On October 26, 2013, Michael Link and Norbert Link will give split sermons, titled, respectively, “Do or Die”, and “Hope and Desire in Trials”.

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). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

At this point in our Christian life, how are we doing?

For those who have been called by God, who have been led to repentance, who have been baptized and given the gift of God’s Holy Spirit, who have entered into the fellowship of God’s Church—is there more to be done?

There is, and the first admonition from God’s Word is that we must keep what we have! Most important is that we retain God’s Holy Spirit. We are warned not to quench the Spirit—that is, to not suppress living godly lives (1 Thessalonians 5:19; Ephesians 4:30).

Remember that Saul lost God’s Holy Spirit, and quite possibly his chance for eternal life in God’s Kingdom (compare 1 Samuel 16:14). God rejected him, because he rejected God. Note what God says:

“‘I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments’” (1 Samuel 15:11).

Saul lost his grip on reality. He lost his former humility and replaced it with conceit and self-appeasing vanity. His audacity caused him to ignore God’s commands. Paul warns all Christians of the same danger when he states:

“For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself” (Galatians 6:3).

How many have taken it upon themselves to decide a different direction, rather than following the lead of Jesus Christ through His faithful ministry? Does the following Scripture still apply, today?:

“Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you” (Hebrews 13:17).

In small ways and in large ones, we are challenged to “…hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). In fact, throughout both the Old and New Testament, those who are walking in obedience to and in the Way of God are explicitly instructed to faithfully continue and to never deviate.

If you have studied what we have written and been attentive to what has been preached, then you know that biblical prophecy is being dramatically fulfilled—all leading to the forthcoming return of Jesus Christ!

Holding fast to God is a life and death struggle. Now is not the time to relax our efforts; rather, we are to fervently cling to our calling, and “…so much the more as [we] see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25).

We begin with the horrible monetary effects of the useless US governmental shutdown and the ever-climbing national debt; speak of the disastrous Obamacare Website; the inevitable next war for an unprepared America; the deepening rift between Saudi Arabia and the USA; the hopelessly unrealistic expectations by some that the USA will be able to get out of the current mess; Arnold Schwarzenegger’s attempts to become the next President; the intent by the Obama administration to give Iran billions of dollars; the allegation that the USA might be guilty of war crimes; and examples of frightening incompetency in the US Air Force.

We continue reporting on alarming figures of worldwide slavery; focus on developments in France and Germany—the two most powerful leading nations of continental Europe; speak of the growing anger of European allies towards the USA about its “totally unacceptable” spying activities; and conclude with an article on the dangers of genetically modified salmons.

Expensive Government Shutdown

Time and CNN reported the following on October 17, under the following headline:

“Here’s How Much The Government Shutdown Cost The Economy.”
The article continued:

“$24 billion. That’s according to an estimate from Standard & Poor’s. The financial services company said the shutdown, which ended with a deal late Wednesday night after 16 days, took $24 billion out of the U.S. economy, and reduced projected fourth-quarter GDP growth from 3 percent to 2.4 percent…

“Hundreds of thousands of federal workers bore the economic brunt of the shutdown. But small businesses also suffered from frozen government contracts and stalled business loans. Tourism suffered from closed national parks, and military families had to cope without childcare and other services. Federal workers will receive back-pay under the deal, but contractors will probably not get their lost wages…

“And with the deal only guaranteeing government funding through Jan. 15, the situation could grow worse…”

And all of this for nothing…

National Debt

AFP wrote on October 19:

“The government shutdown may have ended Wednesday, but the bipartisan deal that put workers back on the job also suspended the nation’s debt ceiling, leaving the national debt soaring at an astronomical rate that is expected to keep growing.

“The nation’s debt climbed by a record $328 billion on Thursday alone, reports The Washington Times, the first day the federal government could borrow money under the agreement. The debt is now at a record $17.075 trillion and climbing, according to the Treasury Department.”

The website http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/US-economy-politics-debt/2013/10/19/id/531938?ns_mail_uid=9650683&ns_mail_job=1542415_10192013&promo_code=153B3-1 offers up-to-date figures of the climbing national debt. Newsmax reported on October 10 that “The national debt is set to double by the time President Barack Obama leaves office, if it continues to increase at the current rate.”

Obamacare Website—Disastrous and Catastrophic

Newsmax reported on October 18:

“The disastrous rollout of the Obamacare website has taken a new turn with errors turning up for the few who successfully managed to enroll through the glitch-filled site.

“Executives at more than a dozen health plans have told The Wall Street Journal that errors include duplicate enrollments, spouses reported as children, missing data fields [sic], and suspect eligibility determinations. In one case, a customer successfully signed up on Healthcare.gov for three plans at one company. ‘The longer this takes to resolve… the harder it will be to get people to [come back and] sign up,’ Aetna Inc. Chief Executive Mark Bertolini told the Journal. ‘It’s not off to a great start.’…

“The administration initially blamed the issues on high demand, but has since admitted the site was fraught with serious flaws, though officials have withheld details. President Barack Obama this week admitted his frustration with the website… On Thursday, the Journal published an editorial labeling the Obamacare website ‘a catastrophe.’”

Newsmax reported on October 21:

“Consumer Reports, the nation’s most respected consumer watchdog, has some sobering advice for Americans attempting to sign up for Obamacare: ‘Stay away.’ The federal exchange, Healthcare.gov, which has been plagued by software glitches, should be avoided ‘for at least another month if you can… Hopefully that will be long enough for its software vendors to clean up the mess they’ve made.’”

The Weekly Standard wrote on October 23:

“While the Affordable Care Act was making its way through Congress in 2009 and 2010, President Obama famously promised the American people over and over again that if you like your health plan, you can keep it. ‘Let me be exactly clear about what health care reform means to you,’ Obama said at one rally in July 2009. ‘First of all, if you’ve got health insurance, you like your doctors, you like your plan, you can keep your doctor, you can keep your plan.  Nobody is talking about taking that away from you.’ 

“But the president’s promise is turning out to be false for millions of Americans who have had their health insurance policies canceled because they don’t meet the requirements of the Affordable Care Act.  According to health policy expert Bob Laszewski, roughly 16 million Americans will lose their current plans because of Obamacare.”

Breitbart wrote on October 23:

“The Washington Post’s Ezra Klein now admits that weeks before the disastrous ObamaCare launch, he heard ‘some very ugly things about how the system was performing[.]’ We also now know that a few hundred people were involved in a test that crashed the site days before the launch and that insurance companies were complaining about the site before the launch.  On top of all that, we are now seeing story after story about the red flags ignored by the Administration. But it isn’t just the White House claiming to be caught off guard by The Obvious, it is also a useless American media that seems incapable of breaking stories embarrassing to this president…

“Once again, despite numerous red flags, our media claims to  be as surprised by a major scandal as the rest of… America. This isn’t the first major Obama White House scandal the media failed to break. The NSA, Associated Press, IRS, and Benghazi scandals were all missed by an American mainstream media that apparently spends its days spinning for the White House instead of engaging in the kind of investigative journalism into it that might result in revelations they don’t want to know about or report.

“From what we now know, three weeks after the launch of this half-billion dollar debacle, the only thing more outrageous than the Obama administration launching a site they knew was nowhere near ready, is that our media was too lazy or partisan or incompetent or all three to have been way ahead of this scandal.”

Some even try to put their usual positive spin on these events, praising the “success” of Obamacare by pointing out that so many have (unsuccessfully) attempted to sign up for it. Beg your pardon?

Next War Inevitable

USA Today wrote on October 17:

“Budget reductions could render the Army at ‘high risk to meet even one major war,’ according to documents obtained by USA TODAY, a warning the Army is sounding because it sees another war as inevitable before long… War is likely to break out again…

“Since May, the Army, Marines and Special Operations Command have been emphasizing the importance of ground forces in future conflicts. The Strategic Landpower Task Force states that some in the defense community believe wars will be fought primarily with weapons fired from a safe distance… [But] operations on land are most effective at achieving national objectives. [Commanders] referred to the need to influence what they refer to as the ‘human domain.’ Compelling people to act in U.S. interests is best accomplished by land forces, they said.”

Sadly, America’s next war IS inevitable, but America will not win it.

U.S.-Saudi Arabia Rift Deepens

The Guardian wrote on October 22:

“A deepening diplomatic rift between Saudi Arabia and the US burst open on Tuesday after secretary of state John Kerry acknowledged that Washington’s key strategic ally had serious misgivings about US foreign policy in the Middle East.

“Kerry held urgent talks with his Saudi counterpart in Paris on Monday amid complaints from Riyadh that the US was not doing enough to help Sunni-dominated rebels in Syria following a decision not launch US military action… Kerry insisted relations remained fundamentally sound, but news of the meetings appears to confirm reports in the Wall Street Journal that the Saudis had threatened to scale back their regional co-operation with the US in protest at what it saw as a misguided Middle East strategy…

“Reuters also quoted Prince Bandar telling European diplomats that the kingdom would be making a ‘major shift’ in relations with Washington over perceived inaction towards the conflict in Syria, and a possible rapprochement with Iran over its nuclear program. Saudi Arabia is understood to be upset at perceived US weakness over Iran – and wants more aggressive steps taken to prevent Tehran’s development of nuclear weapons technology – and Egypt, where the US has severed military ties with the new government in protest at crackdowns on demonstrators…

“These are the latest signs that a US policy of rapprochement with Iran is causing friction with existing allies in the region, following similar concerns expressed by Israel. Washington is also struggling to maintain good relations with France, Brazil, and Germany over separate arguments about surveillance by the National Security Agency. But the row with Saudi Arabia threatens to destabilise one of the strongest diplomatic ties in Washington, based historically on mutual oil and security interests. Last week, Riyadh snubbed a US-backed offer to take a seat on the United Nations security council.”

Mail On Line added on October 22:

“In unusually blunt public remarks, [Saudi Arabia’s] Prince Turki al-Faisal  called Obama’s policies in Syria ‘lamentable’ and ridiculed a U.S.-Russian deal to eliminate Assad’s chemical weapons…

“Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, ploughs much of its earnings back into U.S. assets. Most of the Saudi central bank’s net foreign assets of $690 billion are thought to be denominated in dollars, much of them in U.S. Treasury bonds. ‘All options are on the table now, and for sure there will be some impact,’ the [unnamed] Saudi source said. He said there would be no further coordination with the United States over the war in Syria, where the Saudis have armed and financed rebel groups fighting Assad.”

“America’s Not in Decline… It’s on the Rise”

Believe it or not, this ridiculous article was published on October 20 by the Washington Post. The authors, Ely Ratner and Thomas Wright, begin to describe correctly the ACCURATE international reaction to the most current developments, as follows:

“It’s been a banner month for the oracles of American decline. The shutdown of the federal government, the prospect of a default on the country’s debt, and the political dysfunction that made the United States seem rudderless on Syria and forced the cancellation of President Obama’s trip to Asia seemed to confirm that the end of American preeminence is finally upon us.

“Council on Foreign Relations President Richard Haass argued that Washington was ‘hastening the emergence of a post-American world.’ The Guardian’s Timothy Garton Ash wrote that ‘the erosion of American power is happening faster than most of us predicted — while the politicians in Washington behave like rutting stags with locked antlers.’ And the financial Web site MarketWatch declared: ‘This is what decline of a superpower looks like.’…”

But then, the opinion is uttered that these concerns are baseless, and that a glorious future is ahead of the USA. NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH. But read yourself the statements in the article:

“Despite gridlock in Washington, America is recovering from the financial crisis and combining enduring strengths with new sources of influence… Meanwhile, emerging powers are running into troubles of their own. Taken together, these developments are ushering in a new era of American strategic advantage… the United States is experiencing a turnaround of fortunes. The unemployment rate has fallen to just over 7 percent from an October 2009 peak of 10 percent. By contrast, euro-zone unemployment remains stuck at around 12 percent.”

This is so wrong. These figures (even though lamentable per se) are terribly misleading, as they do not include those who are self-employed and who have lost their business; who are part-time or under-employed, and who have given up on even claiming unemployment.

The article continues:

“In this dawning era of strategic advantage, the United States will confront foreign policy challenges largely associated with weakness and instability abroad… The Middle East will continue its painful and bloody revolution. And Europe appears increasingly unable to move beyond protracted stagnation, eroding its ability to play a constructive role in world affairs.”

This world view is hopelessly naïve and unrealistic. It’s mere wishful thinking. It reminds us of the false prophets of old, at the time of Jeremiah, who proclaimed peace and security, while captivity and slavery were awaiting the nation. The same is true today. Don’t listen to these false prognosticators of incorrect fantasies… they are lulling the people to sleep and don’t help them at all.

Schwarzenegger for President?

The Washington Times wrote on October 18:

“Hollywood action star and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has been quietly lobbying key politicos for a legal loophole or a constitutional change that would clear the path for him to run for president in 2016. If allowed, Mr. Schwarzenegger would face off against Hillary Rodham Clinton, The New York Post reported… ‘Schwarzenegger has been talking openly about working on getting the constitutional rules changed so he can run for president in 2016,’ a source said, The Post reported. ‘He is ready to file legal paperwork to challenge the rules.’

“The actor was born in Austria, making him ineligible to seek the high office. The Constitution states plainly that one of the requirements for a U.S. president is to be a natural born citizen. Section One Article Two states: ‘No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of president.’

“The loophole language could be the definition of ‘natural born citizen,’ legal minds have argued. Columbia University Law School professor Michael Dorf said, The Post reported: ‘The law is very clear, but it’s not 100 percent clear that the courts would enforce that law rather than leave it to the political process.’

“Meanwhile, there’s little doubt that the Hollywood icon would run if he could. Mr. Schwarzenegger became a legal U.S. citizen in 1983, and in 2010 he was asked during a ‘Tonight Show’ appearance if he would seek the presidency if the law allowed. His answer: ‘Without any doubt.’”

