On September 7, 2013, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “Our Fight for Freedom!”

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 time of the year, just prior to attending the Feast of Tabernacles, our minds tend to be focused on all the physical preparations which need to be done. If we are traveling by car, we want to ensure the tires and brakes are in good condition; that the oil is changed, and also taking care of any minor repairs that need to be done, so that we can make it safely to the Feast site.

We want to be certain that our clothes are clean, and we try to think of all the things we will need while being at the Feast.

We can get a bit bogged down with all the physical  preparations and in one sense develop a Martha syndrome.

When Christ was visiting Mary and Martha, Mary was sitting at Christ’s feet, listening to what He had to say, absorbing and drinking in the spiritual food, while Martha was busy with physical preparations. She was pre-occupied with all the physical things which she felt had to be done, and her sister was not helping her.

Now let us look at Luke 10:38-42 to see how Christ evaluated the situation:

“Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, ‘Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.’

“And Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.’”

Physical preparations are important,  but Mary had her priorities straight .

I recall about twenty-five years ago when we were expecting to have company and I was busy cleaning and dusting prior to the guests’ arrival, that my wife Delia said to me: “Don’t worry about a little bit of dust, what will they remember after leaving here? That they saw a little dust on the furniture or that they had a good time?”

There is an important lesson to be learned in what Christ said in regard to the spiritual things Mary was focused on. 

We need to prepare physically to attend the Feast,  but more importantly, we need to be prepared mentally and in good health to take in the  spiritual food that will be presented at the Feast. There will be more than eleven main messages plus sermonettes, as well as a Bible study–a banquet of spiritual food which is supposed to last and sustain us for close to six months until the spring Holy Days. And when we choose that good part, it will not be taken away from us.

Our Current Events this week can be very briefly summarized with these words: The indecisive, isolated, rejected, misguided and deceived United States of America is in trouble as NEVER before.

Persecution of German Homeschoolers, while America Refuses Asylum

Breitbart wrote on August 31:

“A team of 20 social workers, police officers, and special agents raided a homeschooling family’s residence near Darmstadt, Germany Thursday, forcibly removing the family’s four children, aged 7-14. Law enforcement raided the home and seized the children solely because the parents homeschool them—in defiance of a German ban on home education. According to the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), the children of Dirk and Petra Wunderlich were taken to unknown locations. Officials reportedly told the parents they would not be seeing their children ‘anytime soon.’

“HSLDA states that it obtained and translated court documents that authorized the use of force to seize the children and remove them from their parents’ custody. The documents indicated that the only legal grounds for removal were the family’s continuation of homeschooling. Though nothing indicated that the parents were failing to provide an adequate education, the law in Germany ignores the educational progress of the child. Attendance in government schools—not learning—is the object of the German law.

“According to HSLDA, Judge Koenig, a Darmstadt family court judge, signed the order to seize the children on Wednesday. Koenig cited the parents’ failure to cooperate ‘with the authorities to send the children to school.’ In addition, the judge authorized the use of force ‘against the children’ if necessary, indicating that such force might be needed because the children had ‘adopted the parents’ opinion’ regarding homeschooling, and ‘no cooperation could be expected’ from either the parents or their children… Returning to Germany after Dirk was unable to find work in other European Union countries, the Wunderlich family was hit with a criminal truancy case within days after registering in their town. After several months, the ‘Youth Welfare Office’ was granted legal custody of the children. A court allowed the children to remain in the parents’ home, however, since they were well-treated otherwise and cared for by their parents.

“According to HSLDA, German authorities even seized the children’s passports, making it impossible for the family to flee. ‘The right to homeschool is a human right,’ said Michael Farris, HSLDA chairman and founder. ‘So is the right to freely move and to leave a country. Germany has grossly violated these rights of this family. This latest act of seizing these four beautiful, innocent children is an outrageous act of a rogue nation… The United States Constitution is not alone in upholding the right of parents to decide how to educate their children. Germany is a party to numerous human rights treaties that recognize the right of parents to provide an education distinct from the public schools so that children may be educated according to the parents’ religious convictions. Germany has simply not met its obligations under these treaties or as a liberal democracy’…

“HSLDA is also representing the Romeike family, a German homeschooling family that was granted legal asylum in the United States in 2010 by a U.S. immigration judge. The Obama administration, however, successfully appealed that decision. When the Romeikes appealed to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, but were denied asylum, HSLDA decided to ask the Supreme Court to hear the case. If denied asylum by the Supreme Court, the Romeike family faces thousands of dollars in fines and possible jail time in Germany because they have homeschooled their children.
 
“‘No one can understand why the White House is showing so much leniency to millions of immigrants who have come here illegally in hopes of securing better jobs, but is so determined to deport this one family who has come to America in search of freedom for themselves and their children,’ said Farris. ‘The Obama administration has argued before our federal courts that Germany’s policy is legitimate and does not violate either human rights principles generally or religious freedom specifically,’ Farris said. ‘Academic success may be present, but governments are justified in banning homeschooling for the purpose of suppressing religious minorities. That is the full position of this administration. And it is unacceptable.’”

This is somewhat reminiscent of America’s shameful days when persecuted German Jews tried to find asylum in the USA, only to be rejected and turned away.

Germany Condemns Russia While Refusing to Fight with the USA

Deutsche Welle reported on August 31:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel has criticized Russia and China for failing to cooperate with the West in efforts to bring an end to the bloodshed in Syria… The two permanent members of the United Nations Security Council have used their veto powers to block three separate resolutions on Syria since the conflict broke out more than two years ago. Now they are expected to block any resolution that the US, Britain and France manage to put before the Council, that would authorize the use of force against the Syrian government, following an alleged chemical weapons attack 10 days ago… 

“Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, meanwhile, used an interview… call on Russia to work with the West. ‘Those who look away despite the use of chemical weapons … encourage their use. That is why we are calling on Russia to send a signal along with the international community,’ he said… the chancellor also noted that while the alleged use of chemical weapons resulting in hundreds of deaths ‘cannot remain without consequence,’ Germany’s armed forces could not take part in any military action under the current circumstances. ‘Germany cannot participate in any military intervention without a mandate from the United Nations, NATO or the EU,’ Merkel said. ‘Therefore, there is no question of any participation by the Bundeswehr at the moment.’

“This stance appears to be in keeping with the sentiment of a majority of Germany. An opinion poll released on Thursday found that 60 percent of those asked said they were opposed to launching military strikes on Syria, while only about 33 percent supported the idea. Germans are set to go to the polls in a general election on September 22.”

Germany’s position seems to be terribly hypocritical, but it shows again how isolated America has become.

Putin Attacks Obama

The Washington Post wrote on August 31:

“Russia dramatically escalated its denunciations of American threats to attack Syrian military targets on Saturday, with President Vladimir Putin saying it would have been ‘utter nonsense’ for the Syrian government to use chemical weapons as the Obama administration alleges. The Foreign Ministry, in a statement issued before President Obama said he would seek congressional authorization before ordering strikes on Syria, said a U.S. attack would be a ‘gross violation’ of international law. Speaking out for the first time since an apparent chemical weapons attack near Damascus on Aug. 21, Putin called on President Obama to find a nonviolent way out of the crisis. ‘I would like to address Obama as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate: Before using force in Syria, it would be good to think about future casualties,’ Putin told Russian news agencies in Vladivostok during a tour of the country’s flood-stricken Far East…

“Putin said he was sure the attack was the work of rebels trying to provoke international — and especially American — involvement in the Syrian conflict. The government of Bashar al-Assad, he said, would have had no reason to use chemical weapons at a time when it had gained the upper hand in the fighting… Putin said he was surprised by the vote in Britain’s Parliament on Thursday not to join a U.S. attack on Syrian military targets. ‘It shows that there are people guided by common sense there,’ he said…

“Obama arrives in St. Petersburg for the G-20 meeting on Thursday and leaves on Friday. The purpose of the gathering is to discuss economic growth, but the White House acknowledges there will be plenty of conversation about Syria on the side. There are currently no plans for a one-on-one meeting between Putin and Obama, who earlier this month decided not to attend a Moscow summit with the Russian president. On Friday, the head of the foreign affairs committee of the lower house of parliament, Alexei Pushkov, said the Nobel committee should strip Obama of his 2009 Peace Prize if he launches an attack on Syria.”

Putin’s question as to why Assad would have used chemical weapons in the given situation does make some sense. One is terribly reminded of the false US claim of the existence of weapons of mass destruction to justify an ill-conceived and unsuccessful war against Iraq. Note the next article.

Russia Unconvinced

The Associated Press reported on September 2:

“The information the U.S. showed Moscow trying to prove that the Syrian regime was behind an alleged chemical weapons attack is ‘absolutely unconvincing,’ Russia’s foreign minister said Monday. The United States insists Syrian President Bashar Assad’s troops were behind the chemical attack on Aug. 21, which they say killed over 1,400 people, and is considering strikes against his regime. Moscow is Assad’s key ally and weapons supplier, and its protector at the United Nations.

“… Sergey Lavrov said the evidence Washington presented was not detailed. ‘Yes, they showed us some findings but there was nothing specific there: no geographic coordinates, no names, no proof that the tests were carried out by the professionals,’ Lavrov said. He did not say what tests he was referring to. ‘What our American, British and French partners showed us in the past and have showed just recently is absolutely unconvincing,’ Lavrov said. ‘And when you ask for more detailed proof they say all of this is classified so we cannot show this to you.’”

Obviously, Russia, the ancient “bear” which—in collaboration with Persia–was asked to “arise” and “devour much flesh” (Daniel 7:5), is acting because of self-serving political, military and pecuniary motives, but the questions raised still deserve scrutiny and a convincing answer.

