On July 16, 2011, Robb Harris will give the sermon, titled, “Rebellion.”

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.

In my last member letter, dated June 23, 2011, I wrote that God works out His plan for true Christians, and that “in retrospect, they will understand that God’s Way was indeed the right one.” In fact, they were predestined, before the world began, to be called for salvation in this day and age. God knew them before they were born; He saw them in their mother’s womb; and He was determined to direct their path.

When I look back at my life, I can see now more clearly God’s guiding hands, even though I might not have seen them at first. As a Church member in Germany, I became more and more frustrated with my studies of man’s law. As a consequence, I did not perform very well at that time. The ministry counseled me to continue wholeheartedly with what I had started. When I heeded that advice, I began to do much better—especially on my last test in that particular semester, because I had just “happened” to study the very material the previous night, which I was examined on the next day.

I graduated, passed my first legal exam, concluded my two year practical training and passed my second legal exam, and I began then to practice law as an attorney. But deep inside, I knew that this was not what I had envisioned to do for the rest of my life, and sharing my concerns with my wife, she contacted the German Church Office. Although there was no job opening there, we learned that the Legal Department of the Church’s Headquarters in the USA was looking for a person trained in the law who could help with international legal matters.

And so, my wife, our nine-month old son, and I moved to the USA, originally for two years, to study at the Church’s Theological College and to work for the Legal Department. But our stay would not last for just the two years. In due time, the Legal Office offered me a full-time job and requested that I “take the bar” in the USA and become an attorney licensed to practice here—which I did, just in time to meet the requirements for obtaining a green card (that is, to become a permanent resident), leading ultimately to my naturalization.

Subsequently, while continuing to work for  the Legal Department, the Church’s German Work and the TV Department asked me to provide the main voice as a voice-over speaker for German TV programs, and we produced in excess of 100 German TV programs. But when the apostasy in my Church had reached a point which had become unbearable for my wife and me, I resigned and we joined a smaller Church of God organization which was committed to continue in the teachings which we all had learned and believed.

In due time, a split occurred in our new group, and while the majority established their own organization, we continued for a while until the majority revealed that it was determined to merge with a much larger Church organization. Since we—the minority again—were not convinced that that was the right path for us, we resigned, and organized the Church of the Eternal God in the USA. Church organizations in Canada and Great Britain also joined with us. At that time, most did not give us a chance for survival. But we have been in operation for ten years by now, and we have every reason to believe that our existence will continue–as long as God allows us to be of service to Him.

I believe that God has been guiding and training me all along. My training in writing and speaking has helped me in my present task as the presenter of our American StandingWatch and German AufPostenStehen programs; as a writer for the Church’s literature; as an ordained minister, being able to deliver sermons in English and German; and as a licensed attorney, being in a position to help those in the Church who are in need of legal assistance.

Looking back on my life in Germany, how little could I have known where God would be leading me. And quite frankly, when trying to look into the future, I still only “see  in a mirror, dimly” (1 Corinthians 13:12). Who is to say what is ahead for me in this life, and for my wife and family, my brethren, my friends…

I don’t know. But one thing I do know—and this applies to each and every one of those whom God has called and is calling at this time! When we are submitting to our loving and all-knowing Father and His Son Jesus Christ, we will be led in the way that we are supposed to go. Challenges will come; and our patience and trust may be severely tested. We may have questions without answers. We may not know exactly what we should do. But we need to stay close to Him who does know. We must want to remain clay in the hands of our Potter (Isaiah 64:8). And as long as we want God to train and guide and protect us, He surely will do so (Psalm 139:9-10).

We begin reporting on Britain’s ongoing and ever-deepening “blagging” and bribery media scandal, and new staggering information is revealed almost on a daily basis.

We continue focusing on America’s debt crisis; the seemingly irreconcilable positions of the Democrats and the Republicans, which mainly seem to be dictated by political considerations; the pressure of the IMF on the USA; and the ongoing difficulties of Europe’s economy, with special emphasis on Italy and Spain.

Frustrated Egyptians still hope that their country may see true reforms; Iran continues to show its true colors of autocratic Islamic dictatorship; and the situation in Syria is escalating. Germany is busy selling its weapons all over the world, with the resulting paradox that in Libya, three hostile parties use German weapons to fight each other. Germany’s good qualities are so often misused for wrong purposes, and its misguided zeal might do more harm than good, as our report on the conviction of a UK bishop shows who denied aspects of the Holocaust.

We report on the German memorial service for the late Otto von Habsburg; speak about the controversy between Denmark and Germany; continue with a report of a most recent national poll showing that by now, most Americans approve of same-sex marriages; list another example as to why true Christians should not serve on a jury, and conclude with a report on famine and disease epidemics in Africa.

Britain’s Blagging and Bribery Scandal

Deutsche Welle reported on July 8:

“The former editor of the News of the World, and former aide to Prime Minister David Cameron, has been arrested in London over phone hacking allegations… Coulson has close links to Prime Minister David Cameron and was a key figure in last year’s Conservative election campaign. Coulson was forced to quit as Cameron’s communications chief in January after the phone hacking allegations resurfaced. Cameron has come under fire for hiring Coulson shortly after he resigned as News of the World editor in 2007… In a further twist, British police on Friday re-arrested the paper’s former royal editor Clive Goodman over allegations of corruption. Goodman was jailed for four months in 2007 for hacking into phone messages from the royal household…

“Cameron on Friday called for a new system of press regulation in the wake of the closure of the News of the World newspaper. He also promised a full inquiry into the phone-hacking scandal gripping the British media… Cameron is also friends with Rebekah Brooks, Coulson’s predecessor as editor of the popular Sunday paper. She is now chief executive of News International and a close confidante of Rupert Murdoch, the Australian-born media tycoon. Cameron said Friday that he would have accepted her resignation, had it been offered to him. Murdoch’s media empire spans the globe, and includes Fox Television and the Wall Street Journal in the United States, along with major broadcasting operations in Australia and Asia… [According to Deutsche Welle, Murdoch also owns News International which operates The Sun, The Times and The Sunday Times.]

“On Thursday, News Corp announced that Sunday’s edition of the News of the World would be the last. It is the bestselling Sunday newspaper in the country, selling some 2.7 million copies a week, and has been published for 168 years… The News of the World has been at the center of phone-hacking claims for several years. The targets included the royal family, celebrities and politicians. But it was the allegations that journalists hacked into the cell phones of victims of crime, terror attacks and the relatives of British soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan that sparked a public outcry, alienating readers and advertisers.”

