In late November of 2012, just a few weeks ago, the Church of England voted against the ordination of women bishops. In 1975, they had voted for women priests, and the ordination of women bishops was considered to be the next logical step.  On 12 March 1994, the first 32 women had been ordained as Church of England priests.

The measure to consecrate women as bishops was backed overwhelmingly by the Church of England Synod, but fell short of the required two thirds majority among the laity.   Having set up their own voting system, it appears that when that system doesn’t deliver what the majority wants, then recriminations start.

Many prominent people uttered their dismay.  The current Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, warned that the decision would diminish the Church’s credibility in the public eye.  The Archbishop elect also wanted the measure to go through as did Lord Carey, a previous Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Prime Minister was disappointed with the outcome, and one prominent politician said that there was no theological reason why women shouldn’t be bishops, and he was bemoaning the lack of political considerations in the church!

The good and the great lined up to decry the result, and there was talk of having another vote soon. One speaker said that the church must reconvene to discuss this, meaning that the wrong result was reached. That reminded me of the situation where the Euro was voted against by Ireland and another vote was taken later when the decision was overturned. Just keep voting until you get the answer you want!

Headlines in UK newspapers included “Women bishops: a failure of leadership”; “Women bishops: Did feminism undermine the campaign?”;  “Church has lost credibility in society, says Archbishop”; plus many others.

There was discussion about the “antidisestablishmentarianism” issue, which means “opposition to the disestablishment of the Church of England”; that is, not to remove the Anglican Church’s status as the state Church of England. Some thoughts were expressed that perhaps now was the time to separate the national church from the state.

In the interviews I saw and the reports I read, Scripture was generally conspicuous by its absence. The biblical teaching that women are to keep silent in the churches (1 Corinthians 14:34; 1 Timothy 2:11-12) was raised once in my hearing, and not answered. One submission was that since Jesus was born of a woman and the first person to see Jesus after the crucifixion was also a woman, women should be allowed to become bishops!! I felt that that was hardly a convincing argument!

Should we be surprised? For years, the Church of England has had senior figures giving the distinct impression that they didn’t believe in the Word of God.  Some years ago, one bishop was reported as saying that the crucifixion was a “conjuring trick with bones.” This same person became one of the first clerics in the Church of England to publicly bless a civil partnership between two homosexual men, one of whom was a vicar! It seems that it is expected that God has to conform to the requirements of modern society.

There is little fidelity to the Bible today in the world outside of the true Church of God. His instruction manual is consistently ignored. Those of us who believe in the Bible are not subject to the dictates of men or political pressure; nor are we pressed into “modernising”. We simply let the Bible be our guide and had the Church of England taken the same stance, the voting over women priests and women bishops would never have been undertaken in the first place, and much angst and difficulties would have been eliminated.

For more information, please read our Q&A, entitled “Sermons by Women?” and our booklet, “The Keys to Happy Marriages and Families“.

We begin with reporting on biblically-relevant developments in Japan and Germany and continue with the ongoing controversy involving the definition and application of anti-Semitism, using as examples the recent controversial decision of the Wiesenthal Center and the discussion regarding circumcision.

Focusing on Israel and Egypt, we report on shifting standards and the rise of a new superstar in the state of Israel, and the outspoken condemnation of Israel’s policy through Egypt’s President Morsi, calling for force against “the Zionists”.

We are reporting on the debt crisis in Europe, which–according to most European politicians–has left the worst behind, while at the same time, mounting problems for the USA seem to be ever-increasing. As example, we present articles on the outbreak of a deadly flu, the terrible consequences of America’s recent drought, and the high unemployment rates and the incredibly weak job market.

We conclude with a lengthy section on the use of marijuana, while clarifying and elaborating in detail on the Church’s position in this regard.

Japan’s Military Role

he Economist wrote on January 5:

“On December 26th, the new prime minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, unveiled his cabinet. Mr Abe, an arch-nationalist, promises to focus on turning round an economy enduring its third recession in five years. He says he has learnt from his disastrous first term as prime minister, in 2006-07, when economic policymaking was distracted by needless spats over wartime guilt…

“Fourteen in the cabinet belong to the League for Going to Worship Together at Yasukuni, a controversial Tokyo shrine that honours leaders executed for war crimes. Thirteen support Nihon Kaigi, a nationalist think-tank that advocates a return to ‘traditional values’ and rejects Japan’s ‘apology diplomacy”‘ for its wartime misdeeds. Nine belong to a parliamentary association that wants the teaching of history in schools to give a better gloss to Japan’s militarist era. They deny most of Japan’s wartime atrocities.

“The line-up includes Hakubun Shimomura, the new education minister, who wants to… annul the verdicts of the war-crimes trials in Tokyo in 1946-48. Mr Abe has made no secret of his wish to revise three of the country’s basic modern charters: the American-imposed constitution of 1946, committing Japan to pacifism; the education law, which Mr Abe thinks undervalues patriotism; and the security treaty with the United States, under which Japan plays a junior role… This is a cabinet of radical nationalists…”

In regard to “the League for Going to Worship Together at Yasukuni, a controversial Tokyo shrine that honours leaders executed for war crimes,” mentioned above, Wikipedia informs us that “Yasukuni Jinja is a Shinto shrine… to war dead who served the Emperor of Japan during wars from 1867–1951… to house the actual souls of the dead as Kami, or ‘spirits/souls’ as loosely defined in the English words. Furthermore it is believed that all negative or evil acts committed are absolved when enshrinement occurs… the Yasukuni Shrine and the Japanese Government have been criticized… as being… unapologetic about the events of World War II.”

The connection to pagan and demonic activities is unmistakable. The Bible warns that in the future, a Far Eastern alliance, consisting of countries such as Japan, Russia, China and others, will in fact pursue an aggressive military course of action against Western powers.

Germany’s Military Role

The New York Times wrote on January 5:

“When Chancellor Angela Merkel hosted a recent reception for military families, she greeted parents, wives and children whose loved ones were spending their holidays in Afghanistan, Lebanon, Kosovo and off the Horn of Africa. German deployments overseas, Ms. Merkel said, ‘will soon encompass the entire globe.’

“On that same wintry afternoon, members of Parliament debated whether to add to the nearly 6,000 German troops currently serving abroad by sending up to 400 soldiers to Turkey, where they would operate two Patriot missile batteries to help protect their NATO ally from a potential escalation of the civil war across the border in Syria… The vote easily passed in the Parliament two days later…

“Conscription was suspended indefinitely here in 2011 as part of a drive to professionalize and modernize the armed forces. In August, the Constitutional Court ruled for the first time that the German military could be deployed at home under exceptional circumstances, like in the wake of a terrorist attack. ‘Naturally, a great deal has developed further in terms of the acceptance of deployments outside of this country and outside the NATO territory,’ said Col. Ulrich Kirsch, chairman of the German Federal Armed Forces Association… ‘But the Germans are, now as before, difficult to inspire for military operations.’

“Military business is another matter. Germany is the world’s third-biggest arms exporter, behind only the United States and Russia, sending weapons not only to NATO members and allies like Israel but increasingly to the Middle East and beyond. As the business grows, critics at home question sales to undemocratic countries like Saudi Arabia.

“Germany’s military industry employs an estimated 80,000 people… Last month Der Spiegel, the influential newsmagazine, showed a grim-faced Ms. Merkel on the cover in a camouflage suit jacket with the headline ‘German Weapons for the World’… The German government approved military exports in excess of 10 billion euros, or over $13 billion, for the first time in 2011, the magazine reported…

“Germany’s path forward could well determine the shape of Europe’s military affairs for years to come. Whether that is through a growing leadership role and the assumption of more responsibility for regional security or a limited, some say cynical, emphasis on protecting its own interests still remains to be seen… Olaf Böhnke, head of the Berlin office of the European Council on Foreign Relations, [said:] ‘If Germany wants to be in a leadership position, you need stronger military engagement.’…

“After World War II, West German politicians rejected military force for any goal other than self-defense, and a strong pacifist streak developed in the public. The end of the cold war brought the beginning of a long period of halting change. Allies, particularly in the United States, have repeatedly called for Germany to take more responsibility and a larger share of the burden… The biggest turning point was probably when Germany participated in airstrikes in the Kosovo war in 1999, a break with the taboo against offensive operations.

“Even as Germany exports arms around the world, idealism about the use of force by German soldiers remains. In May 2010, Germany’s president, Horst Köhler, gave an interview to German public radio saying that society needed to recognize the sacrifices and contributions of the military. A broader political discussion was necessary, Mr. Köhler said, about the military’s role. ‘A country of our size,’ Mr. Köhler said, ‘with its focus on exports and thus reliance on foreign trade, must be aware that military deployments are necessary in an emergency to protect our interests, for example, when it comes to trade routes, for example, when it comes to preventing regional instabilities that could negatively influence our trade, jobs and incomes.’

“A public outcry ensued, and Mr. Köhler resigned [for this and other reasons]. But the German Navy was essentially already doing what Mr. Köhler described in his comments, as part of the multinational mission to combat piracy off the coast of Somalia… ‘The suspension of conscription officially recognized the fact that the German Army had become a professional army’, said Ms. Stelzenmüller from the German Marshall Fund. ‘These are people who get paid for putting themselves in harm’s way, just like other Western armies.'”

Whether intentionally or “accidentally”; whether willingly pursuing or being pushed into it; whether the German people, as opposed to their governmental like it or not–Germany’s military role will drastically increase in the future. Germany’s pacifistic stance since World War II is going to fade and disappear. And sadly, war will be the end result–war with the USA and the UK, as well as with the Far Eastern alliance, mentioned above.

A New Ruler of Germany?

The Daily Mail reported on January 4:

“A Scotsman… is now being tipped as the possible ruler of Germany. After climbing high and fast through the ranks of Germany’s CDU conservative party, pundits speculate great things lie in store for 41-year-old David McAllister, who is up for re-election as governor in the state of Lower Saxony later this month. The son of a German mother and a Scottish father from the tough Gorbals area of Glasgow, he is recognised as one of the leading figures in Germany’s ruling Christian Democratic Union party.

“In 2008, he was appointed head of the CDU in Lower Saxony, the second most important and powerful regional post in the country. In 2010, he became the state governor…

“Mr McAllister, who has dual British-German nationality, grew up in Berlin, where his father, James, was a British Army officer… Growing up enclosed by the Berlin Wall left its mark on Mr McAllister. He said: ‘Berlin was surrounded by communism – that is how I experienced it as a child. This left its mark, and since then my motto has been “future, not socialism”.’

“Previously, the youngest conservative party parliamentary leader in Germany, McAllister is a trained lawyer… He is known to be well liked – and well rated – by current leader Angela Merkel… He said his parents imbued him with an equal sense of pride in Scotland and Germany. However, when he was 11, the family moved to the North Sea coastal town of Bad Bederska, a move which made it ‘more or less clear to me that we had turned German then’…

“While he insists that he does not have Berlin in his sights just yet, others are convinced he is on the path to greatness. German weekly Stern compared McAllister’s career path to that of three-time Chancellor Helmut Kohl, Germany’s longest-serving postwar leader.”

Even though it is not very likely that Mr. McAllister will become the new leader of Germany, it is interesting that Scotland and England don’t like each other–to put it mildly–and that any antagonism between Germany and England–which is clearly prophesied to happen–might not bother the Scots in the slightest.

The Wiesenthal Center’s Tragic Mistake

Der Spiegel wrote on January 4:

“Most of the entries on the 2012 list of top anti-Semites published by the Simon Wiesenthal Center just after Christmas are unsurprising. Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood makes the list. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is there. European soccer fans, some of them notoriously racist, land at No. 4. A handful of right-wing extremist parties in Europe are also fingered. Number nine on the list, however, has caused many in Germany to scratch their heads. It is Jakob Augstein, the editor of the weekly paper Der Freitag and a columnist for SPIEGEL ONLINE… His offense? The fact that he has been vociferously critical of Israeli policy…

“Perhaps predictably, the inclusion of Augstein, son of SPIEGEL’s founding editor in chief Rudolf Augstein, on the list has launched yet another national debate in Germany about the contours of anti-Semitism and how far one can go when criticizing Israel before being labelled a racist. Germany’s history, after all, has long informed the country’s deep official support of Israel, but its center-left majority displays an almost reflexive affinity for the Palestinians…

“While Augstein has plenty of detractors, much of the critique this week has so far been directed at the Los Angeles-based Wiesenthal Center itself. And Augstein has found defenders on all sides of the political spectrum. ‘The choice of Jakob Augstein for ninth place on the list of the 10 worst anti-Semites is a serious intellectual and strategic error made by the Simon Wiesenthal Center,’ wrote, for example, the influential conservative daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. ‘Not only has a critical journalist been placed in a group into which he doesn’t belong, the nine other people and groups who have justifiably been pilloried can now exculpate themselves by pointing to such arbitrariness.’

“Augstein has also been defended by a senior member of the far-left Left Party and a deputy head of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats. And on Friday, the Central Council of Jews in Germany also declined to make the Wiesenthal Center’s list its own. ‘I have read some of his stuff, though not that much,’ Central Council Vice President Solomon Korn said in a Friday interview with German radio station Deutschlandradio Kultur. ‘I never had the impression that what he wrote was anti-Semitic.’

“Augstein himself has also sought to defend himself. He said in a Thursday statement that he has the greatest respect for the Wiesenthal Center. That, though, he added, ‘makes it all the more distressing when their fight is weakened. That is necessarily the outcome when critical journalism is defamed as racist or anti-Semitic.’

“Not all in Germany, however, [including the conservative paper, Die Welt] have proven willing to back the Der Freitag editor… The Wiesenthal Center, for its part, is not backing down…”

Der Spiegel Online added on January 7:

“It’s a scandal… After the list was published, a passionate debate erupted in German newspapers over what constitutes justifiable criticism of Israeli policies and what exactly defines anti-Semitism. Most journalists felt that the accusation against Augstein was absurd…”

It is true that far too often, critique of Israeli policy is confused with and labeled as anti-Semitism. This is not helping the Jewish cause, and in this case, the Wiesenthal Center and those who defend their decision have done more harm than good–as have the recent baseless accusations against Germany’s well-known author and poet, Guenter Grass, labeling him falsely as being anti-Semitic. It is tragic that German persecution of correct Jewish values, such as circumcision of young boys, must be seen in this context. See the next article.

Is Anti-Circumcision Anti-Semitic?

The Atlantic wrote on January 7:

“… in a decision that shocked Germany’s Jews and Muslims and damaged the country’s image around the world, a Cologne court ruled that male circumcision causes ‘bodily harm,’ and declared the practice to be illegal… Although I had known that circumcision is not widespread in Europe, I had no awareness of the average German’s hostility toward the practice, nor of the deep-seated xenophobic and perhaps even anti-Semitic feelings dredged up by the controversy… Indeed, one survey taken last year found that sixty percent of Germans equate it with genital mutilation…

“Germany’s backlash against male circumcisions is not unique… As an American Jew who has spent much of his time in Berlin during the past six years, I’ve been impressed by Germany’s willingness to confront its Nazi past, from the construction of the Holocaust Memorial at the Brandenburg Gate to the continuing placement of small gold plaques in the sidewalks of Berlin’s residential neighborhoods, marking the homes of Jews murdered by the Nazis. Yet I’m also aware that Jews occupy a marginal, and tenuous place in German society: the heavy police presence in front of Berlin’s handful of synagogues, Jewish book stores, and Jewish bakeries serve as a constant reminder that Jews are considered prime targets for neo-Nazis and other terrorist groups… The court judgment and ensuing anti-circumcision backlash reinforced the notion that many Germans regard Jews — and Muslims — as outsiders, clinging to backward, unsavory rituals and beliefs. For the first time, I began to feel uncomfortable about being Jewish in Germany…

“Jewish leaders share my suspicions. Pinchas Goldschmidt, president of the Conference of European Rabbis, called the court decision ‘one of the gravest attacks on Jewish life in the post-Holocaust world.’ Stephan Kramer, secretary general of the Jewish Community in Berlin, told me that ‘the bris is fundamental for our religion. If this is put into a legal jeopardy, then we have to reconsider whether we can stay in Germany or not.’ German Muslims, many of whom already feel like second-class citizens here, were also incensed…

“Anti-circumcision advocates deny that they are motivated by anti-Semitic or anti-Islamic feelings… Most German medical groups, including the German Pediatricians’ Association… [regard] circumcision as a bodily injury without benefits to health. By contrast, the American Academy of Pediatrics says circumcision ‘significantly reduces’ the risk of HIV-AIDs and sexually transmitted diseases. (Even so, the number of infant boys who were circumcised in the US declined from 60 percent in 1998 to 55 percent in 2010, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.)…

“Germans I’ve talked to have downplayed the anti-Semitic angle in all this. They say that the circumcision backlash simply reflects a German habit of telling people what to do and how to behave, a busybody quality… The German leadership, after a month-long silence, finally condemned the court ruling last summer. Prosecutors have promised not to arrest doctors or mohels, and the Jewish Hospital has resumed circumcisions. A bill legalizing ritual circumcision — as long as it is performed using an anaesthetic by someone with ‘medical expertise’ – [has been approved by] the Bundestag. But about fifty Parliamentarians [had] proposed a countermeasure that would [have] ban[ned] circumcisions on boys below age 14…”

And so, the issue is not likely to go away…

“Don’t Judge But Accept Homosexuals and Sabbath-breakers”

JTA wrote on January 4:

“The Orthodox Jewish community is not known as gay friendly. So it was big news when Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein, the head of a major Israeli yeshiva and the son-in-law of the intellectual leader of Modern Orthodoxy, the late Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik, told his students that gays should be no more shunned than those who violate the Sabbath — which is to say, not very much at all. ‘So, those who break the Shabbat — we wish they would be Shabbat observant, but if that’s what they are, that’s what they are,’ Lichtenstein said, according to a transcript. ‘We accept them as they are and we don’t pass judgment.'”