Putin Warns—While the West Is Divided

The EUObserver wrote on September 4:

“Russian leader Vladimir Putin has warned against Western strikes on Syria on the eve of the G20 summit in St Petersburg on Thursday… he compared Syria to the Iraq war in 2003, which was based on false intelligence on weapons of mass destruction, and hinted he will deliver modern anti-air defences to the region… He added that a strike must be authorised by the UN Security Council, where he has a veto, on the basis of hard information…

“He said if Western powers go ahead, ‘we [Russia] shall think how we should act in the future, in particular regarding supplies of … sensitive weapons to certain regions of the world.’…

“The EU itself is also divided on Syria… German forces will not take part. France has said it backs the US, while also ruling out ground troops. But Italy says any strike without UN approval would be illegal. Meanwhile, the rejection of joint UK-US strikes by British MPs last week is causing political problems for French leader Francois Hollande…”

Russia’s Plan for a Eurasion Union

The following was reported by the EUObserver on September 3:

“[Armenia] wants to join a trade and political union with Russia instead of an EU alternative… The news came as a surprise to EU officials… If Armenia does become a full member of the Russian-led customs bloc, along with Belarus and Kazakhstan, it cannot sign the EU pact at the same time… Russia is Armenia’s main security guarantor in its frozen conflict with Azerbaijan over the breakaway territory…

“Russia in recent weeks has also threatened Moldova and Ukraine, two other former Soviet states which are seeking deeper ties with the EU… Putin has said he wants all former Soviet republics, except the Baltic states, which are EU members, to join his customs bloc. He plans to transform it into a political union, the Eurasian Union, in 2015.”

None of this is good news for the West.

Unusual Isolation of the USA

The New York Times wrote on August 30:

“… when Prime Minister David Cameron was unable to muster the votes in Parliament for support for a strike in Syria — even one limited to stopping the future use of chemical weapons — shock could be heard in the voices of senior White House officials who never saw the British rejection coming… Now Mr. Obama is left to cope with miscalculations on both sides of the Atlantic. If he goes ahead with the strike… he will look more isolated than any president in recent memory entering a conflict…

“Mr. Obama has done comparatively little to explain his longer-term strategy for changing the course of events in Syria without getting sucked into a war. In fact, he has argued the opposite — that a brief strike will do the trick of teaching the Syrians a lesson… The British Parliament, however, fears it will be something else: the beginning of another conflict in which the West will inevitably get sucked in.”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on August 30:

“For United States President Barack Obama, this is a disaster. He’s been left in the lurch by Britain, Washington’s most loyal ally. What happened on Thursday in London was a historical decision.”

President Obama’s About-Face or Humiliating Retreat?

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 1:

“Even to the president’s allies, it looked like an abrupt about-face. To his enemies, Obama’s announcement at the White House on Saturday… that he would seek Congress’ approval for a missile strike on Syria was a humiliating retreat… John Pike, director of Washington think tank GlobalSecurity.org,… called Obama’s implied constitutional innovation ‘amazing.’ ‘There is simply no precedent in American history for that doctrine. [US presidents have] authorized the use of force on their own account over a hundred times.’…

“On Sunday, more than one media outlet pointed out that when Obama’s first election campaign was starting in 2007, the Illinois senator and former constitutional law professor told a reporter: ‘The president does not have power under the constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation.’ So is Obama simply staying true to a campaign pledge, or at least worrying that statements like this might be flung in his face? This is unlikely considering the president was not shy of using his executive power in Libya in 2011. Then, Obama went to war against Moammar Gadhafi’s regime even though the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly against taking action.”

Kerry’s Struggle to Defend the President’s Actions

Breitbart reported on September 1:

“Secretary of State John Kerry struggled to defend President Obama’s plan for Syria when he appeared on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace. On Saturday, Obama said he would seek Congressional approval for military strikes on Syria. Wallace asked Kerry why Obama decided not to call back Congress to debate on Syria. Lawmakers will not reconvene until September 9 from their August recess. Kerry could not provide a simple answer…

“To make matters worse, Obama’s speech completely contradicted Kerry’s Friday speech where he said action should be taken now against Syria. Wallace told Kerry it appears that Obama’s plan of action was the direction from the beginning and nothing like the points Kerry made on Friday. Kerry responded by reminding that the President can throw out the advice of his advisers entirely…

“Kerry insisted America’s credibility is on the line and he hopes Congress will vote with Obama… Kerry stated that tests from hair and blood samples prove sarin gas was used against civilians in the August 21 attack. The chemical weapons attack killed 1,400 people, including almost 500 children.”

As we pointed out in previous Updates, even though John Kerry might want to take a stronger and more decisive stance in certain international matters, he won’t be supported in this by the President and his administration. But it’s not only the Obama administration which puts on some breaks, as the next article shows.

US Congress–Will Britain Repeat Itself?

The Los Angeles Times wrote on September 1:

“Members of Congress from across the political spectrum reacted with deep skepticism Sunday to President Obama’s bid for approval of strikes against Syria, with lawmakers raising doubts about whether a vote would succeed. Few of the approximately 100 members of Congress who returned to Washington for a classified intelligence briefing Sunday said they would support the administration’s request to authorize the use of force, even though they showed little doubt that Syrian President Basher Assad’s government was behind the alleged chemical weapons attack on Aug. 21.

“The administration now appears to face a two-front battle to win the support of Congress, needing to convince skeptical representatives of a war-weary public on the one hand and more hawkish lawmakers seeking an even tougher response on the other. And it has just more than a week to do so… Assad has joined Saddam Hussein and Adolf Hitler as the only individuals to have used chemical weapons against their own people, Kerry said as he made the case for Congress to support a resolution authorizing force…”

In the meantime, House Speaker John Boehner said Tuesday that he would support President Barack Obama’s call for a limited military strike against Syria. On the other hand, Senator John McCain (who was caught playing a phone game of poker at a Senate hearing about Syria) and former Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, stated that such a limited strike would not be sufficient, while others are opposed to any strike, including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Senator Rand Paul. So, the division could not be any greater. In addition, to save face, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and later President Obama presented the new and rather concocted idea that the President had not drawn a red line in the sand regarding Syria’s use of chemical weapons, but that Congress and the world community had done so, by outlawing chemical warfare, and that “the credibility of Congress, the United States and the international community as a whole is at stake” (Washington Post and Washington Times, September 4).

Even Syrian Opposition Critical of US Strike

Deutsche Welle reported on September 4:

“The West is fretting about whether to intervene in the Syrian war, and the opposition is also split…

“Omar Hossino, a Syrian-American researcher based in Washington, says the split in the opposition is identifiable: ‘The al-Qaeda-linked groups and other radical Salafist groups are very much opposed to the strike, because they want to be the ones that save the Syrian people, and they are assuming the strikes will target them,’ he said. ‘The more mainstream rebel groups seem to mostly favor strikes, although they’ve been saying that this strike is not really going to do anything.’…

“Another question – the nature and size of a potential strike – is just as much of a controversy…  In a statement released on Sunday (01.09.2013), the Syrian opposition’s ‘Local Coordination Committees in Syria,’ condemned a minimal approach. ‘A limited strike to merely warn Assad will lead to nothing but increase in his violence, as well as to his complete confidence that no one would prevent him from killing.’

“Echoing the view of many analysts, the statement continued, ‘Apparently, the main concern of the West in this regard is based on international balance and interests, not on the serious attempt to rescue a people who are striving for freedom and dignity, and dying for that, every day.’ In other words, Obama’s cruise missile attack was simply saving face to back up his ‘red line’ warning about chemical weapons. ‘Most of the mainstream groups are against a strike unless it can actually be a game-changer and change the dynamic on the ground against Assad,’ said Hossino, before adding that he doubted whether CIA training operations would have any effect, and if they do, they would take months.”

Now the Pope Speaks…

JTA reported on September 2:

“Pope Francis in a meeting with Jewish leaders sent Rosh Hashanah greetings to Jews worldwide and expressed ‘concern’ at the ban on kosher slaughter in Poland… Francis met with a WJC [World Jewish Congress] delegation headed by the organization’s president, Ronald Lauder…

“A WJC statement said the pontiff and Lauder spoke about the situation in Syria ‘and agreed to speak out against attacks on religious minorities, such as Coptic Christians in Egypt and against trends to restrict well-established religious practices such as circumcision.’… Referring to the conflict in Syria, ‘the pope called the killing of human beings unacceptable and said world leaders must do everything to avoid war,’ according to the WJC.”

Zenit added on September 4 that “Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Pope’s secretary of state, has scheduled a special briefing for ambassadors accredited to the Holy See to speak with them about the importance of the Day of Prayer and Fasting for Syria, which the Pope has called for Saturday.”

The Associated Press added on September 5 that “Pope Francis urged the Group of 20 leaders on Thursday to abandon the ‘futile pursuit’ of a military solution in Syria as the Vatican laid out its case for a negotiated settlement that guarantees rights for all Syrians, including minority Christians.”

The Humanitarian Catastrophe of Syrian Refugees

Deutsche Welle wrote on September 4:

“As Obama contemplates a military strike against Assad, more than 5,000 Syrians are fleeing the country every day. Many, including the UN, are calling the situation a ‘humanitarian catastrophe.’…

“Syria’s 20-million citizens are so distressed that many of them have decided to flee the country regardless of the hardship and risks. Ever since President Bashar al-Assad and his opponents engaged in a relentless, bloody war, more than 2 million people have fled Syria, according to the United Nations. Every tenth Syrian is currently on the run…

“Lebanon alone registered more than 700,000 Syrian refugees by the end of August. Jordan has accepted slightly more than half a million and Turkey slightly less than half a million. Around 160,000 Syrians are now living in Iraq and more than 100,000 have managed to flee to Egypt. According to the UN, countries in the region have accepted 97 percent of Syrian refugees… Housing, employment, medical care and, ideally, education are among the services these countries are expected to provide. But the refugee numbers are so large that they pose a challenge to local social structures. For example, Lebanon’s population has grown by nearly 20 percent as a result of the refugees. This increase has led to social tension and rising rents…

“The EU also warns of a destabilization of Syria’s neighboring countries… The prospects for the millions of refugees to return to their homes are difficult to assess, given the rising violence in Syria. And there are no signs of an imminent solution to end the war between the Assad regime and the Syrian opposition…”

What Will Happen After Assad?

