On January 25, 2014, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “Lights in the Darkness.”

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.

The act of pledging or setting aside something—a dedication—is what defines the word commitment. So, when we commit ourselves to doing something, we have to follow through, or else we could be considered dishonest and even unreliable.  Once we say yes, we have to do it, unless subsequent circumstances justify a change.  Remember what Christ said: “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’” (Matthew 5:37).

We all may have specific goals in life, but how committed are we in pursuing those goals? If there is something we are striving for and are serious about, do we keep trying or will we give up soon after we have started? There may be a “trial and error” process to find out whether or not we are pursuing God’s Will. Nevertheless, to be successful, we have to work hard and stay committed unless it becomes clear that we are not following God’s lead  (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

As members of God’s Church, we took an important step when we chose to commit ourselves to God’s Way of Life.  It started with our calling, which then led to our baptism. We knew as soon as we made the commitment, that our lives would be changed and that there would be no turning back.  Our lives would become increasingly difficult, yet at the same time we would experience a change—a good change. We were filled with God’s Holy Spirit. We have God’s special protection, and we grow in wisdom and strength, bringing us closer to the fulfillment of God’s master plan.  We don’t need to be afraid, and when we doubt, we can be reassured through His Word: “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

We shouldn’t be afraid of what is going on in this world today, but we must be committed to God’s Way, and we can understand what He promises us. There is a responsibility that we must endure, because in order to live God’s Way of Life, we must fear or respect Him. When we respect God, we fear to break His commandments and to forsake our commitment we have with Him. We became fully committed to the truth when we were baptized.  Because we know these things, we have to ask ourselves: How committed are we still to the truth and God’s Way of life?

Do we sometimes lack in faith?  Do we have faith that God will protect us during the terrible times we will be going through? Will God show us mercy?  When God gives us a command, will we comply or will we complain?  What did Noah and Abraham do? Hebrews 11:6-10, 17-18 gives us the answer. We have to be consistent with what God tells us.  We can’t agree with something that God says and at the same time disagree with something else that God commands us.  We do not want to be lukewarm, as we read about in the third chapter of the Book of Revelation.  An action is required by obeying and following through with God’s Word (compare Hebrews 12:25-29).

Another important decision one may make in life would be the commitment of marriage. However, before marriage, there is a prior commitment in the Western world that one goes through first – an engagement.  The Bible speaks of “betrothal.” The future bride and groom have to be engaged or “betrothed” to one another before they consummate the marriage. Most in this world do not see the similarities between physical marriage and God’s plan for our salvation. 

At the time of baptism, we become spiritually betrothed to Christ. We are not going to receive the gift of everlasting life, unless we receive God’s Holy Spirit first at the time of baptism and follow through with our commitment to God’s Way of Life by obeying Him.  Likewise, as physical engagement or betrothal precede the consummation of our physical marriage, so our spiritual “betrothal” with Christ at the time of our baptism precedes the spiritual consummation of our marriage with Him at the time of His return. Being married and becoming one flesh, as physical human beings, give us a foretaste of what it will be like being married to Christ and, as Spirit beings, becoming one Spirit with Him (Revelation 19:7-9).

Christ is going to marry His Bride, which is the Church, when He returns.  Up until that point, the Bride—betrothed to Him—is making herself ready, as we read in Ephesians 5:25-30.  We can only become perfect and “one” with Him within the Church, within His body (compare John 15:6).

There are ways that commitments can be delayed. Many times, we “can’t get” the things “going” that we plan. There may be valid reasons for that. However, when it comes to the seriousness of God’s Plan, we cannot delay. We cannot be asleep.  We have to stay committed at all times since we don’t know when Christ will return.  We don’t want to be asleep when that happens. The parable of the five wise and the five foolish virgins should come to mind (Matthew 25:1-13).  Do we realize that Christ’s coming may be delayed if God needs to wait for serious repentance of some of us whom God wants to see in His Kingdom (compare 2 Peter 3:7-9)?

We should all realize the importance of our individual commitment with God and with each other.  Christ said to His Church in John 15:12: “This is My commandment, that you love ONE ANOTHER as I have loved you.”

Can we see how two important decisions in our lives correlate with each other? The commitments to our physical and spiritual marriage are life-long agreements. If we want to be in God’s Kingdom, we need to be baptized, receive God’s Holy Spirit and be betrothed to Him, so we can receive everlasting life and consummate our marriage with Him when He returns.  This is perceived as a mystery in this world today, but we in the Church of God have been BLESSED now in receiving this gift of understanding.

We begin this section with reporting on troubling discoveries pertaining to Israel; the declared goal of the Palestinians to launch a diplomatic war against Israel in every conceivable forum; Israel’s fear of a major earthquake; and Iran’s unrelenting power plays.

We are addressing President Obama’s speech about the NSA spying activities and the negative reactions throughout the world; and speak of the controversial execution of an inmate in Ohio.

We are reporting on developments in Ukraine; warmer ties between Russia and Japan; and Japan’s move towards the right.

In other news, the Eurozone continues to solidify; we address Silvio Berlusconi’s possible come-back; unprecedented droughts in Western USA; the terrible curse of abortion; and conclude with the role superstition holds among sports fans.

“The Truth about Israel’s Secret Nuclear Arsenal”

The Guardian wrote on January 15:

“Israel has been stealing nuclear secrets and covertly making bombs since the 1950s. And western governments, including Britain and the US, turn a blind eye. But how can we expect Iran to curb its nuclear ambitions if the Israelis won’t come clean?… Israel managed to assemble an entire underground nuclear arsenal – now estimated at 80 warheads, on a par with India and Pakistan – and even tested a bomb nearly half a century ago, with a minimum of international outcry or even much public awareness of what it was doing.

“Despite the fact that the Israel’s nuclear programme has been an open secret since a disgruntled technician, Mordechai Vanunu, blew the whistle on it in 1986, the official Israeli position is still never to confirm or deny its existence. When the former speaker of the Knesset, Avraham Burg, broke the taboo last month, declaring Israeli possession of both nuclear and chemical weapons and describing the official non-disclosure policy as ‘outdated and childish’ a rightwing group formally called for a police investigation for treason.

“Meanwhile, western governments have played along with the policy of ‘opacity’ by avoiding all mention of the issue. In 2009, when a veteran Washington reporter, Helen Thomas, asked Barack Obama in the first month of his presidency if he knew of any country in the Middle East with nuclear weapons, he dodged the trapdoor by saying only that he did not wish to ‘speculate’.

“UK governments have generally followed suit. Asked in the House of Lords in November about Israeli nuclear weapons, Baroness Warsi answered tangentially. ‘Israel has not declared a nuclear weapons programme. We have regular discussions with the government of Israel on a range of nuclear-related issues,’ the minister said. ‘The government of Israel is in no doubt as to our views. We encourage Israel to become a state party to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty [NPT].’…

“The list of nations that secretly sold Israel the material and expertise to make nuclear warheads, or who turned a blind eye to its theft, include today’s staunchest campaigners against proliferation: the US, France, Germany, Britain and even Norway… Meanwhile, Israeli agents charged with buying fissile material and state-of-the-art technology found their way into some of the most sensitive industrial establishments in the world. This daring and remarkably successful spy ring, known as Lakam, the Hebrew acronym for the innocuous-sounding Science Liaison Bureau, included such colourful figures as Arnon Milchan, a billionaire Hollywood producer behind such hits as Pretty Woman, LA Confidential and 12 Years a Slave, who finally admitted his role last month…

“As more and more evidence of Israel’s weapons programme emerged, the US role progressed from unwitting dupe to reluctant accomplice. In 1968 the CIA director Richard Helms told President Johnson that Israel had indeed managed to build nuclear weapons and that its air force had conducted sorties to practise dropping them… The Johnson White House decided to say nothing, and the decision was formalised at a 1969 meeting between Richard Nixon and Golda Meir, at which the US president agreed to not to pressure Israel into signing the NPT, while the Israeli prime minister agreed her country would not be the first to ‘introduce’ nuclear weapons into the Middle East and not do anything to make their existence public.

“In fact, US involvement went deeper than mere silence. At a meeting in 1976 that has only recently become public knowledge, the CIA deputy director Carl Duckett informed a dozen officials from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission that the agency suspected some of the fissile fuel in Israel’s bombs was weapons-grade uranium stolen under America’s nose from a processing plant in Pennsylvania… The investigation was shelved and no charges were made…

“In the Arab world and beyond, there is growing impatience with the skewed nuclear status quo. Egypt in particular has threatened to walk out of the NPT unless there is progress towards creating a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East. The western powers promised to stage a conference on the proposal in 2012 but it was called off, largely at America’s behest, to reduce the pressure on Israel to attend and declare its nuclear arsenal…”

More and more countries will align themselves against the state of Israel, until it will be completely isolated. See the next article as well.

Diplomatic War Against Israel in Every Conceivable Forum

The Times of Israel wrote on January 17:

“The Palestinian leadership has reportedly decided to reject Secretary of State John Kerry’s proposals for an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal and instead launch a global diplomatic and legal assault on Israel. The Palestinian Authority is currently setting up teams to wage diplomatic war against Israel in ‘every conceivable’ forum, including pushing for boycotts of Israel and seeking legal rulings against Israel via international courts in The Hague, Israel’s Channel 2 news reported Friday night.

“Unless Kerry significantly changes the current formulation of his proposals, the report said, the Palestinians will reject his overtures, confident that much of the international community will consider them to be the injured party and hold Israel responsible for the failure of peace efforts. The Palestinians are furious that Kerry is offering them a state ‘with no borders, no capital, no [control over] border crossings… and without Jerusalem,’ the TV report said, quoting Palestinian sources.

“On Jerusalem, rather than the complete control that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is demanding over all areas of the city captured by Israel in the 1967 war, including the Old City, Kerry is merely offering the Palestinians a capital based in one of the city’s outlying neighborhoods such as Isawiya, Abu Dis (where construction of a Palestinian parliamentary building was begun in 2000), Beit Hanina or Shuafat…

“Palestinian sources told AFP in early January that Abbas rebuffed pressure from Kerry to recognize Israel as a Jewish state… Neither Kerry’s security proposals, nor his evolving framework deal for ongoing talks, have been made public, but leaked details indicate Israel and the Palestinians are at odds over almost all key issues — notably including the status of Jerusalem, Palestinian refugee demands, border demarcations, land-swap arrangements, and security proposals. Current talks are set to end in April…”

Israel in Fear of Major Earthquake

The Times of Israel wrote on January 21:

“With Israel situated in one of the world’s earthquake-prone areas, officials are taking action to protect the Holy Land’s most important ancient treasures so they don’t come tumbling down. After a series of five moderate earthquakes shook the country in October, experts installed a seismic monitoring system at the Tower of David, one of Jerusalem’s most important — and most visible — historical sites…  ‘We have to remember that this is the Holy Land,’ said Avid Shapira, head of a national steering committee for earthquake preparedness… Most of Israel’s historical sites ‘have not been checked,’ said Shapira…

“Israel sits along the friction point of the African and Arabian tectonic plates, and is prone to small tremors… About once a century throughout history, a large earthquake has rattled the region, often damaging key historical sites. The last major quake occurred in 1927.

“The Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third holiest site, was destroyed in an earthquake shortly after it was built in the 8th century and was damaged and repaired multiple times since due to quakes. The 1927 quake, which was over 6 in magnitude, caused hundreds of deaths and damaged Al-Aqsa and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, built on the site where Jesus is believed to have been crucified and buried.

“Israel has been bracing for another major earthquake for years. But those efforts have focused on retrofitting existing schools and hospitals and apartment buildings, and improving standards in new construction. The country is just getting around to surveying its historical sites, and the assessment process has turned out to be sensitive… Political sensitivities have prevented Israeli officials from conducting earthquake-impact assessments on the region’s most revered, most ancient, and likely most vulnerable sites, including the gold-capped Dome of the Rock… In the past, Israeli involvement in the Old City’s ancient buildings has sparked protest from Palestinians who seek sovereignty there in their quest for an independent state…”

According to the Bible, a major earthquake will strike Israel and destroy parts of the city of Jerusalem, killing 7,000 people (Revelation 11:13).

Iran: We Did Not Agree to Dismantle Anything

CNN reported on January 21:

“Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif insisted Wednesday that the Obama administration mischaracterizes concessions by his side in the six-month nuclear deal with Iran, telling CNN in an exclusive interview that ‘we did not agree to dismantle anything’… He repeated that ‘we are not dismantling any centrifuges, we’re not dismantling any equipment, we’re simply not producing, not enriching over 5%.’”

Iran sends Warships to Atlantic Ocean

Breitbart wrote on January 21:

“Iran is sending its first flotilla of warships to the Atlantic Ocean, consisting of a helicopter carrier and a destroyer, and passing through the Mediterranean, the Times of Israel Reports. Rear Admiral Seyyed Mahmoud Moussavi declared that the mission will be peaceful, though Iran also wishes to show its capabilities–and to stake a claim as a Mediterranean power, which it has achieved through its virtual control of Syria and Lebanon. Iran is also planning a naval mission to the Pacific in the weeks ahead…”

Will NSA Spying Continue after Obama’s Speech? Chances Are, It Will…

In this and subsequent articles, we discuss President Obama’s speech regarding the NSA’s spying activities around the world, and the less-than-enthusiastic reactions from allies and foes alike.

“Five Big Takeaways from Obama’s NSA Speech”

The Washington Post wrote on January 17:

“Here are the major changes in U.S. policy on conducting surveillance both at home and abroad…

“1) Obama has declared that U.S. spy agencies will no longer hold Americans’ phone records. As a result, the surveillance program that became the biggest Edward Snowden-related controversy will come to an end, at least as it is constructed now. This major shift will take months if not more to accomplish. In the meantime, President Obama is imposing new limits on the government’s ability to access such data.

“2) Even so, Obama wants to ensure that the government can still access call records when it needs to. How is not yet clear…

“3) Obama has ordered significant new restrictions on spying on close U.S. allies. Heads of states that are friendly with the United States will now be off-limits for electronic surveillance. White House officials said they already stopped collection on ‘dozens’ of such targets. Still, there are loopholes. Obama isn’t making clear who qualifies as a close ally, and the restrictions don’t apply to foreign leaders’ aides.

“4) Obama is calling for the creation of a new panel to serve as public advocates in cases handled by a special surveillance court. Members of the panel would be cleared to appear before a court that has approved massive surveillance programs entirely in secret, with no input from the public or those who would be surveillance targets. Creating the new panel would require action by Congress.

“5) Obama is also promising new privacy protections for foreigners, aiming to assure citizens of countries in Europe and elsewhere that they won’t be swept up in U.S. surveillance unless there is a compelling national security purpose for the United States. The new rules are to be developed in the coming months.”

These “promises” are vague and ambiguous at best…

Obama’s Definition of “Spying”

In an accompanying article, The Washington Post wrote on January 17:

“Obama placed restrictions on access to domestic phone records collected by the National Security Agency, but the changes he announced will allow it to continue — or expand — the collection of personal data from billions of people around the world, Americans and foreign citizens alike… Obama squares that circle with an unusually narrow definition of ‘spying.’ It does not include the ingestion of tens of trillions of records about the telephone calls, e-mails, locations and relationships of people for whom there is no suspicion of relevance to any threat… Obama described principles for ‘restricting the use of this information’ — but not for gathering less of it…

“Obama avoided almost entirely any discussion of overseas intelligence collection that he authorized on his own, under Executive Order 12333, without legislative or judicial supervision… Those operations are sweeping in a large but unknown number of Americans, beginning with the tens of millions who travel and communicate overseas each year… Under the classified rules set forth by the president, the NSA is allowed to presume that any data collected overseas belongs to a foreigner. The ‘minimization rules’ that govern that collection, intended to protect the identities of U.S. citizens and residents, remain classified. The White House and NSA have declined requests to release them…”

Obama Vindicates Snowden

The Huffington Post wrote on January 17:

“In a major speech Friday on the future of the National Security Agency, President Barack Obama announced a series of modest reforms to the way the agency does business. While he was doing so, he also grudgingly acknowledged the secret surveillance programs that former NSA contractor Edward Snowden exposed needed changing… Obama’s remarks were grudging toward Snowden, who fled to Russia after his leaks were made public and has been charged with violating the Espionage Act…

“Snowden’s leaks didn’t just inform the public debate: in a piece on Thursday, The New York Times reported that Obama himself was unaware until Snowden’s disclosures that the NSA was tapping the phones of foreign leaders like German Chancellor Angela Merkel… For Snowden, whose supporters have always maintained that he is a whistleblower motivated by the Constitution’s higher ideals, the speech and the changes it telegraphs will likely come as a major vindication.”

Obama Vindicates NSA

The Guardian wrote on January 17:

“US president Barack Obama forcefully defended the embattled National Security Agency on Friday in a speech that outlined a series of surveillance reforms but stopped well short of demanding an end to the bulk collection of American phone data… Obama made it clear that the databases would continue to exist, effectively rejecting a call from civil libertarians to require the NSA to collect subscriber information from phone companies only when they possess specific suspicion of connection to a terrorist group or other wrongdoing.

