has agreed to a proposal from the German chancellor to form a ‘fact-finding’ mission to calm tensions with Ukraine. The move follows Western outcry over his deployment of troops to Crimea… Even though Putin defended his decision – directing Merkel’s ‘attention to the unrelenting threat of violence…to Russian citizens and the whole Russian-speaking population [in Ukrainian territory]’ – he also agreed to work with her to curb the diplomatic crisis. ‘President Putin accepted the German chancellor’s proposal to immediately establish a commission of enquiry as well as a contact group, possibly under the direction of the [Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe] to open a political dialogue,’ a statement from Berlin said… US President Barack Obama reportedly discussed the turmoil in Ukraine with Chancellor Merkel after her call with Putin, according to Reuters news agency…

“While Kerry derided what he called Russia’s ‘brazen act of aggression,’ he stopped short of threatening US military involvement… Ukrainian authorities also launched a treason case against the newly-appointed head of the navy, who announced on Sunday he had switched allegiance to Crimea’s pro-Russian regional leaders. In a televised statement, Denis Berezovsky said he ‘swears allegiance to the Autonomous Republic of Crimea’ and told Ukrainian forces to lay down their arms.”

Putin is good in playing politics, but can he be trusted? Many observers feel that his goal is to bring former Soviet Union satellite states back into “Mother Russia’s” fold, and being aware of the present weakness of the West, he might have concluded that he can’t be stopped at this moment. Europe realizes that they cannot rely on the USA, and this will motivate them to unite militarily. This then will bring about further swift fulfillment of end-time biblical prophecy.

Putin Detached From Reality?

The New York Times wrote on March 2:

“Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany told Mr. Obama by telephone on Sunday that after speaking with Mr. Putin she was not sure he was in touch with reality, people briefed on the call said. ‘In another world,’ she said.”

Putin’s Twists and Turns—While Putting the World on Notice

BBC News reported on March 4:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin has said there is no need yet to send troops into Ukraine, but that Moscow is ready to protect its citizens. His comments come as armed men, who Mr Putin says are not Russian troops but pro-Russian self-defence groups, surround army bases in Crimea…

“Meanwhile, two Ukrainian warships are reported to be blocked by a Russian ship in the port of Sevastopol… Ukraine says some 16,000 Russian troops have arrived in Crimea in recent days… Mr Putin said the toppling of President Viktor Yanukovych last month following mass protests was an ‘anti-constitutional coup and armed seizure of power’. He also insisted that Mr Yanukovych – whom Ukraine’s parliament voted to impeach on 22 February – was still the legitimate president…

“Ukraine was in ‘chaos’, he said, with ‘nationalists’ and ‘anti-Semites’ roaming the streets of Kiev and other cities. If Russian-speaking people in eastern Ukraine asked for Russia’s help, or if there were signs of anarchy, ‘we reserve the right to use all means,’ he said. He accused the West of encouraging the street protests.”

On March 4, 2014, the German mass tabloid, Bild, published an article about Putin’s “seven lies,” accusing him of blatantly and intentionally misrepresenting the truth. Along the same lines, CNN reported on March 4 that “U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry accused Russia of making up reasons for intervention in Ukraine, saying Tuesday ‘not a single piece of credible evidence supports any one of these claims.’”

Russian Retaliation and Pretext?

Reuters reported on March 4:

“Russia said on Tuesday that it would retaliate if the United States imposed sanctions over Moscow’s actions in Ukraine… In Kiev on Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday condemned Russia’s ‘act of aggression’ in Ukraine and said Moscow, which has taken control of the Crimea region, was looking for a pretext to invade more of the country.”

Crimea Ready To Join Russia?

BBC News reported on March 6:

“MPs in Crimea have asked Moscow to allow the southern Ukrainian region to become part of the Russian Federation. The parliament said if its request was granted, Crimean citizens could give their view in a referendum on 16 March… The Crimean parliament resolved ‘to enter into the Russian Federation with the rights of a subject of the Russian Federation’. It said it had asked Russian President Vladimir Putin ‘to start the procedure’.”

“Russia China Unite”

With this headline, the Drudge Report linked to the following article by Sky News, dated March 5:

“Russia has said China is largely ‘in agreement’ over Ukraine, after other world powers condemned Moscow for sending troops into the country… Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov discussed Ukraine by telephone with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on Monday, and claimed they had ‘broadly coinciding points of view’ on the situation there, according to a ministry statement…

“As the tense stand-off continues, the other seven nations of the G8 urged Moscow to hold talks with Kiev. ‘We, the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States and the President of the European Council and President of the European Commission, join together today to condemn the Russian Federation’s clear violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,’ they said in a statement. ‘We have decided for the time being to suspend our participation in activities associated with the preparation of the scheduled G8 Summit in Sochi in June.’

“British Foreign Secretary William Hague… said Russia has taken operational control of Crimea. He described Russia’s intervention in Ukraine as the biggest crisis in Europe in the 21st century.”

“Worst Crisis Since Berlin Wall”

The Local wrote on March 3:

“Russia’s intervention means ‘the threat of a division of Europe is real again,’ Steinmeier said… ‘But now is time for diplomacy. Diplomacy does not mean weakness but is more needed than ever to prevent us from being drawn into the abyss of military escalation,’ he said… The German minister said ‘the situation in Ukraine worsens every day and so far, an end to the escalation is not seen’…

“Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert…  said he saw ‘no military option’ and that the German government ‘is not thinking in military terms’ about the crisis… ‘I don’t want to rule anything in or rule anything out,’ said British Minister for Europe David Lidington… Late on Sunday Germany said Putin had accepted an offer from Merkel to set up a ‘contact group’ with Ukraine over the crisis, but Moscow did not confirm the German reports…

“Merkel told Putin the intervention was a violation of a 1994 Budapest memorandum on security assurances in which Russia committed itself to respecting the independence and sovereignty of Ukraine in its existing borders, as well as the 1997 treaty on the Russian Black Sea fleet, based in Crimea…”

No German Trust in Russia

The Local reported on March 6:

“A third of Germans expect there to be an armed conflict between Ukraine and Russia over Crimea, according to a poll on Thursday. It comes on a day of frenzied diplomacy by Germany to defuse the crisis. The poll from public broadcaster ARD also showed that trust in Russia among Germans had sunk to its lowest ever recorded level… Meanwhile, Germany’s vice-chancellor Sigmar Gabriel was in Moscow on Thursday for talks with Putin to discuss the Crimea crisis…

“The EU is discussing possible sanctions against Russia… The US announced the first sanctions against Russia on Thursday lunchtime with visa restrictions against Russian officials.”

America Without Any Real Options

The Washington Times wrote on March 2:

“… the U.S. appears to have few effective options to punish Russia for its actions, which Ukrainian officials consider to be ‘a declaration of war.’ Mr. Kerry who appeared on four Sunday political talk shows, stressed that all options are on the table, but it’s clear military force is unlikely. Instead, the U.S. and its allies are considering economic sanctions and a suspension of the nearly $40 billion-per-year U.S.-Russia  trade relationship. In another move of condemnation, the U.S. and its key allies… have halted planning efforts for the June meeting of the Group of Eight, set for Sochi…

“But those moves, if they come to fruition, may not sway Russia, some analysts say. For Mr. Putin… punishment from the international community may pale in comparison with the benefits of annexing key parts of Ukraine and expanding his influence across the old Soviet bloc. ‘Russia believes there is nothing going to stop them, which is why they’ve become so aggressive in Crimea. There is not a lot of options on the table and, candidly, and I’m a fairly hawkish guy, sending more naval forces to operate in the Black Sea is not really a very good idea,’ said Rep. Mike Rogers, Michigan Republican and chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, speaking during an interview on ‘Fox News Sunday.’ ‘Unless you’re intending to use them, I wouldn’t send them…’”

USA, UK and France May Boycott G8 Meetings in Russia

Reuters reported on March 2:

“Britain will suspend its participation in preparations for a G8 meeting in Sochi after Russia violated Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, British Foreign Minister William Hague said on Sunday. The United States has already said it will not take part in the meetings, and a source in President Francois Hollande’s office said France has also pulled out.