The Huffington Post wrote on September 1:

“Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Sunday portrayed the current conflict in Syria as one between the government of President Bashar Al Assad, who Paul said ‘has protected Christians for a number of decades,’ and ‘Islamic rebels,’ who Paul said ‘have been attacking Christians’ and are aligned with Al Qaeda. ‘I think the Islamic rebels winning is a bad idea for the Christians, and all of a sudden we’ll have another Islamic state where Christians are persecuted,’ Paul said on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press.’

“Paul was likely referring to a string of incidents in Egypt in recent weeks, where supporters of the deposed government of former president Mohamed Morsi have burned Coptic Christian churches to protest what they see as Christian backing for the military overthrow of Morsi’s government…

“Paul, a first-term senator and vocal opponent of U.S. intervention overseas… said the U.S. should pursue a negotiated settlement where ‘Assad is gone, but some of the same people [from Assad’s regime] remain stable,’ because, he said, ‘that would also be good for the Christians.’… Paul also said that U.S. intervention would imperil U.S. allies in the region, including Jordan and Israel…”

It is a fact that Christians were somewhat protected or at least tolerated in Egypt under Mubarak, in Iraq under Saddam Hussein, and in Syria under Bashar Al Assad. With new Islamic governments taking over, violent hostility and persecution against Christians have been increasing.

Our Hypocritical Media

Breitbart wrote on September 1:

“In the years since the United States first went to war in Iraq, liberal groups and commentators have accused many media outlets of not asking the right or critical questions of the Bush administration…This time around, under President Obama, as the US has engaged in military action in Libya, launched an unprecedented number of unmanned aerial drone strikes around the world and threatened military ‘punishment’ in Syria… [is] the media… completely falling asleep on the job?” 

This appears to be the case.

Now it’s Morsi’s Turn…

The Associated Press reported on September 1:

“Egypt’s top prosecutor… ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi to trial on charges of inciting the killing of opponents protesting outside his palace while he was in office, the state news agency said… No date was announced for the trial. Morsi will be tried, along with 14 members of his Muslim Brotherhood, in a criminal court for allegedly committing acts of violence, and inciting the killing of at least 10 people…

“Those referred to trial with Morsi include the deputy leader of the Brotherhood’s political party, Essam el-Erian, currently in hiding. They also include leading Brotherhood member Mohammed el-Beltagy, arrested this week, as well as leading pro-Brotherhood youth leaders who were video-taped during the street clashes on the front lines.

“Since Morsi’s ouster, authorities have waged an intensive security crackdown on members of his group. The crackdown followed a violent breakup of a sit-in held by Morsi supporters for weeks demanding his reinstatement that left hundreds killed.”

First Mubarak is charged, now it’s Morsi, and when is it going to be the military and the present government of Egypt, which is purportedly guilty of committing similar atrocities? And while all of this is going on, America supports first Mubarak, then Morsi, and now the military. And the people of Egypt don’t like it a bit. And “Leviathan,” the “fleeing [and] twisted serpent” of Egypt—“the reptile that is in the sea” or river, will turn around and bite America (compare Isaiah 27:1).

Fukushima Radiation Set to Hit the U.S. by 2014

Salon reported on August 29:

“Unless you were one of the 160,000 thousand people in the near vicinity of the Fukushima disaster who evacuated their homes in 2011, the ongoing nuclear crisis on Japan’s shore can seem awfully far away. It’s worth remembering, though, that the radioactive waste leaking from the plant has been making its way into the Pacific Ocean, and from there, to the rest of the world. According to new research from the Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science, the radioactive ocean plume from the original disaster will reach the west coast of the U.S. by 2014, 3 years after it was first released.

“… it’s important to understand how pollutants are carried throughout the world’s oceans, especially since Japan is still trying to figure out what to do with its 132 Olympic pools worth of radioactive water.. [It will] hit Oregon first, and then California by 2016… its 30-year half-life means it’s not just going to disappear anytime soon.”

We are being assured that the radioactive fallout will pose no health risk or dangers to Americans. The same false assurances were given years ago to Europeans when the disaster of Chernobyl wiped out entire regions and killed many people.

BBC News added on September 4 that “Radiation levels around tanks storing contaminated water at Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear plant have risen by a fifth to a new high, officials say.”

Fukushima Radiation—“Much Worse Than You Think”

CNN wrote on August 30:

“While the amount of radioactivity released into the environment in March 2011 has been estimated as between 10 percent and 50 percent of the fallout from the Chernobyl accident, the 400,000 tons of contaminated water stored on the Fukushima site contain more than 2.5 times the amount of radioactive cesium dispersed during the 1986 catastrophe in Ukraine. So, where has this huge amount of highly contaminated water – enough to fill 160 Olympic-size swimming pools – come from? In the aftermath of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, the reactor cores of units 1, 2 and 3 melted through the reactor vessels into the concrete. Nobody knows how far the molten fuel went through the containment – radiation levels in the reactor buildings are lethal, while robots got stuck in the rubble and some never came back out.

“The molten fuel still needs to be cooled constantly and the operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), injects about 400 tons of water into the perforated reactor vessels every day. That water washes out radioactive elements and runs straight through into the basements that were flooded during the tsunami. By 2015, over 600,000 tons of highly radioactive liquid are expected to have accumulated in temporary tanks, some underground, many bolted rather than welded together, and none ever conceived to hold this kind of liquid over the long term. The dangerous fluid is pumped around in four kilometer long makeshift tubes, many of them made of vinyl rather than steel, and plagued with numerous leaks in the winter when the above ground lines get hit by frost.

“TEPCO’s account of the discovery this month of the leak of 300 tons of highly radioactive water showed a frightening level of amateurism… The tank leak is just the latest in a long list of signs that things are going fundamentally wrong at the site of what could still turn out to be the most serious radiological event in history. And the situation could still get a lot worse. A massive spent fuel fire would likely dwarf the current dimensions of the catastrophe and could exceed the radioactivity releases of Chernobyl dozens of times. First, the pool walls could leak beyond the capacity to deliver cooling water or a reactor building could collapse following one of the hundreds of aftershocks. Then, the fuel cladding could ignite spontaneously releasing its entire radioactive inventory…

“The fact is that the Fukushima Daiichi site represents challenges of unprecedented complexity. Maintaining the cooling of three molten reactor cores and five spent fuel pools in a disaster zone is a job of titanic proportions…”

Merkel: Trust Between USA and Germany Lost

The EUObserver wrote on September 2:

“A 90-minute TV debate between Chancellor Angela Merkel and her Social Democrat rival Peer Steinbrueck on Sunday (1 September) mostly revolved around domestic topics, with some tense exchanges on the US spying scandal and the eurozone crisis.  Seen by 12 million Germans, the debate was the first and last before the 22 September elections and the only chance for Steinbrueck, who trails Merkel in the polls, to score some points. If anything, the debate put Steinbrueck on an even footing with Merkel… ‘If I would have been chancellor, I wouldn’t have called a press conference about the US mass surveillance of Germans only to say: “Let’s wait”’,  Steinbrueck said.

“Merkel… said she has ‘no reason not to trust the National Security Agency’ – the US secret service behind the mass surveillance of online users. But a few minutes later she appeared to contradict herself. When pressed by one of the moderators, Merkel said: ‘Of course trust was lost between Germany and the US.’…”

Germany Awards Whistleblower Prize to Snowden

rt.com reported on September 1:

“Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden has been awarded the biennial ‘whistleblower prize’ in Germany, worth some $3,900, in recognition of his ‘bold efforts’ to expose the monitoring of communications data by his former employer. The prize, last awarded in 2011, was officially bestowed upon the 30-year-old at a ceremony in Berlin which took place Friday, prompting a nine-minute congratulatory video message from Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald on Saturday… The organizers of the prize commended Snowden’s work, stating that he had uncovered ‘massive and unsuspecting monitoring and storage of communication data, which cannot be accepted in democratic societies.’ … ‘Not only did [German Chancellor Angela Merkel], it seems, allow the US to spy on Germany, but it seems she also helped the US to spy on Germany. So this is one of the reasons why Edward Snowden has received this award,’ RT correspondent Peter Oliver said from the ceremony in Berlin…

“The whistleblower award was first awarded in 1999 under the auspices of the Association of German Scientists and the German chapter of the International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms (IALANA)… It was revealed in June that for seven years, the US National Security Agency (NSA) has been using PRISM, a warrantless web surveillance system with a near-limitless ability to spy on anyone’s phone calls, e-mails, video chats, search history and more, with major Internet giants Google, Apple and Facebook being complicit in the scheme.”

What a slap in the face for the USA.

Update on Yosemite Fire

The Associated Press reported on September 4:

“Officials said they still are investigating the cause of the fire, which started 18 days ago in an isolated area of the Stanislaus National Forest and has burned nearly 370 square miles – the fourth biggest recorded wildfire in California. With higher humidity and lower temperatures, the fire reached 80 percent containment… Officials said 111 structures, including 11 homes, have been destroyed. More than 4,300 firefighters are still battling the blaze.”