“Mounting a forceful defence of the NSA, Obama said: ‘They’re not abusing authorities in order to listen to your private phone calls, or read your emails.’ He did not mention that judges on the secret surveillance court have found NSA has repeatedly and ‘systematically’ overstepped its bounds. ‘We cannot unilaterally disarm our intelligence agencies,’ Obama said.

“Obama’s remarks were bound to give the beleaguered NSA a boost of confidence, while disappointing civil libertarians who wanted to hear Obama more defend the privacy of American citizens more emphatically…

“Obama said that ahead of transitioning the database out of government hands, the NSA will now have to receive approval from the secret surveillance court before searching through the data trove for connections to terrorist groups. Those searches would be restricted to two ‘hops’, meaning that a number ‘reasonably’ suspected can have all the numbers it called and from which it received calls reviewed, and all of those numbers can also have their connections examined… That call fell short of expectations from privacy advocates in and outside of Congress, who want the government collection of Americans’ metadata without specific connections to terrorism, approved by a judge, to stop…

“Obama did not issue new protections for non-Americans abroad, saying instead that he wanted additional privacy protections for foreigners… Obama defended a program, now conducted under Section 702 of the Fisa Amendments Act, that allows the NSA to hold the internet communications of foreigners abroad…

“Much of the substance of Obama’s proposals remain undefined… The lack of clarity places increasing pressure on Congress to ultimately resolve many of the complexities of surveillance – creating effectively a new round of jockeying on Capitol Hill between privacy advocates and the NSA’s allies, who fear losing what Obama described as a valuable tool for determining domestic connections to terrorism…”

All Show and No Substance

Fox News published the following article on January 17:

“Syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer said Friday… that President Obama’s speech on the administration’s review of government surveillance practices was all show and no substance. ‘It was a terrific speech,’ Krauthammer said. ‘It was 90 percent smoke and mirrors, and very little substantive change, which is what we need.’

“Krauthammer went on to say the speech at the Department of Justice was the ‘best use of Obama’s rhetorical powers of dazzling with very little content’ since his first election campaign. ‘He made enough rhetoric…to make it look as if he did something,’ Krauthammer said, adding, ‘But if you look at all the points he mentioned, they are really unimportant in the overall scheme.’”

Obama’s Missed Moment—“He Did Not Even Try!”

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 17:

“The NSA’s massive intelligence gathering apparatus remains largely untouched and in place. That was the gist of US President Barack Obama’s remarks at the Department of Justice on Friday (17.01.2014). To be sure, Obama announced a few helpful measures to increase judicial oversight and restrict access to certain data sets… But the president’s remarks did not address the heart of the matter. Obama does not intend to curb or cut any of the NSA’s myriad of mass surveillance collection programs that sweep up much of the world’s Internet and phone traffic. That means every Internet or phone user is still presumed guilty by default…

“While the minor changes announced by Obama were meant to at least try to assuage Americans worried about government snooping, he did at best make a half-hearted effort to address international concerns about US mass surveillance. Obama’s message to everyone outside the US was essentially what his intelligence services have been saying all along – just trust us that we will use your data responsibly. The only concrete assurance Obama gave was that foreign allied leaders will not be placed under surveillance any longer unless there are compelling national security reasons. Given all that has been revealed by the Snowden disclosures and the damage done specifically to the transatlantic relationship, that is not a good sign for Washington’s international allies.

“Obama, a former constitutional law professor and NSA critic, apparently has made his choice. By leaving the agency’s mass surveillance gathering systems that sweep up as much of our collective digital lives as they can essentially unchanged, he has clearly sided with the intelligence apparatus over citizens’ privacy concerns. The sad thing is that he hasn’t even tried to balance the two.”

Deutsche Welle added on January 18:

“Obama’s speech was mainly addressed to his fellow US citizens, who have proved to be much less upset with the scope of spying conducted by the NSA than people in Europe and Brazil… Obama, who was quick to bring up the ills of the all-encompassing surveillance state in the former East Germany, remained vague in his 40-minute speech while making promises of transparency and judicial oversight. But he did not provide details on how such measures would be implemented. Only the leaders of friendly nations received a promise that their privacy would be respected, which makes Chancellor Angela Merkel the only German who can feel safe from the NSA’s spy programs. But mere promises of transparency and new controls were not enough to restore the German government’s trust in Obama’s administration completely… “

The Local wrote on January 19:

“Norbert Röttgen, head of the Bundestag’s foreign affairs committee and a member of Merkel’s CDU party, said Obama’s comments were ‘technical’ and didn’t respond to ‘the real problem’ of ‘transatlantic divergence’ on matters of security and freedoms. Germany’s confidence in Washington will not be restored unless ‘we sign an accord to protect, in a way that is judicially binding, the data of all citizens,’ German Justice Minister Heiko Maas said in comments run by the Bild am Sonntag newspaper on Sunday.”

Criminal Investigation in Germany Against NSA?

The Local wrote on January 20:

“Parliamentary chairman of the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) Thomas Oppermann said on Monday: ‘A “no spy” treaty must come. Obama’s speech on Friday can only be the beginning. The USA knows that spying for us is a crime. The German justice system will not stand idly by if the efforts of the NSA blithely continue here,’ he told Bild newspaper on Monday.

“Magazine Der Spiegel reported on Monday that the Federal Attorney General, Harald Range, told the country’s Minister of Justice, Heiko Maas, that there were grounds for a criminal investigation into the alleged tapping of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s phone by the US National Security Agency (NSA). And it appears the Minister of Justice, who is authorized to give orders to the Federal Attorney General, would not block an investigation…

“The Berliner Morgenpost wrote: ‘Finally the American President seems to have grasped the extent of the breach of trust caused by the mass spying of his intelligence services… The speech on Friday was, so far, little more than a glimmer of hope.’

“Berlin’s Tagesspiegel [said:]  ‘… Obama has disappointed the expectations of many Germans. That should not surprise us. He is the President of Americans and they think differently and carry on using the, from their perspective, traditional methods, indifferent to outrage abroad.’”

The Guardian wrote on January 17:

“Europeans were largely underwhelmed by Barack Obama’s speech on limited reform of US espionage practices, saying the measures did not go far enough to address concerns over American snooping on its European allies.”

To summarize, the trust in America, its political leadership and its institutions has pretty much gone around the world, and President Obama’s reputation continues to falter. Overall, his speech is being rejected as too little, too late—or, as the Bible might put it, “great swelling words of emptiness.”

Execution of Inmate in Ohio Raises Doubts

The Associated Press reported on January 18:

“Ohio’s latest experience with putting an inmate to death raises new question about the ability of states to carry out executions in constitutional fashion. A gasping, snorting Dennis McGuire took 26 minutes to die after the chemicals began flowing Thursday — the longest execution of the 53 carried out in Ohio since capital punishment resumed 15 years ago, according to an Associated Press analysis… Whether McGuire felt any pain was unclear. His death — unconsciousness, followed by apparent obstructed breathing — followed the prediction of one state expert…

“States are in a bind for two main reasons: European companies have cut off supplies of certain execution drugs because of death-penalty opposition overseas. And states can’t simply switch to other chemicals without triggering legal challenges from defense attorneys…

“Missouri at one point proposed using propofol, the powerful operating room anesthetic infamous for its role in Michael Jackson’s overdose death. But Missouri’s governor backed off for fear the European Union, which opposes the death penalty, would cut off exports to the U.S. and cause a nationwide shortage of propofol. Companies in India and Israel put similar prohibitions on their drugs…”

According to biblical injunctions in the Old Testament, no person could be convicted unless at least two witnesses testified unanimously against the perpetrator. Circumstantial evidence was never sufficient all by itself, and God, as the supreme Judge over ancient Israel, saw to it that there was no miscarriage of justice. Those who strongly support the death penalty today need to realize that it was part and parcel of a system of safeguards and quick execution, while prolonged appeal processes with the declared goal of just delaying the execution were prohibited—as was the kind of execution described in the article above.

Ukraine Is Becoming a Totalitarian State

Deutsche Welle reported on January 17:

“The extensive legislative package the Ukrainian Parliament passed on Thursday (16.01.2014) came as a complete surprise. The laws were waved through without any consultation with advisory boards and after just a single parliamentary reading. The government majority carried out the vote by a show of hands in the parliament and all protest from the opposition was in vain.

“The new law is supposed to make it punishable to spread ‘defamations’ – especially online: The legislation could silence journalists and bloggers if they criticize state officials or politicians. The right to peaceful protests will also be curbed. There might also soon be a Ukrainian equivalent to the recent controversial Russian law which labels non-governmental organizations as ‘foreign agents’ if they receive funding for their projects from outside the country. The legislative package will come into law as soon as the president has signed it.”

The EUObserver added on January 17:

“The German government on Friday (16 January) said controversial Ukrainian laws banning pro-EU protests would have ‘consequences’ for its EU relations… according to Ukrainian media, [the President] already signed [the new law] in secret on Friday. The law is aimed at deterring people from joining the anti-Yanukovych and pro-EU protests which erupted in Kiev last November when he declined an EU pact in favour of a Russian bailout… Germany’s message on Friday was echoed by Sweden’s foreign minister Carl Bildt, who said ‘there can be no business as usual with Kiev.’”

Ukraine will end up aligning closely with Russia against Europe.

Warmer Ties Between Russia and Japan

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 20:

“Japan’s PM Abe has announced he would meet Russian leader Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Sochi Winter Olympics, an indication of the thawing ties between Moscow and Tokyo after decades of disguised distrust. Japan and Russia have yet to sign a peace treaty to conclude World War II, a result of troops from the Soviet Union occupying Sakhalin and a scattered archipelago of islands off northern Japan in the final days of the conflict. But after years of respective governments giving each other the cold shoulder, the relationship has started to grow warmer

“The latest indication of improvement in bilateral ties includes Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe… announcing that he will attend the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games on February 7 in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi. The prime minister has also made it clear that he would like to take the opportunity to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“The Japanese media are strongly behind the meeting, although there have been expressions of concern about the security situation in the region. If the meeting goes ahead, then it would be the fifth time the two leaders have met since Abe took office in December 2012 – a remarkable number given the preceding years of apparent indifference between Russian and Japanese leaders.

“President Putin returned the positive message in a slightly different manner by declining to criticize Abe for visiting Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine in December. Visits to the shrine by Japanese leaders draw criticism from countries that were occupied by Japan in the early decades of the last century as it is considered a place to honor the souls of Japanese who died in war, including a number of Class-A war criminals…

“‘The warmth has been coming back into Russia-Japan ties for the last couple of years, but it is getting even stronger now,’ Go Ito, a professor of international relations at Tokyo’s Meiji University, told DW. He added that Putin has been positive towards improving ties with Japan, as he doesn’t want the Russian economy to become overly reliant on China for oil and natural gas exports,’ he said…

“Moving beyond cooperation in trade and energy, the Japanese government has hinted that it is considering revising a memorandum on defense exchanges with Moscow to expand areas of possible cooperation, including reciprocal visits by defense ministers and joint military exercises. The new agreement could be in place this autumn…

“Yet another advantage of warmer ties between Russia and Japan – and one that Tokyo is particularly keen on, given recent tensions in the Asia-Pacific region – would be closer commitments in the areas of security and defense.”

The Bible indicates that countries such as Russia, China and Japan will build strong military ties against Europe. See also the next article.

Japan Moves in Far-Right Direction

Asia One wrote on January 20:

“A longtime no-war pledge has disappeared from Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party’s annual working policy revealed on Sunday, while the ruling party vowed to continue visits to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine and push ahead constitutional revision, in another move leading the country in a far-right direction, observers said.

“At its 81st LDP annual convention in Tokyo, the party removed the pledge that Japan would “never wage a war”, China Central Television reported on Sunday. In another change from last year’s policy, the party added a phrase saying it will ‘bolster veneration for the war dead’ – referring to continued shrine visits – and also made clear it will amend the country’s constitution. The changes show that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is also the party chief, will intensify efforts step by step to push Japan further into animosity with neighbouring countries, analysts said.”

Eurozone Political Heart of Europe

The EUObserver wrote on January 22:

“Poland wants to join the eurozone because it is the political heart of the European Union, its foreign minister, Radek Sikorski, has said, with the country looking to enter the single currency by 2020… ‘Our judgement is that in the next decade the real European union will be inside the eurozone. And we want to be part of that.’”

Serbia Wants to Join the EU

The EUObserver wrote on January 21:

“It was on the UN sanctions list and bombed by Nato in the 1990s Balkan wars, but Serbia on Tuesday (21 January) officially started EU membership talks at a ceremony in Brussels. It will take several years of talks before it can join. But the Serbian Prime Minister, Ivica Dacic, who flew in to the EU capital, described the event as the ‘most important moment for Serbia since the end of World War II.’ He said his country is now seen for what it wants to be – an EU member state – instead of people focusing on its role in past conflicts.”

Come-Back of Berlusconi?

BBC News reported on January 19:

“Italy’s controversial ex-PM Silvio Berlusconi has returned to the centre of the political stage, striking a reform deal with a centre-left rival. Berlusconi was thrown out of parliament in 2013 after a tax fraud conviction. But he still heads the opposition Forza Italia party and held lengthy talks with Democratic Party (PD) leader Matteo Renzi late on Saturday.

“Under their agreement, he will back electoral and constitutional proposals aimed at making Italy more governable. The current electoral system has left Italy with a series of shaky coalitions… After the talks Berlusconi said the deal would ‘consolidate the biggest parties and simplify the political system’…

“Silvio Berlusconi is keen to make a political comeback despite his fraud conviction and a separate conviction for paying an underage prostitute for sex. He is appealing against a seven-year jail term. Much wrangling is expected in parliament over the reform proposals, with smaller parties hostile to changes likely to diminish their role in future governments.”

Italy will play a major role within the final resurrection of the ancient Roman Empire. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Ten European Revivals of the Ancient Roman Empire.”

Benedict Defrocked 400 Priests for Molesting Children

The Associated Press reported on January 17:

“A document obtained by The Associated Press shows Pope Benedict XVI defrocked nearly 400 priests over just two years for molesting children… The document was prepared from data the Vatican had been collecting to help the Holy See defend itself before a U.N. committee this week in Geneva.”

Pope Pleads for Unity of all Christian Churches

Zenit wrote on January 22:

“Pope Francis… said that while certainly Christ was not divided, sadly Christian communities continue to live divided. ‘The divisions among us Christians are a scandal. There is no other word: a scandal,’ he said… Christ’s name creates communion and unity, not division! He has come to make communion among us, not to divide us. Baptism and the Cross are central elements of Christian discipleship which we have in common. Divisions, instead, weaken credibility and the effectiveness of our commitment to evangelization… Let us go forward on this path, praying for the unity of Christians, so that this scandal may cease and be no longer with us…’”

The Bible predicts that most “Christian” denominations and organizations will return to the Roman Catholic Church as  their “mother church.”

Unprecedented Droughts in Western USA

The New York Times wrote on January 5:

“The sinuous Colorado River and its slew of man-made reservoirs from the Rockies to southern Arizona are being sapped by 14 years of drought nearly unrivaled in 1,250 years… many experts believe the current drought is only the harbinger of a new, drier era in which the Colorado’s flow will be substantially and permanently diminished. Faced with the shortage, federal authorities this year will for the first time decrease the amount of water that flows into Lake Mead, the nation’s largest reservoir, from Lake Powell 180 miles upstream.

“That will reduce even more the level of Lake Mead, a crucial source of water for cities from Las Vegas to Los Angeles and for millions of acres of farmland. Reclamation officials say there is a 50-50 chance that by 2015, Lake Mead’s water will be rationed to states downstream. That, too, has never happened before… Should Mead continue to fall, Arizona would lose more than half of its Colorado River… The Southern California region using Colorado water is expected to add six million people to the existing 19 million in the next 45 years, and its other water source — the Sierra Nevada to the north — is suffering the same drought and climate problems as the Colorado basin…”

NBC wrote on January 17:

“Gov. Jerry Brown declared a drought emergency Friday for California after weeks of intensifying pressure from lawmakers to take action as the state’s water reservoir levels remain strained with no rain in the forecast. The declaration comes during one of the driest winters on record in California, following two dry years that already have left many reservoirs depleted. The state is facing ‘perhaps the worst drought that California has ever seen’ since records began, Brown said during the Friday morning announcement…

“The U.S. Drought Monitor has reported extreme drought conditions in central and northern California, and there has been little snowfall so far this winter. Precipitation in most of the state is less than 20 percent of normal, and reservoirs are dwindling. Forecasts suggest the dry spell could continue, exacerbating the already heightened fire danger.

“California is on pace for the driest January on record. The all-time low rainfall record in January occurred in 1984, when just 0.3 inches of rain fell across California.”