BBC wrote on July 11:

“The Sunday Times is alleged to have targeted the personal information of the former Prime Minister Gordon Brown at the time he was chancellor, a BBC investigation has found… The Browns also fear medical records relating to their son Fraser, whom the Sun revealed in 2006 had cystic fibrosis, may have been obtained…
 
“Blagging, or ‘knowingly or recklessly obtaining or disclosing personal data or information without the consent of the data controller’ has been illegal since 1998. A blagger alleged to be acting for the Sunday Times posed as Brown and obtained details of his Abbey National account in January 2000… The Abbey National said to Mr Brown’s lawyer it was a ‘well-orchestrated scheme of deception.’”

The London Evening Standard wrote on July 11:

“Personal details about the Queen and her closest aides were sold to the News of the World by corrupt royal protection officers…The information included phone numbers and tips about the movements and activities of the Queen, Prince Philip and staff in a serious breach of national security…

“Around half a dozen emails indicating payments totalling more than £100,000 by News of the World journalists to corrupt Met officers were found… Several police officers and a number of other current or former News of the World staff are expected to be arrested over the coming weeks over the bribery scandal.”

The UK press is filled with reports on the British scandal—which some have already described as the “British Watergate.” The German paper, Die Welt, wrote on July 11 that Britain’s Premier David Cameron is affected by the scandal and is quick to distance himself from it—while fighting for his political survival.

UK Government vs. Murdoch

The Associated Press reported on July 12:

“The cozy relationship that Rupert Murdoch long enjoyed with the British power structure came to an abrupt end Tuesday, just as he needed it to complete one of his biggest media buys ever. The billionaire… suddenly faces stiff government opposition to his bid for total control of a much more lucrative property: the satellite British Sky Broadcasting company. The news came in a stunning announcement from Prime Minister David Cameron’s office that the government will support a motion calling on Murdoch and his News Corp. to withdraw the $12 billion bid for BSkyB.

“Cameron’s turnabout means the Australian-born Murdoch, who held great influence in British politics no matter who ran the government, suddenly finds all three major political parties lined up against him. He’s even been asked to appear before lawmakers next week to answer questions about the conduct of News International, Murdoch’s UK company…”

Murdoch Withdraws Bid for BSkyB

The New York Times wrote on July 13:

“In a stunning reversal after days of building scandal surrounding its British newspaper operations, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation announced on Wednesday that it was withdrawing a $12 billion bid to take over the shares it does not already own in Britain’s main satellite television broadcaster. The withdrawal from the bid for complete control of British Sky Broadcasting, also known as BSkyB, represented the most severe damage inflicted so far on Mr. Murdoch’s corporate ambitions by a crisis which erupted only 10 days ago with reports that The News of the World tabloid ordered the hacking of the voice mail of Milly Dowler, a 13-year-old girl abducted and murdered in 2002. Since then, virtually every day has brought dizzying new disclosure and developments, culminating in News Corporation’s announcement on Wednesday…

“Only hours before the announcement, Prime Minister David Cameron had sought to distance himself from Mr. Murdoch and had urged him to drop the bid for BSkyB, reversing his previous support… The scandal has also convulsed the British politicians, press and police…[G]iven Mr. [Murdoch’s] erstwhile towering influence in British public life, the scandal has also cast unusually sharp light into a world of cozy relationships between political and corporate leaders and senior police officers.

“On Wednesday, Mr. Cameron offered details for the first time of a broad inquiry into those relationships to be led by a senior judge, Lord Justice Brian Leveson. Mr. Cameron told Parliament that it would have the power to summon witnesses to testify under oath. The announcement came as Mr. Cameron fought to recover the initiative in a scandal that has turned into potentially the most damaging crisis of his time in office, partly because of his own close relationship with senior figures in Mr. Murdoch’s British subsidiary…”

German Press Attacks British Democracy—“It’s a Farce”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on July 14:

“As the News of the World phone hacking scandal continues to unfold, there are indications that it extends beyond the press to the police and even the government. German papers on Thursday write that the situation reveals grave problems within Britain’s democratic system…

“Conservative daily Die Welt writes:

“‘There is more rotten in the state of Great Britain than is dreamt of in our philosophy. And more than just in the media, whose reputation has sunk to an all-time low through the revelations about the Sunday scandal paper News of the World. But this is about more than that. The complicity of some Scotland Yard officials with the surveillance methods of the Murdoch empire are also damaging trust in the country’s law enforcement… It’s a nation under shock. Too much institutional erosion was simply ignored…’

“Left-leaning daily Die Tageszeitung writes:

“‘The News of the World case has shown the British public that their democracy is a farce, with power-hungry politicians who bow to the most loathsome tabloids and money-grubbing police who hide the crimes of these papers. The investigations that Prime Minister Cameron has called for make sense only when they include all sides and lead to consequences. Most of the investigations to date … give no cause for optimism.’”

America’s Debt Ceiling Crisis

The Associated Press reported on July 11:

“Call it eliminating an unfair break, or removing an unjust loophole, or even ‘taking a balanced approach.’ Just don’t call it raising taxes. As they work toward a must-do deal with Republicans on paring trillions from the deficit in order to raise the nation’s debt limit, President Barack Obama and Democrats are saying almost anything to avoid the politically toxic pronouncement that they want to increase taxes. Republicans, for their part, are just as quick to declare elimination of the most rarefied corporate benefit a job-killing tax hike on the American people. It’s all about winning the public relations debate over the debt limit, and in turn, perhaps, gaining a more politically advantageous outcome in the resulting deal itself…

“Taxes are hardly the only issue going through the partisan spin cycle — and emerging virtually unrecognizable — as the days tick down to an Aug. 2 deadline to raise the federal government’s borrowing limit or face unprecedented default. Take Social Security. Obama is insisting he won’t agree to ‘slash’ benefits — a vague word the White House refuses to define, thus leaving room for benefits to be cut without ever saying it…”

What an interesting testimony on the duplicity of politics.

More Taxes?

The Wall Street Journal added on July 11:

“So the fondest Washington hopes for a grand debt-limit deal have broken down over taxes. House Speaker John Boehner said late Saturday that he couldn’t move ahead with a $4 trillion deal because President Obama was insisting on a $1 trillion tax increase, and the White House quickly denounced House Republicans…

“How dare Republicans not agree to break their campaign promises and raise taxes when the jobless rate is 9.2% and President Obama’s economic recovery is in jeopardy? We think Mr. Boehner is making the sensible choice. No one wants to reform the tax code more than we do, but passing a $1 trillion tax increase first on the promise of tax reform later is a political trap…

“Keep in mind that Mr. Obama has already signed the largest tax increase since 1993… Starting in 2013, the bill adds an additional 0.9% to the 2.9% Medicare tax for singles who earn more than $200,000 and couples making more than $250,000. For [the] first time, the bill also applies Medicare’s 2.9% payroll tax rate to investment income, including dividends, interest income and capital gains…  And don’t forget a new annual fee on health insurance providers starting in 2014 and estimated to raise $60 billion. This tax, like many others on this list, will be passed along to consumers in higher health-care costs…

“Mr. Obama is now pushing to reduce the payroll tax by two-percentage points for another year to boost the economy, but he’s already built in a big increase in that same payroll tax for 2013. So if a payroll tax cut creates jobs this year, why doesn’t a payroll tax increase destroy jobs after 2013?…

“Last November Republicans won the House and landslide gains in many states in large part because of the deep unpopularity of the stimulus and ObamaCare. Mr. Boehner has a mandate for spending cuts and repealing the Affordable Care Act. If Republicans instead agree to raise taxes in return for future spending cuts that may or may not happen, they will simply be the tax collectors for Mr. Obama’s much expanded entitlement society.”