San Diego In Danger of Tsunami

U-T San Diego reported on September 4:

“Federal and state researchers came up with a hypothetical magnitude 9.1 earthquake [erupting off Alaska] that produces a tsunami severe enough to force the evacuation of 750,000 people along the California coast while sinking or damaging one-third of all boats in the state’s marinas. Such a tsunami could cause $1.2 billion in damages… at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach…

“The report also says the tsunami would produce waves up to 6-feet high locally, inundating and damaging some areas… ‘The good news is that three-quarters of California’s coastline is cliffs, and thus immune to the harsher and more devastating impacts tsunamis could pose. The bad news is that the one-quarter at risk is some of the most economically valuable property in California.’…

“The state has not been hit by the sort of tsunami that occurred off Japan following a 9.0 quake in March 2011. But California has felt the impact of such events. The 9.2 earthquake that broke in Alaska in 1964 created a tsunami that killed 11 people in Crescent City, California, and destroyed most of the city’s business district. Crescent City was slammed again in March 2011 when a tsunami from the Japan quake produced 8-foot waves that heavily damaged the city’s harbor.”

Do Vaccines Cause Autism?

Natural News wrote on September 3, 2013:

“You won’t hear anything about it from the mainstream media, but the federal government’s kangaroo ‘vaccine court’ has once again conceded, albeit quietly, that the combination measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine does, indeed, cause autism. In a recently published ruling, part of which was censored from public view, a young boy was awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars after it was determined that the MMR vaccine led to a confirmed diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

“Ten-year-old Ryan Mojabi’s parents say he first suffered an encephalopathy after being vaccinated for MMR on December 19, 2003. Known as a ‘table injury,’ encephalopathy is a recognized, compensable adverse reaction to vaccines… According to Ryan’s parents, the MMR vaccine caused their son’s encephalopathy, which manifested… in the form of asthma and ASD.’

“After being bumped around from court to court, Ryan’s case was eventually heard by the vaccine court’s Autism Omnibus Proceedings, according to The Huffington Post. And in the end, the federal government agreed that Ryan’s encephalopathy had been caused by the MMR vaccine, a landmark ruling that confirms what Dr. Andrew Wakefield found more than 15 years ago when studying gut disorders in children given the MMR vaccine. ‘Ryan suffered a Table injury under the Vaccine Act — namely, an encephalitis within five to fifteen days following receipt (of MMR),’ admitted the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding the case. ‘This case is appropriate for compensation,’ it added, in full agreement with the court’s decision.

“Of particular note in the case is the fact that concession documents by the government remain under seal. While the court and the government at large openly admitted that the MMR vaccine caused Ryan’s encephalitis, it did not make public its opinion on whether or not that encephalitis led to Ryan’s other injuries, including those that fall into the category of ASD. But the fact that these documents remain censored shows that the government is hiding something of importance from the public, which most definitely has to do with the connection between the MMR vaccine and autism.

“In a similar case heard during the same month, young Emily Moller from Houston, Texas, was also awarded massive compensation for injuries resulting from the MMR vaccine. According to reports, Emily experienced a severe reaction after receiving not only the MMR vaccine but also the DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis), HiB, and Prevnar vaccines. Like with Ryan’s case, the government conceded that these vaccines led to Emily’s autism and other developmental problems.

“These two cases, combined with numerous published studies out of the U.S., South America, and Europe, prove that the MMR vaccine is not the harmless vaccine that the conventional medical industry claims it is. In fact, everything that Dr. Wakefield found back in the late 1990s concerning the MMR vaccine — findings that cost him his career and reputation, by the way — are proving to be undeniably true.

“‘There can be very little doubt that vaccines can and do cause autism,’ Dr. Wakefield recently stated from his home in Austin, Texas. ‘In these children, the evidence for an adverse reaction involving brain injury following the MMR that progresses to an autism diagnosis is compelling. It’s now a question of the body count. The parents’ story was right all along. Governments must stop playing with words while children continue to be damaged. My hope is that recognition of the intestinal disease in these children will lead to the relief of their suffering. This is long, long overdue.’”

Of course, most doctors and medical scientists would deny Wakefield’s findings, as they do not fit into the paradigm of routinely wanting to administer vaccines to little (and helpless) babies—while, at the same time, many of them advocate and endorse the murder of unborn children through abortions.

In our Q&A on the “law of jealousy,” we pointed out that this law was a “ritualistic procedure,” which is no longer applied in its literal sense today. We stated that “In Numbers 5:11-31, God gave Old Testament Israel a supernatural means of determining whether a wife had committed adultery or not, although she had not been caught, and no witness was present (Numbers 5:13). When ‘the spirit of jealousy’ came upon the husband, so that he suspected a transgression of his wife, the husband could bring his wife to the priest, and he had to bring at the same time the ‘grain offering of jealousy’ (Numbers 5:15)… The priest gave the woman ‘holy’ or ‘bitter’ water to drink, after she had denied, under oath, any transgression. God then saw to it, that her belly would swell, if she was in deed guilty.”

In this Q&A, we are going to discuss further aspects which are relevant to that temporary ritual law, showing that it has still spiritual meaning for us today, even though its practical and literal application has ceased.

That the practical application is no longer valid today, will become clear throughout this Q&A. It is Satan, and not God who is ruling today this present evil world with all of its countries (John 14:30), so God will not supernaturally intervene today in the way which is described in Numbers 5. In addition, we are not to swear today (James 5:12; but compare Numbers 5:19-22), and we cannot avail ourselves of any holy water and dust from the Tabernacle which were a required part of the prescribed procedure of the law of jealousy (compare Numbers 5:17).

Discussing this law, we are presented with a situation when the wife may or may not have committed adultery, but in either case, she apparently acted in a way which raised disturbing suspicion or jealousy in the husband. Since she was not caught in the very act, no witness could bring sufficient evidence to establish her guilt.

The commentary on the Torah by Richard Elliott Friedman explains that the law deals with a “woman whose husband suspects her of adultery, but who has not been proved guilty by evidence or witnesses… even if the woman is shown guilty [through the procedure of the law of jealousy], she is not executed, which elsewhere is the penalty for adultery (Lev. 20:10; Deut. 22:22)… this is why the woman cannot be executed: She has not been proved guilty in front of judges in a court of law through witnesses.”

This is an interesting thought. Even though some commentaries assume that the guilty woman would be killed, the Bible does not say this. It only says that she “will become a curse among her people” (verse 27). This shows that God does not allow the execution of a person based on anything but the testimony of at least two witnesses (Circumstantial evidence is never considered to be sufficient).

Commentaries also observe that this law was rarely practiced in ancient Israel, and it completely ceased to be administered in later times. Some feel that it ceased to be administered after the Second Temple was destroyed. Others, like the Ryrie Study Bible, feel that it was only administered in the wilderness. Friedman claims that it was not practiced “since the time of the First Temple in Jerusalem. It required dust from the Tabernacle floor, and the Tabernacle was only in the First Temple, not in the Second.” As mentioned, the fact that there is no Tabernacle today is one reason—but by far not the only one—why this law is no longer valid today.

Even though the Roman Catholic Church used a similar procedure in the Middle Ages (with the inevitable result that the woman was almost always found guilty and executed), God never sanctioned this procedure to be applied by them. In fact, as Dummelow points out in “A Commentary on the Holy Bible,” “During the middle ages it was frequently resorted to in Europe under sanctions of the church and the law. The most common forms of ordeal were those by fire, by water, and by wager in battle. The difference between these and the ordeal prescribed here is that the latter is not in itself injurious, but depends for its efficacy on the direct interposition of God.”

If it was established that the wife did commit adultery, then “the man shall be free from iniquity, but the woman shall bear her guilt (verse 31).” Friedman states that this is “usually understood to mean that the husband is innocent of the crime [or iniquity] of making a false charge against his wife. But this is a questionable reading since the text does not say that he has made any charge against her; he has just brought her to the priest to make the determination of whether his jealousy is correct or not. This may rather refer to the other man, the one who had intercourse with the woman. The procedure proves only that the woman has had intercourse; it cannot prove who the man was. It is therefore not possible to convict the man by this procedure.” 

Under the law, both the adulterer and the adulteress had to die. When the woman, caught in the very act of adultery, was brought to Jesus to be tempted, He refused to convict her because—among several other reasons–only the woman, but not the man was brought in front of Him (John 8:1-11).

The entire procedure might look harsh to us, but it was really meant to protect the wife who had not committed adultery. In other cultures, the husband could simply divorce his wife upon suspicion of adultery, or he could even kill her. This is still the case in many Muslim countries today. But God provided “an opportunity for the woman to prove her innocence before an enraged husband” (The Nelson Study Bible).

The New Bible Commentary: Revised adds: “Such trials by ordeal were common in the ancient world in cases of infidelity. The ceremony recorded here is notable for its leniency in comparison with the fierce ordeals prescribed in pagan circles, and also for the fact that it was more likely to result in a verdict of innocence whereas the others were certainly weighted in the direction of guilt. Strange as the whole circumstance and ritual may seem to us, it compares so favourably with non-Israelite practices that it may be taken as evidence of that generally considerate attitude of the law of Moses towards women.”

The Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary explains the purpose of this law and shows that the underlying rationale is still relevant today:

“This law would make the women of Israel watch against giving cause for suspicion. On the other hand, it would hinder the cruel treatment such suspicions might occasion… The water is called the bitter water, because it caused the curse. Thus sin is called an evil and a bitter thing. Let all that meddle with forbidden pleasures, know that they will be bitterness in the latter end. From the whole learn, 1. Secret sins are known to God, and sometimes are strangely brought to light in this life; and that there is a day coming when God will, by Christ, judge the secrets of men according to the gospel… 2. In particular, Whoremongers and adulterers God will surely judge. Though we have not now the waters of jealousy, yet we have God’s word, which ought to be as great a terror…. 3. God will manifest the innocency of the innocent…”

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible adds that this law deals with a situation  “not of certain adultery… but of her having committed it in the opinion of her husband, he having some ground of suspicion, though he could not be certain of it… [when the wife] goes into a private place with [another man], and stays so long with him that she may be defiled… the law of jealousies… was appointed by God to deter wives from adultery… and to keep husbands from being cruel to their wives they might be jealous of, and to protect virtue and innocence, and to detect lewdness committed in the most secret manner; whereby God gave proof of his omniscience, that he had knowledge of the most private acts of uncleanness, and was the avenger of all such… [Even if she was found] not guilty, yet as she had by some unbecoming behaviour raised such a suspicion in [the husband],…  she for it justly bore the infamy of such a process.”

