On December 22nd, 2012, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, ” The Ten Commandments and the Model Prayer.”
 
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.

Years ago there was a character in the pages of the funnies, called “Dennis the Menace.” Some of us may remember that character. Around Christmas time, they had a cartoon of him, sitting on a pyramid-shaped six feet high pile of toys and gifts, saying: “Is this all?” This typifies the slogan that “greed knows no bounds.”

When is enough of anything enough? 

Imagine for a moment that God gave you eternal life, perfect conduct, wisdom and beauty, and the possibility and ability to carry out your responsibilities. Would that be enough for you?

It was not enough for Satan.

Ezekiel 28:12-17 tells us this: 

“Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “You were the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day you were created. You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you.

“By the abundance of your trading You became filled with violence within, And you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing Out of the mountain of God; And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the fiery stones. Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, That they might gaze at you.”

Something happened to the symbolic “king of Tyre”—none other than Lucifer, the bright star of the dawn, who became Satan, the prince of darkness. Along the way, he became corrupted by pride and as a result, his position and what he had been given were not enough for him. He not only wanted to possess and rule the whole physical universe, but also the spirit realm where God dwells. He convinced 1/3rd  of all the angels to follow him and went up to heaven to overthrow God. This attempted coup did not work, and he and the demons were cast back down to earth.

Isaiah 14:12-14 informs us of this:

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.”

When his mind became corrupted, he felt dissatisfaction with his lot in life, and he wanted more. This whole attitude of craving for more permeates this holiday season.  People receive gifts and think they should be bigger, better and more expensive. They may also feel they deserve additional gifts. Not that the custom of giving gifts at Christmas times is anything biblical to begin with, but the accompanying attitude of many of those who receive gifts is even more telling.

No one seems to think about the admonition from Paul, as we read in Philippians 4:10-13:

“But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

What Paul is saying is that there are good times and not so good times, but he learned to be content with what he had, and he looked to Christ. What a lesson for people in the world today who never seem to be content with their physical possessions, who suffer from greed and who never know when enough is enough.

So we are left with this question: When is enough–enough?

The terrible mass murder of innocent young students and teachers at a Connecticut schoolhouse has America in tears—but sadly, this incident will soon be forgotten, and necessary lessons will not have been learned. Rather, thousands of Americans will be killed next year because of America’s morbid fascination with guns and its fostering of a culture of violence. As General Douglas MacArthur once rightly said: “It must be of the spirit if we are to save the flesh.” This necessary change of man’s evil and wicked heart will come for all of mankind, but only AFTER Jesus Christ has returned to this earth to establish the Kingdom of God. Our new StandingWatch program addresses this missing key to a correct understanding of the issue of gun control and violence. 

We are also warning of a cyber attack of a Russian gangster on American banks and customers early next year; and point out that even with or without the fiscal cliff, America is heading for another recession. While Germany is coping with an attempted terror attack on Bonn’s central station, which, if successful, would have meant  the loss of hundreds of lives, Germany—as well as the USA–are preparing for war in the Middle East, but especially Germany may be unprepared for what might be awaiting the troops there.

In other news, Israel’s foreign minister and deputy prime minister Avigdor Lieberman resigned in the wake of charges of breach of trust for allegedly receiving classified information on an investigation against him, and a majority of Egyptians voted for the Islamist constitution of the President Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood.

We conclude with an article showing how twisted human reasoning can be used to support and endorse unbiblical Christmas celebrations.

“Without Gun Control, 48,000 Americans Will Die Next Year”

Newsmax reported on December 16, 2012:

“New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Sunday challenged President Barack Obama to take charge of imposing stricter gun-control laws in the United States following the horrific shootings of 20 children and six adults at a Connecticut schoolhouse (before the murderer committed suicide). ‘It’s time for the president, I think, to stand up and lead and tell this country what we should do, not go to Congress and say what you guys want to do,’ Bloomberg said…

“The staunch gun-control advocate, whose state’s gun restrictions are among the toughest in the country, said if Obama does not act, an estimated 48,000 Americans will die next year at the trigger of illegally possessed guns… Specifically, Obama, who campaigned in 2008 on an assault-weapons-ban platform, should enforce existing laws more aggressively and introduce legislation to Congress, Bloomberg said. ‘If Congress were to act, if Congress wasn’t so afraid of the NRA… if they were to stand up and do what was right for the American public, we’d all be a lot better off,’ he said…”

Countries Overseas Condemn American Politics on Guns

The Times of Israel wrote on December 15:

“… amid the messages of condolences, much of the discussion after the Connecticut rampage centered on gun control — a baffling subject for many in Asia and Europe, where mass shootings also have occurred but where access to guns is much more heavily restricted. Many Twitter users and media personalities in the UK immediately invoked Dunblane — a 1996 shooting in that small Scottish town which killed 16 children. That tragedy prompted a campaign that ultimately led to tighter gun controls effectively making it illegal to buy or possess a handgun in the UK. ‘This is America’s Dunblane,’ British CNN host Piers Morgan wrote on Twitter late Friday. ‘We banned handguns in Britain after that appalling tragedy. What will the US do? Inaction [is] not an option.’…

“Australia confronted a similar tragedy in 1996, when a man went on a shooting spree in the southern state of Tasmania, killing 35 people. The mass killing sparked outrage across the country and led the government to impose strict new gun laws, including a ban on semi-automatic rifles.

“China has seen several rampage attacks at schools in recent years, though the attackers there usually use knives and not guns. The most recent attack happened Friday, when a knife-wielding man injured 22 children and one adult outside a primary school in central China. With more than 100,000 Chinese studying in US schools, a sense of shared grief came through. ‘Parents with children studying in the US must be tense. School shootings happen often in the US. Can’t politicians put away politics and prohibit gun sales?’ Zhang Xin, a wealthy property developer, wrote on her feed on the Twitter-like Sina Weibo service, where she has 4.9 million followers. ‘There will always be mental patients among us. They should not be given guns’…

“Some in South Korea, whose government does not allow people to possess guns privately, blamed a lack of gun control in the United States for the high number of deaths in Connecticut… In Thailand, which has one of Asia’s highest rates of murder by firearms and has seen schools attacked by Islamist insurgents in its southern provinces, a columnist for the English-language daily newspaper The Nation blamed American culture for fostering a climate of violence…”

Will Gun Control Ever Come?

The New York Times wrote on December 14:

“Each slaughter of innocents seems to get more appalling… There is no crime greater than violence against children, no sorrow greater than that of a parent who has lost a child, especially in this horrible way. Our hearts are broken for those parents who found out their children — little more than babies, really — were wounded or killed, and for those who agonized for hours before taking their traumatized children home… We have no doubt Mr. Obama will help in any way he can, for now, but what about addressing the problem of guns gone completely out of control, a problem that comes up each time a shooter opens fire on a roomful of people but then disappears again?

“The assault weapons ban enacted under President Clinton was deficient and has expired. Mr. Obama talked about the need for ‘common sense’ gun control after the movie theater slaughter in Aurora, Colo., and he hinted during the campaign that he might support a new assault weapons ban, presumably if someone else introduced it. Republicans will never do that, because they are mired in an ideology that opposes any gun control. After each tragedy, including this one, some people litter the Internet with grotesque suggestions that it would be better if everyone (kindergarten teachers?) were armed. Far too many Democrats also live in fear of the gun lobby and will not support an assault weapons ban, or a ban on high-capacity bullet clips, or any one of a half-dozen other sensible ideas…

“The more that we hear about gun control and nothing happens, the less we can believe it will ever come. Certainly, it will not unless Mr. Obama and Congressional leaders show the courage to make it happen.”

That America’s morbid obsession with guns is terribly misguided is absolutely true. The conservative German paper, Die Welt commented that America’s “armored insanity” has become routine. “The American god of arms is insatiable,” the Italian newspaper La Repubblica wrote. According to Deutsche Welle, “The Economist… drew the conclusion… that the only effective gun control is ‘no guns.’ For ‘having few guns means that few people get shot.’ The Economist made a comparison with Great Britain where, following ‘a couple of horrible mass shootings, handguns have been effectively banned.’ Firearms-ownership is onerous, involving a lot of paperwork, the Economist explained, and it’s hard to get ammunition. The result: ‘In 2008-2009, there were 39 fatal injuries from crimes involving firearms in England and Wales… In America, there were 12,000 gun-related homicides in 2008.’” Spain’s El Mundo spoke of the “‘inculture’ of violence” which “is deeply engrained in American society.”

Fortunately, the day of abolition of guns WILL come—but only after Jesus Christ has returned and people will have a change of heart and mind. The next article succinctly addresses the need to change our way of thinking and acting.

Eradicate the Culture of Violence

On December 16, the Times of Israel wrote this:

“With the jolt and shock of the mass murder in Connecticut we will once again bear witness to a futile discussion about faulty policies around gun laws and the inordinate power of the gun lobby in the U.S. We know and grow weary of the claims for and against, and we also know that nothing will change… But isn’t it appropriate that a much broader and deeper conversation be opened, one that concerns not only Americans, but all of us who are searching for a society where values and cultural mores are taught? Can such a society exist with this atmosphere of public violence surrounding us? Even in a place like the State of Israel, where there is much better regulation regarding the sale and licensing of weapons?

“I myself grew up in a home where it was forbidden to hold anything resembling a weapon, from a water gun to a slingshot or even a small knife. We were not allowed to play war games of any kind. When we received items like these for birthdays, they were thrown directly into the trash, sometimes over our loud protests. Yet this is also how we educated our own children…

“The country I served as a rabbi forbade the airing of the series ‘Power Rangers’ in order to prevent acts of violence and so as not to expose children to violence. Today, I see the amount of violence on the Internet, television, and of course in the news and in our general discourse and in contrast, ‘Power Rangers’ looks almost like a ballet. This has entered so deeply into our contemporary culture that the implications go well beyond our ability to control or direct.

“When I led discussions in this direction in the Knesset Education Committee about television programs, the response was always the excuse that all programs provide an age warning. Of course this obviously just tells children who have not reached the appropriate age that they should watch…

“I hope that in memory of these slaughtered children we not only embrace our own children, as recommended by President Obama, but we also take action to eradicate the culture of violence from within our midst.”

The author has a point, even though he quite inconsistently relates in another portion of the article (which was deleted above) that his father had no problems with fighting in Israel ‘s wars, even though he taught the strictest form of pacifism at home. Sadly, such parental conduct gives mixed signals to their children.

Gun Lobby Silent—For Now…

Deutsche Welle reported on December 16:

“In the hours of media coverage about the Newtown shooting, representatives of the gun lobby have had little to say. David Gregory, host of ‘Meet the Press,’ said his show invited all 31 senators who expressed their support for gun rights to appear on the show but all declined. Bob Schieffer of ‘Face the Nation’ on CBS said the NRA refused an invitation to appear on the show.

“Louie Gohmert, a Republican member of the House of Representatives from Texas, was one of the few conservative, supporters of gun rights who appeared for interviews. He argued that had teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School also had guns in their offices, they would have been able to kill the 20-year-old gunman.”

What nonsense… However, as CNN reported this week, more and more states seem to consider providing teachers with weapons. At the same time, the NRA issued a letter of sympathy and stated that they will prevent these massacres from happening again, without giving any details as to how this is to be accomplished.

America’s Morbid Fascination with Guns

In the context of the horrible Connecticut school shooting, it might be worthwhile to consider the next report, which was published by salon.com on December 3, 2012—BEFORE the terrible mass murder in Connecticut:

“The United States produces the vast majority of firearms in this country. It’s also the world’s leading weapons exporter by far. America exported $336.5 million worth of firearms in 2011… That’s $200 million more than Italy, the next leading exporter. In addition to feeding booming gun sales at home, however, the insatiable American appetite for weapons is also responsible for fueling a burgeoning small arms industry around the world. Despite producing so many of its own weapons, the United States is also the top global importer… global small-arms sales for 2011 [are valued] at $8.5 billion, more than double its 2006 estimate of $4 billion…

“American small-arms purchases in 2009 accounted for 38 percent of the global total at $1.8 billion, more than 47 other leading importers combined… Private citizens provide the main source of demand for small arms around the globe. Of the 650 million firearms owned by civilians worldwide, more than 41 percent are in American hands. It’s no surprise the United States has by far the highest proportion of guns per person, an estimated 89 civilian firearms per 100 residents… 47 percent of American adults… keep guns. That’s the highest since 1993…

“Experts say a lack of data makes it difficult to come up with an estimate of illegal arms sales… Even though Americans are the world’s biggest exporters and importers of small arms, however, the vast majority of US-made guns stay at home. The industry exported less than 4.5 percent of its new manufactures in 2010… US companies increased production by 2 million between 2006 and 2010, bringing the total to nearly 5.5 million…

“Some blame the recent increase in civilian spending on small arms on fear President Barack Obama would introduce stricter gun control… Despite decrying gun violence, however, Obama hasn’t pushed for gun control. His administration is also advocating new regulations that would make it easier to export weapons abroad… the US gun lobby… is spending tens of millions of dollars to ensure the highly lucrative industry keeps expanding…”

Joe Biden Got the Buck

The New York Times wrote on December 19:

“During… the White House news conference on Wednesday afternoon… President Obama made a forceful announcement in response to the massacre of children last week in Newtown, Conn. He said he was directing Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. to lead an effort ‘to come up with a set of concrete proposals’ about dealing with gun violence that he would submit to Congress no later than January.”