One has to wait and see what will develop. After all, there are still nagging doubts and many unresolved answers whether Barack Obama is a “natural born citizen” under the Constitution and therefore eligible to hold the office of President.

Obama Administration to Give Iran Billions of Dollars?

The Associated Press reported on October 18:

“The Obama administration is weighing whether to offer Iran the chance to recoup billions of dollars in frozen overseas assets if it takes steps to scale back its nuclear program, U.S. officials and congressional aides said Friday. The proposal would face a skeptical Congress determined to make the end of Tehran’s uranium enrichment activity the condition for any sanctions relief.

“The brainstorming comes after two days of nuclear negotiations between Iran and world powers ended this week in Geneva. The talks — the first since Iranian President Hassan Rouhani took office — ended on an upbeat note although it fell short of specific and concrete commitments by Iran to stop enriching uranium or ship out its stockpiles of higher-enriched uranium…

“Under the plan being weighed, Iran would be able to access money from oil sales overseas that it currently can only barter with because of U.S. and international sanctions. Senate aides put the total between $50 billion and $75 billion. It’s not clear what Iran would have to do in return to prompt the Obama administration to allow banks to release the money.”

Iran would be happy to get that money, while NEVER agreeing to forsaking their nuclear program…

USA Guilty of War Crimes?

The Guardian wrote on October 21:

“US officials responsible for the secret CIA drone campaign against suspected terrorists in Pakistan may have committed war crimes and should stand trial, a report by a leading human rights group warns. Amnesty International has highlighted the case of a grandmother who was killed while she was picking vegetables and other incidents which could have broken international laws designed to protect civilians.

“The report is issued in conjunction with an investigation by Human Rights Watch detailing missile attacks in Yemen which the group believes could contravene the laws of armed conflict, international human rights law and Barack Obama’s own guidelines on drones… The US has repeatedly claimed very few civilians have been killed by drones. It argues its campaign is conducted ‘consistent with all applicable domestic and international law’.”

Frightening Incompetency in the US Air Force

Fox News wrote on October 23:

“Four Air Force officers who were entrusted with the launch keys to nuclear-tipped missiles have been punished for leaving open blast doors intended to help prevent a terrorist or other intruder from entering their post while they were sleeping. Air Force officials confirm to Fox News that twice this year alone, Air Force officers were caught leaving open blast doors. The doors are never to be left open if one of the crew members inside is asleep — as was the case in both these instances — out of concern for the damage an intruder could cause, including the compromising of secret launch codes.

“Transgressions such as these, which were first reported by the Associated Press, are rarely revealed publicly. But officials with direct knowledge of Air Force intercontinental ballistic missile operations told the AP that such violations have happened, undetected, many more times than in the cases of the two launch crew commanders and two deputy commanders who were given administrative punishments this year. The blast door violations are another sign of serious trouble in the handling of the nation’s nuclear arsenal. The Associated Press has discovered a series of problems within the ICBM force, including a failed safety inspection, the temporary sidelining of launch officers deemed unfit for duty and the abrupt firing last week of the two-star general in charge.”

30 Million People Enslaved Today

Reuters reported on October 17:

“Some 30 million people are enslaved worldwide, trafficked into brothels, forced into manual labor, victims of debt bondage or even born into servitude, a global index on modern slavery showed on Thursday. Almost half are in India, where slavery ranges from bonded labor in quarries and kilns to commercial sex exploitation, although the scourge exists in all 162 countries surveyed by Walk Free, an Australian-based rights group… almost 21 million people are [estimated to be] victims of forced labour…

“The Global Slavery Index 2013 defines slavery as the possession or control of people to deny freedom and exploit them for profit or sex, usually through violence, coercion or deception. The definition includes indentured servitude, forced marriage and the abduction of children to serve in wars. According to the index, 10 countries alone account for three quarters of the world’s slaves.

“After India, China has the most with 2.9 million, followed by Pakistan (2.1 million), Nigeria (701,000), Ethiopia (651,000), Russia (516,000), Thailand (473,000), Democratic Republic of Congo (462,000), Myanmar (384,000) and Bangladesh (343,000)…

“At the other end of the scale, Iceland has the lowest estimated prevalence with fewer than 100 slaves. Next best are Ireland, Britain, New Zealand, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Luxembourg, Finland and Denmark, although researchers said slave numbers in such wealthy countries were higher than previously thought…”

It is interesting that the countries with the lowest percentage of slaves are all of Israelite descent, while the countries with the highest percentage are all of non-Israelite descent. Sadly, it will be many of the Israelite nations who will find themselves in slavery and captivity of war in the not-too-distant future.

France Prohibits Freedom of Conscience

AFP wrote on October 19:

“France’s Constitutional Council ruled on Friday that the country’s mayors cannot refuse to officiate at same-sex weddings, rejecting a bid by a group of mayors who claimed gay marriage went against their moral or religious beliefs.

“The Constitutional Council’s ruling followed an appeal by mayors and registrars opposed to France’s controversial bill legalising same-sex marriages, which came into effect in May this year. They argued that the same-sex marriage bill should have included a ‘freedom of conscience’ clause, giving officiators the right not to carry out same-sex marriages if it conflicts with their personal religious or moral beliefs. The lack of such a clause in the bill goes against the French constitution, they claim.

“But the Council, France’s highest legal authority, rejected this argument in its ruling on Friday morning. Jean-Michel Colo, the Mayor of Arcangues in southwest France who hit headlines in June when he became the first official to refuse to marry a gay couple, denounced the Council’s decision. ‘The Constitutional Council has been manipulated by politics. It is a political decision,’ he told AFP.

“Colo said that the group of mayors would now take their case to the European Court of Human Rights. Meanwhile, the group Manif Pour Tous, which has been at the forefront of protests against the legalisation of same-sex marriage, said it supports ‘all the mayors who courageously dare to assert their right to freedom of conscience’. The organisation says a petition it launched in defence of the right of mayors not to officiate at gay weddings has collected more than 80,000 signatures.

“In France [as well as in Germany and many other European countries], marriages can only be made official by state authorities, though many couples also celebrate religious weddings.”

France Immigration Debacle

Der Spiegel Online wrote on October 21:

“French Interior Minister Manuel Valls on Sunday defended his decision to deport a 15-year-old Roma girl and her family to Kosovo after they lost their bid for asylum. The deportation has prompted calls for the minister’s resignation by students and leftist groups. Valls, the point person on immigration policy in François Hollande’s Socialist government, has been assailed in the French media ever since police detained Leonarda Dibrani in front of her classmates while on a fieldtrip on Oct. 9. Dibrani and the rest of her family, who were living in Levier in eastern France, were all flown to Kosovo that day.

“Thousands of secondary school students demonstrated in Paris and across the country last week against the government, while some politicians have backed students’ demands that Valls step down, according to French media…

“The interior minister has taken a hard line on illegal immigration, causing a rift within his own center-left party. Valls argued last month that France’s 20,000 Roma migrants were ‘different’ and not capable of integrating into French society, suggesting they should be returned to their countries of origin… Hollande was criticized on both the left and the right for the move. The leader of the center-right opposition Union for a Popular Movement accused the prime minister of undermining the ‘authority of the state,’ while the Left Party called the decision not to allow her family to join her one of ‘abject cruelty’…

“The Dibrani case appears to have further damaged the popularity of the embattled Hollande. A new poll published Sunday by the Journal de Dimanche gave him a record low approval rating of 23 percent. However, a survey conducted by French pollster BVA, published in Saturday’s Le Parisien, showed that around 77 percent of the French public support Valls’ stance on the situation, indicating continued French unease with immigration.

“Over 10,000 Roma — mostly from Romania, Bulgaria and the former Yugoslavia — were forcefully evicted from informal settlements in France during the first half of 2013, according to a recent report by Amnesty International.”

For additional information, please view our new StandingWatch program, “France in Prophecy.”

France Appalled by US Spying Activities

The Associated Press reported on October 21:

“The U.S. National Security Agency swept up 70.3 million French telephone records in a 30-day period, according to a newspaper report Monday that offered new details of the massive scope of a surveillance operation that has angered some of the country’s closest allies. The French government summoned the U.S. ambassador for an explanation on Monday and renewed demands for talks on protection of personal data, as well as pledges that the surveillance would cease…

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government canceled a Cold War-era agreement that allowed the U.S. and Britain the authority to request German authorities to conduct surveillance operations within the country to protect their troops stationed there. Privacy is especially cherished in Germany after the country’s painful history of mass surveillance of citizens of communist East Germany and Adolf Hitler’s Nazi state.

“‘I can understand the anger in France. You don’t do that among partners. You don’t do that among friends. That is why it is important that everything becomes clear what happened. That applies to France. It applies to other countries, and also for Germany,’ German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said Monday…”

US Allies Outraged

Deutsche Welle reported on October 22:

“The revelations of US espionage have angered several US allies. On Sunday, the Mexican Foreign Ministry demanded answers from Washington after the publication of a separate article alleging NSA-snooping on Mexico. The latest revelations stemmed from an article published by the German news magazine Der Spiegel which said the US surveillance program had been spying on Mexico for years… Last week, Deutsche Telekom announced a plan to shield domestic Internet traffic from foreign spying. The telecommunications giant aims to strengthen data privacy in Germany by preventing it from leaving its borders and opting instead to channel it through domestic servers only.”

NPR added on October 22:

“The fallout from revelations about the National Security Agency’s spying activities continues: A key European Parliament committee approved new rules strengthening online privacy and outlawing the kind of surveillance the U.S. has been conducting. NPR’s Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson says the legislation could also have significant implications for U.S. Internet companies.”

The Associated Press added on October 23:

“European lawmakers on Wednesday called for the suspension of an agreement that grants U.S. authorities access to bank data for terror-related investigations, marking a sharp official rebuke of Washington’s surveillance programs. The European Parliament’s resolution, adopted in a 280-254 vote with 30 abstentions, is not binding. The agreement could only be suspended by a two-thirds majority of the 28-nation bloc’s member states.”

Did USA Spy on Angela Merkel?

BBC News reported on October 23:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called US President Barack Obama after receiving information that the US may have spied on her mobile phone. A spokesman for Mrs Merkel said the German leader ‘views such practices… as completely unacceptable’… [and calling any spying activities on Merkel “a grave breach of trust.”] The White House said President Obama had told Chancellor Merkel the US was not snooping on her communications… The US has been on the receiving end of anger from allies over spying allegations based on material said to originate from fugitive American leaker Edward Snowden… But the spokesman did not address whether Mrs Merkel’s phone had been monitored in the past.”

In an accompanying “analysis,” BBC News stated this:

“The language in the White House statement responding to allegations that the NSA monitored Angela Merkel’s private mobile phone is deliberately precise. ‘The president assured the chancellor that the United States is not monitoring and will not monitor the communications of Chancellor Merkel.’ It did not deny possible past surveillance on her phone.

“Clearly, Angela Merkel believes these allegations are plausible enough to confront directly Barack Obama, in what must have been an awkward conversation.Tonight at the White House there was supposed to be a state dinner for Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff. But she cancelled the visit last month following allegations that the NSA snooped on her personal communications.

“Only on Monday, President Obama had to reassure his French counterpart, Francois Hollande, over allegations published in Le Monde of electronic eavesdropping on French political figures and business leaders on a vast scale. The diplomatic backlash is getting fiercer by the day.”

The Associated Press added on October 23:

“In Germany, opposition politicians, the media and privacy activists have been vocal in their outrage over the U.S. eavesdropping. Up until now, Merkel had worked hard to contain the damage to U.S.-German relations and refrained from saying anything bad about the Americans.”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on October 23, 2013:

“During her conversation with Obama, Merkel expressed her expectation that ‘US authorities would provide an explanation about the possible extent of such surveillance practices, and thus answer questions that the German government already posed months ago’…”

In possibly spying on Angela Merkel, the USA might have gone too far and might have taken too big a bite of the apple—being unable to swallow it.

Europeans Angry with the USA

Der Spiegel wrote on October 24:

“The newest allegations of US spying have unleashed a torrent of criticism and concern in Europe. If suspicions unearthed by SPIEGEL that the US tapped Chancellor Merkel’s cell phone turn out to be true, the ramifications for trans-Atlantic ties could be immense.

“Leading politicians and media commentators in Germany expressed serious concern on Thursday following allegations that US intelligence agencies had tapped Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cell phone. Merkel’s spokesman confirmed that she placed an angry call Wednesday night to United States President Barack Obama to discuss the suspicions, which arose from an inquiry by SPIEGEL. German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle took the unusual step Thursday morning of summoning the US ambassador, John B. Emerson…

“The news agency Reuters reported that representatives of both Merkel and French President François Hollande said the two would have a one-on-one meeting on the US spying issue Thursday afternoon before the start of a two-day EU summit in Brussels.

“And the German Federal Prosecutor’s office in Karlsruhe is also looking into the new allegations of US spying, setting up a so-called ‘monitoring process,’ and requiring the appropriate federal agencies to supply them with relevant reliable information. The agency started a similar process at the end of June to look into possible activities by the NSA in Germany. That process is still ongoing, a spokesman said. Claudia Roth, the outgoing co-leader of the German Green Party, told SPIEGEL ONLINE that the alleged bugging of Angela Merkel’s cell phone is a ‘terrible, terrible scandal’ that will lead to a ‘meltdown’ in German-US relations… adding that the allegations, if proven, are a more extreme invasion of privacy than those imagined in George Orwell’s 1984.

“Sharp criticism also came from German Defense Minister Thomas de Maizière… De Maizière went on to say that he had assumed for years his own phone had been tapped. ‘However, I did not expect the Americans,’ he added. Asked about possible effects on US-German and US-European relations, de Maizière said: ‘We can’t simply return to business as usual. There are allegations in France, too.’ Diplomatic relations between France and the US have been strained following reports that millions of French calls had been monitored by US intelligence agencies.