This is good advice for us today. We should not allow ourselves to be found in situations which could raise suspicion. We are to avoid even the appearance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22, Authorized Version).

Regarding the requirement to uncover the woman’s head (in verse 18), the Pulpit Commentary states that this was done “In token that she had forfeited her glory by breaking, or seeming to have broken, her allegiance to her husband (1 Corinthians 11:5-10); perhaps also with some reference to the truth that ‘all things are naked and open to the eyes of him’ with whom she had to do (Hebrews 4:13).”

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible adds, in regard to the uncovering of the woman’s head, that this was to be done “as a token of her immodesty and non-subjection to her husband” and that the priest “loosed her hair.” This is interesting in light of the fact that it says in 1 Corinthians 11:15 that “if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering.” Long hair is identified, in verse 10, as “a symbol of [her husband’s] authority on her head.” This passage does not talk about any requirement for women to wear in Church services a veil or any other type of hair covering, but it refers to the fact that the hair of a woman should not be too short—otherwise, it would be as if she was shaved or shorn (verse 5).

Gill also states that the fact that the belly of the guilty woman would swell “must be ascribed to a supernatural cause” and if the husband “was not pure from the same sin himself, the waters would not search his wife… hence they say… when adulterers increased (under the second temple) the bitter waters ceased, according to Hosea 4:14; see Matthew 12:39.”

The Pulpit Commentary points out that the bitter water “was not literally bitter, but it was so fraught with conviction and judgment as to bring bitter suffering on the guilty.” It adds that “The trial of jealousy being adopted, as it was, into a system really Divine, and being based upon the knowledge and power of God himself, secured all the benefits of an ordeal and escaped all its dangers.”

The procedure of the law of jealousy REQUIRED God’s direct intervention. In former days, sometimes God would also intervene in other cases through the casting of lots.  But after the New Testament Church was founded and the Holy Spirit was given, the Bible does not record anymore any incident of the casting of lots for the purpose of Godly intervention or the determination of God’s Will. Once Israel turned away from God and rejected Him as their Leader and King, God’s direct intervention ceased, and with it the application of the law of jealousy.

If the woman was guiltless, then she would conceive seed (verse 28). The Pulpit Commentary explains this “as a sign of the Divine favour… (1 Samuel 2:5; Psalm 127:3; Luke 1:58).”

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible agrees, stating that “if she was barren before, now she would be fruitful” and that “her husband should receive her gladly, and she should live comfortably with him hereafter, and the blessing of God would be upon her, which would still be a confirmation of her chastity.”

Even though this law is no longer in effect for us today, it does still entail important spiritual guidelines and principles, as we have discussed herein. But as the New Application Bible points out, “Trust between husband and wife had to be completely eroded for a man to bring his wife to the priest for this type of test. Today… pastors help restore marriages by counseling couples who have lost faith in each other. Whether justified or not, suspicion must be removed for a marriage to survive and trust to be restored.” This is very true—and in general, the Church has been given today the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).

Even if the wife was guilty of adultery, the righteous act of Joseph (who believed that his betrothed bride Mary had committed adultery) is described as such in Matthew 1:19: “Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.”

Apart from the fact that the practical application of the law of jealousy was apparently not available anymore at the time of Joseph, this Scripture shows that he would not have used it anyway, as he did not want to make Mary a public spectacle (which the procedure of the law of jealousy would have done), but that he was thinking about divorcing her secretly. Even at the time of Moses, a suspicious husband did not HAVE to have this law applied to his wife. But God allowed it because of the hardness of the people’s heart.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Two new StandingWatch programs, presented by Evangelist Norbert Link, have been produced and are now posted:
 
“Watch Germany as the World’s New Leader”

Washington is pushing Germany “to take on a greater global leadership role”, while America abrogates its leadership position. Germany’s disappointment with the USA and President Obama is growing. Germany is still a reluctant giant, but it has begun to assert itself “with the creeping recovery of self-confidence.” It is now being asserted that history has given Germany “a mandate to play an influential role in all of the world’s affairs”; that “the role of being an active player falls on” it; and that “the rest of the world is waiting for Germany.”

“America’s Self-Inflicted Isolation”

The Syrian debacle shows once more the unparalleled troubles America is facing. Being attacked by its enemies and completely isolated from its allies, President Obama does not seem to know what to do. At the same time, America’s spying activities and its policy to assist Egypt’s successive governments, while refusing to grant individuals asylum who are being religiously persecuted in other countries is a sad indictment of a nation which has forsaken values which it once possessed.

“Kampf für die Freiheit” (English title: “Fight for Freedom”) is the title of a new German sermon.

“Warum Christus Zurückkehrt!,” (English title: “Why Christ Will Return.”) is the title of the German sermon for the Feast of Trumpets.

“Ägypten, Syrien und Iran in Ihrer Bibel” (English title: “Egypt, Syria and Iran in Your Bible”) is the latest AufPostenStehen program presented by Evangelist Norbert Link.

Also, our most popular SW program, “When Will Russia Attack America,” has by now received about 142,800 views.

As a reminder, here are the dates for the upcoming Holy Days: September 14th–Day of Atonement; September 19th (beginning with opening night on September 18) through the 25th–Feast of Tabernacles; September 26th–Last Great Day. We will be broadcasting services live in the United States from our location in Vail, Colorado. For further information on our Feast sites in Colorado and Germany, please consult our website: www.eternalgod.org. For additional information on our Feast site in Germany, please also go to http://www.aufpostenstehen.de/wir-uber-uns/laubhuttenfest-2013/.

On August 31, 2013, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “God’s Holy Convocations.”

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.

Did you know the King James Version of the Bible contains 66 books, 1,189 chapters, 31,102 verses, and 788,258 words? The longest book is Psalms, with 150 chapters and 42,704 words. The shortest book is 2 John, with 1 chapter and only 294 words.

The Bible is not simply “a book”. It is a miraculously-preserved LIBRARY, bursting with stories, facts, and instructions. It covers virtually every topic imaginable: history, geography, cosmology, the origin of languages, the origin of nations, medicine, agriculture, relationships, law, life, health, death, resurrection, and eternity. One could spend every waking hour studying the Bible and still not understand it all.

So what is it all about?

Despite the immense span of time and topics it addresses, there is simplicity to the Bible that’s easy to forget. Paul feared that some might forget it (2 Corinthians 11:3).  It is simply this: the Bible—God’s Word—is about a Way of life. It is about THE Way of life. The one and only Way (John 14:6)  that leads to health, happiness, peace, joy, and, of course, to everlasting life (2 Timothy 3:15).

What does the Bible say God requires of us? It’s simple. He requires that we live a certain Way of life (Deuteronomy 10:12-13; Micah 6:8).

Why were the stories, sorrows, and successes of ancient people recorded in the Bible? It’s simple. They were recorded as examples, to teach us the right Way to live, and warn us about the consequences of living the wrong way (Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:11).

Christ said many things in the Old and New Testament (see our booklet, “Jesus Christ–A Great Mystery!”). When asked what was the greatest commandment in ALL the Law, what did Christ say? He said there are two:

First, in Matthew 22:37,  “…YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.”

Second, in Matthew 22:39,  “…YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”

Twenty seven simple words, in English. Words on which Christ said “…hang all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:40).

When all the prophesies of the Bible have been fulfilled, and other physical things have ceased, what will remain?  Paul tells us that God’s Way of humble, patient, kind love will remain, and will never, ever cease (1 Corinthians 13:4-10).

What will also remain, if we are counted worthy, will be the godly character God is building in us. Character forged through a lifetime of living His Way of give, instead of get. A life of heartfelt service to (John 13:14-15), and sacrifice for others (1 John 3:16-18; Romans 12:1), even for our enemies (Luke 6:27-36). That’s the Way Christ lived (Matthew 20:28; Romans 5:8). It’s how we must live, also (1 John 2:6, 28-29). There is no other Way to eternal life. It’s that simple.

So what is the most fundamental and important message of the Bible–the conclusion of the matter–as Solomon said (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)?  It is simply this: God is calling us to the Way of life. He tells us that we MUST constantly grow in this Way. A simple, beautiful, pure, perfect Way OF life, and TO eternal life.

That’s what the Bible is about. It is speaking to US. And it is saying, “THIS is the Way, walk in it” (Isaiah 30:21).

We begin with reporting on developments in Syria and the apparent determination of some Western nations to intervene militarily; point out how Germany is being pressured to lead more forcefully in world affairs; describe the many challenges and dangers which Israel is facing from other nations, including Egypt, Syria, Iran and Turkey; speak on the demise of Christians in the Middle East; address precautionary measures of some Christian churches in light of the US Supreme Court’s re-definition of marriage; and conclude with reporting on the devastating fires in California.

Will America Attack Syria?