“Western countries are scrambling to respond to developments in Ukraine’s Crimea… ‘The United Kingdom will join other G8 countries this week in suspending our co-operation under the G8, which Russia chairs this year, including … meetings this week for the preparation of the G8 summit,’ Hague told media…”

The G8 countries include the US, Russia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. Whether or not the G8 countries will meet; whether the other countries will speak to Russia or not—Vladimir Putin will do what HE wants to do.

“Why Is Britain Running Away from Europe?”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on February 28:

“Great Britain used to play a key role in leading Europe, and the benefits have been substantial. But now, the UK is turning its back on the EU and has chosen to focus on peripheral issues…

“In the aftermath of the Second World War, Winston Churchill called for the creation of a ‘United States of Europe’ to bind France and Germany together. In doing so, he made clear that Britain would be a supportive but independent partner of any such entity. He famously said: ‘We are with Europe but not of it.’ In the end, Britain did join the European Economic Community but only in 1973, 15 years after the Treaty of Rome was signed…

“In other words: Britain was always a bit late to the party. But once it found its way to Belgium, Britain had an uncanny knack of winning the big strategic battles. It is therefore a puzzle that the current British government has diverted its attention from winning the next round of key policy debates in Brussels and, instead, focused on a pointless exercise of seeking treaty change to repatriate powers.

“… the UK has seen its leadership role in Brussels diminish…  Britain is losing more votes in the European Council than at any point in recent history…”

Whether Britain is running away from continental Europe or being pushed out, it will not be part of the prophesied member states of core Europe.

How Corporate America Defeated Arizona Bill Regarding Homosexuals

The Associated Press wrote on February 27:

“Voicing concern for their employees, customers and bottom lines, prominent companies from American Airlines to Verizon used threats of reduced business to help convince Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer to veto legislation that would have allowed businesses to refuse service to gays based on the owner’s religious beliefs…

“The measure Brewer vetoed Wednesday night would have allowed people to cite their religious beliefs as a defense against claims of discrimination. She faced intense pressure from gay rights supporters, prominent politicians and local businesses. But ultimately, it might have been the national business community that tipped the scales…

“American Airlines CEO Doug Parker suggested his airline would cut flights… Verizon CEO Lowell C. McAdam also flexed some muscle… Other companies, such as Intel, PetSmart, American Express, eBay and GoDaddy joined with local and state chambers of commerce and other business collations, signing letters in opposition to the bill, known as SB 1062.”

Other companies mentioned in the article which opposed the bill were Yelp, Marriott, Southwest Airlines and Starwood Hotels.

Obama Warns Israel

The Times of Israel wrote on March 2:

“Israel can expect to face international isolation and possible sanctions from countries and companies across the world if Benjamin Netanyahu fails to endorse a framework agreement with the Palestinians, US President Barack Obama cautioned on Sunday… Obama stressed that time was running out for Israel to achieve a peace deal, and added that he believed Netanyahu had the capacity to rally Israel’s citizens behind an agreement…

“The president went on to condemn in no uncertain terms Israel’s settlement activities in the West Bank, and said that though his allegiance to the Jewish state was permanent, building settlements across the Green Line was counterproductive and would make it extremely difficult for the US to defend Israel from painful repercussions in the international community…”

Ultimately, the USA will withdraw all support from Israel.

President Obama’s Scary Interview

The Weekly Standard wrote on March 3:

“President Obama gave a lengthy interview to Jeffrey Goldberg that shows a chief executive who has learned next to nothing about the world in his five years in office… what emerged is an awful portrait of the president and his conception of the world.

“Take Syria. Here’s what Obama said: ‘I think those who believe that two years ago, or three years ago, there was some swift resolution to this thing had we acted more forcefully, fundamentally misunderstand the nature of the conflict in Syria and the conditions on the ground there. … nobody has been able to persuade me that us taking large-scale military action even absent boots on the ground, would actually solve the problem. And those who make that claim do so without a lot of very specific information.’

“Who are these people who have inadequate information, misunderstand the conflict in Syria, and think there is much more the United States could have done? They include both of Obama’s secretaries of state, Clinton and Kerry, his former defense secretary Leon Panetta, and his former CIA director David Petraeus—all of whom wanted much more U.S. support for the Syrian rebels…

“On Israel, Obama was harsh and unfriendly to Netanyahu… Mr. Obama says this: ‘Palestinians would still prefer peace. They would still prefer a country of their own that allows them to find a job, send their kids to school, travel overseas, go back and forth to work without feeling as if they are restricted or constrained as a people.’ If they would also prefer freedom of the press and of speech, and free elections, and an independent court system, and a government that does not steal their money, well, that isn’t of much interest to Mr. Obama. It isn’t even worth mentioning. So he would give the Palestinians the ‘dignity’ that led to oppression and uprisings elsewhere in the Arab world, and seems to have no interest in the actual conditions of political life in the state he would create…

“As to that ‘aggressive settlement construction,’ it is worth noting that at Obama’s request Netanyahu suspended construction in settlements for ten months in 2009. Apparently that gesture, its political cost for Netanyahu, and the fact that it gained Netanyahu and Israeli absolutely nothing from the Palestinians or the Europeans, is now forgotten…

“When it comes to Iran, Obama shows an attitude that can only be described as solipsistic: what’s in his mind is reality. And any other reality is just plain silly… It’s pretty obvious to all analysts that Iran does not fear an American military strike much these days, especially after Mr. Obama’s failure to act in Syria last summer. But Obama denies it, referring to himself in the third person as someone ‘who has shown himself willing to take military action.’ Drones, sure; a quick raid as well. But in Libya and Syria, he showed himself extremely reluctant to take military action…

“Goldberg pushes him, asking why (as is obvious) no one in the Gulf believes Obama. ‘I don’t think it is personal,’ says the president; the problem is them, not him, and his analysis is therapeutic: change is always scary, and they are having trouble catching up with it.  But talk with Gulf Arabs and one finds quickly that it is in fact quite personal: they don’t trust Mr. Obama. They believe his handling of Iran and Syria and for that matter of Russia have made the world a more dangerous place.

“Change is apparently not scary to Mr. Obama, who is confident all his policies are right. Those who disagree are uninformed, or itching for conflict, or ignorant about the risks they will soon face, or sadly unable to adapt to world events. This is the Obama who said of his own nomination that ‘this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal.’ If he believes it, it must be so. The Goldberg interview reveals that five years in, nothing has changed.”

To be clear, we most certainly do not support any military action or violence on either side. But we are quoting the article to show how the world perceives America and its “leadership.” From that standpoint, as Mr. Putin is apparently not in touch with reality, maybe Mr. Obama isn’t either…

Persecution of German Homeschoolers

The Associated Press reported on March 3:

“The Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from a German family seeking asylum in the United States because their home country does not allow home-schooling. The justices rejected an appeal from Uwe and Hannelore Romeike, who claim the German government is persecuting them because they want to raise their children in accordance with their Christian beliefs.

“The family moved to Morristown, Tenn., in 2008 after facing fines and threats for refusing to send their children to a state-approved school, as required by Germany’s compulsory attendance law. They say German laws violate international human rights standards. Last year, the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected that claim…”

WorldNetDaily added on March 4:

“The penalties [in Germany] are based on a Hitler-era law [enacted in 1938] that the German government still enforces against homeschooling. The Romeikes said they chose homeschooling because of anti-Christian and cult beliefs being taught in the public schools.