 “‘The allegation shows once again that our fears have been confirmed,’ said Thomas Oppermann, chairman of the Parliamentary Control Panel, which is responsible for monitoring Germany’s federal intelligence services. ‘The NSA’s monitoring activities have gotten completely out of hand and evidently take place beyond all democratic controls,’ continued the center-left Social Democrat…

“German Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger has called for Merkel’s government to suspend the SWIFT deal between the EU and US, which governs the transfer of some bank data from the EU to anti-terror authorities in the United States. ‘The new suspicion exceeds all bounds. The NSA affair is not over,’ she said, calling for EU bodies to ‘decide quickly’ on the matter.

“German media commentators also reacted angrily on Thursday. ‘A greater affront by a friendly country is hardly conceivable,’ wrote the prominent center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung in a front-page commentary that criticized Merkel’s government for initially downplaying the US spying scandal. ‘But the new allegations also cast a new light on Obama and the US intelligence community. During his visit to Germany, the US president grandly promised a trustful cooperation. But even Merkel now seems to have lost her belief in that. It’s hard to even imagine how Obama’s intelligence services deal with hostile states when one sees how they behave toward their closest allies.’

“The conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung cautioned readers that nothing had yet been proven regarding the chancellor’s mobile phone, but it also emphasized the extent to which the US spying scandal has already damaged diplomatic relations. ‘As Obama’s cool reaction shows, the government in Washington has apparently not yet understood the level of damage that continues to be caused by the activities of American intelligence agencies in Europe. They have diminished the trans-Atlantic relationship — even to a major degree.’

“Elsewhere in Europe, other editorialists also reacted with outrage to the latest spying allegations. Conservative Paris daily Le Figaro called the news ‘a warning shot in the direction of the US and a call for a resolute response from the EU. Europe is not discovering the NSA wiretapping scandal now. But with a personal accusation from Angela Merkel, the matter takes on a spectacular new scale.’

“Even if the cell-phone allegation turns out to be false, writes right-leaning Milan daily Corriere della Sera, ‘it doesn’t change anything of the substance. … The real central issue is that a threshold has already been crossed… [The] left-wing Guardian newspaper on Wednesday evening… question[ed] what it means ‘to be an American ally in the 21st century.’”

NSA Scandal in Germany—More and More Details Come to Light

The Guardian wrote on October 24:

“Germany’s foreign minister, Guido Westerwelle, has called the US ambassador to a personal meeting to discuss allegations that US secret services bugged Angela Merkel’s mobile phone. The decision to call in John B Emerson, who has only been the US representative in Berlin since mid-August, is an unusually drastic measure. During previous upheavals in relations, such as over the Syrian crisis, conversations have taken place between diplomats.

“Allegations that the US government’s spying had reached the highest level were met with outrage and disappointment in Germany on Thursday. On Wednesday Merkel’s spokesman, Steffen Seibert, made plain that the chancellor upbraided Obama unusually sharply… The sharpness of the German complaint direct[ed] to a US president strongly suggested that Berlin had no doubt about the grounds for protest…

“On Thursday Süddeutsche Zeitung conveyed a strong sense of the depth of disillusionment with the US president in Germany when it wrote that ‘Barack Obama is not a Nobel peace prize winner, he is a troublemaker’… Die Zeit wrote that Obama’s ‘half-hearted denial’ of the allegations raised more questions than it answered…”

The German press reported that the NSA spying activity on Angela Merkel might have emanated from the US Embassy in Berlin. In addition, according to an article of the Guardian, dated October 24, 2013, the “NSA monitored [the telephone] calls of 35 world leaders.”

Obama—the Isolated “Ice-Cold” President

Der Spiegel Online wrote on October 24:

“US President Barack Obama… has failed to foster close relationships with other heads of state, causing much frustration around the world… The Democrat, who prefers to spend his evenings with his family or alone in front of his computer, has made it no secret in Washington that he does not want to make new friends. That maxim especially applies to his foreign diplomacy. Unlike his predecessor George W. Bush, Obama is loved by the people of the world, but much less by their heads of government. On the heels of recent revelations that US spy agencies might have monitored Chancellor Merkel’s cell phone, the complaints about Merkel’s ‘lost friend’ Obama are misplaced. Obama doesn’t want to be a friend

“During a recent visit by a European head of government to Washington, the atmosphere was described as frosty by those in the entourage from Europe. Obama didn’t find the time for even a little small talk…

“Obama angered Nicolas Sarkozy by choosing to dine with his family instead of with France’s then-president during his visit to Paris. The Polish and Czech heads of state informed the president by telephone that they would not install a long-planned missile defense system. And when it comes to Britain, traditionally America’s closest partner, Obama was initially uncomfortable with the long-held notion of a ‘special relationship’ between the two countries. He may have expressed his vision for the friendship when, on his state visit, he brought the queen an iPod as a gift. London was not amused.

“The frustration extended well beyond the typical bruised vanities of the Europeans… An African head of government said during a visit to Washington that he longed for the days of George W. Bush. At least with him, he said, one knew where one stood… Israel, one of the closest allies of the US, was irritated that Obama didn’t find time for a state visit during his first term in office. Obama let the relationships with Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan’s president, and the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki deteriorate so much that the troop withdrawals grew more difficult.

“And Obama promised the Asian diplomats that he would be the ‘Pacific president,’ but he just cancelled his trip to the continent because the budget debate was more important to him. So much non-diplomacy is new among US presidents… ‘Coolness has its price,’ Washington Post columnist Jackson Diehl wrote in 2010, adding that Obama appeared to have no genuine friend among world leaders. But what for? He has the NSA.”

The German Success Story

Deutsche Welle reported on October 19:

“The world is fascinated by Europe’s biggest economy. Despite the economic crisis, Germany has grown, created more jobs, and reduced its national debt…  Around 100,000 new engineers and scientists arrive on the job market every year – young men and women who have just received a top class education at one of the 200 engineering schools, or in the technical faculty of a university. But also uneducated, still well-qualified workers also contribute to the country’s high productivity…

“Having a good product is often no longer enough to compete with low-wage economies in Asia. The ‘Made in Germany’ now includes a number of extra services. ‘A company now doesn’t just sell a machine – it installs it, it trains the buyer’s staff in how to use it, it offers a 24-hour repairs service,’ said Röhl. ‘At the end of the day it practically goes so far as to guarantee the machine’s performance.’

“One guarantee for the success of the ‘Germany Model’ is advanced technologies. Germany is practically forced to innovate, because it doesn’t have any real natural resources. As many as 11 percent of German workers are employed in high-tech industries – far more than the EU average. Every year, around 70 billion euros ($96 billion) is spent on research – more than in any other European country…  only hard facts count when it comes to infrastructure. But here, too, Germany passes the stress test.

“Only a few countries in the world can boast such well-developed networks in energy, telecommunications, roads, rail, and aviation. Every European country is within a few hours’ journey of Berlin – and the country’s geographical location may well make up the final piece of the puzzle. That, and the moderate climate. ‘We don’t have any heat waves or tornadoes that could act as shocks to the system,’ said Brückner. ‘It is relatively moderate and cool, which has meant that through the centuries better growth and production conditions have appeared than at the edges of Europe. And Germany has profited from that too.’”

Germany is destined to lead Europe. Even though some human and natural factors might contribute to its success story, the most important reason is that Germany must fulfill its prophesied future.

Germany Undisputed Leader of Europe

Der Spiegel Online wrote on October 21:

“At the beginning of her third term, Merkel has more power in Germany and Europe than any chancellor before her. There hasn’t been such a strong majority behind a government in Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag, since the first grand coalition half a century ago. In the midst of the European crisis, Germany has become the undisputed dominant power in Europe.

“The grand coalition will hand Merkel a majority she could use to shape Germany and Europe and address major issues, including constitutional reforms in Germany and the reform of European Union institutions.”

Beware of Genetically Modified Salmon

The Telegraph wrote on October 20:

“American supermarkets are being pressured to refuse to stock genetically-modified salmon, which is poised to become the first GM animal ever approved for human consumption in the coming weeks. A so-called ‘super salmon’, which has been under development in Massachusetts for 18 years, is expected to be cleared for sale soon by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“The AquAdvantage salmon, which contains genes from an eel-like fish and from another breed of salmon, grows twice as fast as its natural alternative, allowing for increased and more robust supplies… opponents claim the fish poses a risk of cancer to consumers and could destroy other breeds. They also point to polling suggesting that some 90 per cent of Americans do not want GM fish to go on sale.”

One of the many obvious problems is that the genetically-modified salmon contains genes from an eel—an unclean fish, which is not meant for human consumption.

In the last Q&A, we discussed one aspect of Hebrew Poetry in the inspired pages of the Old Testament—that of Identical and Similar Synonymous Parallelism.

In this Q&A, we will address INTROVERTED and ANTITHETIC PARALLELISM.

In INTROVERTED PARALLELISM (a/k/a chiasmus), the order of the thoughts is reversed. In the first line, thought 1 is followed by thought 2. In the second line, thought 2 is followed by thought 1.

Let us look at a few examples:

Psalm 51:1:

“Have mercy upon Me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness;
“According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgression.”

We see in this statement, that to “have mercy” (thought 1 in line 1)  is identified with blotting out transgression (thought 2 in line 2), and lovingkindness (thought 2 in line 1) is equated with “the multitude of Your tender mercies” (thought 1 in line 2). When we have mercy, we overlook and are willing to forgive and forget transgression, and God’s lovingkindness can be seen in the multitude of His tender (not brutal or cruel) mercies.

Psalm 51:3:

“For I acknowledge my transgressions,
“And my sin is always before me.”

Here, “I acknowledge” (thought 1 in line 1) is identical with “always before me” (thought 2 in line 2), and “my transgressions” (thought 2 in line 1)  is equated with “my sin” (thought 1 in line 2). This example shows us that the acknowledgement of transgressions is not just a temporary fleeting emotional sentiment, but it is strong and lasting, recognizing that all of them constitute sin, leading to genuine repentance of what we have done and what we are. 

Psalm 30:8:

“I cried out to You, O LORD;
“And to the LORD I made supplication.”

“I cried out” (thought 1 in line 1) is identical with “I made supplication” (thought 2 in line 2), while “O LORD” (thought 2 in line 1) is repeated in the next line, “to the LORD” (thought 1 in line 2). Crying out and making supplication to God is equated, showing the genuineness and urgency of the prayer.

Proverbs 23:15-16:

“My son, if your heart is wise, My heart will rejoice—indeed, I myself;
“Yes, my inmost being (kidneys) will rejoice When your lips speak right things.”

This is a remarkable example of introverted parallelism. The first thought in line 1 (“your heart is wise”) is identified in the second thought in line 2 (“your lips speak right things”), and “my heart will rejoice” (second thought in line 1) is equated with “my inmost being will rejoice” or, literally, “my kidneys will rejoice.” This statement shows us that wisdom of the heart manifests itself in speaking right things, and that the heart (or the kidneys) may stand for the emotions of the person and the entire being (“indeed, I myself,” as it says at the end of line 1).

Another devise of Hebrew Poetry is Antithetic Parallelism.

ANTITHETIC PARALLELISM is the direct opposite to synonymous parallelism. Actually, antithesis means, the direct opposite.

In this device of Hebrew Poetry, the second line contrasts the first line. The second line expresses the opposite to the first line, while the order of the thoughts is maintained. Even in the English language, we may “rhyme” through opposites: “Give me liberty, or give me death.”

Let us review a few pertinent and telling examples of antithetic parallelism:

Proverbs 10:1:

“A wise son makes a glad father,
“But a foolish son is the grief of his mother.”

The second line expresses the opposite to the first line, while maintaining the order of the thoughts.  “A wise son” (first thought in line 1) is contrasted with “a foolish son” (first thought in  line 2), while “a glad father” (second thought in line 1) is contrasted with “grief of his mother” (second thought in line 2). This means, then, that a wise son makes his parents glad, while a foolish son grieves his parents. Father and mother need to be understood here as describing both parents.

Proverbs 10:5:

“He who gathers in summer is a wise son;
“He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame.”

In this example, the wise son who gathers in summer (line 1)  is contrasted with a foolish son (a son who sleeps in harvest—line 2). And while the foolish son is described as one who causes shame (line 2), the opposite thought is not expressed for the wise son in the first line, but needs to be understood—the wise son does not cause shame, but praise and glory. But another opposite is discussed here: The wise son is one who gathers “in summer,” while the foolish son is one who sleeps in harvest. The idea is expressed, that the wise son is continuously working and busy and productive, while the foolish one is continuously sleeping and unproductive.

Proverbs 10:4:

“He who has a slack hand becomes poor,
“But the hand of the diligent makes rich.”

The poor and the rich are contrasted here, and it is expressed that slackness leads to poverty, while diligence leads to riches. This can also be applied to our spiritual lives. When we become slack or lukewarm spiritually, we will become poor, while diligence and zeal lead to eternal life and the true riches in the Kingdom of God.

Proverbs 10:12:

“Hatred stirs up strife,
“But love covers all sins.”

This is another beautiful example of antithetic parallelism: Hatred is the opposite to love, and while hatred causes and leads to strife, love avoids strife, by covering all sins. What is also expressed here is the thought that hatred may be the result of sinful conduct of another person towards us, and to avoid that hatred takes hold of us, leading to strife, we are to overlook or cover the sins of others, but ultimately, we can only do this with and through love—the love of God which was poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

Proverbs 11:3:

“The integrity of the upright will guide them,
“But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.”

Integrity is opposed to perversity; the upright is contrasted with the unfaithful; and “guide” is the opposite to “destroy.” When we are sincere and upright, we will be guided and led in the right way, but if we become perverse and unfaithful, we will be destroyed. Again, this passage needs to be applied in both spiritual and physical ways.