Even though it is true that we must love and not condemn the sinner, we are also called upon to hate sin and point out what sin is.

Jerusalem Paralyzed by Snowstorm

On January 10, JTA reported:

“Jerusalem remained paralyzed as the largest snowfall in 20 years closed roads, trains and buses and schools. At least six inches of snow reportedly have fallen in the center of Jerusalem and more in the surrounding areas… Israel has been plagued by wild weather, including high winds, for several days. Meanwhile, the water level in the Sea of Galilee, Israel’s main freshwater source, has risen more than two feet since rain began over the weekend… As is typical when there is heavy snowfall in the Golan Heights, Israel’s only ski area, Mount Hermon, shut down for the storm.”

Jesus Christ, when warning of end-time troubles and including with his warning the citizens of Jerusalem, cautioned us to pray that our flight would not occur “in winter or on the Sabbath” (Matthew 24:20).

Israel’s New Superstar

Voice of America wrote on January 4:

“Six months ago, few Israelis had heard of him. Today, the media calls the former high tech tycoon a ‘superstar,’ and everyone knows about Naftali Bennett, leader of the Bayit Yehudi (‘Israel Home’) Party. As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces criticism from left and right, Bennett’s popularity is rising by the day. The latest polls suggest that if an election were held this week, Bayit Yehudi would triple its seats in the Knesset to become Israel’s third largest party. In fact, Bennett is gaining supporters who don’t even agree with his ultra-religious/nationalist platform, a fact that is greatly troubling Netanyahu’s Likud.

“Under Israel’s parliamentary system, citizens cast their ballots for a party, not a candidate. The 120 Knesset seats are assigned according to the percentage of the total national votes each party wins. In order to win a seat in the Knesset, a party must win a minimum of 1.5 percent of the total votes. Usually, the leader of the party with the most seats is named prime minister and tasked with forming a new government consisting of 61 seats. Because no party has ever won enough seats to form a government by itself, parties form coalitions to meet the 61-seat majority. New elections can be called if the prime minister cannot form a government, if a coalition collapses or it is not able to pass its budget.

“Last October, Netanyahu called for early elections, saying his coalition would not be able to pass a ‘responsible’ austerity budget. Soon afterward, he announced that Likud would merge with the hardline Yisrael Beitenu Party headed by Avigdor Lieberman. Some believed Netanyahu was looking to gain support for a military strike on Iran’s suspected nuclear facilities… Netanyahu’s plans seem to have failed. The latest Haaretz polls show the Likud Party losing as many as a dozen of its present 42 seats in government…

“So, who is Naftali Bennett and why is he attracting so many voters?… The political newcomer fits the mold of what people, especially young voters, look up to… A key component of his platform is his opposition to a Palestinian state in the ‘greater part of the West Bank,’ something Netanyahu says he supports… He calls for Israel to annex what is known as ‘Area C,’ or about 60 percent of the West Bank, and grant Israeli citizenship to the area’s Palestinian population, which he estimates is 50,000… While many Israelis worry that such a move could jeopardize Israel’s international standing, Bennett disagrees…

“On other key issues, Bennett would halt the wave of illegal migrants from Africa… end the exemption of Israel’s ultra-orthodox Jews from military service; end recognition of civil and gay marriages, and deepen the Jewish nature of education and the judiciary…

“Most analysts agree that Netanyahu will stand as Prime Minister. The real question is where he will turn to build his government coalition. On the left, Labor leader Shelly Yachimovich has vowed she won’t join forces with Netanyahu and that could force the prime minister to look further right–even as far as Naftali Bennett–to build his future government. Meanwhile, Bennett has hinted he could merge with Labor in a post-election coalition. After all, this is Israel, where anything can happen politically and often does.”

The outcome of the next election and the new government outcome might have a decisive influence on the entire region of the Middle East–and that also in light of the following article about the true colors of Egypt’s President Morsi.

Let the True Morsi Be Heard…

Newsmax reported on January 4:

“Israeli-Palestinian negotiations are a ‘waste of time and opportunities’ because Arabs and Muslims gain nothing from engagement with ‘the descendants of apes and pigs,’ Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi said in recently translated interviews from 2010. According to the translated interviews published by the Middle East Media Research Institute this week, Morsi called the creation of Israel in 1948 a ‘plundering’ of Palestinian lands.

“During an interview with Lebanon’s Al-Quds TV network, Morsi said the Islamic world should ‘confront this Zionist entity. The Zionists have no right to the land of Palestine,’ Morsi said, according to the Jerusalem Post. ‘What they took before 1947-8 constitutes plundering, and what they are doing now is a continuation of this plundering. By no means do we recognize their Green Line. The land of Palestine belongs to the Palestinians, not to the Zionists.’

“In two interviews, the recently-elected Egyptian leader, who formerly led the extremist Muslim Brotherhood, disparaged the idea of a two-state solution because there could be no peace with the ‘plundering criminal entity’ of Israel. ‘Pressure should be exerted upon them,’ Morsi continued, so that Jews should ‘not be given any opportunity [to] stand on any Arab or Islamic land… [Zionists] have been fanning the flames of civil strife wherever they were throughout history. They are hostile by nature. The Zionists understood nothing but the language of force.'”

The Washington Post wrote on January 7, 2013:

“Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi rebuilt his cabinet Sunday, replacing 10 ministers and amplifying the Islamist presence in the government… At least three of the new ministers are long-serving members of the Muslim Brotherhood, including those heading the ministries of supply and domestic trade, and local development.

“The new finance minister, Al-Mursi al-Sayed Hegazy, is not a member of the Islamist organization, but local media described him as a specialist in Islamic banking who may be sympathetic to the group. Many of the Brotherhood’s allies from the more-conservative Salafist parties have called on the government to implement a system of Islamic banking, which would ban interest on loans…”

Hitler put the world on notice regarding his true plans towards Jews, and now Morsi has been doing the same. But the world was sound asleep then, as it is now. Also please consider America’s policy towards the Middle East, as the nominations of Messrs. Hagel and Brennan might indicate. Note the next article.

Controversial Chuck Hagel and John Brennan Nominated to Secretary of Defense and Director of CIA

The Washington Free Beacon wrote on January 7:

“President Obama announced Monday his nomination of former Sen. Chuck Hagel to secretary of defense and John Brennan to director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The Hagel nomination formalizes what many expect to be a bruising battle for the president… Hagel, a Republican… served two terms as a Senator from Nebraska, during which time he sat on the Foreign Relations and Intelligence committees. He voted for the Iraq and Afghanistan war resolutions before becoming critical of both wars…

“Hagel has taken numerous foreign policy positions that some view as out of the American mainstream. He has advocated for direct talks with both Iran and Hamas, and voted against encouraging the European Union to label Hezbollah a terrorist group. Hagel once referred to the ‘Jewish lobby’ … and he has openly distanced himself from Israel… In December, Rep. Eliot Engel (D., N.Y.) said of Hagel, ‘it seems there is some kind of endemic hostility toward Israel’…

“Hagel’s nomination will likely overshadow Brennan’s, but Brennan himself has come under criticism in the past for foreign policy and national security positions he has taken in the past. Brennan once referred to Jerusalem as ‘Al Quds,’ the Arabic name for the city, and he announced that the government would not use the terms ‘Islamists’ and ‘Jihadists’… Brennan has also advocated prosecuting detained terrorists in the civilian criminal system, and he drew sharp criticism for his handling of the foiled Christmas Day Bomber plot.”

The New York Times added on January 7:

“The announcements… complete a troika of personnel moves, along with that of Senator John Kerry, Democrat of Massachusetts, who was named as secretary of state last month, that fill out Mr. Obama’s national security team for his second term… Mr. Hagel… has also faced criticism from gay rights organizations for remarks he made 14 years ago – for which he has since apologized – about an openly gay diplomat.

“David A. Harris, the executive director of the American Jewish Committee… said that Iran topped his list of concerns because Mr. Hagel had voted against American sanctions against the Iranian government over its nuclear program and had argued against using military force to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.  Abraham H. Foxman, the national director of the Anti-Defamation League, said… that the senators should challenge Mr. Hagel on his positions on Israel and Iran…”

Koch and Vallely Criticize Hagel Nomination

Newsmax reported on January 9:

“Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch believes President Barack Obama’s decision to nominate former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel for secretary of defense will damage relations between the United States and Israel, while emboldening Islamists, and amounts to reneging on support for the Jewish state. Koch, a Democrat who has been one of Obama’s staunchest supporters, said he’d thought all along that Obama would ‘renege on what he conveyed on his support of Israel’…

“Koch said, Hagel’s nomination means Obama is turning his back on Israel a little sooner than he thought he would. ‘It’s very disappointing, I believe he will ultimately regret it,’ Koch said, ‘It undoubtedly will reduce support for him in the Jewish community, but I don’t think he [the President] worries about that now that the election is over… I believe it will encourage the jihadists. They will say: “Ah, we are winning the battle. America is beginning to desert Israel”…’

“… the former mayor is very critical not only on Hagel’s positions on Israel, but also about the former senator’s statements about homosexuals, and he doesn’t believe Hagel regrets opposing an ambassador’s appointment over his sexual orientation. However, Koch said he’s not accusing Hagel of being anti-Semitic. ‘You can be hostile to Israel and not be anti-Semitic,’ Koch said.”

Newsmax reported on January 8:

“Neither John Kerry nor Chuck Hagel is qualified for the Cabinet positions they have been nominated to by President Barack Obama, retired Army Gen. Paul Vallely [said]… ‘they’re part of the naïveté of the Obama administration,’ Vallely, who served in the Vietnam War, [said]… [He] predicts that Hagel would easily endorse nations antagonistic to Israel…”

Is the Worst of Europe’s Debt Crisis Behind Us?

The Washington Post wrote on January 5:

“After more than three years of global market turmoil, political upheaval and nail-biting summits, European leaders are declaring that the worst of the continent’s debt crisis is behind them… Yet any suggestion of victory in Europe may be viewed as the economic equivalent of President George W. Bush’s ‘Mission Accomplished’ speech on Iraq aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln in 2003. Though market panic is subsiding, the region appears to be simply trading a crisis of financial markets for one rooted in its ailing economies.

“Confronting the reality of deep budget cuts, higher taxes and piles of debt that have hindered any prospect of recovery, Italy, Spain and Greece are battling what economists predict will be yet another year of brutal recession… Even mighty Germany and France, the anchors of the 17-nation euro zone, potentially face weaker growth or stagnation this year… Europe is in a similar position as the United States, which avoided its own ‘fiscal cliff’ last week but must confront larger questions of how to stimulate growth and bring down unemployment… while addressing the longer-term peril from high levels of national debt…

“To be sure, there are signs of fiscal improvement… French President Francois Hollande, in a New Year’s Eve greeting from Paris, warned his countrymen that 2013 looks to be a difficult year, with almost no economic growth in the first half and an unemployment rate that is likely to climb before it gets better. But echoing others in the region, he said the threat to the euro seems to be under control despite last year’s dire predictions. ‘The euro zone has been safeguarded, and Europe has at last put into place the instruments of stability and growth that it lacked,’ Hollande said. ‘Even six months ago, this result seemed out of reach. It has been achieved.’

“In recent comments, Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said, ‘I am totally and absolutely convinced that the worst has passed.’ Germany’s influential finance minister, Wolfgang Schaeuble, used almost the exact same words in an interview with the Bild newspaper…

“The potential land mines are many, with the most immediate being elections in Italy next month pitting the technocrat interim Prime Minister Mario Monti — whose tough reforms were seen as preventing disaster in the country last year — against Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s former longtime leader and its most infamous playboy. Berlusconi has assailed Monti’s austerity measures as diktats from Germany. But leading the polls there is the center-left’s Pier Luigi Bersani, a 61-year-old former Communist whose current stated support of Monti’s austerity measures will probably be opposed by his own rank and file.

“Europe’s fate is also caught up in another national election — in Germany this September, when the domestically popular Merkel will seek another term. The ‘Iron Chancellor’ is loath to be seen as soft on Greece, a country whose bailout has stung German taxpayers. But many also say that Merkel will hesitate to go as far as cutting off bailout funds from Greece — an act that would effectively force it out of the euro zone — if that country once again misses its fiscal targets, as some predict.’

And while Europe will get its financial house in order, the USA will not be able to do so. The signals indicating coming domestic and social disasters should make this very clear even to those who do not understand the Bible. Notice the next few articles.

The USA in the Grip of Deadly Flu

The Daily Mail wrote on January 5:

“The U.S. has been hit with a particularly aggressive early flu season this year with widespread reports of the illness across the country, hospitalizing 2,257 people and leaving 18 children dead before the end of 2012. And health officials say the numbers haven’t even peaked yet… The latest figures… show 29 states and New York City reporting high levels of flu activity, up from 16 states and New York City just one week prior.

“Overall, 41 states reported cases. ‘It’s about five weeks ahead of the average flu season,’ said Lyn Finelli, lead of the surveillance and response team that monitors influenza for the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. ‘We haven’t seen such an early season since 2003 to 2004.'”

Hottest Year in Recent History of USA

he Guardian wrote on January 8:

“Temperatures in the United States have reached record levels, making 2012 by far the hottest year in the history books. A year of negligible winter, punishing heat waves, drought, and monster storms, such as Sandy, contributed to the record year in the continguous United States, according to a report released on Tuesday by the National Climatic Data Center… NCDC scientists described that difference as a ‘big deal’ – one that over time would begin to redefine what was seen as normal weather conditions for America… It was, on several other counts, a year of extremes.

“Last year brought $11bn weather events from Sandy, believed to have inflicted more than $60bn damages on New Jersey and New York, to Hurricane Isaac, tornadoes to a brutal drought. By the time summer was over, more than 99m Americans – or about a third of the entire population – had sweltered through 10 or more days hotter than 100F (37.8C), the NCDC said. Nineteen states broke existing temperature records.

“Sixty-one percent of the lower 48 states was enduring drought. The extreme hot and dry conditions – the worst since the 1950s – burned through the corn fields of the midwest and high plains, delivering a shock to food prices. While drought has faded from public conversation, it has not relaxed its grip over the winter. Shipping on the Mississippi has slowed because of low river levels. The Great Lakes are nearing historic lows. Farmers in Kansas report winter wheat crop is at risk.

“The closing months of the year also remained stubbornly warm, with the third smallest snowfall on record. ‘We are still seeing impacts from the drought,’ Crouch said. ‘It is not over, and I perceive that is going to be a big story moving forward in 2013.'”

