On September 1, 2012, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “Your Servant.”
 
The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org (12:30 pm Pacific Time; 1:30 pm Mountain Time; 2:30 pm Central Time; 3:30 pm Eastern Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

When we see faults in others, what do we think?  Do we look down on them for having a frailty that we could easily overcome?  Do we condemn them and perhaps turn our head in derision or do we….

What we may have failed to realize is that God, as well as Satan, knows exactly what we need to work on personally.  So whether it is God who is testing us or the devil tempting us, in a sense we have custom-designed issues that we individually have to deal with.

So what we have come to see in others may be their Mount Everest — but it is not ours.  By the same token, ours will not be theirs.  We will all have trials, just not necessarily the same ones.

In our mutual walk that we have, as we head in the same direction side by side, occasionally bumping into one another, let’s try to remember that we may vary in the talent and abilities to handle our specific weaknesses in general.  We should also be aware that it is difficult to have the proper perspective while looking at others when we have a plank in our own eye (Matthew 7:3-5).

We report on the strongest swarm of earthquakes in Southern California in 30 years; discuss plans to create a political European union; speak on the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel; relate tensions in the East Asian seas; report on doubts regarding the original report on Osama Bin Laden’s death; speak on the world’s view pertaining to the American election; and conclude with the increasing deterioration of Europe’s relationship with Ukraine and Russia and anti-Semitic activities in Germany and The Netherlands.

Earthquakes in Southern California

USA Today reported on August 27:

“The earthquake swarm that has been rocking Southern California since Sunday has been the area’s strongest such swarm in 30 years… [The region is known for quake swarms, even ones in the 5.5 magnitude range recorded on Sunday]. Similar swarms in the magnitude-5.0 range occurred in the area in the 1970s and in 1981, seismologist Lucy Jones of the U.S. Geological Survey told the [Los Angeles] Times. The area, in the region of Imperial County, is known as the Brawley Seismic Zone and sits between the San Andreas and Imperial faults, Jones told the Times.”

USA Today wrote on August 26:

“A series of earthquakes rocked the San Diego area stretching from last night to earlier this afternoon, but none was strong enough to cause any reports of damage or injury so far… The strongest one — a magnitude-5.4 — took place Sunday afternoon…”

Christ warned of the increase of powerful earthquakes in diverse places. California, as the entire USA, is most certainly in a danger zone.

Coming—A Political EU Union in Germany’s Image?

The Guardian wrote on August 26:

“Germany is pushing ahead with plans for a new treaty that will transform the European Union… Angela Merkel wants European leaders to agree by the end of the year to hold a constitutional convention in order to fashion a new legal basis for the EU… The plan could dramatically reshape the EU in Germany’s image… the debate in Germany is now moving beyond Greece towards the question of political union. During the two and a half years since the euro crisis began, Germany’s approach has been to seek to impose its own economic preferences on the eurozone…

“Many… have seen in Germany’s approach a kind of economic imperialism. But Germany seems to be coming to the conclusion that it is no longer enough to try to remake the eurozone in Germany’s image in economic terms; it must do so in political terms as well… Just as Germany has sought to impose its economic preferences on the rest of the eurozone, it is now also likely to seek to impose its political preferences…”

The Bible shows that within the current Eurozone—not separate and apart from it–a powerful economic and political union of ten nations or groups of nations under German leadership will arise. Please note the next article as well.

Germany and France Want Political Union

The EUObserver wrote on August 30:

“Last year Germany went out on a limb by calling for political union in Europe. The idea was met with little enthusiasm elsewhere in the eurozone, but particularly in France. After the election of French President Francois Hollande in May, it seemed thatviews of the EU’s foremost political duo could not be further apart. But the mood has since changed and serious plans are underway to create – if not a full political union – then something close to it.

“Watching the evolution from the inside is Thomas Wieser, an Austrian economist who prepares the regular meetings of the eurozone finance ministers. ‘There will be consultations with the member states in the second half of September in Brussels and I think you will be surprised in the autumn by the degree of movement that will have taken place in some member states,’ he tells this website. ‘What I have observed is a degree of co-operation between the two (France and Germany) which has increased, even within last week.’

“One example is recent announcement by Berlin and Paris that they will establish a bilateral working group between their finance ministries. ‘It is a group of colleagues from the two member states and if they prepare for our meetings, our meetings go even smoother,’ said Wieser.

“Meanwhile, EU council president Herman Van Rompuy and others are drawing up a paper to upgrade the eurozone, which will be discussed by EU leaders at a summit on 18-19 October. It will include elements for a political union, but also for a fiscal union – surrendering more budgetary powers to Brussels – considered key for the survival of the single currency. One of the key steps along the way is the creation of a eurozone-wide banking supervisor under the authority of the European Central Bank.”

Rabbi Prays for Destruction of Iran

The Jerusalem Post wrote on August 26:

“Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef implored God to ‘wipe out and destroy’ Iran and Hezbollah during his weekly sermon on Saturday night. This is the second time in a row in which Yosef has spoken about the threat of Iran’s nuclear program during his post-Shabbat Torah lesson… ‘When we make the blessing on the dates that “our enemies and haters should be ended” we should have in mind the Iranian regime, those evil people who threaten Israel,’ the rabbi said. ‘Do good, God, wipe them out, kill them,’ he entreated, to which the assembled crowd answered ‘amen.’…

“‘Destroy them God, obliterate them from the face of the earth,’ he said… in reference to a Persian enemy of the Jewish people recorded in the Book of Esther, Yosef said that ‘a second Haman, also from Persia, intends to do evil to us. We are in danger, all of us are in danger. We have no one to rely on apart from our Father in heaven,’ said Yosef.”

This article is important also in light of the next one—showing that a war between Israel and Iran will have devastating consequences for both sides.

Will Israel Assassinate Enemy Leaders?

The following was reported in the DEBKAfile, on August 25, 2012:

“President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu have bandied thousands of words in their dispute over an Israeli  strike on Iran’s nuclear sites. For a time, their argument muffled the abiding ambition of the Islamic Republic to destroy Israel–come what may. However, the message roared by Iranian leaders over last weekend – before and after Al Quds Day – was quite simply this: Israel must be destroyed, irrespective of whether or not it attacks the Islamic Republic…

“Certain Western intelligence sources were reminded of a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in 2006 when he quoted a Holocaust survivor as saying:  ‘My main lesson from the Holocaust is that if someone tells you he is going to exterminate you, believe him. And I add to that. Believe him and stop him!’

“Six years later, those sources now suggest, after America’s top soldier Gen. Martin Dempsey offered the opinion that Israel can no longer destroy Iran’s nuclear weapon capacity – only delay it , that Netanyahu may be willing to go further: Not only to stop them, but kill them. They are quietly using the term ‘decapitation.’ They point to the Israeli Mossad’s long record of targeted covert operations for dealing with past and would-be annihilators: In the fifties, the Mossad captured the Nazi criminal Adolf Eichmann in Operational Finale. In the seventies, Golda Meir ordered Operation Wrath of God to hunt down and pick off one by one the Palestinian Black September murderers of 11 Israeli sportsmen at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

“In February 2008, Iran’s senior terrorist operations commander, Hizballah’s Imad Mughniyeh, was liquidated in Damascus, so ending a bloody career of assassinations, terrorism and abductions against US and other Western targets as well as Israel. Hizballah’s chief Hassan Nasrallah knows the score: He has spent six years hunkered down in a fortified bunker, taking care never to  broadcast his inflammatory speeches calling for Israel’s destruction live, only by video.

“It cannot be ruled out that (at) this point, Israel may decide to disable Iran’s nuclear program by going for its leaders.”

We live in a world in which vulgarities, lies, threats and almost any thought conjured up is being spewed openly and without regard for its consequences. So called “idle threats” may not be lightly dismissed by those who are receiving them!

Tensions Inflamed in East Asian Seas

NBCNEWS.COM wrote on August 24, 2012:

“Vast oil reserves, trillion-dollar trade routes, fervent nationalist sentiments, competing territorial claims and bitter histories – the waters off the east coast of China are a sea of money and a sea of trouble. Tensions have been rising for several years and recently hit new heights with activists landing on disputed islands, angry diplomatic exchanges and even a threat to deploy troops, prompting fears of an armed conflict that could potentially involve the United States, China, Japan and other nations.

“The South China Sea has a myriad of competing claims of ownership: China staked out most of it in 1947 but its neighbors have never accepted it. The Spratly Islands alone are claimed by a total of five countries: China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam.

“All are eyeing oil and gas reserves thought to be so rich that the area has become dubbed ‘The Second Persian Gulf.’ Also, an estimated $5 trillion worth of trade is shipped through its waters… But perhaps the most dangerous potential flashpoint is farther north in the East China Sea. China and Japan both claim ownership of the uninhabited Senkaku Islands – known as Diaoyu in Chinese – with strong nationalist feelings on both sides.”