Proverbs 16:9:

“A man’s heart plans his way,
“But the LORD directs his steps.”

This example of antithetic parallelism (also indicated by the word “but” in the second line) shows us that man might devise plans which are of no value, but it is God who must direct man and lead his steps to reach success. It is not in man’s heart to direct his steps in the right way. Rather, it requires God’s intervention and guidance, and so, we must acknowledge God in all our ways and submit to His lead and His Will.

Proverbs 29:27:

“An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous,
“And he who is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked.”

As the righteous will not justify the conduct of an unjust person—it (the conduct, not the person) is an abomination to the just—so the wicked will not accept the conduct of a righteous person. A wicked person rejects the way of God and he will persecute those who walk in it, while the righteous person will not be swayed by the wicked to follow his steps.

Psalm 37:9:

“For evildoers shall be cut off [destroyed],
“But those who wait on the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.”

While evildoers will not live forever and inherit the earth, those who wait on the Lord to help and guide them, will live forever in the Kingdom of God, ruling the earth under Jesus Christ. It is interesting that evildoers are contrasted with “those who wait on the LORD.” If we don’t wait for God, but try to “deal” with problems on our own, we might become evildoers by choosing “solutions” which are not right and just. A classic example is the idea that we must go to war to bring peace and democracy to other nations.

Psalm 20:8:

“They have bowed down [to their chariots and horses] and fallen;
“But we have risen [in prayer to God] and stand upright.”

While pagan and Gentile nations bow down to and trust in their self-made gods, idols and the works of their hands and fall, we pray to God and stand. But more is expressed here: They bow down (in their false worship), while we rise (in prayer); they fall and we stand upright. This is not talking about in what position we ought to pray (standing, kneeling etc.), but it speaks of an attitude: When we pray to God, we expect an answer. We come boldly before the throne of God when we are in need of help. On the other hand, they bow down in anxious superstitious conduct, enslaved to their own inventions and laboring under a yoke. And so, while we are free from bondage of wrong ideas and while we have become friends of Jesus Christ, they are being held captive by Satan the devil to do his will.

Now, let us also review two examples which combine INTROVERTED and ANTITHETIC PARALLELISM. In these examples, the second line contrasts the first line, and the order of the thoughts in the first line and in the second line is reversed as well:

Psalm 1:6:

“For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
“But the way of the ungodly shall perish.”

In this example, the order of the thoughts in the first and second lines are reversed. The way of the righteous (thought 2 in line 1) is contrasted with the way of the ungodly (thought 1 in line 2), and the knowledge of the LORD (thought 1 in line 1) is contrasted with “shall perish” (thought 2 in line 2).

God knows (in the sense of approves of) the way of the righteous, but He does not approve of the way of the ungodly, and the ungodly and his way will perish. When God approves of our way, we will succeed and endure; when He disapproves of our way (because we have become ungodly), we will perish. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life. But God does not give us this gift of eternal life, if we show through our evil conduct that we do not want to be obedient to Him. God does not want us to live forever in misery and pain.

Proverbs 13:24:

“He who spares his rod hates his son,
“But he who loves him disciplines him promptly (early).”

This is another beautiful example of a combination of introverted and antithetic parallelism, where the thoughts are reversed. “Hates his son” (thought 2 in line 1) is contrasted with “loves him” (thought 1 in line 2). Also, “spares his rod” (thought 1 in line 1) is opposed to “disciplines him promptly” (thought 2 in line 2).

We hate our children if we spare the rod, but we love them if we discipline them promptly or early—that is, immediately at the time of a transgression or rebellious conduct. When parents wait too long with discipline, are inconsistent, threaten the children with discipline, without carrying it out, they really do not show the love for their children that they ought to have, by training them in the way they should go. The liberal anti-authoritarian education of especially the Western World has produced terrible fruits and does not reflect the love which parents ought to have for their children. Even though in some countries, spanking is forbidden, God tells us that in certain cases, it is biblical. But “the rod” must never be used to inflict bodily harm on the child.

In addition, we point out the following in our free booklet, “The Keys to Happy Marriages and Families”:  “Since using the rod is compared with prompt or early discipline, it is clear that this passage includes the concept of spanking, where and when appropriate. Of course, we don’t spank a teenager or an adult, so the spanking needs to be done early in the life of the child. But note, again, we discipline our children, because we LOVE them. If we discipline our children for any other reason, or because of any other motive, we do NOT follow God’s instructions. Spanking should never cause physical injury to a child. The intent is to break a rebellious spirit, not to bruise skin.”

In the next Q&A, we will continue with discussing additional devices of Hebrew Poetry, as used in Old Testament passages.

(To Be Continued)
Lead Writer: Norbert Link

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

Does the Bible say anything about the future of France? Do current developments in France give us a clue as to what will happen next—including France’s restrictions of freedom of conscience; its immigration policy and deportation scandals; and its anger with the USA over NSA’s spying policies? 

“Neu! Das Weltgericht,” is the new German sermon to be presented this coming Sabbath. It is the first part and covers the Second Resurrection and Great White Throne Judgment. Title in English: “The World’s Judgment.”

A new StandingWatch Global Trailer  “Europe in Prophecy”  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inuMtNxz520&feature=youtu.be has been recorded by Pastor Brian Gale, which reviews our booklet on the topic.

By Shana Rank

Since baptism, my journey as a Christian is forward-moving. I am learning what God expects of His future Family. I am learning first-hand with my own family what it takes to grow in love. I also experience this quality of love with my Church-family, extended family, friends, strangers, and yes, I am even told to love my enemy.

This past weekend, my family and I met a handful of new extended family members while attending a wedding. I was very impressed with their interest in, and care for, each other and for us. As far as I could tell, none have yet been called by God; yet they are already trying to “practice” the laws of God, as they understand them. How sweet and pleasant it is to meet people who are willing to develop some godly characteristics!

God’s plan is perfect; so, His intentions for His Family are also without flaw. I was truly humbled by my new family’s examples of loving concern for others. It inspires me to work that much harder at being a good example and develop God’s love in me—realizing, that in the future, it is God’s plan that we all meet as ONE Family.

On October 19, 2013, Kalon Mitchell will give the sermon, titled, respectively, “On the Wire.”

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). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

Paul was inspired to warn the Church of God that the Day of Christ’s return would not come, unless “the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition” (2 Thessalonians 2:3).  He continued that the “mystery of lawlessness” was already at work at his time (verse 7; compare Galatians 1:6–9; 2 Timothy 2:17–22; Jude 3–4; 2 Peter 2:1–3), but he also explained that the final fulfillment of this prophecy was still in the future (compare 2 Thessalonians 2:8). Paul cautioned us in this context not to be deceived by any means (verse 3).

Why is it then that many are being deceived today and made to believe that the falling away from the truth has already taken place at the time of Paul or subsequently, or that it does not even apply to the Church of God, but to some other powerful Church organization, which did not have the truth to begin with? Did not Paul say very clearly that these two events—the falling away and the revelation of the man of sin—would occur at approximately the same time, leading to the return of Christ? He most certainly did!

Not just Paul, but also Christ Himself warned of a falling away of His people in these end times—just prior to His return. He said in Matthew 24:12-13: “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”

Christ talked about the love of God (“agape” in the Greek), which was poured out into the hearts of God’s disciples by the Holy Spirit which was given to them (Romans 5:5). But because of rampant lawlessness (which is sin, 1 John 3:4), God’s love (the keeping of His law, 1 John 5:3) would wax cold in many of His disciples, and they would fall away—just prior to the end.

Don’t be deceived by thinking that the falling away could not relate to you. That would be the attitude of the Laodiceans (Revelation 3:17) whom Christ will spew out of His mouth, unless they repent (verse 16).

What are we to watch for? An obvious answer is the trap of lawlessness or sin—the transgression of God’s law. If we have become complacent regarding sinful conduct in our lives, we are in great danger. In addition, the New Testament warns against the embrace of false doctrines (2 Timothy 4:3; 1 Timothy 1:10), including those ideas which justify sin by either claiming that the law has been done away with, or that belief in Christ and grace is all we need. These wrong concepts will lead to the falling away from the truth and “sound” teaching (Titus 1:9; 2:1). In the past, we experienced that many fell for false doctrines, but we should not think that similar developments could not happen again. According to the words of Jesus Christ, the apostle Paul and others, they will occur just prior to Christ’s return.

Are there indications that the mystery of lawlessness and of erroneous teachings is already at work in the Church of God—TODAY?  Just look around you. Some have revived, in a slightly different mantle, the demonical teaching of a secret or not-so-secret rapture—the false idea that Christ will come back twice—first “for” His disciples to take them to the third heaven, and then “with” His disciples to establish God’s Kingdom on the earth. Others have come close to teaching wrongly that the Holy Spirit is a person. Some have questioned the correct concept that God IS a Family, or that we are NOT already born again when we receive the Holy Spirit. Then there are those who have no problems with voting in governmental elections or serving on a jury, while forgetting that true Christians are only ambassadors for Christ and God’s Kingdom and merely aliens and strangers in this rotten evil world of Satan’s devices.

Some have become lax in keeping all of God’s Holy Days, or they have developed “alternative” dates. Others have become somewhat indifferent in their observation of the Sabbath. Some are even confused about the commission of the Church, thinking that the gospel does not have to be preached anymore, or that it is more important to “do good works.” This is another critical mistake, since only AFTER the gospel of the KINGDOM OF GOD has been preached in all the world as a witness, the end of this present evil age can come (Matthew 24:14). Others keep setting dates for Christ’s return, even though Christ commanded us not to do this.

Can you see how these “subtle” and “not-so-subtle” changes and attitudes can become an avalanche, which will bury those who embrace them? Similar developments happened in the past, and our free booklet, “Are You Already Born Again?” describes them in great detail.

Don’t be deceived! A falling away from the truth is still to occur in the Church of God. Christ warns you not to accept error, but to hold fast what you have. If you think that you stand, make sure that you are not already in danger of falling.

We report on hostile national and worldwide reactions to America’s domestic and international politics, including the disastrous Obamacare legislation and “implementation” and the US Middle Eastern position; speak on US politicians’ failing trust in God and Catholic criticism against the pope; address the German army’s new-found self-confidence; and conclude with frightening natural disasters in India, the Philippines and South Dakota.

End to Fiscal Impasse?

The New York Times wrote on October 16:

“Congressional Republicans conceded defeat on Wednesday in their bitter budget fight with President Obama over the new health care law, agreeing to end a disruptive 16-day government shutdown and extend federal borrowing power to avert a financial default with potentially worldwide economic repercussions.

“With the Treasury Department warning that it could run out of money to pay national obligations within a day, the Senate voted overwhelmingly Wednesday evening, 81 to 18, to approve a proposal hammered out by the chamber’s Republican and Democratic leaders after the House on Tuesday was unable to move forward with any resolution. [According to] the Senate plan… the government [will be funded]  through Jan. 15 and… the debt limit [will be raised] through Feb. 7.”

The House approved and the President signed the bill. And what will happen when these dates will come?

Der Spiegel Online commented on October 17:

“The United States has temporarily avoided federal default… But no one should be happy, because the debacle has exposed just how broken the American political system truly is… America’s 237-year-old democracy is approaching its limits…

“The once civil political discourse in Washington has long since turned into a fight of bitter rivals trying to inflict the worst possible wounds. One is no longer respected as a worthy opponent, but attacked like an enemy… Adding to this is the almost unlimited flow of campaign contributions… as the system limps along, the next crisis already has a deadline: Jan. 15, 2014, when the bill agreed to on Wednesday expires.”

The Losers in the Recent Developments

The Washington Post wrote on October 16:

“Everyone — and we mean everyone — acknowledges now that the rollout of Obamacare’s health-insurance exchanges on Oct. 1 has been a total disaster. But, because of the shutdown, those stories have been pushed off the front page and the lead of the newscasts.  The problems with the rollout would have been massive news — and all of it bad for the White House and Democrats — if not for the shutdown. That fact is the single greatest Republican strategic miscalculation – amid many — of the shutdown. Downside for Obamacare: With the shutdown now  – almost — over, there will be a bright light on the rollout and its problems…

“John Boehner… failed, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. Time and again he tried to walk the fine line between appeasing the most conservative wing of his party and passing legislation that would have a chance of winning Senate approval. In the end, Boehner’s greatest failing might have been in hoping that he could forge consensus within a conference where that simply is not possible. Boehner survived this fight and probably even strengthened his hand among tea party Republicans. But, the political costs were too high…

“The GOP brand: By the end, nearly three-quarters of Americans disapproved of how congressional Republicans had handled the budget showdown in a Washington Post-ABC poll. Congressional Republicans hit new lows in overall approval and, according to most polls, lost the blame game for the shutdown as well. The best news for Republicans is that this all happened in the fall of 2013, not the fall of 2014, meaning they have a year to rebrand themselves in a more favorable way in the eyes of the public.

“Our system of government: Does anyone think this is how our government should work? Does anyone think we won’t be right back in this mess early next year?  The government has proven over and over in the last few years that it is simply incapable of doing big things or, if we are being honest, even medium things.”

Even though the Democrats have also lost support of the American people, the Republicans were clearly the big losers. They gained nothing. They capitulated and surrendered. There is not even a hint that would show that their “fight” was of any value or benefit to the American people.

Barack Obama Opposed Raising the Debt Ceiling… in 2006

On November 16, the Washington Times published in its editorial a speech of Senator Barack Obama to the Senate, dated March 16, 2006. Some key statements stand out: “Raising the debt ceiling is a sign of leadership failure. It shows our government’s reckless fiscal policies. It weakens us domestically and internationally”… and so on. Now President Barack Obama supports raising the debt ceiling. What has changed, Mr. President?