It is curious that the Weekly Standard reminded its readership on July 11 that President Obama had said in August of 2009 that “raising taxes in a recession is a bad idea.” How many times have politicians promised us that there would be no new taxes, only to subsequently break those promises? Just think of President Bush Sr.’s famous claim, when running for office, “Read my lips, no new taxes,” which he subsequently violated, when he was in office. How can anyone have any trust and confidence in any one of our present or future political leaders? The answer is, we cannot, and we should not even try to do so. This is not God’s world, but it is ruled by Satan the devil, the god of this world and the prince of the power of the earth–the liar from the beginning, who has deceived the whole world. This includes every country. But God has given us a promise that we CAN rely on. He will soon send His Son Jesus Christ back to this earth, to replace all corrupt human leadership. He will restore the Kingdom of God on this earth and rule this world with fairness, equity and righteousness. Self-seeking incompetent politicians will finally become a fading memory of the distant past.

IMF Pressures USA

The Associated Press reported on July 10:

“The International Monetary Fund’s new chief foresees ‘real nasty consequences’ for the U.S. and global economies if the U.S. fails to raise its borrowing limit. Christine Lagarde, the first woman to head the global lending institution, said in an interview broadcast Sunday that it would cause interest rates to rise and stock markets to fall. That would threaten an important IMF goal, which is preserving stability in the world economy, she said. The U.S. borrowing limit is $14.3 trillion. Obama administration officials say the U.S. would begin to default without an agreement by Aug. 2…

“Republicans are insisting on deep spending cuts as a condition of voting in favor of raising the debt ceiling. Obama and congressional Democrats are insisting that more tax revenue should be part of the mix… The IMF has 187 member nations and lends money to countries with troubled finances.”

The IMF’s goal is to dominate the economic world. In the future, we will see more and more pressure exerted by the IMF on countries like the USA or Great Britain.

Cut Off Social Security Checks First?

The Associated Press reported on July 11:

“A government report Friday saying the economy created far fewer jobs than expected in June compounded fears that the U.S. economy was in even worse shape than previously thought. The unemployment rate rose to 9.2%. Weekend budget talks between Republicans and Democrats stalled, raising the possibility that the U.S. might reach its debt limit before a deal to raise that ceiling and make spending cuts is in place. That could mean the government might miss a debt payment for the first time in history, although it’s more likely other payments, like social security or military pay, would be skipped first.”

Reuters reported on July 12:

“President Barack Obama raised the stakes in the third straight day of budget talks Tuesday by warning that senior citizens and veterans may suffer first if the debt ceiling is not raised by Aug. 2… Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said a ‘real solution’ to the U.S. debt problem was unlikely while Obama was in office… Obama said in an interview with U.S. television network CBS that checks to recipients of the Social Security retirement program may not go out in early August if he and congressional leaders do not agree on a debt deal… Failure to seal a deal by Aug. 2 could… put the United States at risk of another recession…

“Obama’s warning that senior citizens… could suffer first if a deal is not reached could give lawmakers a nudge ahead of 2012 elections. Seniors punished Democrats last year for including Medicare cuts in their healthcare package and then turned on Republicans in a special New York election this year over a Republican plan to overhaul the healthcare program for the elderly. It also evoked memories of the debt limit crisis of 1996 when Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin warned he would not be able to send out Social Security pension checks the next month if the ceiling were not raised. The Republican-controlled House immediately voted to allow the government to issue more debt to make those Social Security payments.”

While Europe and the USA battle with their economies, Europe will recover and/or stay strong, while the USA will not. It would be a crying shame if, in light of all the wasteful spending of the US government, they would indeed begin cutting social security payments. For our international readers, Social Security benefits are not akin to discretionary Welfare, but they have been earned by Americans during their working life, and should be considered vested and irrevocable.

The question we need to ask is simply this: Whose fault is it that that the prospect of insolvency looms for the USA? Certainly not the fault of the senior citizens, but mainly of the former and current US governments which have overextended themselves by wasting borrowed money for at least unnecessary and at worst ungodly projects. And raising the debt ceiling and allowing for even more borrowing will only make matters worse.

Companies Flee California

CNN Money wrote on July 12:

“Buffeted by high taxes, strict regulations and uncertain state budgets, a growing number of California companies are seeking friendlier business environments outside of the Golden State. And governors around the country, smelling blood in the water, have stepped up their courtship of California companies… Companies are ‘disinvesting’ in California at a rate five times greater than just two years ago… This includes leaving altogether, establishing divisions elsewhere or opting not to set up shop in California…

“The state has been ranked by Chief Executive magazine as the worst place to do business for seven years. ‘California, once a business friendly state, continues to conduct a war on its own economy,’ the magazine wrote… The most popular places to go? Texas, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, Virginia and North Carolina… All rank in the Top 13 places to do business, according to Chief Executive.”

Having created the mess in the first place, it is high time for California’s government to wake up. So far, this has not happened—but perhaps with the handwriting on the wall, someone will have enough sense to DO something about it.

Italy Next?

The Local wrote on July 11:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel called Monday on the parliament in Rome to approve government spending cuts so as to end speculation Italy could become the next casualty of the eurozone debt crisis… ‘I have full confidence that the Italian government will pass exactly such a budget. I spoke yesterday (Sunday) by phone with Italian Prime Minister (Silvio Berlusconi) about precisely this topic… The euro itself is stable, but in some countries there is a debt problem,’ Merkel said.

“Berlusconi’s government has earmarked about €40 billion ($56.5 billion) in savings over the next four years to stabilise the country’s public finances… Rome has already pushed through spending cuts of €25 billion for 2011-12 and the latest package should reduce the budget deficit to just 0.2 percent of output by 2014 from 4.6 percent last year…

“Speculation has risen in recent days that Italy, which has the eurozone’s third-biggest economy, could follow Greece, Ireland and Portugal in needing outside help. Italy’s accumulated public debt is equal to about 120 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), one of the highest rates in the world. Borrowing costs on Italian debt reached record levels on Monday.”