The Independent wrote on August 25:

“Options for a military strike [against Syria] drawn up by the Pentagon are already on President Barack Obama’s desk. However as he contemplated them last night – most likely a strike by cruise missiles launched from the Mediterranean – he was on the receiving end of strong warnings to desist from both Moscow and some leaders of his own party at home…

“President Obama just a few days ago made clear his preference for winning support for any military intervention from the UN Security Council first. That, however, would assume the backing of both Russia and China, which each have veto power. Hardly encouraging therefore was a statement issued by the Russian foreign ministry that sought to remind the US of events 10 years ago when it began its invasion of Iraq without a UN resolution…

“The dilemma is vivid for Mr Obama who has made no secret of his own misgivings about involving the US directly in the conflict… Polls show that most Americans [are] strongly opposed to US intervention. Harry Reed, leader of the Democrat majority in the Senate, publicly fretted about being sucked into a longer commitment in Syria…”

“We are Going to War”

Fox News added on August 26:

“Steve Hayes, a columnist for The Weekly Standard and Fox News contributor, told viewers Monday… that ‘we’re going to war’ with Syria, adding that it is only a matter of when and what type of strike will be launched against the country…

“Hayes’ comments came after Secretary of State John Kerry earlier Monday told reporters at the State Department  there was undeniable evidence of a large-scale chemical weapons attack in Syria and called the killing of civilians a ‘moral obscenity’ that must carry consequences.  Hayes called Kerry’s remarks a dramatic shift in rhetoric by the Obama administration despite the fact that intelligence has previously been available tying the Assad regime to chemical weapons use.”

America’s Credibility at Stake

Deutsche Welle wrote on August 26:

“European editorial writers ponder the international community’s options for action – and agree the US faces a dilemma… Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung… warned that Obama faces the question of ‘what his word is worth if he threatens consequences but does not act. The President’s credibility and the role of the United States as a global political regulatory force are at stake.’…

“Obama faces difficult decisions, Holland’s de Volkskrant agrees. ‘If Assad gets away with this, anyone can, and US threats of reprisal are empty – with all manner of consequences for the proliferation weapons of mass destruction,’ the paper said. It concluded: ‘The logic of deterrent forces Obama to act.’…

“Vienna’s Der Standard also agreed that Obama must find a way to put the Assad regime in its place and ‘confirm US credibility without leading the country into a conflict where neither a victory nor peace are possible.’ However, the Austrian paper says, ‘no one knows the magic formula.’…”

US, Britain and France Ready for War?

Deutsche Welle reported on August 26:

“The US, along with its allies Britain and France, is apparently gearing up for yet another military intervention in the Middle East. But the consequences of even the most minor attack in Syria are very unclear…

“The US, along with its allies Britain and France, already has plenty of military hardware within striking distance of Syria. The US has three destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean, which it has now bolstered with a fourth, while Britain is also thought to have four warships nearby. The US, Britain, and France, also have fighter jets within range of Damascus – based in the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Cyprus.”

Great Britain has declared its support and participation in an American military attack against Syria, and France has called for military intervention as well. Germany wants to be cautious, as the next article shows. In fact, the majority of Germans (58%) is opposing any military actions against Damascus, while only 33% would support it (The Local, August 29, 2013).

Germany Asserting Itself

Der Spiegel Online wrote on August 23:

“Germany started deviating from French leadership in March 2011, when its diplomats ruled out participation in Libya regardless of UN Security Council resolutions. The following year, Germans long refused the French assessment that the occupation of northern Mali by al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) presented a threat against Western interests. France has continued to raise international pressure on the Assad regime over German objections…

“But something different is at work here. Contrary to appearances, Germany is not simply receding ever deeper into itself. In fact, the Berlin Republic is quietly asserting itself and fleshing out its foreign policy. The unwillingness to act as France’s cheerleader in the greater Mediterranean comes with the creeping recovery of self-confidence, and a desire to reposition itself vis-à-vis this historically French sphere of influence…

“German obstructionism also reveals the consensus across the German political spectrum that an Islamist regime in Syria is to be avoided… The deputy leader of Merkel’s Christian Democrats has said orthodox Christian populations risk ethnic cleansing or worse if the French-allied Islamists come to power… In addition to the 50 years of the Elysée Treaty, this October also marks the 200th anniversary of the war liberating Prussia from Napoleonic occupation.”

Washington Expects More Leadership from Germany on Global Matters

Der Spiegel Online wrote on August 23:

“Angela Merkel’s conservatives are well ahead in the polls and the chancellor herself likewise remains extremely popular… Washington is hoping that, once the campaign is history, Germany will take on a greater global leadership role on issues like trade, the euro crisis and international security…

“Conley, from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, says there is some ‘uncertainty’ in Washington about how strong a partner Germany is on military and security issues in the Middle East. She says she would like to see the new government ‘articulate its foreign and national security views and strategies’ following the election.”

How Will Germany Lead?

The Economist wrote on August 22:

“One month from now, on September 22nd, Germans will elect a new parliament. Perhaps more than at any time since reunification in 1990, the world will watch the results with great interest. That is, first, because the current chancellor, Angela Merkel, as Germany’s first woman and first Ossi (Easterner) in the job, has become something of a global celebrity and is now fighting to stay in power…

“The second reason why the world, and you, will care about this election is that Germany has become so important. The euro crisis has now been going on for three years. Currently, it seems to be stable, but it could return with fury at any time. This has led to an old question being asked anew. This ‘German question’ has changed over the centuries—whether the Holy Roman Empire would centralise or stay fragmented, whether and how Germany in the 19th century would unify, et cetera. But always it was about how this central land (‘too big for Europe, too small for the world,’ as Henry Kissinger once put it) would relate to its neighbours and continent. Today, with demands for Germany to play a new and unfamiliar role as ‘hegemon’ over the euro system, that question is suddenly relevant again.”

The Reluctant Giant—“Germany Has No Other Choice but to Lead”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on August 29:

“The world admires Germany and would like to see more active engagement from the country… The rest of the world is waiting for Germany. But instead of feeling pleased about Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski’s historic statement that he fears Germany’s power less than its inactivity, we cringe anxiously over such sentiments. When US President Barack Obama calls Germany a leading global power, we hope that he doesn’t really mean it. And when politicians in Israel say that Germany should wield its power more actively, we don’t interpret it as a mandate to become more committed, but are puzzled instead.

“We Germans? Exercise power? Take action? Lead?…  [But] ‘history’ has given us reformed Germans in the 21st century the mandate to play an influential role in all of the world’s affairs… Who, if not we Germans, is as well versed in emerging from the swamp of overthrown dictators? Who, if not we Germans, could advise war-torn countries on how to find their way back to peace? Who, if not Germany, whose path to liberal democracy was long and rocky, could help other countries along this path? And who, if not we Germans, would be destined to warn the Americans, for example, that absolute national security doesn’t protect freedom but instead destroys it? Seen in the cold light of day, we have no other choice…

“For a country as important as Germany, getting involved is a duty, not a choice. The role of being an active player falls on us, whether we want it or not…

“We… want to dream again, of a better Germany in a better world. Germany is being administered, not governed. It could be a soft giant, but when it looks in the mirror, it still sees itself as a gray mouse. But that’s just an optical illusion.”

Syria and Iran Threaten Israel

The Times of Israel wrote on August 26:

“A senior Syrian official on Monday issued a first direct warning that if attacked, his country would retaliate against Israel. Khalaf Muftah, a senior Baath Party official who used to serve as Syria’s assistant information minister, said in a radio interview that Damascus would consider Israel ‘behind the [Western] aggression and [it] will therefore come under fire… If the US or Israel make the mistake of taking advantage of the chemical issue… the region will go up in flames… that will affect security not only in the region but across the world.’

“His words were echoed by Iranian officials, who on Monday shrugged off the threat of a US attack on its close ally Syria, but said that if such a strike were to take place, Israel would suffer…

“The Syrian and Iranian statements Monday came as Britain reportedly pushed for US action on Syria in the wake of a horrific alleged chemical weapons attack on civilians outside Damascus. According to a report from the Times of London, British Prime Minister David Cameron wants a strike in the coming days while outrage over the alleged attack is still fresh. British Foreign Minister William Hague said in an interview with the BBC on Monday that action could be taken even without the full support of the UN Security Council.”

Russia Warns the USA

USA Today wrote on August 26:

“Russia warned again Tuesday that any military intervention in Syria would have ‘catastrophic consequences’ for the region… Russia has vowed to veto any Security Council attempts to approve a military attack on Syria, and it is arming Syria as well, which is why the United States is considering a unilateral attack with the help of the United Kingdom and other nations… The Russians have already promised to send Syria S-300 long-range anti-aircraft missiles that have a range of almost 100 miles and would reach deep inside Israel…

“The Russians could also send Assad their supersonic P800 long-range anti-ship missile, which is capable of sinking NATO ships with a single strike… The Russians could expand sales to Iran of weapons and nuclear technology that has both nuclear and civilian functions…”

Arab League Rejects Attack Against Syria

The New York Times wrote on August 27:

“The leaders of the Arab world on Tuesday blamed the Syrian government for a chemical weapons attack that killed hundreds of people last week, but declined to back a retaliatory military strike, leaving President Obama without the broad regional support he had for his last military intervention in the Middle East, in Libya in 2011.

“While the Obama administration has robust European backing and more muted Arab support for a strike on Syria, the position of the Arab League and the unlikelihood of securing authorization from the United Nations Security Council complicate the legal and diplomatic case for the White House.”

Jordan—No Attack on Syria From Our Soil

The Associated Press reported on August 28:

“Jordan will not be used as a launching pad for attacks on Syria and the kingdom favors a diplomatic solution to the crisis… A U.S.-led strike on Syria in response to the alleged use of chemical weapons by President Bashar Assad’s regime likely would involve cruise missile attacks from the sea, which would not need to cross or make use of Jordanian territory… Hundreds of thousands of refugees have fled into Jordan from Syria.”