“The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our government’s reckless fiscal policies. Over the past five years, our federal debt has increased by $3.5 trillion to $8.6 trillion. That is ‘trillion’ with a ‘T.’ That is money that we have borrowed from the Social Security trust fund, borrowed from China and Japan, borrowed from American taxpayers. And over the next five years, between now and 2011, the president’s budget will increase the debt by almost another $3.5 trillion. [Today, it is almost $ 17 trillion.] …

“If Washington were serious about honest tax relief in this country, we would see an effort to reduce our national debt by returning to responsible fiscal policies… the Senate continues to reject a return to the common-sense pay-go rules that used to apply. Previously, pay-go rules applied both to increases in mandatory spending and to tax cuts. The Senate had to abide by the common-sense budgeting principle of balancing expenses and revenues. Unfortunately, the principle was abandoned, and now the demands of budget discipline apply only to spending.

“… we must remember that the more we depend on foreign nations to lend us money, the more our economic security is tied to the whims of foreign leaders whose interests might not be aligned with ours. Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally… America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better. I therefore intend to oppose the effort to increase America’s debt limit.”

Building a De-Americanized World

Fox News reported on October 13:

“China’s official news agency is calling for a ‘de-Americanized world,’ in a blistering editorial characterizing the United States as a ‘meddling’ and ‘hypocritical’ nation that introduces chaos into the world for its own ends. ‘As U.S. politicians of both political parties are still shuffling back and forth between the White House and the Capitol Hill without striking a viable deal to bring normality to the body politic they brag about, it is perhaps a good time for the befuddled world to start considering building a de-Americanized world,’ writes the Xinhua News Agency.

“‘Meanwhile, the U.S. government has gone to all lengths to appear before the world as the one that claims the moral high ground, yet covertly doing things that are as audacious as torturing prisoners of war, slaying civilians in drone attacks, and spying on world leaders…  Such alarming days when the destinies of others are in the hands of a hypocritical nation have to be terminated, and a new world order should be put in place, according to which all nations, big or small, poor or rich, can have their key interests respected and protected on an equal footing,’ writes Xinhua.”

Even though China is most certainly a country which is guilty of hypocrisy, it is interesting that even those countries find the audacity to attack the US of actions which they are guilty of themselves… and worse.

“The US Is Losing Control of the Internet”

The website wired.co.uk published this article, dated October 12, with wide-reaching consequences:

“All of the major internet organisations have pledged, at a summit in Uruguay, to free themselves of the influence of the US government. The directors of ICANN, the Internet Engineering Task Force, the Internet Architecture Board, the World Wide Web Consortium, the Internet Society and all five of the regional Internet address registries have vowed to break their associations with the US government… In another part of the statement, the group ‘expressed strong concern over the undermining of the trust and confidence of Internet users globally due to recent revelations of pervasive monitoring and surveillance’.

“Meanwhile, it was announced that the next Internet Governance Summit would be held in Brazil, whose president has been extremely critical of the US over web surveillance. In a statement announcing the location of the summit, Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff said: ‘The United States and its allies must urgently end their spying activities once and for all.’”

Everyone seems to be ganging up on America. And severing Internet ties from the US government could have wide-ranging and terrible consequences for the USA.

Mideast Allies Bewildered by US Policy

The Times of Israel wrote on October 15:

“Finally, a reason to celebrate. Not only because, starting Tuesday, Iran will participate in negotiations in Geneva with the P5+1 over its nuclear program, but also because Tehran agreed to hold direct talks with representatives of the American government. This stands in stark contrast to the familiar Iranian policy that shirked any official contact with representatives of the ‘Great Satan.’… The End of Days must be upon us.

“And yet, as Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi’s words Monday night made clear, there has been no substantive change in Iran’s nuclear position that would alleviate concerns over its intentions to produce a nuclear bomb or to become a ‘threshold state.’ Indeed, Araqchi made clear that Iran ‘will not agree to cease the enrichment of uranium, even for one day.’

“Regarding the enriched uranium stores Iran already possesses, including quantities enriched to 20%, Araqchi, who is also the deputy head of Tehran’s nuclear negotiating team, was adamant that ‘we will not agree to transfer even one gram of enriched uranium out of Iran.’ He added that his country would be ready to negotiate over the level of uranium enrichment in the future, but Tehran repeatedly makes clear that the talks are contingent on the partial removal of Western sanctions as a goodwill gesture.

“Why the West needs to show goodwill toward Iran is not clear. Tehran may hint that it is ready to show some flexibility on its nuclear program, but that flexibility is not enough, or shouldn’t be — not for Israel and not for other countries in the West and in the Arab world. The persistent storing of enriched uranium, even at the 3.5% level, while Iran maintains its enrichment capacity through advanced centrifuges, combined with Tehran’s dubious record regarding supervision of its nuclear facilities, leave serious suspicion that Iran will try to secretly produce a nuclear bomb in the future.

“And still, some American media outlets have evidently been mesmerized by President Hassan Rouhani’s smile. The New York Times seems to be directing a campaign against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has said sanctions on Iran must not be removed and warned about the Islamic Republic’s true intentions. Certain Western journalists are possibly driven by the hope — and, perhaps, some degree of naivety — that the crisis will not require the use of force.

“But the anti-Netanyahu campaign misses (or ignores) the fact that the wary Israeli government, not surprisingly, enjoys the support of many Arab countries — including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE — which are not naive about Iran.

“On Sunday, the Saudi-owned newspaper a-Sharq al-Awsat published an editorial calling for Iran to be barred from enriching uranium altogether. Numerous WikiLeaks documents dealing with the Gulf States suggest that, with all due respect to the Palestinian question, what truly keeps Arab rulers awake at night is the fear that Iran will acquire a nuclear weapon, and will undermine their rule with terror attacks and orchestrated demonstrations. ‘Cut off the head of the snake,’ as Saudi King Abdullah reportedly put it.

“These are not paranoid visions or the brainchild of Netanyahu. These are real concerns of past and present American allies in the region, who gaze with wonder and bewilderment upon Washington’s foreign policy and struggle to understand why the US president rushes to telephone the president of Iran while almost simultaneously announcing that military aid to Egypt will be frozen. The voices from these states express concern again and again in light of the lack of coherence from the United States and what they perceive as its lack of understanding of what is really happening in the Middle East.

“How is it possible that precisely when Egypt’s government declares war on radical Islam, on terror, Washington prefers to flirt with its enemies — Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood? For Cairo, Riyadh, Amman and other capitals, the Obama administration — in negotiating with Iran and suspending aid to Egypt — is shooting itself in the foot, and wounding its allies in the process.”

America’s foreign policy is a disaster, but so is its domestic policy. Its downfall is inevitable, as clearly prophesied in Scripture. At the same time, Iran’s ambitions will lead to a rude awakening for many Western nations.

Obamacare’s Nightmare

Breitbart wrote on October 15:

“Constant ‘glitches’ keep people from logging into the exchanges. Humiliating live video of reporters normally favorable to Obamacare simply giving up in frustration because they cannot sign up. Consumers who are lucky enough to get through the system are stunned to learn that their premiums have skyrocketed by thousands of dollars. One Pennsylvania mother says that she can either pay her increased premiums or pay for her kids to eat, but she can’t do both.

“Extremely personal information has already leaked from the system in Minnesota. Software security experts from McAfee predict millions of identity theft victims. And one of the healthcare exchanges was forced to acknowledge that information collected from patients will be shared with law enforcement…

“The rollout has been such a nightmare that it is abundantly clear now that members of Congress really did not, as then-Speaker Pelosi admitted, even read the Obamacare bill before they passed it. In fact, the program’s launch has been such an unimaginable disaster that it raises an alarming new question that would have been unthinkable amid the exaggerated claims of health utopia from three years ago: Did President Obama even read this legislation before he signed it into law?

“This is the single most complex piece of legislation in U.S. history, and we citizen-patients have a right to know. Did anyone in the notoriously cozy establishment Washington press corps even ask him this basic question? Obamacare is a disaster and the American people know it…

“Which begs the question: where are the Republicans anyway?… Why aren’t Republicans telling the very real human stories of people losing their jobs and their doctors because of Obamacare? The president guaranteed that by 2013 the average family would see premiums reduced by $2,500. In reality, the average family has seen their premiums jacked up by $2,900, an eye-popping $5,400 miscalculation. What other predictions will prove to be horribly off?…

“When this debate began, President Obama guaranteed Americans that if we like our current insurance policies, we can keep them. If we like our current doctors, we can stay with them. Since then, millions have been kicked off their company insurance. More than 750,000 New Jersey residents have been notified that their former policies no longer meet new government mandates and will be discontinued… almost one-third of doctors report their unwillingness to accept patients from newly expanded governmental programs.

“Meanwhile, Obamacare supporters continue to call it ‘universal’ coverage. And the media is totally complicit. The fact is, the massive new bureaucracy will extend coverage to only 27 million of the 56 million uninsured under current official government projections for 2020. Ultimately, Washington is going to take over 1/6 of our economy to try to fix less than half of the total uninsured problem. This is madness…”

The government’s incompetency regarding the “Affordable Care Act” is stunning, mind-boggling and truly appalling at the same time.

Politicians Have Turned Their Back on God

Newsmax reported on October 14:

“Franklin Graham tells Newsmax that the nation is ‘in a mess’ because politicians ‘have turned their backs on God.’ ‘Our country is in a mess, no question, and it seems like we’re just in an ever-tightening spiral downward, and it doesn’t seem as if anybody is listening to what is happening,’ Graham said Monday on Newsmax TV.

“‘We, as a nation, we’ve turned our back on God. Politicians have turned their backs on God. They have taken God out of our schools, out of just about everything you can imagine, and now we find ourselves in great danger,’ said Graham, son of renowned evangelist Billy Graham.”

Who should be surprised about man’s departure from the true God when “even” the pope proclaims that atheists can go to heaven, as he did recently. Also, please see the next article for more reactions to the pope’s non-traditional views.

Catholic Conservatives Question the Pope

The Washington Post wrote on October 14:

“Rattled by Pope Francis’s admonishment to Catholics not to be ‘obsessed’ by doctrine, his stated reluctance to judge gay people and his apparent willingness to engage just about anyone — including atheists — many conservative Catholics are doing what only recently seemed unthinkable: They are openly questioning the pope…

“During the previous three decades, popes John Paul II and Benedict shared a focus: Make orthodox teachings crystal clear so Catholics don’t get lost in an increasingly messy, relativistic world… Some Catholics feel Francis is resurfacing fights that followed the Second Vatican Council of the 1960s. Conservatives felt liberal Catholics misinterpreted the Council’s intention and took ‘open’ too far.

“The last two popes seemed to agree, making a priority of establishing ‘Catholic identity’ among people and institutions by emphasizing the importance of crystal-clear doctrine… Conservatives who perceive too much ambiguity in Francis’s remarks were heartened to note that the pope in recent weeks excommunicated a priest who spoke in favor of women’s ordination, gave some of his most anti-abortion comments and called a rare Synod on the Family, which they believe will be a vehicle for reinforcing orthodoxy . But so far they have not garnered the same kind of attention as the pope conversing with an atheist.”

Still, the pope will not deviate from Catholic core doctrines—and from the Catholic Church’s long-held historic position of allegedly being the “Mother Church” wanting to bring most Christian and also some non-Christian religions into its fold.

Germany’s Armed Forces

Der Spiegel Online wrote on October 15:

“In Afghanistan, dangerous combat has helped post-war Germany’s reluctant armed forces gain self-confidence and expertise… The German military entered Afghanistan over a decade ago as a peacekeeping force tasked with aiding in the reconstruction and development of infrastructure and civil society. Today, it leaves the country as a combat force that engaged in deadly warfare.

“The evolving role of the Bundeswehr, Germany’s armed forces, in the conflict has helped to dramatically reshape it as a more experienced and capable fighting operation…  ‘Afghanistan has been the most important experience for the German armed forces. It was the first time since World War II that the German military was involved in real combat action,’ says retired General Harald Kujat, the former Chief of Staff of the Bundeswehr from 2000-2002 and former Chairman of the NATO Military Committee from 2002-2005. Kujat says the Afghanistan experience has created a new generation of young officers with personal combat experience, contributing to a ‘more self-confident’ Bundeswehr. The expertise gained by many of these soldiers has made the Bundeswehr a more educated military, better able to weigh the pros and cons of war and what it is capable of contributing to a given mission, explains Kujat…

“The Bundeswehr’s development in Afghanistan into a ‘real fighting force’ has had a significant impact on recent reforms implemented by the Defense Ministry, says Christian Mölling, an international security associate with the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP). The ministry, Mölling explains, is working to streamline the Bundeswehr and make it a ‘highly deployable force.’ …

“Germany — the third-largest contributor to the US-led coalition in Afghanistan and the country responsible for Regional Command North — has lost 54 soldiers since 2002, 35 of whom died during attacks or fighting…

“Despite German reluctance to engage in future military endeavors, it is likely Germany will be called on to assist with future international armed missions, says Patrick Keller, an expert on foreign and security policy… ‘It may not be too far-fetched that we will have to be prepared to act’ in potential conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa region or in central and eastern Europe, argues Keller…

“But how much responsibility is Germany actually willing to bear? The question comes back to the broader issue of Germany’s hesitation to play a leading role in European Union and global affairs. ‘Germany has a great difficulty in taking on leadership. We don’t want to be in a leadership position,’ be it about security issues or the euro-zone crisis, says Stefani Weiss, a European foreign and security policy expert at the Bertelsmann Stiftung.  Similarly, SWP’s Mölling says Germany could play a ‘significant and positive’ role within NATO and the EU on defense issues given its central location in Europe, if it were not for a lack of political will…

“But parliamentarian Kiesewetter suggests Germany should begin to take on a greater leadership role in helping Europe develop a cohesive security policy and a shared military apparatus… ‘There is a need for leadership within the EU,’ he says. ‘Germany could be a partner to create synergy between EU states … to take over responsibility where others are not willing to.’”