Some have criticized President Obama for passing the buck to Vice-President Biden; others have pointed out that Joe Biden was once before heavily involved in trying to pass legislation against the purchase and possession of semi-automatic weapons, but that this attempt failed miserably and that the Democrats suffered deeply as a consequence.

The Rush for More Guns

Newsmax reported on December 18:

“Thousands of Americans are rushing to their local gun stores to buy high-powered rifles and ammunition in a bid to thwart a potential assault weapons ban in the wake of last week’s Connecticut school massacre. At a Cincinnati gun show, ‘sales were through the roof on Saturday,’ Joe Eaton of Ohio’s Buckeye Firearms Association told the network. ‘People were buying everything they could out of fear the president would try to ban certain guns and high-capacity magazines.’ And in Colorado, an official at Colorado Bureau of Investigation told Fox the agency processed more than 4,200 background checks on Saturday, the day after the shootings.

“The hot-selling model is the AR-15 – the same firearm used by gunman Adam Lanza — along with the powerful .223 ammunition it uses. More than three million Americans own an AR-15, which gun store owners say buyers like because ‘it’s the civilian version of the fearsome M-16 used by the U.S. military,’’ CBS News reports…”

As the famous song, “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” puts it, “When will they ever learn?”

Mass Murder in Connecticut and Freedom to Own Guns

Der Spiegel Online wrote on December 17:

“Once again, the United States is debating its gun laws, even if the discussion is likely to be short and inconclusive…This old fairy tale of self-defense is popular in the pro-gun lobby. It has also been statistically disproved. Civilians who shoot back usually miss. And those self-proclaimed defenders of law and order often hit the wrong target…

“The madness continues. The statistics, quoted often again since Friday, are well-known. America leads the world in shooting deaths, with some 30,000 people killed by guns each year. Yet each time there’s a major shooting, weapons sales increase…”

The Süddeutsche Zeitung wrote on December 16:

“President Obama’s ‘never again’ are little more than plaintive words. He’s trying to provide comfort, but he certainly isn’t promising any improvement. During Obama’s first term, more than 40,000 of his compatriots died in a hail of bullets. One out of 10 of these victims was under the age of 18. He never even had the courage to at least come up with stronger laws to take some of the deadliest weapons out of the hands of civilians… Obama points to the constitutionally protected right for US citizens to possess weapons. In reality, however, he is wary of a battle with the Republicans and the gun lobby…

“The statistical probability that a person will be killed by a firearm is 16 times greater in the US than Germany. Why?… Because all you really need to buy a gun [in the US] is a driver’s license. The obligatory ‘background check’ is pure farce, with officials giving the green light for 99 out of 100 applications.”

The Stuttgarter Zeitung wrote on December 16:

“This massacre, as difficult as it is to comprehend, is not a stroke of fate; it is not comparable to a natural catastrophe. … The bloody crime was made easier by conditions that can very much be influenced by people…

“Nowhere else in the world are so many weapons in circulation as in the US… Every 20 minutes, a US citizen is murdered by a firearm. American schoolchildren are killed by bullets 10 times more often than in comparable industrialized countries. Such numbers speak for themselves.”

“It is impossible to prevent mass shootings… Yet it is also clear that it is possible to significantly reduce the danger of such attacks. Where weapons are not part of everyday life, the risk of such a monstrous event such as that in Newtown is significantly reduced.”

Still, while people look for explanations for the humanly unexplainable massacre in Connecticut–the second worst mass shooting in U.S. history, exceeded only by the Virgina Tech shooting in 2007 when 32 victims (and the gunman) were killed—there is no doubt in our minds that the perpetrator was demonically influenced or possessed, even if “medical experts” will ultimately diagnose and label him as “mentally unstable or ill.” In fact, some have already begun doing so. Of course, easy access to guns in his mother’s home made his bloody rampage much easier. Any “rational human explanation” for his insane killings will by necessity fall short of reality and truth. The real issue is, why and how did the perpetrator allow himself to come under Satan’s influence in such a drastic way? We must understand that demonic possession does not “just happen” without any involvement and personal culpability of the possessed. Besides dealing with the occult, uncontrolled human emotions, such as anger and the obsession with violence, can contribute to demonic influence as well.

Russian Cyber-Gangster Prepared to Rob Many American Banks and Customers

The Washington Times wrote on December 14:

“The U.S. financial services industry has issued a warning that a Russian cyber-gangster is preparing to rob American banks and their customers of millions of dollars. In addition, the computer security firm McAfee has reported that the cyber-criminal, who calls himself ‘Thief-in-Law,’ already has infected… hundreds of computers of unwitting American customers in preparation to steal their bank account data.

“The warning was issued Thursday by the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS-ISAC), which shares information throughout the financial sector about terrorist and online threats… According to McAfee, Thief-in-Law has installed malicious software programs, known as ‘malware,’ on hundreds of computers as part of his plan, dubbed ‘Project Blitzkrieg.’ The malware steals passwords and login information, which hackers can use to drain victims’ bank accounts online. ‘McAfee Labs believes that Project Blitzkrieg is a credible threat to the financial industry and appears to be moving forward as planned,’ a company report states.

“The Times reported in October that Thief-in-Law was trying to recruit an army of hackers to rob U.S. bank accounts next year and had posted a video of himself boasting about his online criminal activities and his immunity from law enforcement. ‘If you accurately target [bank] customers in the USA while being in Russia, then you can [sic] fear nothing…’ [the gangster wrote]…”

Fiscal Cliff—Britain Already Jumped…

The Washington Post wrote on December 16:

“If President Obama and congressional Republicans fail to reach a deal in the coming weeks, Americans face a fierce wave of tax hikes and spending cuts that could threaten the U.S. economy. Yet Britain has already crashed over its own economic precipice, with the Conservative-led government unleashing a radical experiment in austerity since coming to power in 2010 that has seen public spending corralled and taxes increased on this side of the Atlantic…

“Other indebted European nations, including Greece and Spain, have forcibly adopted austerity to appease international lenders and financial markets, both with devastating economic effects. But no country in Europe shares a closer profile — both economic and cultural — with the United States than Britain.

“Bringing with it even harsher austerity than the plan imposed here, the fiscal cliff, economists say, could damage the U.S. economy proportionately more than the battering in Britain. But even if the worst is averted in Washington, the British experience suggests just how difficult the challenges may be for a large and deeply indebted industrial economy like that of the United States… David Riley, managing director for sovereign ratings at Fitch Ratings in London [said:] ‘If the U.S. follows the same path as Britain, it could end up in recession, anyway.’”

Washington—Deeply Dysfunctional

Deutsche Welle reported on December 19:

“Whether or not the US will avert the fiscal cliff or jump over it at the end of the year, one thing is already clear. In Washington’s deeply dysfunctional governing process compromise is a four-letter word. The media hype, incredulously headlining that there is “hope” after all, and the bounce by Asian stock markets after the news that the US government hasn’t given up yet on trying to prevent the country from spiraling into a self-made recession, just goes to show how low expectations have become for Washington to accomplish even the most urgent tasks.

“All it took to trigger this pre-holiday outbreak of joy was that Democratic President Barack Obama and Republican House Majority Leader John Boehner didn’t end their talks over a fiscal cliff deal within a matter of minutes after starting them, but have managed to keep their conversation going for a few days now… Never mind that a real and lasting solution is all but assured and that even if one is reached, the important details have to be hammered out next year…

“Much is at stake. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated earlier this year that failure to avert the fiscal cliff – the double whammy of massive tax hikes and massive spending cuts slated to go into effect January 1, 2013 – would reduce the US budget by $607 billion or four percent of GDP. As a result, predicted the CBO, the US would probably slip back into a recession in 2013…

“The road toward the fiscal cliff is long and was paved by Congress in 2010 with the extension of the temporary tax cuts of the Bush administration and by automatic budget cuts agreed in 2011. Without new legislation, the Bush-era tax cuts will expire at the same time the automatic budget cuts kick in come January 1. ‘If Americans are about to jump over the fiscal cliff, it’s because Congress has been totally dysfunctional in the last two to four years in terms of its essential function, which is to make a budget,’ Vincent Michelot, a US expert at Sciences Po university in Lyon, told DW… Naturally this leads to the question why it is so difficult for Congress to reach any significant deal, be it over the fiscal cliff, Wall Street Reform, Health Care Reform, Immigration Reform or even to pass a budget…

“So even if a compromise on the fiscal cliff is reached and then hailed as the holiday miracle of the season, Washington’s political logic has not changed. Compromise doesn’t pay off. The next big test for this rule is already written on the wall: Gun control legislation.”

The Washington Times wrote on December 20:

“Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Thursday he plans to send his chamber home for Christmas and then reconvene on Dec. 27 to try to work through the ‘fiscal cliff’ — even as House Republicans said they’ll keep their troops in town to try to strike a deal. The moves come as both sides jockey for the upper hand in trying to avoid blame for a possible breakdown in the budget talks to avoid the fiscal cliff.

“House Republicans are poised to pass a bill Thursday that would prevent spending cuts and most tax increases, and have said they’ll stay here to get a deal done. But there won’t be anyone on the other side of the table — at least not until next week… Mr. Reid said the House Republicans should forget about passing their bill and not bother sending the Senate anything, but instead go deal with President Obama… Reid said he won’t put that bill up to a vote in the Senate. ‘There’s nothing to discuss. We are not taking up any of the things they are working on over there now,’ Mr. Reid… said.”

Terrorist Attack on Bonn Central Station

Deutsche Welle reported on December 15:

“Federal prosecutors in Germany have taken over the investigation into a failed bomb plot at the Bonn central station. They say the incident was likely an attempt by an Islamist organization to commit an act of terror. The announcement on Friday from the German federal public prosecutors’ office in Karlsruhe confirms that Monday’s bomb scare is being treated as an attempted terror attack…

“In a recap of the facts in the case so far, the prosecutor’s office said that a man left a sports bag on one of the platforms at the main train station in Bonn early in the afternoon on Monday. The bag contained a prepared explosive device. An initial investigation of the device revealed it consisted of a metal pipe approximately 40 cm (15.7 inches) long that contained ammonium nitrate. Compressed gas cartridges were wrapped around the pipe, as were a timer and batteries meant to serve as an ignition device… An investigation is still ongoing as to why the device did not explode…”

Debate Over Circumcision Will Continue in Germany and Europe

On December 16, JTA published the following “opinion” by Deidre Berger, director of the American Jewish Committee’s Berlin Ramer Institute for German-Jewish Relations:

“[The] German parliament passage of legislation to protect male circumcision for religious purposes occurred, coincidentally, during Chanukah. The holiday celebrates the Jewish uprising against the Syrian Greeks more than two millennia ago. It was a revolt triggered by religious persecution, including punishment by death for performing circumcisions.

“By contrast, at no time in the 1,700-year history of Jews in Germany has the practice been forbidden — not even by Hitler — despite repeated attempts, particularly during the post-French revolution era of emancipation. What a shock, therefore, when a court in Cologne last May determined criminal liability for those who perform circumcisions without medical indication on children below the age of consent.

“Following the ruling, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle affirmed religious circumcision in Germany. The German parliament vowed to pass legislation intended to quell the legal uncertainties stirred up by the Cologne ruling. Despite this swift political response, public controversy ensued.

“Secular humanists, anti-abortionists, human rights activists, and medical and legal professionals vociferously demanded a ban on circumcision. Their well-financed campaign included newspaper ads, Op-Eds, letters to the editor and cartoons mocking practitioners of circumcision. Using a body of flawed evidence, opponents alleged that circumcision is a high-risk and irreversible procedure, intimating that Jews and Muslims cause irreparable harm to their children. The depiction of Jews and Muslims as societal outcasts with primitive practices, not surprisingly, unleashed crude anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim sentiments in hate mail, reader’s comments and the Internet. Parliamentarians were bombarded with anti-Semitic hate mail on circumcision.