Whatever the immediate outcome may be, it is very clear from the Bible that Italy will not forsake the euro, but rather, that it will be among the prophesied ten core nations or groups of nations leading Europe. In all likelihood, we can say the same about Spain (see one of our subsequent articles).

Italy in Turmoil—End of the Road for Berlusconi?

Der Spiegel Online wrote on July 12:

“Italy is used to crises — the government is rudderless, the economy is stagnant and Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is mired in scandals. Now the country may become embroiled in the euro crisis, and its fate lies in the hands of its finance minister. Berlusconi, for his part, faces the ruins of his political career… After a black Friday and a black Monday the nation initially seemed to be facing a black Tuesday…

“This turmoil coincided with the auction on Tuesday of almost €7 billion worth of 12-month bills. If the sale had failed, or if it had even been undersubscribed, the markets may have panicked. But the whole issue found buyers, albeit at significantly higher interest rates. The gross yield on the bills rose to 3.67 percent from 2.15 percent at the previous auction in June. The Milan bourse breathed a sigh of relief and was in positive territory for several hours — but it is likely to remain a rollercoaster in the coming weeks…

“Economists interviewed on television on Tuesday kept on repeating the mantra that ‘Italy isn’t Greece or Portugal,’ and ‘Italy’s economic fundamentals aren’t that bad.’ And it’s true: no real estate bubble has collapsed in the country, banks aren’t battling enormous sums of toxic investments and new state debt is well below that of France, for example. Italy’s unemployment rate is at 9 percent, miles away from Spain’s 20 percent. The country — the third-largest economy in the EU — has a solid industry structure, mainly thanks to tens of thousands of small and mid-size businesses, which still earn billions each year through exports.

“On Tuesday, though, the country’s politicians managed to send a signal of determination — led by the opposition… All three opposition parties in parliament pledged not to stand in the way of the passage of a package of austerity measures within the next week. They won’t vote in favor, but they vowed not to slow down the bill with a slew of amendment requests. Furthermore, even the final passage of a budget this Sunday is now seen as a possibility.

“It is partly for this reason that the situation on the Milan stock exchange relaxed on Tuesday. Furthermore, the risk premium on Italian bonds dropped again and is now back to just three percentage points higher than the German benchmark. But the opposition also made it clear that they see this as Berlusconi’s last battle. Massimo D’Alema, head of the leftist Democratic Party, said that once the austerity package is passed, Berlusconi should ‘go immediately’ and make room for a new government aimed at improving the country’s financial health.

“And Berlusconi himself? Little had been heard from him for the last four days — until Tuesday afternoon. His coalition, he said, is ‘unified and determined.’ He said he welcomed the conciliatory gestures from the opposition — and said nothing at all about a possible resignation. But in the end, his future lies more in the hands of the financial markets than it does with the Italian parliament. Any additional signs of investor distrust could signal the end of the road for Berlusconi.”

Deutsche Welle added on July 12:

“… the Italian markets launched a surprising rally after nose-diving in early trading to end up almost breaking even. The Italian recovery surprised many, considering that the European Union finance ministers’ summit in Brussels was primarily focusing on the possibility of Italy becoming the latest eurozone country to need some form of financial assistance…

“At their summit in Brussels on Monday, Eurozone finance ministers had already indicated a willingness to expand the size and scope of the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF), as well as proposing complimentary measures like lowering interest rates or extending the maturity on loans for particularly hard-hit countries like Greece… Over the past fourteen months, the eurozone and sometimes other EU partners – with the help of the International Monetary Fund – have been forced to offer emergency loans packages to Greece, Ireland and Portugal…

“The EFSF currently has a theoretical lending capacity of 440 billion euros, and despite the pledge to bolster this, politicians have not offered any concrete increased figures. ‘If we stand together, no country will be at risk. We will do everything possible so that there is neither a risk of contagion nor a default by a member state of the eurozone,’ Luxembourg’s Finance Minister Luc Frieden said in Brussels. ‘It will be difficult to convince the markets, but we all agree that everything has to be done to ensure the stability of the eurozone.’”

Europe Demands Urgent Clampdown on Rating Agencies

Deutsche Welle reported on July 12:

“As EU finance ministers met in Brussels, concern was spreading that Italy could soon become the latest casualty of the debt crisis. Italian and other European stocks suffered heavy losses, especially in the banking sector, reflecting worries that Italy’s financial stability is at risk… Borrowing rates for Italy and Spain rose to the highest levels since the eurozone was created, and in the case of Spain, to the highest level since 1997. The euro fell sharply against the US dollar as investors lost faith in the single currency.

“But politicians were quick to quell rumors that Italy could become the latest country to seek an EU bailout. German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble offered reassurance that the debt crisis had not spread further. ‘It is true that Italy has to take difficult budget decisions, but the Italian finance minister has made very convincing proposals and I’m sure they will make the right decisions,’ he said. ‘Italy is on the right track.’

“Schäuble was among several top European politicians to suggest that rating agencies such as Standard and Poor’s, Moody’s and Fitch were partly responsible for fueling uncertainty over Italy’s financial status. He said that verification was needed ‘to check if there is abusive behavior’ by the agencies. ‘We need to examine the possibilities of smashing the rating agency oligopoly,’ Schäuble said. 

“In response, EU officials in Brussels called for an urgent clampdown on rating agencies, suggesting a ban on ratings for countries covered by international rescue packages such as Greece.” 

Europe’s road towards more and more autocratic and dictatorial measures should be carefully observed.

Europe Must Finally Lead

Der Spiegel Online wrote on July 13:

“The euro crisis appears to have entered a turbulent new phase, as the European Union hesitates on approving a second bailout for Greece and the risk of contagion seems ever larger. Italy has slid into speculators’ crosshairs this week amid fears that its debt mountain, equivalent to 120 percent of its gross domestic product, has grown too big to handle. Observers say the country — the third-largest economy in the euro zone — is too big to be bailed out. On top of that, the rating agency Moody’s has now downgraded Ireland’s debt to junk status, following its downgrade of Portugal last week.

“It seems that the time has come for decisive action on the part of Europe’s leaders. But precisely that is missing… The markets are reacting nervously to the uncertainty. The euro fell to its lowest level against the dollar in four months, and Italian stocks have taken a beating. The country’s main share index fell by as much as 4 percent on Tuesday before recovering… German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble… insisted that the EU was on the correct path to stemming the debt crisis…

“The conservative Die Welt writes:

“‘The fact that important European leaders have still not realized the full extent of the problem is having a catastrophic effect. Chancellor Angela Merkel, for example, temporarily neglected the euro crisis for weeks and focused on the so-called energy revolution, which could easily have waited another month or two. And now, when things are heating up because Italy is under pressure, Merkel has gone to Africa. As an economic powerhouse, Germany profits from the euro zone more than any other country. But Merkel is visiting Kenya, Angola and Nigeria rather than taking the lead in Europe and saving our domestic market. One can only hope that the powerful turbulence on the capital markets has woken up the chancellor and her colleagues. It will take more to get this crisis under control than a decision by euro-zone finance ministers to approve the new euro rescue package. … Instead of disappearing for their summer vacation, Europe’s leaders must now sit down and negotiate — and not only next weekend, but until they have found a convincing result and have regained their ability to take action.’”