And Germany will…

Powerful Cyclone Hits India

The New York Times reported on October 13, 2013:

“A powerful cyclone whose spinning arms engulfed much of the Bay of Bengal weakened Sunday morning as it crashed into India’s eastern coast, flooding homes and roads throughout the region and disrupting electricity and communications. The authorities evacuated about 800,000 people, one of the largest such evacuations in India’s history. The storm’s maximum sustained winds… were approximately 124 miles per hour when the storm made landfall about 9 p.m. Saturday…”

NBC News reported on October 14:

“A deadly cyclone which slammed into the coast of India has caused the loss of $4 billion worth of crops across an area the size of Delaware, local media reported Monday. Cyclone Phailin hit the state of Orissa on Saturday and is the most destructive to affect the subcontinent in 14 years.”

Terrible natural disasters prior to Jesus’ return are prophesied. Also note the next two articles.

Powerful Earthquake in the Philippines

NBC News reported on October 15:

“A magnitude-7.2 earthquake struck in the central Philippines on Tuesday morning, killing 82 people and severely damaging some of the country’s most hallowed churches, authorities said. The earthquake hit at 8:12 a.m. (5:12 p.m. Monday ET) less than a mile from the town of Carmen in Bohol province, the U.S. Geological Survey and Philippine emergency authorities said. Carmen is in a remote region across the Cebu Strait about 40 miles from Cebu City.”

Storm In South Dakota Kills 100,000 Cattle

Fox News reported on October 13:

“Ranchers in South Dakota fear they may lose everything after a freak storm dumped up four feet of snow in parts of the state last week, killing as many as 100,000 cattle. Matt Kammerer, a 45-year-old rancher whose family has operated in South Dakota’s Meade County since 1882, told FoxNews.com that he lost 60 cattle in the storm, or one-third of his entire herd…

“Kammerer painted a gruesome scene north of Rapid City, where a record 23 inches of snow fell… ‘There are cattle that are 8 or 9 miles away from the pasture they were in, just lying dead. And within that whole stretch, it’s just dead cow after dead cow, where they’ve gotten caught in dams, streams, fences, you name it. They’re dead everywhere.’ Carcasses of mature cows as well as calves were floating downstream local waterways in droves, Kammerer said, stoking fears of a potential outbreak of disease…

“Most ranchers in the state lost anywhere between 50 to 75 percent of their herds… Aside from the economic losses… the unprecedented storm has left an ‘incredible emotional burden’ on the state’s ranchers…”

The Old Testament of the Bible contains Hebrew Poetry, but it is not to be compared with the kind of today’s poetry which rhymes at the end of each verse. Rather, Hebrew Poetry is designed to express more clearly and by emphasis certain aspects of the truth. It is important to realize when and how Hebrew Poetry is used, so that we do not misunderstand the intended meaning of a particular passage.

In this series, we will discuss in depth the beauty and wisdom of inspired Hebrew poetry. It can be generally described as PARALLELISM. In Hebrew, the rhyme is the repetition of thoughts or the extension of similar thoughts.

In this Q&A, we will show biblical examples of the concept of Synonymous Parallelism. In subsequent Q&A’s, we will discuss additional concepts within Hebrew Poetry.

“Synonym” describes the idea that one word has the same meaning as another word. Synonymous Parallelism means, that the second line repeats the idea expressed in the first line. In this Q&A, we refer to such occurrence as being “equal” or “identical” thoughts.

We need to further distinguish between Identical Synonymous Parallelism and Similar Synonymous Parallelism. Identical Synonymous Parallelism repeats in the second line identical thoughts which were expressed in the first line. In Similar Synonymous Parallelism, one thought in the first line is repeated in the second line, while something else is added.

Let us begin with reviewing several examples of Hebrew Poetry, which contain IDENTICAL SYNONYMOUS PARALLELISM—the repetition of identical thoughts:

Psalm 50:20:

“You sit and speak against your brother;
“You slander your own mother’s son.”

Two identical thoughts are expressed, but different words are used. “Sit and speak” in the first line is identical with “slander” in the second line; likewise, “your brother” is identical with “your own mother’s son.” The devastating and cowardly concept of “slander” is emphasized here—one just sits there and speaks evil, and that against his own brother, the son of his own mother.

Psalm 24:1-3:

“The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness,
“The world and those who dwell therein.
“For He has founded it upon the seas,
“And established it upon the waters.
“Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD,
“Or who may stand in His holy place?”

These verses  contain several examples of identical synonymous parallelism or the expression of identical thoughts. In verse 1, the “earth” is equated with the “world,” and “its fullness” with “those who dwell therein.” In verse 2, we read that God “founded” the world “upon the seas”; that is, He “established” it “upon the waters.” In verse 3, the “hill of the LORD” is equated with “His Holy Place,” and “ascending” is identical with “being able to stand.” When one ascends to the holy hill of God (Jerusalem, see Isaiah 2:2-3), then he will stand there.

Psalm 15:1:

“LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle?
“Who may dwell in Your holy hill?”

Here, “abiding” equals “dwelling,” and God’s “tabernacle” describes “His holy hill.” Ultimately, God the Father will even dwell with us on the new earth, and His tabernacle will be with immortal men (Revelation 21:1-3).

Psalm 2:4:

“He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
“The LORD shall hold them in derision (NIV: “scoffs at them”; Tanakh: “mocks at them”).”

The LORD is the one who sits in the heavens, and He laughs or scoffs or mocks at His enemies, knowing that their fight and rebellion against Him are futile and vain.

Job 3:20:

“Why is light given to him who is in misery,
“And life to the bitter of soul?”

Light and life are described as equal, and misery and bitterness of soul are identical as well.

Proverbs 27:2:

“Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth;
“A stranger, and not your own lips.”

The identical parallelism might be clear in this example, but we need to carefully see the beautiful nuances here. “Another man” is equated with a “stranger,” so that the praise will be genuine and flattery will be excluded. “Your own mouth” is of course identical with “your own lips.”

Genesis 4:23:

“Adah and Zilla, hear my voice;
“Wives of Lamech, listen to my speech.
“For I have killed a man for wounding me,
“Even a young man for hurting me.”

Here we find another example of identical synonymous parallelism. “Adah and Zilla” are identified as the wives of Lamech (apparently, polygamy started with Lamech, and it is associated here with murder), and he states that he killed a man (who is then identified as a young man) for wounding or hurting him.

Zechariah 9:9:

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
“Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem.
“… Lowly and riding on a donkey,
“A colt, the foal of a donkey.”

This passage, prophesying events to take place in the life of Jesus, equates “rejoicing greatly” with “shouting,” and “Zion” with “Jerusalem.” Also, the “donkey” is identified with a “colt, the foal of a donkey” (compare John 12:14-15).

Numbers 23:7:

“… Come, curse Jacob for me,
And come, denounce Israel!”

“Cursing” equals “denouncing,” and Jacob is equated with Israel.

Numbers 23:21:

“He has not observed iniquity in Jacob,
“Nor has He seen wickedness in Israel!”

Again, Jacob is identified with Israel, and iniquity is the same as wickedness.

Numbers 23:23:

“For there is no sorcery against Jacob,
“Nor any divination against Israel.”

The same identification of Jacob and Israel is used, but another interesting aspect is emphasized: “Sorcery” is the same as “divination.”

Numbers 24:5:

“How lovely are your tents, O Jacob!
“Your dwellings, O Israel!”

Jacob and Israel are equal, and so are “tents” and “dwellings,” reminding us that our abode in this life, even though we should enjoy it, is only temporary.

Numbers 24:17:

“I see Him, but not now;
“I behold Him, but not near;
“A Star shall come out of Jacob;
“A Scepter shall rise out of Israel,
“And batter the brow of Moab,
“And destroy all the sons of tumult.”

This statement is filled with identical synonymous parallelism. “Seeing” equals “beholding”; “not now” is the same as “not near.” The “Star” is the same as the “Scepter” (describing Jesus Christ, the Morning Star, who will have power and rule over the nations, and it possibly also refers to the star of Bethlehem at the time of Christ’s First Coming); “come out” is the same as “rise”; and “Jacob” is again identified as “Israel” (Jesus Christ was a Jew, descending from Israel through the virgin Mary, a descendant of King David). “Battering” equals “destroying,” and the “brow of Moab” identifies them as “all the sons of tumult.” Jesus Christ will return and make an end to all rebellion against God. When Moses received this prophecy, Christ’s First and Second Comings were not near then, but by now, His First Coming occurred about 2,000 years ago, and His Second coming is now very near.

Let us now look at two examples of “SIMILAR SYNONYMOUS PARALLELISM” —  which does not describe totally identical thoughts, but expresses one thought in the first line, which is repeated in the second line, while another thought is being added in the second line.

Psalm 36:5:

“Your mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens;
“Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.”

Both God’s mercy and faithfulness reach the clouds and the heavens; however, mercy and faithfulness are not necessarily identical, but they are related.

Psalm 19:1:

“The heavens declare the glory of God;
“And the firmament [expanse of heaven] shows His handiwork.”

The heavens and the firmament declare God’s glory and His handiwork, but God’s glory and His handiwork are not identical. However, they are related, as one can see God’s glory IN His handiwork.

When reviewing the different devices in Hebrew Poetry, we need to understand that they were never used just for the fun of it—Hebrew Poetry in the Bible, although clearly an art form, was never used for art’s sake. Rather, as commentators have pointed out, it was used for teaching, prophesying or worship. The style of Hebrew Poetry was ideally suited for such tasks, since important ideas were repeated in different ways—and in such variety that it was art in the truest sense of the word. The poetry of the Old Testament was never tiresome, but a delight to read and recite, and even in translation, it can give us keys for the understanding of a particular statement, when properly analyzed and perceived.

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

A new Member Letter has been written, and this is from all of the ministry. We have reports from the US and Germany for the recent observance of the Feast of Tabernacles and Last Great Day. Special note is given to remind us of the tremendous job that is ahead of us in preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God as we look forward to the next year of God’s annual Holy Days. Also, with this letter, copies of our newest booklet, “The Ten European Revivals of the Ancient Roman Empire,” are also being mailed. 

“Neu! Jesus: ‘Ich bin Gott der HERR,’” is the title of this week’s new German sermon. The title in English is: “Jesus: ‘I am God the Lord.’” It discusses Jesus’ seven sayings of “I am…” in the gospel of John; His seven miracles in the gospel of John; and His last seven sayings on the cross.

“The Fall of the USA and the Rise of Germany,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

The Bible predicted thousands of years ago that America would fall and Germany would rise just prior to Christ’s return. What we are seeing today is in direct fulfillment of these prophecies. American news articles speak of America’s decline and the end of US democracy; religious leaders speak of America’s sea of immorality; international politicians demand a de-Americanized world; and all major Internet organizations want to free themselves of the influence of the US. At the same time, foreign policy experts speak of German influence in Europe and the world and predict a new Holy Roman Empire under German leadership. All of this has been prophesied in your Bible. But how reliable are biblical prophecies? To be sure, please read our free booklet, “The Authority of the Bible.”

“Gottes Heilige Jahresfeste,” is the title of our most recent German booklet. This is a translation of our English booklet, “God’s Commanded Holy Days,”

In addition, a German member letter was sent out via email, including a translation of Norbert Link’s Editorial in this week’s Update.

On October 12, 2013, Eric Rank will give the sermon, titled, “Overcome Doubt.”

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). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

Perhaps the most enjoyable time of the year for us has just ended. We kept the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day with those of like mind, which pictures God’s magnificent future plan when He will place His kingdom on earth to rule in peace and harmony. However, at that time it will not only last 8 days but for eternity. The world today has no clue about what we have just finished celebrating.  And yet during this time, we left the cares of the world behind. Worry was in the hindsight and replaced with joy while we focused on what was good and appropriate during those 8 days. A different attitude was expressed, an attitude we all wish we could experience throughout the year. Now that we have returned home from the Feast of Tabernacles, we are surrounded by the snares that are placed by the god of this world – Satan the Devil.

How are we doing since returning from the Feast? Has that attitude we experienced just a couple of weeks ago diminished now that we are “back to reality?” The world can be very distracting, and sin can creep in at every opportunity. And as the world continues in its destructive ways, for example, keeping days that are not endorsed by God, we are faced with making choices – to live by what God commands us or to fall victim to Satan’s clever tactics. Don’t be fooled – thinking that we can easily avoid Satan’s schemes. It takes effort!

Paul admitted just how easy it was to sin. He struggled with human nature, as you and I still do. He states in Romans 7:14-20: “For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.”

Satan will not quit, which is why we need to be aware of what we are doing at ALL times. We will slip and fall, but the important thing is what we do next – we get back up! We make goals for ourselves, hoping that we can accomplish them. We pray to God, hoping that we can live according to His Way, and that we don’t fall into temptations. And when we do sin, we hope God will grant us forgiveness when we ask for it. We were certainly in a more favorable environment to control our actions during the Feast. Now that we are “back to reality,” how are we doing?

Nothing has to change! We can maintain that same attitude we shared, as difficult as it may be to do – especially in this world, today. We can use the knowledge and the wisdom we have, look to God for help and we will be fine. This “reality” we are a part of now is only temporary, and that which is only temporary will eventually lead us to something far greater – eternity!

We begin with reporting on the biblical role of government and the lack of confidence of most Americans in the US economy; continue with interesting articles on swearing in court; the devil; immoral America and the soon-coming return of Christ; and the Vatican’s wrong position on divorce and remarriage.

We address America’s controversial military intervention in Libya; while speaking of Germany’s current and future role in world affairs—all in startling compliance with biblical end-time prophecies.

Turning to the environment, we report on the dangers of fracking and the ongoing problems with Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear plant.