“Ostensibly respectable German groups devoted to public health, some of them doctors’ organizations, cited alleged clinical proof that circumcision endangers a boy’s health, interferes with his later sexual functioning and causes long-term psychological damage. Interestingly, the anti-circumcision groups dismiss U.S. data claiming that circumcision is an ‘industry’ with American pediatricians earning enormous profits by performing unnecessary circumcisions. Accusations behind closed doors are that American medicine is in the hands of profit-greedy Jews…

“In fact, there is ample evidence that circumcision has no deleterious effects and may even lessen the odds of contracting HIV and other diseases. Both the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend circumcision on health grounds. Israel, a country with well-documented records on circumcision, reported complication rates in 2011 of less than a tenth of 1 percent. Given the overwhelming body of evidence, the question arises as to why Germany came so perilously close to becoming the first country to ban circumcision for religious purposes?…

“Although Jews have been part of German life for nearly 2,000 years, this debate revealed the degree to which the Jewish minority is understood by many as ‘the other,’ with demands that Jewish rituals be reformed to an allegedly more modern era. Interestingly, even though there are 4 million Muslims in Germany and approximately 250,000 Jews, the controversy focused mostly on Jews, revealing the continued discomfort with the subject of Jews in Germany nearly 70 years after the Holocaust…

“In the end, the Bundestag remained true to democratic values and affirmed the religious rights of minorities — exactly the message of the Chanukah holiday… Nonetheless, circumcision opponents are likely to challenge the legislation. A German parliamentarian has vowed to bring her fight against circumcision to the Council of Europe… Debate over circumcision, a test of democracy and religious tolerance, is likely to continue in Europe.”

America Is Preparing for War

The New American wrote on December 10:

“More than 3,000 U.S. military personnel have secretly returned to Iraq via Kuwait and 17,000 more are on their way in response to the civil war in Syria that has spilled over into northern Iraq, according to a report published Monday by Iran’s Press TV. [Update: On December 14, U.S. Central Command spokesman Lt. Col. T.G. Taylor said in an email to The New American, ‘All reports of 3,000 troops returning to Iraq are completely false.’]

“The news follows by four days a report from the Russian news service RT that the aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower has joined the USS Iwo Jima off the coast of Syria. Both President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last week issued stern warnings to Syria about unspecified but serious ‘consequences’ that would follow if government forces in Syria were to use chemical weapons against insurgents fighting to overthrow the government led by President Bashar al-Assad. The warnings came after reports that intelligence sources have reported signs of activity where the Assad regime is believed to have chemical weapons stored. At the same time, U.S. officials have expressed concern over the possibility that Jihadist elements among the rebel forces might capture those same weapons. Israel is worried — along with Western nations — that the militant Islamic group Hezbollah, an ally of Iran and enemy of Israel, might be among the rebels likely to get hold of and use chemical weapons…

“Without citing specific numbers of troops on the U.S. ships off the Syrian coast, RT reported that the Eisenhower is equipped to carry eight fighter-bombers and 8,000 men, while the Iwo Jima is designed to carry 2,500 U.S. Marines. RT last week also quoted an Australian news report of U.S. covert forces either in or very near Syria, ready to strike…

“There has been no United Nations resolution authorizing the establishment of either a no-fly zone or of U.S. ground forces. More importantly for the United States, there has been no authorization from Congress, as the Constitution requires, for the Obama administration to intervene militarily in the Syrian conflict. There is, however, a long line of precedents of presidents waging war without congressional approval, including the aerial campaign ordered by President Obama in 2011 in a ‘humanitarian intervention’ to save the rebel forces that toppled the Moammar Gadhafi regime in Libya. Anti-Western, militant Islamic groups involved in the fighting against Gadhafi’s forces later participated in the September 11, 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic outpost in Benghazi that killed four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens.”

US and Germany Send Patriot Missiles to Turkish Border

CNN reported on December 14:

“The United States and Germany are sending Patriot missiles and troops to the Turkish border… The surface-to-air interceptors would be ‘dealing with threats that come out of Syria,’ said U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. Threats would include Syrian strikes inside Turkey and fighting between the government and rebels that extends into Turkey… Despite the prospect of U.S. missiles on Al-Assad’s doorstep and a weakening regime, U.S. intelligence officials said the Syrian leader is showing no signs of giving up… The moves come a week after NATO foreign ministers approved the deployment of Patriots to protect Turkey against any threats from al-Assad’s regime…

“Also Friday, the German parliament approved the deployment of German Patriot anti-aircraft missiles to Turkey… The Netherlands have shown willingness to add Patriot batteries… Turkey and NATO insist the Patriot system would be used only for defense.”

The Unprepared German Troops at Turkish-Syrian Border

The Local wrote on December 14:

“As the German government gave the go-ahead on Friday to send 400 troops to the Turkish-Syrian border, a soldiers’ association voiced concern that they would not be properly equipped against chemical, nuclear or biological attack. There was no plan in place to shield troops at the border from nuclear, biological and chemical warfare…

“The government approved Germany’s participation in the NATO mission by a large majority on Friday afternoon. Around 400 of its troops will now be sent to Turkey to be deployed alongside a number of Patriot missiles to help defend the country’s border with Syria. They should arrive in January 2013 and will probably stay until January 31, 2014. The Green party and the Social Democrats have both suggested they would be supporting the operation.”

NBC News Richard Engel Freed in Deadliest Country–Syria

The Associated Press reported on December 19:

“The last missing member of an NBC team that was kidnapped in Syria has been freed and is safely in Turkey, NBC News executives said Wednesday. Ian Rivers was part of the NBC team led by the network’s chief foreign correspondent, Richard Engel. They were kidnapped in Syria on Thursday, and Engel and several other members escaped unharmed on Monday… Appearing on NBC’s ‘Today’ show Tuesday, an unshaven Engel said more than a dozen pro-regime gunmen dragged him and his colleagues from their car, killed one of their rebel escorts and subjected them to mock executions. He said they escaped during a firefight Monday night between their captors and rebels at a checkpoint.

“Engel said he believes the kidnappers were a Shiite militia group loyal to President Bashar Assad’s government, which has lost control over swaths of the country’s north and is increasingly on the defensive in a civil war that activists say has killed 40,000 people since March 2011… According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, Syria is by far the deadliest country for the news media in 2012, with 28 journalists killed in combat or targeted for murder by government or opposition forces.”

Israeli Foreign Minister Lieberman Resigned

Deutsche Welle reported on December 14:

“Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has resigned… ‘I have decided to resign my post as foreign minister and deputy prime minister and… also to remove my [parliamentary] immunity forthwith so I can end this matter quickly, without delay and clear my name absolutely,’ Lieberman said in an emailed statement on Friday. The announcement came one day after Israel’s attorney general had indicted Lieberman for alleged breach of trust, but had dropped more serious allegations against him including fraud and money-laundering. Lieberman is being charged for allegedly receiving classified information from a former ambassador to Belarus on an investigation against him. Lieberman has maintained he is innocent.

“It remains unclear whether he can still stand in the Jan. 22 general electionm, but he confirmed on Saturday he would attempt to run. A coalition between Lieberman’s right-wing party Yisrael Beiteinu (Our Home is Israel) and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party has been predicted to win by opinion polls. Without Lieberman on the bill, some pollsters believe the coaltion group will lose support.

“An official in the prime minister’s office said Netanyahu would serve as acting foreign minister until the election.”

Egyptians Vote for Islamist Constitution in First Round

Reuters reported on December 16:

“President Mohamed Mursi has won initial backing from Egyptians for a new constitution that he hopes will steer the country out of crisis, but which opponents say is an Islamist charter that tramples on minority rights. A first day of voting in a referendum on the draft basic law resulted in 56.5 percent ‘Yes’ vote, Mursi’s political party said. An opposition official conceded that Egyptians voting on Saturday appeared to have backed the measure. Next Saturday’s second set of balloting is likely to give another ‘yes’ vote as the voting then will be in districts generally seen as even more sympathetic towards Islamists, and that would mean the constitution should be approved.

“But the apparent closeness of the early tally gives Mursi only limited comfort as it exposes deep divisions in a country where he needs to build a consensus for tough economic reforms… A narrow loss could still hearten the leftists, socialists, Christians and more liberal-minded Muslims who make up the disparate opposition, which has been beaten in two elections since Mubarak was overthrown last year. They were drawn together to oppose what they saw as a power grab by Mursi as he pushed through the constitution…”

Deutsche Welle reported on December 19:

“The tensions over Egypt’s referendum on the new constitution show no signs of going away as more judges say they’ll boycott monitoring the second round of voting… Also, the judges of the Supreme Judicial Council have said they will not oversee the second round of voting, which is likely to raise doubts about the entire referendum’s legitimacy… The opposition has campaigned for weeks against the draft constitution. They see it as an Islamist basic law which would limit fundamental freedoms and turn society towards a religious path… Overall, the rift between the political camps is growing… society is getting ever more divided.”

Intermarriage OK?

The Jewish news agency, New Voices, published an article on December 17 by an author who forsook the Jewish faith and who advocates “intermarriage.” When reading the article, one must feel deep sorrow and grief for the author’s misguided opinions (We omitted his curse words and other inappropriate and offensive language).

“Like many other particularly un-athletic Jewish youth, I spent many Sundays playing Little League baseball at my local JCC… One day while waiting in the lineup I struck up a conversation with a fellow player. He told me all about how he got to celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah, because his dad was Jewish and his mom was not… Not long after this I met one of my distant relatives for the first time, and I learned that he was intermarried. He has two children, and it disturbed me immensely that they were not Jewish…

“When I first discounted Judaism, I still held my old opposition to intermarriage… I have searched far and wide for reasons not to intermarry. Many rabbis, family members and peers have been consulted but I have yet to find a satisfactory answer. The most common reply people have given me is always about ‘keeping the traditions going,’ or something of that sort. I understand the appeal of this, but I do not find it valid. These traditions such as celebrating Passover are nice but they are indubitably based on falsehoods…

“Through all of this I don’t have one decent theological reason not to marry whoever I damn please, but I still have a pretty good practical one. Could I do it to my family? I know it would destroy my parents…

“But no matter how much I rationalize my Jewish heritage or contemplate intermarriage I have to admit that, strangely, I still feel Jewish. When Aly Riesman won the gold medal I felt like a proud Jewish mother and almost cried tears of joy. Whenever I see Israeli F16s fly over I get chills down my spine. Any athlete or celebrity that is Jewish immediately goes to the top of my favorite list. I do not keep Shabbat, I ate bacon cheese fries on Rosh Hashanah while drinking and watching football at a bar, and I do not even fast on Yom Kippur. This feeling of Jewish pride is the last vestige of my forsaken faith, and it may be the most essential one. I would love for my children to be able to identify as Jews simply so they could have something to be proud of, but what kind of sacrifices am I willing to make for that to happen?”

If the author had not forsaken the faith of the Bible, he would know the answer. It is not a matter of feeling proud to be Jewish, while forsaking everything which makes one Jewish. Both the Old and the New Testament teach that God’s people—ancient Israel and Judah in the Old Testament and Christians in the New—should not intermarry with others of a different faith. (If such a marriage exists, Paul’s admonitions and teachings in 1 Corinthians 7 apply). However, since the author has fallen for deceptive Satanic reasoning (such as, that the Passover is built on falsehood), and is disobedient to God by not keeping His Holy Days and by not refraining from unclean meat, whatever understanding he might have had has left him. One can’t help but to feel deeply sorry for him.

Christmas Tree Symbolizes Divine Light of Christ?

Zenit wrote on December 14:

“Pope Benedict XVI received in audience a delegation from the Italian region of Molise, which this year has donated the fir tree raised next to the Nativity scene in St. Peter’s Square. The lighting ceremony will take place later on today. The Pope thanked the delegation for the silver fir – which was accompanied by eight other smaller trees… [He] said that event of God becoming man was to ‘dispel the shadows of sin, bringing His divine light to humanity.

“‘This highest of lights, symbolized and recalled by the Christmas tree, has not only shown no sign of dimming through the passing of the centuries and the millennia, but rather continues to shine upon us and to illuminate every person who comes into the world, especially in moments of uncertainty and difficulty.’ Recalling the words of Christ, who proclaimed, ‘I am the light of the world’, Pope Benedict said that there have been many attempts to ‘extinguish the light of God.’ These attempts, the Pope continued, are meant ‘to replace it with the glare of illusion and deceit’ and ‘have heralded episodes of tragic violence against mankind.’”

