On March 23rd, 2013, Brian Gale will give the sermon, titled, “The Illegal Crucifixion.”

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.

NOTE: The Update will not be published next week during the Spring Holy Day Season. We will resume publication the following week (the Week ending April 5, 2013).

How has the world changed since the Passover last year?
 
We have new laws. Same-sex marriage, recreational drugs (Update 572) and the “Fiscal Cliff” are the laws of the land (Update 571).

We have new politicians. Eighteen members of a violent neo-Nazi party were elected to the Greek parliament (Update 540). China’s new leader demanded “…a return to traditional Leninist discipline” (Update 578). Japan’s new “arch-nationalist” Prime Minister supports a shrine where Class A war criminals are “worshipped as venerable divinities” (Update 572).
 
We have new threats. Iran is closer to having nuclear weapons (Update 554). North Korea threatened a nuclear attack on the United States (Update 581). There is a threat the government will use machines (drones) to attack U.S. citizens on U.S. soil (Update 580).
 
All this and much, much more since last year’s Passover.
 
These appear to be warning signs that the end of the age is coming soon (see Biblical Prophecy: From Now Until Forever). But for those in God’s church there is another, even more urgent warning than all of these combined. It is found in 1 Corinthians 11:27:
 
“…whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.”
 
On Sunday evening, March 24th, baptized members of God’s church will observe the Passover using the symbols described in 1 Corinthians. Will we observe it in a worthy manner? Come Sunday night, there can only be one, very personal answer for each of us–either we honor Christ’s death in a worthy manner, or we become “guilty” of it!
 
What must we do to truly keep the Passover in a worthy manner? Paul says we must do this:
 
“Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:7-8).
 
Leaven in this verse symbolizes sin (Update 325). Paul says, purge it, remove it, drive it from of our lives. But notice the exact words Paul uses: “purge out the OLD leaven,” in other words, old sin. Of course, Paul is not excluding “new” sins either, but it is interesting that he emphasizes “old” transgressions–the kind of people that we were before being baptized.
 
Are there any old sins we need to remove from our lives?
 
Is there any old selfishness (1 John 3:17), old bitterness (Hebrews 12:15), old prejudice (James 2:9), old worldliness (1 John 2:15), hidden in the corners of our hearts?
 
Do we need to clean up any old offenses we’ve caused (Matthew 5:23-24) or offenses we have taken (Matthew 5:22)?

We can’t pack these away during the Passover and pull them out afterwards! Paul says, “PURGE THEM!”
 
What about “little” old sins? Do they really matter? Paul says, they REALLY do matter! Using leaven again to represent sin, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 5:6, “ …a little leaven leavens the whole lump…”

The point is, we must make a THOROUGH examination of ourselves before we take the Passover:
 
“But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup” (1 Corinthians 11:28).
 
Just as surely as we must remove old leaven from our homes, we must remove any old sins that have accumulated in our lives. And we CAN do it, with God’s help! God has given us the instructions (2 Timothy 3:16-17), the power (2 Timothy 1:7), and the opportunity THIS Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread to repent, to change, to live lives full of truth and sincerity (1 Corinthians 5:8).
 
Many new and unfortunate things may happen in the world between now and the next Passover. But by abandoning our old ways (Ephesians 4:22 , Colossians 3:8) and adopting Christ’s ways (Colossians 3:10), we CAN keep this Passover in a worthy manner, and we CAN live with and rule with Christ forever (Revelation 3:20-21) .
 
What an incredible future to look forward to!

Our reports open with remarkable changes occurring in governments such as China, Italy, Israel and in Rome–the inauguration of a new pope. We continue with reporting on President Obama’s first international trip since his re-election, this time to the State of Israel. The dark specter of chemical weapons is now making news in Syria as civil war grows more intractable in that country. We report on the tiny island nation of Cyprus heading into financial ruin and even threatening its role within the European Union, and we conclude with commentary on the abysmal failure of the war in Iraq.

China–A Generational Change in Leadership

BBC News reported on March 15, 2013;

“China’s leaders have named Li Keqiang premier, placing him at the helm of the world’s second-largest economy.

“Mr Li, who already holds the number two spot in the Communist Party, takes over from Wen Jiabao.

“Mr Li was elected for a five-year term but, like his predecessor, would be expected to spend a decade in office.

“On Thursday, Xi Jinping was confirmed by legislators as the new president, completing the transition of power from Hu Jintao.

“Li Keqiang’s widely-signalled elevation was confirmed by 3,000 legislators at the National People’s Congress, the annual parliament session, in Beijing. He received 2,940 votes to three, with six abstentions.

“As premier, he will oversee a large portfolio of domestic affairs, managing economic challenges, environmental woes and China’s urbanisation drive.

“The appointments seal the shift from one generation of leaders to the next. A raft of vice-premiers and state councillors will be named on Saturday, before the NPC closes on Sunday.

“Mr Li, 57, who is seen as close to outgoing leader Hu Jintao, speaks fluent English and has a PhD in economics…

“In an editorial, state-run Global Times said Mr Xi and his colleagues needed to show powerful leadership to unite society.

“‘China cannot stop developing or fighting corruption. Social unity is the key to how China can stand against complex international affairs,’ it said.”

Both Japan and South Korea have recently elected new leadership–adding to the rapidly changing face of East Asia. Under President Obama, U.S. interests have become more focused in this region. With North Korea’s young leader pounding the drums of war and Japan and China bristling at each other over some disputed islands, economic and political stability for this vast expanse of humanity remains fragile, at best.

Italy Embraces Grillo

Following recent elections in Italy, commentaries have been written to explain the third place finish of an emerging political movement among dissatisfied voters–we present highlights from one such article in Spiegel Online, March 14, 2013:

“Beppe Grillo, leader of the populist Five Star Movement in Italy, prides himself on his ridicule of the parliamentary system. Yet while his anti-establishment rhetoric sounds appealing, at heart it’s actually anti-democratic. And very similar to that of an infamous Italian from the past…

“Grillo derives his energy from resentment. The real key to his success lies in the exploitation of anger — at Germany, at Brussels bureaucrats, at the whole system. That is what makes him great, not the appeal to reason or the love of democracy.

“As with all other revolutionaries, Grillo’s answer to the malaise of the present age is extremely simple. You just have to do away with the politicians or, better yet, jettison everything that smells of power and privilege. ‘We are young,’ it says on his blog. ‘We have no structure, hierarchy, leaders or secretaries. We take orders from no one.’ Grillo’s comparison of his movement to the French Revolution, which took its ideas of equality with bloody seriousness, is no accident. He relativizes by saying, ‘without the guillotine,’ but the stipulation means little. When people are incited into rage, those who fueled their passions never take the blame…

“In his best moments, Grillo talks like a cult leader. When he speaks of being ‘not a commander, but a guarantor,’ he sounds like a swami who could just as easily be leading the penitant to an ashram. But with a bit of historical awareness, one can see darker parallels.”

While this commentary draws parallels to the rise of Italian Fascism, it also represents the unrest that is growing in Europe. Leadership changes have not brought about stability, but it will be the emergence of powerful leaders who will galvanize Europe in ways very reminiscent of both Mussolini and Adolf Hitler.

A “New” Government in Israel

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 18, 2013:

“Israel’s new government has taken office after a coalition agreement was signed last week. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the new parliament that he was ready for ‘real peace’ with the Palestinians.
 
“The country’s parliament, known as the Knesset, opened on Monday afternoon to formally swear in the new coalition government. The session, which began with a series of formal speeches, culminated in mid-evening when the parliament gave its seal of approval for the new administration.
 
“Speaking to the delegates, Prime Minister Netanyahu, who was elected for a third term in January’s elections, thanked the country’s citizens and promised to defend them from regional threats. He also extended an olive branch of sorts to the Palestinians, saying his government was ‘ready for compromises in exchange for real peace,’ and would talk to the Palestinians ‘in good faith.’
 
“But, Netanyahu said, Israel faced ‘very great threats’ from Iran’s nuclear program and the ongoing conflict in Syria, which has just entered its third year.
 
“‘The top priority of the new government is the defense of the security of the state and its citizens,’ he told MPs. ‘Our existence here cannot be taken for granted…’

“Monday’s formalities come two days ahead of a visit to Israel and the Palestinian Territories by US President Barack Obama, and on a day when the US refused to take part in a United Nations Human Rights Council Debate in Geneva on Israeli settlements and their effects on Palestinians.
 
“The US has accused the panel of being biased against Israel. When discussion turned to the wider issue of human rights in the Palestinian Territories, the US ambassador, Eileen Donahoe said ‘the United States remains extremely troubled by this council’s continued biased and disproportionate focus on Israel.’
 
“Ahead of his visit, Obama has said the purpose of his Middle East trip is to listen, rather than propose a political solution, and has ruled out demanding a construction freeze in Israeli settlements on the West Bank.”

A New Papacy Begins

BBC reported on March 19, 2013:

“Pope Francis has inaugurated his papacy at a Mass in Rome, calling on global leaders and all the people of the world to defend the poor and the weak.

“Up to 200,000 people attended the Mass in St Peter’s Square.

“His homily focused on protection – of the environment, children, the elderly and those in need, who he said were ‘often the last we think about’.

“Francis was elected by a conclave of cardinals last week to take over from Benedict XVI.”

This report continues, bringing out the growing historic significance being observed concerning this new pope:

“Communion was distributed by some 500 priests throughout the crowd.

“The Mass was co-celebrated by around 180 clergymen, including Adolfo Nicolas, the superior general of Pope Francis’ Jesuit order.

“The list of attendees also included Bartholomew, the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople.

“He is the first Orthodox patriarch to attend a papal inauguration Mass since the two branches of Christianity split nearly 1,000 years ago.”

Papal Role…

BBC reported on March 19, 2013:

“Pope Francis has celebrated his inaugural mass in the Vatican, and he has assumed the responsibility of leading the world’s Catholics. But what exactly does a pope’s job entail?

“After Pope Francis’ solemn inauguration mass, attended by six reigning monarchs, 31 heads of state and representatives of 132 governments, he will become head of state of the world’s smallest sovereign enclave, Vatican City, as well as spiritual leader of an estimated 1.2 billion Catholics scattered over every continent.”

“The duties of the 266th successor to the throne of Saint Peter are wide-ranging.

“His regular Vatican appointments are:

“A weekly blessing for tourists and pilgrims every Sunday from the window of his private study overlooking Saint Peter’s Square.

“A weekly general audience for some 5,000 pilgrims in a modern audience hall in winter and in the open air in Saint Peter’s Square in summer.”

“The Pope normally presides over religious celebrations of all the major church festivals of the year inside Saint Peter’s, including Christmas and Easter, when he also appears on the same balcony where he was proclaimed pope after his election to deliver his “Urbi Et Orbi” message to the city of Rome and to the world…

“One of the duties of a pope is to meet at least once every five years with his more than 5,000 bishops from around the world – roughly 1,000 a year, or 20 a week.

“Under church law they are obliged to visit Rome to report to the Pope on the state of their dioceses in what is called an ‘ad limina’ (on the threshold of Saint Peter) visit.”

President Obama in Israel…

USA Today wrote on March 20, 2013:

“Obama was greeted warmly on Wednesday in Israel where he is on a high-profile trip to Israel, his first as president, to assure the Jewish state of U.S. commitment to stopping a nuclear Iran and boost the prospect of peace talks with Palestinians demanding their own state.

“‘The United States is proud to stand with you as your strongest ally and your greatest friend,’ Obama said after disembarking from Air Force One at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport. ‘It’s in our fundamental security interest to stand with Israel.’

“‘Across this region, the winds of change bring both promise and peril,’ he said, calling his visit ‘an opportunity to reaffirm the unbreakable bonds between our nations, to restate America’s unwavering commitment to Israel’s security, and to speak directly to the people of Israel and to your neighbors.’

“Obama said his administration would pursue a Mideast peace that would allow residents of the Jewish state to live in peace and free from the threat of terror.

“‘In this work, the state of Israel will have no greater friend than the United States,’ the president said after meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres.”

Even within the well publicised strain that exists between President Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, there is a grudging willingness to protect one-another’s interests–at least for the moment. At the same time, notwithstanding all the enthusiastic reports on President Obama’s friendly reception in Israel, it has been sadly recognized that his visit will accomplish little, if anything. Events are moving in a direction that will cause the State of Israel to be left standing alone in the near future, as revealed in Isaiah 9:21: “Manasseh shall devour Ephraim and Ephraim Manasseh, together they shall be against Judah.” This prophecy speaks of the United States (Manasseh), the British Commonwealth (Ephraim) and the modern State of Israel (Judah)–more information can be found in our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

Chemical Weapons Used in Syria?

The Times of Israel reported on March 19, 2013:

“Syria’s government and rebels traded accusations of a chemical attack Tuesday on a northern village near Aleppo.
 
“But while a U.S. official said there was no evidence of any such attack, Israel confirmed the use of chemical weapons, a Channel 10 news report stated, citing an unnamed defense official. The report said the official did not determine whether it was the rebels or the military who fired the non-conventional weaponry. It said the official said the use was on a relatively small scale, and did not elaborate further.

“The regime, whose allegation was backed by ally Russia, said 31 people were killed in what it said was a rebel attack, including 21 civilians and 10 soldiers. Rebel forces denied the allegation and blamed the Assad regime.
 
“If confirmed, this would be the first known use of chemical weapons in the 2-year-old civil war and a glimpse of one of the nightmare scenarios for this conflict.
 