Further Setback for USA

The Los Angeles Times wrote on August 28:

“The Obama administration’s move to punish Syria’s government for allegedly using chemical weapons in a deadly attack last week appeared to suffer a setback Wednesday when the U.S. failed to get United Nations approval for use of force [over Russia’s objection] and British support was thrown into question. The collapse of diplomatic efforts aimed at securing a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Syria was expected. The British impediment was not…

“How soon such strikes might occur remained unclear after British Prime Minister David Cameron, who has repeatedly called for strong action on Syria, was unable to muster enough support from lawmakers to push ahead with a vote to approve military intervention. Members of Parliament from both his Conservative Party and the opposition Labor Party insisted that a vote be delayed until U.N. chemical experts now in Syria issue a report…”

Will US, Britain and France Fight with Al-Qa’ida Against Assad?

The Independent wrote on August 27:

“If Barack Obama decides to attack the Syrian regime, he has ensured – for the very first time in history – that the United States will be on the same side as al-Qa’ida… The men who destroyed so many thousands on 9/11 will then be fighting alongside the very nation whose innocents they so cruelly murdered almost exactly 12 years ago. Quite an achievement for Obama, Cameron, Hollande and the rest of the miniature warlords.

“This, of course, will not be trumpeted by the Pentagon or the White House – nor, I suppose, by al-Qa’ida… While the Americans drone al-Qa’ida to death in Yemen and Pakistan – along, of course, with the usual flock of civilians – they will be giving them, with the help of Messrs Cameron, Hollande and the other Little General-politicians, material assistance in Syria by hitting al-Qa’ida’s enemies. Indeed, you can bet your bottom dollar that the one target the Americans will not strike in Syria will be al-Qa’ida or the Nusra front.

“And our own Prime Minister will applaud whatever the Americans do, thus allying himself with al-Qa’ida, whose London bombings may have slipped his mind…”

Britain may not fight at all, and Mr. Hollande has also begun to back-paddle. The BBC reported on August 29, 2013:

“British MPs have voted to reject possible military action against the Assad regime in Syria to deter the use of chemical weapons. A government motion was defeated by 285 to 272, a majority of 13 votes. Prime Minster David Cameron said it was clear Parliament does not want action and ‘the government will act accordingly’. It effectively rules out British involvement in any US-led strikes against the Assad regime.”

Turkey Against Israel

IB Times wrote on August 25:

“As a NATO member, Turkey is seen by the U.S. as a strategic ally to the West and a crucial liaison to the Arab and Muslim world… Sometimes, though, statements by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan and officials of his Justice and Development Party (AK Party) call into question the notion that the West and Turkey have ‘common hopes and … common dreams.”

“Here is a sample of some of the more provocative statements that have come out of Ankara recently…

“‘There are some circles that are jealous of Turkey’s growth … They are all uniting, and on one side is the Jewish Diaspora…’ Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay, July 2, 2013. Invoking the spectre of Jewish domination of the global media may be unseemly in the West, but it’s standard fare among Turkish leaders.

“‘Israel cannot do whatever it wants in the eastern Mediterranean. They will see what our decisions will be on this subject. Our navy attack ships can be there at any moment.’ — Recep Tayyip Erdoðan September 15, 2011. Erdoðan was responding to the recent discovery of an offshore natural gas find in the Eastern Mediterranean that Israel discovered and is working on in cooperation with Cyprus and Greece, two nations that also happen to have problems with Turkey.

“‘The press wants to throw mud to see if it sticks. The Times is renting out its own pages for money. This is the Times’ failing. We will pursue legal channels regarding the Times.’ — Recep Tayyip Erdoðan, August 22, 2013. Erdoðan was threatening the prestigious British newspaper The London Times for publishing an open letter criticizing the Turkish government for excessive use of force against protesters. Erdoðan said, ‘If they truly believed in democracy, they couldn’t have displayed such a lack of character to call the leader of a party that won 50 percent of the vote a dictator.’ Erdoðan’s distinctly non-Western view of journalism and press freedoms was further illustrated when he jailed 64 journalists.”

The Bible shows that Turkey—modern Edom—will turn against Israel… the Jewish state as well as countries like the USA and Great Britain.

Israel Attacks Lebanon

The Associated Press reported on August 23:

“Israeli warplanes struck a target south of Beirut early Friday, a day after militants fired four rockets into northern Israel… It was the first air raid on the area since the 2006 war between Israel and Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group…

“On Thursday, militants in Lebanon fired four rockets into Israel, setting off air raid sirens and startling a nation already on edge over turmoil along its northern and southern borders… the rockets added to the nation’s fears at a time it is nervously watching unrest in neighboring Syria, where the government has been accused of using chemical weapons against rebels and civilians this week. It’s also worried about Egypt to the south, where Islamic militants have stepped up their activities near the Israeli border in the wake of a military coup…

“Israel fears that Syria will transfer sophisticated weapons to Hezbollah and has carried out several airstrikes in Syria in recent months on suspected Iranian weapons shipments believed to be bound for the militant group… Netanyahu… also accused Iran, the key backer of Syria and Hezbollah, of using… Syria as a ‘testing ground’…  ‘Iran is closely watching whether and how the world responds to the atrocities committed by Iran’s client state Syria and by Iran’s proxy Hezbollah against innocent civilians in Syria,’ he said. ‘These events prove yet again that we simply cannot allow the world’s most dangerous regimes to acquire the world’s most dangerous weapons.’”

Israel is indeed surrounded by enemies… Syria, Iran, Egypt, Turkey, etc.

Less and Less Christians in the Middle East

CNN wrote on August 22:

“Islamist thugs have attacked dozens of churches across Egypt in the past few days, burning many of them down… Today there are more than 10 million Christians in the Middle East and they make up an estimated 5% of the Middle East’s population. A century ago they made up an estimated 20%…

“Take Syria. Many Syrian Christians have tacitly supported the regime of President Bashar al-Assad… As a result, the jihadists who have come to dominate a significant portion of the Syrian rebel movement have supplemented their war against the government with attacks that target Christians…

“Meanwhile, in March in Benghazi, Libya, where a militant attack on a U.S. government complex left four Americans dead in September 2012, around 60 Christians were rounded up by extremists and handed over to the government on suspicion of immigrating from Egypt illegally. The militants tortured several of their captives, killing one of them. That bout of vigilantism followed the arrest in February of four Christians accused of proselytizing to Muslim Libyans. The consequence of such attacks and harassment has been an exodus of Christians from the region…

“This kind of homogenization has happened before in the Middle East, which boasted a sizable Jewish population in the ’50s. But with the creation of the state of Israel and the rise of Arab nationalism and then Islamism, the region has become more hostile to non-Muslims. Around World War II there were 100,000 Jews in Egypt, a community that had existed in Egypt since the time of the pharaohs. Now, there are a handful of synagogues operating in Cairo…”

Church Bylaws on Marriage

The Associated Press reported on August 24:

“Worried they could be sued by gay couples, some churches are changing their bylaws to reflect their view that the Bible allows only marriage between one man and one woman… ‘I thought marriage was always between one man and one woman, but the Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision said no,’ said Gregory S. Erwin, an attorney for the Louisiana Baptist Convention…

“Kevin Snider is an attorney with the Pacific Justice Institute… [He]  said some religious leaders have been threatened with lawsuits for declining to perform same-sex wedding ceremonies.

“Dean Inserra, head pastor of the 1,000-member City Church Tallahassee, based in Florida,… said he already has had to say no to gay friends who wanted him to perform a wedding ceremony. ‘We have some gay couples that attend our church. What happens when they ask us to do their wedding?’ Inserra said. ‘What happens when we say no? Is it going to be treated like a civil rights thing?’…

“Some Christian denominations, such as the United Church of Christ and the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, accept gay marriage. The Episcopal Church recently approved a blessing for same-sex couples, but each bishop must decide whether to allow the ceremony in his or her local diocese. The majority of Christian denominations, however, view homosexual relationships as sinful…”

For the doctrine and teaching of the Church of the Eternal God and its corporate affiliates in matters of marriage and homosexuality, and that marriages which are officiated by ministers of the church are strictly between a “believing” man and a “believing” woman, see our booklet on “Keys to Happy Marriages and Families,” as well as our numerous Q&As, including  http://www.eternalgod.org/qapdf/3683 ; http://www.eternalgod.org/qapdf/13060 and http://www.eternalgod.org/qapdf/771.

Another Ridiculous Court Decision

The Los Angeles Times wrote on August 29:

“A federal appeals court Thursday upheld a state law that prohibits licensed mental health therapists from trying to change the sexual orientation of minors. The unanimous ruling by a three-judge panel said the never-enforced law does not violate the free speech rights of patients or professionals, or the fundamental rights of parents. The state has the right to prohibit treatment it deems harmful, the court said…

“The California law… subjects licensed professionals to discipline if they try to change a minor’s sexual orientation. California was the first state to ban the therapy, and New Jersey followed this year. ‘The 1st Amendment does not prevent a state from regulating treatment even when that treatment is performed through speech alone,’ the panel concluded.”

The Dark Alliance Between Homosexuals and Pedophiles

Der Spiegel Online wrote on August 29:

“In the 1980s, gay rights groups in Germany formed an alliance with pedophiles who advocated the legalization of sex with minors. It’s a dark period few care to talk about now.

“In July 1981, the gay interest magazine ‘Rosa Flieder’ published an interview with Olaf Stüben. Stüben was one of the most infamous pedophiles in Germany at the time. As a writer for the leftist newspaper Die Tageszeitung, he openly advocated for people to accept pedophilia as healthy and moral… in the 1970s and 80s, numerous gay-oriented magazines brazenly promoted sex with children…

“Anyone who searches through archives can find ample evidence of the alliance between gay rights organizations and pedophile activists. If pedophiles got into trouble with the law, they could rely on legal advice from a group called ‘Gay Lawyers’…  there was the remarkable idea that underage boys should not be denied the chance to have sexual experiences with grown men… The gay movement helped pedophiles in entirely practical ways..