“The Obama administration successfully fought to overturn the federal judge’s decision that would have given the family permission to remain in the U.S. According to the Home School Legal Defense Association, the Romeike family was granted asylum in 2010 by a federal immigration judge who found that ‘Germany’s treatment of the family amounted to persecution.’… But on the request of the Obama administration, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided against the family, saying Germany was just enforcing its law… Justice Department officials… contended that Germany wasn’t persecuting homeschoolers, just applying the Hitler-era laws to everyone…

“Thomas Schirrmacher, executive chair of the Theological Commission of the World Evangelical Alliance, who is based in Germany, recently touched on the homeschooling law in a lecture on religious freedom. Germans, of all people, should know better, he said. ‘The fact that the laws of a nation make something lawful doesn’t make it right,’ he told the organization… He noted that the law against homeschooling was never changed after the war…

“In Germany, children having been seized from their parents in several cases, most recently last September when armed police officers equipped with a battering ram forcibly took four children from German parents Dirk and Petra Wunderlich because they were being homeschooled. WND reported later the children were return[ed] to the parents after they were given no choice but to agree to have the children begin attending public school classes…”

Breitbart wrote on March 4:

“The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has verbally informed the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) that the Romeike family, German homeschoolers who sought legal asylum in the United States, has been granted indefinite deferred action status, which means that the order for their removal from the United States will not be acted upon… the U.S. Supreme Court had denied the Romeike family’s petition for certiorari, or review. According to a press release Tuesday by HSLDA, however, news of the Supreme Court’s denial sparked ‘an immediate and unprecedented reaction.’

“Fox News informed HSLDA that it recorded one million page views of the story about the Romeike family within 24 hours – an all-time high. ‘We are happy to have indefinite status even though we won’t be able to get American citizenship any time soon,’ said Uwe Romeike. ‘As long as we can live at peace here, we are happy. We have always been ready to go wherever the Lord would lead us – and I know my citizenship isn’t really on earth. This has always been about our children…’ Before fleeing to the U.S. in 2008, the Romeike parents had been threatened with thousands of dollars in fines and possible jail time in Germany because they chose to homeschool their children…”

But what would have happened if the American public would not have overwhelmingly shown their support for the Romeike family? And what about the many other German families who are being forced to have their children “educated” in a public school system which seems to become more and more hostile towards minority religions?

The Bible is very detailed about certain developments pertaining to these countries and power blocs, just prior to and leading to the return of Jesus Christ. Before specifically addressing and identifying the Ukrainians and Russians in the Bible, let us give you first a general overview of coming prophetic events.

In our booklet, “Biblical Prophecy—From Now Until Forever”, we point out that in the near future, European powers will attack Far Eastern nations, including Russia and Ukraine.

We explain that the FIFTH TRUMPET (Revelation 9:1–12) identifies the final European resurrection of the ancient Roman Empire as coming out of a “bottomless pit” (Revelation 9:1–3; compare Revelation 11:7; 17:8). This will be an end-time European power bloc, referred to as the “beast” or “Babylon” elsewhere. (The term “beast” can refer to the European power bloc, and mainly to ten core European nations or groups of nations, as well as to the human leader of that bloc.)

The European forces will attack Russia, Ukraine, China, Japan, India and other Asian countries, after rumors from those areas will have disturbed the beast, perhaps indicating that these Asian nations are planning an attack on Europe and the Middle East. The European nations will use weapons that will not kill, but only torment their enemies for five months (Revelation 9:5).

The SIXTH TRUMPET (Revelation 9:13–21) describes the retaliation of the Asian nations and foretells the appearance of an invading army of 200 million soldiers (verse 16) from the East (verse 14)—shortly after Europe’s invasion of the Middle East (Daniel 11:41–43, 45)—to kill “a third of mankind” (Revelation 9:15). Apparently, this is the second stage of a total world war between, at that time, mainly the European power bloc and a power bloc of eastern nations (compare Revelation 9:17 with Joel 2: 4). This second stage is also alluded to in Daniel 11:44.

The actions of the Asian nations will be ruthless and merciless. They will use nuclear weapons of mass destruction and kill one-third of mankind. Other passages tell us that ultimately, Europe will be destroyed by these Asian nations, and the beginning of this destruction will undoubtedly commence with this counter attack, but additional attacks will follow. This also shows that these Asian nations were not altogether unprepared for such military action, and that the beast’s concern of an Asian attack will not have been unjustified.

At the time of the sixth plague of the SEVENTH TRUMPET (Revelation 16:12), we are again introduced to the Asian nations and kings from the East. We are told that they are now preparing to strike a final blow in an effort to win the war. They will be crossing the dried-up river Euphrates to move their armies and equipment to a place called “Armageddon,” to assemble there with the apparent desire to advance toward Jerusalem to defeat the beast and to wipe out his European armies that have conquered the Middle East.

It appears that before or while moving toward the place called Armageddon in the Middle East, at least parts of the armies of the kings of the East will sweep through Europe and create devastating havoc there.

Do these Asian nations and kings of the East include the Russian and Ukrainian peoples? The Bible identifies the major powers which will be responsible for the destruction of Europe as the modern Medes. Who were the Medes, and do they exist today?

In ancient times, the Medes lived in present-day Iran. Originally, under Assyrian rule, they revolted against and expelled the Assyrians and imposed their rule over the Persians. They then attacked Nineveh and overthrew the Assyrian Empire. Under Cyrus the Great, the Medes and the Persians were considered as one people. The Encyclopedia Britannica (ed.1959) points out that at least some of the Medes were not Iranians or Indo-Europeans, but perhaps connected with the numerous tribes of the Caucasus.

The historian Herodotus wrote in Terpsichore, 9, that the Medes began to settle throughout South Russia and present-day Ukraine. He stated: “They say that they are a colony of Medes.” Pliny wrote in Natural History, book VI, section xi, that the people who colonized the lands along the river Don claim to be “descended from the Medes.”

The Church of God has long held and taught that the modern Medes can be found among the Russian and Ukrainian peoples who will be instrumental in leading the Far Eastern nations to destroy Europe. When describing the destruction of Europe or the modern Babylonian system, Jeremiah 51:27-29 states:

“Set up a banner in the land, Blow the trumpet among the nations! Prepare the nations against her, Call the kingdoms together against her… Appoint a general against her; Cause the horses to come up like the bristling locusts. Prepare against her the nations, With the kings of the Medes, its governors and all its rulers, all the land of his dominion. And the land will tremble and sorrow; For every purpose of the LORD shall be performed against Babylon, To make the land of Babylon a desolation without inhabitant.”

As Jeremiah 51:27-28 states that the modern Medes (Russians and Ukrainians) will use horses against Babylon like bristling locusts, this indicates that they will use some of their tanks and their air force to destroy modern Babylon. Jeremiah 51:11 adds: “… The LORD has raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes. For His plan is against Babylon to destroy it, Because it is the vengeance of the LORD, the vengeance for His temple.”

Isaiah 13:17, 19 confirms that after the ten European nations, under the authority of modern Assyria (“the Babylonian system”), have subdued and conquered many nations, they themselves will be defeated in war by the modern Medes:

“Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them… And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, The beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.”

Verses 6, 9 and 13 designate the timing as occurring during the “day of the LORD” – a time span still ahead of us, which will begin approximately one year prior to the return of Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 21:2, 9 states: “A distressing vision is declared to me; The treacherous dealer deals treacherously, And the plunderer plunders. Go up, O Elam [Persia or modern day Iran]! Besiege, O Media!… Then he answered and said: ‘Babylon is fallen, is fallen! And all the carved images of her gods He has broken to the ground.”

While engaged in their war of destruction against Europe and assembling at Armageddon in the Middle East, the kings from the East [led by the modern-day Medes] will suddenly feel threatened by another “enemy,” and being influenced by Satan and his demonic powers, they will combine their forces with the kings of the whole world (including the beast power) to attempt to defeat that common foe. That “foe” is none other than the returning Jesus Christ, His saints, and His angelic armies who will make an end of Satan’s rule over this earth (Revelation 16:14-16; 19:11-21).