This article also quotes Senator James Webb, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations East Asian and Pacific Affairs Subcommittee, as follows:

“‘The U.S., China and all of East Asia have now reached an unavoidable moment of truth. Sovereignty disputes in which parties seek peaceful resolution are one thing; flagrant, belligerent acts are quite another…'”

This and other recent articles point to the undeniable fact that new powers are emerging, and the United States is, for all practical purposes, left a place at the negotiating table but no longer able to effectively enforce its will–especially, from the standpoint of military intimidation or outright war.

Osama Bin Laden’s Killing Under Scrutiny

BBC News reported on August 29:

“A first-hand account of the May 2011 raid by US forces that killed Osama Bin Laden contradicts the official story, the Associated Press claims. It has purchased an advance copy of an unauthorised account of the raid, No Easy Day, by a former Seal. The book says Bin Laden was shot dead as soon as he looked out of his bedroom as Seals rushed up the stairs, AP says.

“But US officials have stated he was shot only once he had ducked back into the bedroom. They have said his actions suggested he might be reaching for a weapon.

“The alleged contradiction will add to existing controversy over the book. It was written under a pseudonym, Mark Owen, but only hours after the book’s existence came to light the author’s real name was revealed by Fox News. Military officials also say the publishers failed to submit the book to the Pentagon to ensure it discloses no secret information – part of normal protocol – and are scrutinising its contents… According to AP, the author says he was directly behind a ‘point man’ going up the stairs… The author writes that Bin Laden ducked back into his bedroom and the Seals followed, only to find him crumpled on the floor in a pool of blood with a hole visible on the right side of his head and two women wailing over his body, AP relates. The women were pulled out of the way and Seals fired several shots into Bin Laden’s still-twitching body until he was motionless. The Seals later found two unused weapons by the doorway…

“The author says early official accounts of the operation, including reports of a protracted firefight, were misleading… in the days after the raid, the White House seemed to contradict itself more than once… According to AP, the book also asserts that one Seal sat on Bin Laden’s chest in a cramped helicopter as his body was flown out to sea. This again apparently contradicts official US claims that his body was treated with dignity ahead of his burial.”

The way in which Osama Bin Laden’s death was originally described was questionable from the outset. This book might shed some light on the true occurrences, but this won’t be helping President Obama and his administration. Understandably, the Pentagon is quite nervous. Note the report from AFP, dated August 30:

“The Pentagon on Thursday threatened legal action against the Navy SEAL who has written a book recounting his role in the raid that killed Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden. ‘In the judgment of the Department of Defense, you are in material breach and violation of the non-disclosure agreements you signed’ and the Pentagon is considering ‘all remedies legally available to us,’ Defense Department general counsel Jeh Johnson wrote in a letter to the author…”

What Does the World Think about Obama and Romney?

CNN reported on August 30:

“Europeans have had a four-year love affair with Barack Obama: 87 percent of Germans, 86 percent of French and 80 percent of the British have confidence in Obama… in each case this is higher than public confidence in their own national leader. And 92 percent of the French, 89 percent of the Germans and 73 percent of the British want Obama reelected… in Britain, France, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands, strong majorities said the 2004 re-election of George W. Bush led them to have a less favorable opinion of the United States. A newly-elected Romney administration may have to contend with a similar European reaction if the popular Obama is defeated in what will come to a surprise to many of them…

“But an Obama defeat may not play as poorly in the Middle East – in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Tunisia – where a median of only 29 percent approve of Obama and a median of just 25 percent want him reelected. Elsewhere, foreign reaction to an Obama defeat could be mixed.

“In Asia, 74 percent of Japanese have a favorable view of the current U.S. president and 66 percent want him reelected. But Obama’s popularity is only 38 percent in China and only 31 percent there want him to get another term. Similarly, in Latin America, while 68 percent of Brazilians like Obama and 72 percent want him reelected, only 42 percent of Mexicans are well disposed toward the current U.S. president and just 35 percent hope he has a second term…”

Ukraine Follows Russia’s Footsteps

The EUObserver wrote on August 29:

“Ukraine’s high court decision to toss out an appeal by former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko may place an additional strain on EU relations with the country, EU foreign affairs spokesperson Michael Mann told reporters in Brussels… The court had earlier in the day rejected Tymoshenko’s appeal against her conviction of abuse of power over gas contracts with Russia for which she is currently serving a 7-year prison sentence. Her sentence, issued on 11 October 2011, also bans her from serving public office for three years.

“Her defence lawyer, Serhiy Vlasenko, told reporters following the court’s decision that ‘the findings have no relation to justice’, reported Reuters. Vlasenko claims the court’s ruling is politically motivated and driven by Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovich’s desire to prevent her from running for office. Judge Oleksandr Elfimov, one of three judges who presided the case, said Tymoshenko’s appeal was without basis and that her prison sentence was proportionate ‘to the gravity of the crime.’

“Mann said the EU regrets the high court’s decision and is ‘deeply disappointed with the consequences of the current situation’ which prevents leaders of the opposition from standing in the parliamentary elections. He noted the trials have failed to respect international standards and have not demonstrated ‘fair, transparent and independent legal processes’…

“Tymokshenko’s detention is a possible stumbling block on on-going free trade negotiations between Ukraine and the European Commission.”

Ukraine’s politically motivated decisions and conduct mirrors Russia’s autocratic behavior of recent months under dictator Vladimir Putin. The Bible shows that finally, Russia and Ukraine will align against Europe. See also the next article.

Gauck Avoids Putin

The Local wrote on August 29:

“German diplomats are struggling to gloss over the fact that President Joachim Gauck – a democracy activist in East Germany – is reluctant to have anything to do with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, a former KGB officer. Since his appointment in March, Gauck has managed to keep his contact with Putin to a minimum.

“He received the Russian leader at his official residence in Berlin at the end of May when Putin was visiting Germany after becoming president again, Der Spiegel magazine reported on Wednesday. But the visit was not hugely friendly, the magazine said, and Gauck addressed Russian deficiencies in the rule of law when speaking with Putin, something the Russian leader was less than enthusiastic about. Since then the pair have not met…

“Gauck is hugely popular amongst Germans due to his perceived high political and social principles, his work in the pro-democracy movement in the GDR, and his integrity and determination in opening the Stasi files to the public in the 1990s. He and Putin, an authoritarian former KGB agent who was stationed in Dresden during much of the 1980s, and has arguably overseen anti-democratic developments as Russian leader, certainly clash politically.”

Circumcision in Germany—and the Witch Hunt Continues…

Times of Israel reported on August 31:

“One of Germany’s most prominent rabbis has been charged after publicly vowing to continue to perform circumcisions… The office of Rabbi Yitshak Ehrenberg, who has been serving the Berlin Jewish community since 1997, on Wednesday confirmed in an email that criminal charges had been filed against him. Ehrenberg has received a letter from the prosecutor’s office because of comments he made on a nationwide broadcast television show, an aide confirmed…

“Ehrenberg is the second Jerusalem-born Orthodox rabbi living in Germany who is being investigated amid the current controversy surrounding circumcision. In June, a Cologne court declared the ritual illegal. As a direct consequence of that ruling, a German citizen [a doctor] earlier this month filed a police complaint against Rabbi David Goldberg, from the Bavarian town of Hof, who said he had performed hundreds of circumcisions in recent years.

“On July 11, Ehrenberg — a well-known figure among German Jews and a member of the executive committee of the European Rabbinical Conference — participated in a debate on ‘Anne Will,’ a popular talk show dedicated to the Cologne ruling and its implications… ‘We’re talking about religion,’ said Ehrenberg. ‘This ruling will kill Judaism in Germany.’

“After more than an hour of lively discussion, host Anne Will allowed Ehrenberg the last word. The rabbi first appealed to his congregants not to have their children circumcised in a hospital but in a synagogue or at home. Then he concluded: ‘Circumcision is a basic law for us Jews. There is no Judaism without circumcision, and therefore — we will continue.’”

And Now—The Netherlands?

Reuters wrote on August 29:

“Israel’s leading rabbi has warned Dutch populist politician Geert Wilders that his party’s support for a ban of ritual slaughter of animals in the Netherlands is ‘anti-Semitic’ and could drive away the country’s Jewish community.