When even a conservative and CDU-friendly paper such as Die Welt attacks Chancellor Angela Merkel for lacking in decisive leadership, we know that she is in deep political trouble.

Egypt’s Increasing Frustration

Reuters wrote on July 10:

“Anger has been rising against what many Egyptians see as the reluctance of the military council to deliver on the demands of protesters who ousted Hosni Mubarak in February… A speech by Prime Minister Essam Sharaf on Saturday that promised action but was thin on detail only stoked frustrations… Analysts said the army-appointed government needed to act quickly if it wanted to avoid a further escalation, even if some of the aspirations for change were unreasonably high.

“Some chanted for Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi to go. Tantawi, who now leads the military council in charge of Egypt, was Mubarak’s defense minister for two decades. The army has pledged to hand power to civilians soon and has scheduled parliamentary elections for September.

“The prime minister has come in for increasingly tough criticism. His appointment in March was initially welcomed as the former minister had joined protesters in Tahrir even when Mubarak was still in office. Now, activists say he has failed to act firmly as a mediator between protesters and the army.”

As we feared from the outset, Egypt is far off from becoming a democracy.

Dictatorial Iran

Newsmax reported on July 7:

“A U.S. State Department official expressed outrage and pressed Iran to reverse a court decision that gives an Iranian pastor an outrageous, and suicidal, choice: Reject his Christian faith, or die. The 32-year-old pastor, Yosef Nadarkhani, was arrested in October 2009 for apostasy because he objected to the teaching of Islam to Christian children at Iranian schools. He was sentenced to death by hanging late last year, a verdict that he appealed to Iran’s Supreme Court… Now, it appears that the Gilan court will ‘question the defendant again in order to determine whether he believes in Islam or not. If he is a Muslim, Yosef Nadarkhani must be released. If it is determined that he is a Christian, he may repent from his faith. Otherwise, if he insists on his beliefs, the death penalty must be carried out,’ CNSNews [states]…

“And the advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide said, that, despite reports that the death sentence had been reversed, ‘in reality the Supreme Court appears to have added a precondition requiring him to renounce his faith, or face execution’…  Nadarkhani… was born to Muslim parents and Islamic law dictates that a child of Muslim parents is considered to be a Muslim. Although apostasy is not an offense in the Iranian penal code, CNSNews reports that Iran’s constitution includes a clause demanding that, if a basis for a judicial ruling does not exist in the law, judges must turn to ‘reliable Islamic sources or a valid fatwa.’”

Fundamentalist Muslims all over the world demand the right to practice their religion, while they are persecuting those of other convictions, especially those who believe in the one and only true God—God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

USA vs. Syria

The New York Times wrote on July 12:

“The Obama administration, after weeks of urging Syria to carry out democratic reforms and end a brutal crackdown, has now turned decisively against President Bashar al-Assad, saying that he has lost legitimacy and that it has no interest in Mr. Assad keeping his grip on power. President Obama… stopped short of demanding that Mr. Assad step down. But administration officials said the president may take that step in coming days, as he did with Libya’s leader, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, much earlier in that country’s popular uprising.

“Mr. Obama’s comments, and even stronger ones by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Monday, showed that the administration has now concluded that Mr. Assad is no more willing or capable than Colonel Qaddafi of opening a dialogue with protesters or overseeing a political transformation. The turning point in the administration’s public posture came after angry crowds attacked and vandalized the United States Embassy in Damascus, and the residence of Ambassador Robert Ford, after his visit to Hama, the hub of the current protests and site of a bloody crackdown by Mr. Assad’s father in 1982.

“But administration officials said the shift has been weeks in the making, as Mr. Assad’s government has continued to harass and jail demonstrators, quash peaceful protests, and clamp down attempts to organize a political opposition. The crackdown has also begun to threaten regional stability with thousands of Syrian refugees fleeing across the northern border into Turkey…

“Administration officials said they had no choice in Libya: Colonel Qaddafi is notoriously unpredictable, and had threatened to send his troops house-to-house in Benghazi, killing his opponents. In Syria’s case, there is no military remedy. NATO nations have no interest in acting in Syria, and there is no chance of a United Nations Security Council resolution equivalent to the one that NATO is enforcing in Libya. Russia has made clear it would reject any resolution condemning Mr. Assad…

“Still, until recently some American officials argued they were better off with Mr. Assad in power than with a power vacuum that could threaten the stability of Lebanon and security of Israel, and might be filled by Iran…”

Arab World Disappointed in Obama’s USA

The National Journal wrote on July 14:

“When President Bush left office, 9 percent of Egyptians had a favorable attitude towards the United States. After Barack Obama was elected, that number jumped to 30 percent. But today, only 5 percent of Egyptians surveyed said they have a favorable opinion of the United States and its president. Similar figures in Morocco, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates illustrate that the initial optimism in the region has been eclipsed by a widespread sense of disappointment.”

Germany’s Weapon Industry

Der Spiegel Online wrote on July 12, 2011:

“Germany is in third place among the world’s biggest weapons suppliers, behind only the big guns of Russia and the United States and in front of France and Great Britain. Its arms are coveted around the world… The United States military is generally only allowed to order armaments from domestic suppliers. But even it makes an exception when it comes to Germany: For their tanks, they order the smooth-bore guns made by Rheinmetall because they are more precise than those developed in the US.

“The international arms industry doesn’t face crises; crises are its business. In 2010, global arms expenditures rose to $1.63 trillion (€1.14 trillion). This represents a growth of 56 percent over the last decade… Indeed, almost one-tenth of all the money generated by global weapons exports ends up in the pockets of the German defense industry.

“But what is it about the German arms industry that has made it so successful?… Like most other German arms companies, Rheinmetall has adapted its business to fit changing times. A decade ago, the companies primarily supplied Germany’s military, the Bundeswehr. But these days, roughly 70 percent of their products are sold to foreign clients.