We can see from the foregoing that Russia and Ukraine will collaborate and ultimately combine forces with other Far Eastern nations, such as China, to fight against Europe, just prior to Christ’s return. Current developments seem to indicate that these events are not too far off.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

We have finalized the 2014 Feast of Tabernacles housing assignments based on information from those who have contacted us. Those who have signed up have been informed by us to contact the facility at Hilton Garden Inn Pismo Beach in California to make their individual reservation and confirm their arrangements which we provided to the hotel. If you have not contacted and/or heard from us, but would like to make reservations at the facility (where we will also meet for daily church services) and to take advantage of reduced rates that the hotel contracted with us, you need to contact Norbert Link (Norbert.Link@cox.net) or Johanna Link (Johanna.Link@cox.net ) or Dave Harris (david-harris1@comcast.net ).
 
Our new booklet, “Hidden Secrets in the Bible,” has been received from the printer and will be sent out to our subscribers next week, together with a new member letter to be written by Norbert Link.
 
 “Russia in Biblical Prophecy” is the title of a new StandingWatch program presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

As Western powers continue to attempt to diffuse the volatile situation regarding Russia, Ukraine and the Crimean Peninsula, what does the Bible have to say about Russia’s and Europe’s prophetic roles in these end times? Is a war prophesied between Russia and the USA prior to Christ’s return? Or do we read about a terrible war involving great nations such as Russia and China, as well as a strong European power bloc? This program as well as our completely free booklets, “Biblical Prophecy—From Now Until Forever”, and “The Ten European Revivals of the Ancient Roman Empire” give you detailed answers from your Bible.

“Wie die Bibel Studieren?,” is the title of this week’s new German sermon. The English title would be: “How to Study the Bible?”

“Does God Have Humor?,” presented last Sabbath by Norbert Link, is now posted–here is a summary:

Some have a totally wrong concept of God and view Him as an impersonal “Something” without form and shape. That is not the God of the Bible! God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, are a Family, and the members of the God Family are described as personalities, who have feelings, emotions, joy and humor. This sermon gives you examples of the often-overlooked humorous aspects of God’s nature.

On March 1, 2014, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “Does God Have Humor?”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time; 8:30 pm Greenwich Mean Time; 9:30 pm Central European Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

Converted baptized members of the true Church of God are admonished by God to examine themselves prior to partaking of the annual New Testament Passover, so that they do not take the symbols in an unworthy manner. We read in 1 Corinthians 11:27-28: “Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.”

Why are Christians admonished to do that?  They have to approach the Passover in as sinless a state as possible, even though they cannot be totally cleansed of sin in the flesh, since that will only occur when they are God beings in the Kingdom. It is then that they cannot sin anymore.

If we say we have no sin now, we deceive ourselves. Notice what John says about this, in 1 John 1:9-10:

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”

The key to being in a less sinful state is to confess our sins and to obtain forgiveness.  That includes to admit to God we have a problem in certain areas of our lives, which we can discover with proper examination.

We know that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness, as 1 John 1:5-7 tells us:

“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

It is amazing what light does. When I used to do drywall jobs for people and came to sand the wall, I used to put a light on the floor at the base of the wall. The light would reveal the flaws in the wall. Looking straight at the wall, it would look good, but once I sanded it, with a light on the floor, I was able to make the flaws disappear. Otherwise, when it came to painting, the flaws would show up.

When we are using, as it were, the light of God to examine ourselves, we will see certain flaws which we would otherwise ignore or neglect. Once we see those flaws (sins), we can confess them to God, ask for forgiveness, and we are then cleansed with the blood of Christ.

It is important for baptized members of the true Church of God to partake of the Passover. It is equally important for them to use the light of God to reveal their sins, so that they can repent and partake of the Passover in a worthy manner, thus pleasing their Creator God and their Saviour Jesus Christ.

We begin with reporting on the turmoil in Ukraine and the desire of Europe, the USA and Russia to get a piece of the cake, raising questions as to whether we are going to experience another failed “Arab Spring” and/or a military intervention from Russia.

We report on America’s failure to learn from past mistakes—be it the NSA scandal, the Iraq war or its conduct towards Iran—and address developments in Europe and Germany and in Israel, including the rocky and deteriorating relationship between the German people and the state of Israel.

We speak on the Catholic Church’s “two popes”; Uganda’s new anti-gay bill and the Ugandan President’s telling remarks about the West; Oregon’s development towards recognition of same-sex marriages; further limitations to our individual liberties; the perceived “reasons” for Piers Morgan’s anticipated departure from CNN; and the shameful record of America’s abortions.

Former Ukraine President in Hiding—Russia VERY Unhappy

AFP wrote on February 24:

“Ukraine issued an arrest warrant Monday for ousted president Viktor Yanukovych over the ‘mass murder’ of protesters and appealed for $35 billion in Western aid to pull the crisis-hit country from the brink of economic collapse. The dramatic announcements by the ex-Soviet nation’s new Western-leaning team — approved by parliament over a chaotic weekend that saw the pro-Russian leader go into hiding — came as a top EU envoy arrived in Kiev to buttress its sudden tilt away from Moscow…

“Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev issued one of Moscow’s firmest responses to date by condemning the ‘armed mutiny’ in Ukraine… Russia’s finance minister added to the pressure by warning that Moscow would have to raise duties on its goods if Kiev reversed Yanukovych’s decision and still signed the EU partnership pact… Russia’s anxiety about the changes sweeping its western neighbour were underscored Sunday when it recalled ambassador Mikhail Zurabov ‘due to the escalation of the situation in Ukraine’.”

Ukraine’s New Leadership on Collision Course with Russia

Deutsche Welle reported on February 26:

“Ukraine’s new pro-Western leadership has disbanded the feared riot police blamed for killing protesters. In a sign of tension with the West, Russia ordered a military drill to test the country’s combat readiness… The 46 million-strong nation’s sudden shift to a pro-Western government has fueled United States and Euopean Union tensions with Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday ordered an urgent drill to test the combat readiness of his country’s armed forces… The district lies on the border with Ukraine…

“Far-right opposition protesters played a significant role in the protests that unseated Yanukovych. In particular, Lavrov cited the attempts of Ukraine’s new leadership to ban the Russian language in the country, restore Ukrainian as the obligatory language in official documents, and turn the ‘Russian-speaking population into “non-citizens”.’

“The change in power has also raised fears that the southern Crimea peninsula, a Russian-speaking region where Yanukovych is believed to have gone into hiding, could secede. The port city of Sevastopol has already seen pro-Russian protests and further demonstrations were held Wednesday…”

Russia and Ukraine—How Will it Play Out?

The New York Times wrote on February 23:

“The sudden collapse of the Kremlin-backed government in Ukraine has for now delivered a profound setback to President Vladimir V. Putin’s strategy to deepen political and economic ties with the country and thus keep it from embracing Europe… Mr. Putin now faces the task of reasserting Russia’s influence in a country that it considers a fraternal ally, one with deep cultural, social and political connections that bind it to Moscow’s orbit regardless of its new government.

“Russia still has enormous leverage and close allies in Ukraine, particularly in the east and on the Crimea Peninsula, home of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet and a sizable ethnic Russian population that views the leaders of the political uprising that toppled President Viktor F. Yanukovych with disdain. That has raised fears that Russia would use the disenchanted populations there as a pretext to intervene to reverse Ukraine’s new trajectory — even militarily, as the Kremlin did in two ethnic enclaves in 2008 in another former Soviet republic, Georgia.

“The fears have been so palpable — and the subject of endless speculation in Ukraine and here in Russia — that President Obama’s national security adviser, Susan E. Rice, warned in a television interview on Sunday that it ‘would be a grave mistake’ for Russia to use force…

“How exactly Russia responds remains to be seen, but the turmoil is certain to further strain relations with Europe and the United States, which officials here have denounced for meddling in Ukraine at the expense of Russia’s vital interests. At the same time, the United States and Europe have accused Russia of trying to impose its will there…”

Putin Gets Tough in Moscow

The Daily Mail wrote on February 24:

“Russian president Vladimir Putin risked accusations of stifling dissent in Moscow today as police cracked down on a rally in support of a group [of] anti-government protesters facing jail. At least 100 were detained outside a courthouse in central Moscow where the defendants were sentenced today in the first protest since the fall of Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovich following protests there.