The tragic confusion is that the Christmas tree—a pagan custom and object of worship used to pray to heathen gods—is part of that very “glare of illusion and deceit” which is trying to “replace” and extinguish the true Light—Jesus Christ.

The Bible is clear that faith is measured in terms of both quantity and quality.

Before going into detail about what the Bible says about measuring faith, it is important to clarify just what faith is. Hebrews 11:1 says it best: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” We understand this to mean that faith is an action which treats things that have not yet happened, and things which are not empirically evident, as truth. There is no practical distinction between the object of faith and reality to the believer. Faith is the ability to believe in deed.

The Bible tells us that proper faith is very powerful. Having the right kind of faith allows amazing miracles to become possible. Healings of otherwise incurable illnesses are possible (Mark 5:34). Moving mountains is possible (Matthew 17:20). Causing trees to wither (Matthew 21:19-21) or become uprooted and move is possible (Luke 17:6). Each of these actions and events of similar miraculous stature are possible, but always subject and pursuant to God’s Will, when the right kind of faith works within the life of a Christian.

The first way that faith is measured is in terms of quality. When we talk about the quality of faith, we refer to the type of faith, and how well that faith is able to work for its intended purpose. A person may have faith in ungodly, selfish or misapplied things or people, such as riches, pride, power, or violent man. However, this is not the kind of faith that God looks for. In fact, it is disloyal to God to have faith in anything that is not of God. Jesus Christ tells us in Luke 16:13: “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” A Christian must first determine if his or her faith is the correct type to ensure that it is Godly faith if it is to be the kind that is pleasing to God (Hebrews 11:1). Faith in Godly things is different from faith in “magic tricks.” Jesus refused to perform any miracles which, by themselves, were not ungodly, but which would have placed His action in a wrong light. For instance, He refused to command stones to become bread when He was hungry, as He would otherwise have given in to Satan’s temptations.

There are different kinds of Godly faith as well. The first kind of Godly faith is faith in God and Jesus Christ. This quality of this kind of faith is characterized by the belief that it is possible to receive salvation and the gift of eternal life through the sacrifice of God the Father’s only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ. In our free booklet, “Paul’s Letter to the Galatians – How to Understand It,” we write about this in detail:

“It is of course true that we must have faith in Christ—including in His name, identity, role and function, His message, and His sacrifice (Acts 3:16; 20:21; 24:24; John 3:14–15; 5:24; 11:24; 12:46). Before we receive the Holy Spirit, which God gives us only after repentance, belief, proper adult baptism (Acts 2:38) and the laying on of hands through God’s true ministers (Hebrews 6:2; Acts 8:14–20)—our faith IN Christ is the ONLY kind of faith we can have.

“But even this is not a ‘dead’ faith, but a ‘living’ faith—it is that kind of faith that manifests itself through works of OBEDIENCE (James 2:14, 17, 22, 26; Romans 1:5; 16:26; Acts 6:7). John 3:36 reads, correctly translated: ‘He who believes IN the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not OBEY the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him’ (compare Revised Standard Version). In fact, without living, obedient faith in God the Father and Jesus Christ, we cannot even receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:32).”

It is also important to note that true faith in God and Jesus Christ requires that a Christian is called by God first. It is only then that one may begin to be receptive to understanding God’s way of life and truth. In John 6:44-47 we read the words of Jesus Christ: “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes [in Me] has everlasting life.”

Jesus Christ taught very clearly that being called by God is necessary before it is possible to truly learn from God. Additionally, it requires faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ to make it possible to obtain salvation. But this kind of faith is a gift from God. We cannot just decide to have this kind of faith—it must be given to us by God as a free gift. As we explain in our free booklet, “Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians,” when discussing Ephesians 2:8–10:

“Paul states in verse 8, in the Authorized Version, that ‘it is the gift of God.’ First, this refers to ‘faith’… our belief in Christ is a gift of God (Philippians 1:29). Nobody can come to Christ unless the Father draws Him (John 6:44, 65). In fact, even repentance is a gift from God (Romans 2:4), and so is our ability to understand spiritual things (1 Corinthians 2:9–12). God must reveal Himself and His knowledge to us (Matthew 11:25, 27; 16:17).”

Yet, the faith in God and Jesus Christ by a Christian who is called by God is only the beginning of Godly faith. In order to actually obtain the gift of eternal life, another type of faith is required. This is the faith of Jesus Christ living and working within us.

Once a called person has been properly baptized, he or she literally receives the faith of Christ working within his or her life. The object of the faith of Christ working within us is unique. It is the actual faith of Jesus Christ Himself that allows us to become righteous. Again quoting from our booklet “Paul’s Letter to the Galatians – How to Understand it,” we describe how the faith of Jesus Christ works within the life of a Christian:

“The Bible teaches that the faith of Christ—Christ’s faith in us—makes us righteous. Those who believe in Christ must have the faith OF Christ living IN them. Philippians 3:9 says: ‘… and be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith OF Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.’”

The type of faith that we have is a qualitative way of measuring faith. Godly faith is required to please God, and that involves having both faith in God and Jesus Christ, as well as having the faith of Jesus Christ working in us to obtain righteousness.

The quality of faith is also measured by how pure and complete it is. Faith that is mingled with doubt is marred and becomes less effective or ineffective completely. Writing in the context of asking God for wisdom and understanding, James states the following in James 1:6-7: “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” This description of how doubt affects faith is enlightening. When doubt gets in the way of the belief of a Christian, the effect is instability, and may even make the object of faith fruitless. The quality of faith is measured by the degree to which doubt contradicts and interferes with its efficacy.

Faith is also measured by quantity. The amount of faith each individual has varies, and may grow or shrink, depending on his or her conduct. In Romans 12:3 we can see that Godly faith—“quality” faith– is clearly quantitatively measured when Paul writes the following: “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” The amount or measure of faith each Christian receives from God varies according to His Will, as He looks at our heart and to what extent we obediently act upon the faith that we have already received. It is also important to note that the faith that Paul mentions—both the faith in God and Christ and the faith of Christ in us–is a gift from God, and not something that originates in the individual Christian pursuant to his or her own will. Fortunately, faith is quite potent, and only a small amount may be required at first in order to do amazing things. But as the proverbial mustard seed is very small, but grows into a big tree  (Luke 13:19), so our faith in God and Christ must grow and increase, and we must allow Christ’s faith in us to work more and more mightily and powerfully in our lives. The apostles asked Christ to increase their faith (Luke 17:5).

At the same time, we are told that Abraham did not become weak in faith, but that his faith grew. Romans 4:19-21 reads, in the Revised Standard Version:

“He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead, because he was about a hundred years old, or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. “

The amount of faith of a Christian may also decrease. We read the following in 2 Thessalonians 1:3 when Paul writes his greetings to the early Church: “We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other…” Even though the members of the Church in Thessalonica may have initially received a small measure of faith, Paul acknowledges that their “quality” faith has grown in quantity. At the same time, Christ chided His apostles for their little faith, as He had been expecting a larger amount of faith in them (Mark 4:40). He even said that He had asked for Peter that his faith would not fail (Luke 22:32).

Jesus Christ Himself acknowledges the amount of faith a believer has when evaluating the faith of His followers. In Matthew 8:10, Jesus encounters a faithful centurion who believes that Jesus has the ability to heal his servant. “When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!’”

The Greek word for the word “great” is “tosoutos” which means “of great quantity or amount.” Understanding this, we can plainly see that faith varies in amount, and in this case the centurion demonstrates that he has it in large amounts relative to others in Israel.

Faith is a critical element involved in being a Christian and obtaining the gift of eternal life provided by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. By growing in the amount of faith one has and by allowing Christ’s faith to work mightily in him or her, the ability for a Christian to obtain the object of faith, whether it is healing, understanding, or righteousness, becomes even more sure.

Lead Writers: Eric Rank and Norbert Link

The new StandingWatch program is titled, “A World Without School Shootings and Gun Violence–How?” Evangelist Norbert Link offers challenging answers from the Bible–here is the summary: After the horrific mass murder of schoolchildren and adults in Connecticut, the issue of gun control was raised again. Many countries condemn America for its gun culture in a most hypocritical fashion. Pastor Joel Olsteen refused to take a position on the matter, as he felt it was a political issue that divides people. However, the question pertains to the very core of true Christianity. Will we ever experience peace on this planet? The answer is, Yes, indeed, but not in the way that most people think or expect.

This program will alsobe broadcast on radio, beginning Sunday, January 13.

“Neujahrsfeiern—Nur Harmloser Zeitvertreib?” (“New Year’s Celebrations—Only Harmless Amusement?”) is the title for a new AufPostenStehen program which reveals the non-Christian origins of New Year’s celebrations.

“Neu! Abrahams Wachstum im Glauben, Teil 2” (“New! Abraham’s Growth in Faith, Part 2”) is this week’s new German sermon. In this presentation, Mr. Link discusses the dream in Genesis 15, the incident with Hagar in Genesis 16, also in the context of polygamy, another covenant in Genesis 17, and the beginning of the visit of Jesus Christ and two angels in Genesis 18. The main emphasis of the sermon is the need to grow in faith.

Our brethren, who assemble for Sabbath services in Germany, are able to connect at times via SKYPE (that is, through a video transmission) with several other scattered brethren and prospective members to allow all an opportunity to “meet” together.

In addition, please note that live services are broadcast in the U.S. each Sabbath and can be accessed through our website–http://eternalgod.org/. We have meetings in Ramona, California; Woodburn, Oregon; Fort Collins, Colorado; Summerland, BC (Canada); and we conduct services in England. Members also participate in the Chat Room that is associated with our Internet transmissions. If you desire more information, please contact us.

by Louise Amorelli

Lately, with all the unrelenting challenges and trials in both my and my husband’s lives, I became much more aware of my response to them and to others. Since these daily and long-term challenges have been front and center and without little down time, I started to more closely analyze how I handle these tests and how I re-act to them.  After all, I know that God knows all and has His direct Hand  in our lives. With this in mind, I know it is all for our edification and for building Godly character. So… do I act purposefully or re-act purposely?

By definition, if I do something on purpose, I re-act purposely. Usually for me, it’s without really thinking  my actions through and I re-act based on my emotions and my human nature. But if I act purposefully (basing my actions on Godly thinking), I then act (not re-act!) with a specific purpose in mind. It goes against my human nature to want to analyze each situation, meditate, pray and sometimes fast to act purposefully and with Godly intent, instead of re-acting too quickly and without much thought. I must remember that each of my actions draw a reaction from others and along with that, consequences. Ultimately, I know that I will have to stand before God and give account for wrong conduct that I was unwilling to change.

No matter how hard the challenge, I am convinced that I can overcome it with Godly wisdom and character, through submission and through His Spirit. I am learning to not let the trial overtake me, but letting God’s purpose shine its light, to be able to control and accept the challenge, instead of the trial controlling me. I am working on accepting each situation as an opportunity for seeing God’s purpose, and I am concentrating on acting purposefully to achieve the desired result for myself and others!

On December 15th, 2012, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “Six-Hundred Years.”
 
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.

With the recent elections behind us, the focus for the USA is now on what the future will bring. Ongoing talks about a compromise to solve or at least “help”  in some way the outcome of the fiscal cliff and the economic issues is the immediate center of attention for this nation.  However, either way one looks at this, the outcome, as we know it, looks grim. This nation will never dig its way out of the hole it has dug, which appears to look more and more like a grave. That is, until Christ returns to put a stop to all of this. 

This is no surprise to those who actually understand what the Bible is saying and what the Bible has prophesied since the beginning, about the fate of this country and the Commonwealth nations of the British Isles, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and others. The current state that this nation is in, is the result of a selfish attitude to put matters in their own hands and ignorantly giving in to Satan, instead of looking to God for help. 

God the Father has given for now His authority to the god of this world, Satan the devil, and the leaders and nations of this world have unknowingly followed Satan instead of the one true God (Revelation 13:4-5).  And so have many of the people we may know, including close friends of ours, who have been deceived by keeping the things that God prohibits and thereby not keeping the things that God commands. God’s plan for this nation is quite evident and clearly prophesied.  Since we are aware of it, we have to be extra vigilant that we don’t slip up and “forget” His plan and purpose. 

At the same time, what we must understand is that God is in overall control of this entire situation, as He is in control of our individual lives.