CNS News added on January 10:

“Almost 62 (61.8%) percent… of the continental United States experienced drought in July 2012, making it the largest drought-affected area since the end of the ‘Dust Bowl’ era in December 1939, when 62.1 percent of the U.S. was drought-stricken…”

It will get much worse. The Bible predicts that the impact of the sun will become seven times stronger in the years ahead (Isaiah 30:26; Revelation 16:8-9), before it will get better (Isaiah 49:10).

Drought-Drained Mississippi River Affects US Economy

Reuters reported on January 2:

“The drought-drained Mississippi River will rise slightly later this week between St. Louis and Cairo, Illinois, but later continue its decline toward historic lows, according to a National Weather Service forecast. Low water, due to the worst U.S. drought since 1956, has already impeded the flow of billions of dollars worth of grain, coal, fertilizer and other commodities between the central United States and shipping terminals at the Gulf of Mexico…”

Incredibly Weak US Job Market

Business Insider wrote on January 4:

“… the U.S. economy added 155k jobs in December and the unemployment rate ticked up in 7.8 percent. Although the numbers were in line with economists’ expectations, they still reflect a job market that remains incredibly weak almost four years into the economic recovery… ‘This shows the depth of the recent employment recession – worse than any other post-war recession – and the relatively slow recovery due to the lingering effects of the housing bust and financial crisis,’ writes Bill McBride of Calculated Risk.”

Insanity Galore

The Associated Press reported on January 10:

“Officials in a small Utah town want to make sure every head of household has a firearm and knows how to use it, and they want to give school teachers training with guns too. Spring City Councilman Neil Sorensen first proposed an ordinance requiring a gun in every household in the town of 1,000. The rest of the council scoffed at making it a requirement, but they unanimously agreed to move forward with an ordinance ‘recommending’ the idea. The council also approved funding to offer concealed firearms training Friday to the 20 teachers and administrators at the local elementary school.”

Abuse Scandal in Catholic Church Under Scrutiny

Deutsche Welle reported on January 10:

“The goal was clear: the abuse scandal that has rocked the Catholic Church to its core since the beginning of 2010, was supposed to be addressed seamlessly. The church leadership wanted to investigate the abuse cases in detail in which priests and others abused young people – going back as far as 1945. To carry out the study seriously and objectively, the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK) brought in the Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony (KFN). The scientists from Hanover were to be granted access to all personnel records of the past decade in all 27 dioceses. But there is now disagreement between the KFN and the DBK. The bishops canceled the contracts with the Institute…

“The head Christian Pfeiffer spoke of censorship and the hindrance of his work… Matthias Kopp, spokesman for the German Bishops’ Conference, rejected these accusations…  Pfeiffer… spoke of the destruction of records on the part of the Church… Kopp also rejected this accusation…  Unlike the original agreement in the contract, Pfeiffer said, the Church demanded to see texts before publication… Some had clearly not wanted the abuse cases to be solved, fearing damage to the church, he said…

“Experts see the temporary end of the academic study as a new image problem for the Catholic Church and expect even more people to leave the church… Pfeiffer wants to continue the work he started – without the help of the church… It now seems more than questionable as to when, and whether, there will be any findings at all.”

Marijuana Use for Medical or Recreational Reasons?

NBC News reported on January 4, 2013:

“If a California company has its way, recreational marijuana users in Colorado and Washington state will one day be able to get their pot out of vending machines. Such machines are already in use in some states where medical marijuana is legal, but now the maker’s founder says the company is working to adapt the machines to comply with new laws in Colorado and Washington, where adults can legally use marijuana for recreation. The vending machines for medicine require a fingerprint scan to verify the identification of the patient, which is then linked to a prescription on file.

“But as Washington and Colorado figure out how to create a legal pot market for the masses, Hollywood-based Medbox, a public company, is offering up its expertise in convenient delivery systems. ‘One day we envision these machines to be accessed, when it’s allowed, 24 hours a day,’ Vincent Mehdizadeh, the founder and chief consultant of a subsidiary of Medbox that produces, installs and consults on the vending business, told NBC News…

“He said the Medbox machines and consultancy are in high demand in states such as Arizona, Massachusetts and Connecticut that have published medical marijuana regulations… In November, Washington and Colorado voters passed initiatives to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. Those laws went into effect last month.

“In Washington state, voter-approved Initiative 502 made it legal for anyone 21 or over to possess up to an ounce of marijuana, 16 ounces of ‘solid marijuana-infused product’ (pot brownies and such) or 72 ounces of ‘marijuana-infused liquid.’… Colorado, under Amendment 64 to the state Constitution, legalized not only recreational use, but also home growing, which is still illegal in Washington.

“Growing, selling and possessing marijuana remains illegal under federal law, and the federal government is reviewing options in both Washington and Colorado. President Barack Obama… [told] ABC’s Barbara Walters [last month] the federal government has more important things to do than go after recreational marijuana users. ‘We have bigger fish to fry,’ he told Walters.”

The New York Times wrote on December 20:

“Marijuana is, as a practical matter, already legal in much of California. No matter that its recreational use remains technically against the law. Marijuana has, in many parts of this state, become the equivalent of a beer in a paper bag on the streets of Greenwich Village. It is losing whatever stigma it ever had and still has in many parts of the country, including New York City, where the kind of open marijuana use that is common here would attract the attention of any passing law officer. ‘It’s shocking, from my perspective, the number of people that we all know who are recreational marijuana users,’ said Gavin Newsom, the lieutenant governor. ‘These are incredibly upstanding citizens: Leaders in our community, and exceptional people. Increasingly, people are willing to share how they use it and not be ashamed of it.’

“Marijuana can be smelled in suburban backyards in neighborhoods from Hollywood to Topanga Canyon as dusk falls — what in other places is known as the cocktail hour — often wafting in from three sides. In some homes in Beverly Hills and San Francisco, it is offered at the start of a dinner party with the customary ease of a host offering a chilled Bombay Sapphire martini…

“A study by the California Office of Traffic Safety last month found that motorists were more likely to be driving under the influence of marijuana than under the influence of alcohol. Still, there are limits. No matter how much attitudes in California may have changed, it remains illegal in most of the country — as Californians have been reminded by a series of crackdowns by the Justice Department on medical marijuana here…”

CNN reported on December 14:

“In a statement Monday, U.S. Attorney John Walsh said that the Department of Justice is ‘reviewing’ the initiatives passed in both states and that the department’s ‘responsibility to enforce the Controlled Substances Act remains unchanged. Regardless of any changes in state law, including the change that will go into effect on December 10 in Colorado, growing, selling or possessing any amount of marijuana remains illegal under federal law,’ Walsh said. The Justice Department is familiar with negotiating contradictory state and federal laws on marijuana. Aside from the two states which have legalized recreational use of marijuana, 18 states and the District of Columbia have allowed legal use of the drug for medical reasons.

“Marijuana is listed as a Schedule I drug by the Drug Enforcement Agency, meaning it’s dangerous and has no medical use. Other Schedule I drugs include heroin, ecstasy, and psychedelic mushrooms. Medical marijuana advocates say it should be listed under Schedule II, comparing it to other prescription painkillers that have a high potential for abuse.”

In spite of varying human opinions and practices on the matter, the Bible gives us sure guidelines as to how to conduct ourselves. In our last Update, we commented briefly on the Church’s stance on the use of marijuana and pointed out that marijuana use for recreational purposes is never godly. We inserted a brief comment to the effect that there might be exceptions for medically-prescribed necessary treatments for certain illnesses, but even then, we stated that great caution would be advised, as pot is a drug that has led some into demonic experiences or exposure. The ingesting of pot is primarily through smoking, but regardless, it seems to be a drug that causes some bad and sometimes permanent problems.

In addition, we want to elaborate on the matter and clarify our position, as follows:

Our comments in regard to medical use were not meant to be applied to countries where such use is illegal. As several articles on the topic, quoted above, explain, in the USA, “growing, selling and possessing marijuana remains illegal under federal law.” This means, even when certain US states allow the use of pot for medical reasons, it is still prohibited under federal law, which governs and rules state law. 

Note the additional comments from the US government, as set forth on its website, www.whitehouse.gov:

“Regardless of state laws to the contrary, there is no such thing as ‘medical’ marijuana under Federal law… The Department of Justice (DOJ) issued guidance for Federal prosecutors in states that have enacted laws authorizing the medical use of marijuana under state law. The guidelines explain that it is likely not an efficient use of federal resources to focus enforcement efforts on individuals with serious illnesses who use marijuana as part of a recommended treatment regimen consistent with applicable state law or their individual non-commercial caregiver.

“However, persons who are in the business of cultivating, selling, or distributing marijuana, and those who knowingly facilitate such activities, are in violation of Federal law, and are subject to Federal enforcement action, including potential prosecution.

“The DOJ guidelines do not legalize marijuana. The DOJ guidance explicitly states that marijuana remains illegal under Federal law. Enforcing Federal law against significant traffickers in illegal drugs including marijuana remains a core Department of Justice priority… The DOT [Department of Transportation] Compliance Notice explicitly reiterated that DOT regulation does not recognize ‘medical’ marijuana under a state law to be a valid medical explanation for a transportation employee’s positive drug test…  Medical Review Officers will not verify a drug test as negative based upon information that a physician recommended that the transportation employee use marijuana as medicine. It remains unacceptable for any safety]sensitive employee subject to drug testing under the Department of Transportation’s drug testing regulations to use marijuana.”

The website of www.Marijuana-as-medicine.org  explains further:

“First and foremost, Marijuana, for any use, is illegal under federal law. Even if you live in a state that has enacted legislation or passed a ballot initiative that recognizes marijuana’s medical utility you are subject to arrest by federal officials for possession or cultivation of marijuana. Secondly, it is illegal to ship or receive marijuana by mail… Interstate shipment of marijuana is a federal offense. So is importation of marijuana.”

The website of www.criminaldefenseattorneytampa.com sets forth the following:

“Federal laws do not differentiate between marijuana used for medical purposes or marijuana used for recreational purposes. The medical marijuana defense is not expressly recognized under Federal law. Nevertheless, during pre-trial negotiations, the medical marijuana defense is often effective when properly asserted for mitigation purposes. Judges have limited the defense attorneys ability to fully assert such a defense at trial, although the defense often has a right to present evidence related to the medical marijuana defense for the juries [sic] consideration when warranted by the facts of the case… Generally, doctors may exercise their right to free speech by recommend[ing]  the use of marijuana under the First Amendment, federal law does not allow a doctor to ‘prescribe’ marijuana.”

Based on all the foregoing evidence, the Church cannot recommend or support the use of marijuana for any purpose in countries where such use is legally prohibited (including the USA, where it is against governing federal law), as we are to be subject to the laws of the land (except in those rare circumstances when man’s laws conflict with God’s laws).This is true, regardless of whether, due to limited resources, the laws may or may not be enforced.

We state the following in our Statements of Beliefs, under “Relationship with God” and “Civic Government”: “We believe that a Christian’s duty to God is of a superior and higher nature than our duty arising from any human relationship (Acts 4:18-20; 5:27-29)… We believe that we are to be subject to the government of our country and its laws (Romans 13:1-5; I Peter 2:13-17); that we are to pay our taxes (Matthew 22:17-21; Mark 12:14-17; Romans 13:6-7); that we are to pray for leaders of government (1 Timothy 2:1-3); and that we are to honor those leaders (1 Peter 2:17; Romans 13:7).”

Even when dealing with an extraordinary case of “necessary” medical use (in the conclusion of a medical doctor) of legally permitted marijuana in a situation of painful terminal illness, we would still advise great caution as pot has been known to cause demonic experiences and influence in some cases.

In Joshua 10:11-14, we are introduced to one of the greatest miracles recorded in Scripture. We read:

“And it happened, as they [Israel’s enemies] fled before Israel and were on the descent of Breth Horon, that the LORD cast down large hailstones from heaven on them as far as Azekan, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword. Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel: ‘Sun, stand still over Gibeon; And Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.’ So the sun stood still, And the moon stopped, till the people had revenge Upon their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. And there has been no day like that, before it or after it, that the LORD heeded the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel.”

How are we to understand this account? In former days, people argued against Galileo’s claim that the earth rotates around the sun, by using this passage in Joshua 10 to “prove” that the sun rotates around the earth. However, this passage is written from a human perception and perspective. For us, it appears that the sun moves, whereas in reality, it is the earth that moves. Still today, we speak of sunrise or sunset, even though technically, the sun never rises or sets (compare Judges 5:31; Psalm 50:1). For instance, we say that the Sabbath lasts from Friday evening, at sunset, to Saturday evening, at sunset, and we all know perfectly well what we mean by this. We find a similar biblical description of human perception in respect to the re-recreation account in Genesis 1, after the earth had become void and empty through a worldwide cataclysm. Quoting from our booklet, “The Theory of Evolution–A Fairy Tale for Adults?”:

“… how can it be that God made the sun on the fourth day, after He had already made light on the first day? The answer is that the Hebrew word translated ‘made’ in verse 16 can also be translated ‘had made’ or ‘will have made.’ One must always consider the context. Remember in Genesis 1:1, ‘In the beginning, God made the heavens and the earth.’ God did indeed make the sun, moon and stars in the beginning, though we are not told the time frame of the original creation of these elements. Therefore, verse 16 must be correctly translated that God HAD already made the sun, moon and stars. Then on the fourth day God eliminated all the smoke and dust so that the sun, moon and stars could be viewed again in full clarity and strength.

“Reading verses 14 and 15 again, ‘Then God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night…and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth.’ In other words, let them become fully visible. Until then they divided nothing, as there was still a lot of smoke and ashes. Commentator R.K. Harrison, in his ‘Introduction to the Old Testament,’ points out that Genesis 1 is written as if the writer was on the earth at the time he wrote, and describes the phases of re-creation in the way he would have seen them. From that standpoint, the writer would have seen the sun, moon and stars on the fourth day when God removed the darkness caused by the fallout…”

But even though, are we to believe that the long day of Joshua really occurred? The Bible teaches this very clearly as a fact. For instance, in Habakkuk 3:11, the account of Joshua’s long day is reiterated as being factual, stating: “The sun and moon stood still in their habitation.” Of course, since the moon rotates around the earth, it can very well stand still. As to the sun, it would appear that way to man on earth (compare Psalm 19:4-6).

Some have rejected the account of Joshua’s long day, labeling it a scientific impossibility, while others claim that suddenly stopping the earth’s rotation would have caused great tidal waves in the seas, or some other great natural disasters. But the fact that the warfare between Israel and their enemies continued during the long day seems to refute the concept of a great worldwide natural disaster. Does this mean, then, that the long day of Joshua did not occur?

There exists a claim about NASA computers having confirmed the biblical account of the long day of Joshua. As one of many Internet accounts describes it: “The most common version of the story is that some years ago, NASA scientists were doing some advanced computer computations to determine the positions of the sun, planets, and stars. In the course of completing these calculations, the computers ground to a halt. As scientists investigated the problem, they found that the computers had discovered a day was missing. The team was totally frustrated and unable to solve the problem. Then a member of the team, who was a Christian, recalled that the Bible tells of a missing day… Then… the NASA team was able to account for 23 hours and 20 minutes of the missing time. But what about the remaining 40 minutes? Well, it was further pointed out that 2 Kings [20:9-11] states [that the shadow went ten degrees backward]. This 10-degree movement would precisely account for that missing 40 minutes!”

However, many claim that this whole story is a hoax, and as we will see, it would not even confirm the biblical account. First, we are told that “this type of tale dates back to the late 1800s” and that “in order to detect any ‘missing time,’ we would need an accurate earth-based clock with which to compare our astronomical observations. Otherwise, how could you know anything was missing at all? However, accurate earth-based clocks do not go back to the time of Joshua. Nor do we have precisely-timed astronomical observations from that time…”

In addition, the biblical account speaks of a long day, not a missing day, which is a big difference and has consequences for our understanding of the calendar. Further, NASA has reportedly denied the entire story and has said that there is no existing documentation pursuant to such discovery. Also, the modern originator of the story, Mr. Harold Hill, President of the Curtis Engine Co. in Baltimore, Maryland, has been repeatedly asked to produce written evidence of his claims, which he stated he had at one time, but subsequently lost.