“Among those arrested were Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alekhina, from Pussy Riot, the dissident punk band. Putin is rumoured to be sheltering the ousted leader, an ally of the Kremlin, in the Crimea, a majority Russian area of Ukraine where the Russian Black Sea naval fleet is based.

“Today there were the first signs of support for the Ukraine demonstrations in Moscow, during a demonstration outside a court where opposition activists are being sentenced… Putin, who staked his reputation on the Olympics, engineered the release of long-jailed ex-tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky and two women from protest band Pussy Riot in December, moves widely seen as an effort to improve his image before the Games.”

Russia Is Getting More and More Involved

The New York Times wrote on February 27:

“Viktor F. Yanukovych, the ousted president of Ukraine, declared on Thursday that he remained the lawful president of the country and appealed to Russia to ‘secure my personal safety from the actions of extremists.’ Russian news agencies reported that he had already arrived in Russia…

“Mr. Yanukovych’s remarks were his first since he appeared in a video on Saturday night after fleeing Ukraine’s capital, Kiev, for eastern Ukraine. His defiance of the country’s new interim leaders only deepened the political turmoil in the country and threatened to draw Russia more deeply into the conflict.

“Mr. Yanukovych, in a letter published by news agencies here, went on to suggest that largely Russian regions of Ukraine – including the east and Crimea – did not accept ‘the anarchy and outright lawlessness’ that had gripped the country and said that orders by the new authorities to use the armed forces to impose order were unlawful. He clearly meant the response to pro-Russia demonstrations in Crimea, which took an ugly turn on Thursday morning when armed gunmen seized control of the regional Parliament in Simferopol [and raised the Russian flag there]…

“Russia has denounced the political upheaval in Kiev and refused to recognize the interim government… With Mr. Yanukovych apparently under Russian protection, and still calling himself Ukraine’s legitimate leader, Russia now finds itself in a worsening confrontation with Europe and the United States, which have promised political and economic support for the new leaders in Kiev…”

The Associated Press added on February 27:

“Russia scrambled fighter jets to patrol its border and reportedly gave shelter to Ukraine’s fugitive president as pro-Russian gunmen stormed offices of Ukraine’s strategic region, deepening the crisis for the new Ukrainian government even as it was being formed.

“The moves pose an immediate challenge to Ukraine’s new authorities as they seek to set up an interim government for the country, whose population is divided in loyalties between Russia and the West. Ukraine’s new prime minister said the country’s future lies in the European Union but with friendly relations with Russia…

“Oleksandr Turchynov, who stepped in as acting president after Yanukovych’s flight, condemned the takeover of government buildings in Crimea as a ‘crime against the government of Ukraine.’ He warned that any move by Russian troops off of their base in Crimea ‘will be considered a military aggression. Unidentified people with automatic weapons, explosives and grenades have taken over the governmental buildings and the Parliament building in the autonomous region of Crimea,’ he said. ‘I have given orders to the military to use all methods necessary to protect the citizens, punish the criminals, and to free the buildings.’…

“Shortly before the lawmakers chose him as the leader of the new Cabinet, Yatsenyuk said Ukraine doesn’t want a fight with Russia, but insisted the country wouldn’t accept the secession of the southern Crimea region… The Russian Foreign Ministry voiced concern Thursday about the Russian-speaking population in Ukraine and vowed to protect their interests…”

No to Tymoshenko?

Deutsche Welle wrote on February 24:

“While Ukraine went through its dramatic revolution, Yulia Tymoshenko was stuck in jail. Now she wants to be president. But many protesters say the former opposition leader doesn’t represent the change they fought for… Tymoshenko’s return to politics brings with it a potential for conflict… Neither her disputed trial nor her conviction in 2011 ever really mobilized the people, with only a few hundred people ever present to call for her release. It seems the West was far more interested in her fate than her own people.

“What’s more, many Ukrainians hold Tymoshenko partly responsible for the failure of the Orange Revolution in 2004… Conflict is also on the horizon with fellow opposition figure and world heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko. Relations between the two have been tense for years… Both Tymoshenko and Klitschko have presidential ambitions, and both have made those public…”

Obama and NSA Have Not Learned Any Lessons

AFP wrote on February 24:

“US intelligence has stepped up eavesdropping on hundreds of key figures in Germany, including a government minister, after Chancellor Angela Merkel was dropped as a direct target, a German report said Sunday. Bild am Sonntag newspaper said that 320 political and business leaders in Germany were being monitored by the US National Security Agency (NSA), including Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere. ‘We have the order not to allow any loss of information whatsoever after the communication of the chancellor no longer being able to be directly monitored,’ Bild quoted an unnamed high-ranking US intelligence employee in Germany as saying.

“US-German ties soured amid revelations leaked by former CIA contractor Edward Snowden that US intelligence agencies had allegedly eavesdropped on Merkel and collected vast amounts of online data and telephone records from average citizens. Last month, US President Barack Obama said the US intelligence service would continue to spy on foreign governments but assured Merkel that he would not let intrusive surveillance harm their relationship.”

Europe and Brazil vs. USA

Reuters reported on February 24:

“Brazil and the European Union agreed on Monday to lay an undersea communications cable from Lisbon to Fortaleza to reduce Brazil’s reliance on the United States after Washington spied on Brasilia. At a summit in Brussels, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said the $185 million cable project was central to ‘guarantee the neutrality’ of the Internet, signaling her desire to shield Brazil’s Internet traffic from U.S. surveillance…

“EU leaders are sympathetic to Brazil’s call following the revelations of fugitive former NSA contractor Edward Snowden that showed the agency also eavesdropped on German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s mobile phone and some EU institutions… Brussels is threatening the suspension of EU-U.S. agreements for data transfers unless Washington increases guarantees for the protection of EU citizens’ data…

“Rousseff clearly took heart from Merkel’s calls this month for a European Internet that is protected from U.S. surveillance, even if there are questions about the practicalities of setting up alternative networks in Europe. Rousseff said Brazil and the European Union have ‘similar concerns’ about U.S. dominance of fiber-optic cables and hoped to have a cable running from the Portuguese capital Lisbon to the northeastern Brazilian of Fortaleza from next year…

“Brazil, one of the world’s largest and most influential emerging economies, is ready to do a deal. It is backed by Uruguay and Paraguay but the question is whether Argentina, one of the most protectionist members of the Group of 20 countries, will join in opening its economy to greater EU imports.”

German Supreme Court Abolishes Three Percent Threshold for European Parliament

Deutsche Welle reported on February 26:

“The Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe on Wednesday ruled that the current 3 percent threshold required to secure seats in the European Parliament is unconstitutional, abolishing the hurdle altogether… The decision now opens the door to smaller and fringe parties winning seats in the May 25 poll that will see 96 German lawmakers elected – the largest national contingent. Polls have suggested fringe groups would poll well in many countries in the upcoming elections.

“These parties include the Euroskeptic Alternative for Germany (AfD), the anti-establishment Pirate Party, Free Voters and the Ecological Democratic Party. The decision could also see the country’s far-right National Democratic Party (NPD) winning seats in May.

“National voting systems for the EU Parliament differ across the 28 member states with most – including Britain, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands – having no threshold at all. The maximum threshold allowed under EU law is 5 percent, which eight nations have, including the Czech Republic, Poland and Romania.”

As we can clearly see, out of the multitude of European nations within the EU, a core Europe of ten nations or groups of nations will have to develop.