“Beginning in the mid-1980s, the gay movement in Germany began to distance itself from pedophiles… The gay rights movement also began to notice how much damage the alliance with pedophiles was causing…”

Rim Fire Reaches California’s Yosemite National Park

BBC wrote on August 26:

“A huge fire in and around California’s Yosemite National Park has continued to spread and now covers almost 230 sq miles (600 sq km), officials say. The Rim Fire is now raining ash on a key reservoir that supplies water and hydro-electric power to San Francisco… The blaze is also threatening thousands of homes and some of California’s renowned giant sequoia trees.

“On Monday officials said the fire was 15% contained after burning for more than a week – up from 2% containment on Friday. Strong winds are making the fires more difficult to control. ‘This fire has continued to pose every challenge that there can be on a fire,’ said Daniel Berlant of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection… The blaze began on 17 August in the Stanislaus National Forest but the cause is still unknown…

“Ash is said to be falling like snow on the Hetch Hetchy reservoir, which supplies San Francisco with 85% of its water… Two of three hydroelectric power stations serving the city were shut down, forcing the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission to spend $600,000 (£385,000) buying power on the open market…

“The Rim Fire is one of 50 major wildfires burning in the western US. Lack of rain and snow have made it a bad year, with 5,700 fires being tackled so far. The Beaver Creek fire in Idaho has destroyed some 45,000 hectares near the ski resort of Sun Valley…”

By Wednesday night, August 28, the flames had scorched over 300 square miles, making it the 6th largest fire in state history. Officials said Wednesday evening that the fire was 30 percent contained.

The astounding truth of the Bible is that generally, He does not hear, nor does He answer the prayers of just anyone. In fact, at this time and throughout human history, only a small proportion of people have had the kind of relationship with God in which their prayers would be heard by Him!

In the very beginning messages of Jesus Christ, He taught about praying, and throughout His ministry, He continued to teach His own disciples how to pray. His example gives us an important key to God hearing our prayers, and what is recorded in the Book of Hebrews about Christ is vital for us to understand:

“who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Hebrews 5:7-9).

Note again what is stated, that Christ “was heard because of His godly Fear”! Jesus Christ’s prayers were heard by His Father. There are specific examples of when He went before God with important and difficult decisions. One such instance is found in Luke:

“Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles” (Luke 6:12-13).

Another example occurred just before His crucifixion, but in this instance Jesus asked for something that God did not grant. Jesus agonized over His impending death and even asked for a way out, but after presenting His request to the Father three successive times, He yielded to God’s Will in the matter (compare Matthew 26:36-46).

Did God hear Him? Absolutely, and the proof of this is in the outcome of what followed. God raised Jesus from the dead! (compare Acts 2:24, 32; 3:15, 26; 4:10; 5:30; 10:40; 13:30, 33, 37; Romans 7:4; 10:9; 1 Corinthians 6:14; 15:15; Galatians 1:1; Colossians 2:12; 3:1; 1 Peter 1:21).

The fact that Jesus Christ is alive has everything to do with God hearing our prayers!

Before His death and resurrection, Jesus gave very detailed instructions to His disciples about how to have God hear their prayers:

“‘Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it’” (John 14:12-14).

Jesus continued to explain exactly what He meant about praying and asking in His name:

“‘And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full… In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God’” (John 16:23-24, 26-27; compare John 15:16).

Jesus Christ is our great High Priest—seated at the right hand of God the Father (Romans 8:34; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 8:1). His is an ongoing role:

“Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25).

God hears the prayers of those who have access to Him through Jesus Christ!  Note, as well, that Jesus very specifically instructed His disciples to address the Father when they prayed, and He gave them an example of how this should be done (Matthew 6:9-13). In the context of this teaching, He also gave other important guidelines for prayer:

 “‘And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him’” (Matthew 6:5-8).

Quite clearly, Jesus taught that not everyone praying was being heard by God! However, for those who have been called and who have established a relationship with God, prayer is the vital communication with God to obtain His guidance—His oversight in our lives!

Sometimes, even for those who are able to have their prayers heard by God, the answer is not always immediate or exactly what we seek (just as we read about the prayers of Jesus before His death). In these circumstances it is important for us to continue in faith, presenting our requests to God, as Jesus instructed:

“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!’” (Luke 11:9-13).

In another example, we find more of what Jesus taught about prayer:

“Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: ‘There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, “Get justice for me from my adversary.” And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, “Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.”’ Then the Lord said, ‘Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?’” (Luke 18:1-8).

The New Testament emphatically teaches that Satan is the god of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4). The whole world has been deceived by him (Revelation 12:9), and those who are deceived may be even praying to Satan, without knowing it—not to God the Father! Jesus Christ is not serving as their High Priest, nor does God generally hear their prayers (For more information, please see our Q&A on John 9:31, as to whether or not God hears the prayers of sinners.)

God is not now trying to save this world! Rather, He has called some to be a kind of “firstfruits” of His salvation (compare James 1:18)—identified as His “elect” (compare Matthew 24:22, 24, 31). God hears the prayers of His “saints” (compare Revelation 8:3) because of what Jesus Christ accomplished in becoming our Savior.

The elect have been chosen for salvation at this time, and they have the opportunity for God to hear their prayers. They are those who seek God with a true humility to be obedient to Him. They have gained access to God:

“There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always. About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, ‘Cornelius!’  And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, ‘What is it, lord?’ So he said to him, ‘Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God’” (Acts 10:1-4).

Consider, also, that God is willing to respond to those who truly turn to Him:

“‘… But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word’” (Isaiah 66:2).

Sadly, this does not describe the people of our age—not even the countless millions who profess to be followers of Christ! We have prepared a booklet, titled, “Teach Us To Pray,” which offers much more detail on this subject—available free upon request, or it can be accessed on our webpage in the literature section.

Lead Writer: Dave Harris

“The Ten European Revivals of the Ancient Roman Empire,” has now been published, and it is available online. Copies are available upon your request. Also, we will have copies for distribution at our U.S. Feast site.

A new German booklet is being printed in Germany, and this is a translation of the English booklet, titled, Human Suffering, Why…and How Much Longer? This booklet will be finished and available at our Feast site in Germany.

“Alaska in Bible Prophecy” is the title of a unique and insightful StandingWatch program presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Inspired by a recent trip to Alaska by him and his wife and Mr. and Mrs. Messier, Mr. Link discusses the biblical relevance of Alaska being included in the great national blessings given to the United States–part of the promises of God to the descendants of Abraham! Here is a summary:

Does the Bible say something about the past and future of Alaska? How, when and why did Alaska become a member of the Union? Why is Alaska so blessed with natural resources, and why has it been plagued with natural and man-made disasters? What is in store for Alaska?

“God’s Viewpoint on Transgender and Homosexual Individuals,” is the title of a new StandingWatch program presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary:

Bradley Manning says that he is a woman and requests hormone therapy or sex-reassignment surgery. Students in California public schools can now choose their gender. California and New Jersey prohibit gay-conversion therapy for those under age 18. Chris Christie states that homosexuality is not a sin, and that gay people are born that way. Germany is the first European country allowing parents to opt out determining their baby’s gender to allow their children to choose later in life whether to become male or female. What does the Bible say about these developments?

Global Trailer 8 is about Jesus Christ–A Great Mystery. These trailers join a growing list of presentations by Mr. Brian Gale specially targeting YouTube viewers in Great Britain.

“Neu! Erdbeben—nur ein natürliches Phänomen?,” is the title of this week’s German sermon. It covers earthquakes in the Bible. English title: “Earthquakes—Just a Natural Phenomenon?”

“The Kingdom of God,” is the title of last Sabbath’s sermon by Norbert Link. It is now posted for viewing. Here is a summary:

Why does the Bible speak of the kingdom of God, the kingdom of the Father, and the kingdom of Christ? Who and what is God? Is Christ God? Was He God before He became a Man? Who is YHWH—the God of the Old Testament? Did the Jews know the Father? What exactly is the kingdom of God? Is God a Family? How can we inherit the kingdom of God? Are converted Chritans today already a part of the kingdom and the Family of God?

On Sunday, August 25th, we conducted our monthly ministerial meeting via SKYPE.

The Member Letter for September has been written and mailed out. In this letter, Mr. Norbert Link addresses the autumn festival season, encouraging us to reflect on the purpose of our calling and the task which is still ahead of us.

As a reminder, here are the dates for the upcoming Holy Days: September 5th–Feast of Trumpets; September 14th–Day of Atonement; September 19th (beginning with opening night on September 18) through the 25th–Feast of Tabernacles; September 26th–Last Great Day. We will be broadcasting services live in the United States from our location in Vail, Colorado. For further information on our Feast sites in Colorado and Germany, please consult our website: www.eternalgod.org. For additional information on our Feast site in Germany, please also go to http://www.aufpostenstehen.de/wir-uber-uns/laubhuttenfest-2013/.

by Cali Harris

I’ve been away from graduate school—and finishing my thesis and degree—for several years. Recently I wanted to find out what it would take to return to the program.

The odds seemed stacked against me: I’d taken a leave of absence for 3 years, several faculty I’d worked with had since left the university, I was applying after application submissions had closed, the degree requirements had changed, and on and on the list went.

I couldn’t logically figure out how it would all work out.

I took a tiny step: I sent an email to the program director to ask about requirements to return to the program. Little did I know that action would quickly build into some real momentum. In the course of just a few days I had met with faculty, pulled together an application, found professors to recommend me, and enrolled in a class. I wasn’t expecting any of this to happen like it did!

Of course, all of this was only possible through God opening the door. In fact, He opened door after door after door. And the faster I moved forward in faith, it seemed the doors opened more quickly and easily. I’m learning that I have to take those steps of faith to be reminded of just how mightily—and abundantly—God is willing to do His part.