“One of the international community’s top concerns since fighting began is that Syria’s vast arsenal of chemical weapons could be used by one side or the other or could fall into the hands of foreign jihadi fighters among the rebels or the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which is allied with the regime.”

Testing the Union of Europe!

The Guardian wrote on March 20, 2013:

“Cyprus ordered its banks to remain closed until next week as the cabinet held emergency talks on Wednesday in an effort to strike a deal with the EU or Russia to avert financial meltdown and stave off bankruptcy.

“After the country’s parliament rejected a plan to provide €5.8bn (£5bn) by seizing a portion of bank deposits from anyone with a bank account, [thereby abandoning an earlier decision, due to public outrage]Cyprus is struggling to come up with a plan that will let it access an EU bailout to stop its banks failing.

“The country’s eurozone partners and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are ready to provide €10bn in an emergency bailout if Cyprus comes up with an extra €7bn itself. Most of the bailout money is needed to shore up the country’s oversized banking sector, with the rest for government finances.

“No clear ‘plan B’ had emerged after meetings between politicians and representatives of European partners and the IMF. The Cypriot cabinet was said to be discussing ideas including the nationalisation of pension funds of semi-government corporations, which hold €2bn-€3bn, and another form of levy on deposits. The talks were due to resume.

“Another option debated may have been natural gas bonds linked to hydrocarbon reserves discovered off Cyprus, which remain uncertain and will not be exported until at least 2019.

“It was unclear whether European partners would accept the idea of turning to pension fund assets, which could leave the government exposed to further debts.

“‘We don’t have days or weeks, we have only hours to save our country,’ Averof Neophytou, deputy leader of the ruling Democratic Rally party, told reporters as crisis talks in Nicosia dragged on into the evening…

“The uncertain situation in Cyprus is ‘very damaging’ and needed to be addressed immediately, the EU Council president, Herman Van Rompuy, told the European parliament.

“Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, said Cyprus’s banking sector, which through foreign funds attracted by low tax deals has swelled to eight times the country’s GDP ‘is not sustainable’.

“The European Central Bank’s chief negotiator on Cyprus, Jörg Asmussen, said the ECB would have to pull the plug on Cypriot banks unless the country took a bailout quickly. ‘We can provide emergency liquidity only to solvent banks and … the solvency of Cypriot banks cannot be assumed if an aid programme is not agreed on soon, which would allow for a quick recapitalisation of the banking sector,’ Asmussen told the German weekly Die Zeit on Tuesday. Austria’s chancellor, Werner Faymann, said he could not rule out Cyprus leaving the eurozone, although he hoped its leaders would find a solution for it to stay.”

With the tempestuous financial crisis raging among several European countries, commentators are quick to proclaim the end of the European Union, the end of the Euro and the collapse of the plans to make the countries of Europe a dominant player in the world! Nothing could be further from the truth, and biblical prophecy declares that Europe will emerge as a powerful force exerting its influence as a new world power! Our booklet, “Europe in Prophecy – The Unfolding of End-Time Events,” shows what the Bible reveals for Europe–and the ominous consequences for the entire world! 

The Lost War in Iraq

Der Spiegel reported on March 20, 2013:

“Germany opposed the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, and little has changed about that stance a decade later. German editorialists on Wednesday gauge the effects of the war on the global balance of power, and their conclusions aren’t positive.

“On the 10th anniversary of the American invasion of Iraq, the conflict’s complicated legacy continues to unfold.

“One day ahead of the anniversary, President Barack Obama paid tribute on Tuesday to the nearly 4,500 United States soldiers who died in the conflict, in addition to the more than 30,000 who were wounded before troops left the country in 2011.

“The scale of these personal sacrifices, however, pales in comparison to the price paid by the Iraqi population, of whom more than 100,000 are estimated to have been killed. While Obama opposed the war and campaigned for office with pledges to pull US troops out of Iraq, the situation in the country they left behind remains fragile at best.

“A recent spike in ongoing political unrest and sectarian violence in the country was highlighted once again late on Tuesday when terrorist group al-Qaida claimed responsibility for a series of suicide attacks that left some 65 people dead. ‘We will have our revenge,’ read an al-Qaida statement on a jihadist website.

“Ignoring fierce opposition to the invasion from many countries abroad — including Germany and France — the United States, under then-President George W. Bush, began bombing the Iraqi capital Baghdad on March 20, 2003, calling the operation ‘shock and awe.’ The aim of the war was to oust Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and take out his ‘weapons of mass destruction.’ Though Hussein was eventually found, tried and executed, no WMDs were ever found.

“The war went on to cost the US government hundreds of billions of dollars, and, according to German editorialists, a great deal of credibility. On the anniversary of the invasion, they take a look this week at the state of America and the Middle East one decade after the war.

“Center-left daily Süddeutsche Zeitung writes:

“‘Ten years ago when the US armed forces attacked Iraq with a few allies who served as alibis, then reached Baghdad after a few days and drove out Saddam Hussein, the US experienced a collective feeling of satisfaction. Iraq was revenge for New York. One can put it that bluntly today because naturally there was a need for retaliation, for a demonstration of strength. The public justifications for the war were periphery by comparison: chemical weapons, a nuclear program and Saddam as the long-time bogeyman. No, America wanted to re-establish its authority.

“‘Today, American policy has largely recovered from its perspective of hyper-hegemony. But at what price? No one would claim any longer that order and stability, much less democracy, can be achieved by force of arms. And the country wouldn’t even inwardly admit to the immense debts it has piled up in the shadow of its wars. No one wants to gauge the loss of credibility that America and the West have suffered in the rest of the world, either. However, those in Germany who would triumphantly wag their fingers should think twice. Elegant statecraft was nowhere to be found in the divisive opposition to George W. Bush.

“‘In history there is not always a clear sequence of causalities. … But the Iraq war generated a powerful break — both for the people in the region and America. It marked the start of a phase of deep societal shift in the Arab world, and the beginning of a new world order for the US. Proof of this comes with President Barack Obama’s visit to Israel this week — the first of his presidency, and one that is largely powerless. The Statue of Liberty still stands in the New York harbor, announcing America’s mission to the world. It’s a mission that has become unimaginably large in the Middle East — so big that even the US must humbly acknowledge its limits.’

“Left-leaning daily Die Tageszeitung writes:

“‘The Iraq war serves mainly as yet another lesson that domestic and regional balance of power can’t be changed by even the most oppressive foreign military power. It’s a lesson that is constantly forgotten.

“‘The balance of power in the Arab world won’t be sustainably altered through foreign intervention, but from the inside — and even that is a difficult undertaking, as we’ve seen in the last two turbulent years of upheaval. The Iraq war probably delayed change in the Arab world by several years because the Arab dictators were able to discredit their indigenous democracy movements with a simple: “Do you want to become like Iraq?”. Because Iraq represents much of what the Arabs do not want: a society destroyed and polarized by foreign intervention with a traumatized population. It was in spite of the Iraq war, not because of it, that a decade later the Arab world indeed began to change. It’s chaotic, turbulent, and there’s an unknown outcome. But this time it’s autonomous.’

“Conservative daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes:

“‘It was a war that the United States basically chose for itself, and then decided upon quickly based on its military superiority. But they failed to achieve peace, if it’s to be defined in broader terms than just Saddam Hussein’s fall. They had no plan for it. Its motives, circumstances and results have made the Iraq war a strategic failure in the eyes of many. … The Iraqis have to bear the consequences, but so do the Americans. George W. Bush’s government was so convinced of its ‘mission’ that it managed to create a huge rift in the Western community. The approach led to an intra-Western confrontation about its conformity to international law, which damaged the reputation of the US. The skepticism of interventions that President Obama faces is in part due to the country’s moral discreditation, in addition to the country’s economic depletion.’

“‘In any case, an episode that began on a late summer day in September 2001 has come to an end. Without the “attack on America,” the Bush administration would not have gone after the al-Qaida leaders and their Taliban helpers in Afghanistan, and the US would not have marched into Iraq after Saddam Hussein (whose overthrow had been the official goal of American policy since the late 1990s). Thousands of American soldiers and over 100,000 Iraqis died. Hundreds of billions of dollars were devoured by both wars. From now on, because the achievements have been so limited compared to the costs, the US will practice greater restraint. Its role in the Libya uprising and the Syria conflict have shown that already. America is unlikely to engage in war again “only” for the sake of democracy in the troubled Arab world. This kind of idealism — or neoconservative furor — won’t be mustered again anytime soon. The question is whether global power is now swinging from one extreme to another.'”

The Roman Empire fell, but it was to be revived ten times prior to Christ’s return. Following the revival through the Vandals and the Heruli under King Gaiseric and King Odoacer, the third revival would follow shortly.

The Third Revival under King Theodoric the Great of the Ostrogoths:

The Gale Encyclopedia of Biography writes:

“Theodoric was the son of Theudemir, king of the Ostrogoths, a Germanic people who moved into the Roman Empire in the 5th century… Upon his father’s death in 474, Theodoric became king of the Ostrogoths. He was a vigorous and intelligent ruler, and although allied with Rome, he disliked Roman officials and possibly the terms of the treaty allying him with the Romans. On several occasions he threatened Roman settlements, and in 487 he began a march on Constantinople. The emperor Zeno convinced Theodoric that the Western part of the empire offered richer plunder than the East, and he commissioned Theodoric to go to Italy and to punish the barbarian general Odoacer, who had in 476 dismissed Zeno’s coemperor and assumed his rule. Theodoric’s mission was to defeat Odoacer and pacify Italy.

“Theodoric marched into Italy, and by 493 he had defeated Odoacer’s army, killed the usurper, and established himself with the official title of Patrician and Master of Soldiers as the actual ruler of Italy… His titles did not prevent Roman aristocrats in both East and West from regarding him as an uncouth barbarian invader, little better than Odoacer. Moreover, Theodoric and the Ostrogoths were Arians, their heretical version of Christianity being particularly repellent to orthodox Romans…

“After 507… the Arianism of the Goths and their presence in Italy began increasingly to alienate the Romans. In a fit of cruelty, Theodoric imprisoned and later executed his secretary, Boethius. The growing hostility of the Emperor at Constantinople made Theodoric distrustful of the Romans, and he persecuted Pope John I in 526 and later demanded that all churches be turned over to the Arians… rebellions sprang up, his Gothic subjects grew restive under Roman rule, and the military power of the East fomented distrust and revolt among the Romans.”

These events led to the fourth revival of Rome under Catholic rule, after the first three Arian revivals were defeated. As an aside, as Raymond McNair points out in his book, “Key to North-West European Origins,” ed. 1963, the words “German” or “Germanic” in ancient writings do not have to refer to modern-day Germans at all. The words just mean, “warrior.” He continues: “It would appear that many (if not most) of the Goths were not, racially speaking, true Germans as we think of them today, but were more ‘Nordic’ in type than are most Germans.” They had apparently settled in the British Isles and Scandinavia. This would mean that they (including King Theodoric) were descendants of the ancient house of Israel.

The Fourth Revival under Justinian I

The Wikipedia Encyclopedia explains:

“Justinian I… commonly known as Justinian the Great, was Roman (Byzantine) Emperor from 527 to 565. During his reign, Justinian sought to revive the empire’s greatness and reconquer the lost western half of the classical Roman Empire… [His] ambition was expressed in the partial recovery of the territories of the Western Roman Empire, including the city of Rome itself. A still more resonant aspect of his legacy was the uniform rewriting of Roman law, the Corpus Juris Civilis, which is still the basis of civil law in many modern states…

“While military efforts were directed to the East, the situation in Italy took a turn for the worse. Under their respective kings Ildibad and Eraric (both murdered in 541) and especially Totila, the Ostrogoths made quick gains. After a victory at Faenza in 542, they reconquered the major cities of Southern Italy and soon held almost the entire peninsula… Belisarius succeeded in defeating a Gothic fleet with 200 ships. During this period the city of Rome changed hands three more times, first taken and depopulated by the Ostrogoths in December 546, then reconquered by the Byzantines in 547, and then again by the Goths in January 550. Totila also plundered Sicily and attacked the Greek coastlines. Finally, Justinian dispatched a force of approximately 35,000 men… The army reached Ravenna in June 552, and defeated the Ostrogoths decisively within a month at the battle of Busta Gallorum in the Apennines, where Totila was slain. After a second battle at Mons Lactarius in October that year, the resistance of the Ostrogoths was finally broken… The recovery of Italy cost the empire about 300,000 pounds of gold.