Our Government Is Responsible to God

The Huntington Post wrote on October 3:

“One of the most depressing things I heard on the first day of the government shutdown was that it was a record fundraising day for both parties. Washington, D.C., is no longer about governing; it is just about winning and losing. But the people who will lose the most during a government shutdown — and then an impending United States government default on paying its debts — are those who live day to day on their wages, those at the lower end of the nation’s economy, and the poorest and most vulnerable who are always hurt the most in a crisis like this…

“Jeremiah, speaking of King Josiah, said, ‘He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well.’ The subsequent line is very revealing:  ‘“Is that not what it means to know me?” declares the Lord’ (Jer. 22:16). Of Solomon, the Scriptures say, through the words of the queen of Sheba, ‘Because the Lord loved Israel forever, he has made you king to execute justice and righteousness’ (1 Kings 10:9). Psalm 72 begins with a prayer for kings or political leaders: ‘Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to a king’s son. May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice. … May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor’ (Ps. 72:1-4).

“… government… needs to play the important and modest role of servant. The criteria for evaluation and judgment of civil authority is whether it is serving the people, whether it is guarding their security, whether it is maintaining a positive and peaceful social order, whether it is helping to make the lives of its citizens better, and, in particular, whether it is protecting the poor… Transparency, accountability, and service are the ethics of good government. ‘Of the people, by the people, and for the people’ is still a good measure and goal of civil authority. But people of faith will ascribe ultimate authority only to God, to whom civil authority will always be accountable.”

American Confidence in Economy and Government at Frightening Low

The Huffington Post wrote on October 8:

“The partial government shutdown has Americans nearly as freaked out about the economy as the event that triggered the 2008 financial crisis, according to a new survey by Gallup. U.S. economic confidence last week suffered its biggest one-week drop since Lehman Brothers collapsed on September 15, 2008, Gallup reported…

“If lawmakers do not increase the country’s borrowing limit by October 17, the government won’t have enough money to pay its bills and will be at risk of defaulting on some of its debt. Although it is difficult to predict what will happen if Congress does not come to an agreement by then, several experts have warned that a U.S. default would ignite an economic crisis much larger than the global disaster that followed the end of Lehman.”

In this context, the following article by Breitbart, dated October 8, is quite revealing:

“A new Fox News poll shows that a majority of American voters–58 percent–would vote ‘no’ on raising the debt ceiling. Only 37 percent of American voters would vote to raise the debt ceiling. An even bigger majority–62 percent–would only vote to raise the debt ceiling after ‘major cuts in government spending.’…”

“According to The Washington Times, dated October 10, “The number of American voters who think the country is headed in the right direction fell by 11 percentage points over the past week, placing it at its lowest level in two years, according to a new Rasmussen Reports survey. Just 17 percent of likely voters said they think the United States is on the right track, a sign that the ongoing government shutdown and fight over the debt limit is taking its toll on public confidence.”

One has to wonder on what planet the 17 percent live who believe the country is heading in the right direction…

China Warns the USA

The Independent wrote on October 8:

“China, the biggest foreign creditor of the United States, has waded into the American budget crisis, warning Congress that it must resolve the political impasse over the debt ceiling without further delay.

“The Chinese Vice Foreign Minister, Zhu Guangyao, told America’s deadlocked politicians on Monday that ‘the clock is ticking’… ‘We ask that the United States earnestly takes steps to resolve in a timely way the political issues around the debt ceiling and prevent a US debt default to ensure the safety of Chinese investments in the United States,’  Mr Zhu told reporters in Beijing. ‘This is the United States’ responsibility,’ he added…”

At the same time, President Obama and Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, John Boehner, have been accusing each other publically for causing the shutdown [now in its 10th day], while the media is wading in and taking sides, making a meaningful agreement between Republicans and Democrats even more difficult. Fox News reported on October 10: “A Republican proposal to approve a short-term increase in the debt ceiling was thrown into doubt late Thursday, as Senate Democrats insisted the partial government shutdown be lifted before talks can proceed — and a White House meeting broke up with no deal announced.”

America’s Downfall

MarketWatch wrote on October 8:

“Foreign policy analysts at home and abroad have been predicting for years the inevitable decline of American power, often with a fair amount of schadenfreude and sometimes even with glee. But now that political dysfunction in Washington is accelerating, the downsizing of the world’s only remaining superpower, all you hear is whining… So what did you expect American decline to look like?

“Get used to it, folks… So sad. The end of the American gravy train really is in sight… the nightmare is likely to continue for some time, with unforeseeable consequences for us and for the rest of the world… we are in the process of destroying our democracy. Sooner or later, history tells us, the United States of America will go the way of Rome and other empires…”

Swearing in Court

The Daily Mail wrote on October 6:

“Defendants and witnesses in British courts will no longer swear on the Bible to tell the truth under controversial plans being considered by a powerful body of judges… Existing religious oaths have, for hundreds of years, required Christian witnesses to hold the Bible and state: ‘I swear by almighty God that I shall tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.’

“Followers of other faiths are given copies of their sacred texts with Muslims swearing on the Koran and Jews on the Old Testament, for instance. Those who choose instead to make an affirmation are required to ‘solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm’ the truth of their evidence.

“Under [the new] proposal,  the holy books would be removed and the oath would read: ‘I promise very sincerely to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth and I understand that if I fail to do so I will be committing an offence for which I will be punished and may be sent to prison.’”

Under New Testament injunctions, Christians should indeed not swear or raise their right hand in court, but instead affirm to tell the truth. From that standpoint, a simple sincere promise to tell the truth would indeed be the preferable course of action in court settings.

Scalia: The Devil Is Alive

CNN wrote on October 7:

“As the Supreme Court begins its new term Monday, the devil is not on the docket – but the Evil One apparently is on the mind of Justice Antonin Scalia. New York magazine has published a fascinating new interview with Scalia in which the outspoken jurist tackled a number of topics. But none seemed to surprise Scalia’s interviewer, Jennifer Senior, more than his views on Satan… [Scalia] is one of a record six Catholic justices on the Supreme Court… the justice said… ‘I even believe in the devil.’…

“Scalia said the devil has gotten ‘wilier’ and convinced people that he and God don’t exist. The justice added… that disbelief in God ‘certainly favors the devil’s desires… Jesus Christ believed in the devil! It’s in the Gospels! You travel in circles that are so, so removed from mainstream America that you are appalled that anybody would believe in the devil! Most of mankind has believed in the devil, for all of history. Many more intelligent people than you or me have believed in the devil.’”

Left-liberal newspapers and websites such as CNN scoff at the idea of a devil, but the devil is real and very much alive. Please read our free booklet, “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World.”

Graham: Immoral America and Christ’s Return

Newsmax wrote on October 6:

“In an exclusive interview… Billy Graham tells Newsmax that President Obama’s ‘hope and change’ mantra is nothing more than a cliché and warns that the nation faces increasing threats to civil and religious liberties from its government. Graham… said America is drenched in a ‘sea of immorality’ and suggested that the second coming of Christ is ‘near.’ … ‘Our country is turning away from what has made it so great,’ he continued, ‘but far greater than the government knowing our every move that could lead to losing our freedom to worship God publicly, is to know that God knows our every thought; he knows our hearts need transformation.’…

“Many believing Christians believe in a coming Armageddon, a final battle between good and evil prophesied in the book of Revelation. Graham tells Newsmax it is not wise to ‘speculate’ about the dates of such a battle, but he adds that the Bible says that there ‘will be signs pointing toward the return of the Lord. I believe all of these signs are evident today,’ Graham wrote, adding that ‘the return of Christ is near. Regardless of what society says, we cannot go on much longer in the sea of immorality without judgment coming,’ he says.”

Amen.

Vatican Comes Out Strong

The Local wrote on October 10:

“The Vatican pledged on Thursday to take action against a German diocese which gives out Holy Communion to Catholic divorcees who have re-married. The Freiburg diocese in southern Germany said it would give communion to the divorcees in defiance of official Catholic policy which has upset the Vatican…

“The Vatican already condemned the decision on Tuesday with spokesman Federico Lombardi saying it risked causing ‘confusion’ and did not mean that Catholic Church policy on the issue had changed.

“Under Catholic doctrine, marriage is for life and breaking the sacrament means not being able to receive the Eucharist if the marriage is not officially annulled by an ecclesiastical court.”

The Catholic Church will remain steadfast to its hard-and-core doctrines, even though they are not in harmony with the Bible. The Vatican’s position on divorce and remarriage is clearly unbiblical.

US Guilty of Kidnapping a Libyan Citizen?

The Washington Times wrote on October 7:

“Libya’s interim government is seeking answers after U.S. special forces over the weekend captured al Qaeda operative Abu Anas al-Libi in Tripoli, calling the operation a ‘kidnapping of a Libyan citizen.’… From Indonesia where he is attending a regional summit, Secretary of State John F. Kerry said al-Libi is a ‘legal and an appropriate target for the U.S. military under the Authorization of the Use of Military Force’ enacted in September 2001.

“Libyan authorities called the raid ‘news,’ indicating they did not know about the raid before it happened. The U.S. and Libya have no status of forces agreement that would allow U.S. military operations on Libyan soil.”

CNN added on October 8:

“Libya’s General National Congress on Tuesday demanded that U.S. officials hand over al Libi, spokesman Omar Hmidan said. He also demanded that Libyan authorities and al Libi’s family have access to him in the meantime. The developments come as 200 heavily armed U.S. Marines headed to an Italian naval base, poised to fly at a moment’s notice to Libya should the U.S. Embassy come under assault from angry crowds in the wake of al Libi’s capture.”

Deutsche Welle reported on October 8:

“The US capture of a suspected al Qaeda chief from his own home in Libya once again puts the focus on the legality of Obama’s version of the ‘war on terror.’ The Libyan government’s role is also ambiguous… The Libyan government denies involvement and even fore-knowledge of the early morning commando raid, but eye-witness accounts (from al-Liby’s relatives) insist that Libyan soldiers were also involved.”

Deutsche Welle added on October 10:

“Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zidan has appealed for calm in his first comments since being freed from captivity earlier on Thursday. His abduction was in apparent retaliation for the US capture of an al Qaeda suspect.” It stated that “many militia groups accused the Libya government of colluding in the [US] operation…”

As it has been the case with other African and Middle Eastern nations, the Arab Spring will become a frosty winter for the US.

Germany to the Rescue?

BBC News wrote on October 6:

“Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has raised the possibility of Germany acting as a mediator to try to end his country’s 30-month-long civil war…

“Mr Assad said he ‘would be delighted if envoys came from Germany’. But he stressed that Damascus would not negotiate with rebels unless they laid down their weapons. Mr Assad again denied claims that his troops had used chemical weapons, blaming the rebels instead.”

However, as Deutsche Welle reported on October 8, “[current and soon former] German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle categorically rejected the offer”—that is, for now. In this context, please note the next extremely interesting article.

Germany To Lead a Holy Roman Empire in Europe

The Local wrote on October 8:

“In the last week Germany’s president Joachim Gauck has called on the country to take more responsibility in the international arena and told the Germans: ‘Our country is not an island.’… But is it time for Germany to step up on the global stage? At an event at the US Embassy in Berlin on Monday The Local asked US author and foreign policy expert Professor Walter Russell Mead for his view…

“Professor Mead argued German foreign policy has been relatively successful in Europe. Asked if Germany should play a greater global role, he said: ‘Germany is playing a larger role in the world than people appreciate… Europe is doing what it wants, in many ways led by Germany. We would hope Germany would continue to play the leading role it has played in the past.’

“Professor Mead… also praised Germany’s success in the Ukraine where the country has signed a deal with the EU, luring the country away from Russian influence… He added it was ‘quite remarkable’ that Germany had achieved this without it being perceived as some sort of German interference. This ‘quiet but very effective’ diplomacy ‘strikes me as an example that the world could use a lot more of and doesn’t appreciate enough,’ he added…

“On the subject of Europe and the Eurozone, Professor Mead… urged Germany to lead a Holy Roman Empire rather than a Prussian conquest. ‘Any discussion of Germany’s world role must begin with Europe,’ he told reporters…

“Professor Mead called for Germany to lead a Holy Roman Empire in Europe – a loose federation of states – instead of aggressively imposing austerity…  ‘Are you going to have a King of Prussia or the Holy Roman Emperor? The Holy Roman Emperor is the more sustainable…”

Those with ears to hear should listen. The Bible shows us that Germany will indeed lead another revival of the ancient Roman Empire… a final revival of ten nations or groups of nations under a “Holy Roman emperor”—the “beast.”

Fracking Produces Annual Toxic Waste Water Enough to Flood Washington DC

On October 4, the Guardian published an article with the following headline:

“Growing concerns over radiation risks as report finds widespread environmental damage on an unimaginable scale in the US.”

It continued:

“Fracking in America generated 280bn US gallons of toxic waste water last year – enough to flood all of Washington DC beneath a 22ft deep toxic lagoon, a new report out on Thursday found… The full extent of the damage posed by fracking to air and water quality had yet to emerge, the report said…

“A number of recent studies have highlighted the negative consequences of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, which have unlocked vast reservoirs of oil and natural gas from rock formations. There have been instances of contaminated wells and streams, as well as evidence of methane releases along the production chain…

“The report said the drilling industry had used 250bn gallons of fresh water since 2005. Much of that returns to the surface, however, along with naturally occurring radium and bromides, and concerns are growing about those effects on the environment.

“A study published this week by researchers at Duke University found new evidence of radiation risks from drilling waste water. The researchers said sediment samples collected downstream from a treatment plant in western Pennsylvania showed radium concentrations 200 times above normal… ‘Fracking waste-water discharged at treatment plants can cause a different problem for drinking water: when bromide in the wastewater mixes with chlorine (often used at drinking water treatment plants), it produces trihalomethanes, chemicals that cause cancer and increase the risk of reproductive or developmental health problems,’ the report said.”

The New York Times added on October 9:

“France and Bulgaria have already banned it, and in Britain the government’s attempts to promote it have led to heated demonstrations in the countryside. It is complicating Germany’s attempts to wean itself from fossil fuels and forcing Russia to recalibrate the energy-export strategy that sustains its economy.

“Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, has already revolutionized the energy business in the United States, which is now 87 percent self-sufficient for gas, and it is transforming environmental policy, too. Now the temptation to follow the United States in extracting shale gas from rock on a large scale is presenting Europe with contentious trade-offs that could affect the Continent’s economic competitiveness, test its commitment to curbing climate change and determine its place in a 21st-century version of the Great Game.

“The early signs are that densely populated Europe, with citizens generally more sensitive to environmental concerns and more willing to tolerate high energy costs, is unlikely to embrace the technique as the Americans have. As an indication of the skepticism, European Union lawmakers gave initial approval on Wednesday to a measure requiring companies to conduct extensive environmental audits before fracking for shale gas.”

When Christ returns, He will “destroy” those who “destroy” the earth.

Overflowing Tank Cause of New Leak at Fukushima

The Associated Press reported on October 3:

“Another day, another radioactive-water spill. The operator of the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant says at least 430 liters (110 gallons) spilled… The amount is tiny compared to the untold thousands of tons of radioactive water that have leaked, much of it into the Pacific Ocean, since a massive earthquake and tsunami wrecked the plant and sent it into meltdown in 2011. But the error is one of many the operator has committed as it struggles to manage a seemingly endless, tainted flow…

“The tank is one of about 1,000 erected on the grounds around the plant to hold water used to cool the melted nuclear fuel in the broken reactors… The overspill, the latest of several mishaps in less than a month, prompted the Nuclear Regulation Authority to summon the utility president and reprimand him in public… The new leak is sure to add to public concern and criticism of TEPCO and the government for their handling of the nuclear crisis. In August, the utility reported a 300-ton leak from another storage tank, one of a string of leaks in recent months. That came after the utility and the government acknowledged that contaminated groundwater was seeping into [the] ocean at a rate of 300 tons a day for some time…”

Much confusion exists as to whether true Christians are to attempt and do what they can to make this world a better place—to improve sad conditions by voting for “better” leaders; to fight against dictatorships to replace them with democratic politicians or to invade democratic countries to replace them with dictators; to engage in missionary activities in poor countries to build hospitals there or engage in other charitable work; or to desperately try to save some souls through evangelistic campaigns in an effort to proselytize or convert others—only to realize with frustration and disappointment that all these noble efforts are destined to fail.

The reason for these failures is that this is not God’s world, and that true Christians are called out of this world to prepare for a better world. However, that better world will not come through human efforts, but it has to be created for us by God Himself.

Today, true Christians are not OF this world—even though they are IN this world—and although they are certainly called upon to help those in need, when they have opportunity and when it is in their power, they are not commissioned to attempt to eradicate evil here and now. Rather, they are to let God work through and in them to become better persons. They are to show by their lives to those whom they come in contact with how to be true ambassadors for Christ, representing a heavenly kingdom which will be established on this earth—after this present evil world with its philosophies and its educational, political, legal and religious systems has been DESTROYED.

Many years ago, Herbert W. Armstrong, the late human leader of the Worldwide Church of God who died in 1986, explained very clearly what the role of a true Christian in today’s world should and should not be. In this Q&A, we quote from some of Mr. Armstrong’s writings on the topic, which have not lost any of their relevance for today’s Christians—just the opposite is true.

In his article, “How Would Jesus Vote for President?”, which was published in The Good News in October of 1984, he made it clear that Christians are not to participate in the political processes of the country in which they might live, and they are NOT to vote in governmental elections, as this is not God’s world. He explained that when Adam and Eve refused to obey God, they adopted instead the thinking of Satan the devil, who became the ruler and god of this present evil world. Mr. Armstrong stated:

“This Babylonish principle of government, intertwined with economic manipulation, has ruled the world… under various  forms — whether called oligarchy,  monarchy, dictatorship, autocracy, democracy communism or Nazism… this is the origin of what we call  CIVILIZATION… it is a system based upon exploitation of the people, aggression, regimentation, delusion and deception…  Babylon  means ‘CONFUSION’. Competition and strife have produced confusion in the world. And God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). Should Christians strive to make this a BETTER WORLD?”

He continued:

“Most churchmen today, viewing everything from the perspective of this world TODAY, blindly assume this is God’s world. They see certain forces of evil in it, and these they feel they must oppose. They see the Christian duty to be that of working to make this a better world. That concept is a wrong viewpoint altogether. This is not a world of God’s making. This is Satan’s world! Satan is the invisible god of this world, he is the author of its organization,  its basic philosophies, its systems of government, business,  society, yes,  and RELIGIONS! This thing we boast of as civilization is in actual fact, Satan’s handiwork, not God’s!…

“All nations — not just the heathen powers, but all nations, including ours — are deceived, swayed, led, by Satan (Revelation 12:9, 18:3,  20:2-3).  The Bible speaks of this world as ‘this present evil world’ (Galatians 1:4, AV)…”

In addressing some of the reasons why Jesus Christ came as a human being into this world, Mr. Armstrong stated:

“Into such a world, in His own due time, God sent forth His own Son, born of the human virgin Mary. WHY did Jesus come? To get into politics, to strive against the forces of evil in this world, to make this a better world for humanity to live in?…

“What was His message? Certainly not a Gospel merely about Himself — a Gospel of merely accepting Him and then, as part of this world, helping to make it better!… What Jesus taught was that this present world, with its governments, its religions, its economies, its society, is an evil world – it is Satan’s world – it is a world in competition against and AT WAR AGAINST – His Coming Kingdom – THE WORLD TOMORROW!… No, Jesus did not enter into THIS world’s politics! He called His disciples out of this present evil world — out of all its customs and philosophies and ways to a life of SEPARATION  from the world…

“Jesus did not try to reform Caesar. He did not try to make this a better world, Rather, He preached the doctrine of a radically different world to come and He called His followers out of all participation in this present evil world and to allegiance to His KINGDOM that is to come….”

Mr. Armstrong continued to explain very powerfully that as true Christians, we are not to have any part today in the politics and wars of this world. He also showed that the time will come when we WILL rule—but that time has not yet arrived.

“These present governments are to run their course ‘until the . . . time came for the saints [converted Christians] to possess the kingdom [of God].’ That time has not yet come… When Jesus comes again, it is proclaimed: ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdom of the Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever’ (Revelation 11:15) Then it is, as Jesus has said. ‘He who overcomes,  and  keeps  My works until the end, to him will I give power over the nations — he shall rule them’   (Revelation 2:26-27). The smashing of the present governments of the world is pictured in Daniel 2.34-35, 44. Then Satan shall be shorn of power to rule the world (Revelation 20:1-4). His qualified successor Jesus Christ, shall then be inaugurated into office.”

These words should be more than sufficient to show us why we are not to take part in the rotten and deceitful politics and wars of this world—and that applies to EVERY country. But Mr. Armstrong elaborated on this theme and concept, making additional comments in his remarkable booklet, “A World Held Captive,” (cp. 1984). In it, he explained in more detail WHY true Christians are NOT to be engaged in attempting to make this world a better world. He wrote:

“Adam had been created with the potential to be born a son of GOD [when being changed into a God being]. Even though not as yet even a begotten son of the GOD FAMILY [as he had not even partaken of the tree of life, symbolizing the gift of the Holy Spirit], he had been created as potentially just that. Once he succumbed to Satan’s WAY of choosing to ‘do his own thing,’ in rebellion against a deliberate command of God, he became spiritually the property of Satan. He actually had succumbed to the GOVERNMENT of Satan, choosing the LAW of that government, leading automatically into attitudes of self-glory, coveting, competition, desire to GET rather than God’s way of GIVE.

“All humanity came out of Adam and Eve. The present world was FOUNDED in them. The WORLD has ever since been HELD captive! The world had thus chosen THE WAY of the kidnapper [Satan the devil], rather than of the potential Parent [God the Father]!…[Adam] was led by Satan, and the whole world family, started through Adam, was DECEIVED into building a civilization that became SATAN’S WORLD — a WORLD HELD CAPTIVE…”

Again discussing some of the reasons why Christ did and did not come to this earth, Mr. Armstrong wrote:

“Jesus, during his earthly ministry, likened this world to a building. In Ephesians 2:20-22 the Church is likened to a building. Jesus, in referring to the present evil world, said it is built on a foundation of the sand of Satan’s way of vanity, covetousness, envy and jealousy, competition and strife, violence, rebellion, contention, unhappiness, suffering and death. THIS WORLD IS DOOMED TO CRASH! And great shall be the fall thereof.

“Jesus did not come to repair or remodel or make over this building — this world — this civilization. Its foundation is faulty — that of Satan. Its superstructure — its systems of government and legal systems of law and justice, its systems of faulty and materialistic education, its religions, its social systems and customs — all its superstructures faulty, producing discontent, unhappiness, contention, competition and strife leading to violence and destruction, anguish, suffering, poverty and death. Those are the supporting columns and beams of the superstructure of the building that is this world. Jesus did not come to reform this world — to bring it a ‘spiritual revival’ — to pray for it or to save it or any of its ways.

“The [true] Church [of God] is the start — the embryo — of an entirely NEW and DIFFERENT BUILDING. Jesus called those God has chosen to draw OUT from among this world and its ways… Jesus said He would build His Church. His Church was that new building — that new civilization — that new world, in embryo. He also said the Church would never die. The rains would fall (Matthew 7:24-27), the floods would come, the hurricanes would blow, but this NEW house built on the solid rock foundation would ALWAYS stand!”

These words, as quoted above, are as true today as they were when they were written in 1984. Sadly, most have never understood them, and they do not grasp them today, and even some of those who did comprehend them at one time—or at least it seemed that they did–have now adopted the wrong way of thinking that they ought to try to make this a better world. They will never succeed in this futile effort.

The Church of God has the commission to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God in all the world as a witness, and then the end of this present civilization and this evil society will come (Matthew 24:14). THEN—not before then—Christ will return to make an end to Satan’s rule and displace him. THEN, He will establish God’s government and righteous rule on this earth. THEN, the wonderful world tomorrow—the better world—will start. True Christians are to stand watch and prepare for THAT better  world… while coming out of modern Babylon (Revelation 18:4) and leaving THIS evil world behind.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Why did God destroy Sodom and Gomorrah? Many do not know the real reasons. And how does God’s punishment relate to us today—and especially to those who do know the truth of the Bible? The answer to these questions may be found in our recorded video sermon presented by Norbert Link and titled, “Today’s Sodom.”

Norbert Link’s video-recorded Feast sermon, titled, “Feast of Tabernacles 2013: How Zealous Are We?,” was posted on YouTube.

“America Is Politically Bankrupt,” is the title of one of two new Standingwatch programs presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

The temporary shutdown of the American government is strongly condemned by the worldwide community. Many feel that America cannot be saved; that America’s democracy is falling; and that America is politically bankrupt. Sadly, the Bible agrees with this assessment. The ill-conceived Obamacare or “Affordable” Care Act and its terrible “implementation” is only one symptom, exemplifying the fact that promises of politicians cannot be relied on. It is high time that God the Father sends His Son Jesus Christ to our earth to make an end to man’s mismanagement and to restore the Kingdom of God and establish righteous rule on this planet.

“Timeline of Biblical Prophecy and Rome’s Ten Revivals,” is the title of the second StandingWatch program. Here is a summary:

What is going to happen in the future? Does the Bible give us an outline or time table of events, leading to the return of Jesus Christ, and beyond? What, if anything, do developments in Europe tell us? Will there be a final revival of the ancient Roman Empire? Our free booklets, “Biblical Prophecy—From Now Until Forever,” and “The Ten European Revivals of the Ancient Roman Empire” give you the startling and surprising answers. Copies of both booklets are waiting for you.

We posted the first SW presentation by Rene Messier for the Canadian audience, titled, “SW Talking Points: The Nature of God.”

“Warum Menschliches Leid?,” is the title of a new AufPostenStehen presentation by Mr. Link. “Why Human Suffering?,” is the title in English. It promotes our newly printed German Booklet on Human Suffering.

Norbert Link’s video-recorded German sermon on the Day of Atonement, titled, “Jesus und Satan,” was posted on our German website (www.aufpostenstehen.de) and also on YouTube.

“Neu! Die Herrliche Welt des Millenniums,” is the title of the German sermon to be presented this Sabbath in Germany. In English, the title is, “The Beautiful World of the Millennium.”

By Ben Agbayani

Prior to the Feast of Tabernacles, I went to the extent of having a nerve block injection treatment for about a month, as I thought that I will be facing uncertainty to the max. During every visit I would receive 12 to 16 injections for 5 consecutive weeks; unfortunately, the injections never gave me any form of relief.

Having a spinal condition from the last flight I took a few years ago, I experienced so much pain and suffered from takeoff and landing. I was hoping not to experience the same on this flight bound for Vail, Colorado.

The day came, and we checked in for the flight from Toronto to New York. Sitting beside my wife as the plane started to head for the run way, I was so nervous and anticipated what would happen during takeoff. I was holding my wife’s hand, and I was not able to feel any form of pain as if the takeoff did not happen at all. Upon reaching New York and as the plane descended, my wife held my left hand and talked to me. I was waiting for that landing bump to occur, but it never happened.

Soon, we boarded our flight from New York to Denver. Again, the takeoff was so smooth. A few hours later, as we were prepared for landing at the Denver International Airport, my wife again took my hand and we talked as the plane descended. As we waited for that bump, we kept on talking. We did not realize that the plane had landed and was already heading for the gate.

We were so speechless and in awe of what happened between takeoff and landing of the two flights. The Eternal intervened and took charge as if the airplane was delivered by His hand so that we could enjoy our first Feast of Tabernacles.

We again realized that it is really not up to us to rely on our own strength, but our trust in God is what makes everything work for our own good.