As no collaborating evidence exists; NASA apparently denies the entire story; the belief in a missing day (as opposed to the biblical long day) existed long before the alleged scientific findings; and the probability of reconstructing scientifically the existence of a missing day is rather remote; we would need to conclude that the entire story is not believable.

On the other hand, non-biblical records seem to collaborate the biblical account of Joshua’s long day. According to some researchers, Chinese history speaks of Yao, their king, declaring that in his reign the sun stood so long above the horizon that it was feared the world would have been set on fire, and it is claimed that the reign of Yao corresponds with the age of Joshua. Other researchers claim that the Incas of Peru and the Aztecs of Mexico have a similar record, and that there is a Babylonian and a Persian legend of a day that was miraculously extended. Allegedly, Herodotus recounts that the priests of Egypt showed him their temple records, and that there he read a strange account of a day that was twice the natural length. We are also told that there is a Greek myth of Apollo’s son, Phaethon, who disrupted the sun’s course for a day.

Cultures on the opposite side of the world have legends of a long night. The New Zealand Maori people have a myth about how their hero Maui slowed the sun before it rose. Further, a record purportedly exists in the Mexican Annals of Cuauhtitlan–the history of the empire of Culhuacan and Mexico, written in Nahua-Indian in the sixteenth century–stating that during a cosmic catastrophe that occurred in the remote past, the night did not end for a long time.

In any event, scientific skepticism in no way disputes the accuracy of the biblical account that at the time of Joshua, there was a long day.

The Ryrie Study Bible discusses the different views that have been advanced regarding the phenomenon, including the argument that the daylight was prolonged “by some sort of unusual refraction of the sun’s rays. Thus, there were more daylight hours but no more hours of the day. Another view supposes a prolonging of semi-darkness… indicating that the sun was clouded by [a] storm and no extra hours were added.” The idea is that the sun stopped shining, not that it stopped moving (see the Nelson Study Bible). Both views must be rejected as clearly contradicting the biblical account (Note especially Joshua 10:13, which is again written from a human perspective: “… So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day.”).

The preferred view is that “the normal rotation of the earth” was suspended “so that there were extra hours that day… The Hebrew word for “stood still’ (v. 13) is a verb of motion, indicating a slowing or stopping of the rotation of the earth.” The commentary goes on to suggest that the slowing or stopping of the rotation refers to the rotation of the earth “on its axis (which would not affect the earth’s movement around the sun).” But there is no reason to assume that the rotation of the earth around the sun was not also stopped or slowed down. The Life Application Bible writes:

“.. we are not confused when someone tells us the sun rises or sets. The point is that the day was prolonged… A slowing of the earth’s normal rotation gave Joshua more time, as the original Hebrew language seems to indicate.”

In “The Bible Story” which was written and illustrated by Basil Wolverton and published under the auspices of the Worldwide Church of God, the following is written in volume IV, page 66, copyright 1964:

“… two or three hours after Joshua’s unusual request to God the Israelites began to be aware that the sun was still in a morning position! As the afternoon wore on while Israel kept up the bloody pursuit, it was noted with increasing awe that the sun still had not moved. In fact, it stayed in the midst of the sky for so long that daylight was extended by about twelve hours! (Verse 13). Did God actually stop the Earth from rotating for twelve hours? We are not told. With God all things are possible. If this planet suddenly ceased turning, God must have performed a whole series of tremendous miracles to keep everything in place on the surface of the Earth (which is turning at a speed of [approximately] one thousand miles an hour at the equator) from being destroyed. There was never another day like this one.”

As mentioned above, it appears that there were no great natural disasters, apart from large hailstones being cast down from heaven to destroy Israel’s enemies. These hailstones could refer to an encounter with meteorites, as we suggest on page 31 of our free booklet on “The Theory of Evolution–A Fairy Tale for Adults?,” but this cannot really explain sufficiently why the earth stopped rotating. Still, if God can stop or slow down the rotation of the earth around the sun or on its axis, or however else He worked it out that the day was prolonged, then He can most certainly prevent that natural catastrophes would occur as a consequence.

Others have wondered whether Joshua’s long day would have changed the calendar and transferred Saturday to Sunday. But the days are determined by God from sunset to sunset. Although that particular day lasted a longer time period than usual, until the sun set, it was still the same day. This shows that the Bible does not speak of a “missing” day–just of an unusually long day.

In the above-mentioned work, “The Bible Story,” we continue to read:

“Many religious leaders have argued that time was lost back at the battle near Gibeon, and that as a result the Sabbath was moved from Saturday to Sunday. Not so. That day did not become another day. It was merely an extra-long day of 36 hours.”

We don’t know exactly how God performed this miracle, but we do know that He did. We don’t dare questioning the inspired Word of God, only because we may not have all the “scientific answers” as to how such a miracle might have been performed. Let us remember the words of Jesus Christ to the unbelieving Thomas: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:7 that we “walk by faith, not by sight,” adding in 1 Corinthians 1:21 that the wise of the world through their scientific wisdom do not know or believe God, as the truth sounds foolish to them.  Finally, in Hebrews 11:3, Paul confounds or puts to shame all the astronomers and evolutionists who try to explain and theorize how the universe might have come into existence, when he writes: “By faith we understand that the worlds [the universe] were framed by the Word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.”

The long day of Joshua occurred, as even non-biblical records seem to support. It manifests the unlimited power of God (Luke 1:37; 18:27). If we believe that nothing is impossible for Him, then we understand that the miracle at Gibeon really happened, and we also know that with God’s help, nothing will be impossible for us (Matthew 17:20).

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

A new Member Letter has been written by Brian Gale. In this letter, Mr. Gale reviews the reasons for the fall of Rome and other powerful societies throughout history, showing that the very same problems are now engulfing leading nations of our time.

“Japan and Germany-Pacifists No More!” is the title of the new StandingWatch program presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is the summary: Japan and Germany are moving away from pacifism, as was prophesied in the Bible. Japan’s new cabinet has been described by the Economist as a cabinet of radical nationalists. Fourteen members honor the souls or spirits of dead warriors which are supposedly housed in the Shinzo shrine. Germany, on the other hand, is already the world’s third-biggest arms exporter, according to the New York Times. Few realize that we are approaching an all-encompassing World War. Still fewer understand what spiritual powers are behind these developments. 
 
“Ein Leben ohne Angst und Furcht?” is the title of this week’s German language sermon. The English title is: “Living Without Fear?” This sermon discusses all kinds of human fears and how to overcome them.

On January 5, 2013, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “The Key To Godliness.” 
 
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.

When the lights go out and we are left in the pitch black, typically the first thing we search for is a source of light – a flashlight, a candle, etc.  Without light, we are prone to stumble and fumble.  Sometimes the smallest things will trip us up in our quest to find what we are looking for.  Also, along the way we will grasp several wrong items as we probe for the right one.

Spiritually speaking, the same condition currently exists today.  There is a pitch black that has descended upon this world. Because of it, people are wandering blindly, grabbing and taking a hold of whatever they run into, believing it to be a means of helping themselves.     

In the darkness, they have grabbed a hold of guns for protection; politicians or parties for guidance; money for deliverance; man-made or contrived philosophies for salvation; science for true knowledge; war for accomplishing peace; poisons for healing; the unjust for justice; and the list goes on and on as the blind continue to follow the blind.

The world as an overwhelming whole has rejected the ONE thing that can shed light on these subjects and give us the answers we are looking for: God and His Way as outlined by the Bible.  Of course, those who have not read and studied the pages of the “Owner’s Manual” will scoff at the idea that this could possibly be the solution for the ills of mankind.

Isaiah describes the condition of man in this way: “Therefore justice is far from us, Nor does righteousness overtake us; We look for light, but there is darkness! For brightness, but we walk in blackness! We grope for the wall like the blind, And we grope as if we had no eyes; We stumble at noonday as at twilight; We are as dead men in desolate places” (Isaiah 59:9-10).

BUT, before we begin to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to, we need to reflect on whether we still have blind-spots, things God wants us to see, but that we cannot notice because we are not walking completely in the light?  Do we see everything clearly that we need to, or is it vague because we have not come completely out of the shadows?

We were once floundering in the dark, trying out the misdirected ways of the world, but God in His mercy has turned on the light for us, “in the hope that [we] might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us…” (Acts 17:27).

We are beginning with the embarrassing, confusing and contradictory reporting of the media on the fiscal cliff—first, there was a deal, then there was none, then there might have been one after all… and on and on it went. Finally, a “deal” was agreed to by the Senate and the House, but the problems are far from over. We are presenting just a few excerpts of the convoluted mess and the still looming nightmare, showing America’s inability to govern itself. In any event, it became obvious that regardless of the deal, the Obamacare regulations—highly praised by the left and liberals—are going to prove disastrous for those who need health-care assistance the most.

We are focusing on governmental laws and regulations in the USA which are—in the opinion of some—dangerous and unworthy of America, and continue with a warning that the leadership role of America will be taken away from it, as it was previously taken away from Great Britain.

In other news, we are reporting on Germany’s correct view on the survival of the euro, even though some feel that there is still trouble ahead for the Eurozone; and we conclude with CNN moderator Piers Morgan’s flawed understanding of the Bible and the rise of interreligious marriages among Muslims, Jews and Christians.

Compromise in Washington—but the Problems Remain…

The Washington Post wrote on January 1, 2013:

“Congress approved a plan to end Washington’s long drama over the ‘fiscal cliff’ late Tuesday after House Republicans surrendered to President Obama’s demand to let taxes rise on the nation’s richest households… the vote came less than 24 hours after the Senate overwhelmingly approved the legislation…

“The bill will… shield millions of middle-class taxpayers from tax increases set to take effect this month. But it also will let rates rise on wages and investment profits for households pulling in more than $450,000 a year, marking the first time in more than two decades that a broad tax increase has been approved with GOP support. The measure also will keep benefits flowing to 2 million unemployed workers on the verge of losing their federal checks. And it will delay for two months automatic cuts to the Pentagon and other agencies that had been set to take effect Wednesday…

“Conservatives complained bitterly that the legislation would raise taxes without making any significant cuts in government spending. For much of the day, the measure appeared headed for defeat as Boehner contemplated tacking on billions in spending cuts, a move that would have derailed a compromise that the White House and Senate leaders had carefully crafted. In the end, GOP lawmakers decided not to take a gamble that could force the nation to face historic tax increases for virtually every American — and leave House Republicans to take the blame…

“The bill drew 85 votes from Republicans and 172 from Democrats, meaning well more than half of its support came from the Democratic minority. With 151 Republicans voting ‘no,’ the GOP tally fell far short of a majority of the GOP caucus. That broke a long-standing preference by Boehner to advance only bills that could draw the support of a majority of his Republican members. In a sign of the moment’s gravity, Boehner himself cast a rare vote: He supported the bill. So did Rep. Paul Ryan (Wis.), the GOP’s vice-presidential candidate last year, who parted ways from Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), a potential 2016 presidential contender, who voted against the measure.

“But other top GOP leaders voted no, including Majority Leader Eric Cantor (Va.) and Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (Calif.). Boehner was humiliated just two weeks ago when the Republican rank-and-file refused to support a GOP alternative that would have permitted taxes to rise only on income over $1 million a year. But when he scheduled a vote on the Senate bill, even some of the chamber’s staunchest conservatives agreed that giving up the fight was probably the best course…

“Obama… warned again that he would not negotiate with Republicans over the $16.4 trillion debt limit, which must be raised in the coming weeks… The measure will protect more than 100 million families earning less than $250,000 a year from significant income tax increases set to take effect this month — although their payroll taxes will rise with the expiration of a temporary tax cut adopted two years ago… Neither party was entirely happy with the bill.”

And they should not be. The problems were only delayed… not solved.

More Fights Ahead…

The Independent wrote on January 1:

“The ‘fiscal cliff’ was designed by Washington for Washington — it was intended to set up a scenario so severe that the president and Congress would, at last, have to take on the nation’s major tax and spending problems. Instead, lawmakers again found a way to sidestep many of the prickliest issues and in the process set up other, potentially more severe, showdowns in the new year… [The deal] will nevertheless give way to a nearly continuous series of fights that will consume the first part of the year, even as President Barack Obama might hope to shift Congress’s attention to immigration reform and gun control…

“The next big deadline is likely to come around the end of February, when the Treasury Department will exhaust the measures now in place to extend the nation’s $16.4 trillion debt ceiling. At that point, the government will not be able to pay its bills unless Congress votes to raise the nation’s legal borrowing limit. Republicans hope to use that moment to force Obama and congressional Democrats to agree to major spending cuts in return for the increase — in what could be a sequel to the contentious face-off over the debt limit in the summer of 2011… in early March [will] come another deadline: the $110 billion cut in spending, half from the Pentagon, delayed as part of this deal. A month or so later — on March 27 — a short-term measure that funds government agencies will lapse. Without a renewal, the government will shut down, setting up another possible showdown.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 2, 2013:

“Lawmakers now have two months, according to media reports, to follow up on the stop-gap measures with legislation, in particular on future budgetary cuts. This is likely to pit the Republican-dominated House of Representatives against Obama’s administration… In the words of one Twitter user: ‘To all of you who think it’s done. It’s not. It’s just been pushed back.’”

No Victory for Anybody

On January 1, 2013, Newsmax reported:

“Media baron Rupert Murdoch doesn’t see the Senate’s fiscal cliff vote early Tuesday as a victory for anybody, especially President Obama. Indeed, he tweets, the deal overwhelmingly passed by the Senate is likely to tank the economy.”

The Drudge Report posted the following on January 1:

“According to the Congressional Budget Office, the last-minute fiscal cliff deal reached by congressional leaders and President Barack Obama cuts only $15 billion in spending while increasing tax revenues by $620 billion—a 41:1 ratio of tax increases to spending cuts. When Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush increased taxes in return for spending cuts—cuts that never ultimately came—they did so at ratios of 1:3 and 1:2.

“‘In 1982, President Reagan was promised $3 in spending cuts for every $1 in tax hikes,’ Americans for Tax Reform says of those two incidents. ‘The tax hikes went through, but the spending cuts did not materialize. President Reagan later said that signing onto this deal was the biggest mistake of his presidency. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush agreed to $2 in spending cuts for every $1 in tax hikes. The tax hikes went through, and we are still paying them today. Not a single penny of the promised spending cuts actually happened.’”

The terrible game of all players involved and the fact that they could not even reach earlier, until the very last hour, some kind of an “agreement” or better compromise which does not satisfy many Republicans or Democrats, sends an awful and shocking signal to the rest of the world. The USA—a country which is supposed by many to lead the world—has manifested itself as being unable to solve its own problems in a decent and timely manner, let alone the problems of others.

Washington Damages the Country and Threatens the World

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung wrote on January 2:

“The annual ritual of expiring deadlines and compromises in the middle of the night has long since become a tiresome farce that no one is interested in seeing any longer. … The political theater is damaging the country both domestically and abroad. Querulousness and anger are growing among the people because the national leadership in Washington isn’t in a position to solve the country’s biggest problems: the mountain of debt, the budget deficit, unemployment, the education crisis, aging infrastructure and the explosion of costs in the health care and pension systems.

“This political paralysis could stifle economic recovery. The national debt, which now exceeds the annual economic output of the country, also threatens national security. President Obama’s first term was characterized by procrastination and retreat when it came to foreign and security policy — from Iraq to Afghanistan to Libya and Syria. And without Washington’s leadership, what is to become of the ‘peace process’ in the Middle East and the Arab Spring?…”

Die Tageszeitung wrote on January 2:

“Precious little has been gained… In Washington today, the main mission of politics is obstruction. All sides are acting as though the only conceivable form of politics is constantly relying on emergency measures in a panic.”

A Superpower Is Losing Its Way

Der Spiegel Online wrote on January 2:

“The US has managed to avoid plunging off the fiscal cliff — for now. But the compromise is not meant to last and Washington will once again be faced with tough budgetary negotiations in several weeks… Washington’s last-minute compromise is far from being a breakthrough. And there will be many other last-minute negotiations in the coming months… In February, for example, the country will reach its debt ceiling; shortly after that, the austerity time bomb that was just now avoided will begin ticking again.