“German arms companies enjoy a reputation for delivering high-tech weapons of the highest quality. For example, the ThyssenKrupp submarines outfitted with fuel cells are considered the best in the world because they are practically undetectable… The companies are also profiting from how military conflicts have changed… These days, fighting is conducted in many places at the same time and often by small units. This type of fighting calls for high-tech solutions, including drones, satellites, radars and electronic gadgetry. Much of this is based on technology in fields where Germany’s companies are among the world’s leaders…

“Since 2000, Saudi Arabia has numbered among Germany’s top 20 clients for… missile parts, machine guns, munitions and artillery shells… When the UN Security Council voted on whether to establish a no-fly zone in Libya, Germany abstained. The stated reason for the abstention was the desire to not have German soldiers participate in the war. Despite this desire, however, Germany is still playing a role in the fighting, with ‘Made in Germany’ written on many of the weapons used — by both sides… NATO troops also rely on German technology in the form of the ‘Eurofighters’… the fact that three parties involved in the fighting are all using weapons made in Germany shows the fundamental problem of these kinds of arms export policies…”

Sadly, Germany’s good qualities of organization, production of high-quality items and its highly sophisticated technology, are so often misused in this evil world for ungodly and deplorable purposes. This can also be seen in a subsequent article on German laws regarding the Holocaust, showing Germany’s misguided zeal.

More German Weapons Deals—With Angola

Deutsche Welle reported on July 14:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced on Wednesday that Germany was prepared to sell six to eight patrol boats to Angola as part of an international cooperation deal… In return, the chancellor suggested that the patrol boats could protect Angola’s borders, the security of which is essential for regional stability… But Merkel’s offer of military equipment was met with widespread condemnation in Berlin…

“In the past, Angola has courted both China and western nations as they competed for contracts and access to the country’s oil resource. According to the Angolan investment agency, trade between Germany and Angola currently stands at around 400 million euros ($566 million). As the first German leader to visit Angola, however, Merkel was keen to boost economic ties further.”

German Court Upholds Holocaust Denial Verdict Against UK Bishop

The Local wrote on July 11:

“A German appeals court on Monday upheld renegade British bishop Richard Williamson’s conviction for Holocaust denial, but reduced the fine ordered by a lower court to €6,500 ($9,262). Williamson, 71, who was not in court, had appealed his conviction by a court in Regensburg, southern Germany, for denying key facts about the Holocaust in an interview he gave to Swedish television in Regensburg in 2008…

“Lawyers for London-based Williamson did not deny the statements made by the bishop, a member of the breakaway ultra-conservative Catholic fraternity the Saint Pius X Society, but stressed that in Sweden such opinions could be freely voiced. In Germany it is an offence to deny that the Nazis murdered six million Jews during World War II. Williamson told Swedish television that ‘200,000 to 300,000 Jews perished in Nazi concentration camps’ and disputed the existence of the gas chambers. In April 2010, Williamson, who now lives in London, was fined €10,000 by the lower court, reduced from an earlier fine of €12,000 he had refused to pay, for inciting racial hatred.”

The controversial German law of penalizing those who execute their right to free speech and falsely deny aspects of the Holocaust is bound to backfire one of these days.

Denmark on Collision Course with Germany and Europe

Der Spiegel Online wrote on July 12:

“…the right-wing populist Danish party’s beliefs are currently damaging the country’s relationship with the European Union– and neighboring Germany in particular. The anti-immigration party managed to get the reintroduction of border controls passed by demanding the new policy in exchange for its support for the government’s 2020 budget reform plan. Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen’s center-right government, which does not have the majority, would likely collapse without DF’s support.

“But many politicians within the EU argue that the new customs checkpoints, erected last week along the country’s borders with Germany and Sweden, are a violation of the Schengen Agreement, which established border-free travel in Europe in 1985.

“… [DF] party criticism of Berlin and Brussels has taken on an unusually aggressive tone. ‘All of the ideological guns are pointed at us,’ [party co-founder and leader Pia] Kjaersgaard cursed last week. ‘Germany is playing the role of bad cop — it has mustered all the ministers and ambassadors it can find in the attack on Denmark’… Her parliamentary group colleague and pastor Jesper Langballe agreed. Germany is a ‘neurotic nation’ and is constantly pursued by the shadows of its past, he said last week. In a ‘desperate attempt to repress the Nazi era,’ Berlin is using the European Union as a ‘supranational monster’ attempting to ‘play fireman against the flames of nationalism,’ he added.”

It is only a matter of time, it seems, when Denmark will leave—or is asked to leave—the EU.

“Farewell to Europe’s Last Emperor”

Zenit wrote on July 11:

“Benedict XVI sent his condolences to the family of Otto von Habsburg, the last crown prince of Austria, Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia… Also known as Archduke Otto of Austria, Otto was the eldest son of Blessed Charles I of Austria, the last emperor of Austria-Hungary…

“Benedict XVI stated in his message, sent Sunday to Karl von Habsburg, that Otto had ‘been a witness to the changing face of Europe. Trusting in God and aware of a significant heritage,’ the Pope added, Otto had ‘been a committed European tirelessly working for freedom, for the unity of peoples and for a just order in this continent. With deepest sympathy have I learned about the passing of your father, His Royal Highness Archduke Otto of Austria,’ the Pontiff wrote…

“The funeral for Archduke Otto of Austria is scheduled for July 16 in Vienna, Austria. The Pope named Cardinal Christoph Schönborn as [the] delegate to the funeral. … Otto’s father, Charles I, died in 1922, leaving his eldest son as pretender to the imperial throne. In 2004, Pope John Paul II beatified his father…

“During World War II, Otto was a fearless critic of the Nazi party in Germany. Upon annexing Austria, Adolf Hitler had not only ordered the death of Otto von Habsburg, but also revoked his citizenship, as well as the citizenship of the imperial royal family. Otto, who was left stateless, spent the better part of World War II in the United States, and he wouldn’t regain his citizenship until 1965. In the 1960s, [he renounced] his claim to the Austrian throne… Otto was an organizer of the Pan-European Picnic at the Hungary-Austria border on Aug. 19, 1989, which allowed some 700 East Germans to escape to the West, and is considered a turning point in the collapse of the Iron Curtain that divided Europe. Otto’s wife, Regina, died last year. He is survived by a brother, Felix, seven children, 22 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.”

Bild On Line reported on July 11:

“Today, Munich said farewell to Otto von Habsburg (98)—son of the last emperor of Austria and king of Hungary. ‘Thank you for what you did for your family, for this country, for Europe and also for the church,’ said Cardinal Reinhard Marx, Archbishop of Munich… the Cardinal honored [von Habsburg] as a great European and a convicted Christian… The memorial service was attended by Habsburg’s seven children [as well as representatives of the German parliament]. The congregation sang [Franz Josef] Haydn’s Kaiserlied.”