As we pointed out in our free booklet, “Human Suffering, Why…and How Much Longer?”, “Satan has been given authority over continental Europe, Russia, China, India, as well as the United States of America, Great Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand—the WHOLE WORLD… Is there a conflict then? Is it Satan or God who has control over man? There is no conflict. Although God has not yet taken Satan from his earthly throne, Satan can only do what God allows him to do! Satan is still subject to God’s Will.”

God is the one who places certain individuals in power to FULFILL His purpose, for “He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding” (Daniel 2:21). God is very clear in the book of Hosea as to who should rule a nation. In chapter 13 and verses 9-11, God says: “”O Israel, you are destroyed, But your help is from Me. I will be your King; Where is any other, That he may save you in all your cities? And your judges to whom you said, ‘Give me a king and princes’? I gave you a king in My anger, And took him away in My wrath.” 

In another place, He says to those who forsake Him: “They set up kings, but not of Me; they made princes, but I did not acknowledge them” (Hosea 8:4). God does not take pity on those who rebel against His law for, “He shall come like an eagle against the house of the Lord, Because they have transgressed My covenant And rebelled against My law” (Hosea 8:1).

Just as God has a specific plan for you and me, He also has a predetermined plan and purpose for all the nations (Acts 17:26).  Today, the leaders of this world are not in search of the one true God, to have God fight their battles; yet they look to their own reasoning and resources.  What about us? Do we look to God in EVERY situation we are faced with? 

Situations will become more severe and we will have to stand up for what is right despite what politicians and leaders insist on what is “ok,” but contrary to God’s law.  We must NEVER leave Him out of the picture, but put matters into His hands (2 Corinthians 1:9; Jeremiah 17:5; Deuteronomy 1:30). This is very difficult to do at times, especially in the heat of the moment.  We must keep our head high and look to God for help.  It’s not going to get easier for this nation, but it’s necessary in light of prophecy and God’s plan, for He states in Jeremiah 27:5, “I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are on the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and have given it to whom it seemed proper to Me.” 

Satan may have his glory here on earth, but it is only temporary, for God is in complete control and the end result will be fulfilled victoriously, according to His plan.

We begin with the ongoing troublesome situation in Egypt and the naïve and shortsighted politics of the USA which has been supporting the radical Muslim Brotherhood, while still providing Egypt’s powerful army with weapons. The shocking report of the Muslim Brotherhood’s current torture methods is a terrible indictment against America’s claim of supporting the suppressed. At the same time, the California Supreme Court will be hearing a legal case challenging Barak Obama’s eligibility as President, while leading American politicians are accused of playing “Russian Roulette.” We also relate a shocking report regarding “invisible soldiers.”

Turning to Germany, we are citing from the German press which is now becoming openly critical of Egypt’s return to dictatorship, while stating that neither the government nor the opposition are correct or competent. We are also reporting on the upcoming political battle and fight for the German chancellorship and introducing you to Angela Merkel’s challenger, Peer Steinbrück. Further, the German Parliament legalized circumcision of young boys, but the new law does not annul the negative viewpoint of most Germans on the issue.

While the EU is in the process of taking over Cyprus, frightening reports are being received from Italy, indicating that highly controversial Silvio Berlusconi is contemplating running for the office of Prime Minister, after Mario Monti announced that he will resign. What is even more disturbing is the possibility that the Italian people might actually vote for Berlusconi. Even though present polls suggest that only 20 % of Italians would vote for Berlusconi, it is also speculated that these figures might dramatically change until the new election.

We continue with talking about Europe’s deafening and hypocritical silence regarding Hamas’ declared goal to destroy the state of Israel, while condemning Israel for its settlement policy; report on the wish of the British people to leave the EU and on Britain’s “descent into godlessness”; speak about the discovery of a previously unrecognized asteroid which came dangerously close to earth; and conclude with several articles on Hanukkah and Christmas celebrations, which have become quite similar in recent times.

Egypt’s President Morsi More Dictatorial and Autocratic

The Telegraph wrote on December 10:

“President Mohamed Morsi has ordered Egypt’s army to take on police powers – including the right to arrest civilians – in the run-up to a divisive constitutional referendum that has triggered mass street protests… Late Sunday, the main opposition group, the National Salvation Front, called for huge protests in Cairo to reject the December 15 referendum. It dismissed a key concession Morsi made rescinding another decree giving himself near-absolute powers as too late, saying he had already used it to railroad through the draft constitution…

“National Salvation Front spokesman Sameh Ashour told a news conference [that going ahead] with the referendum ‘in this explosive situation with the threat of the Brothers’ militias amounts to the regime abandoning its responsibilities’… Morsi’s camp argues it is up to the people to accept or reject the draft constitution. If the charter is rejected, Morsi has promised to have a new one drawn up by 100 officials chosen directly by the public rather than appointed by the Islamist-dominated parliament.

“But analysts said still-strong public support for Morsi, and the Brotherhood’s proven ability to mobilise the grassroots level, would likely help the draft constitution be adopted. ‘The Muslim Brotherhood believes that it has majority support so it can win the constitutional referendum,’ said Eric Trager, analyst at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. If that happens, he warned, it would ‘set up the country for prolonged instability’.”

Like Adolf Hitler and his SS and SA militias gambled on the support of a majority of the German people—and got it—so are President Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood and their military allies engaged in a huge gamble which they might win. Egypt seems to be heading towards a full-fledged (Islamist) dictatorship, and especially the USA has proven to be totally oblivious to this development—as they were for a long time towards Nazi Germany in World War II. Please also note the Gestapo torture methods of the Muslim Brotherhood in the next article.

The Muslim Brotherhood’s Torture Chambers

Al Monitor reported on December 6:

“Al-Masry Al-Youm spent three hours in total in the torture chambers established by the Muslim Brotherhood at the gates of the Ittihadiya Palace in the suburb of Heliopolis. The central torture chamber, which is located in front of the gate facing the Omar Ibn Abdel Aziz Mosque on al-Merghany Street, is secured with a cordon and iron barriers, where the Central Security Forces (CSF) prevent the access of any persons without the authorization of the Brotherhood… The torture process starts once a demonstrator who opposes President Mohammed Morsi is arrested in the clashes or is suspected after the clashes end, and the CSF separate Morsi’s supporters from his opponents. Then, the group members trade off punching, kicking and beating him with a stick on the face and all over his body. They tear off his clothes and take him to the nearest secondary torture chamber…

“It is hard to determine how many locations there are, given that the torture chambers are established as near as possible to where a person is arrested. Before the interrogation process starts, they search him, seize his funds, cellphones or ID, all the while punching and slapping his face in order to get him to confess to being a thug and working for money. They ask him why he took to the street, whether he got paid to take part in the protest and whether he supports Mohamed ElBaradei, founder of the Constitution Party, or Hamdeen Sabahi, founder of the Egyptian Popular Current or the dissolved Egyptian Nationalist movement. As long as this person denies the allegations, they beat him and insult his parents…

“After a while, the detainee is transported from the secondary torture chamber to the central one. On his way, the beatings and insults continue. Every time the prisoner encounters a member of the Brotherhood, that person gets in his share of the insults and beatings. They also may collectively insult him before he enters the central room, while a Brotherhood lawyer hands over his national ID card, his funds and his belongings to the SSIS chief…

“The health conditions of some of the prisoners was very bad and they were unable to answer questions. Some of them were bleeding all over their bodies, severely exhausted and not receiving any medical aid…”

The Associated Press reported on December 11:

“They showed a military-style precision: Crowds of bearded Islamists proclaiming allegiance to Egypt’s President Mohammed Morsi and chanting ‘God is great’ as they descended on tents set up by anti-Morsi protesters outside the presidential palace, swinging clubs and firing rifles… a former Brotherhood member and now an opponent of the group, said the Brotherhood was surprised by the public opposition to Morsi’s moves ‘and they had no hesitation in hastening to implement their ideas and resorting to violence.’…

“One of the detention center victims, Yehia Negm, an Egyptian diplomat who has been an outspoken critic of Mubarak, told The Associated Press he was dragged on the ground from one of the frontlines to the center, where he was beaten. He is suffering from multiple injuries in the head, eye, nose, and ribs from beating and had remains of pellets in his forehead from gunfire during the clashes. ‘When they found my ID that says a diplomat, they started accusing me of working with security agencies, of being a spy and of serving foreign countries,’ Negm said. ‘They rained beatings down on me. They started yelling at me, saying, “You infidels, you want to burn the country down, you are not Muslims.’”

And these are the people the West is supporting to govern Egypt! Continue to read about Washington’s naivety in the next article.

Muslim Brotherhood Best Friend of Washington

The Washington Post wrote on December 7:

“How did Washington become the best friend of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, even as President Mohamed Morsi was asserting dictatorial powers and his followers were beating up secular liberals in the streets of Cairo? It’s a question many Arabs ask these days, and it deserves an answer.

“Morsi and his Brotherhood followers are on a power trip after decades of isolation and persecution. You could see that newfound status when Morsi visited the United Nations in September and even more so during the diplomacy that led to last month’s cease-fire in Gaza, brokered by Morsi and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The Brotherhood leaders had gone from outcasts to superstars, and they were basking in the attention…

“The Obama administration has been Morsi’s main enabler. U.S. officials have worked closely with him on economic development and regional diplomacy. Visiting Washington last week, Morsi’s top aides were touting their boss’s close contacts with President Obama and describing phone calls between the two leaders that led to the Gaza cease-fire… Probably thinking he had America’s backing, Morsi overreached on Nov. 22 by declaring that his presidential decrees were not subject to judicial review…

“Through this upheaval, the Obama administration has been oddly restrained…

“For a lesson in the dangers of falling in love with your client, look at Iraq: U.S. officials, starting with President George W. Bush and Gen. David Petraeus, kept lauding Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, despite warnings from many Iraqis that he was a conspiratorial politician who would end up siding with Iran. This misplaced affection continued into the Obama administration: Even after the Iraqi people in their wisdom voted in 2010 to dump Maliki, the United States helped him cobble together enough support to remain in power. Arab observers are still scratching their heads trying to understand that one…”

America’s futile (and foolish) attempts to buy allies are strongly condemned in Scripture. If you are still not convinced, then read the next article:

USA Supports Muslim Brotherhood Militarily

The Washington times wrote on December 8:

“For Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood-dominated government, more battle tanks and jet fighters are on their way from the United States. Cairo’s military link to Washington has remained intact, meaning the U.S. will continue to modernize the biggest military in Africa… Analysts say Egypt’s military buildup presents risks for Washington — and Israel — with the growing influence of the Brotherhood, whose overriding goal is to establish Shariah, or Islamic, law worldwide… Egypt is due 200 M1A1 Abrams battle tanks, the same mechanized firepower manned by American soldiers, bringing Egypt’s inventory to a robust 1,200. Also in the pipeline is a squadron of the Air Force F-16 Falcon, a multipurpose warplane able to dogfight and drop ordnance… The billions of dollars in U.S. military aid — in annual $1.3 billion stipends — have made the Egyptian air force the fourth-largest F-16 operator among 25 countries. Egypt’s 4,000 tanks, including the 1,000 or so M1A1s, make it the world’s seventh-largest tank army…

“Frank Gaffney, a senior defense policymaker in the Reagan administration, has been warning about the rise of the Brotherhood as it relates to the U.S. ‘My principal concern with the Obama administration’s approach to Egypt is they seem oblivious to the fact it is now in the hands of a regime that is deeply hostile to the United States and certainly poses an immediate threat, I believe, to our friends in Israel,’ said Mr. Gaffney… ‘Under those circumstances, it is alarming that they are continuing to arm Egypt in a way that can only exacerbate the threat… There are two things that are troubling… One is the sheer quantity of the weapons that these enemies of the United States have inherited, let alone those they will be getting if we continue to make arms sales with them. The second is the quality of these weapons’…

“Could U.S.-produced F-16s, manned by Egyptian pilots, one day attack Israel? ‘I think that is a valid concern, given the ideological goals of the Muslim Brotherhood,’ Mr. Phillips  [James Phillips, a Middle East analyst at the Heritage Foundation] said… Egypt is the second-largest recipient of U.S. military aid; Israel is first.

“Most of Egypt’s assistance is in the form of weapons, such as tanks and fighters, bought with U.S. tax dollars through a program called Foreign Military Sales. According to the Congressional Research Service, Egypt has ordered $14 billion in equipment since 2003.”