The website of cbslocal.com wrote on January 22:

“In California, 2013 was a record-setting year because of the lack of rainfall. A professor at UC Berkeley warns this time could go into the record books as the driest in centuries… Dried up creek beds along with golden hills that look like its August instead of January could become our typical landscape, if history repeats itself… A study about tree rings led her to predict that we could be in for the driest winter in 500 years. Narrow tree rings indicate little or no water for growth, just like people saw in the 1500s…

“Some droughts, like one in the Middle Ages, lasted more than a century…”

The Bible predicted that in these end times, the modern descendants of the ancient house of Israel—especially the USA—will be plagued with prolonged droughts. We read in Deuteronomy 28:23-24: “And your heavens which are over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is under you shall be iron. The LORD will change the rain of your land to powder and dust; from the heaven it shall come down on you until you are destroyed.”

The Curse of Abortion

Life News wrote on January 21:

“I thought of the more than 55,000,000 lives that have been [aborted] in the U.S. since 1973, and I became overwhelmed at the tragedy. Tragedy for the babies, their mothers, their fathers, families, and us… 40 years ago today, seven men on the Supreme Court decided in favor of a case presented to them from a 27 year-old, unknown, post-abortive lawyer, Sarah Weddington. That case was Roe v. Wade and, along with its companion Doe v. Bolton, it legalized abortion in all 9 months of pregnancy, for any reason, in the United States.

“Today, this 27 year-old is writing to you as a survivor of that decision. The undeniable fact is that nearly a third of my generation is missing. We are missing brothers, sisters, cousins, friends, husbands and wives. You see, Miss Weddington’s generation got it wrong. In attempting to correct gender inequality in the workplace and in our society, they set into motion the ultimate act of discrimination – abortion. Instead of glorifying motherhood, they pitted the mother against her child, creating an endless cycle of selfishness, pain, and deceit.”

In ancient times, idol worshippers killed and sacrificed their children to their terrible “gods,” by throwing them into the fire. Today, we are killing and sacrificing our unborn children to our self-made modern idols, by butchering them in the mother’s womb. You might want to listen to our shocking StandingWatch program, “Why Abortion Is Murder in God’s Eyes.” 

Francis vs. Obama on Abortion

Breitbart wrote on January 22:

“On Wednesday, Pope Francis sent out a tweet supporting the pro-life marchers and offering his prayers: ‘I join the March for Life in Washington with my prayers. May God help us respect all life, especially the most vulnerable,’ he tweeted.

“On a day set aside to mourn the sadness, hardship, and pain associated with abortion, President Obama praised Roe v Wade as a great moment in history for women…”

Superstition Among Sports Fans

The Washington Post wrote on January 21:

“50 percent of sports fans see some aspect of the supernatural at play in sports, meaning they either pray to God to help their team, have thought their team was cursed at some point in time, or believe that God plays a role in determining the outcome of sporting events… A fervent 26 percent of the respondents say they have prayed that ‘for God to help their team’, while an equal number have entertained the notion that their team was ‘cursed.’…

“Football fans are also more likely than other fans to say they pray for their team (33 percent ), perform pre-game or game-time rituals (25 percent), or to believe that their team has been cursed (31 percent). White evangelical Protestants (38 percent), white mainline Protestant (33 percent) and minority Protestant (29 percent) sports fans are considerably more likely than Catholic (21 percent) or religiously unaffiliated (15 percent) fans to say they have prayed for their team, the survey found. Twenty one percent have either a special ritual or a lucky item of clothing they associated with a big game…”

In certain Islamic countries, thieves and others are maimed, by cutting off their hand. Was such a procedure ever condoned or even enjoined in the Bible, under any circumstances? The passage in Deuteronomy 25:11-12 states:

“If two men fight together, and the wife of one draws near to rescue her husband from the hand of the one attacking him, and puts out her hand and seizes him by the genitals, then you shall cut off her hand; your eye shall not pity her.”

Was this command to be applied literally?

In a previous Q&A, we explained the meaning of the “lex talionis” in the Old Testament—the “eye for an eye” and “a tooth for a tooth” principle.

We pointed out the following:

“The ‘an eye for an eye’ principle is commonly known as the ‘lex talionis,’ which is Latin for the ‘law of retaliation.’ It is mentioned in the Old Testament in Exodus 21:23-27; Leviticus 24:18-20; and Deuteronomy 19:21. Rather than requiring the literal maiming of a guilty person, this law has been correctly understood as requiring equivalent monetary compensation. The law made it also clear that victims were to be compensated fairly, as determined by judges and magistrates. Victims were not to resort to ‘self-help.’

“… the Church of God has taught consistently that the ‘an eye for an eye principle’ was not meant to be applied literally in the sense of maiming a person…”

In that Q&A, we cited numerous commentaries and Scriptural evidence for this conclusion. In addition, Friedman, Commentary on the Torah, explains on pages 400-401 (in discussing Leviticus 24:20): “… the earliest postbiblical Jewish sources already understood ‘an eye for an eye’ to mean monetary, and not literal, compensation.”

To include another statement, which we did not quote in the above-mentioned Q&A, Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible explains, in discussing Leviticus 24:19:

“‘And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour’…. Does him any hurt or mischief, causes any mutilation or deformity in him by striking him: ‘as he hath done, so shall it be done unto him’: not that a like damage or hurt should be done to him, but that he should make satisfaction for it in a pecuniary way; pay for the cure of him, and for loss of time, and in consideration of the pain he has endured, and the shame or disgrace brought on him by the deformity or mutilation, or for whatever loss he may sustain thereby…”

With this background, let us review the passage in Deuteronomy 25:11-12. Was this command of cutting off the woman’s hand to be carried out literally?

Some commentaries think so.

For instance, Barnes’ Notes on the Bible writes:

“This is the only mutilation prescribed by the Law of Moses, unless we except the retaliation prescribed as a punishment for the infliction on another of bodily injuries (Leviticus 24:19-20). The act in question was probably not rare in the times and countries for which the Law of Moses was designed. It is of course to be understood that the act was willful, and that the prescribed punishment would be inflicted according to the sentence of the judges.”

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible also allows for the literal application of this command, stating:

“‘Then thou shall cut off her hand’… Which was to be done not by the man that strove with her husband, or by any bystander, but by the civil magistrate or his order. This severity was used to deter women from such an immodest as well as injurious action… though the Jewish writers interpret this not of actual cutting off the hand, but of paying a valuable consideration, a price put upon it… and Aben Ezra compares it with the law of retaliation, ‘eye for eye’, Exodus 21:24… and who adds, if she does not redeem her hand (i.e. by a price) it must be cut off:

“‘thine eye shall not pity her’; on account of the tenderness of her sex, or because of the plausible excuse that might be made for her action, being done hastily and in a passion, and out of affection to her husband; but these considerations were to have no place with the magistrate, who was to order the punishment inflicted, either in the strict literal sense, or by paying a sum of money.”

Other commentaries reject the view of requiring or even allowing a literal application of this command. The Soncino commentary states:

“The interpretation is that she has to pay monetary compensation for the shame she caused the man…Even if she be poor she must pay the fine.”

This has to be the right view. Since the “an eye for an eye” principle has been correctly understood as referring to monetary compensation, it would make little sense to inflict the punishment of maiming a woman for her immodest conduct in the heat of passion, while coming to the defense of her husband. This conclusion is even more compelling when considering the fact that Jesus used similar wording in the New Testament. He spoke of cutting off our hand which tempts us to sin, but He never meant this to be understood literally.

In the afore-mentioned Q&A, we explained this as follows:

“In the New Testament, Jesus Christ sometimes used figures of speech to stress a point, but He did not mean a literal application in those cases. For instance, He said in Matthew 5:29-30: ‘If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you… And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you…’ Christ did not mean, of course, to apply this literally; rather, as the Lamsa Bible explains, these are Aramaic idioms, meaning that we are to stop envying [with our eyes] or stealing [with our hands]…

“Jamieson, Fausset and Brown clarify in their Commentary on the Whole Bible, that Jesus was not stating, in any way, that under Old Testament Law, offenders had to be maimed. Christ was addressing quite a different issue: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth,’ i.e., whatever penalty was regarded as a proper equivalent for these. This law of retribution–designed to take vengeance out of the hands of a private person, and commit it to the magistrate–was abused in the opposite way… [justifying in the minds of the people] a warrant for taking redress into their own hands, contrary to the injunctions of the Old Testament… (Prov. 20:22).’”

Jesus used similar wording in Matthew 18:6-9 and in Mark 9:42-48. In each case, He insists that we must refrain from using our hands for the purpose of sinning. Rather, we are told in James 4:8 that sinners must cleanse their hands. Paul explains in Romans 6:13: “And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.”

In Old Testament times, when dealing with carnal and unconverted people, a woman, seizing another man with her hand by his private parts (Living Bible: “grabbing the testicles of the other man”; New Revised Standard Version and Revised English Bible: “seizing his genitals”), had to be fined to impress on her the need to refrain from using her hand in such an inappropriate way. Her hand was to be “cut off” figuratively, not literally; and compensation had to be paid for the misuse of her hand towards a member of the other man’s body which was to be treated with respect (compare the principle in 1 Corinthians 12:23).

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

The final text for our new booklet, “Hidden Secrets in the Bible,” has been forwarded to graphic artist Shelly Bruno. We anticipate printing and distribution to occur within the next few weeks.

“The Pagan Origin of Valentine’s Day,” is the title of a StandingWatch Program presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Some claim that Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14 to commemorate the anniversary of the violent deaths of Christian martyrs. The true origin goes back to the Roman fertility feast of Lupercalia, the “Wolf Festival,” in honor of pagan gods such as Lupercus or Pan, the god of shepherds, and ultimately the worship of biblical idols such as the sun god Baal.

“Wahrer Ursprung des Valentinstages,” is the new AufPostenStehen Program. It covers the same subject material as the English version mentioned above.

“Josia–ein Gerechter Jüdischer König,” is the title of this week’s German sermon, and it is based on the English sermon, “Josiah-A Righteous King of Judah,” also given by Norbert Link (January 11, 2014). Here is a summary of the English sermon:

Following David and Solomon, most kings of Israel and Judah were evil in the sight of God. Not one king from the house of Israel lived up to God’s standards, and only very few kings from the house of Judah did. One shining example was righteous King Josiah, and it is worthwhile to study his life for encouragement and inspiration. Josiah abandoned pagan worship and restored the true worship of God. He was willing to obey God, but his life ended prematurely due to a wrong decision.

by Dawn Thompson

I thought that throughout my life I had a practicing understanding of “the golden rule” until the other day. A friend made a comment to me that I allowed to hurt my feelings, even though it was not the intent. I wondered why that comment at that time had such a devastating effect on me. After pondering about it for quite a while, I realized the reason was because I had made that same comment to someone else, on several occasions.

In August of 2012, during a time of growth and change in my life, I had similar sensations of hurt feelings, but for some reason that particular instance caught my attention fully and brought to remembrance the times I had not been so kind with my words and attitude. It reminded me that I need to be continually aware of the words that I speak and the attitude with which I speak them. I know that I need to pray continually and build Godly love and character toward everyone, regardless of my history with that person, so to live more fully the golden rule.

On January 18, 2014, Dave Harris will give the sermon titled, “The Power of Truth.”

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.

Growing up, I remember learning the “golden rule” from my parents, which is based on the Bible:  “… whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them…” (Matthew 7:12). These words uttered by Jesus Christ Himself were, as He stated, the very essence of what was taught by “the Law and the Prophets.”

Christians should use this Scripture as a catalyst. In our daily lives, we should be actively looking out for the welfare of others—in our thoughts, in what we say and how we treat each other. When we scratch, bite and claw each other, we will be devoured, as it says in Galatians 5:15.

And yet, we have a continuing command to show the love to others that God shows to us (compare verse 14).  It is not a self-serving kind of love that God shows, but is an all-encompassing love that does no harm to others.

How do we respond when wrong is done to us? Ecclesiastes 7:21-22 and Matthew 5:38-44 give us valuable direction. Life is full of situations when people in the world are going to use and abuse us. They are going to say mean things. They will try and get at us. But if we pay back in kind, then we are no better then they, and our Christianity becomes meaningless. 

Are we asking ourselves: How important am I? How important are my emotions, my well-being, my self? Do we see how easy it is to fall into these traps of self-deceit, self-aggrandizement and self-centeredness? This is how Satan fell. The deception of pride crept into his heart. It rooted out ALL godliness. It became the very contradiction to God’s Way of Life.

Claiming to be a “Christian” does not mean that we are Christians, as 1 John 2:9-11,15-17 states so powerfully. So instead of engaging in deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness, we should instead be taking the extra care and diligence that is required to be focused on others. Philippians 2:1-5 says (in the New International Version): “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than [above] yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude [mindset] should be the same as that of Christ Jesus…”

Being a Christian demands action. It takes care and concern. It takes using the “golden rule” in our lives so that others around us can see that we live by what we say. And in turn they (in time) will perhaps learn to glorify God. There is no passing the buck when applying this rule. It is our individual duty that each one of us apply it in our lives for the benefit of others.

We begin reporting about interesting developments regarding European political unification and the ongoing scandal pertaining to sex abuses within the Catholic Church and apparent cover-up attempts by the Vatican, as well as the documented desire of the Pope to please liberals and conservatives alike, while increasing his own support base in the Vatican and beyond.

We continue with examples as to how the US government wastes the tax money of American citizens; that arrangements have been made with Mexican drug cartels; that the Obama Administration could have prevented the attack on Benghazi; how widespread the Target data breach has become; and we report on Germany’s anger about America’s unwillingness to rule in the NSA. We also shed some light on the shocking statistic of “fatalities” of innocent civilians through American drone attacks.

We point out Iran’s blatant defiance of their Geneva agreement with the USA and other world powers; report on Ariel Sharon’s death and the homosexual life style in Tel Aviv—the “bastion of secularism”; speak about an explosive archeological find in territories claimed by the Palestinian Authority; quote Palestinian leader Abba’s refusal to recognize Israel; and conclude with a report on mysterious massive extinction of fish in Nevada.

“We Want a United States of Europe!”

The Telegraph wrote on January 11:

“A campaign for the European Union to become a ‘United States of Europe’ will be the ‘best weapon against the Eurosceptics’, one of Brussels’ most senior officials has said. Viviane Reding, vice president of the European Commission and the longest serving Brussels commissioner, has called for ‘a true political union’ to be put on the agenda for EU elections this spring. ‘We need to build a United States of Europe with the Commission as government and two chambers – the European Parliament and a “Senate” of Member States,’ she said.

“Mrs Reding’s vision, which is shared by many in the European institutions, would transform the EU into [a] superstate relegating national governments and parliaments to a minor political role equivalent to that played by local councils in Britain. Under her plan, the commission would have supremacy over governments and MEPs in the European Parliament would supersede the sovereignty of MPs in the House of Commons. National leaders, meeting as the European Council, would be reduced to consultative, second chamber role similar to the House of Lords…

“Mrs Reding’s comments illustrate the growing gulf between a Europe committed to ‘ever closer union’ and Britain, which is pushing to reduce the EU’s powers… While Britain may have been written off, concern is mounting because hostility has reached unprecedented levels across continental Europe and anti-EU parties are leading the polls in France, the Netherlands and Greece. Senior EU figures, such as Mrs Reding, want the European elections in May to move beyond debates over eurozone austerity by embracing a grand vision of Europe. ‘This debate is moving into the decisive phase now. In a little more than four months’ time, citizens across Europe will be able to choose the Europe they want to live in,’ she said…

“Speaking in Athens, José Manuel Barroso, the commission president, signalled that the EU would use the centenary of World War One to warn that Euroscepticism, far-Right and populist anti-European parties could bring war back to Europe…[He said:] ‘It is especially important to recall this as we will commemorate this year the start of the First World War. We must never take peace, democracy or freedom for granted. It is also especially important to remind this as in May the peoples of Europe will be called to participate in European elections.’”

The Bible shows that Europe will unite—including politically and militarily—under German leadership.

Germany Has Been Wanting a United Europe

On January 15, 2014, the International Herald Tribune published an article from January 15, 1964:

“West German Chancellor Ludwig Erhard called today [Jan. 15] for a united Europe with British participation. Mr. Erhard, who arrived for a two-day official visit, made his appeal in a speech at a Mansion House banquet given in his honor by the Lord Mayor of London. ‘Europe will remain a torso unless it is joined by Great Britain,’ he told the gathering of British and German leaders. Mr. Erhard was greeted in London by Prime Minister Sir Alec Douglas-Home. In his speech, Mr. Erhard said Germany has proposed ‘a new Initiative’ to prevent Europe from being strangled by technocrats. The Chancellor, in contrast to French President Charles de Gaulle, called for an outward- looking Europe. ‘The Atlantic partnership is indispensable if we are to survive in this world of tension,’ he said. ‘If Europe is to play a decisive role in world politics and make its influence felt, this also means that it has to be a united Europe, a community of free equals.’”