“At the very beginning of his reign, [Justinian] deemed it proper to promulgate by law the Church’s belief in the Trinity and the Incarnation; and to threaten all heretics with the appropriate penalties; whereas he subsequently declared that he intended to deprive all disturbers of orthodoxy of the opportunity for such offense by due process of law. He made the Nicaeno-Constantinopolitan creed the sole symbol of the Church, and accorded legal force to the canons of the four ecumenical councils. The bishops in attendance at the Second Council of Constantinople in 553 recognized that nothing could be done in the Church contrary to the emperor’s will and command… Justinian protected the purity of the church by suppressing heretics. He neglected no opportunity for securing the rights of the Church and clergy… He granted the monks the right to inherit property from private citizens and the right to receive solemnia or annual gifts from the imperial treasury or from the taxes of certain provinces and he prohibited lay confiscation on monastic estates… The recognition of the Roman see as the highest ecclesiastical authority remained the cornerstone of his Western policy…

“Justinian’s religious policy reflected the imperial conviction that the unity of the Empire unconditionally presupposed unity of faith… Contemporary sources… tell of severe persecutions, even of men in high position. The Jews, too, had to suffer; for not only did the authorities restrict their civil rights, and threaten their religious privileges, but the emperor interfered in the internal affairs of the synagogue…”

We say the following in our booklet, “Europe in Prophecy”:

“Notice what historian Will Durant says in The Age of Faith, volume 4 of his renowned work, The Story of Civilization, about the Code of Justinian: ‘This Code, like the Theodosian, enacted orthodox Christianity into law. It began by declaring for the Trinity…. It acknowledged the ecclesiastical leadership of the Roman Church, and ordered all Christian groups to submit to her authority…. Relapsed heretics were to be put to death… and other dissenters were to suffer confiscation of their goods, and were declared incompetent to buy or sell, to inherit or bequeath; they were excluded from public office, forbidden to meet, and disqualified from suing orthodox Christians for debt’ (1950, p. 112). So those who were not orthodox Catholics were forbidden from buying and selling—i.e. conducting business. Indeed, those branded ‘heretics’ faced a death sentence.”

Also, note the following statements from the same booklet:

“Note that it is the seven last revivals of the Roman Empire that are [directed or supported by] a religious power. The first three were not. The first three revivals occurred under leaders with a different religion, that of Arianism, which was labeled a heresy by the Roman Catholic Church. But the last seven occur[red] under the control and with the approval of the Church of Rome… The first of the seven last resurrections of the Roman Empire occurred under Justinian in A.D. 554. He was the one mainly responsible for wiping out the barbarian tribes, but he did so at the behest of a succession of Roman popes.”

We add the following remark in our booklet “Is That In the Bible? The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation”:

“The Imperial Restoration in 554 A.D. under Justinian… occurred at the behest of the Roman pontiff or pope, especially Pope Pelagius and, to a lesser extent, previous Pope Vigilius.”

Arianism and any belief contrary to the Roman Catholic religion was suppressed and effectively destroyed under Justinian. The first three (Arian) revivals had been “plucked out” by the little horn, representing the Roman Catholic religion (compare Daniel 7:7-8, 23-24). Beginning with Justinian, a close “cooperation” between the Roman Church and the Roman State would continue and last, with intervals and interruptions, until the return of Jesus Christ. While the first three revivals of Rome were a “thorn in the flesh” of the Catholic religion, the last seven revivals (beginning with Justinian) are pictured in the Bible as the fallen woman (the Roman Church) riding or sitting on the beast (the political and military Roman Empire) (compare Revelation 17:3, 10).

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Passover Services will be observed Sunday evening, March 24, 2013, after sunset; the following evening (Monday evening, March 25) is the Night To Be Much Observed, which is the beginning of the First Day of Unleavened Bread (Tuesday, March 26th). The last Holy Day of Unleavened Bread will be observed on Monday, April 1st. (beginning Sunday at sunset, March 31). We invite our readers to explore the rich library of Q&A’s, Booklets and sermons about God’s Holy Days–available at www.eternalgod.org.

The Feast of Tabernacles in Germany will be held this year at the Hotel Birkenhof, Wildbaderstrasse 95, 72250 Freudenstadt. (Info@birkenhof-Freudenstadt.de). We have booked a hall and would recommend that attendees would also book accommodation at the hotel.   However, the hotel is booked out so that no direct bookings can be made at this point.  Nevertheless, bookings can still be made  through certain agencies. If we could book directly at the hotel, this would be the prices:
 
Einzelzimmer (Single Rooms) Euro 55.00,
Doppelzimmer (Double Rooms) Euro 47.00 per Person,
Familienzimmer (Family Rooms) Euro 51.00 per Person.
These prices include breakfast.

Discounts for children up until 6 years 100%, for children from 6 to 12 years 50% and children up to 16 years 10%.
 
In addition, there would be a tax of Euro 2.10 per day per person.
 
When you make reservations for the hotel rooms through agencies, then you should make sure that you are getting compatible rates to those above.

Here are links of agencies we know of which would be able to provide you with room reservations for the hotel at Birkenhof:
 
http://www.holidaycheck.de/tag/freudenstadt.php?type=hotels
http://www.neckermann-reisen.de/hotel/?sinav=topnav_hotel_NR
Ferien-Urlaub-Schwarzwald.de

This and more information will be posted on our website–www.eternalgod.org.

Information for reservations for the Feast of Tabernacles and Last Great Day to be observed in Vail, Colorado, are now posted: http://www.eternalgod.org/feasts

We are pleased to announce the baptism of four men in Germany during the ongoing visit by Norbert and Johanna Link. More detailed reports will be given upon their return to the U.S., following the Days of Unleavened Bread.

by Gilbert DeVaux
 
Before being called into the truth, I considered myself to be self-reliant, and that led me to think too much of my own abilities. I made many mistakes along the way. I lived a way of pride. Now I am no longer on that path. I used to have fear and worries of what was ahead. That was then. Today I can see the foolishness of my past and my way of thinking then.
 
Now that I am older and having had time to reflect on my past, I realize that I am not the same person. I understand that I have to rely totally on the Eternal God, and that I should no longer have the fear and worries of this world. The people of this world put their trust and hope in man, and man fails them over and over again. The world is blind; however, the Eternal has opened my eyes a little. I know that I am not better or wiser than those in the world. They too will have their opportunity when the Eternal calls them. I remind myself each day not to take my calling for granted, and I pray that the Eternal will keep me on His path.

On March 16th, 2013, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “Knowing The Future.”

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.

I recently had an opportunity to take a test for a class that I’m enrolled in. Unlike many of the standard classroom tests that I’ve taken in previous years of schooling, this test was to be completed on my own time and from the comfort of my own home. Take home tests are nothing new, but this one was not a typical take home test either. Normally, a take home test allows the student to use reference material and return the completed test on a later date. This test, however, was timed and entirely submitted online. Another unique constraint about this test was that all outside reference material and assistance was explicitly banned. The notes, digital slides, search engines, and help from my wife or kids were absolutely disallowed while taking the test. The only material that I was allowed access to during the test, were the memories in my head.

Even though there were strict rules of conduct during the period of the test, there were no practical means of enforcing them. It would have been trivially easy and undetectable to cheat on the test. Anyone taking the test from a computer would have plenty of material at his or her fingertips with no marshal to monitor the malfeasance. Yes, I could have cheated and nobody would have known but me. Well, nobody but me and God.

While the honor and expectation of honesty was part of the test, I was mostly motivated to take the test in honesty because God would have known my wrongdoing. I knew that God would have indicted me had I given in to the temptation to use Google to answer my questions. Being right with God is by far more important than getting the answers right on the test. The sin of dishonesty, and everything else that breaks the law of God, is a sin against Him first and foremost. 

The book of Genesis relays a similar story when describing how Joseph fled from Potiphar’s wife, who attempted to entice him. At her willful request, Joseph responded by saying, “’ Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?’” (Genesis 39:8-9). Joseph had a clear mind, acknowledging that giving in to wrongdoing would be a violation of the trust of his master, but even more, he knew that this carnal sin would be against God.

The loss of our own virtue is something that happens simply and subtly. It happens when we give in, even when we know better. It happens when we convince ourselves that we are justified in taking an action that’s wrong or when we can get away with something without notice. It should be obvious, but it is still important to be reminded that everything that we think is hidden in the dark will come to light (Luke 12:2-3). The secrets we may have, as harmless as they may seem, are marks against us because even the little things are sins against God.

The Passover now approaches, and during this time we must test ourselves to make sure that we are working as hard as we possibly can to live a life according to the pattern of Jesus Christ. All aspects of our own behavior that we tend to overlook need examination and all of the intentions of our heart require cleansing. We have the opportunity right now to judge ourselves before the time comes for our final judgment. Now is the time to study up and prepare to make sure that when our final exam comes, we pass the test.

We begin with the attention of the world watching all of the ceremonial trappings of the Catholic Church’s choice of a new Pope–more, as magicians might say, so much “Hocus Pocus”–clearly, nothing supported by the biblical example! We cite news of yet another huge settlement for sexual abuse and cover-up by the Catholic Church. North Korea’s stream of threats and the admission that the U.S. is in a “cyber war” are reported.

Hungary’s defiant move into authoritarian rule and Austria’s somber remembrance of Nazi atrocities are also reported.

Pope Francis

NPR reported on March 13, 2013:

“The new pope, 76-year-old Jorge Bergoglio, the archbishop of Buenos Aires, is the first pontiff from Latin America and the first Jesuit, but he appears to hold views very much in line with his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI.

“Bergoglio has chosen the papal name Francis, becoming the 266th to hold the title of spiritual leader of the Catholic Church.

“Catholic News Service calls him an accomplished theologian and says Bergoglio has “written books on spirituality and meditation and has been outspoken against abortion and same-sex marriages.”

“He was born Dec. 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires to Italian parents Mario, a railway worker, and Regina, a housewife, reports Argentina’s La Nacion.”

The New York Times offered their report of the papal election on March 13, 2013:

“With a puff of white smoke from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel and to the cheers of thousands of rain-soaked faithful, a gathering of Catholic cardinals picked a new pope from among their midst on Wednesday — choosing the cardinal from Argentina, the first South American to lead the church.

“The new pope, Jorge Mario Bergoglio (pronounced Ber-GOAL-io), will be called Francis, the 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church. He is also the first non-European pope in more than 1,200 years and the first member of the Jesuit order to lead the church.

“In choosing Francis, 76, who had been the archbishop of Buenos Aires, the cardinals sent a powerful message that the future of the church lies in the global south, home to the bulk of the world’s Catholics…

“’It was like waiting for the birth of a baby, only better,’ said a Roman man, Giuliano Uncini. A child sitting atop his father’s shoulders waved a crucifix.

“Francis is known as a humble man who spoke out for the poor and led an austere life in Buenos Aires. He was born to Italian immigrant parents and was raised in the Argentine capital.

“The new pope inherits a church wrestling with an array of challenges that intensified during his predecessor, Benedict XVI, including a shortage of priests, growing competition from evangelical churches in the Southern Hemisphere, a sexual abuse crisis that has undermined the church’s moral authority in the West and difficulties governing the Vatican itself…

“A doctrinal conservative, Francis has opposed liberation theology, abortion, gay marriage and the ordination of women, standing with his predecessor in holding largely traditional views.” 

The Roman Catholic Church has been fraught with controversy–especially, the actions of gay priests who have abused youth. It has also suffered a loss of attendance and a serious lack of new priests. With worldwide attention now so openly focused on this newly elected pope, the potential for this church to exert greater and greater influence seems a real possibility! We also take note that Pope Francis is the son of Italian parents who immigrated to Argentina, making his selection still closely tied to Italian rule over Rome. Besides his native Spanish, Bergoglio also speaks Italian and German.

The Mystery of Rome!

CNN reported the following on Tuesday, March 12, 2013:

“Moving in solemn procession through rooms rich with painting and history, the Catholic cardinals Tuesday went into the Sistine Chapel, where they will take part in the secret election of a new pope.
 
“One of their number will almost certainly emerge from the process as the new spiritual leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics.
 
“Chanting prayers as they walked, the 115 cardinal-electors — those under age 80 who are eligible to vote — made their way slowly from the nearby Pauline Chapel.
 
“Once they all have entered the Sistine Chapel they will each swear an oath of secrecy. A designated official will then give the order in Latin, ‘Extra omnes’ — that is, ‘Those who are extra, leave.’

 “At this point all those not taking part in the conclave will leave the Sistine Chapel and the doors will be closed.
 
“From that point on, the only clue the world will have of what is happening inside will be periodic puffs of smoke from a copper chimney installed on the chapel roof over the weekend.
 
“Black smoke, no pope. White smoke, success.
 
“Earlier, the scarlet-clad cardinals celebrated a special morning Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, where they prayed for guidance in making a choice that could be crucial to the future direction of a church rocked by scandal in recent years.”

Reuters, covering this same story, reported on March 12, 2013:

“Red-robed cardinals retreated behind the heavy wooden doors of the Sistine Chapel on Tuesday at the start of a conclave that will elect a new pope to tackle the strife and scandal rocking the Roman Catholic Church.

“Latin chants and organ music accompanied the cardinals as they processed into the room, with Michelangelo’s depiction of Christ delivering the Last Judgment on the back wall and his image of the hand of God giving life to Adam on the ceiling.

“Laying their own hands on the Gospels and speaking in Latin, they took a vow of secrecy not to divulge anything about the ballot, which was expected to start with an initial round of voting later in the afternoon.

“No conclave in the modern era has chosen a pope on the first day, and some cardinals speculated earlier this week that it might take up to four or five days to pick the man to replace Pope Benedict, who unexpectedly abdicated last month…

“Earlier, on a day rich in ritual and pageantry, Italian cardinal Angelo Sodano called for unity in the Church, which is beset by sex abuse scandals, bureaucratic infighting, financial difficulties and the rise of secularism.”

There are obvious and unavoidable parallels to be drawn from news reports about this conclave to elect a new pope and what is written in the Book of Revelation concerning a powerful, world-influencing religion. Details about prophesied events concerning this religion and its influence over the governments of Europe can be found in our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy – The Unfolding of End-Time Events.”

The Cost of Catholic Cover-ups

USA Today reported on March 12, 2013:

“The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to pay four men almost $10 million to settle allegations of sexual abuse by a former priest who more than a quarter century ago had confessed to molesting children, attorneys said Tuesday.