Israel National News reported on December 12:

“Egypt’s increasingly unstable Muslim Brotherhood regime, voted into power on an anti-US and anti-Israel platform, is about to receive 20 F-16 fighters jets [from the USA]…  The order for the Lockheed-Martin planes is another win for the American military-industrial complex… Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Wesley Miller explained to Fox, ‘The U.S.-Egypt defense relationship has served as the cornerstone of our broader strategic partnership for over thirty years. The delivery of the first set of F-16s in January 2013 reflects the U.S. commitment to supporting the Egyptian military’s modernization efforts. Egyptian acquisition of F-16s will increase our militaries’ interoperability, and enhance Egypt’s capacity to contribute to regional mission sets.’

“President Barack Obama had distanced himself from the Muslim Brotherhood until it became clear that it was a driving force following the fall of Mubarak. In a radical shift of foreign policy, Obama’s advisors, some of whom support a more liberal policy towards Hamas, began making contacts with the Muslim Brotherhood and eventually established open contacts with the radical Islamic party.”

America’s desires to “buy” allies have rarely been successful. They “bought” the alliance of Russia against Germany in World War II; the friendship of Saddam Hussein against Iran; and the cooperation of Osama bin Laden against Russia in Afghanistan. In each case, those “friendships” with “allies” have turned to challenges and defeat through Frankenstein monsters.

California Supreme Court to Rule on Barack Obama’s Eligibility as President

On December 5, Beforeitsnews.com published the following press release from the Law Offices of Dr. Orly Taitz:

“Breaking news! Supreme Court of CA to rule whether Obama should be declared illegitimate for the U.S. Presidency due to his use of forged IDs and a fraudulently obtained CT Social Security number. Loss of 55 CA electoral votes will certainly mean new elections in the U.S.

“After originally refusing to hear the case under the original jurisdiction, Supreme Court of California was persuaded by Attorney and Candidate for the U.S. Senate Dr. Orly Taitz to take on a case Noonan, Judd, MacLaren [sic], Taitz v Bowen under the provisions of the California Constitution, which allow Supreme Court of California to hear special cases under the Original Jurisdiction…

“This case is brought on behalf of four plaintiffs, all of whom have perfect standing. Edward Noonan won the American Independent Party Presidential Primary in CA and certificate of his win was submitted to the court. Keith Judd is a Democratic Party candidate for the U.S. Presidency, registered with the FEC, he was a runner up to Barack Obama in West Virginia Democratic Party Primary with 40% of the vote, Thomas Gregory Macleran was a Republican candidate for President, registered with the FEC. Attorney and Doctor Orly Taitz was a candidate for the U.S. Senate in CA.

“This case has two premises.

“First. Plaintiffs provided the court with evidence of nearly One and a half million invalid voter registrations in the state of California. Such a large number of invalid votes justifies STAY of certification of the results.

“Second. Plaintiffs provided evidence of Candidate Barack Obama committing massive elections fraud by using forged IDs and a fraudulently obtained Connecticut Social Security number 042-68-4425, which was never assigned to Obama and using a name, which is not legally his, as he is listed under the last name Soebarkah in his mother’s U.S. Passport and there is no evidence of him ever legally changing his name from Barack Obama Soebarkah to Barack Obama. Additionally, in his school records in Indonesia his citizenship is listed as Indonesian, not American. There is no record of him relinquishing his Indonesian citizenship and gaining the U.S. citizenship. Even if one were to believe that he arguendo changed his citizenship from Indonesian to American later in life, he would be a naturalized citizen and not natural born.

“Additionally, plaintiffs provided the courts with a sworn affidavits of Maricopa county, AZ investigator Mike Zullo, who is currently conducting a criminal investigation of forgeries in Obama’s IDs, and who attested that Obama’s birth certificate, Selective Service certificate and Social Security card represent forgeries. Similarly, Plaintiffs provided affidavits of Sheriff Joseph Arpaio, Senior Deportation Officer John Sampson, experts Paul Irey, Douglas Vogt and Felicito Papa and investigator Susan Daniels, all of whom are attesting that Obama’s IDs are forgeries.

“Affidavit of Assistant Clerk for the City of Honolulu Timothy Adams attests to the fact that there is no birth certificate for Barack Obama in any hospital in Hawaii. Statement of the Minister of Health of Kenya, James Orenga attesting to Obama’s birth in Kenya and Obama’s own biography submitted by him to his literally agent in 1991, stating that he was born in Kenya and raised in Indonesia. Plaintiffs are stating that if this court does not STAY the certification of the election results, this court will commit treason against the United States of America by allowing a foreign national, a citizen of Indonesia and possibly still citizen of Kenya to get in the position of the U.S. President and Commander in Chief by virtue of fraud and use of forged IDs and a stolen Social Security number.

“Attorney Orly Taitz is a civil rights attorney, who is conducting this and a number of other cases pro bono… If the Supreme Court of California does not grant a STAY, the case will go to Supreme Court of the United States Justice Anthony Kennedy, who is in charge of the 9th Circuit.”

There are truly far too many questions surrounding Barack Obama’s eligibility as US President than to simply ignore, and premature and rather naïve and uninformed comments by conservative Fox News commentators such as Bill O’Reilly (who is highly promoting his Christmas merchandize around this time of year and just mockingly denied the FACT that the Christmas tree is being condemned in Jeremiah 10) or Greta Van Susteren that they are satisfied with Barak Obama’s legal legibility are extremely counterproductive. Donald Trump IS correct in pursuing this issue, even though his constant flip-flops and ridiculous public stunts have not helped either.

America Plays Russian Roulette

Newsmax wrote on December 12:

“Sens. Joseph Lieberman and John McCain say they’re not encouraged by the talks between President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner and worry that they’re playing ‘chicken’ and ‘Russian roulette’ with the approaching year-end deadline for striking a debt reduction deal… Lieberman, an independent who is retiring from the Senate at the end of this year, said everybody knows that both Republicans and Democrats ‘have got to act’ to avert the combination of automatic spending cuts and tax increases due to begin on Jan. 2…

“But he added, ‘Right now I feel the contrary happening… That is playing with fire,’ he said, calling it ‘high-risk . . . Russian roulette’ to allow the country to go ‘over the cliff’ and then ‘come back under that pressure and negotiate a deal in January’ when the new Congress convenes. ‘The consequences could be disastrous,’ Lieberman continued…

“[Republican] McCain… indicated Republicans would have to be guaranteed that spending cuts and entitlement reforms would be addressed early next year in exchange for tax hikes on higher income earners. ‘We know what the elephant in the room is. It’s entitlements,’ McCain said.”

Whether or not intentionally jumping or inadvertently falling from the fiscal cliff can be avoided, this country is in deep and irreversible trouble.

Completely Invisible Soldiers?

The Daily Mail reported on December 10:

“The U.S. military is backing the development of camouflage fabrics that could one day make their soldiers completely invisible, it has been claimed. The so-called ‘Quantum Stealth’ camouflage material is said to render its wearers completely invisible by bending light waves around them…

“However, its development is apparently so secret the Canadian company behind it says it cannot even show the technology in action and offers only mock ups of its effect on their website. Nevertheless, Guy Cramer, CEO of Hyperstealth Biotechnology Corp, says he does not care that some observers remain sceptical as to his company’s claims since ‘the people that need to know that it works have seen it. Two separate command groups within the U.S. Military and two separate Canadian Military groups as well as Federal Emergency Response Team (Counter Terrorism) have seen the actual material so they could verify that I was not just manipulating video or photo results,’ Mr Cramer said. ‘These groups now know that it works and does so without cameras, batteries, lights or mirrors… It is lightweight and quite inexpensive. Both the U.S. and Canadian military have confirmed that it also works against military IR scopes and Thermal Optic’…

“In a statement published on his company’s website, Mr Cramer… says it would… allow special forces teams to carry out raids in broad daylight without detection; it could enable the creation of the next generation of stealth aircraft, invisible not only to radar but also the naked eye; and it would enable submarines to remain concealed even when they surface near an enemy fleet. Most incredibly, he imagines a group of Canadian battle tanks decked out with Quantum Stealth camouflage that could engage an enemy unit with no signs of their location except the sound of their engines and guns. ‘As news spreads of an invisible Canadian army which can move without detection, the psychological effect on the enemy is devastating, they never know when or even if this invisible army has them targeted or surrounded,’ he said. ‘How can you hit a target you cannot see, how do you defend from the invisible?’”

Of course, if true, enemies of the USA, the British Isles and Canada could use this weapon too, if it falls into their hands.

German Reactions to Morsi’s Power Grab and the Arab Spring

Süddeutsche Zeitung wrote on December 7: “The only thing that Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood functionary who rose to become head of state, has proven, is his inability to facilitate the integration of Egypt’s 85 million people… Neither side can be counted on for understanding…”

Handelsblatt wrote on December 7: “In light of the current polarization between the Islamists and the secular camps, Egypt now finds itself in a deep political crisis. The crisis contributes to the worsening of the country’s long-standing and severe economic problems and weakens the role of Egypt in the region… The country suffers from the incompetent governance of the Muslim Brotherhood and at the same time the immaturity of the opposition.”

Die Welt wrote on December 7: “… people who have no experience with freedom will misuse it, and the consequences will be chaos and renewed violence… Morsi … is an Islamist, but not a holy warrior. Rather, he is a crafty power-hungry politician… The Arab Spring is turning into a hard winter…”

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung wrote on December 7: “Violence as a means of political confrontation is escalating and a calming of the situation is not in sight…”

Egypt will suffer much in the future, as the Bible clearly prophesies.

Steinbrück vs. Merkel

Der Spiegel Online wrote on December 10:

“Germany’s opposition Social Democrats attempted to relaunch their campaign to oust Chancellor Angela Merkel in the 2013 election by giving strong backing on Sunday to their candidate, Peer Steinbrück… Steinbrück, a former governor of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state, served as finance minister under Merkel from 2005 to 2009 in a ‘grand coalition’ between her conservatives and the SPD. He won praise for his assured handling of the global financial crisis and subsequent economic downturn in 2008 and 2009. But he has been unable so far to allay doubts about whether he will be able to mobilize enough center-left voters to have a chance of ousting Merkel… He faces an uphill struggle to beat Merkel… were Germans able to vote directly for their chancellor, 49 percent would support the incumbent chancellor with just 39 percent of respondents saying they would vote for Steinbrück. Still, that gap has narrowed in recent weeks.

“More to the point, Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union party (CDU), together with its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), stood at 39 percent in the poll, well ahead of the SPD at 30 percent. The Greens scored 14 percent and the pro-business FDP, Merkel’s junior coalition party, was at 4 percent, below the 5 percent threshold it would need to be able to stay in parliament… Steinbrück, 65, ruled out serving in another grand coalition. ‘I don’t just want a partial change of government… I want an entirely new government. I want an SPD-Greens government for our country. I’m not available for any grand coalition.’ Political analysts say, however, that such a coalition is the most likely outcome of the next election.”

This would be another unwelcome development for Germany. In its history, grand coalitions between CDU and SPD have never worked, but have led to violent developments in the 60’s.

Who is Steinbrück?

The Local wrote on December 10 that Steinbrück “has the uphill task of stopping the world’s most powerful woman from winning a third term,” continuing:

“Voters recently had a taste of his fiery debating style in the Bundestag lower house of parliament, notably when he accused Merkel of doing the ‘dance of the seven veils’ on saving Greece and challenging her to ‘tell it how it is’… He has not been helped by a rocky start to his campaign, first accused of using his influence when finance minister to gain sponsorship for a chess match, then admitting he earned €1.25 million ($1.61 million) for speeches… Gero Neugebauer, political scientist at the Free University in Berlin, also said Steinbrück’s style was similar to that of Merkel’s, although more dynamic. ‘If Merkel is often described as hesitant, Steinbrück is a man of action,’ said Neugebauer.

“… his sense of humour has at times landed him in hot water and led to one newspaper dubbing him the ‘most hated man in Switzerland’ after he compared the Swiss to ‘Indians’ during a bitter tax row between the two neighbours… SPD supporters will hope that his campaign follows the example of his favourite animal, the rhinoceros. ‘It starts very slowly but when it gets going, nothing can stop it,’ said Steinbrück.”

Even though very few seem to be willing to predict that Steinbrück will win the next election, stranger things have happened.

Circumcision Legal in Germany

The Local wrote on December 12:

“Members of lower house of parliament the Bundestag passed the cross-party motion with 434 votes for the measure, 100 against and with 46 abstentions. The legislation states that male infants may be circumcised for religious reasons within six months of their birth by a ‘specially trained’ practitioner, although this person does not have to be a doctor. Nevertheless, the rite must be carried out ‘in a professional medical manner,’ the law states and stipulates exemptions for infants who could be at risk from the practice such as haemophiliacs.