Iranian-Iraqi Weapons Deal

Reuters reported on February 24:

“Iran has signed a deal to sell Iraq arms and ammunition worth $195 million, according to documents seen by Reuters – a move that would break a U.N. embargo on weapons sales by Tehran. The agreement was reached at the end of November, the documents showed, just weeks after Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki returned from Washington, where he lobbied the Obama administration for extra weapons to fight al Qaeda-linked militants… Several Iraqi lawmakers said Maliki had made the deal because he was fed up with delays to U.S. arms deliveries…

“The Iranian government denied any knowledge of a deal to sell arms to Iraq. It would be the first official arms deal between Shi’ite Iran and Iraq’s Shi’ite-led government and highlight the growing bond between them in the two years since the departure of U.S. troops from Iraq…

“The official documents seen by Reuters showed that six of eight contracts were signed with Iran’s Defense Industries Organization to supply Iraq with light and medium arms, mortar launchers, ammunition for tanks as well as artillery and mortars. A final two contracts were agreed to with the state-owned Iran Electronic Industries for night vision goggles, communications equipment and mortar guiding devices… Officials from the Iraqi and Iranian defense ministries signed the agreements, according to the documents. They did not list a timetable for deliveries and it was not possible to confirm whether they had taken place.”

AFP wrote on February 21:

“A prominent hardline cleric in Iran warned on Friday against the Islamic republic resuming ties with the United States, and said any attempt to do so would prove futile… ‘Our people are anti-American…’ His comments sparked chants of ‘Death to the America!’ and ‘Death to Israel!’ from the thousands of Friday worshippers.

“Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has the final say on all Iranian state matters including foreign policy and the nuclear issue… The most remarkable development to date was a 15-minute telephone conversation between [President Hassan] Rouhani and his US counterpart Barack Obama in New York in September… Khamenei later said he deemed part of Rouhani’s New York trip as inappropriate, but without referring directly to the phone call.”

These developments are interesting. As we point out in our free booklet, “Middle Eastern and African Nations in Bible Prophecy,” Iran (biblical Elam) will fight against Israel [the state of Israel and also possibly the USA] and we also read that at the time of Christ’s return, “the remnant” of His people [remnants from the ancient houses of Israel and Judah] will be “left” in countries such as Shinar (Iraq) and recovered from there (Isaiah 11:11).

Israel at War with Lebanon’s Hezbollah

The Associated Press and JTA reported on February 27:

“Israel has allegedly opened a new front in its attempts to halt weapons smuggling to Hezbollah, striking one of the group’s positions inside Lebanon for the first time since the sides fought a war eight years ago. This week’s alleged airstrike, apparently meant to prevent the Islamic militant group from obtaining sophisticated missiles, is part of a risky policy that could easily backfire by triggering retaliation…

“With a lack of good choices, Israel has avoided taking sides in the Syrian war, and in the short term, is content watching the two sides beat each other up. But in the long run, officials have expressed concerns about the battlefield expertise that Hezbollah has gained…

“Hezbollah’s participation in the Syrian war is highly controversial and divisive in Lebanon and has eaten away at the group’s wider base. But Hezbollah remains a formidable force in Lebanon, and has two ministers in the current national unity government that was recently formed following 11 months of impasse… The likelihood of retaliation is just one of the shortcomings of the Israeli airstrike policy. It also appears that the strikes have failed to halt the flow of arms to Hezbollah. In recent days, Israeli military officials have acknowledged that Hezbollah has likely succeeded in sneaking sophisticated weapons into Lebanon.”

The Rocky Israeli-German Relationship

Deutsche Welle wrote on February 24:

“German public opinion of Israel is slumping… There is growing public and political disillusionment over Israel’s treatment of its Palestinian neighbors… A recent BBC poll showed that only 14 percent of Germans today had a positive view of Israel. ‘I think German public opinion is actually worse than what’s shown in the polls because Germans don’t publicly state their opinion, they play it down,’ said Israel’s former ambassador to Germany and the European Union, Avi Primor. ‘The Germans are still very aware of their Nazi past, particularly Merkel who is originally from East Germany, so she has a bad conscience from the past but this is changing and you can’t ignore the growing public opinion,’ he told DW…

“A senior Israeli official confirmed to DW that recent phone calls between Merkel and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during and since the P5+1 meetings on Iran had escalated to shouting and disagreements. The most divisive issue between the two countries is over Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank…

“Germany is Israel’s third-largest trading partner after the US and China and if relations deteriorate, trade could be impacted said former ambassador Avi Primor. ‘Germany is totally indispensable to Israel – Germany has many pro-Israel policies, but I think this is gradually fading and if nothing in the Middle East changes it will get worse.’”

Will Israel Turn Over Control of Mount Zion to Catholic Church?

WorldNetDaily wrote on February 22, 2014:

“Israel could be entering the final stages of negotiations to turn over control of Mount Zion to the Vatican, according to a report by Israel National News. According to the online news source, a secretive meeting took place this week between the Jerusalem Municipality, Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Tourism and senior Catholic officials. During the meeting, the Catholic delegation reportedly pressed Israel to follow through on a years-old proposal to give the Church control over the compound that houses the traditional ‘Hall of the Last Supper.’

“The problem is that the same compound also houses the traditional ‘Tomb of David,’ a holy site revered and frequented by religious Jews. Not to mention that Mount Zion is symbolic of Jerusalem as a whole, and surrendering it to the Vatican would be seen by many Israelis as a repudiation of Judaism’s claim to the city.

“In response to reports regarding the negotiations, the Jerusalem Municipality released a statement insisting that it would remain ‘the central sovereign power on Mount Zion.’ Others are not so sure, and believe Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intends to turn over control of Mount Zion prior to Pope Francis’ visit to the Holy Land in May.”

Israeli Lawmaker Debate Temple Mount Sovereignty

JTA reported on February 25:

“Jews should be allowed to pray at the Temple Mount, Likud party members said at a volatile Knesset debate on the right of non-Muslims to pray at the holy site. More than 30 Israeli lawmakers, from the right and left wings, asked to speak at the special session on Tuesday. Most of the Arab-Israeli lawmakers protested the debate by not attending the session. ‘I call on the government to apply the full sovereignty of the State of Israel in the entire Temple Mount,’ said the Likud’s Moshe Feiglin, who requested the debate. ‘I call on the Israeli government to allow free access to any Jew to the Temple Mount through any gate, and allow them to pray.’”

“… Zahava Gal-on, head of the Meretz party, said that while she believes Jews have a right to pray on the Temple Mount, it must be done in consultation with the agreement of the Arab world, the Times of Israel reported. She called Feiglin’s proposal ‘a match that could ignite the powder keg on which the Middle East rests,’ and said extending Jewish sovereignty over the Temple Mount would harm the peace process.

“The site is overseen by the Muslim Wakf, the Muslim religious administration charged with managing the Temple Mount site, which is holy to Jews and Muslims. Jews generally are not permitted by the Wakf to pray or bring any ritual objects to the Temple Mount. Earlier Tuesday, Palestinian youths rioted on the Temple Mount in response to the session, resulting in three arrests and injuries to two Israeli police officers.”

Jordan Responds to Israel’s Debate on Temple Mount Sovereignty

The Times of Israel wrote on February 27:

“Jordan warned Wednesday that it might review a 1994 peace treaty with Israel after Israeli MPs began a debate on allowing Jewish prayers at Jerusalem’s sensitive Temple Mount. ‘If Israel wants to violate the peace treaty in this issue, the entire treaty, its articles, details and wording will be put on the table,’ Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour told Qatar’s Al-Watan newspaper in an interview. Under the peace treaty, Jordan is the custodian of Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem.

“Ensour’s remarks, quoted by state-run Petra news agency, came as Jordan’s parliament passed a motion urging the expulsion of Israel’s ambassador to the kingdom, Daniel Nevo. ‘Such Israeli attempts would lead to the destruction of the peace treaty as the international community is pushing for peace between Israel and the Palestinians,’ government spokesman Mohammad Momnai told Petra. ‘The Jordanian custodianship is not a privilege granted by Israel. It is the Hashemites’ historic responsibility that is emphasised in the peace treaty.’

“Last year, Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas signed an agreement to confirm a verbal deal dating back to 1924 that gave the kingdom custodianship over Jerusalem’s Muslim holy sites. The Jordanian parliament’s vote followed a motion the previous day signed by 47 MPs demanding that the peace treaty with Israel be scrapped. ‘All deputies who attended a meeting today to discuss Israel’s debate on sovereignty over Al-Aqsa voted to kick out the Israeli envoy and recall the Jordanian ambassador in Israel (Walid Obeidat),’ prominent lower house deputy Khalil Attieh told AFP.”