“Two brothers will receive $4 million each, and the other two men will get nearly $1 million apiece, said John Manly, a plaintiff’s attorney.

“The settlement is the first since the Catholic Church released thousands of internal records detailing the actions of the defrocked priest, Michael Baker, and how church officials responded. Baker was convicted in 2007 of child molestation and paroled in 2011.

“In January, as the files were about to be made public, a California judge ordered the archdiocese to identify all priests and church officials named in the documents.

“The confidential files — medical and psychiatric records, abuse reports, church memos and letters with the Vatican — revealed that in 1986, Baker told Cardinal Roger Mahony that he had abused boys beginning in 1974. Mahony removed Baker from [the] ministry and sent him to New Mexico for psychological treatment.

“A year later, however, he returned with a doctor’s recommendation that he not spend any time with minors and that he should be defrocked immediately if he did. Nonetheless, the abuse continued until 2000, when Baker was finally removed.

“Mahony retired as Los Angeles archbishop in 2011. Last month, his successor, Archbishop Jose Gomez, stripped him of his official duties.

“Mahony is in Rome participating in the conclave selecting the next pope. He was aware of the settlement, J. Michael Hennigan, an archdiocese attorney, told the Associated Press.”

While the Catholic Church seems grudgingly willing to pay huge settlements for sexual abuse claims, it doesn’t appear to have treated the crimes all that seriously from within. This and so many other cases by priests who have been guilty of heinous abuses stand is stark contrast to the face that Catholic leadership is trying to present as a new pope is elected.

North Korea On the Brink of War?

Reported by The Australian, March 13, 2013:

“North Korea leader Kim Jong-un has threatened to ‘wipe out’ a South Korean island as Pyongyang came under new economic and diplomatic fire from US sanctions and UN charges of gross rights abuses.

“Military tensions on the Korean peninsula have risen to their highest level for years, with the communist state under the youthful Mr Kim threatening nuclear war in response to UN sanctions imposed after its third atomic test last month.

“It has also announced its unilateral shredding of the 60-year-old Korean War armistice and non-aggression pacts with Seoul in protest at a joint South Korean-US military exercise that began on Monday.
 
“While most of these statements have been dismissed as rhetorical bluster, the latest threat to the border island of Baengnyeong, which has around 5000 civilian residents, appears credible and carries the weight of precedent.”

The Guardian reported on March 12, 2013:

“State-run television reported mass rallies across North Korea against the US and said Kim Jong-un had told troops to be on ‘maximum alert’ for a potential war. Kim told troops stationed near disputed waters that have been the scene of previous clashes that ‘war can break out right now’.

“Earlier, North Korea threatened to launch a nuclear strike against the US and South Korea. North Korea has blamed Seoul’s joint military exercises this month with the US for the increased tensions. But Washington said Pyongyang is lashing out with ‘belligerent rhetoric’ after the UN security council imposed new sanctions over North Korea’s underground test of a nuclear weapon last month.”

Worldwide Web the New Battlegound!

On March 11, 2013, Euronews wrote:

“America is under cyber attack, and Washington now believes there is evidence that China is officially sponsoring much of it.

“The source of much of the activity is a military building, and not some amateur hacker’s home. Mandiant, a private security firm has traced a wave of cyber attacks to the door of China’s cyber command. The report has rattled Washington, and the IT and intelligence communities are still scrambling for adequate answers.

“On Wednesday the Homeland Security Committee of the US Congress holds a hearing on cyber security, with the fear that World War Three is already underway, via fibre-optic links and secret servers putting vital infrastructure at risk, and stealing valuable secrets…

“As we enter an age of a new kind of warfare, undeclared and with no Geneva Convention regulating its excesses, many fear diplomacy will have little clout in Beijing.”

And from the Los Angeles Times on March 12, 2013:

“Iran has made progress toward developing nuclear weapons capability, Al Qaeda sympathizers are resurgent across North Africa and the Middle East, and the U.S. economy is vulnerable to relatively unsophisticated cyber-attacks, according to America’s top intelligence officer.
 
“James R. Clapper, director of national intelligence, is set to appear Tuesday morning with other senior U.S. national security officials at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing to deliver their annual assessment of threats around the globe.
 
“According to a copy of Clapper’s prepared remarks, the danger of cyber-attacks and cyber-espionage on crucial infrastructure tops the list of global threats. As a result, America’s intelligence agencies are reevaluating how they operate.

“’Threats are more diverse, interconnected and viral than at any time in history. Attacks, which might involve cyber and financial weapons, can be deniable and unattributable,’ he says…

“Cyber-espionage is rampant and growing, Clapper acknowledges, and it is damaging American competitiveness: 
 
“‘Foreign intelligence and security services have penetrated numerous computer networks of U.S. government, business, academic and private sector entities…. This is almost certainly allowing our adversaries to close the technological gap between our respective militaries, slowly neutralizing one of our key advantages in the international arena.'”

No Victory and No Welcome in Afghanistan

NPR wrote on March 10, 2013:

“Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai claims the U.S. is holding talks outside Afghanistan with the Afghan Taliban.

“The allegations come as Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel continues his first visit to the nation as Pentagon Chief – and after a deadly explosion in Kabul on Saturday that the Taliban called a message to the new defense secretary.

“Karzai made his claims in a nationally broadcast address just hours before he was to meet with Hagel, reports NPR’s David Welna, who is traveling with Hagel.

“‘Karzai claimed the U.S. has been meeting daily elsewhere with the Taliban,’ Welna reports. ‘He also accused the U.S. of collaborating with the Taliban to stoke fears about coalition forces pulling out of Afghanistan next year.’

“The Taliban claimed responsibility for a blast outside the Afghan Defense Ministry on Saturday that killed nine people. A second bombing in eastern Khost Province, also on Saturday, killed two police officers and eight children.

“‘The explosions in Kabul and Khost yesterday showed that they are at the service of America and at the service of this phrase: 2014,’ Karzai said. ‘They are trying to frighten us into thinking that if the foreigners are not in Afghanistan, we would be facing these sorts of incidents.'”

More and more, it appears that the war being fought by the U.S. and its allies is destined for abject failure–as even the U.S. selected Hamid Karzai is now openly insulting America’s new Defense Secretary.

Hungary’s Authoritarian Move…

Spiegel Online reported on March 11, 2013:

“As expected, the Hungarian parliament on Monday evening passed a package of constitutional amendments that legal experts say are an affront to democracy. Berlin, Brussels and Washington all voiced their concern in the run up to the vote. Leaders in Budapest, however, were unfazed.

“Hungarian President János Áder arrived in Berlin on Monday for what might look merely like a standard bilateral meeting between two EU leaders. But the relationship between the European Union and Hungary is anything but normal these days. Budapest, after all, bid farewell on Monday to many of the values that define the 27-member club.

“Prime Minster Viktor Orbán, like Áder a member of the conservative Fidesz party, has expanded his power dramatically. While the head of state was in Berlin, the prime minister moved ahead with a highly controversial package of amendments to the country’s constitution. The amendments weaken the country’s constitutional court, the last defender of Hungary’s constitutional state, and they limit the independence of the entire judiciary branch.

“In other words, a country at the center of the European Union is moving away from the principles of freedom, democracy and the rule of law…

“The reforms also write into the constitution certain laws that had previously been overturned and deemed unconstitutional by the high court, making them essentially untouchable.These include a ban on the homeless from loitering in public spaces, and allowance of the state to prosecute them for violations; a ban on electoral campaign advertising in private media; and an exclusion of umarried, childless or same-sex couples in the official definition of family.”

This is a significant stand by Hungarian legislators in rejecting European Union objections. Just how much compliance to European “values” can be extracted from Hungary in the coming weeks and months remains to be seen.

Austria Remembers

The Local wrote on March 12, 2013:

“Austria solemnly marked Tuesday 75 years since German troops crossed the border unopposed on the early hours of March 12, 1938 and ‘annexed’ Adolf Hitler’s homeland into the Third Reich.

“‘Already on the evening of March 11 swastika flags were fluttering over Vienna and other cities, including at police headquarters in Vienna … even though not a single German soldier had yet set foot on Austrian soil,’ President Heinz Fischer said at a ceremony in the capital.
 
“‘Soon afterwards we were pulled into World War II, with all its consequences, and Austrians were massively involved in the crimes of National Socialism. This all became part of our history, and this is still painful to this day.’
 
“Three days after the entry of his troops, Hitler gave a speech in Vienna – the city he had left in 1913 as a failed artist – to a jubilant crowd of 250,000 people. A plebiscite soon afterwards sealed the annexation…
 
“Fischer, who also laid a wreath at a monument to victims of fascism and war, said that the system of Nazi totalitarianism ‘could only come about through the cooperation of fanatics, followers and collaborators, as well as deliberately turning a blind eye.'”

In the books of Daniel and Revelation, four world-ruling empires are described, which have been identified as Babylon (compare Daniel 2:38; 7:17), Medo-Persia (compare Daniel 2:39; 7:17; 8:20), Greece (compare Daniel 2:39; 7:17; 8:21) and Rome (compare Daniel 2:40-43; 7:17). The Roman Empire was to be divided into Eastern and Western Rome, and the Western part would fall (compare Revelation 13:3), but it was to be revived ten times and would endure until the time of Jesus Christ’s return. Proof for these statements can be found in our literature, including our booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.” In that booklet, we also state the following:

“The Roman Empire fell and the world believed it would never rise again (symbolized by the deadly wound). But God revealed through Daniel and through the Apostle John that there would actually be ten revivals of the Roman Empire, nine of which have already occurred.

“After the destruction of Rome, three so-called ‘barbarian’ powers, who were all followers of an unorthodox nominally Christian faction called Arianism, revived the Roman Empire. This happened under King Gaiseric of the Vandals, under King Odoacer of the Heruli, and under King Theodoric of the Ostrogoths. These are the first three horns of the fourth beast that Daniel saw—the first three resurrections of the Roman Empire.

“The fourth resurrection then occurred under Justinian in A.D. 554. At that time, lands of the old West Roman Empire were taken back from the Arian ‘barbarians’ by the Romans of the Eastern Empire under its emperor, Justinian. He also restored the rule of ‘orthodox’ Roman Catholicism to the West. Known in history as the Imperial Restoration, this is understood by many to be the biblical ‘healing of the deadly wound’ the Roman Empire had received from the barbarian powers.

“The fifth resurrection occurred under Charlemagne (Charles the Great) in A.D. 800. The sixth occurred under Otto the Great in A.D. 962. The seventh occurred under Charles V of Hapsburg in 1530, the eighth under Napoleon Bonaparte ruling from 1804 until 1814, and yes, the ninth has also already occurred, under Mussolini and Hitler. Thus, what is happening right now in Europe is the tenth and final resurrection of that same Roman Empire…”

Regarding the ten revivals of the Roman Empire, we stated in “Is That In the Bible? The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation”:

“According to Daniel 7:24, ten kings were to arise out of the Roman Empire. This could either describe a simultaneous or co-existing one-time revival under the leadership of ten kings, or it could refer to ten successive revivals—one revival following the next over time. Comparing the passage in Daniel 7 with the beast in Revelation 13, and based on what actually occurred historically, we conclude that successive revivals are intended here—the beast or the Roman Empire would have ten successive resurrections or revivals. Revelation 17:8 confirms this—the beast described there, which is similar to the beast of Revelation 13, is described as one that ‘was, and is not, and will ascend…,’ showing the successive nature of the revivals.”

In this new series, we will shed additional light on the ten revivals of the Roman Empire.

The First Revival under King Gaiseric of the Vandals:

What does history tell us about Rome’s first revival under King Gaiseric of the Vandals?

The website of historymedren.about.com states that “Gaiseric was known for: Sacking the city of Rome in 455. As King of the Vandals and the Alans (Alani), Gaiseric [or Genseric] was a significant figure in the final decades of the Western Roman empire, leading his peoples to victory after victory and establishing a reputation as a feared warrior.”

The website of britannica.com adds that “Gaiseric[‘s] most famous exploit… was the capture and plundering of Rome, June 455.”

Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, informs us as follows:

“Genseric, whose name means ‘spear-king’, was an illegitimate son of King Godigisel… After his father’s death, Genseric was the second most powerful man among the Vandals, after the new king, his half-brother Gunderic. After Gunderic’s death in 428, Genseric was elected king…

“Taking advantage of a dispute between Boniface, Roman governor of North Africa, and the Roman government, Genseric ferried all 80,000 of his people across to Africa in 429. Once there, he won many battles over the weak and divided Roman defenders and quickly overran the territory now comprising modern Morocco and northern Algeria… The next year, Roman Emperor Valentinian III recognized Genseric as king of the lands he and his men had conquered.

“In 439, after casting a covetous eye on the great city of Carthage for a decade, he took the city, apparently without any fighting. The Romans were caught unaware, and Genseric captured a large part of the western Roman navy docked in the port of Carthage. The Catholic bishop of the city, Quodvultdeus, was exiled to Naples, since Genseric demanded that all his close advisors follow the Arian form of Christianity. Nevertheless, Genseric gave freedom of religion to the Catholics, while insisting that the regime’s elite follow Arianism. The common folk had low taxes under his reign, as most of the tax pressure was on the rich Roman families and the Catholic clergy.