“We are, in short, witnessing a superpower losing its way in a maze of details… The Disunited States of America. And this despite the long list of tasks that urgently need addressing…”

Taxes Will Go Up…

American for Tax Reform (atr.org) reported on December 31:

“On January 1, regardless of the outcome of fiscal cliff negotiations, Americans will be hit with a $1 trillion Obamacare tax hike. Obamacare contains twenty new or higher taxes. Five of the taxes hit for the first time on January 1. In total, Americans face a net $1 trillion tax hike for the years 2013-2022, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

“The five major Obamacare taxes taking effect on January 1 are as follows:

“The Obamacare Medical Device Tax: Medical device manufacturers employ 409,000 people in 12,000 plants across the country. Obamacare imposes a new 2.3 percent excise tax on gross sales – even if the company does not earn a profit in a given year. In addition to killing small business jobs and impacting research and development budgets, this will increase the cost of your health care – making everything from pacemakers to artificial hips more expensive.

“The Obamacare Flex Account Tax: The 30-35 million Americans who use a pre-tax Flexible Spending Account (FSA) at work to pay for their family’s basic medical needs will face a new government cap of $2500. This will squeeze $13 billion of tax money from Americans over the next ten years. (Currently, the accounts are unlimited under federal law, though employers are allowed to set a cap.)

“There is one group of FSA owners for whom this new cap will be particularly cruel and onerous: parents of special needs children. There are several million families with special needs children in the United States, and many of them use FSAs to pay for special needs education. Tuition rates at one leading school that teaches special needs children in Washington, D.C. (National Child Research Center) can easily exceed $14,000 per year. Under tax rules, FSA dollars can be used to pay for this type of special needs education. This Obamacare tax provision will limit the options available to these families.

“The Obamacare Surtax on Investment Income: This is a new, 3.8 percentage point surtax on investment income earned in households making at least $250,000 ($200,000 single)…

“The Obamacare ‘Haircut’ for Medical Itemized Deductions: Currently, those Americans facing high medical expenses are allowed a deduction to the extent that those expenses exceed 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income (AGI). This tax increase imposes a threshold of 10 percent of AGI. By limiting this deduction, Obamacare widens the net of taxable income for the sickest Americans. This tax provision will most harm near retirees and those with modest incomes but high medical bills.

“The Obamacare Medicare Payroll Tax Hike: The Medicare payroll tax is currently 2.9 percent on all wages and self-employment profits. Under this tax hike, wages and profits exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 in the case of married couples) will face a 3.8 percent rate instead. This is a direct marginal income tax hike on small business owners, who are liable for self-employment tax in most cases.”

But we were told that Obamacare will serve the needy and that it is just and equitable. Surprise, surprise…

Bloomberg added on December 31, 2012:

“The budget deal passed by the U.S. Senate today would raise taxes on 77.1 percent of U.S. households, mostly because of the expiration of a payroll tax cut, according to preliminary estimates from the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center in Washington… More than 80 percent of households with incomes between $50,000 and $200,000 would pay higher taxes. Among the households facing higher taxes, the average increase would be $1,635, the policy center said. A 2 percent payroll tax cut, enacted during the economic slowdown, is being allowed to expire as of yesterday.”

Warrantless Intercept Program Extended Behind Closed Doors

The Associated Press reported on December 31:

“President Barack Obama has signed into law a five-year extension of the U.S. government’s authority to monitor the overseas activity of suspected foreign spies and terrorists. The warrantless intercept program would have expired at the end of 2012 without the president’s approval. The renewal bill won final passage in the Senate on Friday. Known as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the law allows the government to monitor overseas phone calls and emails without obtaining a court order for each intercept. The law does not apply to Americans. When Americans are targeted for surveillance, the government must get a warrant from a special 11-judge court of U.S. district judges appointed by the Supreme Court.”

At least this is what the law says…

America an Orwellian State

Rt.com wrote on December 28:

“Americans are living in an Orwellian state argue Academy Award-winning director Oliver Stone and historian Peter Kuznick, as they sit down with RT to discuss US foreign policy and the Obama administration’s disregard for the rule of law. Both argue that Obama is a wolf in sheep’s clothing and that people have forgiven him a lot because of the ‘nightmare of the Bush presidency that preceded him.’… According to Kuznick, American citizens live in a fish tank where their government intercepts more than 1.7 billion messages a day. ‘That is email, telephone calls, other forms of communication.’

­“Oliver Stone [said:] ‘… we are going into the second administration that is living outside the law and does not respect the law and foundations of our system and he is a constitutional lawyer, you know. Without the law, it is the law of the jungle. Nuremburg existed for a reason and there was a reason to have trials, there is a reason for due process – “habeas corpus” as they call it in the United States… There has been a blind worship of the military and patriotism. I strongly believe in the strong military, but to defend our country, not to invade other countries and to conquer the world. I think there is a huge difference that has been forgotten: morality. Once you take the laws away, as Einstein once said famously, the country does not obey its laws, the laws would be disrespected. So it seems that the fundamental morality has been lost on us somewhere on the way recently and now it is what is effective… Does the end justify the means? No, it never did.

“[Peter Kuznick added:]  ‘Why are people so uninformed?… If people don’t understand their history, then they don’t have any vision of the future and what is possible. If they think what exists now – the tyranny of now – is all that is possible, then they can’t dream about the future. They can’t imagine the future that is different from the present… people have to understand the past because if you study the past then you can envision a future that is very different.’”

­Some of what is being said should be taken note of.

Controversial New Laws

NBC News wrote on January 1:

“The images out of Washington state toward the end of 2012 — all-night parties celebrating legalized pot and same-sex marriage — sparked hope among liberal activists that the tide has turned on these two issues… Beyond pot and same-sex marriage, Washington also allows physician-assisted suicide (as do Oregon and Montana) and was one of four states that decriminalized abortion before Roe v. Wade in 1971…

“Given their success in Washington and Colorado, Drug Policy Action is looking to push similar campaigns in California and Oregon in 2014 or 2016. Both states have legalized medical marijuana and in California, medical pot has becoming [sic] a booming business since it was approved in 1996. [It is] estimated that Californians consume one million pounds of pot a year…

“Washington may not be so far ahead of the rest of the country on social issues such as pot and same-sex marriage, according to Mark Smith, who teaches political science at the University of Washington…Smith said [:] ‘The whole nation is trending; we’re just further along than the rest of the country.’”

We are sometimes asked what the position of the Church is in those matters. Of course, we are not engaging in politics, but we strictly teach God’s viewpoint on social issues, as revealed in Scripture. The Bible does not allow for same-sex marriages, assisted suicide, abortion or health-damaging measures, such as consuming unclean meat or smoking. In regard to pot or marijuana, we ought to distinguish between medically-prescribed necessary treatments for certain illnesses (but even then, great caution is advised and it is the decision of the individual, after thorough investigation, whether or not to engage in such conduct) and the use of pot for non-medical reasons, which should not be done under any circumstance. Pot has a whole lot of negative press and that not without solid cause. Pot seems to be a drug that has led some into demonic experiences or exposure. The ingesting of pot is primarily through smoking, but regardless, it seems to be a drug that causes some bad and sometimes permanent problems.

Change in Global Order

The Guardian wrote on December 30:

“For Britain, a proud imperial power holding sway over vast territories spanning the globe, and for the other dominant European empires, 1913 was the year it all began to go wrong. Will 2013 bring similarly epic transformations in the current world order? As was the case a century ago, seeds of change can be discerned…

“Britain oversaw the biggest, wealthiest maritime empire ever known. London was the largest port in the world; Liverpool the second largest. Estimates suggest up to a fifth of the world’s population, and perhaps a quarter of its land mass, were under direct or indirect British rule…

“The first total or world war, which engulfed Europe the following year, may be said with hindsight to have changed everything. As generations of young men were slaughtered on the western and eastern fronts, old certainties and prejudices… crumbled… As was to happen again in 1941, the US found it impossible to stay out of the war, and Wilson sent his troops to France…

“The collapse of the old order proved irreparable. Three competing governance models – communism, fascism, and capitalism – produced another, even more murderous conflict only 20 years after the last. The second world war and its aftermath confirmed the passing of Britain as a global power and in effect entrenched the true heirs to the age of empire…

“Making predictions is a chancy business. But 2013, like 1913, could prove the precursor to another seminal turning point in the global order. China is rapidly approaching the point when the size of its economy will surpass that of the US. Its military capability is expanding hand over fist and so, too, is the confidence with which it asserts its sovereign and territorial claims… With overriding economic power inevitably comes political dominance, and the US, like Britain before it, will have to get used to the change…”

Even though China will play a dominant role in the years to come, the main power bloc will be a United States of core Europe under German leadership.

German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble Optimistic that the Worst Is Over for Europe

The Local wrote on December 28:

“German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble said he believes the embattled eurozone is already past the peak of its three-year-long debt crisis, citing positive developments in Greece and France. He also expressed optimism about the pace of reform in fellow eurozone powerhouse France, saying Paris ‘was well aware that every country must constantly carry out reforms in order to stay competitive.’ Schäuble, 70, appeared more optimistic on what lies ahead for the eurozone than Chancellor Angela Merkel who has steadfastly refused to sound the all-clear… French President Francois Hollande has repeatedly said the eurozone crisis, which has at times threatened the very existence of the 17-country currency union, was past.”

However, as Deutsche Welle reported on December 31, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is less optimistic. In her New Year’s address, she stated: “I know that many are also heading into the new year with trepidation. And indeed, the economic environment next year will not be easier, but more difficult. That should not discourage us, but – on the contrary – serve as an incentive.” The Local added on December 31 that Mrs. Merkel also said: “The crisis is a long way from being beaten…  it has been possible this year to have the lowest unemployment and the highest level of employment since reunification…  the reforms that we have decided are beginning to work. However, we still need more patience. The crisis is a long way from being overcome.”

There may still be tough times ahead for Europe, but it is absolutely certain that the euro will survive and become one of the strongest, if not THE strongest currency in the world. Please view our new StandingWatch program, “Trouble Ahead—May God Help Us!”

Euro Pessimists Like Krugman Proven Wrong

The Globe and Mail wrote on December 28:

“Back in May, as the euro zone veered deeper into crisis, Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman penned one of his gloomiest columns about the single currency, a piece in the New York Times entitled ‘Apocalypse Fairly Soon’. ‘Suddenly, it has become easy to see how the euro – that grand, flawed experiment in monetary union without political union – could come apart at the seams,’ Mr. Krugman wrote. ‘We’re not talking about a distant prospect, either. Things could fall apart with stunning speed, in a matter of months, not years.’

“Mr. Krugman was far from being alone in predicting imminent doom for the euro in 2012. Billionaire investor George Soros told a conference in Italy in early June that Germany had a mere three-month window to avert European disaster. Then in July, Willem Buiter, chief economist at Citigroup and former Bank of England policy maker, raised the probability that Greece would leave the euro to 90 per cent, even going so far as to provide a date on which it might occur. Mr. Buiter’s D-Day – Jan. 1, 2013 – falls next week. And yet no one now believes a ‘Grexit’, or catastrophic implosion of the euro zone for that matter, is just around the corner.

“Half a year ago the chorus calling an end to the euro reached a crescendo. Among the chief doom-mongers were some of the world’s leading economists and investors, many of them based in the United States. Fast forward six months and their prophesies look ill-judged, or premature at the least. The euro has rebounded against the U.S. dollar. The bond yields of stricken countries like Greece, Spain and Italy – a market gauge of how risky these countries are – have fallen back. Even the gloomiest of the gloomy are revising their forecasts, although they warn of more trouble ahead. ‘Europe has surprised me with its political resilience,’ Mr. Krugman admitted earlier this month…

“With the benefit of hindsight, it seems clear that many simply underestimated the political will in Europe to keep the euro together, and the impact that a series of policy shifts in the second half of 2012 would have on sentiment. The most important of these were European Central Bank President Mario Draghi’s July promise to do ‘whatever it takes’ to defend the euro – which led to the ECB’s commitment to buy euro zone government bonds in sufficient amounts to shore up the currency bloc – and German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s late-summer shift on Greece…

“‘There may be a logic to Greece leaving, but the mechanics are too disruptive for both Greece and its neighbours,” said Barry Eichengreen, an economist at U.C. Berkeley, who has long argued that the euro is irreversible. ‘An appreciation of European politics makes you realize that everything will be done to prevent a breakup of the monetary union. It would be intensely catastrophic, economically and politically.’

“Capital Economics, a U.K.-based consultancy that forecast one or more countries would leave the single currency bloc by the end of 2012, now concedes that it underestimated the ECB’s determination to save the euro and the market’s faith in the bank’s promises… Prominent investors have also paid a price for betting against the euro zone this year. Earlier this month celebrated U.S. hedge fund manager John Paulson blamed big losses suffered in 2012 on his bets that the sovereign debt crisis would worsen. For those who placed their chips on the other side of the table, there were stellar returns of around 80 per cent to be had on 10-year Greek and Portuguese government bonds this year.

“Nouriel Roubini, the New York University economist whose bearish forecasts earned him the nickname “Dr. Doom”, has been in the gloom camp from the beginning, predicting as far back as 2010 that countries would be forced to abandon the single currency. Now he says the risks of a near-term catastrophe have been reduced. Reflecting the more cautious view of many of his colleagues, Roubini believes 2013 will be another year in which European politicians ‘muddle through’, avoiding catastrophe…

“Mr. Krugman, while expressing surprise at Europe’s ability to avert disaster in 2012, isn’t backing off his predictions of gloom… In his recent blog post ‘Bleeding Europe’, he likens the austerity imposed on countries like Greece, Portugal, Spain and Ireland to ‘medieval medicine’ in which patients were bled to treat their ailments. When the bleeding made them sicker, they were bled some more. Even if the euro has defied forecasts of its demise, the economics of austerity, Mr. Krugman says, are playing out ‘exactly according to script.’”

And so, Mr. Krugman and the other self-proclaimed economic prophets of doom and demise of the euro will be proven wrong once again. They might have underestimated Europe’s will to succeed, but they most certainly did not consider God’s Will in the matter. God has prophesied long ago—in the pages of the Bible—that Europe will become one more time, in these last days, a most powerful entity—economically, politically and militarily—which necessitates a common currency. And we are far too late in the time line of biblical prophecies as to observe the abandonment of the euro and the reinvention of the entire wheel of European unification.

Piers Morgan and the Bible

The Daily Mail wrote on December 28:

“CNN host Piers Morgan has said he believes the Bible and the U.S. Constitution are ‘inherently flawed’ and that the Bible needs an amendment changing its stance on same-sex marriage. The bold statements come days after the British journalist divided America with his strict stance on gun laws following the Sandy Hook massacre, even sparking e-petitions to deport him.

“While interviewing Pastor Rick Warren on his CNN show, he said: ‘Both the Bible and the Constitution were well intentioned but they are basically, inherently flawed. Hence, the need to amend it.’ Warren, who is against same-sex marriage replied: ‘Not a chance. What I believe is flawed is human opinion, because it constantly changes’…

“His remarks sparked anger among conservatives, including Paul Kengor, the executive director of The Center for Vision and Values at Grove City College. ‘It’s remarkable to watch secular liberals like Piers Morgan assume unto themselves the extraordinary authority to divine what in the Bible is true and what is not, what is flawed and what is not, and where certain “amendments” supposedly need to occur,’ he told Fox News.”

Even though Piers Morgan had a point when advocating gun control of assault weapons, he is terribly wrong when it comes to his understanding of the Bible. Unfortunately, Pastor Warren’s responses were not of great help, either. When reading the entire transcript, he seemed to be distinguishing between the “moral law” (the Bible never uses this term) and other laws, without explaining which is which. For a better understanding, please read our free booklet, “And Lawlessness Will Abound…”

Interreligious Marriages

Al Jazeera wrote on December 31:

“Islam is the United Kingdom’s fastest-growing religion, and the country’s Muslim population has nearly doubled in the past decade. As the number of British Muslims increases, some are deviating from the faith’s traditional norms. Many Muslim women in the UK now walk a tightrope between their Islamic culture and British identity.