“Wilders rose to prominence in the Netherlands denouncing the growing influence of Islam in the West, calling for a ban against Muslim immigrants, a halt to the construction of mosques and a ban on Muslim face-veils. Some of his most outspoken supporters are in the conservative, pro-Israeli movement in the United States. Wilders calls himself Israel’s ‘greatest friend’ and has also proposed creating a national Dutch holiday to commemorate the victims of the Auschwitz concentration camp…

“Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger called on Wilders’ Freedom Party to stop backing a ban on ritual slaughter. It is the strongest public condemnation yet of Wilders’ position on the policy and comes two weeks before the Netherlands holds a general election September 12 in which he is expected to take a sizeable portion of the vote. ‘It is obvious that one cannot be at the same time a friend of Israel and the Jewish people and on the other hand support an anti-Jewish law,’ Metzger wrote. ‘By denying Jews to live according to the Torah you will eventually force them to leave the Netherlands where they enjoyed religious freedom for centuries.’

“Metzger wrote that he was ‘shocked and upset to learn that your party once again has adopted a total ban on ritual slaughter in its platform. This is the classical anti-Semitic way our rites have been targeted and demonized throughout history,’ he wrote…

“Both Muslim halal and Jewish kosher laws require animals to be conscious when they are put to death. Some 3,500 cows are slaughtered annually according to the Jewish kosher ritual in the Netherlands. The loss of backing from prominent Jewish leaders could be damaging to Wilders, who has enjoyed support from pro-Israeli and anti-Islam organizations in the United States…

“Manfred Gerstenfeld, a prominent Israeli author, said in a telephone interview from Jerusalem that the banning of ritual slaughter has been used in Europe to deter Jews. ‘Are you going to support a guy who is at forefront of the anti-Semitism movement in Europe?,’ he said. The Netherlands, where Anne Frank hid as a teenager in an Amsterdam canal house until being murdered by the Nazis, had one of the highest rates of Jewish deportation during World War Two.”

The Bible teaches us that we must be willing to forgive and forget, upon repentance. The Bible does not teach us that we must overlook and ignore ungodly conduct of those who reject God and persecute His people; especially, when it has relevance and important bearing on other Christians. The Bible even tells us that sometimes, some need to be admonished—even in public, if necessary—to prevent that others follow their wrong example.

For instance, in Titus 1:10-14, Paul warns Titus not to tolerate those in a certain nation who oppose him:

“For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain. One of them, a prophet of their own, said, ‘Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.’ This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth.”

Today, a minister would face immediate persecution if he were to make such an assessment about an entire nation; but so be it, if it’s the truth, which was undoubtedly the case when Paul wrote these words, under godly inspiration.

Paul was not too concerned with lawsuits for libel and slander, when naming hostile individuals, when he felt that it was necessary to warn fellow Christians of their dangerous conduct.  We read in 2 Timothy 4:4-15:

“Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works. You also must beware of him, for he has greatly resisted our words.”

As a warning to others, Paul also named some Christians who had turned away from the faith. We read in 2 Timothy 1:15:

“This you know, that all those in Asia have turned away from me, among whom are Phygellus and Hermogones.”

He even went further and named some whom he had to disfellowship or excommunicate, because of their opposition to the teachings of God. In 1 Timothy 1:18-20, he wrote:

“This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage a good warfare, having faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.”

At times, Paul enjoined the ministry of a local congregation to disfellowship a sinner who publically violated God’s law, without naming him specifically, since everyone knew him and the troublesome situation. (Temporary) excommunication was necessary in that case as his conduct had negatively affected the entire local membership (1 Corinthians 5:1-8).

In other situations, Paul admonished openly and publically two female members in one particular congregation to change their conduct towards each other:

“I implore Euodia and I implore Syntche to be of the same mind in the Lord” (Philippians 4:2).

In still another circumstance, Paul recounted in his letter to the Galatians a public controversy between Peter and himself, stating this:

“But when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to  be blamed; for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, ‘If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles, and not as the Jew, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews?…” (Galatians 2:11-14).

John the Baptist confronted Herod publically for living in sin (Mark 6:18).

Jesus Christ was never shy when publically confronting the hypocritical Pharisees, scribes and Sadducees for their hostile rejection of God’s Word. He called them “hypocrites”  (Matthew 16:3) and warned His disciples not to follow their doctrine (verses 6, 12). He was especially outspoken in His lengthy admonitions, as recorded in Matthew 23, calling them “hypocrites” (verses 13, 14, 15, 27, 29), “blind guides” (verses 16, 24), “fools and blind” (verses 17, 19), and, finally, “serpents, brood of vipers” (verse 33).

Later, Peter rebuked openly the high priest, the rulers, elders and scribes for having crucified and rejected Jesus Christ (Acts 4:1-6, 9-11). Peter and the other apostles repeated the same charge in Acts 5:24-30, saying that they had “murdered” Christ (verse 30).

Subsequently, Peter rebuked openly and publically the sorcerer Simon Magus, who had even been baptized, warning him to repent of his wickedness, and stating that he was poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity (Acts 8:20-23).

Later, Paul rebuked openly Bar-Jesus or Elymas the sorcerer, because he was seeking to turn the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, away from the faith. Paul minced no words, when he stated that the sorcerer was “full of deceit and all fraud, “ continuing: “…you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?” (Acts 13:4-10).

It is true that we are warned not to bring railing accusations against, or speak evil of dignitaries (Jude 8-10). This is foremost to be understood as a warning against speaking evil of angels (compare Revelation 13:6). But we must also be careful not to speak ungodly and incorrect words against human authorities. Paul called unrighteous Ananias a “whitewashed wall, “ but regretted his comment when he was told that he was speaking to the high priest, quoting Exodus 22:28, stating that we are not to speak evil of the ruler of the people (Acts 23:3-5).

Still, this does not mean that we should ignore, condone or even justify wrong conduct of our rulers, as we are commanded not to call evil good, and good evil. Rather, we are commanded to show the people their sins, which includes the rulers of the people (Isaiah 58:1-2), and to expose wickedness.

In the near future, as Revelation 11 explains, two powerful witnesses of God will proclaim His Way of Life and oppose and rebuke two human instruments of Satan—the beast and the false prophet—as well as the entire Babylonian system that they will represent. They will not shy away from their duties, although it will lead to their death, and we, as Christ’s ambassadors, must likewise prepare the way for His Second Coming, preaching the gospel “to open [the people’s] eyes and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith” in God and Christ (Acts 26:18).

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Our new booklet “Middle Eastern and African Nations in Bible Prophecy” has been printed and will be distributed at our Feast of Tabernacles sites in California and North Wales. Our Feast newspaper is nearing completion and will likewise be distributed at our Feast sites.

Brian Gale is writing the new member letter for September. It should be ready for posting by the middle of next week.

Norbert Link’s video-recorded sermon, “What Would Be Jesus’ Vote?” was posted on YouTube.

A new German sermon was recorded and posted this week. It’s titled, in English, “What Mark Teaches Us.” This sermon addresses the life of Mark, his challenges and his victory.

We are quickly approaching the fall Holy Day season for 2012: September 17 (Monday) is the Feast of Trumpets; September 26 (Wednesday) is the Day of Atonement; October 1-7 (Monday through Sunday, with observance beginning the evening of Sunday, September 30) is the Feast of Tabernacles; and, October 8 (Monday) is the Last Great Day.

Talent Show and Dinner Dance

For those attending the Feast of Tabernacles with us at our Pismo Beach, California, location, several activities have been planned. One will offer an opportunity to participate in our Talent Show. If you can sing, play an instrument or otherwise contribute to this event, please contact Kalon Mitchell right away. He can be reached at thesupeman@gmail.com

The theme for the Dinner Dance will be “Animation.” Dress up as any cartoon or Disney character, or anything that has that animated look to it, full costumes, masks, whatever you desire. When it comes to decorations, we’re leaning more towards that Disney look/feel, like centerpieces for the tables, posters, balloons, props, cardboard cutouts, etc… If anyone has ideas, questions, any way to contribute, please share with Michael Link at mrmikey24@gmail.com Children of ALL ages welcome, and since we’re all children, we’re all going to have a blast… so get ready.

If you have not yet sent your response regarding the Dinner Dance buffet, please do so at your earliest convenience, by emailing it to Johanna.Link@cox.net

A reminder for those wishing to attend the Feast of Tabernacles with us for 2012–please review details posted on our website under the “FEASTS” heading. Our locations for this year are Pismo Beach, California, and Deganwy, North Wales.

On August 25, 2012, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “What Would Be Jesus’ Vote?”
 
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.

You may have heard the expression that a person has a kind heart, which indeed some people do, and that others are somewhat calloused and hard-hearted. We know that the carnal unconverted mind is enmity against God, as stated in Romans 8:7- 8:  “…the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

Not only is the carnal mind at odds with and hostile towards God, it is not pleasing to Him either and does not want to be in subjection to God.