“Added to his own burgeoning fleet, the Kingdom of the Vandals now threatened the Empire for mastery of the western Mediterranean Sea. Carthage, meanwhile, became the new Vandal capital and an enemy of Rome for the first time since the Punic Wars. With the help of their fleet, the Vandals soon subdued Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica and the Balearic Islands. Genseric strengthened the Vandal defenses and fleet and regulated the positions of Arians and Catholics. In 442, the Romans acknowledged the Carthaginian conquests, and recognised the Vandal kingdom as an independent country rather than subsidiary to Roman rule. The area in Algeria that had remained for the larger part independent of the Vandals turned from a Roman province into an ally.

“For the next 30 years, Genseric and his soldiers sailed up and down the Mediterranean, living as pirates and raiders. In 455, Roman emperor Valentinian III was murdered on orders of Petronius Maximus, who usurped the throne. Genseric was of the opinion that these acts voided his 442 peace treaty with Valentinian, and on May 31, he and his men landed on Italian soil and marched on Rome, where Pope Leo I implored him not to destroy the ancient city or murder its inhabitants. Genseric agreed and the gates of Rome were thrown open to him and his men…

“In 468, Genseric’s kingdom was the target of the last concerted effort by the two halves of the Roman Empire. They wished to subdue the Vandals and end their pirate raids. Genseric, against long odds, defeated the eastern Roman fleet… The Romans abandoned the campaign and Genseric remained master of the western Mediterranean until his death, ruling from the Strait of Gibraltar all the way to Tripolitania…”

We should take note from the foregoing that for all practical purposes, the Roman Empire had fallen to Genseric who revived it. Genseric was of the Arian faith which was different from the Roman Catholic faith. For instance, the Arians rejected correctly the concept of the Trinity, but they incorrectly rejected the truth of Christ’s divinity. As we saw, Genseric taxed the Roman clergy heavily, and insisted that the elite convert to Arianism. It is obvious that this conflict would have to be resolved somehow. In analyzing the events pertaining to the second revival of the Roman Empire, when the rule was given to King Odoacer of the Heruli, we will see how it was resolved.

The Second Revival under King Odoacer of Heruli

The Wikipedia Encyclopedia writes about King Odoacer:

“Romulus Augustus… was the last Western Roman Emperor, reigning from 31 October 475 until 4 September 476. His deposition by Odoacer traditionally marks the end of the Western Roman Empire, the fall of ancient Rome, and the beginning of the Middle Ages in Western Europe.”

But as we saw, the fall of Rome had occurred much earlier. This conclusion is also supported by the following sources:

The website of reference.com writes:

“Odoacer… deposed Romulus Augustulus, last Roman emperor of the West (until the coronation in 800 of Charlemagne). The date 476 is often accepted as the end of the West Roman Empire. However, Odoacer’s action made little difference in the status of Western Rome, which had long been prey to the barbarian armies; the emperors had been mere puppets.”

The fact that even before the “official” date of Rome’s fall in 476, Rome, for all practical purposes, had already “fallen”, is also stated in “The History of Europe and the Church,” where we read: “In June, 455, Geiseric (Genseric)—the Vandal king of North Africa—occupies Rome… the city of Rome is fast dying… The Empire lives only in a ceremonial sense. The Western emperors are merely puppets of the various Germanic generals…” (Worldwide Church of God, p. 12, copyright 1983).

Regarding Odoacer, the Columbia Encyclopedia states:

“Odoacer… or Odovacar… and his troops were mercenaries in the service of Rome, but in 476 the Heruli revolted and proclaimed Odoacer their king. Odoacer defeated the Roman general Orestes at Piacenza, took Ravenna (the West Roman capital), and deposed Romulus Augustulus … The Roman administration of Italy continued to function under Odoacer, who retained the chief officers of state. In 488, Zeno sent Theodoric the Great, king of the Ostrogoths, into Italy to expel Odoacer. Several times defeated, Odoacer consented (493) to a treaty by which he was to share his authority with Theodoric. Invited to a banquet by Theodoric, Odoacer and his son and chief officers were treacherously assassinated; thus Theodoric made himself master of Italy.”

As we will see, Odoacer was also an Arian, and as such, the conflict between Arianism and Roman Catholicism continued. The Catholic Church waited for the time of Odoacer’s replacement, and Emperor Zeno’s actions and “accomplishments” in this regard found the praise of the papacy. Here is what happened:

The website of nndb.com states:

“Odoacer was forty-two years of age when he… became chief ruler of Italy, and he reigned thirteen years with undisputed sway… In the history of the papacy Odoacer figures as the author of a decree promulgated at the election of Felix II in 483, forbidding the pope to alienate any of the lands or ornaments of the Roman Church, and threatening any pope who should infringe this edict with anathema. This decree was loudly condemned in a synod held by Pope Symmachus (502) as an unwarrantable interference of the civil power with the concerns of the church.”

The website of newadvent.org wrote:

“Following other German tribes the Heruli entered Italy, and their ruler Odoacer… assum[ed] himself the title of King of Italy… When the Emperor Zeno in 477 drove away the usurper and again gained the supremacy, he sent the pope a completely Catholic confession of faith, whereupon Simplicius (9 Oct., 477) congratulated him on his restoration to power and exhorted him to ascribe the victory to God, who wished in this way to restore liberty to the Church.”

The New International Encyclopedia, Vol. XVII writes about Odoacer:

“In matters of religion, though Arian himself, he acted with great impartiality; nevertheless he was intensely hated by the native Italians. The success of Odoacer excited the jealousy and alarm of Zero, the emperor of the East, who encouraged the Ostrogoth King Theodoric… to undertake an expedition against Italy, hoping at the same time to get rid of the Goths, who were a menace to Constantinople.”

With the assassination of Odoacer, the second (Arian) revival of Rome ended, giving way to the third revival under King Theodoric of the Ostrogoths.

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Passover Services will be observed Sunday evening, March 24, 2013, after sunset; the following evening is the Night To Be Much Observed, which is the beginning of the First Day of Unleavened Bread (Tuesday, March 26th). The last Holy Day of Unleavened Bread will be observed on Monday, April 1st. We invite our readers to explore the rich library of Q&A’s, Booklets and sermons about God’s Holy Days–available at www.eternalgod.org.

The sermon, “Christ’s First Coming—Part 2,” given by Norbert Link this past Sabbath is now posted. Here is a summary:

In what year did Jesus give His famous Olivet prophecy? Did He warn His disciples of a falling away from the truth just prior to His return? How can we have confidence and assurance for us and our children in light of the terrible times ahead of us? How often was Christ anointed before His death? When exactly did Jesus introduce the new Passover symbols of foot washing, bread and wine? In what year and on what day did Jesus die? How long was He buried and dead in the grave? Did He fulfill the sign that would prove that He was the Messiah? When exactly was He resurrected? When did He ascend to heaven to receive authority and power?

Norbert and Johanna Link wish to thank you for your continued prayers during their trip to Germany. After being stuck at the San Diego airport for three hours, (no explanation given, but the scheduled plane never arrived at the airport) they were able to fly with another plane to LAX, but almost missed the connecting flight to Frankfurt. Fortunately, the airline waited for them before take-off, even though they had only 10 minutes to get through security and to the gate.  They were told that if they missed the flight, they could take another one in the evening, but as it turned out, they would not have been able to, since the Frankfurt airport closed down due to bad weather in Germany. It is obvious that Satan was very busy trying to prevent them from flying into Germany, but God is mightier than Satan and saw to it that they were still able to go. Interestingly enough, Johanna was inspired to have the boarding passes printed ahead of time from the Internet; otherwise, they would not have been able to get through security in LA and would have missed the flight for sure.

On March 9th, 2013, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “Christ’s First Coming—Part 2.”

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.

Overwhelmed?

Do circumstances you face cast you into despair and even feelings of hopelessness?

We all experience our “moments” when the path ahead seems impossible to bear—times when there is no good resolve, and we think there is no way out!

Does it help you to know that others have gone through these kinds of times? It should! In truth, part of the reason we have the Word of God given to us is to learn from others who have faced tremendous trials and survived—and even more, they have conquered and succeeded.

Perhaps the shortest summary of these kinds of examples is found in Hebrews, chapter 11. We all need to take the time in our daily living to—on occasion—read this chapter. Simply drink in the inspirational stories of what has been recorded for our help—so vital when we need it the most!

It all gets back to this one underlying lesson, and that is the role that faith in God can have in our lives.

Jesus Christ knew from the start that He would have to die an agonizing death, and in His struggles to face what was about to happen to Him when the time came, He placed it all into His Father’s care—in total, unreserved faith! Here is what He prayed in His deep anguish:

“‘…O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from me unless I drink it, Your will be done’” (Matthew 26:42).

Keep in mind something as you do review the outstanding examples of faithful men and women from Hebrews 11, and that is the encouragement which follows in chapter 12—especially the first three verses:

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.”

Jesus Christ, our help in tough times—now and forever!

We begin with a “biblical plague” of locusts in Egypt and the Middle East three weeks before Passover; report on radical Hamas’s threats regarding a possible visit of the Temple Mount by President Obama; report on the death of Venezuela’s totalitarian dictator, Hugo Chavez; deal with the US sequestration as a sign of incompetency and lack of leadership and show the terrible signal it sets for the world; speak of America’s ongoing monetary and military support of the radical Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt; report on a modern version of James Stewart’s famous movie, “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” regarding the controversy pertaining to the execution of American citizens on American soil through drones; continue with Canada’s losing role in the game of free trade agreements with the USA and the EU; report on the turbulent and convoluted political and economic situation in Italy which is, surprisingly, a recipe for Italy’s success; speak of an interesting discovery pointing at Rome’s spiritual origins and its future; and conclude with further revelations of horse meat in Taco Bell’s restaurants.

Locusts in Egypt Three Weeks Before Passover

The Atlantic Wire reported on March 3, 2013:

“As if we hadn’t already seen enough Biblical events this year, a plague of over 30 million locusts swarmed over Egypt’s cities and farms just three weeks before Passover begins. But put your apocalyptic fears to rest. This happens every year as part of the locusts’ natural migration pattern, though this year’s swarm is especially large. That doesn’t mean Egyptians aren’t freaked… out by millions of nasty bugs buzzing through the air at all hours of day and night, possibly descending upon the agriculture fields where they’re known to destroy entire crops, just like in the actual Passover story.

“The crops are so far safe, Egyptian officials assured the public. As the plague made its way from the Red Sea to Saudi Arabia at the end of last week and this weekend, though, Egyptian Agricultural Minister Salah Abdel Moamen explained the situation to the country in a calmly worded statement… these plagues can be unpredictable. Egyptian officials didn’t expect the plague to pass by the country’s capital, until Sunday when the locusts unexpectedly arrived in Cairo.

“The government denied reports that the locusts had started devastating crops as well as a report from United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) that the Ministry of Agriculture cleared 11,000 hectares of land in an attempt to save the harvest. When they get hungry, a one-ton hoard of locusts can eat the same amount of food in one day as 2,500 humans, according to the UN. Egypt knows this too. Less than a decade ago, a plague of locusts nearly 40 miles wide swept over Egypt damaging crops at the majority of the country’s farms…”

The timing is indeed interesting…

Locusts “Kosher”

The Times of Israel wrote on March 3:

“In the last few days, a devastating plague of locusts, numbering in the tens of millions, has been sweeping across Egypt. In Israel, the Ministry of Agriculture is on full alert. A special hotline has been set up, and the pesticides have been prepared. Hopefully, modern agricultural technology will help us avoid disasters such as that of 1915, when a plague of locusts in Israel led to much tragedy…

“It is commonly overlooked that not only does the Torah permit man to eat certain mammals, birds and fish, but it even permits him to eat certain insects – namely, several types of locusts. The identification of the kosher varieties was lost amongst European Jews, who were not exposed to locust swarms. But Jews from North Africa maintained a tradition regarding kosher locusts.

“The expert on identifying kosher species today is my colleague Dr. Zohar Amar… He has identified the species for which there is the most widespread tradition amongst North African Jews as… the Egyptian desert locust. This is by far the most common species of locust, and it is the species currently swarming in Egypt…”

The Telegraph reported on March 8 that the locusts had reached Israel, adding: “Israel’s agriculture ministry battled to contain an infestation of locusts that threatened to destroy thousands of acres of crops after swarming into the south of the country from Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.”

… and Other Infestations Feared

Mail On Line added on March 4:

“As swarms of locust devour Egyptian crops, the Middle East is bracing for the destructive bugs to migrate their way ahead of the Passover holiday. A swarm of an estimated 30million insects has been devastating crops in Egypt, fuelling apocalyptic fears because of the infestation’s proximity to the Bible story of Passover in which a swarm of locusts, the eighth of ten plagues, is imposed on Egyptians by God for enslaving and abusing ancient Hebrews…

“The infestation comes as a study warns that yellow-legged Asian hornets that prey on bees are among the latest non-native species threatening UK wildlife, and even people’s health. A growing number of alien species, from killer shrimps to Spanish slugs, are set to soon reach our shores, a Europe-wide study warns. The Asian hornet, which grows to between 2.5cm and 3cm (1-1.2 inches), preys on native honeybees, wasps and other pollinators, potentially devastating hives and threatening honey and crop production.”

Hamas Warns of Visit of Temple Mount

The Times of Israel wrote on February 26:

“Responding to unconfirmed rumors that US President Barack Obama intends to visit the Temple Mount in Jerusalem during his trip to Israel next month, the Hamas terror group warned the American leader against the idea on Tuesday, calling it ‘a diplomatic catastrophe,’ and local Muslim leaders set stiff conditions for a presidential tour there. A statement issued by Hamas called Obama’s potential visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, located at the southern perimeter of the Mount, ‘an imminent danger which the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem have never faced.’