UK Threatens Again with European Exit

The Guardian wrote on January 14:

“George Osborn will today deliver a stark warning to Britain’s European partners that the UK will leave the EU unless it embarks on whole-scale economic and political reform. The chancellor’s comments come as the Tory leadership tries to regain the initiative on Europe, after 95 MPs signed a letter calling for the dismantling of the core principles of the EU… Tory backbencher Bernard Jenkin won the support of about 100 MPs for a letter to David Cameron calling for the British parliament to be given a veto over all EU laws.

“Such a move would dismantle the rules of the European single market…  Osborne will make clear that Cameron will push for wide-ranging reforms if he wins the general election next year with a mandate to renegotiate the terms of British membership.”

Deutsche Welle added on January 15:

“Osborne once again went as far as to say that Britain might be forced to leave the European Union, should the rights and interests of EU members currently not in the single-currency be neglected… His renewed EU exit threats came as Osborne remained under pressure from the euroskeptic wing of his Conservative Party, with Prime Minister David Cameron having promised to hold a referendum on EU membership by 2017, should he be re-elected next year.”

Soon, the wish of the UK will become true, and they will leave or be excluded from the unification of the core nations of Europe.

New European No-Spying Pact?

The Local wrote January 16:

“Germany has hosted confidential EU talks for months to forge a ‘no-spying’ pact among its member states, a drive opposed especially by Britain, a newspaper reported on Wednesday.  The Süddeutsche Zeitung report came two days after the newspaper said that similar US-German talks were seen close to failure, sparking denials from both Berlin and Washington…

“In the aftermath of the Snowden revelations, Germany ‘is negotiating with the EU member states a European anti-espionage agreement,’ the Süddeutsche and public broadcaster NDR reported. Such a pact had been discussed confidentially for months in Berlin and would commit the countries of the 28-nation bloc ‘to refrain from mutual espionage’, both political and economic, the daily said.”

How to Make German Military an “Attractive Employer”

The Associated Press reported on January 12:

“Germany’s new defense minister is pledging to make the country’s military more attractive for people with young families as the all-professional force seeks recruits. Ursula von der Leyen, a mother of seven, became Germany’s first female defense minister last month — inheriting an ongoing military overhaul after Germany abandoned conscription in 2011.

“Von der Leyen said in an interview with Sunday’s Bild am Sonntag newspaper that ‘reconciling service and family’ is the key issue in efforts to make the Bundeswehr an attractive employer. She said she will review its practice of regularly moving service-people, suggested it could explore part-time options and added the military needs ‘a flexible childcare system.’”

Germany’s military is destined to become very powerful.

Vatican Claims Diplomatic Immunity for Alleged High-Ranking Sex Offender

The Associated Press reported on January 11:

“The Vatican has told Polish prosecutors that its former ambassador to the Dominican Republic, under investigation for alleged sex abuse, is covered by diplomatic immunity and that the Vatican doesn’t extradite its citizens, Polish officials said in the latest development in an embarrassing case for the Holy See.

“Polish Archbishop Josef Wesolowski is the highest-ranking Vatican official to be investigated for alleged sex abuse, and his case has raised questions about whether the Vatican, by removing him from Dominican jurisdiction, was protecting him and placing its own investigations ahead of that of authorities in the Caribbean nation.

“The Holy See recalled Wesolowski on Aug. 21 and relieved him of his job after the archbishop of Santo Domingo, Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez, told Pope Francis in July about rumors that Wesolowski had sexually abused teenage boys in the Dominican Republic. Dominican authorities subsequently opened an investigation, but haven’t charged him. Poland, too, has opened an investigation into Wesolowski and a friend and fellow Polish priest…

“That two Vatican entities are investigating Wesolowski suggests that he has remained inside the Vatican ever since his recall. The Vatican has refused to say where he is, provide information about whether he has a lawyer or how he has responded to the accusations.

“The case is particularly problematic for the Vatican since Wesolowski was a representative of the pope, accused of grave crimes that the Holy See has previously sought to distance itself from by blaming the worldwide sex abuse scandal on wayward priests and their bishops who failed to discipline them. The Wesolowski case is also delicate because he was both ordained a priest and bishop by his Polish countryman, Pope John Paul II, who will be made a saint in April.”

The Catholic Church under its new Pope is by no means turning into an organization which will show much transparency. One is reminded of President Obama’s promises to run a transparent government, while the facts are that his administration has become one of the least transparent US administrations of all times.

Pope Francis Pleases Conservatives!

Newsmax wrote on January 13:

“Pope Francis, whom conservatives in the Roman Catholic Church have accused of not speaking out forcefully enough against abortion, on Monday called the practice ‘horrific’. The pope made his toughest remarks to date on abortion in his yearly address to diplomats accredited to the Vatican, a speech known as his ‘State of the World’ address. ‘It is horrific even to think that there are children, victims of abortion, who will never see the light of day,’ he said in a section of the speech about the rights of children around the world.

“Since his election in March, the pope, while showing no signs of changing the Church’s position against abortion, has not spoken out against it as sternly or as repeatedly as his predecessors Pope Benedict XVI and the late John Paul II. Both of those popes often delivered sermons against abortion, which the Church considers murder.

“Conservatives in the Church were alarmed when Francis, in a landmark interview in September with the Italian Jesuit magazine Civilta Cattolica, said the Church must shake off an ‘obsession’ with teachings on abortion, contraception and homosexuality. His stance favoring mercy over condemnation has disoriented conservative Catholics, notably in rich countries such as the United States, where the Catholic Church has become polarized on issues such as abortion.

“Last year, Bishop Thomas J. Tobin of Providence, Rhode Island, spoke for many conservative Catholics when he said he was disappointed that the pope had not addressed ‘the evil of abortion’ more directly. Conservative Catholic websites have criticized the pope in the past months for what they called his silence on abortion.”

Pope Francis is anxious to please all sides. Note the next article.

Pope Francis Pleases Liberals

The New York Times wrote on January 13:

“Francis is steadily replacing traditionalists with moderates… Cardinal Raymond L. Burke, one of the highest-ranking Americans in the Vatican, found his influence diluted. Another conservative, Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, was demoted. Among the bishops, Archbishop Guido Pozzo was sidelined. To some degree, Francis, 77, is simply bringing in his own team…

“Interviews with cardinals, bishops, priests, Vatican officials, Italian politicians, diplomats and analysts indicate that the mood inside the Vatican ranges from adulation to uncertainty to deep anxiety, even a touch of paranoia. Several people say they fear Francis is going department by department looking for heads to roll. Others whisper about six mysterious Jesuit spies who act as the pope’s eyes and ears on the Vatican grounds. Mostly, once-powerful officials feel out of the loop…

“Francis remains tricky to define, a doctrinal conservative whose humble style and symbolic gestures have thrilled many liberals.”

The true colors of Pope Francis will be revealed very soon.

Kerry Asks Vatican For Help

JTA wrote on January 14:

“U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry asked the Vatican to intercede in helping free American-Jewish contractor Alan Gross from a Cuban jail. Kerry said in a meeting Tuesday with the Vatican’s secretary of state, Archbishop Pietro Parolin, they discussed Cuba and the need for respect for freedom of religion and human rights in the island nation. ‘I raised the issue of Alan Gross and his captivity, and we hope very much that they might be able to be of assistance with respect to that issue,’ Kerry told reporters following the meeting…

“Kerry is the first Catholic U.S. secretary of state in more than 30 years, according to Reuters. He and Parolin in their meeting also discussed such issues as Syria, Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations and global poverty.”

World politicians will turn more and more towards the Vatican for help.

How the US Government Wastes Our Money…

Engadget wrote on January 8:

“The International Space Station just got another lease on life. The White House has approved funding that would keep the floating lab running until ‘at least’ 2024, as long as other countries also chip in.

“The additional funding should help both general science research as well as the human endurance studies that NASA needs for voyages to asteroids and Mars. The extension is primarily good news for those who want a long-term human presence in space; it’s the second extension past the original 2015 decommissioning timeframe…”

While the poor in this country increase and unemployment benefits and disability payments are being withheld, money is being pilfered to explore space—in the vain attempt to find life out there to “prove” the ungodly concept of the evolution hypostasis.

House Passes Spending Bill Without Reading It

Breitbart wrote on January 15:
“On Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed the 1,582 page omnibus spending bill worth more than a trillion dollars of spending to accompany the recently-passed budget deal. The deal came up for the vote in the House less than two full days after it was introduced Monday evening, meaning that many of the members who voted for it likely did not read it. The vote overwhelmingly passed the House with a total vote count of 359-67. Only three Democrats – Reps. Rush Holt (D-NJ), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), and Mike McIntyre (D-NC) – voted against it, while 64 Republicans did the same… this bill was conceived in a flawed process, which exemplifies dysfunctional Washington. This massive 1,582 page bill was written behind closed doors. There was no open debate. No amendments were allowed…”
The Los Angeles Times added on January 16:

“Congress gave final approval Thursday to a $1-trillion spending bill, but not without a last-minute standoff in the Senate by tea party Republicans who opposed the measure. Conservative Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) kept senators in suspense throughout the afternoon as he considered his options for blocking the bipartisan measure, which was overwhelmingly approved Tuesday by the House. Eventually, the tea party opponents lost their fight and the measure was approved on a lopsided vote, 72-26.

“Seventeen Republicans voted in favor and 26 opposed. All Democrats and independents voted in favor. President Obama is expected to quickly sign the bill into law before Saturday’s midnight deadline when funding for federal operations runs out… Budget issues continue to divide Republicans. The party’s top leaders in the Senate, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, voted against the measure, as did the GOP’s potential presidential hopefuls, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.).”

US Government “Arrangements” with Mexican Drug Cartel

Business Insider wrote on January 13:

“An investigation… found that between the years 2000 and 2012, the U.S. government had an arrangement with Mexico’s Sinaloa drug cartel that allowed the organization to smuggle billions of dollars of drugs while Sinaloa provided information on rival cartels. Sinaloa, led by Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman, supplies 80% of the drugs entering the Chicago area and has a presence in cities across the U.S. There have long been allegations that Guzman, considered to be ‘the world’s most powerful drug trafficker,’ coordinates with American authorities.

“But the El Universal investigation is the first to publish court documents that include corroborating testimony from a DEA agent and a Justice Department official… ‘The DEA agents met with members of the cartel in Mexico to obtain information about their rivals and simultaneously built a network of informants who sign drug cooperation agreements, subject to results, to enable them to obtain future benefits, including cancellation of charges in the U.S.’ reports El Universal, which also interviewed more than one hundred active and retired police officers as well as prisoners and experts.”

Nothing new under the sun… but still shocking to be reminded of such activities…

Murder of Four Americans in Benghazi Could Have Been Prevented

The New York Times wrote on January 15:

“A stinging report by the Senate Intelligence Committee released Wednesday concluded that the attacks 16 months ago that killed four Americans in Benghazi, Libya, could have been prevented, and blames both American diplomats and the C.I.A. for poor communication and lax security during the weeks leading up to the deadly episode.

“The report is broadly consistent with the findings of previous inquiries into the September 2012 attacks, which has become the subject of a fiercely partisan debate, with Republicans charging that Obama administration officials made misleading statements about connections between the attackers and Al Qaeda… [The report] is unsparing in its criticism of the State Department for failing to provide adequate security at the diplomatic compound in Benghazi… The report found that, in the months before the attacks, American intelligence agencies gave ample warning about deteriorating security in Benghazi and the risks to Americans in the city… Moreover, the committee found, the Pentagon was ill prepared to deal with crisis that night…”

While all this incompetency was going on, the American public was misled into believing that the attack was just a spontaneous reaction to an anti-Mohammed movie.

Target’s Data Breach

cnet.com wrote on January 10:

“Target’s data breach is much broader than once believed. The nationwide retailer on Friday announced that personal information on as many as 70 million additional customers was stolen as part of the company’s payment card data breach. The information stolen includes names, mailing addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses, the company said. While Target spokesperson Molly Snyder said that there could be some overlap with the approximately 40 million people first said to be affected by the breach in December, the new total of people impacted by the breach could be as high as 110 million…

“Not surprisingly, hackers moved quickly to take advantage of the stolen information and put the information on the black market. According to reports, following the Target breach there was a ‘ten-to-twentyfold increase’ in stolen cards available on underground markets…

“Target, which has nearly 1,800 stores in the US, said Friday that affected customers will suffer no liability for any fraudulent charges. The company will also offer one free year of credit monitoring and identity theft protection… the company was forced to lower its fourth-quarter sales forecast, saying that it experienced ‘meaningfully weaker-than-expected sales’ following the data-breach announcement.”

Many customers of other companies are apparently being “targeted” as well, but it may take years to find out the terrible scope of those affected by these unscrupulous vicious criminals.

Germany Outraged over Obama and “No-Spy Agreement” with USA

Deutsche Welle reported on January 15:

“Talks between Berlin and Washington over a deal to not spy on each other was announced last August, after it was revealed the US tapped Chancellor Angela Merkel’s phone. A New York Times report in December had hinted that Germany would likely be disappointed in its efforts to broker a deal. The paper reported Obama’s national security advisor Susan Rice had already warned the government in Berlin that Washington did not want to set an international precedent by making an explicit arrangement with Germany.

“On Tuesday, Munich-based newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung quoted a German source close to the talks as saying: ‘We’re getting nothing.’ Interior Ministry Parliamentary State Secretary Günter Krings, of Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats party (CDU), conceded that information the US has supplied on NSA spying was ‘highly unsatisfactory,’ but said that to achieve more transparency the no-spy agreement negotiations had to continue…

“Adding to the controversy over the spying affair was the revelation Wednesday that the NSA has developed the ability to spy on computers that are not connected to the internet. According to the New York Times, the NSA has implanted software in 100,000 computers around the world allowing the agency to conduct surveillance and creates a ‘digital highway’ for launching cyber-attacks…”

Deutsche Welle added on January 14:

“In a story that ran under the headline ‘The US lied to us,’ the Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ), along with national public broadcaster NDR, reported on Monday (13.01.2013) that the planned no-spy agreement between the US and Germany was on course to fail, according to insiders.

“On Tuesday (14.01.2013), the SZ voiced an expectation that US President Barack Obama could make a statement on reforms at the NSA this week, but claimed that these are likely to be ‘political declarations’ rather than detailed agreements. An opinion piece also published in the Munich-based paper on Tuesday poured scorn on US justifications for refusing to come to a binding agreement, for example by pointing out that ‘The US refusal [to agree to stop spying on German politicians] shows that the fight against terrorism is only an excuse.’ The daily paper claimed that it was an illusion to think that the spying was an ‘aberration, an excess of the US intelligence agency alone, and not of US politics in toto’, which it concludes must see itself as ‘above the law.’

“The national daily Die Welt hypothesized about possible ways to protect German privacy if the no-spy agreement really and truly falls through. Several German politicians interviewed by the paper suggest that technical advancements could prevent spying or at least make it more difficult. According to member of the Bundestag Wolfgang Bosbach one way would be to create a European Internet server, so that German internet traffic would no longer pass through US servers – along the lines of a similar suggestion made by Germany’s Digital Infrastructure Minister Alexander Dobrindt. The paper also quotes a spokesman of the conservative CDU party, Stephan Mayer, who explains that such technical solutions would entail increased investment in the Federal Office for Information Security: ‘We need a bigger toolbox,’ he told Die Welt.

“The Kölner Stadtanzeiger cautioned that the Süddeutsche Zeitung’s claims, which it also reported, have not been ‘officially confirmed’ and added that ‘German security politicians had been becoming less and less hopeful in the past weeks’ anyway. The article also calls on Chancellor Angela Merkel to finally take a stand on the issue, rather than shirking her responsibilities, as she did at the height of the scandal last summer.

“The weekly news magazine Stern went further in chastizing the government and Angela Merkel’s politics in particular. It wrote that by refusing to guarantee that the NSA will stop spying on German politicians and adhere to German law in their missions in Germany, US President Obama has ‘conclusively downgraded Germany to a second-class ally,’ and is even labeling the country as a potential enemy. And since Merkel was depending on the negotiations over a no spy agreement to resolve the NSA scandal, Stern concludes that ‘The German state is not able to protect our civil rights. It can’t even protect itself.’ And if Merkel ‘doesn’t dare’ to risk putting transatlantic relations on the line to ‘put up a fight,’ the NSA will have won, the newpaper said.”

America is playing with fire, and Angela Merkel’s dillydallying around will soon backfire, because Germans will not much longer tolerate the irresponsible conduct of the American and German leadership.

Innocent Drone Deaths—Shocking Statistics

Breitbart wrote on January 10:

“Sometime within the last year, the U.S. has probably killed more innocent people through drone strikes than the 2,606 U.S. citizens killed on 9/11. Although there are no hard numbers for the public to source, the statistical ratio from leaked sources can provide reasonable assurances that, at some point in the last year, we have surpassed this threshold.