On the other hand, we are admonished to have the mind of Christ in us; that is, His Spirit, dwelling in our minds. This, in turn, makes us pleasing to God as long as we are in an obedient state and submit to His Will. Philippians 2:5 says: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”

So we have to ask ourselves the question, what should our priorities and heart be, if the mind of Christ is in us?

For the answer we have to look at some of the statements of Christ.

In John 4:34, Jesus said to His disciples: “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.”

Notice, Christ’s heart and desire were to do God’s Will and to finish the Work which God had given Him to do.

Did He accomplish that task?

John 17:4 quotes Christ’s own words, as follows: “ I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.”

We see that Christ fulfilled the task given to Him by God, and He finished the Work that He had been given.

Christ’s Work, amongst other things, was to preach the gospel or good news to His disciples and those in Judea and other regions. But His disciples and His Church  were to go further and carry that message to the entire world (Matthew 24:14; Acts 1:8).

Although Christ finished His Work, the Work of preaching the gospel to all nations is the ongoing responsibility of the Church and the members which compose the Church. This ongoing responsibility will continue until the return of Christ, and even in the Millennium and beyond.

In Matthew 6:21, Christ tells us: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

The hearts and treasures of those who have the mind of Christ in them and seeking to do God’s Will should be to zealously doing or supporting the Work of God in this current phase of God’s plan.

Our determination to actively be involved in the Work set before us is an indicator to God as to where our hearts and treasures are. So the big question now is: Where is your heart?

We begin reporting on the terrible drought plaguing the United States, and continue with predictable developments in Russia—showing the ongoing and increasingly totalitarian dictatorship of former KGB spy Vladimir Putin; his support from the Russian Orthodox Church and even the Federation of Jewish communities; and the European willful indifference and tolerance of his actions—even though most recent internationally condemned Russian conduct may put a strain on European-Russian relations. We also include reports on developments within the Roman Catholic Church.

We continue reporting on the “hypocritical action” of the Ecuadorian government in granting political asylum to WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange, and the “absurd” and “blundering” “retaliatory response” of the British government.

Focusing on the volatile situation in the Middle East, we report on Israel’s apparent determination to strike Iran in October; Iran’s threat against Israel and Saudi Arabia; outrageous and blasphemous anti-Semitic false accusations of a leading Saudi Arabian (Sunni) cleric; and the unbelievable fact that the (Shiite) terrorist organization Hezbollah is permitted to operate unrestrictedly in most European countries, including and especially in Germany.

We conclude with further unsettling developments pertaining to Germany’s court decision, prohibiting circumcision on religious grounds, and the confusion pertaining to circumcision in general.

America’s Drought

Deutsche Welle, August 20, 2012:

“Across the agricultural heartland of the US, the worst drought in at least 50 years is shrivelling crops, baking pastures and running livestock farmers out of business… The flat, almost treeless plains of eastern Colorado are dry in a good year. This summer has been one of the hottest and driest on record and the crops are devastated. Dale Mauch runs a large farm near Lamar, Colorado. He’s not used to seeing deep cracks in the earth… For four generations, Mauch’s family has used the Fort Lyon Canal to divert water from a nearby river in order to irrigate these plots. But the river dried out in early July and the canal is empty. ‘That’s something that has never happened in 152 years,’ he said…

“This scene is repeating itself across thousands of kilometers of farmland in the Midwestern United States. Corn is the big cash crop here. This past spring, US farmers planted more of it than any time since before World War II. They anticipated a recordbreaking harvest. Instead, half the crop is dead, or badly battered by the drought conditions… Soybeans, another lucrative crop, aren’t doing much better…

“Many farmers who raise cattle, hogs, dairy cows or poultry are now selling animals they’d rather keep… There are fewer live cattle in the country than at any time since 1950. High feed prices are expected to keep shrinking the US cattle herd this year.

“Until recently, most of the corn grown in the US was fed to animals. Now, the largest part of it is used to make ethanol. A government quota requires that petroleum companies use enough ethanol to account for 10 percent of the fuel burned in cars. The drought and corn shortage have led to an international call for the US government to relax its ethanol mandate…

“Joe Aistrup, a professor at Kansas State University, said the current situation leaves farmers high and dry ‘both in terms of the weather and in terms of relief from Washington.’ Farmers like Dale Mauch in Colorado have little choice but to hunker down and pray for rain…”

The Bible prophesies that in these end times, we will be plagued by droughts and famine, especially in the USA. Man’s laws (pertaining to the ethanol mandate) make a terrible situation even worse.

Putin’s Dictatorship–a Strain on German-Russian Relations

Deutsche Welle reported on August 17:

“Whoever thought the Russian state was able to demonstrate any form of lenience or clemency towards its opponents has been proven seriously wrong. The verdict against the three women of the punk band ‘Pussy Riot’ is not just a harsh punishment that will affect the accused artists personally. This trial has been used to set a precedent: Anyone in Russia who chooses to publicly speak out against the authoritarian Putin system, especially if it involves breaching the law, is going to feel the full force of the establishment.

“There’s no question about it. The public act of the punk activists at the Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Savior in February was a scandal. Certainly it had the potential for hurting people’s religious beliefs. And certainly – according to German legal standards, too – such action within a church could be prosecuted on the basis of going against the freedom of practicing religion. Within that, the freedom of expression and the freedom of religion each put limitations on the other…

“But in a case like this, genuine rule of law commands the weighing of both rights against each other. This hasn’t happened in Moscow. For the judge it was enough to simply state that ‘this wasn’t art, but hooliganism stemming from religious hatred.’ The trial against the three women wasn’t anything but a show trial. They were in pre-trial custody for almost half a year. Shortly after their public protest, they were ruthlessly separated from their families and little children.

“All this despite the fact that the protest happened without any violence. No one was actually hurt. There was no doubt about what had happened, and the women didn’t deny the charges. And that means it would have indeed been possible for the court to show lenience and mark what had happened off as bad taste nonsense of some young people.

“Instead, the women were treated like dangerous criminals. They had to endure the trial handcuffed and locked up in a glass cage. The court gave little room for the defense to make its case. The accused, too, were barely able to tell their side of the story – and when they could, they focused on criticizing the Putin government as a repressive regime. There was no sign of religious hatred – it was clearly a political protest…

“Kremlin supporting politicians and representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church surpassed each other in demanding draconian punishments – as if they themselves were the prosecutors in this trial… The verdict becomes a dark omen for Putin’s third term in office – a technocrat of power, who only managed to reemerge as Russia’s leader by tricking the constitution itself. His first 100 days in office have clearly showed that there will be no further political liberalization. During the past weeks, members of the opposition have been browbeaten – also by exploiting the legal system. The demonstration law has been drastically tightened, and NGOs have seen further curtailing of their work.

“These developments, now including the verdict against the all-female punk band, are going to put a strain on German-Russian relations. Rarely has there been such a wave of protest against a trial in Russia – throughout all political ranks and all parts of society. In bilateral discussions, the German side increasingly asks the question whether a dialogue with Russia is at all possible when it comes to civil rights and society. After the verdict against Pussy Riot, politicians in Berlin could find themselves forced to reevaluate the… relations Germany has with Russia.”

Russia’s development into becoming a full-fledged dictatorship was foreseeable—only many commentators and politicians were and still are willfully ignorant and blind about Russia’s authoritarian government. That the relationship between Russia and Germany will deteriorate—for whatever reason—is clearly prophesied in the Bible.

Germany, the EU and the USA Condemn Russia

The Local wrote on August 17:

“The German government, the EU and the USA all condemned the verdict… Human rights organisation Amnesty International recently recognised the three women as political prisoners. ‘In my eyes, the harsh sentence has no relation to the music group’s protest action,’ German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle told Saturday’s edition of the Tagesspiegel. He said he was ‘concerned about the effects of the sentence against the three musicians for the development and freedom of Russian civil society as a whole.’… [The] head of the Green parliamentary party Renate Künast… said it showed that Russia was ‘no democratic country.’”

It is high time that we wake up to this fact. But many are still unwilling to admit the obvious, mostly because of financial and economic “advantages.” The constant embarrassing support of former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder (SPD) for “his pal Putin” is indicative of a certain despicable mentality—after all, Schroeder has strong financial ties with Russia’s oil companies.

Putin Rules With an Iron Fist

The EUObserver wrote on August 20:

“The trial is seen as yet another proof of Putin’s decision to run his second presidency with an iron fist and his determination to crack down on opposition and dissent… Protests in support of Pussy Riot were staged on Friday in Moscow, Brussels, London, Berlin and Barcelona. Chess star and anti-Putin politician Gary Kasparov was reportedly arrested during the demonstrations. Pop and rock singers from Madonna to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Paul McCartney and Sting have all voiced their outrage over the affair in recent weeks…

“For her part, the EU’s foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton on Friday said the sentence was ‘disproportionate’ and called for it to be reversed. ‘This case adds to the recent upsurge in politically motivated intimidation and prosecution of opposition activists in the Russian Federation, a trend that is of growing concern to the European Union. Respect for human rights and the rule of law is an indispensable part of the EU-Russia relationship,’ she said.”