“Hamas stated that a visit by the American president to the contested site under the auspices of ‘the Zionist occupation’ would be more dangerous than the relocation of any country’s embassy to Jerusalem, considering the international preeminence of the United States. The Temple Mount, revered by Jews as the site of the first and second temples and by Muslims as the point from which Muhammad ascended to heaven, is administered by the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf, a trust that has governed the site since the 12th century…

“Israel took control of Jerusalem’s Old City, including the Temple Mount, in the 1967 Six Day War…”

It should not be coming as a surprise that especially European powers will pretty soon respond in kind to Hamas’s ongoing provocations. While the Temple Mount is indeed the place where the first and second temples had been built, the idea that Mohammed ascended from there to heaven is a fairy tale, as no one has ascended to heaven except Jesus Christ.

Hugo Chavez Dies

JTA wrote on March 6:

“For more than a decade, Venezuelan Jews have been holding their breath, subject to the whims of a mercurial president who used his bully pulpit to intimidate, rail against Israel and embrace Iran. There was the police raid of a Caracas school in 2004, allegedly to search for evidence in the high-profile murder case of a prosecutor. There were the demands by President Hugo Chavez when war broke out between Israel and Hamas in December 2008 that his country’s Jews rebuke Israel for its conduct in Gaza. There was Chavez’s warm alliance with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. There was the use of state radio to spread anti-Semitic canards.

“Most recently, there were revelations that Venezuela’s intelligence service, SEBIN, was spying on the country’s Jewish community. While Chavez never explicitly threatened the Jews of Venezuela, his frequent harassment and staunchly anti-Israel positions kept them continually on edge. Afraid to criticize their president, the Jewish community found itself in a predicament that took on a frightening resemblance to the one faced by Jews in another staunchly anti-Western, anti-Zionist country: Iran.

“But even with Chavez gone, felled by an undisclosed cancer at age 58 just weeks into his fourth term, Venezuelan Jews aren’t quite ready to exhale. For one thing, Chavez leaves behind a country wracked by violent crime and mired in economic turmoil. For another, Chavez played such a commanding role in Venezuelan life and politics that nobody is quite sure what will happen to the country. Perhaps most notably for Venezuela’s Jews, far fewer of them are still around to find out.

“Over the past 14 years, Jews have been leaving the country in droves. When Chavez was elected in 1999, there were more than 20,000 Jews living in Venezuela. Today the community is estimated to have fallen to less than half that number… Jews were not the only ones to take flight from the Chavez regime. Hundreds of thousands of upper- and middle-class Venezuelans left during the Chavez years, seeking to escape Venezuela’s anti-business climate, the government’s nationalization of private companies, economic crises and a soaring crime rate…”

It has been proclaimed that one should not say anything negative about a person who just died, and it is common knowledge that worldly preachers love to preach their sheep into heaven, no matter how evil they might have acted during their lives. The truth is that Hugo Chavez was an unscrupulous dictator and a despot—a radical enemy of the Western World. As the article above points out, he was a totalitarian and an intolerant intimidator.

In addition, as the Criminal Justice International Associates (CJIA) reported, “the personal fortune of the Castro brothers [in Cuba] has been estimated at a combined value of around $2 billion. The Chávez Frías family in Venezuela has amassed a fortune of a similar scale since the arrival of Chávez to the presidency in 1999… Cuba is receiving about $5 billion per year from the Venezuelan treasury and in oil shipments and other resources. We believe that organized Bolivarian criminal groups within the Chávez administration have subtracted around $100 billion out of the nearly $1 trillion in oil income…”

In light of these devastating facts, the international comments from Western politicians regarding Chavez’ death are incredible, but then—they are true to spineless political correctness.

Der Spiegel Online wrote on March 6:

“German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle issued a statement saying Chávez’s death, not unexpected after the leader’s long battle with cancer, was ‘a heavy blow.’ He added that Venezuela would move on to ‘new times,’ and that the country ‘has great potential, and democracy and freedom are the right paths to realize this potential.’ [According to The Local, Westerwelle added: “We feel sympathy for the pain of the deceased’s family and the grief of the Venezuelan people.”] French President François Hollande, a Socialist whose electoral campaign’s focus on social justice was akin to the spirit of Chávez’s message, noted that ‘not everyone shared’ his political views. But he praised the leader’s ‘undeniable will to fight for justice and development.’

“British Foreign Secretary William Hague expressed condolences to Venezuela and the Chávez family. He said Chávez’s 14 years in the presidency ‘left a lasting impression on the country and more widely.’ European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President José Manuel Barroso said they received the news with ‘sadness.’ In a joint statement, the two said: ‘Venezuela has stood out for its social development and for its contribution to South America’s regional integration.’… President Vladimir Putin called Chávez ‘a close friend of Russia’ and ‘an unorthodox and strong person.’…

“The response in the United States… was much more restrained. President Barack Obama issued a statement expressing Washington’s support for the ‘Venezuelan people and its interest in developing a constructive relationship with the Venezuelan government.’ Obama’s statement said the country was now entering a ‘new chapter,’ and that ‘the United States remains committed to policies that promote democratic principles, the rule of law and respect for human rights.’

“Just hours before the announcement of Chávez’s death, Vice President Nicolas Maduro made an angry speech denouncing enemies he said were trying to undermine democracy in Venezuela. Maduro added that two US military attachés had recently been expelled for trying to destabilize the country. In the months leading up to Chávez’s death, Maduro, a former bus driver and union leader, emerged as the all-but-certain successor to the presidency. Polls suggest he maintains a comfortable lead against conservative challenger Henrique Capriles as a new vote looms.

“Chávez beat Capriles just five months ago in elections that were criticized by the West for favoring Chávez from the beginning. New elections are to be held in 30 days, according to the Foreign Ministry in Caracas. Maduro is to assume the role of interim president.”

So it appears that nothing will change, and Venezuela’s anti-Western, anti-Semitic and anti-American politics will continue, despite nice words from European politicians. To add insult to injury, and blasphemy to stupidity, the Guardian reported on March 8 that “Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has been… saying that Hugo Chávez will be resurrected along with Jesus Christ in his tribute to the Venezuelan president who died on Tuesday.” Of course, this is total nonsense, insofar as Chavez is concerned, but it also reflects the false teaching of the Koran claiming that Jesus Christ is dead and needs to be resurrected in the future. According to the Bible, such a teaching constitutes blasphemy and as long as such false religious views are embraced, any access to God the Father is blocked.

Sequestration in Place

Deutsche Welle reported on March 2:

“President Barack Obama on Friday signed an order that begins across-the-board budget cuts of $85 billion (65 billion euros) known as the ‘sequester’ after last-ditch talks between Republicans and Democrats failed. The ‘sequestration’ means that government agencies must now begin to hack a total of $85 billion from their budgets between Saturday and October 1. However, Congress can stop them at any time if the two parties agree on how to do so. New US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the cuts, half of which will fall on the Pentagon, put at risk ‘all of our missions.’

“The sequester was passed as a bipartisan solution to an earlier fiscal emergency in 2011. The cuts were meant to be so dire, that it would act as an incentive for the two parties to reach a more better [sic] compromise to reign in the country’s massive debt. On Thursday the Senate voted down two separate proposals that would have replaced existing legislation and prevented the automatic austerity measures from kicking in.

“President Obama’s Democrats presented a bill in the Senate designed to generate more revenue for the government by increasing taxes on high earners. The Republicans’ proposal did not include provisions to raise more tax revenue, but would have given the president the power to determine which spending programs to cut. However, neither proposal got the 60 Senate votes needed to pass, with members of the two parties blaming each other… Washington must now turn to the issue of slashing the budget deficit and the $16 trillion national debt. On March 27 a temporary federal budget, agreed on to avoid the ‘fiscal cliff,’ is due to expire.”

No solutions are in sight, and what might perhaps look like a solution is not even pursued…

USA a Kindergarten?

In an accompanying article, Deutsche Welle wrote on March 2:

“It makes you shake your head in disbelief. US President Barack Obama was touring the country and repeatedly explained that the automatic budget cuts ‘will jeopardize our military readiness; it will eviscerate job-creating investments in education and energy and medical research’ as well as endangering borders and airspace. Criminals would have an easy laugh as FBI staff would be forced to take time off. In short: it would be a national catastrophe. Then, the crucial day arrives: March 1. The president once more faces the press to warn about the consequences of the cuts. But he seems surprisingly relaxed and in the end even goes as far as saying that, in fact, it’s not an apocalypse – but merely stupidity. So it’s not the end of the world after all? Fact is that the cuts of around $85 billion (65 billion euros) this year will only be felt gradually and they can be stopped any time – should there be a deal in Congress. Or should elected representatives decide to spread the cuts in a more sensible way…

“It is, indeed, silly to cut all national expenses by the same percentage without setting any priorities. Sequestering the money was supposed to be a tool to apply some pressure on Democrats and Republicans to find a compromise in the budget debate when the parties got locked in a struggle back in 2011 over the debt ceiling. But one thing’s become clear since then: Setting an ultimatum doesn’t get this Congress to get it to solve the problem, all an ultimatum does is get them to postpone making a decision. The debate on raising the debt ceiling will be back on the agenda in May. And the government will again be unable to pay its bills should Congress fail to agree that the 2012 budget can be transferred to 2013. The reason behind that move? A budget hasn’t been passed in years; the president hasn’t even proposed one for 2013. The deadline for doing so passed on (the) first Tuesday in February. The explanation was that things were too busy with the debate on the fiscal cliff at the end of 2012; it’s not exactly competent leadership skills that the government is showing here…

“And so the country is tumbling from one deadline to the next self-imposed deadline; from one pseudo crisis to the next. But it’s not the arbitrarily fixed debt ceiling of the haircut approach to cuts that is the problem, but the inability of elected officials to come up with a constructive solution. The problem is also the mountain of debt which is far beyond $16 trillion and still growing and the social programs, which without reform will be impossible to finance in the future.

“Although Obama trying to create a bit of panic wasn’t his finest hour, it was still the Republicans who are at fault. They have lost the last presidential vote and again got bogged down with their no-new-taxes policy after they had to make concessions in the fiscal cliff showdown of 2012… Boehner, the Republican leader in the House of Representatives, has no authority within his own party, while in the Senate the Republicans have a large enough minority to block the Democrats – a policy they pursue with disregard for the consequences…

“The financial world so far remains unimpressed by the recent theater in Washington. The population, however, believes that the cuts will have massive consequences on the US economy. According to a poll by the Pew Institute, 45 percent of people blame the Republicans in Congress and 32 percent the president. Another 13 percent believe that both sides are to blame. But an increasing number of Americans are simply turning away in frustration. They don’t even follow the debate anymore… Currently though, Congress is like a kindergarten where little kids sit in a sandpit and fight over a shovel while the teacher repeatedly threatens sending everyone to detention but eventually gives up. It’s a sad picture of the oldest democracy and last superpower on the globe.”

Even though one may or may not be ready to agree with every aspect and opinion stated in the above-quoted article, as to who is to be blamed for what, one thing is clear: the picture that the USA is painting of itself for the rest of the world is embarrassing, appalling and self-destructive. Deutsche Welle—which cannot be classified as liberal— is by far not the only news agency with their assessment and conclusion. Note the following excerpts from other news reports.

USA Chooses Not to Govern

On February 28, Newsmax discussed with approval a piece by the Washington Post on the debacle of America’s sequestration:

“The Washington Post on Thursday slammed both Congress and President Barack Obama for choosing ‘not to govern’ and reaching a deal to avert the $85 billion in broad government cuts scheduled to take place on Friday. ‘To govern is to choose,’ The Post said in an editorial. ‘Congress and President Obama have chosen not to govern. Instead, each side has concluded that its interest lies in letting the “sequester” proceed as scheduled — and then trying to win the political blame game. ‘This abdication is bad public policy,’ The Post said. The newspaper attacked the idea of indiscriminate agency cuts — and how these cuts will lead to employee furloughs and loss of pay. In addition, sequestration will do little to solve the nation’s long-term budget issues…

“‘Washington has reached a strange place indeed when the opposition party offers the president more control over spending — and he refuses it,’ The Post continued. ‘A strange place, and a sad one,” The Post concluded.”

A strange and sad place indeed.

Woodward Did Not Exaggerate

Newsmax wrote von March 1:

“Newspaper editor and book author Bob Woodward continued his battle with President Barack Obama’s administration on Thursday, saying the White House is playing the ‘old trick’ of attacking the messenger because he accurately reported the president’s reversal on the upcoming sequester. ‘They got caught and — this is an old trick — make the conduct of the press the issue rather than their conduct,’ Woodward told Fox News’ Sean Hannity Thursday night…  Woodward, an associate editor for The Washington Post, told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on Wednesday that he received an email he interpreted as threatening from a top White House official — since identified as Gene Sperling, economic adviser to the president — regarding Obama’s actions on the upcoming sequester…

“The White House also has been very successful at controlling the press, Woodward said. ‘The barriers have come up,’ he told Hannity. ‘We know less about what’s going on.’”