“Back in February 2013, while speaking at a Rotary Club meeting, Senator Lindsey Graham stated that the number of people killed by our current drone program was 4,700. The most recent data added another approximately 271 persons to this total. Although from a historical casualty perspective, 4,971 is not a large number when a country is at war, the number of deaths of innocent people relative to deaths of ‘high-value targets’ is deeply skewed. This makes the existing drone policy nothing more than an Al Qaeda recruiting tool.

“The U.S. has incinerated innocent women and children as well as low-level minions who pose no risk to our country in the process of fighting our endless War on Terror. The irony of this war is that through our own actions, we are creating a new crop of jihadists who might have otherwise lived their lives out in peace.

“In the 2008 and 2012 election cycles, Presidential candidate Ron Paul brought up the concept of ‘blowback’ to the American public. People like Rudy Giuliani showed their ignorance by laughing in response. This term, familiar within government circles, is not something the average man on the street spends any time contemplating. In essence, by waging a covert war from the skies, the very thing we are trying to stop – terrorism – might blowback in our faces further down the road when the families of innocent victims set out to avenge their loved ones’ murders.

“The reaction of some Americans, if this were to happen to their friends or family, would be nothing short of an all-out bloodbath exacted on the perpetrators. For example, if Mexico, in its efforts to stop their drug cartels from operating within our borders, were to employ drones to do their dirty work, and this resulted in the deaths of innocent citizens, it would not be surprising to see within hours the great state of Texas mobilizing and loading for bear. What will we say to Russia or China in the future if they begin deploying drones in foreign lands? We have set a terrible precedent.

“The problem we have with evaluating this program is that the public has been intentionally kept in the dark about what our country is doing. This administration, which ran on being ‘the most transparent ever,’ has been exposed as even more secretive and devious than its predecessor. It’s no wonder the American public has grown to fear its own government more than terrorists; we are being told lies all the time!

“How can the public have confidence that the numbers we have been given are, in fact, true?… Patrolling high above the clouds on the other side of the world, drones have mistaken things like wedding parties and tribal gatherings for Al Qaeda. Heather Linebaugh, former Air Force Geo-spatial analyst who has firsthand knowledge of a drone’s limitations, reported to The Guardian that what ‘the public needs to understand is that the video provided by a drone is not usually clear enough to detect someone carrying a weapon, even on a crystal-clear day with limited clouds and perfect light.’…”

This conduct by the American government and military is truly appalling.

Iran in Blatant Defiance of Geneva Deal

Debka wrote on January 9:

“Iran’s utilization of advanced IR-2m centrifuges for enriching uranium, in violation of the interim Geneva accord, was presented by the US and the five powers Wednesday, Jan. 8, as the main difficulty in its implementation… Iran has not even started implementing any part of the Geneva accord it signed last November 24…

“Iranian Majlis member Mohammed Nabavian took the podium on Friday January 3… The main point of Nabavian’s narrative wasn’t just confirmation that Iran possesses the capacity to produce a nuclear bomb at extremely short notice, but its continued development of ever-faster centrifuges that will dramatically change these figures within a short time and produce a complete arsenal aimed at a single target: Israel.

“This is not what President Obama, Secretary of State Kerry or Prime Minister Netanyahu wants to hear or bring to general knowledge. The Iranians have no such inhibitions and are making no bones about flouting at least five separate clauses of the nuclear pact they signed in Geneva – plus one:

“1.  There has been no suspension or slowdown of 20-percent uranium enrichment.

“2.  Uranium enrichment to 3.5- and 5-percent purity continues apace in disregard of the ceiling agreed in Geneva.

“3. Advanced IR-2m centrifuges continue to roll off the assembly lines. Making a slight bow to the pact, they are being installed at Fordo and Natanz in individual units, not cascades. The Geneva pact bans their installation in any shape or form.

“4. Iran has not stopped preparations for moving up to 60-percent enrichment and is being urged by many voices at home to go up to 80 percent. Iran’s pretext is that this level is necessary to fuel the reactors of the nuclear vessels it is building.

“5. There has been no pause in the high-speed construction of the heavy water-plutonium plant at Arak.

“6. Neither is there any slowdown at the research and development centers for nuclear weapons. Since the military dimension of Iran’s nuclear program was left unmentioned in the Geneva accord, Tehran is at liberty to continue this pursuit free of international inspection while denying it is taking place.”

This “deal of the Century” was a joke from the outset. One wonders whether the USA and the other “world” powers negotiating with Iran are really that naïve, or whether some act with ulterior motives, while God has poured on others the spirit of slumber.

JTA wrote on January 12:

“Iran and six world powers signed an agreement implementing a plan that temporarily freezes Iran’s nuclear production. The Joint Plan of Action, which was finalized and approved on Sunday, will go into effect on Jan. 20.

“Under the plan first agreed to in November, Iran will freeze most of its nuclear enrichment capability, including not installing or starting up additional centrifuges or using next-generation centrifuges. In return, the United States and five other world powers — Germany, Russia, England, France and China — will provide Iran with some economic sanctions relief. Iran also will allow new and more frequent inspections of its nuclear sites.”

We will see whether this new “agreement” will be worth the paper it is written on. Note the next article.

Iran’s Victory and the Surrender of the Western Powers

The Associated Press reported on January 14:

“President Hassan Rouhani has praised a landmark nuclear deal struck in Geneva as his country’s victory, telling a home crowd it effectively means the ‘surrender’ of Western powers to Iranian demands. The remarks were part of the moderate Rouhani’s efforts to bring around hard-liners who claim the deal tramples on Iran’s enrichment rights.

“Last week, the six-nation group — the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany — and Iran agreed to start implementing the terms of the November deal later this month.”

Ariel Sharon (85) Has Died

Newsmax wrote on January 11:

“Ariel Sharon —  the military hero and prime minister who was among the most controversial figures in the history of Israel — has died, eight years after the massive stroke that left him comatose. He was 85. He died Saturday at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, outside of Tel Aviv, where he has been cared for since 2006.

“Over his long career Sharon served as Israel’s 11th prime minister, headed several ministries including Defense, and rose to the rank of general in the Israeli army, seeing action in all four of Israel’s major wars. Reviled by Arabs over his hardline policies and viewed with a mixture of respect and suspicion by many Israelis, Sharon had been on life support at the hospital far from the public gaze…

“Sharon’s bold maneuver in crossing the Suez Canal and encircling Egypt’s Third Army was considered the key to Israel’s ultimate victory and led the Israeli public to nickname him ‘The King of Israel’ and ‘The Lion of God.’… In 1983, an Israeli state inquiry found Sharon indirectly responsible for the killing of hundreds of Palestinian men, women, and children at Beirut’s Sabra and Shatila refugee camps. The slaughter took place after the Israeli army, which invaded Lebanon in 1982, allowed Israeli-backed Christian Phalangist militiamen to enter the camps. Sharon was forced to resign his post…

“On Sept. 28, 2000, Sharon — then head of the Likud Party — led more than 1,000 Israeli police officers to the Temple Mount complex in Jerusalem, a Jewish holy site that also includes two of Islam’s holiest sites, the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque. He declared that the complex would remain under perpetual Israeli control. The provocative move torpedoed ongoing peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians and led to the Palestinian uprising known as the intifada. But Sharon and his supporters claimed that Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian National Authority had planned the uprising months before Sharon’s visit…

“He ordered the unilateral withdrawal of Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip, expelling nearly 10,000 settlers from 21 settlements in August 2005. Israeli soldiers formally left Gaza in September.  Critics of the withdrawal point to the territory’s seizure two years later by Hamas Islamists opposed to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and to intensive rocket fire from Gaza. The withdrawal decision sparked bitter protests from members of the Likud Party. Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quit the Cabinet in protest.

“In November 2005, Sharon resigned as head of Likud to form a new party, Kadima, and his rival Netanyahu took over as leader of Likud… Polls in November 2005 indicated that Sharon was likely to beat Netanyahu at the polls, but on Dec. 18, he suffered a mild stroke while heading to his ranch in the Negev Desert. He left the hospital after two days, but on Jan. 4, 2006, suffered a massive cerebral hemorrhage that left him comatose and on life support… Within months, Sharon was transferred to a long-term care unit at Sheba. Medical experts said his cognitive abilities were destroyed by the stroke and he was in a persistent vegetative state with little chance of regaining consciousness, though family members refused to allow them to turn off his life support… In the end, he died peacefully.”

Tel Aviv—Bastion of Secularism

The Local wrote on January 11:

“Israel unveiled Friday a memorial in Tel Aviv to remember the gay and lesbian victims of Nazi persecution, in a ceremony attended by Germany’s ambassador. Members of Tel Aviv’s gay community turned out to see the stone monument, modelled on the pink triangle Nazis made homosexuals wear in concentration camps during World War II, which features inscriptions in German, Hebrew and English. ‘In addition to the extermination of Europe’s Jews, the Nazis committed many atrocities, in an attempt to destroy anyone who was considered different,’ Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai said at the unveiling…

“The heart of Israel’s cultural life and a bastion of secularism, Tel Aviv hosts an annual gay pride parade with relatively few objections from the country’s religious community, unlike similar events in Jerusalem that have seen violence and even one stabbing. Israel is widely seen as having liberal gay rights policies, despite the hostility shown towards homosexuals, particularly men, from the ultra-orthodox Jewish community… Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany sent thousands of homosexuals to concentration camps in the 1930s and 1940s, and the Gestapo secret police arrested an estimated 100,000 men for being gay.”

Jewish Discovery Might Cause Diplomatic Earthquake

Israel Today reported on January 10:

“We reported last year on the discovery of an ancient biblical-era palace probably dating back to the time of King David himself that was subsequently covered up for political reasons. Now, the group that stumbled upon the unprecedented find tells Israel National News that they will publicly reveal the location of the buried palace next Friday, January 17, an event that is likely to cause a diplomatic earthquake…

“At the time, a member of the Kfar Etzion Field School in the Eztion Bloc of Jewish communities had stumbled across an ancient ornate pillar as he descended into a cave in the Judean hills. The pillar and its attached capital clearly belonged to a royal structure, and local archaeologists said it certainly dated back to the times of the Judean kings, if not David himself…

“The Antiquities Authority later confirmed to Makor Rishon that the find exists, and had actually been first discovered the year prior, but that political sensitivities had prevented archaeologists from exploring the site. It was pointed out that the find is located in territory claimed by the Palestinian Authority. Uncovering a major and even unprecedented archaeological site that solidifies the ancient Jewish presence in and control of these lands could upset the peace process.”

No Recognition of Israel?

JTA wrote on January 12:

“Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas told supporters that he will not recognize Israel as a Jewish state or sign a peace deal that fails to include eastern Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state… Abbas also said he would not negotiate beyond the original nine-month deadline set by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry for the U.S.-backed negotiations to end in a final status deal. After the deadline, which expires in May, Abbas said he will seek international recognition for a Palestinian state without an agreement.

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will not sign an agreement unless the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state. Kerry reportedly will return soon to the region to present a framework agreement to Israeli and Palestinian negotiators that covers the core issues.”

There will not be a true and lasting peace treaty with Israel in the Middle East. It is prophesied that the state of Israel will be attacked and occupied by European powers, and that God will allow this to happen to punish Israel for their sins (compare, for example, the previous article on Tel Aviv). Subsequently, the invading armies will be overthrown themselves, as Europe is by no means “more righteous” than Israel.

Massive Extinction of Fish

The Associated Press reported on January 15:

“State wildlife officials are trying to figure out why all the fish have died in a northern Nevada marina where the stocked fishery has flourished since the man-made lake was created nearly 15 years ago. As many as 100,000 trout, bass and catfish have died over the past month in the Sparks Marina along U.S. Interstate 80 east of Reno…

“Scientists… don’t understand what sparked the massive die-off… ‘The 100,000 dead fish figure is something that is probably a pretty conservative guess,” said [Nevada Department of Wildlife spokesman Chris] Healy, who estimates they’ve stocked close to 1 million adult fish in the lake since they started in 1998… ‘We don’t know if any small fish have survived, but for all intents and purposes, the fishery doesn’t exist anymore,’ he told The Associated Press…”

The Bible predicts that in these end times, many land animals and ALL fish will die.

In Acts 1:15, it says there were about 120 disciples.

In 1 Corinthians 15:6, we read that Christ appeared to 500 “brethren” or disciples.

Many commentaries suggest that the 120 disciples, mentioned in Acts 1:15, only refer to those in Jerusalem, and that the 500 brethren were living in Galilee at that time.

Jamieson, Fausset and Brown states: “… the number … about an hundred and twenty—Many, therefore, of the ‘five hundred brethren’ who saw their risen Lord ‘at once’ (1Co 15:6), must have remained in Galilee.”

The People’s New Testament agrees, stating: “[They were] about an hundred and twenty. This was the number of disciples at Jerusalem, but not all who were then disciples. See 1Co 15:6.”

Wesley’s Notes add: “Who were together in the upper room were a hundred and twenty – But he had undoubtedly many more in other places; of whom more than five hundred saw him at once after his resurrection, 1Cor 15:6.”

On the other hand, Barclay, The Acts of the Apostles, thinks there were only 120 disciples at that time: “There were only 120 pledged to Christ and it is very unlikely that any of them had even been outside the narrow confines of Palestine in his life. Since there were about 4,000,000 Jews in Palestine, this means that fewer than 1 in 30,000 were Christians… If ever anything began from small beginnings the Christian Church did.”

Does 1 Corinthians 15:6 support the idea that Christ had more than 120 disciples at the time of Acts 1:15? Does the reference of 500 disciples in 1 Corinthians 15:6 refer to the time prior to Acts 1:15, or does it describe a subsequent event?

In the New King James Bible, Paul says in 1.Corinthians 15:3-8:

“For I delivered to you first of all which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,  and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then [Greek ”eita”] by the twelve. After that [Greek: “epeita”] He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that [Greek: “epeita”]  he was seen by James, then [Greek: “eita”] by all the apostles. Then last of all [here, the word for “then” does not appear in the Greek; it says, and last of all] He was seen by me also…”

This passage does not have to set forth a time sequence of events or appearances, but it could refer to a list of important events, without setting forth a time sequence.

The Greek word “eita” means “afterwards” or “furthermore.” Compare Hebrews 12:9, where it does clearly NOT describe a time sequence. There, it just sets forth an additional thought or argument.

Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible  #1534, defines “eita” as a “succession in time or logical enumeration,” and gives alternative renderings such as “then, moreover, furthermore.”

The word “epeita,” Strong’s #1899, is defined as “after that,” and it is stated that it is derived from “eita” and “epi.” The Greek word “epi” (Strong’s #1909) is defined as “superimposition of time or order.”

In Hebrews 7:2, the word “epeita” (rendered as “then” in the New King James Bible) clearly does not describe a time sequence of events. Another example is James 3:17, where an enumeration of important characteristics is being given.

Another example is 1 Thessalonians 4:17 (“Then we who are alive…”). One of our Q&A’s addresses this passage. It shows that the word “then” in that context does not refer to a time sequence of events, as these events, as described, will occur simultaneously.

What Paul is addressing in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 is important proof that Christ was resurrected and that He manifested Himself to the disciples, in bodily form, after His resurrection. He lists different occurrences, not necessarily in time sequence, but perhaps in an order of logical enumeration.

But even if a time sequence is described here, we need to consider the following:

The manifestations of Jesus Christ after His resurrection, as listed by Paul, are by no means exhaustive. He does not list the appearance of Jesus to Mary and the other woman; or to the two disciples on their way to Emmaus, when He appeared to them in “another form” (Mark 16:12). In fact, the Bible does not report anywhere else most of the occurrences which Paul lists.

We do not read anywhere else that Jesus appeared to Peter or Cephas [Aramaic name for Peter] alone or at first, and only then or “afterwards” to the twelve. In fact, the Bible states elsewhere that Christ appeared to the women and then to Peter and the other nine apostles, but “doubting Thomas” was not present. Then He appeared to the eleven—not the twelve, as Judas was dead and was not replaced yet by Matthias. THAT appearance [when the apostles had again reached the number twelve] could have only taken place AFTER the event described in Acts 1:15. Even though Matthias had been with Christ and the apostles from the beginning, so had Barsabas (Acts 1:21-23). But Matthias was not an apostle then; it was determined by lot that he should become an apostle and he was then “numbered with the eleven apostles” (verses 25-26). So when Christ appeared to the twelve apostles after His resurrection, it must have occurred after Matthias had become an apostle—that is, after the events described in Acts 1. See also Matthew 28:16 and Mark 16:14-18, where Christ appeared to the “eleven apostles” after His resurrection, to give them “the great commission.”

Likewise, Christ’s additional appearance to Peter alone must have happened on a different occasion—not, when He appeared to the eleven or the twelve or all of the apostles–and the Bible does not tell us, when exactly it occurred. As an additional consideration, note what the apostle John said about his own recounting of the life of Christ:

“And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:30-31).