Modern Russia–State and Church Against Dissidents

Der Spiegel Online wrote on August 17:

“The three members of Pussy Riot on trial in Moscow have received sentences of two years in jail. With the harsh verdict on the harmless artists, Russian President Vladimir Putin has committed a serious mistake: He is provoking the opposition to more aggression toward the state…

“It was inevitable that the stunt by the punk band in Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior would provoke objections. By entering the altar space and insulting the patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church as a ‘suka’ (‘bitch’) in their song, the band hurt the feelings of many believers. The performance, with its ‘blasphemous words which insult Christians,’ had deeply shocked ‘the faithful of all religious communities,’ read a statement by the Interreligious Council of Russia, which was also signed by the Federation of Jewish Communities.

“Some Orthodox Christians also separately called for the activists to be severely punished. One arch-abbot even went so far as to write, in a Moscow weekly paper, that ‘the country will go under if you do not punish profanity.’ The court has now ruled that the three women had been ‘motivated by religious enmity and hatred.’ But those in power seem not to understand that the Church and state are doing themselves a disservice by locking up the three young women, two of whom are mothers of small children… The trial has divided Russian society deeper than any other incident in the Putin era… By turning basically harmless artists into criminals, the regime has transformed the trial against Pussy Riot into a political time bomb.”

That the Russian Orthodox Church—with the support of the Jewish Communities—should support Putin’s totalitarian regime by ganging up on an unimportant punk group of three young women is not only shameful, but it is also terribly short-sighted and stupid. They are playing into the hands of former KGB spy Putin—as far too many Christians and Jews did in Nazi Germany, when they were all too willing to support Adolf Hitler in the beginning. On the other hand, note the hypocrisy manifested by top clerics of the Russian Orthodox Church, as explained in the next article.

The Pinnacle of Hypocrisy of Russian Orthodox Top Clerics

The Associated Press reported on August 18:

“Two top clerics in the Russian Orthodox Church said Saturday that it has forgiven the members of feminist punk band Pussy Riot who were convicted of hooliganism and sent to prison for briefly taking over a cathedral in a raucous prayer for deliverance from Vladimir Putin.

“Tikhon Shevkunov, who heads Moscow’s Sretensky Monastery and is widely believed to be the Russian president’s spiritual counselor, said on state television Saturday that his church forgave the singers right after their ‘punk prayer’ in the Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow in February. Archpriest Maxim Kozlov agreed, but he also said on state TV that his church hopes the young women and their supporters change their ways…

“Both clerics supported the court’s decision to prosecute Pussy Riot, despite an international outcry that called it unfair… The Pussy Riot case has underlined the vast influence of the Russian Orthodox Church. Although church and state are formally separate, the church identifies itself as the heart of Russian national identity and critics say its strength effectively makes it a quasi-state entity. Some Orthodox groups and many believers had urged strong punishment for an action they consider blasphemous.

“The head of the church, Patriarch Kirill, has made no secret of his strong support for Putin, praising his leadership as ‘God’s miracle,’ and [] describing the punk performance as part of an assault by ‘enemy forces’ on the church.”

Belief in Resurrection—Body and Soul—of the Queen of Heaven?

Zenit wrote on August 16:

“Pope Benedict XVI celebrated the Mass of the Assumption at the parish church of St. Thomas of Villanova in Castel Gandolfo on Wednesday morning. The pontiff said the solemnity is ‘an invitation to praise God and to look to Our Lady’s greatness since we know who God is by gazing about the faces of those who are his.’ Entrusting the faithful to the blessed Mother, the Holy Father asked her intercession so that all may live their lives with hope… the Holy Father explained that Mary’s assumption, body and soul, into heaven at the end of the course of her earthly life is something that Christians throughout the world have always believed, confessed and celebrated…

“After the Marian prayer, the 85 year old pontiff greeted pilgrims in many languages… ‘Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of Our Lady. May the example and prayers of Mary, Queen of Heaven, inspire and sustain us on our pilgrimage of faith, that we may rejoice with her in the glory of the resurrection and the fulfillment of her Son’s promises…’ he said.”

The early New Testament Church did not believe that Mary was resurrected and that her body and soul went to and are now in heaven. Rather, it believed that Mary died and is in her grave and that she will be resurrected—with all other true Christians—at the time of Jesus Christ’s return. The book of Jeremiah speaks of a Queen of Heaven and chastises the Israelites and Jews for believing in and worshipping her.

Church Reconciliation Coming

Zenit wrote on August 13:

“The President of the Polish Episcopal Conference, Archbishop Jozef Michalik and Kirill I, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia will sign a joint declaration to both Polish and Russian people this Friday. The signing will take place during the first visit in Poland’s history of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church. ‘It is an unprecedented event,’ stressed the representatives of the Catholic Church in Poland and of the Russian Orthodox Church…

“The first important step towards Russo-Polish reconciliation was the visit of a group of monks from a Russian monastery near Ostashkov to Jasna Gora, the shrine of the Black Madonna of Czestochowa in September 2009. The delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church was led by Arkadij Gubanow, Prior of the Orthodox Monastery of Saint Nil at Stolobienskoje, region of Twer. Archbishop Stanislaw Nowak of Czestochowa and Father Izydor Matuszewski, Prior General of Pauline Fathers and Custodian of the Shrine, also gave a copy of the Icon of the Black Madonna of Czestochowa to the delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church.

“‘This Holy Icon of the Black Madonna is a sign of our spiritual closeness, and also a symbol of Europe’s two lungs, Eastern and Western, as the Servant of God John Paul II taught,’ said Archbishop Nowak at the consigning of the icon. The Orthodox monks kept the copy of the image of the Madonna in the Monastery of Saint Nil at Stolobienskoje… ‘In this place, in our monastery, we must pray together, Russians and Poles, before the Holy Icon of the Madonna of Czestochowa, to ask for peace and to pray for all those who were killed,’ exhorted Arkadij Gubanow, prior of the Orthodox Monastery of Saint Nil. The signing of the declaration this Friday is seen as another step towards reconciliation between the Churches of the East.”

“International Hypocrisy”–WikiLeaks Founder Assange Is Granted Asylum

Der Spiegel Online rote on August 17:

“For almost two years, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has wiggled out of efforts to have him extradited to Sweden where he faces sexual assault charges. Now with the decision of the Ecuadorian government to grant him asylum at its London embassy, Assange got another reprieve. What happens next is far from clear.

“The British government has retaliated by threatening to invoke a little used law to remove the embassy’s diplomatic status so that it can ship Assange to Sweden. The law was enacted in 1987 after a British police officer was shot outside a Libyan embassy. In doing so it would be violating the principles behind the 1961 Vienna Convention which deemed embassies as extra territorial areas so that diplomats could work undisturbed in foreign countries. Furthermore, London has promised to arrest Assange as soon as he sets foot on British soil, something he would have to do should he wish to travel to Ecuador…

“The conservative daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: ‘Whatever one thinks of Julian Assange and his deeds, he is neither Osama bin Laden nor a mafia boss. That’s why, carefully put, it was a blunder that the British government challenged Ecuador by referring to a law that allows it to retrieve asylum seekers from embassies in individual cases…. By heading down that path, the British government has done Assange a favor. Now, he can continue working on his own myth. That a government such as Ecuador’s, of all countries, can now pose as a defender of human rights is shameful, but that is in the end London’s fault. Unfortunately, it has also meant that the fact that Assange is accused of raping a woman in Sweden has taken a back seat.’

“The leftist Die Tageszeitung writes: ‘The case of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has become an unbelievable example of international hypocrisy. Both of the countries involved, Great Britain and Ecuador, are blameworthy. Far from the world’s attention, the (Ecuadorian) government is evicting an ex-government worker from Belarus who has enjoyed three years of asylum status in Ecuador. The reason is that six weeks ago, Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko was in Quito to sign a number of trade agreements and applied pressure. A short time later the man… was arrested in Quito. Against this background, the flowery words of Ecuador’s foreign minister about the huge importance of political asylum don’t hold much value.

“‘Great Britain, for its part, has openly threatened to storm the Ecuadorian embassy with police forces in order to arrest Assange. That makes an absurdity out of its own internationally supported position about the protection of diplomatic representatives and adherence to the Vienna Convention. That the British government is prepared to even suggest setting such a precedent is a tough blow…’

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes:

“Why does (Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa) have so much sympathy for an Australian named Julian Assange?… By publishing classified dispatches that have exposed the US above all, Assange has pleased Correa. He belongs alongside Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez, Bolivia’s Evo Morales and Cuba’s Fidel Castro as the most important opponents of Washington… Correa is allowed to protect his embassy from encroachment by England. Yet he should display just as much respect for his critics at home.’