“Britain’s diversity has spawned financially independent Muslim women who appear to be challenging their cultural and religious boundaries. Radically, challenging their boundaries has meant that growing numbers are choosing to marry out their faith…

“Most religious scholars agree that Islam permits Muslim men to marry ‘women of the book’ – Christians or Jews – thus expanding the number of potential partners to choose from. Muslim women, on the other hand, are forbidden to marry a non-Muslim unless her partner converts to Islam, say purists. Some men nominally convert to Islam in order to appease their partner’s family.

“Imam Taj Hargey of the Muslim Educational Centre of Oxford is an exception… he argues: ‘There is no verse in the Holy Quran that bans Muslim women from marrying non-Muslim men. Almighty God would have revealed explicit directives if Muslim women were not allowed to marry outside the faith,’ he says. ‘As Muslim men are entitled to marry women from the People of the Book who are not Muslim [Surah al-Maidah 5:5], the same right must be afforded to Muslim women as Islam is a gender-equal religion.’”

While interfaith marriages become more common among Muslims, Jews and Christians, the Bible specifically tells us that a converted Christian is to marry “only in the Lord”—that is, only a converted Christian (1 Corinthians 7:39).

In the previous Q&A, we explained, among other things, that a Christian is not to get involved in political campaigns or vote in governmental elections, and that he is not to participate or support rebellious uprisings. This fact will be discussed further in this Q&A as well. The question may arise then as to when human authority is established in God’s eyes; in other words, when do successful rebels constitute such authority which we must be subject to?

The commentary of Blunt, “The Annotated Bible,” addresses this issue in the following manner:

“… ‘be subject unto’ [as stated in Romans 13:1]: This word… means literally, ‘to range oneself under,’ and is opposed to the word rendered ‘resisteth’… which means, ‘to range oneself against in battle array.’ The one indicates loyalty on the part of citizens of a country to the sovereign authority of that country, the other indicates rebellion against it.

“… even when kings and their subordinates seem to be acting most independently [from God], they are but exercising so much power as they are permitted to exercise, working out within appointed limits such results as are in accordance with the general plan and purpose of God.

“… if we could see history mapped out before us, we should know how even the wars and misgovernments of the world are permitted… and not left to run their course without any control from above. Thus the cruel wars and tyrannical conquests out of which the universal empire of Rome grew [as well as its subsequent ten revivals in Europe] was a preparation of the [coming] universal kingdom of God…

“These existing powers were those of the Roman Empire, at the head of which was the Emperor Nero, one of the most unworthy and wicked sovereigns that ever sat upon a throne. The fact that such a sovereign is spoken of in this manner is very significant, for it shows that whatever the personal character of a ruler may be, his official position constitutes him a delegate of the Divine Ruler of all…”

This brings up the thorny issue of rebellion against and assassination of wicked rulers. Even though humanly understandable, it must be said that the Bible does not support the killing of an evil ruler through subjects and citizens, however noble the motives might be. To give an example of recent history, the attempts to assassinate Adolf Hitler or the killing of Muammar Gadhafi would not be justified by biblical injunctions. (Of course, a true Christian is not to participate in any violent action against others in the first place, including in war. See our Q&A on the issue of “Christian warfare”)

Even more to the point, when does a movement of rebels cease to be against constituted government?

The commentary continues:

“The independence of the great American republic was constitutionally acknowledged by the sovereign to whom it had previously been subject; the emperor Napoleon seated himself upon a throne which had been practically vacated before he came upon the scene of strife… But it is evident that a willing submission to successful rebels cannot be a duty until that success is established … by the practical extinction of opposition on the part of those against whom the rebellion has been raised.”

Both in the case of the American Revolution and Napoleon’s usurpation of the throne, godly providence can clearly be seen in action, based on biblical prophecies which had to be fulfilled. A good example of wrongful submission to a rebel would be the uprising of Absalom against his father, King David. Even though King David fled temporarily from Jerusalem, he was still the godly ordained and established king, and any loyalty to Absalom against David would have been misplaced. At the same time, we must realize that Absalom’s uprising was in direct consequence of David’s sins of adultery with Bathsheba and his murder of her husband Uriah, and thus constituted God’s punishment (compare 2 Samuel 12:9-12).

We must also realize that God will sometimes use rebellious uprisings to displace an evil ruler. However, this fact does not justify actively supporting such uprisings or voting for rebels, nor would it justify voting for the evil king whom God wants to replace. The Christian role is to be one of an observer and announcer, not one of a participant. Note, for example, the violent and rebellious uprising, pursuant to God’s Will, in 1 Kings 11:9-11, 26-40; 12:1-24. However, the rebels led by Solomon’s servant Jeroboam against King Solomon and Solomon’s son, King Rehoboam, were in no way more righteous than the ones against whom they rebelled. In fact, when Jeroboam became king over the house of Israel (while Rehoboam remained king over the house of Judah), he instituted idolatry and, according to many records, abolished the observance of the Sabbath and replaced it with Sunday worship. Compare our Q&A on Sunday worship in the house of Israel.

In addition, it must be said that even in the context of illegal actions by duly constituted governments or rebels, a true Christian is to avoid resorting to violence, as Christ explains in Matthew 5:38-41. (This is not to say that Christians cannot resort to legal non-violent means to defend against illegal conduct.) In our Q&A on “an eye for an eye,” we pointed out the following regarding the “extra mile”:

“… in Matthew 5:41, when encouraging His followers to go the ‘extra mile,’ Jesus referred to the Roman practice that ‘obliged the people not only to furnish horses and carriages [for government dispatches], but to give personal attendance, often at great inconvenience, when required. But the thing here demanded is a readiness to submit to unreasonable demands of whatever kind, rather than raise quarrels, with all the evils resulting from them’ (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, Commentary on the Whole Bible).”

When addressing Paul’s comment that “rulers are not terrors to good works” (Romans 13:3), Blunt’s commentary points out:

“The Apostle is obviously speaking of rulers as they ought to be, not finding it necessary for the purpose of his argument to speak of them otherwise, by taking into account the infirmities and the wickedness which have sometimes made them a terror to others than evil-doers.”

This should be self-evident, but gullible and ignorant readers, or even deceitful teachers of the Bible, have far too often missed or misrepresented this obvious caveat. The commentary continues, when speaking of Paul’s phraseology of “God’s ministers” (twice in verse 4):

“Literally, ‘the deacon of God,’ meaning obviously, in this case, the delegated agent by whom the authority of the Divine Ruler is administered and enforced. This is the only place in the New Testament where the phrase is not used in its ecclesiastical sense… ‘for good’ being the object for which God has instituted governmental and judicial authority…”

Again, as pointed out before, God is against anarchy. At the same time, the present ruler of this world—Satan the devil—will be replaced by Jesus Christ at the time of His Second Coming. In the meantime, for the sake of God’s plan and His people, rulers of this world can be influenced by God to carry out His purposes and to do good for His true servants, and they can thereby become, at least temporarily, God’s “tools” or “servants” or “ministers.”

The commentary also points out that the words “God’s ministers” in verse 6 are different from the words in verse 4 and describe “an officer engaged in the civil service of the state. It is not elsewhere used in a secular sense in the New Testament.”

It must be admitted that Paul’s statements in Romans 13:1-7 belong to some of his sayings which “are hard to understand” (2 Peter 3:16), and predictably, some “untaught and unstable people”—even some in God’s Church—have twisted them “to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures” (same verse). But it is clear what Paul is NOT saying:

He is NOT saying that we should participate in violent rebellions against constituted government. Nor is he saying that we should obey human governments in matters which are against God’s laws. He is most certainly not saying that true Christians should participate in political campaigns and vote for any of the political candidates.

Those who conclude the opposite and become engaged with and entangled in the affairs of this world are twisting Paul’s words to their own disappointment and destruction. Rather than concentrating on the physical affairs of this present evil age, which will pass away, they should concentrate on God’s Kingdom and do everything in their power and ability to “hasten” the coming of the Day of the Lord (2 Peter 3:12).

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

“Biblical Prophecy — From Now Until Forever,” is the title of our newest booklet. Written by Norbert Link, this publication is being sent to our graphics staff and will soon be forwarded on for printing. Please contact us for your own free copy if you are not already on our mailing list.

We have contacted our printer in the USA to reprint one of our most seccessful booklets, “Europe in Prophecy.”

In the current StandingWatch program, “Trouble Ahead-May God Help Us!,” Evangelist Norbert Link warns of the real problems ahead–ones that will far out-weigh our current domestic issues. The Summary: While America is trying to deal domestically with its economic problems, a far greater danger is looming internationally. Very few understand why European unification is inevitable, and why the euro will not disappear. All the doom-mongers have been proven wrong, including the world’s leading economists and investors, but they still don’t realize why their gloomy predictions have failed. However, European unification is not good news for America and Britain. The Bible tells us why, but most are unwilling to listen.

NOTE: For those interested, the audio version of this program will be played in select radio markets, beginning Sunday, January 27. Please check out the schedule, available at www.StandingWatch.org.

“NEU! Sodoms Untergang, das Opfer Isaaks, und Vielehen in der Bibel,” is the title of this week’s new German sermon. It discusses Abraham’s plea for the righteous in Sodom and Sodom’s depravity and destruction; Abraham’s repeated lies regarding Sarah; the sacrifice of Isaac; the biblical concept of polygamy; and the nature of God’s promises to Abraham and his descendants.

The English title would be: “New! Sodom’s Destruction, the Sacrifice of Isaac, and Polygamy in the Bible.”

by Cali Harris

Shortly after the Feast of Tabernacles this year, I was laid off. The search for a new job has turned out to be a joyful process because I’ve connected with so many interesting people and companies.

I went through an intense interview process with one particular company, and they offered me a job. The same day, I had the opportunity come up for another job – a dream job for a dream company. I realized I’d have to decline the job offer sitting in my lap if I wanted to pursue a chance at the “dream job.” It was scary to walk out on that limb of faith.

Declining the job offer would be a difficult conversation to have, and I was very anxious. The company had dedicated a lot of time and energy to me throughout the interview process – and I felt terrible about disappointing them.

When I called the hiring manager, I was straightforward and let her know that while I enjoyed her team and was grateful for the offer, I had another chance at a dream job. What happened next was nothing I could have envisioned.

The manager expressed her disappointment that I wouldn’t be joining their team. She then asked where the “dream job” was. I told her the name of the company, and she offered to call someone she knew there and put in a good word for me. Then, she said that if it didn’t work out at the other company, she’d still love to have me join their team.

“Wow!” is an understatement – I couldn’t believe how generous and unusually accommodating she was. When I hung up the phone, I marveled at the unexpected ways God can turn a tough situation into one filled with possibility.

I’ve yet to find out if the dream job will work out, but I’m praying that God’s Will be done – and I’m excited for what comes next.

On December 29th, 2012, Kalon Mitchell and Michael Link will each give sermons, titled, respectively, “Fear Whom?” and “2012.”
 
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.

Expectations for the coming year of 2013 are not full of hope! Rather, there seems to be a sense of resignation that problems will not be resolved and that things are steadily getting worse!

Violence fills the earth as nations arm themselves with ever more potent ways to kill. Wars are being continually fought, but peace is never achieved. Senseless mass shootings tear apart communities and there just doesn’t seem to be any way to understand “why.”

Not only this coming year, but the years immediately ahead are destined to be the darkest in all of human history—Jesus prophesied of this:

“‘For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened’” (Matthew 24:21-22).

And…

“‘And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken’” (Luke 21:25-26).

We cannot, we must not, ignore the reality of the future! For those who have the understanding of God’s Word and who believe what Jesus Christ reveals to His servants, now is the time to become even more diligent in our calling, to overcome and to persevere. Note that Jesus has very clearly prepared us for what is coming when He said, “‘See, I have told you beforehand’” (Matthew 24:25).

In spite of the bad news of the immediate years ahead, there really is good news in our future, and it is found in the Gospel message preached by Jesus Christ, by His faithful apostles and by the Church of God throughout the generations!

As we face both next year and the tumultuous times ahead, we have reason for hope and unwavering confidence in the future that lies just beyond—Jesus stated:

“‘Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near’” (Luke 21:27-28).

We are continuing reporting on America’s dealing with and reaction to the mass murder of children and adults at a school in Connecticut. We are emphasizing in particular controversial and disputed claims and actions by the NRA and supporters for unrestricted gun purchase and possession, while pointing out that “it’s not about just guns.” We are also focusing on the costly vacation of the presidential family in Hawaii, while modern Rome (the USA) is burning, with a toothless and unproductive government and Congress. If going over the fiscal cliff is not avoided by the end of the year, it would be, with the words of Sen. Joe Lieberman, “the most consequential act of congressional irresponsibility in a long time, maybe ever in American history, because of the impact it’ll have on almost every American.”

Turning to Egypt, the rising influence of the radical and violent Muslim Brotherhood and its incredible support from American government and American intellectuals is truly depressing and mind-boggling. At the same time, Israel’s attempts to please Christians at Christmas time will not prevent the pursuit of European and Catholic goals in the Middle East.

We conclude with two articles pertaining to Germany. Note should be taken of Germany’s clear warning that they will not allow Britain to “blackmail” them; and the German Family Minister is correctly finding herself in the hot seat for her publicly uttered blasphemous statements that God could be referred to as “it,” rather than “He.”

The NRA’s Damaging of America’s Worldwide Reputation

Newsmax reported on December 23:

“Wayne LaPierre, [CEO of the National Rifle Association]… reiterated [on Sunday in an interview] the message he delivered Friday at a press conference, when he called for armed security at every U.S. school. He said he is working with former Arkansas Rep. Asa Hutchinson to support an ‘immediate appropriation before Congress’ to that effect.”

This controversial idea, which has no chance of being approved by Congress, has won the approval of right-wing radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh, according to Newsmax, December 21, who described the NRA as “the greatest, the largest gun-safety organization in the country” and who supported LaPierre’s proposal.  At the same time, this proposal has caused a worldwide stir of condemnation, according to the German magazine Der Stern in an article, dated December 24. But as if that was not enough to continue the damage of America’s reputation,  gun-loving enthusiasts continued their fight against any restrictions of gun purchase and possession by private citizens—including weapons which were invented and manufactured strictly for the military. Note the next incredible report.

Deporting Piers Morgan?

Sky News reported on December 24:

“Thousands of Americans have signed a petition calling for British CNN host Piers Morgan to be deported over his criticism of the country’s gun laws. By noon on Christmas Eve, the petition — which is posted on the White House website —  had garnered more than 31,000 signatures, surpassing the 25,000 required to get a response from the US government. Mr Morgan tweeted about the petition: ‘If I do get deported from America for wanting fewer gun murders, are there any other countries that will have me?’

“The outspoken former Daily Mirror editor has called for tighter gun control measures in the wake of the December 14 massacre at Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. On Tuesday, he interviewed Gun Owners of America executive director Larry Pratt, and appeared incredulous when Mr Pratt suggested more weapons were a credible solution…

“Following the interview, a Texas journalist posted a petition on the White House website alleging Morgan ‘is engaged in a hostile attack against the US Constitution by targeting the Second Amendment. We demand that Mr Morgan be deported immediately for his effort to undermine the Bill of Rights and for exploiting his position as a national network television host to stage attacks against the rights of American citizens,’ the petition says.

“Many Americans follow a literal interpretation of the Second Amendment, which enshrines the ‘right to bear arms’ in the US Constitution. Mr Morgan insists America can outlaw military-style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines without infringing on people’s constitutional rights, and says he has no quarrel with the Second Amendment. A defiant Mr Morgan refused to back down from his position…”

This highly reported incredible development, perhaps purportedly justified under some of America’s questionable immigration provisions, casts, in the opinion of the rest of the world, dark clouds on America’s freedom of speech. None of this will help America’s worldwide reputation to improve. Many, if not most Americans may not care about this, but it will come back to bite them and haunt them very soon.

Background Checks Don’t Really Work…

The New York Times reported on December 20:

“Nearly two decades after lawmakers began requiring background checks for gun buyers, significant gaps in the F.B.I’s database of criminal and mental health records allow thousands of people to buy firearms every year who should be barred from doing so. The database is incomplete because many states have not provided federal authorities with comprehensive records of people involuntarily committed or otherwise ruled mentally ill. Records are also spotty for several other categories of prohibited buyers, including those who have tested positive for illegal drugs or have a history of domestic violence.