The website, allmusic.com, published the following comments regarding the “Kaiserlied,” which, by the way, is being sung today in many U.S,. churches under the title, “Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken,” with the English words written by John Newton:

“…when the French Revolution effectively destroyed the Bourbon dynasty by beheading its king and queen, [it] created the first modern nation. And it wasn’t long before a national anthem followed: The bloodthirsty ‘La Marseilles’ became the marching song for the Grande armee as it conquered continental Europe. Seeing the effect ‘La Marseilles’ had on the population in general and the army in particular, the British responded with their ‘God Save the King,’ a drinking song pressed into service for the patriotic cause.

“Austria was luckier in its choice of [a] national anthem. In early 1797, Franz Joseph, Count Saurau, commissioned Franz Josef Haydn, considered the greatest living Austrian composer, to write a hymn for the birthday of the Austrian Emperor Franz II. Based on a Croatian folk tune ‘Zalostna Zarucnice’ (The Sad Bride), Haydn quickly wrote the tune to the words ‘Gott Erhalte Franz den Kaiser’ (‘God Save Franz the Emperor’) and the piece proved an immediate and lasting success. The tune is instantly memorable with deeply moving harmonies and a simple and effective rhythm. Soon, the Kaiserlied appeared on all manner of arrangements for every conceivable assortment of instruments and voices… The hymn was later adapted by the German poet… Hoffmann von Fallersleben for his Deutschlandlied…”

Europe’s and Germany’s love for royals is interesting in light of the fact that the Bible predicts that ten European “kings” will come to power in these last days. Even though the reference to “kings” could just mean, “rulers” or “autocratic rulers,” it could also refer to literal kings or emperors.

Most Americans Support Gay Marriage

USA Today wrote on July 11:

“…now that the gay marriage legalization trend is becoming a fact of life in several states, millions of Americans, like the New York state senators who changed their vote to okay the law, have changed their minds on the issue.

“A Gallup Poll this summer found that for the first time most Americans (53%) support gay marriage. That’s up from 42% in 2004 when Massachusetts first legalized the shift. And somewhere in that shifting statistic is Jeff Angelo of Ames, Iowa — a straight, Republican, married-with-three-kids Christian mid-westerner who changed his mind.

“In 2006 when Angelo was in the state legislature, he led a push for a constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage. It failed. In the years since, Angelo says, ‘I came to see gay couples as outstanding friends, citizens and neighbors. They’re no threat to community or marriage in this country.’ In June, Angelo founded Iowa Republicans for Freedom to rally social and political conservatives to support gay marriage. Says Angelo: ‘The GOP stands for limited government. It should not be telling people who they cannot marry.’”

While a majority of Americans seem to support gay marriages, politicians compromise their own convictions to suddenly support them as well. Our Q&A in this Update shows what God thinks of such kind of compromise.

Why Not to Serve on a Jury

There are of course many BIBLICAL reasons why a true Christian ought not to serve on a jury. Here is just another example which could be added to the list:

Mail On Line wrote on July 12:

“A juror in the Casey Anthony trial has told how she received death threats and has been unable to work since she was cleared of murder. The woman, known only as juror number 12,  left her job and went into hiding fearing co-workers would ‘want her head on a platter’. Her husband said before leaving she told him: ‘I’d rather go to jail than sit on a jury like this again.’…

“The sensational trial of Casey Anthony sparked outrage across the U.S. when she was acquitted of murdering her two-year-old daughter Caylee. She had been accused of drugging her young daughter, suffocating her and dumping her body in overgrown woodland…

“A jury of seven woman and five men took ten hours to clear Anthony of charges of first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse and aggravated manslaughter of a child. She smiled as she was given the verdict at Orange County Courtroom in Orlando, Florida after one of the most controversial verdicts in recent history.

“Furious spectators compared the verdict to that in the OJ Simpson case, however some jurors have publicly defended the decision. One… said there was not evidence to convict the 25-year-old mother. She said: ‘I did not say she was innocent, I just said there was not enough evidence. If you cannot prove what the crime was, you cannot determine what the punishment should be’… Another… said the jury only saw evidence that Anthony was a good mother… ‘The first number of witnesses were Casey’s [friends] and every time that they said they saw Casey with Caylee, it was a loving relationship and no one provided evidence to the contrary.’”

Famine and Disease Epidemics

The Telegraph wrote on July 11:

“The worst drought in over half a century has hit parts of East Africa affecting more than 10 million people. Thousands of families have travelled for days across scorched scrubland from Somalia to Kenya, including barefoot children with no food or water after their crops and livestock were destroyed by drought. More than 10 million people have been affected across the Horn of Africa. Acute malnutrition has reached 37% in some parts of north east Kenya and child refugees from Somalia are dying of causes related to malnutrition either during the journey or very shortly after arrival at aid camps.”

Jesus Christ prophesied that in these last days, we will hear more and more of worldwide famine and disease epidemics.

The short answer is that it most certainly is not acceptable for a true Christian to compromise his or her Christian beliefs for any reason whatsoever.

What is compromise? A compromise is an agreement (or proposed agreement) to accept a situation in which the parties get variations from what they originally sought, to achieve a compatible outcome. It can also be defined as an amicable agreement between parties in controversy, to settle their differences by mutual concession.

Actually, to reach such an agreement can be acceptable if this applies to decisions that don’t apply to God, His Word and His Way of Life, and that do not require the violation of our standards, conscience or conviction. For example, a married couple may want to spend a particular day together but with different pursuits. Therefore, a mutual agreement has to be reached between the two parties. But coming to a consensus in such a case is not a problem because God’s Law and His Way are not violated—quite to the contrary, we read that we should not look only at our needs and desires, but also at the desires and needs of others, and that we should treat others better than ourselves. In addition, in Romans 12:18 we read the following: “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” That may mean giving in, at times, in order to get along, without having to violate any of God’s standards or our own convictions.

On the other hand, politicians can spend much of their time compromising and horse-trading in order to get as near as possible to their particular objectives. When they thereby violate what they truly believe in, as they often do, then such compromise is unacceptable. Sadly, many politicians today do not even have strong convictions to begin with, and so they are willing to flip-flop when it serves their purposes.

There is one Person in the universe with whom we cannot compromise. God Almighty will never allow compromise with His Will and His Way, and His followers must do neither. Good intentions are no substitute for correct and Godly behaviour! No compromise must be the watchword when it comes to Godly and righteous behaviour.

Although Uzzah was well intentioned, he lost his life because what he did was not in accordance with God’s instructions (2 Samuel 6:7).

After Solomon became accustomed to foreign gods (1 Kings 11:1-9), they found public acceptance when he built high places for Chemosh and Molech, and for all the other gods of his foreign wives. One commentary states that “these shrines were stationed on the hill (possibly the Mount of Olives) that is before Jerusalem, the city where Solomon had built the house for Jehovah.” In spite of subsequent reformations of Asa and Hezekiah, these high places were permitted to stand approximately three hundred years until the reign of Josiah. The effects of Solomon’s compromise were seen for about 300 years.