“The legislation sought to clear up confusion after a judgement published in June by the regional court in the western city of Cologne. While considering a case brought against a doctor who had circumcised a Muslim boy, the court ruled the rite was tantamount to grievous bodily harm. The decision united Jewish and Muslim groups in opposition and caused outrage from religious and political leaders in Israel and Muslim countries.”

Even though the law might now allow circumcision of Jewish and Muslim boys, almost 150 members of parliament did not vote in support of the legislation. In addition, the majority of the German people are opposed to the practice. The many published negative commentaries on the issue in the weekly, Die Zeit, are rather telling. And at a given moment, laws can always be changed again. Notice also the next article.

Concerns Remain

NBC reported on December 12:

“‘The basic sentiment here is anti-religious,’ said Sylke Tempel, editor-in-chief of Internationale Politik, a foreign policy journal published by the German Council of Foreign Affairs. ‘And Germans throw overboard anything that has to do with tradition.’ According to Tempel, the Cologne ruling was not a deliberate attack on Islam or Judaism but showed a total misunderstanding of how important circumcision is to both religions. TNS Emnid, a German polling organization, found in a July 2012 survey that 56 percent of Germans agree with the Cologne ruling.

“Deirdre Berger, executive director of the American Jewish Committee in Berlin, a Jewish advocacy organization, said that the Cologne ruling can be traced to a body of law and medical literature that has been accumulating over the past decade… While applauding Wednesday’s vote to legalize circumcision, Berger does not believe this ends the controversy. The law is likely to be appealed to Germany’s Supreme Court, she said, and could open the door to more restrictive legislation in other European countries that are having similar anti-circumcision debates.”

EU Takes Over Cyprus

Der Spiegel Online wrote on December 10:

“Cyprus wants help from the European Union’s bailout fund. But the price for the billions in emergency aid money is high. The country will effectively lose its sovereignty… it is already clear that in return for billions of euros for the debt-ridden country from the European bailout fund, the ‘troika,’ made up of the European Commission, the European Central Bank (ECB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), will essentially take control of the Mediterranean island.”

The Return of Italy’s Berlusconi?

Der Spiegel Online wrote on December 10:

“Italy faces a return to political chaos after Prime Minister Mario Monti announced at the weekend that he will resign, prompting his notorious predecessor Silvio Berlusconi to say he would attempt a comeback.  The renewed uncertainty sent European shares into a slump as trading for the week began on Monday morning. Investors aren’t the only ones worried, either…

“After a crisis meeting with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano on Saturday, Monti, a well-respected economist who is largely seen as responsible for restoring trust in the country’s ability to weather the euro crisis, announced that he would step down before the end of his term, pending parliamentary approval of next year’s federal budget. This is expected to occur before Christmas…

“In response, 76-year-old Berlusconi, who is embroiled in a sex scandal, said he would pursue a fifth term as prime minister. The election was scheduled for March or April, but is now likely to be brought forward to February. Many fear that Berlusconi could send Italy spiraling into ruin if he is re-elected… Meanwhile, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso warned on Sunday that the euro zone’s third-largest economy cannot be allowed to turn its back on reforms… European Central Bank executive board member Jörg Asmussen told German newspaper Bild that Monti’s government had ‘achieved great things in a short amount of time,’ including the return of investor trust and budgetary consolidation. ‘Whoever governs Italy — a founding member of the EU — after the election, must continue this course with the same seriousness,’ he added…

“But Berlusconi, who was sentenced to jail time for tax fraud in October, seems determined to fight his way through his upcoming trial — over paying for sex with an underage prostitute — and back to the top of the country’s political world.

“The billionaire media tycoon has his popularity measured by polls on weekly and sometimes even daily basis. And these have recently shown that the time may be ripe for a comeback, with Monti’s government no longer as popular as it once was thanks to drastically rising taxes, a tough fight against tax fraud in the sports world and the loss of thousands of jobs through austerity measures. Berlusconi, by contrast, has promised to save Italy and defend it from the ‘diktat’ of German Chancellor Angela Merkel that he alleges was followed dutifully by Monti. Berlusconi’s campaign promises to be heavily populist, and with his party on the verge of falling apart, the media mogul has little to lose.

“At this point, no one can predict who will lead Italy after the election…”

Berlusconi, not unlike Hitler, promises his people great things. And who knows, he might deliver some, but under his rule, Italy is bound to lose. However, the Bible makes it very clear that Italy will remain a strong member of the EU, but the usual Italian political chaos and economic uncertainty could trigger the need and necessity for Italy to give over their authority to a central European power, led by Germany.

Europe’s Deafening Silence Towards Abbas and Hamas

The Times of Israel wrote on December 10:

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday slammed the international community and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for failing to speak out against explicit calls for Israel’s destruction by Hamas leaders on Saturday. Speaking at a Hanukkah ceremony with the foreign press, Netanyahu contrasted Europe’s condemnations of Israel for approving construction plans in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, with its lack of response to Hamas political leader Khaled Mashaal’s weekend speech in Gaza, in which he said the Palestinians would ‘not give up an inch of Palestine,’ and that ‘Jihad and armed resistance is the only way.’

“Said Netanyahu: ‘This weekend, the leaders of Hamas openly called for the destruction of Israel. Where was the outrage? Where were the UN resolutions? Where was President Abbas?’ Soon after Netanyahu spoke on Sunday afternoon, the EU did issue a statement saying that it found ‘inflammatory statements by Hamas leaders that deny Israel’s right to exist unacceptable. The European Union will never cease its efforts to combat terrorism which seeks to undermine the openness and tolerance of societies through indiscriminate acts of violence against civilians.’… ‘Why weren’t Palestinian diplomats summoned in European and other capitals to explain why the PA president not only refused to condemn this but actually declared his intention to unite with Hamas,’ Netanyahu asked…

“Hamas chief Mashaal completed a three-day visit to Gaza on Sunday. In a speech marking the terrorist group’s 25th anniversary, he reiterated his movement’s commitment to wipe out the state of Israel… Netanyahu made his statements as 27 foreign ministers of EU countries were convening in Brussels to debate [and condemn] Israel’s approval last week of the thousands of housing units to be built in East Jerusalem and the West Bank… Ahead of the meeting, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said Europe’s political view of the Middle East has changed profoundly because of Israel’s advancement of plans to build 3,000 new settler homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem… British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he expected ‘the entire EU will be strongly opposed’ to the settlement building.”

Europe’s double-standard and hypocrisy regarding Israel and the Palestinians should clearly be visible for every objective observer. The Bible shows that Europe will turn totally against Israel—even with military means. Notice the next article.

Europe Determined to Destroy Israel?

The Times of Israel wrote on December 12:

“Europe rushes to condemn any settlement activity in the West Bank, but regards with equanimity the prospect of the Jewish state’s destruction, Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman charged on Tuesday, comparing European UN delegates to members of Fatah, and reiterating his long-standing view that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is not a figure with whom Israel can negotiate.

“Liberman also said that the next rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza would prompt a far more dramatic Israeli response than last month’s eight-day Operation Pillar of Defense. Israel would not be able to suffice with what he called surgical strikes, but would have to use ground forces and retake all of Gaza, from which Israel withdrew completely in 2005. ‘The next missile attack will obligate us to send in ground forces and, unlike with Pillar of Defense, to take complete control of Gaza. And the world should not urge Israel to exercise restraint.’

“Speaking at a Hanukkah menorah-lighting ceremony in Tel Aviv, Liberman slammed the international community for applauding Abbas’s speech last month to the United Nations General Assembly during a deliberation of the PA’s successful bid to upgrade its status in the international body to ‘nonmember state.’…

“Liberman also directed critical remarks at the European Union, which on Monday issued a scathing condemnation of an Israeli announcement of plans to build 3,000 new units in the West Bank… ‘Many European Union foreign ministers simply ignore reality,’ the foreign minister said. ‘As far as they’re concerned, the destruction of Israel is a matter of course.’… Liberman claimed that some of the EU foreign ministers had refused to censure Hamas… ‘I don’t want to name names and cite exact quotes, but a significant number of foreign ministers did not want to mention Hamas in their statement and did not want to insert [in the statement] a sentence calling for the cessation of incitement, when the incitement in question was a direct call for our destruction,’ Liberman said.”

Whether Europe may or may not realize it, the Bible clearly prophesies that in the not-too-distant future, Europe will intervene militarily in the Middle East and occupy the state of Israel.

Britain In or Out?

The Economist wrote on December 8:

“Opinion polls show that most Britons are in favour of leaving the European Union. Baroness Thatcher’s Conservative Party, which took Britain into Europe four decades ago, is divided between those who long for an arm’s-length relationship and those who want to walk out. The second camp is swelling.

“Even the fiercest British critics of the EU are astonished by the speed at which things are moving… A referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU now seems a matter of timing. Continental Europeans are surprised too—and annoyed. They are bewildered that the British should be talking of leaving a club that many believe has shifted decisively in a free-trading, Anglo-Saxon direction in the past two decades.

“They also resent the way Britain seems to be using the threat of an exit as a bargaining tool, especially at a time when the euro is in crisis. As they see it, Britain wants to carve out a privileged place for itself in the European club, where it can enjoy free trade without any of the other membership rules. In Berlin and Rome, political leaders argue that Britain needs to make up its mind once and for all: does it want to be in or out?”

It IS only a matter of time until Great Britain is no longer a part of the EU… at least not of the core European nations.

Britain’s Descent into Godlessness

The Economist wrote on December 11:

“Britain continues its descent into godlessness, according to the latest 2011 Census data. Just over a quarter of people in England and Wales… say they have no religion… The proportion of Christians has fallen from 71.8% to 59.3%. All other main faiths have edged up, and Muslims now account for 4.8% of the population, compared with 3% in 2001. What of less common creeds? About a quarter of a million people ticked the ‘Other religion’ write-in box. Among them, 56,620 wrote Pagan, while Agnostics and Atheists claimed around 30,000 adherents apiece. Rastafarianism, Zoroastrianism and Shamanism made the list, while the most common was Jedi Knight, by 176,632 Star Wars fans…”

And even most of those adhering to “Christianity” are not even trying to follow the dictates of Jesus Christ.

Asteroid Comes Dangerously Close

CBS News reported on December 11:

“A newfound asteroid gave Earth a close shave early today, zipping between our planet and the moon just two days after astronomers first spotted it.The near-Earth asteroid 2012 XE54, which was discovered Sunday (Dec. 9), came within 140,000 miles of our planet at about 5 a.m. EST Tuesday (Dec. 11), researchers said. For comparison, the moon orbits Earth at an average distance of 240,000 miles or so.

“Astronomers estimate that 2012 XE54 is about 120 feet wide — big enough to cause substantial damage if it slams into Earth someday. An object of similar size flattened 800 square miles of forest when it exploded above Siberia’s Podkamennaya Tunguska River in 1908… 2012 XE54 will be coming back to Earth’s neighborhood before too much longer. The asteroid completes one lap around the sun every 2.72 years.

“Scientists have discovered about 9,000 near-Earth asteroids to date, but perhaps a million or more such space rocks are thought to exist. And some of them are potentially dangerous. Observations by NASA’s WISE space telescope suggest that about 4,700 asteroids at least 330 feet wide come uncomfortably close to our planet at some point in their orbits. So far, researchers have spotted less than 30 percent of these large space rocks, which could obliterate an area the size of a state if they slammed into Earth.

“But there are much bigger asteroids out there, such as 4179 Toutatis, a 3-mile-wide behemoth that’s in the process of flying by Earth now. Toutatis will remain 4.3 million miles away during its closest approach Wednesday morning, but it may come closer on future passes. Toutatis would inflict devastating damage if it slammed into Earth, perhaps extinguishing human civilization. The asteroid thought to have killed off the dinosaurs 65 million years ago was about 6 miles wide, researchers say.”

Hanukkah and Its Christmas Influences

The New York Times wrote on December 7:

“When my brother was in kindergarten, where he was the only Jewish student, a parent organizing enrichment activities asked my mother to tell the class the story of Hanukkah. My mother obligingly brought in a picture book and began to read about foreign conquerors who were not letting Jews in ancient Israel worship freely, even defiling their temple, until a scrappy group led by the Maccabee family overthrew one of the most powerful armies in the world and won their liberty.