“While some states, including New York, have submitted more than 100,000 names of mentally ill people to the F.B.I. database, 19 — including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Maryland and Maine — have submitted fewer than 100 records and Rhode Island has submitted none… That suggests that millions of names are missing from the federal database… The gaps exist because the system is voluntary; the Supreme Court ruled in 1997 that the federal government cannot force state officials to participate in the federal background check system. As a result, when a gun dealer asks the F.B.I. to check a buyer’s history, the bureau sometimes allows the sale to proceed, even though the purchaser should have been prohibited from acquiring a weapon, because its database is missing the relevant records…

“The background check requirements apply only to licensed dealers, not the private sellers who account for an estimated 40 percent of sales. Restrictions imposed by Congress on government tracking of firearms make it hard to know exactly how many weapons are sold each year… more than five million firearms are manufactured each year for sale in the United States, and about three million more such weapons are imported. Those numbers do not account for the sale of used guns…”

It’s Not About Just Guns…

The Washington Post published on December 21 the following opinion by “proud gun owner” and Democrat Joe Manchin III, a junior U.S. senator from West Virginia who served as governor of West Virginia from 2005 to 2010:

“… if you think the problem of mass violence in our country is about just guns, you’re wrong. If you think it’s about just an entertainment industry that markets violence to kids, you’re wrong. If you think it’s about just insufficient security at our schools, you’re wrong. If you think it’s about just the lack of mental health services for troubled young people and adults, you’re wrong. We need to address all of them… I propose an alternate path: a national commission on mass violence… I am not the first to suggest this approach. My friends Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and Sen. John McCain of Arizona have advocated a similar effort for years. And I believe that such a commission could go well beyond the work of the president’s task force and help provide a fuller understanding of the root causes of senseless acts of violence… Sportsmen, hunters and gun owners must have a seat at the table. They’ve been vilified for so much of the mass violence in America, and that’s just wrong. They’re hurting about Newtown as much as the rest of us….

“We cannot take a single-issue approach to this problem. The causes of mass violence run deeper than that. Any solution that doesn’t take all concerned parties into account will lack the credibility it needs to become a reality. But we should all be looking for a comprehensive fix. We owe that to Newtown… This is the way we responded to challenges in West Virginia when I was governor. After tragic mine disasters, we called a brief time out, huddled up and created a plan to protect our miners. We didn’t quit mining; we made the mines safer. That’s similar to what this country did after Sept. 11, 2001: We didn’t quit flying; we made flying safer…

“The Newtown tragedy has changed our nation forever. And as we are changed, so must our thinking be changed. We must act in such a way that those beautiful children and courageous adults who tried to save them from unspeakable horror shall not have died in vain.”

Yes, a change of heart and mind is truly necessary—a deep respect and love for human life and for the Creator of all life—God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. But sadly, that respect and love is not going to come for most people in this day and age.

Israel Disputes NRA Claims

In rejecting claims by the NRA pertaining to Israel’s gun laws, the Times of Israel and the Associated Press reported on December 24:

“Israel’s policy on issuing guns is restrictive, and armed guards at its schools are meant to stop terrorists, not crazed or disgruntled gunmen, experts said Monday, rejecting claims by America’s top gun lobby that Israel serves as proof for its philosophy that the US needs more weapons, not fewer.

“Far from the image of a heavily armed population where ordinary people have their own arsenals to repel attackers, Israel allows its people to acquire firearms only if they can prove their professions or places of residence put them in danger. The country relies on its security services, not armed citizens, to prevent terror attacks. Though military service in Israel is compulsory, routine familiarity with weapons does not carry over into civilian life. Israel has far fewer private weapons per capita than the US, and while there have been gangster shootouts on the streets from time to time, gun rampages outside the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are unheard of.

“The National Rifle Association responded to the Dec. 14 killing of 20 first-graders and six adults at a Connecticut elementary school by resisting calls for tighter gun control and calling for armed guards and police at schools. On Sunday, the lobby’s chief executive, Wayne LaPierre, invoked his perception of the Israeli school security system to back his proposal. ‘Israel had a whole lot of school shootings until they did one thing: They said, “We’re going to stop it,” and they put armed security in every school and they have not had a problem since then,’ LaPierre said on the NBC News show ‘Meet the Press.’…

“Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor spelled it out. ‘We’re fighting terrorism, which comes under very specific geopolitical and military circumstances. This is not something that compares with the situation in the US,’ Palmor said… Gun licensing to private citizens is limited largely to people who are deemed to need a firearm because they work or live in dangerous areas… The gap between Israeli gun ownership and US gun ownership is consequently staggering. A total of 170,000 guns are licensed for private use in Israel, or about one gun for every 30 adults… By contrast, US authorities estimate that at least one-third of all American households have firearms — and in many cases, not only one.

“Americans are also much freer to choose what type of guns they buy. Automatic weapons of the type Lanza used to gun down his victims are banned for private ownership in Israel. It is also rare for a person to be authorized to own more than one firearm… Eighty percent of the 10,000 people who apply yearly for licenses are turned down… In the US, people can purchase firearms from private dealers without a background check or a license of any kind. In Israel, applicants must undergo police screening and medical exams, in part to determine their mental state…

“Many Israelis receive weapons training in the military. But to be licensed to receive a weapon outside the military, they must undergo at least two hours of additional training, then repeat the training and medical exams every three years before they can renew their licenses. Anybody who possesses a legally acquired gun waives the right to confidentiality, and authorities cross-reference for new information about the gunholder every three months.”

Before representatives of the NRA make wild, unsupportable or false claims, they had better check out the facts.

Christmas Vacation Bill for the First Family

Newsmax and AP reported on December 23:

“While President Barack Obama and his family spend Christmas in Hawaii for the fifth straight year, federal and local taxpayers are likely to be left with a holiday bill that tops $4 million for the first family’s security and travel expenses to the exclusive retreat known for its turquoise waters and rolling surf, according to a published report. Air Force One touched down in Honolulu minutes after midnight local time on Saturday. The first family departed the plane and traveled quickly to their vacation home in the beach town of Kailua, a scenic, sleepy resort on the east side of Oahu. The Obamas pay for their own accommodations, while taxpayers shoulder the costs of security and travel.

“Though it is not clear how long the Obamas planned to stay in Hawaii about 12 miles from downtown Honolulu, the Hawaii Reporter estimated that the trip could cost taxpayers more than $4 million based on the nine-hour flying time to and from Washington and the high-priced resort accommodations for White House staff, Navy Seals, Coast Guard, and the Secret Service. The publication estimates that each leg of the nine-hour flight alone will cost taxpayers $1,635,813 for a roundtrip total of $3,271,622…”

The publication also estimated that additional related expenses for the trip to Hawaii would cost taxpayers about 1 million dollars. This sounds rather exorbitant at a time when Americans are deeply distressed and disappointed with government and Congress regarding their interrupted and so far toothless efforts to prevent the nation from jumping over the fiscal cliff into another deep recession. Note the next article.

“Most Consequential Act of Congressional Irresponsibility in American History”

The Washington Times wrote on December 23:

“There was more finger-pointing and jostling Sunday over how to avoid the ‘fiscal cliff,’ but there was also a growing sense of pessimism over whether a deal can be reached before the year-end deadline. After the collapse last week of the House compromise known as ‘Plan B,’ which would have raised taxes on those with incomes exceeding $1 million, and President Obama’s subsequent proposal to delay action on spending cuts,

“‘It’s the first time that I feel it’s more likely we’ll go over the cliff than not,’ said Sen. Joe Lieberman, Connecticut independent. [He] said the result would be ‘the most consequential act of congressional irresponsibility in a long time, maybe ever in American history, because of the impact it’ll have on almost every American’… The House and Senate are both in recess until Thursday. Mr. Obama, who arrived Saturday in his native Hawaii for the holidays, is expected to return to the White House next week.”

Over the Cliff We Go?

Fox News wrote on December 27:

“The rhetoric heated up Thursday as time on the clock wound down for a fiscal crisis deal, with lawmakers trickling back into Washington and no plan of action in place for averting the tax hikes and spending cuts scheduled to hit next week. President Obama returned Thursday afternoon from vacation in Hawaii, as the Senate gaveled into session for unrelated business. House leaders announced that members will return late Sunday – but that leaves just one full day to act on any legislation before the deadline passes.

“Rumors were flying Thursday afternoon about last-ditch efforts to craft some sort of a scaled-back package that can shield most Americans from the more than $500 billion in tax hikes scheduled to take effect Jan. 1. But with hope fading, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid said on the floor that ‘it looks like’ the nation is going to miss the deadline.

“Reid also put all the blame on House Speaker John Boehner, likening him to a dictator and claiming he was putting his speakership before the good of the country. ‘John Boehner seems to care more about keeping his speakership than about keeping the nation on firm financial footing,’ Reid said… Boehner’s office quickly shot back: ‘Senator Reid should talk less and legislate more. The House has already passed legislation to avoid the entire fiscal cliff. Senate Democrats have not,’ Boehner spokesman Brendan Buck said…

“With each side refusing to make the first move, it may be incumbent upon Obama to give a negotiated bill one last try, presuming he can get all the stakeholders in the same room… A new Gallup poll, though, showed Americans are growing increasingly pessimistic about the chances for an agreement over the next few days. Considering the time it takes to write and pass a bill of this magnitude, the best route for averting tax hikes may be to pass a short-term extension of current rates with the goal of approving a larger package early next year. Lawmakers have not even agreed to that, though.

“Without a deal, more than $500 billion in tax hikes are scheduled to go into effect. This includes increases in income tax rates, investment tax rates, the estate tax, the payroll tax and other provisions. Budget cuts to the Pentagon and other federal agencies threaten to hit government contractors. All together, a prolonged failure to avert these policies could cause another recession, economists warn.”

Threat of Continued Turmoil in Egypt

The Associated Press reported on December 23:

“Egypt’s Islamists-backed constitution received a ‘yes’ majority in a final round of voting on a referendum that saw a low voter turnout, but the deep divisions it has opened up threaten to fuel continued turmoil. Passage is a victory for Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, but a costly one. The bruising battle over the past month stripped away hope that the long-awaited constitution would bring a national consensus on the path Egypt will take after shedding its autocratic ruler Hosni Mubarak nearly two years ago.

“Instead, Morsi disillusioned many non-Islamists who had once backed him and has become more reliant on his core support in the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamists. Hard-liners in his camp are determined to implement provisions for stricter rule by Islamic law in the charter, which is likely to further fuel divisions… 71.4 percent of those who voted Saturday said ‘yes’ after 95.5 percent of the ballots were counted. Only about eight million of the 25 million Egyptians eligible to vote — a turnout of about 30 percent — cast their ballots… The results of the two rounds mean the referendum was approved by about 63 percent…

“In a sign of disarray in Morsi’s administration, his vice president… resigned during Saturday’s voting. Vice President Mahmoud Mekki’s resignation had been expected since his post is eliminated under the new constitution. But its hasty submission even before the charter has been sealed and his own resignation statement suggested it was linked to Morsi’s policies… Over the past month, seven of Morsi’s 17 top advisers and the one Christian among his top four aides resigned. Like Mekki, they said they had never been consulted in advance on any of the president’s moves, including his Nov. 22 decrees, since rescinded, that granted himself near absolute powers…”

Egypt’s Laws Control and Prohibit Free Thinking and Speech

The Telegraph wrote on December 24:

“Among the many charges levelled against the constitution by both human rights groups, secular and liberal activists, and the Coptic Christian minority, is that its defence of basic freedoms is heavily curtailed when it comes to religion and politics. Specifically, it will forbid any law that would permit anything deemed insulting either of people or of religion, the Prophet Mohammed or the other figures considered by Islam to be God’s messengers. Such a clause could clearly have a chilling effect on free thinking and speech…

“Despite regular descriptions of ex-President Hosni Mubarak’s old dictatorship as ‘secular”’, it too made Egypt a country constitutionally obliged to follow the ‘principles of Sharia’. The laws it promulgated were wide enough and flexible enough to turn the Islamist tap on and off at will… Blasphemy laws have been in place since 1937, and can be used to defend Christianity as well as Islam. But in practice the law was deployed regularly, both as a sop to the Muslim Brotherhood and also simply as a means of state repression…”

Depressing–US Government and Intellectuals Defend Muslim Brotherhood

Jewish Ideas Daily wrote on December 20:

“One of the most consistent and depressing aspects of U.S.-Middle Eastern relations is the determination of our intellectuals and officials to defend Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood. When Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi made his recent power grab, for example, immunizing his decrees from judicial review, Yale law professor Noah Feldman, said that Morsi merely ‘overreached’—and did so ‘in the service of preserving electoral democracy.’ State Department spokesman Victoria Nuland lamely characterized Morsi’s actions as a ‘far cry from an autocrat just saying my way or the highway.’

“This indulgence, though, is merely the culmination of a more-than-60-year relationship, mostly hidden from view. There has long been an on-again-off-again American romance with the Brotherhood.

“The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in 1928 by Hassan al-Banna as a puritanical, reactionary pan-Islamic movement. It developed as a state within a state, including a network of social welfare organs like hospitals, and an underground party apparatus that quickly spread to other countries. The Brotherhood collaborated with the Nazis before and during World War II. In 1948 it murdered an Egyptian Prime Minister and in 1954 tried but failed to assassinate Gamal Abdel Nasser… When Mubarak was overthrown, it was well-positioned as the only organized and funded opposition group…

“In the wake of World War II, the U.S. government’s perceptions of the Middle East were filtered through a single lens: the threat of Communism. The threat was hardly just theoretical… The U.S. government also tried to make Islam itself into an American partner. During the 1940s American officials met regularly with the Brotherhood, seeing it as a perfectly useful anti-communist tool. What they knew about the Brotherhood’s violently anti-modern, anti-Semitic ideology is uncertain…

“America’s fundamental inability to take [Egypt’s] religion and ideology seriously persists. Senator John Kerry, likely the next Secretary of State, stated confidently after meeting Morsi in Cairo in June, 2012 that the Egyptian president was ‘committed to protecting fundamental freedoms’ and ‘said he understood the importance of Egypt’s post-revolutionary relationships with America and Israel.’…

“… the U.S. government has long displayed… an ‘accomodationist’ approach… But the Obama administration has shown even more willingness than its predecessors to look the other way in the face of Brotherhood abuses of power—and of women and religious minorities… It has not taken the Brotherhood’s credo to heart: ‘Allah is our objective; the Quran is our law; the Prophet is our leader; jihad is our way; and death for the sake of Allah is the highest of our aspirations.’

“For Israel the situation has become especially grave. Morsi, who can barely bring himself to utter its name, was lauded by the U.S. government, shortly before his coup, for his handling of the Israel-Gaza conflict. He may face hundreds of thousands of internal protestors, but there is little to restrain him while there is no American financial pressure or Egyptian army opposition. The Brotherhood’s Islamization of Egypt continues, transforming schools, courts, and mosques down to the local level. When Mohammad Badie, ‘Supreme Guide’ of the Brotherhood, states that ‘jihad is obligatory’ for Muslims and calls peace agreements with Israel a ‘game of grand deception,’ it behooves all parties to listen.”

But the world—and especially the USA and Great Britain–did not (want to) listen when Adolf Hitler placed them on advance notice as to what his goals were. Now the Muslim Brotherhood has told everyone what they really want to pursue, and again, the world and especially the USA—does not (want to) listen. Will it ever…?

The Muslim Brotherhood and the USA

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 24:

“Author and journalist Khaled al-Khamissi sees a difficult political crisis ahead for Egypt. He says the Muslim Brotherhood, with the support of the US, is trying to transform the country into an Islamic state… [He stated the following:]

“‘The president is conducting a coup, and it’s a drastic one. The president and the Muslim Brotherhood are trying to take control of various institutions – the parliament and the constitution. They have support from the US as well as from the oil states in the Gulf, like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait. So they’re trying to take over the state as quickly as possible… If the Muslim Brotherhood persists, though, there’s going to be a disaster. So I believe that the coming weeks and months will not be especially peaceful. It will come to a war between the Muslim Brotherhood on the one hand and the rest of the political powers on the other…

“‘The Muslim Brothers are very conservative and belong on the extreme right in the political spectrum. Economically, they are very close to the neo-liberals. That’s why they’re so close to the US and Saudi Arabia. In Egypt, there are many important business people who share the views of the Muslim Brothers. In the long term, they want to transform Egypt into an Islamic state. In addition, these people are not real Egyptians because they want to make religion the sole basis of the national identity. It’s a horrible thought that the president is not thinking of his country but of something else: an Islamic caliphate….