“The business daily Financial Times Deutschland writes:

“Julian Assange… has received a lot of free PR from the blundering Brits who have catapulted the almost forgotten Australian back into the headlines. And he is even in his favorite roll as David fighting against the Goliaths of the world, mainly the US and Great Britain. Great Britain has helped Assange again portray himself as a victim of political persecution…. In truth Assange is fleeing from a long prison term in Sweden…”

It seems, whatever Great Britain is doing these days is backfiring. There are reasons for that, and the Bible tells us why. The UK is not being blessed by God. Their sins separate them from the God of Abraham who had given them their land because of the unconditional obedience of the ancient patriarch and “father” of the children of faith.

Israel Determined to Strike Iran Before US Elections

Times of Israel wrote on August 20:

“Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ‘is determined to attack Iran before the US elections,’ Israel’s Channel 10 News claimed on Monday night, and Israel is now ‘closer than ever’ to a strike designed to thwart Iran’s nuclear drive.

“The TV station’s military reporter Alon Ben-David… said it seemed that Netanyahu was not waiting for a much-discussed possible meeting with US President Barack Obama, after the UN General Assembly gathering in New York late next month — indeed, ‘it’s not clear that there’ll be a meeting.’ In any case, said Ben-David, ‘I doubt Obama could say anything that would convince Netanyahu to delay a possible attack.’

“The report added that Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak believe Obama would have no choice but to give backing for an Israeli attack before the US presidential elections in November. There is considerable opposition to an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, the report noted — with President Shimon Peres, the army’s chief of the General Staff and top generals, the intelligence community, opposition leader Shaul Mofaz, ‘and of course the Americans’ all lined up against Israeli action at this stage. But, noted Ben-David, it is the Israeli government that would have to take the decision, and there Netanyahu is ‘almost guaranteed’ a majority.

“Other Hebrew media reports on Tuesday also said Netanyahu had despatched a senior official, National Security Adviser Yaakov Amidror, to update the elderly spiritual leader of the Shas ultra-Orthodox coalition party, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, on the status of the Iranian nuclear program, in order to try to win over Shas government ministers’ support for an attack.”

No “October Surprise”

WorldNetDaily wrote on August 19:

“… if the strike is made prior to the election, Obama is much more likely not to condemn Israel. It just wouldn’t be a popular political move for him. Even most Democrats in the U.S. Congress will support Israel’s right to defend itself.­ On the one hand, most Israeli leaders would like to see Obama, the harshest critic of Israel ever to reside in the White House, be defeated in November…

“The likelihood of this attack is growing. The timing is nearly predictable. Yet, Americans and the U.S. media have not focused much attention on it. The only thing that might change the equation is if Mitt Romney soars far ahead of Obama in the polls, effectively buying Israel more time to make its strike without major political fallout from the U.S.

“As it stands now, the election is too close to call–and, in the minds of Israeli leaders, the strong possibility of an Obama re-election must be considered in the equation. As long as that is the case, you can take it to the bank that October is the likely time for a strike on Iran… That’s why 2012’s ‘October surprise’ might not be so surprising at all–for those who understand the politics of the Middle East.”

The Volatile Situation in the Middle East

Al Jazeera wrote on August 17:

“Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Lebanon-based Hezbollah group, and Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, the Iranian president, have issued stern warnings to Israel, saying that any aggression on that country’s part would be met with a swift armed response.

“Nasrallah… said that his fighters will make the lives of Israelis ‘a living hell’ if it is attacked… Any such action would present Iran with ‘the opportunity it has been dreaming of’ since it was founded in 1979, he said.

“Last month, an Israeli general warned that the Israeli military would respond ‘decisively’ to any rocket attacks aimed at Tel Aviv… He also said that towns in southern Lebanon used as launching bases for Hezbollah rocket attacks would be ‘destroyed’…

“Meanwhile, the governments of the United States and Turkey have asked their citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Lebanon… The [US] embassy also announced the suspension of the State Department’s flagship Fulbright and English Language Fellow programmes in Lebanon, cutting short research projects and teaching grants for US university students and educators in Lebanon… Several Gulf countries have ordered their nationals to leave the country immediately in the face of threats, particularly against Saudis and Qataris whose governments are staunch opponents of the Syrian regime.”

Iran Warns Saudi Arabia

WorldNetDaily reported on August 16:

“Iran has warned Saudi Arabia and Qatar that if either country allows Israel to use its airspace, Tehran may retaliate directly against those Gulf nations… one official said that in talks with Gulf nations, Iran ‘hinted’ that a couple of Iranian missiles ‘may lose their way’ and strike Qatar, Saudi Arabia or any other Gulf nation that allows Israel to use its airspace in any attack against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.

“Such threats may help to account for a reported change in Saudi Arabia’s attitude toward an Israeli strike on Iran. Last week, Israel’s Yedioth Aharonot newspaper reported Saudi Arabia informed the Jewish state that it would intercept any Israeli aircraft crossing its airspace en route to Iran… Saudi Arabia does not maintain an open diplomatic relationship with Israel. But the Sunni Muslim country, together with Qatar, Jordan and other moderates, views itself as threatened by the growing and opposing influence of Iran, dominated by Shiite Islam.”

Saudi Cleric Questions Holocaust

The Washington Free Beacon wrote on August 16:

“A prominent Saudi Arabian religious cleric declared that the Holocaust is an ‘exaggeration’ and that Jewish people consume the blood of children during a wide-ranging interview with an Arabic television station. Saudi cleric Salman Al-Odeh, a well-known scholar revered by millions globally, went on a lengthy tirade against the Jews during an interview Monday in which he stated that ‘the role of the Jews is to wreak destruction, to wage war, and to practice deception and extortion,’ according to a translation of his remarks by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).

“Al-Odeh ranted about the use of human blood in Jewish religious rituals, a notorious anti-Semitic smear commonly referred to as a ‘blood libel.’ ‘It is well known that the Jews celebrate several holidays, one of which is the Passover, or the matzos holiday,’ he said. ‘I read once about a doctor who was working in a laboratory. This doctor lived with a Jewish family. One day, they said to him: “We want blood. Get us some human blood,”’ Al-Odeh explained. ‘He was confused. He didn’t know what this was all about,’ Al-Odeh says as the interviewer nods along. ‘He found that they were making matzos with human blood. They eat it, believing that this brings them close to their false god, Yahweh.’ Jewish people ‘would lure a child in order to sacrifice him in the religious rite that they perform during that holiday,’ Al-Odeh adds.

“The prominent Saudi Cleric also believes that the Holocaust ‘has been turned into a myth of tremendous proportions.’ Jewish people across the globe now use the Holocaust to extort governments, Al-Odeh claimed… Jewish people ‘believe that [they] have the right to kill anyone who does not adhere to their religion,’ Al-Odeh adds.

“The Obama administration has gone out of its way to maintain stellar relations with the Saudi government, which is known to oppress its people. The president famously took heat early in his presidency for bowing to Saudi King Abdullah.”

These anti-Semitic libelous and blasphemous comments by a prominent Saudi Arabian cleric should make us realize to what extent Satan has been able to deceive the world and to prepare it for persecution and a future outright war against the modern descendants of the houses of Israel and Judah—as well as God’s true followers, members of God’s Church, who are spiritual Israelites and Jews. It is also telling and abominable that this false Arabic cleric is allowed to libel the true God of the Bible as the “false god, Yahweh,” while Muslims are in arms when Christians point out that the true Word of God does not endorse Allah and the prophet Mohammed.

Hezbollah Operates With Few Restrictions in Germany and Europe

The New York Times wrote on August 15:

“As American officials sound the alarm over what they call a resurgent threat from the Shiite militant group Hezbollah, thousands of its members and supporters operate with few restrictions in Europe, raising money that is funneled to the group’s leadership in Lebanon. Washington and Jerusalem insist that Hezbollah is an Iranian-backed terrorist organization with bloody hands, and that it is working closely with Tehran to train, arm and finance the Syrian military’s lethal repression of the uprising there. Yet, the European Union continues to treat it foremost as a Lebanese political and social movement…

“While the group is believed to operate all over the Continent, Germany is a center of activity… The European Union’s unwillingness to place the group on its list of terrorist organizations is also complicating the West’s efforts to deal with the Bulgarian bus bombing and the Syrian conflict…

“The stark difference in views reflects the many roles that Hezbollah has played since it emerged in Lebanon after the Israeli invasion in 1982. Hezbollah’s militant wing was responsible for a string of kidnappings and for sophisticated bombings at home and has been accused of bombings abroad. But the group also became a source of social services that the shattered Lebanese government was incapable of providing, and has evolved since then into a political force with two cabinet ministers and a dozen seats in Parliament…

“Some analysts [in Germany] say that Shiite groups like Hezbollah pose less of a risk than Sunni militant organizations like Al Qaeda… American officials sound more concerned about the threat posed by Hezbollah to Europe than the Europeans themselves… The Netherlands declared Hezbollah a terrorist organization in 2004, saying that it did not distinguish between the group’s political and terrorist wings. Britain distinguishes between the parts, listing only the militant wing.”