Newsmax wrote in an accompanying article on March 1 :

“Political analyst Dick Morris believes Bob Woodward was right on the money and not exaggerating about what has been called a threat against him by an Obama Administration official. ‘If there’s one guy in Washington who people can and should trust, and only one guy, he’s Bob Woodward,’’ Morris [said]… ‘This man has written 10 to 15 books … all going out on a limb and identifying confidential stuff that went on in the White House in every administration. He’s always been proven right, he’s never been contradicted successfully, and he’s always sticking his neck out and he’s always correct.’… Morris, a former advisor to President Bill Clinton, said since Woodward’s complaint, the press has ganged up on him… ‘When the chief economic adviser says you will regret having taken that position – that is not an expression of ideological discontent. It’s a threat.’’”

America’s Support of Egypt’s Radical Brotherhood

The Washington Times wrote on March 4:

“Secretary of State John F. Kerry’s release of $250 million in economic and budgetary aid to Egypt added fresh fuel to an already fiery debate in Washington over whether the U.S. should be helping to fund a government run by the Muslim Brotherhood. But while several lawmakers have called for a halt of U.S. assistance to Egypt, most analysts agree Congress lacks the will to divert the roughly $1.3 billion in military aid that Washington continues to sends to Cairo each year.

“With lawmakers caught up in ‘dysfunction and gridlock,’ the Obama administration will ‘probably continue to have broad leeway to continue the current military and economic assistance,’ said Brian Katulis, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress…

“The issue of U.S. assistance to Egypt has for months driven a foreign policy wedge between the White House and Congress, where several lawmakers have cited concerns about everything from the Muslim Brotherhood-dominated government’s handling of security to its treatment of women and opposition groups, to the Islamic party’s relationship with Israel… The United States, according to analysts, has channeled some $71.6 billion in bilateral foreign assistance to Egypt between 1948 and 2011…”

A Wrong Move at the Wrong Time

On March 4, Fox News published an article by Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice:

“Secretary of State John Kerry has made exactly the wrong move. Releasing $250 million in aid to Egypt’s fragile Muslim Brotherhood government — based on nothing more than hopes and promises — is the worst possible course of action and gives a hostile and repressive regime a lifeline at precisely the wrong time. In fact, given the Muslim Brotherhood’s recent record, it’s impossible to believe any promises of ‘reform.’

“As Egypt’s economy continues to crumble, and periodic violence flares in Cairo and in cities along the Suez canal, and Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi’s consistent priority has been pressing his radical anti-American and anti-Israel agenda. The list of the Muslim Brotherhood’s sins is long and growing:

“Egypt is violently persecuting its Coptic Christian minority, even going so far as arresting small children for allegedly defiling the Koran. Its security forces failed in their legal responsibility to protect the American embassy as protestors stormed the embassy, tore down the American flag, and replaced it with the black flag of jihad. Egypt is now becoming not just a source of terrorists but also a launching pad for terror attacks; deadly terror attacks have been launched against Israel from Egyptian soil and Egyptian terrorists were present in the 2012 Benghazi attack and in the recent attack and violence in Algeria.

“Despite getting credit for brokering the Israel/Hamas cease fire last November, Egypt loudly and publicly backed Hamas, a terrorist organization and a wing of the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt has passed a Shariah-based constitution that restricts religious freedom and provides a legal basis for continued persecution of Egypt’s embattled Christian minority… Egyptian authorities denied the U.S. direct access to a Benghazi terrorist suspect, a shocking act from an alleged ‘ally.’ Finally, let’s not forget that Egypt’s president is a blatant and outspoken anti-Semite who calls Jews the ‘descendants of apes and pigs’ and said that Egyptian children should be ‘nursed’ on ‘hatred’ for Israel.

“Egypt’s repressive failures have become so obvious that even the New York Times’ Thomas Friedman has begun to sour on Egypt’s version of the so-called ‘Arab Spring’ (more like an Islamist Winter). The Muslim Brotherhood’s ruthlessness is matched only by its own economic incompetence. As the people grow restless, the Morsi government is looking for something, anything, to validate and consolidate its hold on power. Fortunately for (the) Mohammed Morsi, the U.S. State Department is there to lend a hand. In addition to this recent infusion of cash – courtesy of the American taxpayer – the U.S. has given the Brotherhood something more valuable than cash: modern weaponry.

“Just as Egypt seethed with unrest, the Muslim Brotherhood and American embassy staff celebrated the delivery of four new American-made F-16 fighter jets, the first batch of 20 new jets – a $213 million gift from American taxpayers. The celebration reportedly even included glossy American photos of the deadly and agile jets staged under a huge Egyptian flag. Some have justified this delivery on the basis that the Egyptian military is a force for moderation, but it is now firmly under President Morsi’s control after he fired its Mubarak-era leadership. Others claim that we’re obligated to deliver the weapons under the terms of the Camp David accords, yet Egypt has breached the Accords repeatedly since the Arab Spring – even to the point of moving tanks into the Sinai.

“Every new F-16 or tank delivered to Egypt is another weapon that can be used to consolidate the Muslim Brotherhood’s grip on power. Every new dollar of economic aid buys the Brotherhood more time. For Mohammed Morsi, this aid represents far more than a marginal increase in military and economic strength, it also represents an American seal of approval and a stamp of legitimacy on his repressive regime. Every F-16 is a propaganda victory for the Morsi regime…”

And so, the USA is creating and financing another Frankenstein monster which will in time turn against its master…

“Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” – Killing of US Citizens Permitted on American Soil Through Drones?

The Telegraph reported on March 7:

“President Barack Obama has the authority to use an unmanned drone strike to kill US citizens on American soil, his attorney general [Mr Holder] has said… His statement was described as ‘more than frightening’ by Senator Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, who had demanded to know the Obama administration’s position on the subject. ‘It is an affront the constitutional due process rights of all Americans,’ said Mr Paul, a 50-year-old favourite of the anti-government Tea Party movement, who is expected to run for president in 2016…

“Mr Paul on Wednesday evening took to the floor of the Senate to launch an old-fashioned filibuster in an effort to delay a vote on the approval of Mr Brennan for CIA director. ‘I won’t be able to speak forever, but I’m going to speak as long as I can,’ he said, before embarking on several hours of criticism of Mr Obama’s compliance with the US constitution. Mr Obama has been sharply criticised for the secrecy surrounding his extension of America’s ‘targeted killing’ campaign against al-Qaeda terrorist suspects using missile strikes by unmanned drones.

“The secret campaign has killed an estimated 4,700 people in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. A quarter are estimated to have been civilians prompting anger among human rights campaigners. According to research by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, drone strikes killed between 474 and 881 civilians – including 176 children – in Pakistan between 2004 and last year. Criticism within the US has focused on the implications for terror suspects who are also US citizens, after Anwar al-Awlaki, a radical cleric born and educated in the US, was killed in Yemen in 2011.

“The administration claims it has the legal authority to assassinate Americans provided that they are a senior al-Qaeda operative posing an imminent threat and it would be ‘infeasible’ to capture them. This justification emerged only last month in a leaked memo from Mr Holder’s department of justice. Mr Obama this week agreed to give Congress his full set of classified legal memos on the targeting of Americans.”

The Washington Times added on March 6:

“After years in the shadows, the administration’s secret drone program burst into very public view Wednesday with lawmakers grilling the attorney general over legal justification for targeted killings and Sen. Rand Paul launching an old-style one-man filibuster to demand answers from President Obama. The Kentucky Republican held the floor for hours, effectively blocking a vote on the nomination of John O. Brennan, whom Mr. Obama has tapped to be CIA director. He said he would relent only if the administration publicly vowed not to target Americans on U.S. soil… ‘This is a long, drawn-out day, but it’s to try to get some answers,’ Mr. Paul said after he crossed the eight-hour mark late Wednesday evening. ‘It’s to try to shame the president into doing the right thing.’

“Democrats, who control the chamber, were forced to delay a vote on the Brennan nomination until at least Thursday, and it could go into the weekend, depending on what other blockades Republicans erect. At issue is the administration’s argument that it can kill those it suspects have ties to terrorism, including U.S. citizens, without having to put them on trial.

“The fulcrum of the debate is the drone program, started under President George W. Bush and expanded by Mr. Obama, which many lawmakers said gives too much power to the executive branch — and raises tricky questions about whether drones could be used to execute Americans in the United States. The administration has only recently acknowledged the drone program…

“Mr. Paul described the legal situation as one in which one person — the president — holds the power to be the accuser, the judge and the executioner, since terrorist-designation proceedings are all contained within the executive branch and conducted generally in secret. ‘Are we so afraid of terrorism, are we so afraid of terrorists that we’re willing to just throw out our rights and freedom?’ he said…

“Mr. Brennan’s nomination cleared the Senate intelligence committee on a 12-3 vote Tuesday, but the full Senate had just begun its debate when Mr. Paul grabbed the floor at 11:47 a.m. Wednesday and refused to relinquish it. ‘“I rise today to begin to filibuster John Brennan’s nomination for the CIA. I will speak until I can no longer speak,’ he began.”

After almost thirteen hours, Rand Paul sat down. Maybe some will listen to Rand Paul’s very legitimate legal and practical concerns. To even contemplate such clearly unconstitutional violations, justifying executions of US citizens without any charges or trial, is indeed “beyond frightening”… (Italics) Subsequently, as the Washington Examiner reported on March 8, Attorney General Eric Holder completely changed his position. He “wrote Sen. Rand Paul… to confirm that President Obama does not have the authority to kill an American on U.S. soil in a non-combat situation, Obama’s spokesman announced today.” So, Rand Paul’s action did accomplish something. It is with utter amazement to hear that some in the Republican Party, including Sen. John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, openly disagreed with Rand Paul, calling his action “unfounded and ridiculous.” Incredibly, they even went further. As reason.com reported, they “took to the Senate floor this morning to defend killing American citizens at presidential discretion.”

Canada Not Happy with USA and Europe

BBC News wrote on March 1:

“The European Union and the US announced this month that they will soon begin talks on the biggest free-trade deal in history. This news was not greeted with joy in Canada, which launched its own, so far inconclusive, trade talks with the EU some four years ago… The press release said the group, the Council of Canadians, wanted to ‘put Ceta on ice’ – Ceta being the planned Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with the European Union. Ceta is the biggest bilateral trade deal that Canada has negotiated since the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement in 1988.

“Back then, there were vociferous protests across the country. The 1988 election was fought entirely on this one issue… The writer Margaret Atwood said the deal would ‘kill Canada’, and other public intellectuals lamented it would turn us all into Americans…

“Canada may be on the brink of a massive trade agreement with Europe that some feel could have negative repercussions for the country. Health costs could rise because the Europeans are looking for an extension on pharmaceutical patents – meaning Canadians couldn’t access cheaper generic drugs. An influx of European cheese could destabilise the heavily-protected dairy industry here.  And city councils would no longer be able to prefer local firms over international bidders. But, unlike 25 years ago, most Canadians don’t seem worried…

“The protesters in the 1980s were wrong, but in some ways they were also right. After the agreement came into force, Canada was thrown into a recession, partly because of free trade. Two hundred thousand manufacturing jobs were lost in the first two years. And while trade with the US has more than tripled, some analysts still think the deal didn’t encourage Canadian companies to become more productive, or to invest in research and development the way it was predicted they would…

“Laura Dawson is an expert on Canada-US trade… But now she is worried about the Americans again… Trade negotiations with both Korea and Central America failed when Canada’s would-be partners noticed the big guy from next door walk on to the dance floor. Laura thinks the fact that Europe is batting its eyelashes at the US spells trouble for Canada. And Nafta’s (North America Free Trade Agreement) chief negotiator agrees with her… So, in one respect, Canada’s attitude to free trade is exactly the same as it was in the 1980s… In the meantime, Ceta negotiators haven’t come to an agreement yet and so the talks will continue to wobble along…”

Is Canada losing the game of free trade agreements… signaling a downward trend? Biblically speaking, such a development IS prophesied.

Italy’s Future Within the EU

The EUobserver wrote on March 4:

“While seemingly a threat to EU stability and at the heart of possible contagion, Italy is historically used to navigating through uncertainty, short-lived governments and catastrophic economic forecasts… Undoubtedly, Italy’s elections have produced an uncertain political situation, but the world should be aware by now that uncertainty is the norm, not the exception for Italy.

“Italy’s case has time and again struck foreign observers. How is it possible that such a dysfunctional system, ineffective institutions, widespread corruption and generalised limited care for rules would allow the country to become the eighth economy worldwide? Italy has developed in a constant state of emergency, short-term planning and flexible interpretation of laws. However inexplicable, this is the way it works in the peninsula…

“Italy indeed is a difficult beast to understand – let alone tame – for the other European countries, but it is an anchor, not an iceberg, for the European integration process… Italy will deal with its domestic uncertainties…”

Indeed, a beast it is, and Italy will become one of the ten core European nations or groups of nations, comprising the final revival of the ancient Roman Empire.

Rome Founded in Worship of Jupiter, “King of the Gods”

The website of archaeology. tumblr. com wrote on February 28:

“The temple built by Romulus to celebrate the hand of Jupiter giving Roman troops their unstoppable force has been found at the foot of the Palatine Hill, Italian archaeologists say. The ruins of the shrine to Jupiter Stator (Jupiter the Stayer), believed to date to 750 BC, were found by a Rome University team led by Andrea Carandini. ‘We believe this is the temple that legend says Romulus erected to the king of the gods after the Romans held their ground against the furious Sabines fighting to get their women back after the famous Rape (abduction),’ Carandini said in the Archeologia Viva (Living Archaeology) journal.