“The woman was horrified. The Hanukkah story, she interrupted, was not about war. It was about the miracle of an oil lamp that burned for eight days without replenishing. She urged my mother to close the book. My mother refused. The woman wasn’t alone. Many Americans, Jews as well as Christians, think that the legend of the long-lasting oil is the root of Hanukkah’s commemoration. And perhaps that mistake is no surprise, given that for many the holiday has morphed into ‘Christmas for Jews,’ echoing the message of peace on earth accompanied by gift giving. In doing so, the holiday’s own message of Jewish survival and faith has been diluted.

“Hanukkah is one of the most widely celebrated Jewish holidays in America. But unlike Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and Passover (or even the lesser-known Sukkot and Shavuot), all of which are explicitly mentioned in the Torah, Hanukkah gets only a brief, sketchy reference in the Talmud, the voluminous collection of Jewish oral law and tradition written down hundreds of years after the Maccabees’ revolt.

“There for the first time the miracle of the oil is recorded: the ancient temple in Jerusalem held an eternal flame, but after the desecration by the foreign invaders — including the sacrificing of pigs, a non-kosher animal, on the altar — only one day’s worth of purified oil remained. Yet the faithful went ahead and lighted it.  The oil burned in the rededicated temple for eight days, long enough for a new supply to arrive. Hence the practice of lighting candles for eight nights to observe Hanukkah, which means dedication in Hebrew…

“Though Hanukkah is a minor Jewish holiday, 19th-century activists in America promoted it to encourage their coreligionists to take pride in their heritage. During the 20th century it was embraced more broadly by Jews who wanted to fit in with other Americans celebrating the holiday season — and to make their kids feel better about not getting anything from Santa. It helped, of course, that Hanukkah falls near Christmas on the calendar and traditionally involved candles and small monetary gifts. Over time, children began receiving grander presents, and Hanukkah-themed season’s greeting cards proliferated. Some families even started to purchase ‘Hanukkah bushes,’ small trees often decked out with Stars of David and miniature Maccabees.

“By the 1980s, when I was a child, menorahs had been placed next to mangers in the public square and Hanukkah songs had been incorporated into winter holiday concerts. Despite this recognition, I still felt excluded enough to brag to classmates that my holiday was better than Christmas, since it had eight days of gift giving, instead of one…”

The fact that Christmas and Hanukkah celebrations have become more and more similar should make us pause to think. Also note the next article.

Jewish Organizations in Israel Sell Christmas Trees

The Jewish News Archive reported on December 10, 2012, that “The Jewish National Fund began distribution today of Christmas trees to Christian institutions and individuals.

“The Jerusalem Tree Nursery, in cooperation with the Christian Department of Israel’s Ministry of Religions, also will provide trees for Christian diplomats and foreign experts on duty in Israel.” This was a quote from the Jewish Telegraph Agency, dated December 22, 1959.

Such conduct is most certainly not acceptable in God’s eyes, and it is no surprise that God accuses modern Judah of engaging in idolatrous practices.

The Pagan Lies of Christmas Customs

The Local wrote on December 6:

“[The German] Nikolaus is not to be confused with Santa Claus, who Germans call the Weihnachtsmann… They are two different people… [Nikolaus “appears” each] year on December 6… Known as Nicholas the Wonderworker for his miracles, he is also identified with Santa Claus. Beliefs and traditions about Nikolaus were probably combined with German mythology, particularly regarding stories about the bearded pagan god Odin, who also had a beard and a bag to capture naughty children…

“According to the legend, Nikolaus comes in the middle of the night on a donkey or a horse and leaves little treats – like coins, chocolate, oranges and toys – for good children… Sometimes Nikolaus only leaves a switch in the boot, ostensibly for spankings, to show that the child doesn’t deserve a treat. In other families, a man disguised as St. Nicholas will visit the family or the child’s school alone or with his… sinister-looking alter ego Knecht Ruprecht [representing a demon or even the devil] to question the children about their behaviour…

“Children were often quite frightened of being questioned about their behaviour because they’ve been told that St. Nicholas will hurt them with his rod or even put them in a sack and take them away. Though the custom is in decline, in more Catholic regions, parents inform a local priest of naughty behaviour. The priest then pays a personal visit wearing the traditional Christian garb to threaten the little rugrats with a beating… He is usually pictured with a long white beard, a bishop’s mitre and a red cloak, sometimes with a sack over his shoulder and a rod in his hand…

“Santa Claus, or the Weihnachtsmann, usually comes to German homes – often in person – on the afternoon of Christmas Eve.”

As we can see, all of this is a conglomeration of pagan rites and “Christian” lies. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Don’t Keep Christmas.”

It was Satan’s goal from the outset to try to kill Christ physically and spiritually. Satan attempted to have Christ killed as a Child, including through Herod’s mass murder of young boys from two years old and under. If he had succeeded, this would have altered or even defeated God’s plan for a Saviour, but Satan’s attempt was thwarted by God, and Christ was protected as a Child in Egypt. We might even recall that Satan tried to wipe out all the Jews to prevent Christ from being born as a Jew from the tribe of Judah, but through Esther’s and Mordecai’s brave conduct, that plan was thwarted as well.

Later, Satan tried to defeat Christ spiritually, by tempting Him to sin. He knew that just one sin would have disqualified Christ from being our Saviour. After His baptism, Christ fasted for forty days and forty nights in the wilderness. Satan thought that that was the moment to strike, and that he had the upper hand. He did not realize that God allowed Satan to tempt Christ for the purpose of defeating Satan. After all, it was God the Father’s Spirit which led Christ into the wilderness to be tempted there by Satan.

We read in Matthew 4:1-2: “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.”

Satan felt confident that in Christ’s physically weakened state, he could get Him to sin and thus disqualify Him as Saviour of mankind. After Christ had fasted for such an unusually long period of time (the Bible only records that Elijah and Moses fasted that long—Moses even twice), He was very weak physically. But what Satan did not realize was that Christ was now very strong spiritually and extremely close to God. Christ had prepared Himself for Satan’s temptation through fasting, prayer and meditating on God’s Word.

However, Satan thought Christ’s weakened physical state and His hunger were His vulnerable points, and so the devil’s first temptation was to ask Christ to turn stones into bread. Satan reasoned that playing on physical needs and desires would be the best attack against a person who was almost dying of hunger because of such prolonged fasting.

Matthew 4:3-4 continues:  “Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, ‘If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.’ But He answered and said, ‘It is written, “MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD.”’”

First, Satan tried to appeal to vanity and selfishness, by questioning Christ’s status and position, saying, “IF you are the Son  of God.” He was hoping that Christ would respond by exclaiming, “What do you mean, ‘IF’? I’ll show you who I am,” and that He would then prove the point by turning the stones into bread.

This demonstrates Satan’s tactics. He first questioned the truth and appealed to human nature. He did so in the Garden of Eden, tempting Eve to question whether she should really obey God and refrain from eating the forbidden fruit. But where Eve failed, Christ succeeded. There was no vanity or the lust for selfish glory in Christ. How did Christ deflect Satan’s attack?  He used the Word of God by quoting Scripture.

Having been defeated with his first blow, Satan moved on to the next temptation.

Matthew 4:5-7 reports:  “Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, ‘If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: “HE SHALL GIVE HIS ANGELS CHARGE OVER YOU,” and, ‘IN THEIR HANDS THEY SHALL BEAR YOU UP, LEST YOU DASH YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.”’ Jesus said to him, ‘It is written again, “YOU SHALL NOT TEMPT THE LORD YOUR GOD.”’”

Notice Satan’s same tactic with the tempting question, “IF you are the Son of God…”, hoping for a better response than the first time. But now Satan added another element: He also quoted Scripture. However, he quoted the Word of God out of context, and he twisted the meaning. He is still doing the same today for gullible and ignorant people, and he is using his ministers to deceive those who do not understand the truth (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). They will quote Scripture too, but they will twist it and cite it out of context, to mislead people to think that they can continue to sin and disobey God and still inherit eternal life.

But in quoting the Word of God correctly and with the intended meaning, Christ responded to and deflected Satan’s second attack—as we must do today, when confronted by Satan’s ministers, who might be deceived themselves and who are deceiving others (2 Timothy 3:13).

Satan does not give up easily. He is not one to quickly throw in the towel, and so he put it all on the line with his next temptation.

Matthew 4:8-10 tells us:  “Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, ‘All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! For it is written, “YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND HIM ONLY YOU SHALL SERVE.”’”

Here is Satan’s real agenda revealed. He wanted Christ to worship him. It is important to understand Satan’s agenda of wanting to be worshipped as God. We read that before the creation of man, Satan attempted to depose and displace God and become (like) the Most High (Isaiah 14:14). He has deceived the whole world (Revelation 12:9) which, unknowingly, worships Satan as the “god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4; compare Revelation 13:4).

He wanted to be worshipped by Christ, and so he offered Him all the kingdoms of this world and all their glory for the prize of being worshipped. Christ did not dispute Satan’s claim that he and the demons under his command were the rulers of this world (compare Luke 4:6; John 14:30; Ephesians 6:12); He knew that this was so and that this was and is NOT (yet) God’s world—but it will be when God sets up His Kingdom here on earth at the time of Christ’s SECOND coming in power and great glory.

Satan tempted Christ by offering Him there and then all the glory of this world’s kingdoms. In other words, he was telling Christ, you don’t have to go through all that suffering by being rejected, betrayed and beaten, and you don’t have to die by crucifixion, and then have to wait some two thousand years to become the ruler over this world. He told Him: You can have it all now—without pain and suffering. And reading between the lines, he also told Christ in effect: You can change the world now by making this a better place and by converting the minds of people and by bringing peace, happiness and health, destroying all of man’s pain and suffering.

From a human perspective, this would sound appealing for the average person—and even for well-meaning individuals who do want to eradicate the miseries on this planet—but Christ, out of love for God and His Master Plan, turned down Satan’s offer by quoting Scripture once again.

Satan, having used the biggest guns as it were to try to get Christ to fall short of the mark and sin, withdrew from Him for a season or until “an opportune time” (Luke 4:13).

Matthew 4:11 concludes: “Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.”

As Jesus was near death because of hunger, the angels undoubtedly brought him food and drink. They also encouraged and congratulated Him for passing this test and defeating Satan’s temptations, as an angel of God would later encourage and strengthen Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, shortly before His arrest (Luke 22:41-44).

Through fasting and prayer and knowing and being able to quote God’s Word correctly in times of need, Christ was well armed to take on Satan. He had been clothed with the complete armor of God. Satan wants to destroy God’s people today, as He tried to destroy Christ. He is going around as a roaring lion, seeking whom he can devour—physically and spiritually (1 Peter 5:8). We must resist him, as Christ did (verse 9). Christ was protected by God’s armor, and so we need to be as well. This armor is described in this way in Ephesians 6:13-18:

“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all fervent prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication…”

Christ utilized the sword of the Word of God to deflect the temptations of Satan. This is a good lesson for us: The more we know our Bibles, the more we are in a position to defeat Satan’s attacks and evil devices.

Satan choose the time, just prior to Christ’s three-and-a-half years of public ministry, because he thought that because of His fasting, Christ was very vulnerable. He miscalculated His odds and while strictly focusing on His physical weakness, he underestimated Christ’s spiritual strength. Christ overcame Satan by using the sword of God’s Word and the power of God’s Spirit in Him. The encouraging truth is that we can use the same sword and the same Spirit of God to overcome Satan’s temptations, following Christ’s perfect example.

Lead Writers: Rene Messier and Norbert Link

The new member letter for December, written by Dave Harris, has been posted on the Web, and hard copies were sent out this week.

“Neu! Abrahams Herkunft und Berufung, Teil 1 (Abraham’s Ancestry and Calling, Part 1),” is the title of the new German sermon for this week. This is the first part on a series on Abraham. This part covers Genesis 11:10-Genesis 15:1. It discusses Abraham’s background and calling, his occasional lack of faith and his sins from time to time, and the lessons that he had to learn to grow in faith and become more and more righteous.

“America’s Disastrous Foreign Policy in Egypt” is the new StandingWatch program recorded by Evangelist Norbert Link. Here is a summary: The Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt is a violent Islamist organization which is kidnapping and torturing their opponents. It has become the best friend of the USA which is still supplying Egypt with battle tanks, jet fighters and billions of dollars in military aid. God strongly condemns the American policy of trying to buy friends and allies, which the Bible calls lovers. Far too often, they will turn around and become America’s bitter enemies. Egypt will be no exception.
 
StandingWatch Radio will air this program beginning on Sunday, January 6, 2013.