That Hezbollah is a dangerous terrorist organization cannot be questioned. That many European states are willing to tolerate its activities shows once again their hypocrisy and political indecisiveness.

The Circumcision Debate

USA Today wrote on August 20:

“Evidence that male circumcision has health benefits is growing, even as the quick but often-controversial surgery becomes less common in the United States, say medical experts making new efforts to publicize the benefits… The researchers say that if U.S. rates dropped to 10% — the level seen in European countries where insurers don’t cover circumcision — the results would include:

“… 12% more HIV cases in men. 29% more human papillomavirus (HPV) cases in men. 18% more high-risk HPV infections in women. The fallout also would include more cases of cervical and penile cancer linked to HPV, but the highest costs would be associated with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, the researchers say…”

The often-claimed health benefits from circumcision are non-existent, generally speaking. God would have never abrogated the need for circumcision, if it had been a health law. But what we can see is that health benefits are claimed regarding diseases which man is bringing upon himself, such as sexually transmittable diseases, HIV and HPV. As USA Today, dated May 8, 2012, explains, “HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says at least half of all sexually active people will get genital HPV at some time in their lives. But certain strains of human papillomavirus also can live in the mouth, passed on through oral sex.” So we see, if sex were limited to marriage, then there would be no transmittable sexual diseases, and the whole discussion about health benefits of circumcision would become moot.

The discussion regarding the terrible decision in Germany, prohibiting circumcision on religious grounds should not be confused with unsustainable claims of medical benefits of circumcision. However, it is also wrong to say that circumcision is in any way harmful to boys and must be prohibited to protect the boys’ welfare. God would have never ordered circumcision in Old Testament times if that were the case. Such ignorant and incompetent postulations from our medical community and others ignore the tragic fact that man has no right to prohibit what God allows. But religious persecution is on the rise, especially in Germany and Europe, as the next article shows.

Criminal Charges Pressed Against German Rabbi for Conducting Circumcision

The Times of Israel reported on August 21:

“For the first time, criminal charges have been pressed against a German rabbi for performing circumcisions, a Jewish weekly reported on Tuesday. A doctor from Hesse filed a criminal complaint against Rabbi David Goldberg, who serves in the community of Hof, in Upper Franconia (northern Bavaria), according to the Juedische Allgemeine weekly newspaper. The chief prosecutor of Hof confirmed that charges had been filed against the rabbi. The charges are based on the controversial decision of a Cologne district court, which ruled in June that circumcisions for religious reasons constitute illegal bodily harm to newborn babies. ‘I am shocked,’ said Cologne Rabbi Yaron Engelmayer, co-chairman of the national umbrella group of Orthodox rabbis in Germany, in a first reaction to the report. This marks the first time that a court in the Federal Republic of Germany is investigating a rabbi for performing a religious ritual, Engelmayer told the paper.

“Goldberg, a qualified mohel (ritual circumciser) who says he has performed more than 3,000 circumcisions, was informed about the criminal charges against him by journalists, the paper said. Born in Jerusalem, the 64-year-old has been the rabbi of Hof since 1997… The Cologne court decision caused a major uproar in Germany’s Jewish and Muslim communities… Rabbi Engelmayer, from Cologne, told The Times of Israel in July that the court decision had ‘enormously’ impacted Jewish life in his community. ‘De facto it looks as if doctors across the country are afraid [to perform circumcisions],’ he said. ‘The mohels are inquiring, and we tell them: without circumcision, there is no Judaism,’ he said at the time…”

During one of the early encounters of Moses and Aaron with Pharaoh, “Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent. But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers (or soothsayers); so the magicians of Egypt, they ALSO DID IN LIKE MANNER with their enchantments. For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods” (Exodus 7:10-12).

In the New Testament, Paul identifies the two leading magicians of Egypt as Jannes and Jambres, stating: “Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith;  but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was” (2 Timothy 3:8-9).

After God had instructed Moses to say to Aaron to stretch out his staff and strike the waters that were in the river, “all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. The fish that were in the river died, the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink the water of the river. So there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt” (Exodus 7:20-21).

Now notice what we read in the next verse:

“Then the magicians of Egypt DID SO with their enchantments [or: secret arts]; and Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them [Moses and Aaron], as the LORD had said” (verse 22).

Following these events, God instructed Moses to tell Aaron to stretch out his staff over the waters of Egypt, and after doing so, “the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt” (Exodus 8:5-6). But again, we read, “the magicians DID SO with their enchantments, and brought up frogs on the land of Egypt” (verse 7).

However, when God used Moses and Aaron to bring the third plague of lice or gnats on Egypt, by apparently changing the dust into lice, as the dust “became” lice (Exodus 8:16-17), “the magicians so worked with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not” (verse 18). They recognized that their powers were limited, and they told Pharaoh: “This is the finger of God” (verse 19). From that moment on, we do not read that the magicians tried to copy or duplicate the additional wonders and miracles that God brought on Egypt.

We see, then, that the powers of the magicians, which were obviously derived from Satan and his demons, had limits. We understand, of course, that Satan and his demons, let alone their human instruments, can only do what God allows them to do. In the case of the magicians of Egypt, God allowed some magical enchantment to harden the heart of Pharaoh, and to show His superiority over the dark powers of Satan and his servants.

The question is, did these magicians perform real miracles—albeit “lying,” “deceitful” or “deceiving” wonders—or were they just illusions?

Some feel that they were only man-made illusions and trickery. For instance, the commentary of Barnes’ Notes on the Bible states:

“Enchantments – The original expression implies a deceptive appearance, an illusion, a juggler’s trick, not an actual putting forth of magic power.”

The commentary of Gill’s Exposition on the Entire Bible agrees, stating:

“… the magicians of Egypt… also did in like manner with their enchantments; or by their secret wiles and juggles, making things seem to appear to the sight when they did not really, but by dazzling the eyes of men by their wicked and diabolical art, they fancied they saw things which they did not…”

Gill suggests some form of mass hypnosis and hallucination. But is this an accurate interpretation as to what happened?

The commentary of Jamiesson, Fausset and Brown also tries to give an explanation which is strictly based on human efforts:

“Jannes and Jambres… had time after the summons to make suitable preparations–and so it appears they succeeded by their ‘enchantments’ in practising an illusion on the senses.”

Even though the Bible says nothing of the kind, Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary seems to agree:

“The magicians were cheats, trying to copy the real miracles of Moses by secret sleights or jugglings, which to a small extent they succeeded in doing, so as to deceive the bystanders…”

None of these opinions seem to be correct, as they disregard the clear statements of the Bible.

Wesley’s Notes admit that more was involved than just human trickery:

“The two chiefs of them were Jannes and Jambres. Their rods became serpents; probably by the power of evil angels artfully substituting serpents in the room of the rods, God permitting the delusion to be wrought for wise and holy ends. But the serpent which Aaron’s rod was turned into, swallowed up the others…”

The best explanation can be found in Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible:

“They also did in like manner with their enchantments – The word… probably signifies such incantations as required lustral fires, sacrifices, fumigations, burning of incense, aromatic and odoriferous drugs, etc., as the means of evoking… spirits or assistant demons, by whose ministry, it is probable, the magicians in question wrought some of their deceptive miracles: for as the term miracle signifies properly something which exceeds the powers of nature or art to produce… There can be no doubt that real serpents were produced by the magicians. On this subject there are two opinions:

“1. That the serpents were such as they, either by juggling or sleight of hand, had brought to the place, and had secreted till the time of exhibition, as our common conjurers do in the public fairs, etc.

“2. That the serpents were brought by the ministry of a familiar spirit, which, by the magic flames already referred to, they had evoked for the purpose.

“Both these opinions admit the serpents to be real, and no illusion of the sight, as some have supposed. The first opinion appears to me insufficient to account for the phenomena of the case referred to. If the magicians threw down their rods, and they became serpents after they were thrown down, as the text expressly says, Exodus 7:12, juggling or sleight of hand had nothing farther to do in the business, as the rods were then out of their hands. If Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods, their sleight of hand was no longer concerned. A man, by dexterity of hand, may so far impose on his spectators as to appear to eat a rod; but for rods lying on the ground to become serpents, and one of these to devour all the rest so that it alone remained, required something more than juggling. How much more rational at once to allow that these magicians had familiar spirits who could… convey one thing away and substitute another in its place! Nature has no such power, and art no such influence as to produce the effects attributed here and in the succeeding chapters to the Egyptian magicians.”