We also do not read elsewhere that and when Christ appeared to the 500 brethren; or when He appeared to James, the half-brother of Christ (even though we might conclude that THAT appearance to James did occur in fact prior to the events in Acts 1:15; compare our free booklet, “Jesus Christ—a Great Mystery.”). We are also not told when He appeared to ALL the apostles [obviously referring to more than just twelve, but at the time of Christ’s ascension (Acts 1:6), we only read of eleven apostles, so, as mentioned, the appearance to TWELVE apostles and to “ALL the apostles” (apparently including James at that time) must have taken place AFTER the events in Acts 1:15].

We therefore conclude that some of Christ’s appearances, which are mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15, must have occurred AFTER His ascension and AFTER the event described in Acts 1:15, when about 120 disciples are listed and when Matthias is chosen as one of the apostles, replacing Judas.

Paul is also saying that finally, Christ appeared to him. We know, of course, that He appeared to Paul (then Saul) on his way to Damascus many days after His ascension and the event in Acts 1:15. However, when Christ spoke to Paul on his way to Damascus, the Bible does not tell us that Christ manifested Himself to Paul. We read in Acts 9:3-4 that Paul saw a light which blinded him, and that he heard the voice of Christ. Also, Acts 22:1-21 recounts Paul’s experience in a little more detail; compare in particular verses 6-11. Paul recounts his experience again in Acts 26:12-19, specifically stating that it was a “heavenly vision.”

In addition, Paul was in a “trance” when Christ communicated to him on another occasion (Acts 22:17). This seems to be indicating that Paul saw Him on that occasion in a vision as well (as Stephen did prior to his death, when He saw Christ together with the Father, Acts 7:55-56). We also read that Christ appeared to Paul at one time in another vision (Acts 18:9). [He even saw the third heaven in a vision, compare 2 Corinthians 12:1-4; and John saw the glorified Christ and God the Father in a vision, while on the isle of Patmos, Revelation 1:9-20; 4:2-3].

But we also read in Acts 23:11 that “the following night the Lord stood by” Paul and encouraged him. On that occasion, the way this is worded, it does not say that Paul saw Christ in a vision [compare again by contrast Acts 18:9]; rather, the implication is that Christ seemed to have manifested Himself to Paul at that time (as angels also manifest themselves to man at times, without being recognized by man as angels, Hebrews 13:2). We also recall that Christ, prior to His birth as a human being, manifested Himself on several occasions to man, appearing as a man. He appeared as the high priest Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:1-8); He appeared with two angels to Abraham; and He spoke to Moses who even saw His glory, but only from behind.

In addition, Paul’s reference in 1 Corinthians 15:6 might not have been to any of his VISIONS, during which he saw Christ, as the other occurrences that he mentions in 1 Corinthians 15:5-7 were clearly not “visions” either, but “bodily” manifestations of Christ. Rather, Paul, in mentioning Christ’s appearance to him, might have referred to his lengthy stay in Arabia when he was apparently personally instructed by Christ. In our free booklet, “Paul’s Letter to the Galatians,” we state regarding Galatians 1:11-14:

“‘(Verse 11) But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.’ That is, the gospel of the Kingdom of God is not invented by man. It is a message from God the Father that has to be revealed. In Paul’s case, Christ taught him directly, as is stated in verse 12—apparently, while he lived in Arabia (see below, in verse 17).

“Paul states in Galatians 1:12… ‘For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ…’

“Paul goes on to say… ‘Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus…’

“It appears that Paul was instructed personally by Jesus Christ, when dwelling in Arabia (verse 17)…”

In light of all the foregoing, it appears that the list in 1 Corinthians 15:5-8 does not necessarily set forth a time sequence of events, but even if it does, it is not compelling to conclude that Christ manifested Himself to 500 brethren prior to the event in Acts 1:15. It is plausible that some of Christ’s appearances, including His manifestation to all of the twelve apostles and even to ALL the apostles (more than twelve), and His manifestation(s) to Paul, as well as His manifestation to 500 brethren, occurred after the event described in Acts 1:15, so that the implication is that at the time of Acts 1:15, there were only about 120 disciples who were loyal to Christ.

But we know that subsequently, the Church grew tremendously (compare Acts 2:41, stating that on the Day of Pentecost alone, about 3,000 “souls” were added), but we are also told that later, many fell away from the faith, and the warning remains for us today that prior to Christ’s return, a falling away from the truth in God’s Church is still to occur.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

The contract for The Hilton Garden Inn at Pismo Beach is signed for this year’s Feast of Tabernacles and Last Great Day observance in the US.  We reserved 15 rooms with more available, as needed. Please contact us before the end of January and tell us that you want to stay in the hotel. We will compose an assignment list. The prices and amenities are very close to those of two years ago.

Norbert and Johanna Link will travel to Germany on April 7th of this year. Plans are being made for counseling brethren as well as conducting services for Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread along with finalizing organizational arrangements for the Church in Germany. Michael Link will also travel to Germany for Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread and assist with Church functions and organizational arrangements. Several baptisms are anticipated, and Norbert Link will officiate at a church wedding on May 1. The Links will also investigate a new Feast site for 2015. Norbert and Johanna Link will return to the US on May 5, 2014. Additonally, plans for the 2014 Feast of Tabernacles are that we will again keep the Feast (from October 8 until October 16, departure date October 17) at the same hotel in the Black Forest (Hotel Birkenhof, Freudenstadt) as we did in 2013. Please contact us before the end of January and tell us that you want to stay in the hotel. We will compose an assignment list. The prices and amenities are very close to those of a year ago.

The 2014 Church Conference will begin Friday, March 28th, and continue through Tuesday, April 1st, in San Diego, California. Brian and Jill Gale will stay following the Conference, and Mr. Gale will conduct Passover services in Ramona, California. Rene and Delia Messier will be in Oregon for Passover and the beginning of Unleavened Bread. Passover Services will be conducted by the ministry in Fort Collins, Colorado, as well.

“Will Pope Francis Reform the Catholic Church?,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

What can we expect from Pope Francis, the first Jesuit Pope in the history of the Catholic Church? Is he a liberal or a conservative? What are his beliefs? How was he elected, and why did Pope Benedict resign? Why is he condoning homosexual conduct? Why is he getting more and more involved in politics? What does Bible prophecy say about all of this?

“Wird Papst Franziskus die Katholische Kirche Reformieren?,” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen program in which Mr. Link covers much of the same material as summarized above.

A new Member Letter (with attachment) has been written to the German brethren and friends. It announces our Webex meeting this Sabbath (when Norbert Link will address the congregation live right after Sabbath services) and includes a write-up on the first, second and third tithe.

“Gottes Segnungen für Unsere Kinder,” is the title of this week’s German sermon, to be played this coming Sabbath. This is the second part of the German sermon series on the fate of our children. Title in English: “God’s Blessings for Our Children.“

by Shelly Bruno

As the Church announced the US Feast site this year, I got excited thinking about celebrating the Holy Days. It’s a time of year that is wonderful and joyous but also safe. I consider it my personal safe zone. It is like that secure place from childhood games—the spot I couldn’t be caught or tagged—but could safely watch everyone else playing.

Today I’m not seeking “safety” in playing a game, but from the season of holidays that has just passed. When Halloween arrives every year with Christmas fast on its heels, I get that queasy feeling of having to work extra hard to avoid the insidiousness of what society celebrates. It’s the time of year when those cultural holidays seep into conversation with others, affront me when I leave my house, or influence every station that delivers music or news.

Thankfully God’s fall festival comes at a perfect time, giving me the extra strength to overcome that influence. And now, with some of the cultural holidays behind me, I look forward to the Spring Holy Days. God’s perfect timing gives me the strength just when I need it. There is more for me to overcome, but that next safe zone is again within sight.

On January 11, 2014, Norbert Link will give the sermon titled, “Josiah—a Righteous King of Judah.”

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.

Economists would define a balanced budget when an entity’s spending matches its revenue during a period of time. If an entity makes more than it spends, it has a budget surplus. But spending more than it makes puts the entity into a budget deficit. Whether that entity is a government, business or a family, the trend today seems to be living in a financial deficit. Achieving a balance or surplus takes preparation and a conscious effort.

If we seek worldly explanation for the failings of businesses or governments to achieve fiscal balance, we can become ensnared in political punditry. Sensationalized opinions are standard for TV news. Networks promote argumentative “talking heads” for the sake of entertainment value. 

Understanding the root cause of the imbalance of this world does not mean we have achieved balance. Seeking equilibrium in our life requires a daily commitment. As Christians, we must always be on guard, always aware of our surroundings and always focused on the goal of pleasing God. Paul spoke of this constant struggle: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

The balance each of us MUST achieve can be accomplished through Godly characteristics. By growing closer to God, we become more balanced. Paul also spoke of those Godly characteristics when speaking to Timothy: “And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:24-26). We must have patience to be led by God, while being humble enough to discern when we are not stable. With that balance, we will know God’s truth—enabling us to enter into His Kingdom.

We begin with a striking article raising the question whether we are approaching the times similar to the outbreak of World War I; continue with turbulent developments in Iraq; discuss the demonic behavior of North Korea’s baby-faced leader; the unscrupulous conduct of “US basketball star” Dennis Rodman; and demonic possession and exorcisms within the Catholic Church; speak of the Pope’s new-found relationship towards gays; and address Israel’s challenges for 2014.

Turning to America’s domestic problems, we report about left-liberal criticism of Obamacare; the ongoing controversial activities of the NSA; and the nearly unprecedented terrible weather conditions of a large part of the USA. 

We conclude with the political landscape in Britain and the rise of their own version of an anti-European “Tea Party.”

Is History Repeating Itself – 1914 All Over Again?

The Independent wrote on January 5:

“… an internationally respected historian is warning that today’s world bears a number of striking similarities with the build-up to the First World War. The newly mechanised armies of the early 20th century produced unprecedented slaughter on the battlefields of the ‘war to end all wars’ after a spark lit in the Balkans with the assassination of the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

“Professor Margaret MacMillan, of the University of Cambridge, argues that the Middle East could be viewed as the modern-day equivalent of this turbulent region. A nuclear arms race that would be likely to start if Iran developed a bomb ‘would make for a very dangerous world indeed, which could lead to a recreation of the kind of tinderbox that exploded in the Balkans 100 years ago – only this time with mushroom clouds,’ she writes in an essay for the Brookings Institution, a leading US think-tank… ‘the Middle East today bears a worrying resemblance to the Balkans then,’ she says. ‘A similar mix of toxic nationalisms threatens to draw in outside powers as the US, Turkey, Russia, and Iran look to protect their interests and clients.’

“Professor MacMillan highlights a string of other parallels between today and a century ago. Modern-day Islamist terrorists mirror the revolutionary communists and anarchists who carried out a string of assassinations in the name of a philosophy that sanctioned murder to achieve their vision of a better world…

“Another similarity highlighted by the historian is the belief that a full-scale war between the major powers is unthinkable after such a prolonged period of peace. ‘Now, as then, the march of globalisation has lulled us into a false sense of safety,’ she says. ‘The 100th anniversary of 1914 should make us reflect anew on our vulnerability to human error, sudden catastrophes, and sheer accident…’”

The Bible has prophesied long ago that in our days, World War III is coming…

Iraqi City Fallujah Back in Al Qaida Hands

On January 3, 2014, Newsmax wrote the following:

“Al-Qaida-linked militants held control of much of the Iraqi city of Fallujah and other nearby towns, fighting off efforts by troops with air support to regain control… Fallujah became notorious among Americans when insurgents in 2004 killed four American security contractors and hung their burned bodies from a bridge… The town also was the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the Iraq War. Nearly 100 U.S. Marines were killed and hundreds wounded in the second battle of Fallujah in 2004.

“Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki sent reinforcements on Jan. 1 to dislodge militants from Fallujah and nearby Ramadi, a focus of the 2007 ‘surge’ of U.S. forces. The fighting there is part of an escalation of violence in Iraq, where 2013 saw the most civilian casualties for five years amid the kind of sectarian violence between Sunni and Shiite Muslims that also has engulfed Syria and Lebanon…

“There is little support in the U.S. for renewed military involvement in Iraq, where 4,489 Americans were killed and 51,778 wounded in action after the Bush administration invaded the country almost 11 years ago. Obama has listed ending the war in Iraq as one of his main accomplishments. Civilian fatalities in Iraq, including police, totaled 7,818 last year, with almost 18,000 wounded…

“So far, the violence hasn’t affected Iraq’s major oil fields, the country’s main source of revenue. Output rose by 100,000 barrels a day last month to 3.2 million barrels, the most since August… The country pumped more crude as it increased links to wells in its predominately Shiite south. Iraq is the second-biggest producer in OPEC after Saudi Arabia… Maliki also faces political unrest, with 44 members of Iraq’s parliament resigning because the government used force to dismantle Sunni-led protests.”

Deutsche Welle reported on January 7:

“For most Americans, the Iraq War ended when its last troops were withdrawn at the end of 2011. But the violence in the country has barely relented since then, and last week’s outbreak of fighting in Fallujah and Ramadi was only the latest eruption of long-lasting sectarian tensions… Those sectarian tensions remained unresolved when US troops forces pulled out… In effect, then, analysts argue, greater diplomatic pressure on Baghdad in 2009 and early 2010 could have stemmed the tensions that erupted so violently last week.”

The Iraqi war was a terrible mistake and destined to failure from the outset, and subsequent diplomatic blunders only added to the disaster. Things have only gotten worse. And what if Iraq’s oil fields fell into the hands of radical Islamists and the oil export to the USA were to stop?

North Korea’s Leader Kim Jong Un and His Unpredictable Demonic Rule

The Straits Times wrote on January 2:

“The execution of Jang Song Thaek, the No. 2 man in North Korea, took Beijing by surprise and will adversely affect bilateral relations. Beijing’s displeasure is expressed through the publication of a detailed account of Jang’s brutal execution in Wen Wei Po, its official mouthpiece, in Hong Kong, on Dec 12. According to the report, unlike previous executions of political prisoners which were carried out by firing squads with machine guns, Jang was stripped naked and thrown into a cage, along with his five closest aides. Then 120 hounds, starved for three days, were allowed to prey on them until they were completely eaten up. This is called ‘quan jue’, or execution by dogs. The report said the entire process lasted for an hour, with Mr Kim Jong Un, the supreme leader in North Korea, supervising it along with 300 senior officials.

“The horrifying report vividly depicted the brutality of the young North Korean leader. The fact that it appeared in a Beijing-controlled newspaper showed that China no longer cares about its relations with the Kim regime. Two days later, the Global Times, associated with the People’s Daily, a Chinese Communist Party organ, followed up with a sternly worded editorial saying that the abrupt political change epitomised the backwardness of the North Korean political system. It warned the Chinese government not to coddle North Korea any longer, saying that the majority of Chinese were extremely disgusted with the Kim regime…

“The purge of Jang reflected the longstanding suspicion and apprehension of the North Korean regime towards China, which dates back to the time of Kim Il Sung, North Korea’s founder. Although China fought the Korean War to preserve the Kim regime, he was less than grateful. Once the war was over, Kim started purging the Yan-an faction within his party. This faction received its training in Yan-an, the capital of the Chinese Communist Party in the 1940s… When the son, Kim Jong Il, took over the helm, he did not hide the fact that his nuclear weapons could be used against China… So when the grandson, … Kim Jong Un, took over the helm, this family tradition of suspecting China prompted the young leader to take drastic action to cleanse the party of any pro-China elements.

“Recent developments have posed a number of issues for China. First, China’s own security is at risk. The erratic and ruthless behaviour of Mr Kim Jong Un suggests that China should not underrate the likelihood of a nuclear threat from Pyongyang…

“Second, China’s political and strategic influence on the Korean peninsula has been drastically reduced. China was widely considered to be able to rein in the unruly Kim regime, thus acting as a force for peace in the region. But it now appears China’s influence over its neighbour is close to zero. This is clear from the fact that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi telephoned his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov for urgent consultation on Dec 13. This was followed by Ambassador Wu Dawei’s trip to Moscow. Both moves suggest that Beijing realises it can no longer tame the Kim regime by itself.

“Third, China had hoped to nurture a less belligerent neighbour by encouraging reform, open-door policies and economic development in North Korea… With Jang brutally executed, the idea of a peaceful transformation seems unrealistic.”

Some, like Newsmax, dated January 6, have stated that the “dog story” might have been a myth, as it was allegedly received from a Chinese satire website.  There is no discussion, however, that Jang Song Thaek was murdered by the North Korean regime, but it is suggested that he was “executed” by a firing squad. We have serious doubts that this “clarification” is based on facts. Kim Jong Un is a ruthless leader, and further reports have emerged that his aunt, wife of the late Jang Song Thaek, is also dead. As the Daily Mail reported, dated January 6, she died “under mysterious circumstances.” She “is said to have either suffered a heart attack or committed suicide by North Korean media.”