Popes Francis and Benedict

Deutsche Welle reported on February 22:

“Pope Francis has appointed Catholic leaders from some the world’s smallest and poorest nations to the College of Cardinals. Former Pope Benedict XVI also joined the ceremony in a rare public outing… Two are from Africa, two from Asia and six from Francis’ native Latin America, which is home to nearly half the world’s Catholics. However, Latin American leadership is grossly underrepresented in the church’s hierarchy. German Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller is also among those appointed.

“Surprising the congregation, former pope Benedict XVI, who retired last year, made a rare public appearance at the ceremony. He was greeted by Francis with an embrace and by the people in the pews with applause and tears. It is the first time Benedict and Francis have appeared together at a liturgical ceremony since Benedict stepped down last March, the first pope to do so in 600 years. Two weeks later, Francis was elected the first non-European pope in 1,300 years.”

Pope Francis is also the first Jesuit who has ever been elected as Pope. At one time, the Catholic Church had even outlawed the Jesuits.

Uganda’s New Anti-Gay Bill

Deutsche Welle reported on February 24:

“Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has signed a controversial anti-gay bill into law that toughens already strict rules banning homosexual activity. In doing so, he defied international criticism about the legislation. ‘No study has shown you can be homosexual by nature, that’s why I have agreed to sign the bill,’ Museveni said in a speech after the signing ceremony… The law, which toughens penalties for homosexual sex, sets out a 14-year jail sentence for first-time offenders.

“The legislation also sets life imprisonment as the maximum penalty for “aggravated homosexuality.” This category of offenses is defined as repeated gay sex between consenting adults and acts involving minors, a disabled person, or where one partner is infected with HIV. It also outlaws the promotion of homosexuality and requires people to denounce gays… The bill is popular with the conservative local constituency that is vehemently opposed to homosexuality, but international rights groups have condemned it as draconian.

“Museveni is a key African ally of the United States and the European Union but he has been under fire recently by key Western donors over the anti-gay legislation… Many African countries, with the exception of South Africa, have laws that ban or suppress homosexuality. In January, a law took effect in Nigeria that outlaws same-sex relationships with up to 14 years in prison for gay couples living together.”

CNN added on February 24:

“At the public signing of the bill Monday, a defiant Museveni declared that he would not allow the West to impose its values on Uganda. ‘We have been disappointed for a long time by the conduct of the West, the way you conduct yourselves there,’ he told CNN’s Zain Verjee in Entebbe. ‘Our disappointment is now exacerbated because we are sorry to see that you live the way you live, but we keep quiet about it. Now you say “you must also live like us” — that’s where we say no.’… [He] said he’d sign [the bill] because scientists had determined that there is no gene for homosexuality and that it is merely a choice to embrace abnormal behavior. ‘It was learned and could be unlearned,’ Museveni said.”

According to the Bible, the practice of homosexual activities is in fact an abomination, and it is also correct that no one is “born” as a homosexual. In this context, note the next article.

Oregon Ready to Allow Same-Sex Marriages?

The website of oregonlive.com wrote on February 20:

“Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said in a legal filing Thursday that she will not defend the state’s ban on gay marriage and argued that the ban ‘cannot withstand a federal constitutional challenge under any standard of review’…

“Federal judges in several states have struck down similar bans in recent months, saying that they conflict with last year’s U.S. Supreme Court decision striking major provisions of a law prohibiting federal recognition of same-sex marriage.

“At the same time, supporters of gay marriage are nearly done with their effort to collect enough signatures to put an initiative on the November ballot asking voters to strike the ban on gay marriage from the state Constitution and allow same-sex couples to marry.”

Same-sex marriages are in violation of Scripture. The Bible defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman.

And Now—Police May Search a House without a Warrant Even When There is NO Emergency

The Los Angeles Times reported on February 25:

“Police officers may enter and search a home without a warrant as long as one occupant consents, even if another resident has previously objected, the Supreme Court ruled Tuesday in a Los Angeles case. The 6-3 ruling, triggered by a Los Angeles Police Department arrest in 2009, gives authorities more leeway to search homes without obtaining a warrant, even when there is no emergency.

“The majority, led by Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., said police need not take the time to get a magistrate’s approval before entering a home in such cases. But dissenters, led by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, warned that the decision would erode protections against warrantless home searches. The court had previously held that such protections were at the ‘very core’ of the 4th Amendment and its ban on unreasonable searches and seizures…

“In the past, the court has frowned upon most searches of residences except in the case of an emergency or if the police had a warrant from a judge.”

And the erosion of our privacy rights continues in the “land of the free”…

Piers Morgan Leaves CNN

CNN wrote on February 23:

“There have been times when the CNN host Piers Morgan didn’t seem to like America very much — and American audiences have been more than willing to return the favor. Three years after taking over for Larry King, Mr. Morgan has seen the ratings for ‘Piers Morgan Live’ hit some new lows, drawing a fraction of viewers compared with competitors at Fox News and MSNBC.

“It’s been an unhappy collision between a British television personality who refuses to assimilate — the only football he cares about is round and his lectures on guns were rife with contempt — and a CNN audience that is intrinsically provincial. After all, the people who tune into a cable news network are, by their nature, deeply interested in America.

“CNN’s president, Jeffrey Zucker, has other problems, but none bigger than Mr. Morgan and his plum 9 p.m. time slot. Mr. Morgan said last week that he and Mr. Zucker had been talking about the show’s failure to connect and had decided to pull the plug, probably in March.  Crossing an ocean for a replacement for Larry King, who had ratings problems of his own near the end, was probably not a great idea to begin with. For a cable news station like CNN, major stories are like oxygen. When something important or scary happens in America, many of us have an immediate reflex to turn on CNN. When I find Mr. Morgan telling me what it all means, I have a similar reflex to dismiss what he is saying. It is difficult for him to speak credibly on significant American events because, after all, he just got here…

“Old hands in the television news business suggest that there are two things a presenter cannot have: an accent or a beard…  Mr. Morgan’s approach to gun regulation was more akin to King George III, peering down his nose at the unruly colonies and wondering how to bring the savages to heel.  In the current media age… Mr. Morgan’s lecturing on the evils of guns have clanked hard against the CNN brand… We don’t look for moral leadership from CNN, or from a British host on a rampage. Guns, along with many other great and horrible things, are knit into the fabric of this country…”

The bottom line is, America’s TV network “news” culture is an atrocity, and the above article from CNN, somehow trying to justify CNN’s separation from Piers Morgan, inadvertently brings this out. If one wanted to rely on the news, as reported by America’s main TV stations and networks, one would be hopelessly lost. Whether it’s CNN, NBC, MSNBC or FOX, just to name the more “popular” ones, they are all driven by their ideologies and political agendas, while having their carefully selected “guests” “debating” and talking to death their view points, as well as by their desire to cater to the “interests” of their viewership and, due to satisfactory ratings, to attract as many sponsors as possible, while being willfully indifferent regarding the fact that those “interests” are for the most part inconsequential, immaterial and futile.

The article above, demanding that Morgan should have assimilated and “reported” on mundane and insignificant events, speaks for itself. The comment that guns are “knit into the fabric of this country,” which is, sadly, very true, and that no one should dare to question this, especially not a “foreigner,” is another example showing the ungodly ideas permeating America’s “way of life.” When Christ returns, all people will learn the horrible effects of guns and they will beat their guns into plowshares. Until that time, America has still a long way to go and bitter lessons to learn…

New York’s Shame

National Review wrote on February 21:

“In 2012, black women in New York City aborted over 6,500 more children than they gave birth to. Data from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene shows that, among non-hispanic black women, there were 31,328 ‘induced terminations’ to 24,758 live births…

“In total, there were almost 74,000 abortions in New York in 2012, meaning that 42.4 percent of all abortions were of black children. Hispanic children accounted for 31 percent of those aborted in the city at a total of nearly 23,000. Altogether, black and Hispanic abortions were 73 percent of the total of 73,815 abortions in New York in 2012.