The Bible states that the rod of Aaron BECAME a serpent, and that the magicians did in like manner. Unless one wants to say that Aaron operated with a trick or performed an illusion (which would be ridiculous), the magicians did not operate in that way, either. Later, God changed water into blood, and the magicians “did so” as well. Also, God brought frogs over Egypt, and the magicians did so as well.

It is obvious that these magicians acted with the power of Satan the devil and his demons. One should not try to diminish or underestimate Satan’s powers, nor try to explain them as man-made illusions or trickery. The Bible shows that in the near future, powerful men will arise on the world scene who will be influenced and empowered by Satan to perform real miracles—not just illusions–but they will do so with the demonic purpose of deceiving mankind.

We state the following in our free booklet, “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World”: 

“Satan and his demons can show great signs and wonders. It is prophesied that Satan will ultimately give his power to a religious leader who will work ‘signs… by which he deceived’ the people (Revelation 19:20). False religious teachers, inspired by demons, might even be able to accurately foretell the future (Deuteronomy 13:1–4; Acts 16:16–19).

“Satan has the power to inspire people to go to war (Job 1:9–15; Revelation 16:13–14; Revelation 20:7–10). He has the power to throw down fire to consume man and beast (In Job 1:16, people felt that God brought this fire, but the context shows that Satan was the power behind it). As the ‘prince of the power of the air’ (Ephesians 2:2), he can bring destruction through mighty winds.

“Though many people don’t believe in the existence of Satan and demons, they are quick to dabble in the occult, being ignorant of the danger therein. Demons are called ‘familiar spirits’ because they want to familiarize themselves with man (Leviticus 19:31; 20:6, 27). Haunted houses, poltergeists, séances, communication with the dead, and contacts with ‘aliens’ are all clearly of demonic origin. Satan and demons are destructive. They love to torment people (Luke 6:18). Once we have made ‘contact’ with demons, we can’t get rid of them anymore, barring a miracle from God (Luke 11:24–26).

“There are many Scriptures that prove that Satan or demons can possess animals and people, forcing them to do terrible things (Luke 22:3; John 13:27). Demon-possessed people can be extremely violent (Matthew 8:28) and self-destructive (Mark 5:2–5). They lose all sense of decency (Luke 8:27).

“The Bible also shows that demons can possess or influence people to make them spiritually, psychologically, and physically sick. Even Paul was sick because ‘a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me’ (2 Corinthians 12:7). Through the influence of demons, people can be mute, deaf and dumb (Mark 9:17, 25), epileptic (Matthew 17:15–18), and infirm (Luke 13:11, 16). When a demon leaves such a person, it may appear as if the person has been healed from a physical sickness.

“Satan and demons have the power to transport a human being from one place to another (Matthew 4:5, 8; Luke 4:5, 9). This explains strange encounters with UFOs, where ‘abducted’ people are sometimes found hundreds of miles away from their residence, without knowing how they got there.

“Sorcery, witchcraft, hypnosis, and certain meditation practices are further methods of Satan to overpower the mind of a human being and to make him or her into a helpless victim. Whenever we give ourselves ‘over’ to another influence, we have become victims of the powers of darkness…

“It appears from Scripture that demons cannot materialize themselves the way that angels can. Demons cannot appear as men. They can, however, create an illusion, or an apparition that might look very real to people…”

Notice also the following excerpts from our free booklet, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord”: 

“There is another frightening prophecy given in the pages of the New Testament that reveals events to occur just prior to the coming of the day of the LORD.

“2 Thessalonians 2:1–3, 8–9 tells us: ‘Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ [NU: the Lord; “NU” is, according to the New King James Bible, “the most prominent modern Critical Text of the Greek New Testament”] had come. Let no one deceive you by any means: for that Day will not come unless the falling away [apostasy—a falling away from the truth of God] comes first, and the man of sin [NU: lawlessness] is revealed, the son of perdition [the false prophet discussed earlier in this booklet] … And then the lawless one will be revealed [or become manifest] whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming [by throwing him, together with the Beast, into the lake of fire]. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs and lying wonders.’

“This religious leader—the false prophet—will receive power to do miracles from Satan himself (compare Revelation 19:20). He, and the system that he represents, is described in Revelation 13:11 as a beast with ‘two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.’ He ‘performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs’ (verses 13–14). This system is also described as engaging in ‘sorcery’ (Revelation 18:23). We are warned in Matthew 24:24 that some of those ‘signs’ will be so convincing that, if it were possible, even the elect of God would be deceived.

“Historical records establish the fact that Simon Magus, who had been baptized but had never truly repented (Acts 8:13–24), became a leader in the early Babylonian system. He had been a sorcerer, regarded as ‘the great power of God’ (Acts 8:9–10).

“Quoting from Millennium Prophecies, p. 59, let’s learn more about Simon Magus and the Satanic powers which he allegedly possessed. This should make us a bit more prepared for what is going to happen in the future and why the false prophet will be able to deceive so many people with his sorcery: ‘The Samarian-born Simon Magus (15 BC–AD 53), son of a Jewish sorcerer, was educated in the cradle of Gnosticism, Alexandria. He was a disciple of Dositheus, who had been a follower of John the Baptist and contended with Jesus Christ for the title of Messiah. Simon traveled widely in Persia, Arabia [and] Egypt to learn all he could about magical lore. He was accompanied by a sorceress called Helena, whom Simon claimed was a reincarnation of Helen of Troy. In Samaria, even Christians spoke of Simon as ‘the great power of God’… Simon Magus performed many miracles, including healing the sick, raising the dead, walking through fire, flying through the air, turning stones into bread, creating phantom banquets, making himself invisible, animating stone statues, changing his own shape and, of course, reputedly commanding elemental spirits or possibly demons to do his bidding.’

“Simon Magus was not the only leader within the Babylonian system who practiced sorcery. Millennium Prophecies tells of another famous sorcerer, Pope Silvester II, who lived at the end of the first century. Quoting from pp. 68 and 69: ‘Tradition has it that he was an advanced student of the black arts… It was said that he regularly conversed with the Devil… he was credited with possessing a “brazen head” that spoke to him and could prophecy future events… [He] learned… to summon ghostly figures from the lower world… [The] demons obeyed him in all that he required of them day and night, because of the great sacrifices which he offered, and his prayers and fastings and magic books and great diversity of rings and candles.’

“The false prophet—the last leader of the religious system called ‘Babylon the Great’ in the Bible—will appear soon on the world scene. He will be able to perform mighty miracles because Satan will give him the power to do so. Many will be deceived by those signs and will follow the wrong teachings of this man. May God protect YOU from doing so.”

In conclusion, it appears that the magicians at the time of Moses did perform real, albeit deceitful and lying, wonders or miracles. However, their enchantments will pale into insignificance, when compared with the powerful actions of the false prophet and other deceivers who are prophesied to appear in the not-too-distant future.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Here is the summary for the new SW program, titled, “Putin’s Rise as Russia’s Dictator” (This program will also be broadcast on radio, beginning with Sunday, September 2, 2012): The three young Russian women of the punk band “Pussy Riot” were condemned to harsh prison terms, with the obvious involvement and approval of Vladimir Putin and the Russian Orthodox Church, even though the conduct of the band was not of a religious nature, but clearly a political protest. The Western world has unanimously condemned the punishment, but Vladimir Putin does not care. It is his goal, with the help of the Russian Orthodox Church, to establish an authoritarian dictatorship to suppress all opposition voices. As a consequence, the relationship between Russia and Europe will deteriorate. The Bible predicts an outright war between these two power blocs in the near future.

Norbert Link recorded a new German sermon this week, and it is Part 2 in a series on meditation–titled (in English): “Think about God.”

Our newest booklet, “Middle Eastern and African Nations in Bible Prophecy,” has been approved for printing, and it should be finished during the next week. Watch for the posting on our website of this eye-opening presentation with explanations about today’s news and what the Bible reveals for the immediate future of this tumultuous area! You may also have your own free printed copy of this booklet by contacting us with your request.

Mr. and Mrs Link, along with Mrs. Margaret Adair, will be visiting brethren in Woodburn, Oregon, this coming weekend. Live Sabbath Services will originate from that location, and you are welcome to participate by “tuning in” at www.cognetservices.org.

A reminder for those wishing to attend the Feast of Tabernacles with us for 2012–please review details posted on our website under the “FEASTS” heading. Our locations for this year are Pismo Beach, California, and Deganwy, North Wales.