“According to myth, Romulus founded Rome in 753 BC and the wifeless first generation of Roman men raided nearby Sabine tribes for their womenfolk, an event that has been illustrated in art down the centuries. Carandini added: ‘It is also noteworthy that the temple appears to be shoring up the Palatine, as if in defence’. Rome’s great and good including imperial families lived on the Palatine, overlooking the Forum. Long after its legendary institution by Romulus, the cult of Jupiter the Stayer fuelled Roman troops in battle, forging the irresistible military might that conquered most of the ancient known world. In the article in Archeologia Viva, Carandini’s team said they might also have discovered the ruins of the last Palatine house Julius Caesar lived in – the one he left on the Ides of March, 44BC, on his way to death in the Senate.”

Ancient Rome worshipped Jupiter, a pagan god of war. Modern Rome—the modern revival of the ancient Roman Empire—will also worship a pagan god, called in Scripture the “god of fortresses” (Daniel 11:38).

… And Now Taco Bell Guilty of Selling Horsemeat for Beef

The Associated Press reported on March 1:

“Taco Bell is the latest restaurant chain to acknowledge that its food has been adulterated with horse meat, yanking a variety of ground beef products from its three British outlets and issuing an apology to its patrons Friday. Meanwhile, in Iceland, a food official said his team had found a beef product which contained no meat at all… Taco Bell joins a long list of food providers — Nestle, Burger King, Tesco, Birds Eye, Findus and even Ikea — that have had to remove products amid horse meat revelations…

“Taco Bell stressed that its U.S. restaurants do not use meat from Europe and are not affected… the company said it would not reveal the information as the matter was being investigated by Britain’s Food Standards Agency. A spokesman could not immediately say how long the supplier had been providing food to Taco Bell, or how many customers were thought to have been affected…”

…and the revelations keep on coming… because nothing is hidden that will not be revealed…

This question has been a highly political issue which has been much debated in the UK, the US and other Western nations, but since we are not getting involved in politics and the affairs of this world, we want to look only at the biblical instruction regarding work for individual Christians, without taking political sides on this issue. Neither are we to “recommend” to a government as to what to do in such a case, except for pointing out the clear biblical principles as revealed in the Bible.

It is obvious that no government on earth rules according to the biblical principles that God reveals in His Word. In fact, man as a whole is cut off from God, and our governments and societies are the products of Satan-influenced and -inspired human reasoning and rationale. We have to accept that in this age of man. As Church members, we are instructed that “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established [better: permitted]. The authorities that exist have been established [permitted] by God” (Romans 13:1 New International Version (1984). (See Q&A #570, 28th December 2012). We are subject to the laws of the land and those in governance as long as there is no conflict with obeying God and His Word. If there is any conflict, we are to follow God’s way and be prepared to take the consequences from the secular authorities.

Without going through all the tithing principles which the Church of God has thoroughly propounded over the years, it is worth quoting the following about 3rd tithe from our booklet “Tithing Today?” (page 24):

“It should also be mentioned that ‘third tithe’ is FOR the poor and needy, not BY the poor and needy. It is, therefore, not necessary for a ‘poor’ person to pay third tithe. Someone who receives assistance from the government does not have to pay third tithe. It would also be following a wrong principle to take out a loan in order to be able to pay third tithe. Based on this principle, God’s Church made the administrative decision in the late 70’s and early 80’s to excuse Church members in certain countries, such as the United Kingdom, from paying third tithe because of the high rate of taxation and mandatory social security payments in those countries. In addition, much of social security benefits constitutes, to an extent, the equivalent of third tithe payments in those countries. The Church of the Eternal God and its corporate international affiliates are following this teaching and practice. However, each individual is responsible before God to determine whether he or she is ‘poor’ or ‘needy’ and therefore excused from paying third tithe.”

The Church of God teaches and practices the Third Tithing system to help needy Church members. However, when focusing on human affairs in this world, there has been fraudulent abuse of the social, welfare and housing benefits system by some over a long period of time, with many claiming benefits to which they have been not entitled. Anyone who claims any governmental benefits fraudulently is guilty of breaking God’s law; stealing, bearing false witness and coveting (the last 3 of the 10 Commandments). Members of the Church of God should never try and take false advantage of the system, as this would be dishonest. We have to trust God through our trials and He will look after us and never allows to be tested more than we are able to bear (1 Corinthians 10:13).

It must be added that there are many countries around the world which don’t have any such benefits system and so we should be grateful for living in countries which do provide help for those in difficulties.

Let us look at what the Bible has to say about what our attitude should be to work and finance.

Let us first of all quickly review “work”. The first mention of this in the Bible is right at the beginning in Genesis chapter 1 where God “saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). In Genesis chapter 2, God is shown as working for six days and then resting on the Sabbath (Genesis 2:2). In Genesis 2:15 “the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.”   That would have needed work or labor.

In Genesis 3:19 Adam was told that “in the sweat of your face you shall eat bread” indicating that work or labor would be necessary to eat.  

We read in Leviticus 19:10: “And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the Lord your God.” This same principle is repeated in Leviticus 23:22: “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field when you reap, nor shall you gather any gleaning from your harvest.  You shall leave them for the poor and for the stranger: I am the Lord your God.” So some work and effort was required of the poor in order to obtain their “benefits”.  

In Proverbs 18:9, laziness is shown as an attitude that we should not have. It reads: “He who is slothful in his work Is a brother to him who is a great destroyer. “This is confirmed in 1 Timothy 5:8 which states: “If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially those of his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” Further evidence is found in 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12: “For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.  For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.”

Clarke’s Commentary makes these observations: “If man will work, he may eat; if he does not work, he neither can eat, nor should he eat. The maxim is founded on these words of the Lord: In the sweat of thy brow thou shall eat bread. Industry is crowned with God’s blessing; idleness is loaded with his curse. This maxim was a proverb among the Jews. Men who can work, and will rather support themselves by begging, should not get one morsel of bread. It is a sin to minister to necessities that are merely artificial.”

Another reference to work can be found in Ephesians 4:28: “Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labour, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.”

In Ecclesiastes 9:10 we read: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.”

There are also a number of Biblical references to sowing and reaping which is a work-related activity.

We can deduce from these Scriptures that we should work whenever possible to provide for ourselves and our families. For far too long, as mentioned above, too many in the Western nations have relied on welfare benefits without trying to get a job, or they have used the system for applying for and getting benefits to which they have not been entitled. This has of course contributed to and, in certain cases, even encouraged idleness, dependency and even dishonesty.

On the other hand, as a society and individually, as much as it is within our power, we do have the moral and godly responsibility to look after the needy, including the chronically sick, the disabled and those who simply cannot (find) work.  

To clarify, we do not even address here “entitlements,” which have been earned through prior work, such as pensions, Medicare, social security or unemployment benefits, nor are we addressing disability payments for those who are partially or permanently unable to work. This would of course also include maternity leave, vacation time, etc.. We are strictly talking about discretionary welfare programs. But even then, we must understand that especially in our Western societies, far too many are simply unable to find work or get a job with sufficient pay to make a decent living. What an indictment against our societies it is that it has become the norm for both husband and wife to be forced to work, so that they can survive financially. Of course, there have been fraud and excesses, but this does not justify throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

In addition, as Christians, we must never harden our hearts towards the poor and needy (Deuteronomy 15:7-11), even if the poor might have brought poverty upon themselves—perhaps through unwise decisions. The Bible commands us to help the poor, when it is possible for us (Proverbs 19:17; Galatians 2:10). We are not to withhold blessings from them, and we are told to do good to all, “especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10).

What about our attitude to financial matters? In Proverbs 22:7 we read a gem of wisdom that has generally been ignored: “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible makes these comments:

“The rich ruleth over the poor,… Usurps a dominion over them, and exercises it in a rigorous, oppressive, and tyrannical manner; otherwise they are generally the rich that rule, and if they rule well, in a lawful, gentle, and righteous manner, it is commendable; and the borrower is servant to the lender; being under obligation to him, he is forced to be subject to him, and comply with his humours, and do and say as he would have him; it was a happiness promised to the Israelites, that they should lend to many nations, but not borrow, Deuteronomy 15:6; compare with this Nehemiah 5:4.”

So many ignore this wonderful admonition, advice and warning that “the borrower is servant to the lender.”    Mr Micawber, a character in Charles Dickens novel, David Copperfield said “Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen pounds nineteen and six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery.” 

We can learn from Joseph’s example in Genesis 41:33-36:  “Now therefore, let Pharaoh select a discerning and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt.  Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, to collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years. And let them gather all the food of those good years that are coming, and store up grain under the authority of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. Then that food shall be as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land may not perish during the famine.”

Unfortunately, this was not done in the UK, the USA or many other Western nations, when the economy was good and the government just kept spending instead of taking the advice of Joseph.   Had this been done, the countries would have had reserves to weather, to a great extent, the national and global financial difficulties that are now being experienced. But the governments weren’t the only ones to blame. So many ordinary citizens, ignoring the fact that, historically, famine follows feast economically, spent as if there was no tomorrow, racking up huge debts.The effect of such reckless financial behaviour is now being felt by so many. Those who saved for a future “rainy day” are somewhat “cushioned” from these devastating effects.

It should be clear that true Christians should heed God’s advice about sound financial principles which, of course, includes tithing. If a government or nation would rule and live righteously, then it would not face any financial crisis, and nobody would be poor. In the Millennium, when Christ rules this earth, welfare systems will be unheard of, because there won’t be any need for them. Our individual Christian attitude today should be to work hard for our family (unless, of course, there is no work available or a person is unable or prevented from working for legitimate biblical reasons) and to be financially sensible with the money that we earn and that we have, while not forsaking the poor and needy. God will bless those who are obedient to His Will and to the principles that He has given us in His Word.

Lead Writers: Brian Gale (Great Britain) and Norbert Link

We are pleased to announce that we have finalized plans for conducting this year’s Feast of Tabernacles and Last Great Day observances in Vail, Colorado. Mr. Link will give further details about reservations this coming Sabbath. We will also post details on our website–www.eternalgod.org.

The current member letter, written by Eric Rank, has been mailed this week along with our newest booklet, “Biblical Prophecy — From Now Until Forever.” In his letter, Mr. Rank reminds us of the great meaning of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, and he further encourages us to really examine ourselves as we enter this Passover season.

“Italy’s Future in Biblical Prophecy” is the new StandingWatch program presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary: Italy’s recent election results shocked the world, when “two clowns” claimed victory. But in the opinion of newscasters, Italy is still an “anchor for European integration.” It’s “a difficult beast to understand-let alone tame.” The Bible shows that Italy will play a major role within the EU and the Eurozone. It will be an indispensible part of the last revival of the ancient Roman Empire. And as Benito Mussolini was worshipped as a god, so a future “beast” and a “false prophet” will be. Time is indeed short.

This StandingWatch program will be aired on radio beginning Saturday, April 6, 2013.

“Christi Erstes Kommen, Teil 2,” is the new German sermon, the second part on Christ’s First Coming, discussing events during 31 AD. (It will be also given in English this Sabbath).

Norbert and Johanna Link are scheduled to fly to Germany on March 10th, 2013. They will visit with the attorney commissioned to register the Church in Germany, inspect the Feast site in the Black Forest and finalize the arrangements with the hotel, and visit with new people who have shown interest in the Church. Baptism counseling for several prospective members has been scheduled, and new baptisms are anticipated. A public indoor pool has been reserved for this purpose. During their stay in Germany, Norbert Link will conduct Passover services as well as services on the three weekly Sabbaths and on the two Holy Days. It is also planned to video-record the Sabbath and Holy Day services for subsequent posting on the Web. Norbert and Johanna are scheduled to return on April 2.

“Christ’s First Coming—Part 1,” recorded last Sabbath, is now available on our website–www.eternalgod.org.

by John Amorelli

“One who worries excessively and needlessly.” “One who tends to dwell unduly on difficulty or troubles.” These are a couple of definitions of the word “Worrywart.” It is believed the expression “Worrywart” was first used as the name for the character of an eight-year-old boy in a 1950’s comic strip, called “Out Our Way” by J.R. Williams.  Anecdotal evidence suggests, however, the phrase “Worrywart” was already in the popular slang vernacular long before the comic strip appeared.

I have to admit, I am sometimes a worrywart. When I worry about something, it affects me emotionally and physically.  I literally may become sick inside and out. Should I be worry-free since I am a true Christian? Jesus says in Matthew 6 not to worry about ANYTHING. But sometimes, I try to cope with my “worry-ship” by trying to escape reality, but that doesn’t resolve the issue.

When I find myself in such a situation, I have to pray to the Eternal to mollify and even eradicate my state of worrying. I counsel with the Church ministers so they can give me Godly guidance and advice. I have to remind myself that God, the Church ministers and the brethren are there for me. There are also the Church of God member letters, publications/booklets, StandingWatch programs, sermons and sermonettes posted on the internet, weekly Updates, Q&A’s, radio programs and my Bible; Godly resources at my fingertips to encourage and inspire me!  I also need to consistently utilize the triad of prayer, meditation and occasional fasting.

So, why do I worry at times? And what is the solution for me? Actually, the answer is quite simple: When in need, I have to ask God to increase my faith. At the same time, I need to focus on others—praying to God for the brethren who are sick and in pain, while trusting in Him and using the Godly tools/resources that are available to me… at my fingertips. It is a big “to-do” list, but it is extremely effective!