“For years, New York has had the highest abortion rate of any city in the nation.”

CNS News reported on February 25:

“Although whites outnumber blacks in Mississippi by nearly 2-to-1, 71.67% of the babies aborted in Mississippi are black, while 26.6% are white.”

Since the Bible does not contain any contradictions (compare John 10:35), what then is the answer to this question?

Zephaniah 3:9 addresses the time of the Millennium, when Jesus Christ rules on and over the earth, and states:

“For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, That they may all call on the name of the LORD, To serve Him with one accord.”

Compare also Isaiah 19:18: “In that day five cities in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear by the LORD of hosts…”

The thought is being conveyed here that all of the peoples will have ONE language, and that the Egyptians will speak the same language as those who will live in the land of Canaan. It does not have to mean that it will be Hebrew—in fact, it is doubtful that the Canaanites spoke Hebrew when the Israelites conquered the Promised Land. Nor are we to necessarily assume that the pure language will be the tongue of the Hebrews after they had taken possession of the Promised Land; rather, Isaiah 19:18 points out that those in the land of Egypt and those in the land of Canaan will all speak the same language in the Millennium.

The Jamieson Fausset and Brown commentary states:

“The confusion of languages was… the penalty [for] sin, probably idolatry at Babel… [and] certainly [for] rebellion against God’s will. An earnest of the removal of this penalty was the gift of tongues on Pentecost (Acts 2:6-13). The full restoration of the earth’s unity of language and of worship is yet future, and is connected with the restoration of the Jew [better: the houses of Israel and Judah], to be followed by the conversion of the world… The Gentiles’ lips have been rendered impure through being the instruments of calling on idols and dishonoring God… Whether Hebrew shall be the one universal language or not, the God of the Hebrews shall be the one only object of worship…”

We wrote the following in “Biblical Prophecy—From Now Until Forever” :

“… at the start of the Millennium, one pure language will be restored to the people (Zephaniah 3:9) so that they will be able to understand each other without the need for translators or the gift of tongues (compare for a unique episode in this regard, Acts 2:5-11). God’s curse on the people at the time of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:7-9) will be lifted and removed.”

We do not know for sure whether people will have to LEARN this new language over time or whether God will IMMEDIATELY ENABLE them to know and speak it right away. Today, there are many tongues or languages in the world (compare 1 Corinthians 14:10), and when someone speaks in a foreign language, someone else will have to translate the words into the native language of those who are listening (1 Corinthians 14:11-13). In the Millennium, once the new pure language has been restored, such translation will no longer be necessary, as all will be able to speak and understand the “pure language.”

Before the people built the tower of Babel and God confused the language of all the earth (Genesis 11:6-9), “the whole earth had one language and one speech” (Genesis 11:1). We do not know what language that was, and whether some people are still speaking it today. We also do not know whether that language, which was spoken by the people prior to the confusion at Babel, will be the same language which God will “restore” in the Millennium. However, the reference to the “restoration” of the pure language in Zephaniah 3:9 might indicate this. Also, as God supernaturally confused the language in one instance at the time of the tower of Babel, so it could follow that He will also reverse the process by supernaturally restoring at once the one pure language.

Let us now focus on Zechariah 8:23, which speaks also about the time of the Millennium, and reads:

“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’”

Some feel that this passage might say that at that time—at the beginning of the Millennium–people will still speak their native languages, as they did not yet have any direct contact with God. Compare Isaiah 66:18 which refers to “all nations and tongues” who will come and see God’s glory AFTER Christ’s return. The thought is expressed that the ten men in Zechariah 8:23 are asking a Jew to lead them the way, by using their individual languages, since they had only “heard” that God was with the Jewish people, and it will require some time for all the Gentiles to become converted and learn the pure language.

On the other hand, it could be that all of them were already speaking the new pure language, when meeting the Jew, as men from “every language of the nations” will be able to communicate with that Jewish man, and it is not to be assumed that the Jewish man, barring a miracle from God, would know all their different languages; nor, that all of the ten men “from every language of the nations” would know the language of the Jew. With that understanding, the ten men would be those who belonged to nations that ORIGINALLY spoke with different languages, but their native tongues had been replaced with the new pure language which was also spoken by the Jewish man. 

A similar thought may be expressed in Revelation 21:24, which describes events after the third resurrection, when new spiritual heavens and a new spiritual earth will have been created; when the heavenly Jerusalem will be on the new earth; and when there will be no more mortal men. Still, we read that “the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.”

We give one possible explanation of this passage in our free booklet, “Is That in the Bible? The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation”: 

“Christ, a Spirit being, is still referred to in Scripture as ‘the MAN,’ even in His glorified state (1 Timothy 2:5). One may read that Scripture and misconstrue it to mean that Christ is still a physical Man today. We know, of course, that He is not. With that same rationale, we might look at the passage in Revelation 21:24–26 that speaks of ‘kings’ and ‘nations,’ and conclude that these passages speak of physical human beings. They might, however, only refer to those Spirit beings who WERE, during their physical state of existence, kings or subjects.

“The point being made in Revelation 21 would be then, that regardless of what they had been in their physical life (‘kings’ or ‘nations’), they ALL will enter Jerusalem to worship God. Everyone will come to bring glory and honor to Jerusalem. Even though all of us, as Spirit beings, will be members of the God Family and ‘sons’ of God the Father (Revelation 21:7), we will always remain UNDER God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ—we will always remain His servants (Revelation 22:3), but we will be Spirit beings, of course, no more flesh and bone…”

With that same rationale, we might be able to say that Zechariah 8:23 speaks of people who once had their individual separate languages, before those languages were replaced with the pure language. The passage does not say that they will SPEAK these different languages when they approach the Jewish man—only, that they are people “from every language of the nations.” The thought would be that this passage describes their national and ethnic background.

In any event, we are clearly taught that in the Millennium, a pure universal language will be restored for all mankind. For more information on the conditions in the Millennium and the conversion of the Gentiles, please read chapter 10 of our free booklet “Biblical Prophecy—From Now Until Forever.” 

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

“Ukraine in Prophecy,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Ukraine is in turmoil, with Russia, Europe and the USA all trying to insert their influence. How is it all going to play out? Surprisingly, the Bible has told us thousands of years ago with whom the Ukrainians will ultimately collaborate and fight in war, and who will become their friends and their allies.  Our free booklet, “The Ten European Revivals of the Ancient Roman Empire” gives you further information.

“Die Ukraine in der Prophezeiung,” is the new German AufPostenStehen program which Mr. Link has presented and which convers much of the same information of the English version. These programs highlight information contained in our insightful and timely booklet, “The Ten European Revivals of the Ancient Roman Empire.”

“Hat Gott Humor?,” is the title of this week’s German sermon (Mr. Link will also present the English version this Sabbath). English title: Does God Have Humor? 

Both the sermonette, “Examination and Self-Deception,” and sermon, “Do Good to Those Who Hate You!,” which were delivered by Norbert Link this past Sabbath, have now been posted.

by Cali Harris

I recently watched the film version of Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice. The main character, Elizabeth Bennet, is shown walking along the countryside in several scenes. She enjoys walking. At one point, another character pays Elizabeth a backhanded compliment: “She has nothing, in short, to recommend her, but being an excellent walker.”

I relate to Elizabeth’s character because I love walking. I walk a lot. I walk in the foothills that are outside my front door, and along a creek during my lunch break, and sometimes to and from work. Compared to driving, cycling, or even running, walking is protracted and slow. When I walk, I notice more than I would if I were driving. I notice small—and large—aspects of God’s creation.

Most importantly, though, whenever I walk I can’t help but think of the biblical analogy of “walking with God.” This concept requires that I move forward in a very conscientious and sometimes slow and deliberate way, noticing the small—and large—aspects of my spiritual growth. I hope that like Elizabeth Bennet, one day I will also be considered an excellent walker—only in my case, with God.