Rodman’s Shameful and Disgusting Show in North Korea

Based on the foregoing, the following report by CNN, dated January 6, is appalling, stating: “Eccentric basketball star Dennis Rodman and several other former NBA players have arrived in North Korea to take part in a controversial basketball game on the birthday of Kim Jong-Un, the country’s young, unpredictable leader.”

On January 8, 2014, BBC News added: “US basketball star Dennis Rodman has sung Happy Birthday to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in front of a crowd of thousands in the capital. Rodman said Mr Kim, who was in the audience with his wife and other senior officials, was his ‘best friend’.”

How anyone, “eccentric or not,” can justify celebrating the birthday of Kim Jong-un by playing a basketball game is beyond sound reasoning. To call him “his best friend” shows much about the character of Rodman — former Chicago Bull teammate of Michael Jordan–and those following him. What a shameful disgrace for the US, which became even more appalling during Rodman’s interview with CNN. As Deutsche Welle reported on January 8:

“Rodman’s CNN appearance took a turn towards the surreal when he was asked about US missionary Kenneth Bae, who has been held in North Korean custody since May on charges described only as ‘anti-state’ crimes… ‘If you understand what Kenneth Bae did … Do you understand what he did in this country? Why is he held captive in this country?’ Rodman asked the interviewer, declining to elaborate when asked to provide the information in question…

“White House spokesman Jay Carney said he was ‘not going to dignify that outburst with a response’… The National Basketball Association (NBA), meanwhile, issued a statement saying it was ‘not involved’ in Rodman’s trip and would not take part in so-called ‘basketball diplomacy’ without discussions with the US State Department.”

This response by the NBA is another shameful and cowardly attempt not to take any position against Rodman’s and the other former NBA players’ behavior.

In that context, Breitbart wrote on January 6:

“‘The trip comes at the worst possible time—after Kim Jong-un brutally solidified his grip on power—and with no progress towards denuclearization,’ Congressman Ed Royce, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told Breitbart.com. ‘This basketball game will do nothing to improve the abysmal human rights conditions in North Korea. It’s a propaganda win for the regime.’

“If they don’t return home with a renewed appreciation for America, the basketball giants might thank God for their height. North Korea has long pursued an eradication campaign against little people—ones even smaller than the diminutive Kim Jong-un—that has relied on imprisonment and eugenics. Kim Jong-un’s father, Kim Jong-il, strangely proclaimed, ‘The race of dwarves must disappear.’”

This reminds us of Hitler and his Nazi elite, who strangely advocated the advance of a Nordic master race (blond, blue-eyed and tall)—a description which was not met in the slightest by little Hitler, overweight Goering or limping Goebbels.

We are convinced that Kim Jong Un is demonically possessed, and those too closely associated with him come likewise under his demonic “spell.” This fact makes the baby-faced young radical murderer extremely dangerous, irrational and privy to any imaginable destructive action. We might think of Hitler who was undoubtedly demon-possessed as well. For proof, please read our free booklets, “Europe in Prophecy” and “The Ten European Revivals of the Ancient Roman Empire.”

We can expect that more and more world leaders will give in to strong demonic influences, as the Bible clearly prophesies. Demons truly rule this world, and true Christians must be aware of this and resist Satan, while submitting to God for His protection. You might want to view or re-view our recent sermon on the topic, titled, “Demons on the Loose.”

Demonic Possession on the Rise

The Telegraph wrote on January 5:

“Dioceses across Italy, as well as in countries such as Spain, are increasing the number of priests schooled in administering the rite of exorcism, fabled to rid people of possession by the Devil. The rise in demonic cases is a result of more people dabbling in practices such as black magic, paganism, Satanic rites and Ouija boards, often exploring the dark arts with the help of information readily found on the internet, the Church said.

“The increase in the number of priests being trained to tackle the phenomenon is also an effort by the Church to sideline unauthorised, self-proclaimed exorcists, and its tacit recognition that belief in Satan, once regarded by Catholic progressives as an embarrassment, is still very much alive. The trend comes four decades after the 1973 release of The Exorcist, the American horror film based on the demonic possession of a 12-year-old girl and attempts to exorcise her by two priests…

“In Spain, Antonio Maria Rouco Varela, the archbishop of Madrid, chose eight priests to undergo special training in May to confront what he described as ‘an unprecedented rise’ in cases of ‘demonic possession’. The Church in Spain was coming across many cases that ‘go beyond the competence of psychologists’ and they were occurring with ‘a striking frequency’, the archbishop said. ‘Diabolical possessions are on the increase as a result of people subscribing to occultism,’ said Fr Francesco Bamonte, the president of the Italy-based International Association for Exorcists. ‘The few exorcists that we have in the dioceses are often not able to handle the enormous number of requests for help,’ he told La Repubblica last month.

“The association was founded in 1993 by Fr Gabriele Amorth, who served as the Vatican’s chief exorcist and claims to have conducted thousands of exorcisms. A controversial figure, he has claimed that yoga is ‘evil’ because it leads to a worship of Hinduism and other Eastern religions. During the papacy of Benedict XVI he said that the sex abuse scandals which engulfed the Church in the US, Ireland, Australia and other countries were proof that the Antichrist was waging a war against the Holy See…

“[People with demonic possession] must undergo the official Catholic rite of exorcism, which involves a consecrated priest invoking the name of God, as well as various saints and the Archangel Michael, to cast out their demons…”

It is true that demonic influence and possession are on the rise. But the “exorcisms” performed by the Catholic Church, as well as those by certain TV Evangelists, are deceitful and of no help whatsoever. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World.” 

Pope Francis and the Gay Community

AFP wrote on January 5:

“Pope Francis has called for a rethink in the way the Catholic Church deals with the children of gay couples and divorced parents… Though the Church has often been in conflict with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community over its opposition to same-sex marriage and to homosexuality, Francis has drawn praise for attempts to be inclusive. In July he reached out to gays, declaring that ‘if someone is gay and seeks the Lord with good will, who am I to judge?’ And in December, the Advocate magazine — dedicated to the gay and lesbian community — chose the head of the Catholic Church as the ‘single most influential person of 2013 on the lives of LGBT people.’”

Inasmuch as it has been reported infrequently in the news that some—if not many—within the Catholic clergy are homosexual, this recent trend within that Church is quite remarkable. The conservative German paper, Die Welt, reported on January 7, 2014, that many men of the Catholic Swiss Guard have been allegedly approached by priests, bishops and cardinals. In its article, “The Vatican is a Paradise for Gays,” the paper wrote that the Swiss Guard has been “protecting” the Pope and the Vatican for 500 years, but that the 110-men-troop has also been serving as a “lust object.”

Pope Francis—“The Lamb of God”

This is how the Drudge Report linked the following article by The Independent, dated January 8:

“Pope Francis has visited a live nativity re-enactment at the Church of St Alfonso Maria dei Liguori on the outskirts of Rome. After greeting the 200 costumed participants and a large number of farmyard animals, he made his way to the most important member of the group: the 2-month-old baby Francesco, who had been baptised that morning and played the role of Jesus in the proceedings. A group of ‘shepherds’ also placed a young lamb on the Pope’s shoulders as children sang Christmas songs and presented the Pope with a bunch of roses.”

UFO Sighting in Germany

The Local wrote on January 7:

“An unidentified flying object which ruined the travel plans of passengers at Bremen airport on Monday night looked like a plane but was a lot louder, according to eyewitnesses… The airport said on Monday night that the UFO showed up on its radar several times over three hours from 6.30pm to 9.30pm. Police said in a statement that they were alerted at 6.30pm about a UFO over Bremen and a patrol car also saw the object.

“A police helicopter was sent up to try and find the UFO but could not, although the Weser Kurier newspaper reported it could be seen through binoculars from the airport’s traffic control tower. The helicopter search was called off at 8.45pm, according to the police statement.

“Officers are now investigating the case on grounds of unauthorized intrusion into controlled air space. A spokeswoman for German Air Traffic Control (DFS) said: ‘It had normal lights, red and green, and an approach light on both sides,’ the Weser Kurier reported. Eyewitness Dominique Höber told the paper the object was flying at between 100 and 200 metres and passed over his house four times. ‘It looked like a plane,’ he said. ‘It had lights but was a lot louder.’

“A flight from Frankfurt had to be cancelled and a second flight from Munich was diverted to Hannover. Another plane coming from Paris had to stay airborne for a while before it could land. A Bremen police spokesman said. ‘We still don’t know what it was, but it was there.’ Possible explanations are that it was a drone or a balloon-like aircraft.

“On Sunday in the town of Zwickau, Saxony, an initially unidentified aircraft landed on a field behind a house. Hours later it turned out to be a remote-controlled model airship.”

Whatever it might have been, the fact that it could not be located and identified is quite disturbing and worrisome.

Israel’s Challenges for 2014

The Jerusalem Post wrote on January 3:

“Here are [several] challenges that await Netanyahu in 2014:

“… Iran – Insisting on a good deal. Netanyahu’s goal is to ensure the world reaches a deal that will permanently prevent Iran’s military nuclearization and avoid the need for a military strike…

“… Syria – Staying out of it. The Washington Institute estimated this week that there are fighters from 74 countries in the Syrian civil war, which has become what in wrestling is called a battle royal. While Israel is included on that list because there are Druse from the Golan who went there to help their families, the Jewish state has done a good job so far in staying out of the fighting. The last thing Israel wants in 2014 is for all those fighters to stop attacking each other, and decide to turn their guns against their common enemy.

“… Palestinians – Avoiding war. Hamas’s ability to attack Israel has been hindered by the new Egyptian regime closing hundreds of tunnels from Egypt to Gaza. Hamas loses millions in monthly revenue from the tunnels. But terror tunnels to Israel are still being built and rockets are still fired regularly.

“… Palestinians – Making peace. The prime minister is under intense pressure from US Secretary of State John Kerry… If Netanyahu’s goal is to stall and avoid concessions, it will be harder than ever in 2014. If his goal is to reach an agreement, then – as usual – his success will depend on whether his Palestinian counterparts have the same goal…”

The paper lists additional challenges for Mr. Netanyahu’s political survival, but the ones quoted above go beyond just the person of Mr. Netanyahu, and address the problems regarding the very survival of the state of Israel.

Kerry Leaves Israel Without a Deal

JTA wrote on January 7:

“Israel published plans to build nearly 300 West Bank apartments as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry wrapped up a visit to the Middle East without an official framework agreement between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators… On Monday, Netanyahu reportedly told Knesset members from his Likud party that he would oppose withdrawal from settlements such as Hebron and Beit El, which are not part of major settlement blocs but are ‘important to the Jewish people’…”

Michael Moore: “Obamacare Is Awful!”

On December 31, 2013, The New York Times published an editorial by left-liberal filmmaker and Obama-supporter Michael Moore, severely criticizing Obamacare. Moore became famous for films such as “Bowling for Columbine,” dealing with the unregulated use of guns, and his 2007 film ‘Sicko,’ which examined the American health care industry:

“Today marks the beginning of health care coverage under the Affordable Care Act’s new insurance exchanges, for which two million Americans have signed up. Now that the individual mandate is officially here, let me begin with an admission: Obamacare is awful.

“That is the dirty little secret many liberals have avoided saying out loud for fear of aiding the president’s enemies, at a time when the ideal of universal health care needed all the support it could get…

“I believe Obamacare’s rocky start — clueless planning, a lousy website, insurance companies raising rates, and the president’s telling people they could keep their coverage when, in fact, not all could — is a result of one fatal flaw: The Affordable Care Act is a pro-insurance-industry plan…

“What we now call Obamacare was conceived at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, and birthed in Massachusetts by Mitt Romney, then the governor. The president took Romneycare, a program designed to keep the private insurance industry intact, and just improved some of its provisions…By 2017, we will be funneling over $100 billion annually to private insurance companies…

“For many people, the ‘affordable’ part of the Affordable Care Act risks being a cruel joke. The cheapest plan available to a 60-year-old couple making $65,000 a year in Hartford, Conn., will cost $11,800 in annual premiums. And their deductible will be $12,600. If both become seriously ill, they might have to pay almost $25,000 in a single year…”

Of course, Moore has also “good things” to say about Obamacare, which we do not quote herein, as we do not believe that Moore’s overly optimistic and gratuitous comments insofar are accurate. But we did quote the excerpts above to show that even strong Obama supporters are unhappy with the President’s health-care policies… even though they might disagree for wrong reasons…

Secret Court Continues to Authorize Secret Spying on All American Phone Calls

The Washington Times wrote on January 3:

“The secret court that oversees the nation’s intelligence activities renewed its approval of the National Security Agency’s telephone-records program on Friday, granting the government a new three-month window to collect data on all Americans’ phone calls… The decision marks the 36th time the program has been approved by the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court…

“Last month a federal judge in the District of Columbia ruled that the NSA’s phone-records program was likely unconstitutional, but another federal judge in New York concluded the opposite. The Obama administration has said it is appealing the adverse ruling… Under the NSA program, the agency collects the time, duration and parties involved in most calls placed within the U.S. The agency stores that data for five years…

“A White House review, released last month, was harshly critical of the program, saying the NSA shouldn’t store the data but rather should leave it with telephone companies, only accessing the data when analysts have a specific articulable reason. The White House review was also critical of the secret court that has repeatedly upheld the NSA’s snooping program…”

Just to clarify and bring back to America’s consciousness. These incredible violations of privacy are not perpetrated in dictatorial countries such as North Korea, but in the “land of the brave and the free.”

Class Action Lawsuit by Rand Paul and Ken Cuccinelli against Obama for Spying

Breitbart reported on January 4:

“Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said the grassroots in America will ‘overwhelm’ the federal government and President Barack Obama’s administration by signing up for his class action lawsuit against Obama himself over the National Security Agency (NSA) spying on American citizens.

“‘Well, the thing about it is the question here is whether or not constitutionally you can have a single warrant apply to millions of people,’ Paul said in an exclusive interview with Fox News’ Eric Bolling on Friday evening… ‘We now have several hundred thousand people who want to be part of this suit to say to the government and to the NSA “you can’t have our records without our permission or without a warrant specific to an individual.”… We want to overwhelm the government and we want to show publicly that hundreds of thousands of people object to the government looking at our records without our permission.

“Paul confirmed to Bolling that former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli will be leading his legal team’s efforts against President Obama… He was also the first attorney general to file a lawsuit against Obamacare. And he’s joined our legal team. He has constitutional expertise. We’re hoping with his help we can get a hearing in court and so that we can get this class action lawsuit, I think the first of its kind, all the way to the Supreme Court.’

“Paul said the goal of the lawsuit is to force the Obama administration to follow the constitution… ‘We want them to protect the Fourth Amendment,’ Paul said. ‘We want them to protect the right to privacy. We want them to understand that we’re not willing to trade our liberty for security. We think we can have security and we can defend against terrorism but that doesn’t mean every individual American has to give up their privacy. We think we can have both. But we are very upset that this president doesn’t seem to be too concerned with our right to privacy.’

“When Bolling asked Paul if Director of National Intelligence James Clapper should be prosecuted for a factually inaccurate statement he made to Congress in 2013, Paul said he thinks so. Clapper denied during a congressional hearing that the NSA had engaged in collection of Americans’ records–something that has been proven to be untrue. ‘Lying to Congress is a felony,’ Paul said…”

Whether this class action lawsuit will be successful is doubtful in a country run by a government and a Congress determined to continue with spying on its citizens.

But lest anyone thinks that we are involved in politics and support one particular political candidate, let us make clear that we do not. We are reporting on political events in the light of biblical prophecy and social developments which are in contradiction to biblical standards. But we realize that this is Satan’s world, and that no politician, whether well-meaning or not, is able to solve our problems. That is why we are NOT voting in governmental elections. It will require the return of Jesus Christ to set up godly rule and the Kingdom of God here on earth.

We also know that no politician is infallible. For example, Rand Paul made some questionable statements in opposition to President Obama’s desire to prolong unemployment benefits. We reported about Congress’ failure to extend these benefits in our last Update. Now Newsmax reported on January 7 that Rand Paul “fired back at President Barack Obama’s aggressive push for extended unemployment benefits, saying that like ‘most liberals,’ he makes ‘big-hearted, small-brained policy statements.” Obama had responded to Paul’s controversial claim that “expanding benefits harms the country.” As we mentioned, it is easy to make such unsupportable statements when one is gainfully employed, has big savings in the bank, or has financial support from rich relatives, but it is a different story when one is becoming unemployed, searching for a job and is unable to find one. The Bible COMMANDS and enjoins the nation that these people MUST be supported.

Congress Not Exempted from NSA Spying?

CNN reported on January 5:

“Congress is just like everyone else. That’s the message the National Security Agency has for Sen. Bernie Sanders. The independent senator from Vermont sent a letter to the agency Friday, asking whether it has or is ‘spying’ on members of Congress and other elected American officials. The NSA provided a preliminary response Saturday that said Congress has ‘the same privacy protections as all U.S. persons.’… The NSA would say nothing more, except that it is further reviewing the letter…

“Attorney General Eric Holder similarly deflected answering the same question at a congressional hearing last summer…

“The intelligence community has faced heated criticism from the right and left in 2013 after Edward Snowden’s leaks, and the intensity has continued fiercely in 2014. On Thursday, the New York Times and the Guardian published scathing editorials that slammed the ‘violations’ Snowden’s leaks revealed and advocated a presidential pardon for him.