“Participation in the most recent elections and the referendum was very low. That helps the Islamists because they’re able to mobilize their supporters. Their opponents don’t go to the polls because they don’t know for whom they should vote… The Americans are giving unqualified support to the Islamists…’”

The Holy Land’s Top Roman Catholic Cleric Welcomes Birth of the State of Palestine

The Washington Post wrote on December 24:

“Christians from the world over packed Manger Square in Bethlehem Monday to celebrate the birth of Jesus in the ancient West Bank town where he was born. For their Palestinian hosts, this holiday season was an especially joyous one, with the hardships of the Israeli occupation that so often clouded previous celebrations eased by the United Nations’ recent recognition of an independent state of Palestine.

“In his annual pre-Christmas homily, the top Roman Catholic cleric in the Holy Land, Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal, said the road to actual freedom was still long, but this year’s festivities were doubly joyful, celebrating ‘the birth of Christ our Lord and the birth of the state of Palestine.’”

These words are not meaningless and polite platitudes, but they reveal Catholic and European interests and goals in the Middle East, notwithstanding—as the next article describes– Israel’s conduct and attempts to appease the Christian world. 

Israeli President Peres Sings Christmas Songs and Sends Happy Christmas Greetings

Zenit wrote on December 21:

“The President of the State of Israel, President Shimon Peres, paid a visit to the official residence of Archbishop Chacour in Haifa. President Peres sang traditional Christmas songs with the local children’s choir from the Christian-Arabic school in L’bilin. President Peres delivered a festive greeting to Christians in Israel and across the world and said, ‘It is for me a privilege, as president of the State of Israel, to send profound wishes on behalf of all of Israel for a Happy Christmas to the whole Christian world and to express the hope that the Middle East may enter an era of peace and prosperity. The State of Israel is committed to protecting all the holy sites and the freedom of worship for everyone. In the Holy Land coexistence between Jews, Christians and Muslims will continue. From the city of Haifa, a model of peace and coexistence, I wish to send one clear message to the world – a message of peace and unity between all faiths, between all nations.’”

“President Peres stressed the positive relations between Israel and the Vatican and reflect  Israel’s commitment to freedom of worship. President Peres said, ‘I have enormous respect for the Pope, I appreciate his concern and action to preserve the good relations in the Christian world. Relations between Jerusalem and the Vatican are excellent and warm, the best they have ever been.’ President Peres blessed the members of the Christian community in Israel and said, ‘We are proud of the Christian community in Israel and are also proud that they feel fully at home, completely free to worship in their own way and to continue with their own traditions. I wish them and all Christians everywhere a Happy Christmas.’

“President Peres was welcomed at the festivities by a children’s choir dressed in traditional Christmas outfits, leaders of the Christian community in northern Israel and Archbishop Chacour who said, ‘I thank the president of the State of Israel for coming to speak with the Christian community and share his blessings with us before Christmas and the New Year…’”

One should read our free booklet, “Don’t Keep Christmas.”

Germany Warns Britain Not to “Blackmail” Europe

The Local wrote on December 24:

“German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble has warned Britain against ‘blackmailing’ its EU partners in a bid to bring powers back home from Brussels. ‘We want to keep Britain in the EU and not force it out,’ Schäuble told the weekly Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung. ‘But I will also say that does not mean anyone can blackmail us’…

“Britain has belonged to the European Union since 1973 but has not joined the 17-nation eurozone… Schäuble has served as Chancellor Angela Merkel’s main ally in Berlin in plotting an austerity-driven course to resolve the eurozone debt crisis as well as greater political integration of the bloc.

“British Prime Minister David Cameron, a Conservative, said last month he still supported British membership of the EU but could not accept the ‘status quo’ and called for a ‘new settlement’ involving the repatriation of some powers. He has so far avoided offering a clear ‘in-out’ referendum despite strong pressure for clarity on the issue from his party.

“Tensions flared last month when Cameron opposed a new €1 trillion EU budget for the next seven years, saying that it was unacceptable to raise spending at a time when many countries were implementing austerity measures at home. A recent poll in British weekly newspaper The Observer found that 56 percent of Britons surveyed would vote to leave the EU given the chance.”

The exodus of Britain from Europe is only a matter of time. The biblical reason is revealed in our free booklets, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America” and “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”

“Das Gott”—God Without a Gender?

Der Spiegel Online reported on December 21, 2012

“Just in time for Christmas, Germany’s conservative Family Minister Kristina Schröder has sparked a contentious debate about the word most central to the Christian faith: God. In an interview with the weekly newspaper Die Zeit in which she discussed gender roles in children’s literature, Schröder also took on God’s gender, and fellow members of her Christian Democratic Union and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union, are not impressed.

“The German language has three definite articles for nouns to indicate their gender — der (masculine), die (feminine) and das (neuter). The noun der Gott, or God, is masculine. But Schröder told Die Zeit that the article for God shouldn’t matter. It could just as easily be the gender-neutral das Gott, she said, saying the article ‘doesn’t mean anything.’

“Such a suggestion is an outrage, her colleagues say. ‘This overly cerebral nonsense leaves me speechless,’ Bavarian Social Minister and CSU member Christine Haderthauer told the mass-circulation daily Bild on Friday. ‘I find it sad when our children, due to blatant insecurity and political correctness, have the strong images that are so important to their imaginations taken away.’ The CSU’s party whip in the federal parliament, Stefan Müller, also expressed irritation over the idea. ‘… I find it improper and am a bit astonished,’ he said.  Meanwhile, Norbert Geis, also a CSU member of Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag, concurred. ‘God is revealed to us as the father of Christ, and it ought to stay that way,’ he said.”

It is indeed deeply distressing that a professing Christian and German Family Minister would attack the biblical revelation of God just to be gender-friendly. How sad that such ignorant nonsense is even possible, but what are we to expect in a God-defying world without any standards and absolutes? A German Bible translation from 2006, “The Bible in Just Language,” (“Bibel in Gerechter Sprache”) which was worked on by over 50 theologians, translates the first words of the “Model Prayer” as follows: “You God, are to us Father and Mother in Heaven.” Throughout the translation, God is sometimes referred to in the masculine (“der Lebendige”) and sometimes in the feminine gender (“die Heilige”).

The short answer to your question is that as true Christians, we should not vote in governmental elections. We must understand what Paul meant with his usage of the words, “God’s ministers,” and the entire passage in Romans 13:1-6, when applying the concept to the political powers to be.

We addressed a related issue in a previous Q&A, discussing Romans 13:3, where we said:

“Today, the world as a whole is cut off from God and is subject to the rule of Satan. God placed Lucifer on the throne of this earth, with responsibility for properly governing it, but he rebelled and became known as Satan. When Satan inspired Adam and Eve to turn against God – to sin by going against what God instructed them – God gave mankind 6,000 years to find out for themselves that they cannot live without God… And for that same 6,000-year duration, God has decreed that Satan would remain on his throne. That 6,000-year period will end at the return of Jesus Christ, Who will come to replace Satan – a failed ruler – and restore the government of God on this earth. In that sense, there is ‘no authority except from God’ (Romans 13:1), and all authority ‘has been given … from above’ (John 19:11). God has not yet replaced Satan and his demons, but they cannot do anything that God does not ALLOW them to do.

“It is with that background that we must understand Paul’s statement that human governmental authorities or rulers are ‘God’s minister[s]’ who do ‘not bear the sword in vain,’ and ‘avenger[s] to execute wrath on him who practices evil’ (Romans 13:4). This statement does not permit true Christians to be involved in this world’s system of capital punishment [either as executioners, or as judges or jurors, condemning a criminal to death] and working for the police force by carrying and using guns. Paul’s statement in Romans 13:3 explains the fact that God allows human governments to punish criminals in order to prevent anarchy (compare Numbers 35:30-33). But, while ancient Israel was directly ruled by God for a while, all human governments are today under the direct rule or control of the ‘god of this world,’ Satan the devil.

“True Christians are no longer part of this world. They have turned their back on Satan’s rule. They are ambassadors and citizens of a future kingdom – the Kingdom of God. Their citizenship is already preserved in heaven for them.”

This alone should explain to us that it is faulty human reasoning to conclude that true Christians—ambassadors of Christ and representatives of the heavenly government—should get involved in the political affairs of this world and vote in governmental elections. A thorough discussion can be found in a previous Q&A on voting.   At the same time, we are told in 1 Timothy 2:1-2, which complements Romans 13:3-6, that we are to pray for governmental leaders. We discussed this Christian duty in a Q&A on the issue.

There, we explained the purpose for such prayers—and especially public prayers–which are decisively not to be given to express our favor or disfavor for a certain political candidate in political campaigns. Rather, we “are to pray always and without ceasing, including on behalf of our leaders and even our enemies, so that we may be allowed to lead peaceful lives. In this world of hatred, violence and war, such kinds of prayers are necessary and very pleasing to God.”

When Paul said that political governmental officials can be viewed as “God’s ministers,” he had in mind that true Christians are to be subject to duly constituted human authority. They are not to rebel against it, trying to overthrow it with violent means—even if such authority behaves blatantly ungodly. But Paul also believed, as he clearly taught in Scripture, that it is Satan who rules this present evil world, and that it is ultimately God who allows Satan to rule temporarily. Paul taught that God might even directly appoint certain people to certain offices—in furtherance of His plan. These officials might actually be totally unqualified—from a godly perspective—to rule righteously and fairly. But this is not the reason why they were placed in power. This alone shows that true Christians could not vote for them.

For instance, we read that God may appoint the “lowest [or basest, Authorized Version] of men” (Daniel 4:17). We read that He placed the stubborn Pharaoh of Egypt in power to magnify Himself in him (Exodus 9:16; Romans 9:17). He will “send” a future king of Assyria against modern Israel and Judah to punish them (Isaiah 10:5-7). In that sense, they were or will be “God’s ministers,” in that they have been used—or will be used—to carry out God’s plan and purpose. God even called violent King Nebuchadnezzar “My servant” (Jeremiah 27:6), and He referred to idolatrous King Cyrus as “My shepherd” and “His anointed” (Isaiah 44:28; 45:1), as they were fulfilling at the time  God’s Will in certain areas. But to say that this proves that true Christians should vote or should have voted for any of these “candidates” is simply preposterous.

The New Scofield Reference Bible states regarding Romans 13:1-4: “…the apostle points out that orderly government is part of God’s provision, even in a wicked world. No ruler exercises control except as God permits… Under normal circumstances the Christian is to be obedient to the law of the land. This does not mean that he is to obey regulations that are immoral or anti-Christian. In such cases it is his duty to obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29; cp. Dan. 3:16-18; 6:10 ff…).”

Since a true Christian must disobey laws that are immoral or anti-Christian, how can he then support and vote for a political candidate who promotes and enacts such laws? The answer is, he cannot. He cannot vote for a lesser evil, but he must “abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22).

The Life Application Bible sets forth the different ways in which “Christians” have tried to interpret the statements in Romans 13:1-4. Today, many, including some members of the Sabbath-keeping Church of God organizations, have been using similar arguments to justify voting in governmental elections.

The above-mentioned commentary writes:

“We should never allow government to force us to disobey God. Jesus and his apostles never disobeyed the government for personal reasons; when they disobeyed, it was in order to follow their higher loyalty to God. Their disobedience was not cheap; they were threatened, beaten, thrown into jail, tortured, and executed for their convictions. Like them, if we are compelled to disobey, we must be ready to accept the consequences.”

We are to submit to human laws and governments. When we must disobey for conscience sake and are being convicted for it, we are to submit to the penalty and must not resort to the use of guns and weapons, attempting to violently fight the officials which are being sent to us to carry out the sentence.

The commentary continues:

“Christians understand Romans 13 in different ways. All Christians agree that we are to live at peace with the state as long as the state allows us to live by our religious convictions…

“Some Christians believe that the state is so corrupt that Christians should have as little to do with it as possible. Although they should be good citizens as long as they can do so without compromising their beliefs, they should not work for the government, vote in elections, or serve in the military.”

We would, overall, agree with this view point, at least as it concerns voting in governmental elections or serving in the military in a combatant capacity, or working for the government in respect to certain tasks. This is not to say that a Christian could not work for the government by fulfilling non-violent tasks which would not compromise his beliefs.

The commentary goes on to state:

“Others believe that God has given the state authority in certain areas and the church authority in others. Christians can be loyal to both and can work for either. They should not, however, confuse the two. In this view, church and state are concerned with two different spheres—the spiritual and the physical—and they complement each other but do not work together.”

Again, these statements contain elements of truth, but Christians should not confuse God’s authority and man’s authority. They must not be working for the state in capacities which would violate the letter or the spirit of God’s laws.

However, many nominal and even some true Christians misinterpret Paul’s statement in Romans 13 in the way as the above-mentioned commentary describes below in regard to the third category:

“Still others believe that Christians have a responsibility to make the state better. They can do this politically, by electing Christian or high-principled leaders. They can also do this morally, by serving as an influence for good in society. In this view, church and state ideally work together for the good of all.”

Of course, it is true that as true Christians, we are to be good examples for others to show them how one can represent God and His Way of Life. But this does not mean that we should try to make this a better world or that we should attempt to better the state—it is Satan’s world which we cannot improve—or that we should vote for “high-principled leaders.” Christ’s true disciples are to come out of this world and be separate, and not to touch what is unclean (2 Corinthians 6:17; compare Revelation 18:4; John 15:19; 17:16; 18:36). Also, Paul is asking in 2 Corinthians 6:14: “For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness?” To think naively that we can change this evil world through the election of professing Christian political candidates misunderstands the purpose of our Christian calling, and reflects a misunderstanding of life’s realities. After all, evil company in the political field corrupts even the most “high-principled” candidates (compare 1 Corinthians 15:33).

The commentary concludes with this accurate assessment:

“None of these views advocate rebelling against or refusing to obey the government’s laws or regulations unless those laws clearly require you to violate the moral standards revealed by God. Wherever we find ourselves, we must be responsible citizens, as well as responsible Christians.”

Romans 13:1-6 does not teach that Christians can or should get involved in political campaigns or that they should vote in governmental elections. Paul is teaching the exact opposite, and so is the entire Bible. In the next Q&A, this issue will be further discussed, as well as the question as to when “human authority” is established in God’s eyes, and what the practical consequences may be for our Christian living.

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

“Is God a She or an It?” is the new StandingWatch program presented by Evangelist Norbert Link. This will also be broadcast on radio, beginning Sunday, January 20, 2012. Summary: Gender neutral Bible translations are not new, but the trend is continuing with an alarming rate. The German Family Minister Kristina Schroeder, a Lutheran member of Germany’s conservative party, just declared that God could very well be referred to as “it.” Modern Bible translations refer to God as “he” and “she” and speak of God as “Father” and “Mother.” How do the inspired Hebrew and Greek texts refer to God, and why does it matter that we understand correctly who and what God is?

“Was sagt die Bibel zur Mischehe?” is the new German sermon. It discusses the biblical teaching on interreligious and interracial or mixed marriages. Title in English would be: “What does the Bible say about mixed marriages?” It uses as introduction Abraham’s command to his servant to find a wife for Isaac from Abraham’s kindred, and not from the daughters of Canaan, and explains that this command was based on religious and racial reasons. It explains the origin of the three main races—especially after the flood—and it also explains that Herbert Armstrong’s was not a racist, and neither is the Church of God today.

The recordings of Sabbath Services for December 22, 2012, are now available on our website: http://www.eternalgod.org/. Both the sermonette and sermon were presented by Norbert Link, and are titled, respectively, “Christmas and New Year’s Celebrations,” and “The Ten Commandments and the Model Prayer.”