“Among those charges was the notion that James Clapper Jr., the director of National Intelligence, lied to Congress while testifying last March that the NSA was not collecting data on millions of Americans. National Intelligence was quick to push back, with a letter to the editor… by general counsel Robert Litt, published in the New York Times on Saturday. ‘As a witness to the relevant events and a participant in them, I know that allegation is not true,’ writes Litt, explaining that Clapper misunderstood the question, but couldn’t publicly correct his mistake ‘because the program involved was classified.’… Litt said that Clapper was ‘surprised and distressed’ when he was informed by staff that he gave a misleading answer after the testimony.”

This reminds us of the impeachable offense by former President Bill Clinton when he lied under oath regarding the nature of his extra-marital adulterous affair with “this woman,” subsequently stating that he misunderstood the question…

Obama Most Hostile President Towards the Press Since Nixon?

The Huffington Post wrote on January 7:

“President Obama demanded a criminal investigation into leaks to the New York Times just a month into his first term, a new book by his former defense secretary claims… In it, the paper reports, [Robert] Gates ‘reveals the depth of Mr. Obama’s concerns over leaks of classified information to news outlets, noting that within his first month in office, the new president said he wanted a criminal investigation into disclosures on Iran policy published by The New York Times.’

“It wasn’t clear which exact piece from the Times triggered Obama’s anger. The paper has famously been a subject of a Justice Department investigation into the leaking of detailed information of a classified program against Iran in 2012. But the claim highlights the zeal that has caused many to accuse Obama of being the most hostile president towards the press since Richard Nixon.”

USA in the Grip of Polar Vortex

The Associated Press wrote on January 5:

“Temperatures not seen in years are likely to set records in the coming days across the Midwest, Northeast and South, creating dangerous travel conditions and prompting church and school closures. A ‘polar vortex’ will affect more than half of the continental U.S. starting Sunday and into Monday and Tuesday, with wind chill warnings stretching from Montana to Alabama. The vortex is a counterclockwise-rotating pool of cold, dense air, and is behind the startling forecast: 25 below zero in Fargo, N.D., minus 31 in International Falls, Minn., and 15 below in Indianapolis and Chicago.

“The bitterly cold temperatures already pushed into northern states Sunday morning… It hasn’t been this cold for almost two decades in many parts of the country. Because of that, medical experts are reminding people that frostbite and hypothermia can set in quickly at 15 to 30 below zero, and it’s key to be dressed for the temperatures.”

BBC News added on January 7:

“A brutal blast of arctic air has settled over eastern North America, bringing dangerously low temperatures not seen in decades. About half of the US population has been placed under a wind chill warning or cold weather advisory. In Toronto, the temperature dropped to -24C (-11F) before dawn on Tuesday. Air, rail and road travel remain snarled by high, freezing wind, and residents have been warned to stay indoors to avoid frostbite.

“Cold air broke records in Chicago on Monday, where the temperature of -16F (-27C) was the lowest ever seen on that date. It was one of more than 120 daily temperature records broken in cities across the US since the beginning of 2014, many dating back decades.”

CBS wrote on January 7:

“The Polar Vortex has dropped unusually far south, keeping the Contiguous United States below freezing overnight, and 90-percent of the country below freezing Tuesday!”

Newsmax reported on January 7 that controversial radio host Rush Limbaugh made headlines again, stating: “The polar vortex is ‘a hoax’ perpetuated by the liberal media to further its agenda of climate change and global warming… ‘[We] are having a record-breaking cold snap in many parts of the country, and right on schedule, the media have to come up with a way to make it sound like it’s completely unprecedented,’ the conservative talker said, ‘because they’ve got to find a way to attach this to the global-warming agenda, and they have. It’s called the polar vortex. The dreaded polar vortex.”

It is not quite clear to us what the polar vortex has to do, if anything, with global warming, and why it must be a hoax to support global warming. The fact is, the term and phenomenon of “polar vortex” has been used and known for many years—before there was even a debate about global warming—and the USA is experiencing a freezing record unparalleled for decades. The following editorial by the Washington Times, dated January 6, sounds much more sensible to us than Rush Limbaugh’s conclusions.

“Polar Vortex Threatens Global Warming Delusions”

“If it’s too cold, the cause is man-made global warming. Not cold enough? That’s the fault of man-made global warming… Despite adoption of ‘climate change’ to replace ‘global warming,’ the public takes notice when Midwestern wind chills hit 70 degrees below zero and the average nationwide temperature falls to a mere 15 degrees…

“The liberal website Slate insists ‘Winter Does Not Disprove Global Warming’… Slate’s conclusion rests on a supposed scientific consensus and cites a draft of the U.S. National Climate Assessment that predicts ‘heavy precipitation in winter storms’ as proof that the cold snap is caused by global warming. When the winter is warm, [they] cite the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessment of more than a decade ago, which predicted ‘Milder winter temperatures will decrease heavy snowstorms.’ Even ‘mild’ was a cause for alarm, as the same report predicted killer ice storms would cause even more damage than blizzards…

“Australians dutifully heard the urgent warnings of the experts and the climate scientists, and enacted a dramatic global-warming carbon-dioxide tax… It has been in place for more than a year and a half. Instead of cooling down, a summertime heat is scorching the nation with the hottest temperatures on record (by one-half of a degree). Australians have elected a conservative, the Liberal Party’s Tony Abbott, as prime minister, who set as his top priority abolishing the job-killing levy.

“Mr. Abbott’s top business adviser, Maurice L. Newman, put liberals to steaming over recent comments on the subject. ‘Regrettably for the global-warming religion,’ wrote Mr. Newman in an op-ed, “’its predictions have started to appear shaky, and the converts, many of whom have lost their jobs and much of their wealth, are losing faith.’ The new prime minister hopes to collect the votes to kill the global-warming tax after elections later this year.

“Hot and cold, extreme and mild aren’t proof of global warming. They’re proof that nature is stronger than man and man’s feeble attempts to make the weather behave the way he thinks it should.”

British Tea Party on the Rise

Fox News reported on January 4:

“The often stale British political system is being rocked by its very own Tea Party. The UK Independence Party (UKIP), formed in 1993 opposing Britain’s entry into the European Union, failed to make an electoral dent for a long time. However UKIP has built up steam in recent years and is spearheading a seismic shift in the British political spectrum. In this year’s local elections – the British version of midterms — UKIP took a stunning 23 percent of the vote, up from the 3.1 percent they won in the 2010 national election. Their leader, Nigel Farage, is buoyed by their recent success. ‘We want to take back our country, we want to take back our government, and we want to take back our birthright,’ Farage told FoxNews.com in forthright language rarely seen in British politics…

“Farage has good reason to be confident of UKIP’s potential. Since he took the party’s helm for a second time in 2010, the party has been revitalized, capitalizing on dissatisfaction with the Conservative Party’s shift to the center under current Prime Minister David Cameron. Cameron has radically overhauled the ‘Tories,’ embracing nationalized health care, fighting for gay marriage, and changing the party logo from the flame of liberty to an environmentally conscious tree. This, UKIP argues, makes them indistinguishable from the left-wing Labour Party and Liberal Democrats. It is here where UKIP spied an opportunity, adopting an anti-establishment, populist platform that argues for lower taxation, privatization, smaller government and getting Britain out of the European Union. The message is proving effective. UKIP look[s] likely to make significant inroads in the next general election in 2015, possibly snatching seats away from the main parties.

“Farage is not getting ahead of himself however, instead focusing on the European elections in May 2014, where Europe is the determining factor. Britain has been turning decidedly away from Europe in recent years, with a September Opinion poll finding that 53 percent of British voters wanted to leave the E.U., with only 32 percent wanting to stay…

“Andrew Russell, Head of Politics at the University of Manchester, told FoxNews.com that the comparison between the Tea Party and UKIP is an accurate one, and that he believes that UKIP could take the 2014 elections by storm. ‘UKIP will do well in the 2014 European elections. They may even win them in terms of the popular vote. This will increase the pressure on the Conservatives.’ Yet instead of reaching out and finding middle ground, the Tories have snubbed UKIP. In 2006 David Cameron dismissed the newcomers as full of ‘fruitcakes and loonies and closet racists,’ and top Tory Kenneth Clark recently branded them as ‘a collection of clowns.’ However, Russell is unsure as to whether UKIP’s popularity could translate to general election success…”

Time will tell. But the “politically established” “conservative” reaction towards the US and British “Tea Party” movement is the same—dismissal rather than cooperation. This may heavily damage Boehner’s Republican Party as well as Cameron’s “Tories.” And the Bible strongly suggests that the UK will exit the EU.

This is a question that has troubled people for ages. If God is perfect and powerful, and if sickness is bad, why do people become sick? Whether a sickness is life threatening or just enough to slow us down, it is important to understand the reason and purpose for sickness in man. The Bible reveals that sickness is something that God allows for several different reasons.

Before explaining some of the reasons for why sickness may occur, it is very important to draw a distinction between people who leave their life up to time and chance, and those who commit their lives into the trust of God. Ecclesiastes 9:1 declares that the righteous and the wise put their lives into God’s hands, to watch over and help control the circumstances in their lives. Those who are unwilling to live in submission to God’s Will give over their lives instead to time and chance (Ecclesiastes 9:11). This is important to acknowledge when asking about why people become sick because there are certainly situations in which God is not directly involved in causing an illness. (For more information on the biblical teaching of “time and chance,” please read our free booklet, “Human Suffering—Why?… and How Much Longer?”).

In addition, an illness may not be the result of God’s intervention in a true Christian’s life, even if he or she lives in submission to God’s Will. He may choose to allow a Christian to become sick because of the corrupt environment in which he lives. Satan is the god of this world, and makes every attempt to do harm when he can. Therefore it should be no surprise that germs spread, and global pandemics cause great harm to people because physical contact is made with a pathogen. People may also be afflicted with degenerative diseases or inherited birth defects for reasons that do not involve God’s direct intervention, but are an effect of having a physical body in a corrupt world. In our free booklet, “Sickness and Healing—What the Bible Tells Us,” we write that Jesus Christ experienced illness: “We understand from the Bible that Jesus Christ never sinned. Still, we find that He knew about sickness, having experienced it as a human being. It is true, of course, that He carried our sicknesses so that we today can be healed from them, but we must still say that Christ became sick, even though He never sinned. This again shows that not every sickness is the result of individual sin.” God is not always directly involved in, nor the cause of, the sickness of a Church member.

Still, God does, in some situations, use sickness and affliction for a purpose. One of the most straight-forward reasons for sickness is as a punishment for disobedience. This reason serves common sense and explains that there is a cause to the effect of sickness. Deuteronomy 28:58-59 explains this in no uncertain terms: “’If you do not carefully observe all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, THE LORD YOUR GOD, then the LORD will bring upon you and your descendants extraordinary plagues—great and prolonged plagues—and serious and prolonged sicknesses.’” This message was to the Israelites as they came out of Egypt, but it still applies to us today. God reserves the right to punish sin, which is lawlessness or the transgression of His Law.

In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul admonishes the Corinthians to take the Passover in a worthy manner; that is, with complete acceptance, admitting personal guilt of sin, causing the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ to be necessary, and with willingness to submit to God’s Will, living obediently. When these conditions for taking the Passover worthily are not met, sickness and even death may result. “For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep” (1 Corinthians 11:29-30). Taking the Passover is a serious matter in God’s eyes, and there are consequences of illness that may result when it is improperly observed.

In Psalm 39:8–11, David gives us insight into a reason for illness in his recognition that God uses it as a tool for correction. He writes: “Deliver me from all my transgressions; Do not make me the reproach of the foolish. I was mute, I did not open my mouth, Because it was You who did it. Remove Your plague from me; I am consumed by the blow of Your hand. When with rebukes You correct man for iniquity, You make his beauty melt away like a moth; Surely every man is vapor. Selah.” David acknowledges his sin in this passage, and understands that God uses sickness to rebuke and correct man for his sins.

The story of Job gives us another interesting example. Job was terribly afflicted with sickness as a result of Satan’s influence (Job 2:7-8). Yet, leading up to that moment God describes him as being blameless and upright, fearing God and shunning evil (Job 2:3). While it is true that all men but Jesus are guilty of sin, it is hard to conclude that Job became afflicted because God wanted to punish him. What is more evident throughout the story of Job is that he was afflicted so that he might recognize his hidden sin. As Job’s story progresses, it is revealed that Job had a need to repent of the sin of self-righteousness. This sin might not have been exposed if Job had never experienced the physical sickness and affliction that he did. In this case, God allowed Job to become sick to show him what he had to repent of. The result for Job was very fruitful in the way that his experience – going through a trial of physical affliction – caused him to learn about his latent and hidden sin. When he learned about it, he overcame it and repented (Job 42:6) and returned to a long and prosperous life (Job 42:17).

While punishment is a purpose of sickness that appeals to common sense, it is not always used for that reason.

Quoting again from our booklet, “Sickness and Healing—What the Bible Tells Us,” we write about John 9:1-3. “In this passage, Jesus and the disciples observed a man who was blind from birth. His disciples, apparently believing that his blindness had to be the result of his individual sin and the punishment for it, asked a pointed question: ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered: ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.’ He then proceeded to heal the blind man.

“Christ made it clear that the blindness of the person was NOT the result of individual sin of either the blind person or his parents. This passage proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that teaching that every sickness is the result of individual sin of the sick person is patently wrong and unbiblical.”

In addition, this example proves that there was a different kind of purpose involved. The reason for this man’s blindness revealed the works of God! Jesus Christ was sent to the earth to preach the Gospel, and as a part of that work, many people came to believe Him because of the miracles that He performed, including healing the sick. The Bible describes this man as having blindness so that he could be healed. God’s purpose for sickness is not always for a punishment.

Another example of an affliction used by God for reasons other than punishment is that of the thorn in Paul’s side. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:7-8: “And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.” Paul realized that this affliction he experienced actually helped him to remain humble. He was thankful for the weakness and infirmity that God gave him in this regard, concluding by saying: “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).

Empathy is another effect that may result from an illness or affliction. When we experience physical pain or an ailment, we build within ourselves a first-hand understanding of how others feel when they are sick. This aspect of love for a brother or sister in Christ through empathy is a vitally important character trait that all Christians must build. Jesus Christ was afflicted specifically for the sake of those who would follow Him, and as a result, He fully understands and sympathizes with our physical weakness (Hebrews 4:15). Isaiah 53:5 describes the deep meaning of Jesus’ affliction and the resulting empathy that He has for us, giving us a means by which we may be healed: “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.” This example is ours to follow, so that when we are afflicted with an ailment, we may understand the pain of others, and support them as they have need.

Sickness that we experience is not a physically pleasant condition to handle. It is a burden for anyone directly involved. Yet, God has given us the ability to claim the Sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, so that we can receive healing. 

Lead Writer: Eric Rank

The contract for The Hilton Garden Inn at Pismo Beach is signed for this year’s Feast of Tabernacles and Last Great Day observance in the US.  We reserved 15 rooms with more available, as needed. Please contact us and tell us that you want to stay in the hotel. We will compose an assignment list. Also, we will have more details available shortly. The prices and amenities are very close to those of two years ago.

“Demonic Possession on the Rise?” is the title of a new StandingWatch program presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

The Telegraph reported on January 5, 2014, that according to the Catholic Church, demonic possession and exorcisms are on the rise. They say this is a result of more people dabbling in black magic, paganism, Satanic rites, Ouija boards, and even yoga. Is this true? What does the Bible say about the practice of casting out demons? Could it be that an apparent “exorcism” is nothing else but a demonic deception?

A new Member Letter for January, written by Brian Gale, has been mailed out and is now posted.

The monthly Tech Team meeting was conducted on Monday evening of this week. Reports on development of our redesigned website were presented along with further use of social networking.

“Das Schicksal unserer Kinder,” is the title of this week’s German sermon. Mr. Norbert Link addresses the fate of our children, focusing on the bad example and influence of parents. The next sermon will address the parent’s good example. The title in English: “The Fate of Our Children.”
 
Pastor Rene Messier (Canada) has presented a new StandingWatch Talking Point program, asking: Can evolution be true. If so how do you explain some of the issues it creates in regards to migrating birds and nesting birds and how does order come out of chaos?

Pastor Brian Gale (United Kingdom) has presented a new StandingWatch Talking Point program in which he highlights our booklet, “Middle Eastern and African Nations in Bible Prophecy.” Here is a summary:

The Bible speaks of many modern countries in prophetic terms, using, of course, ancient names for our peoples today. In order to understand biblical prophecies, one must understand the biblical identity of today’s nations and countries.