Aaron made the golden calf upon the insistence of the children of Israel, when he should have held fast against their wrong desires. We read in Exodus 32:35: “So the LORD plagued the people because of what they had done with the calf which Aaron made.” Again, Aaron’s compromise produced disastrous results.

Saul also compromised and was rejected as king when he offered a burnt offering instead of waiting for Samuel as he was instructed (1 Samuel 13). He also failed to utterly destroy the Amalekites as instructed (1 Samuel 15); and to make matters worse, he consulted a medium – the witch of Endor (1 Samuel 28)–which he knew was wrong. He engaged in compromise after compromise after compromise, and so it is no wonder that he was rejected by God!

But because concession and compromise can begin in small, insignificant ways, it is easy to underestimate the potential for damage. These lessons from the Old Testament are there for our admonition (1 Corinthians 10:11).

Some compromise their standards because of peer pressure or simply to get ahead in the workplace—they may seek profit, a business promotion, or a larger salary. There are men and women who concede inappropriately because of doubt or spiritual weakness; they lack the necessary faith in God’s power and support, or maybe they are too impatient to wait for God’s perfect timing. Some may yield because they are discouraged; others, because they are proud. Any form of sin or weakness makes us more susceptible to compromise.

Lowering our standards weakens our character; reduces the effectiveness of our personal example; and can hinder our prayer life. Compromise will also corrupt our thinking. While we may believe we are making accommodations in just one area, every aspect of our life can be affected.

If we have compromised on a principle that should have been non-negotiable, we may cease to think in terms of right and wrong. Then we can easily grow defensive about concessions we have made in our faith and behavior. This may result in us distancing ourselves from God, becoming out of touch with Him, His Word and our calling, and it can produce fruit not in keeping with the life of a true Christian. In the end, people may well regard us as untrustworthy. Compromisers eventually destroy themselves.

One of the great problems with early “Christianity” was the problem of syncretism. Syncretism has been defined as the attempt to reconcile disparate, even opposing, beliefs and to meld practices of various schools of thought. If you look at mainstream Christianity, unfortunately, it is full of compromises. It celebrates days that are not biblical, but pagan in origin, such as Christmas, Easter, New Year’s Day and Halloween. At the same time, it ignores God’s annual Feast days. Compromise is evident everywhere, and we must not be involved in such practices. The celebrations of Christmas and Easter are classic examples of the early church accommodating other beliefs in order to attract followers. They compromised by accommodating paganism. They ignored clear biblical teaching which resulted in compromise. They reduced the three days and three nights during which Jesus Christ was dead in the grave, to half that amount of time which, again, was compromise in order to attract pagans who believed that their “savior” had been killed on a Friday and brought back to life on a Sunday.

What about us today? Do we compromise on tithing, for example? Do we eat unclean foods so that we do not “offend” others? Do we compromise by doing things on the weekly Sabbath that are not appropriate? Do we compromise to please family, friends or our employers? If we do, in any of those or other areas, we could be on a slippery path because we usually excuse ourselves for doing so. And having done it once, next time it gets that bit easier. Compromise, in the wrong areas, can be a deadly problem. God expects us to be non-compromisers with His Truth and His Word–something that worldly religion simply doesn’t understand.

In Revelation 2:12-17 we read a few verses about “the Compromising Church” – the church at Pergamos. They had compromised with idol sacrifice and sexual immorality – and they were told to repent. On the other hand, there are many fine examples of non-compromise, including Joseph (Genesis 39) and Daniel (Daniel 1) where we see good outcomes to non-compromise, because they stayed true to their convictions which were based on the Law of God.

What characterizes the Christian who stands firm? The committed believer has strong convictions about the Bible and a sturdy faith in God’s promises. His discerning spirit helps him to distinguish between what is right and what is wrong and unacceptable–and he has the courage to remain steadfast and secure with the truth that he has learned, and in his relationship with God. The non-compromiser has a clear sense of direction in life and is governed by principle rather than preference. He shuns compromise because he is motivated by receiving approval from God, rather than the applause from men.

One tiny concession, on the face of it, may appear insignificant. But as any soldier knows (and we are soldiers of Jesus Christ, compare 2 Timothy 2:3), the slightest move in the wrong direction can be fatal. Compromising Godly principles is no small matter for the believer. It is a spiritual error that can pull us further and further from God until we are in over our heads and too weak to struggle. Holding firm to God’s Truth can require tremendous resolution. All true Christians are called upon, sooner or later, to stand up for their beliefs or to fall for Satan’s deceptions.

Andrew Carnegie, the 19th century Scottish-born American Industrialist and Philanthropist, said: “Compromise is but the sacrifice of one right or good in the hope of retaining another – too often ending in the loss of both.”

In Revelation 3:7-13, we read the message to the church at Philadelphia. We are told in verse 11 to “Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.” We can’t hold fast if we compromise. Those who compromise will fall short of what is required of them, and those who compromise with God’s Law and His Way of Life will not inherit the promise of eternal life.

Christ was uncompromising in every area of His life. We, as members of Christ’s spiritual Body—of God’s true Church–and as followers of the Messiah, must be exactly the same, making sure that no compromise is entertained when it comes to our Christian life, the keeping of God’s Commandments and doing exactly what we are instructed to do!

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

A new member letter was written and mailed out, and posted on the Web. In the letter, Mr. Brian Gale discusses what the future holds, including the approaching terrible night before the bright new day.

A new StandingWatch program was posted on our Web site (www.aufpostenstehen.org) and on YouTube, titled, “The US of Gloom on its Fourth of July.” America’s Fourth of July celebrations were accompanied by unparalleled uncertainty, self-doubt, pessimism and disillusionment. Trust in the government, Congress, the opposition, the economy, big business, the churches and the media is at an all-time low. The stimulus package was a colossal failure and resulted in higher national debt, which is now $14.5 trillion dollars. At the same time, as the Wall Street Journal wrote, Germany is sitting on top of the world. What does this all mean in the light of biblical prophecy?

Norbert Link’s video-recorded sermon, “Confidence in the Bible,” was posted on our Web site (www.eternalgod.org) and on YouTube .

A new AufPostenStehen program was posted on our Web site (www.aufpostenstehen.de) and on YouTube, titled, “Deutschlands weltweite Waffengeschaefte” [“Germany’s Worldwide Weapons Transactions”]

A new German sermon was posted on the Web, titled, “Wie Zuverlaessig Ist die Bibel?” [“How Reliable Is the Bible?”]

Please feel free to proceed with making reservations for the Feast of Tabernacles 2011 with the Hilton Garden Inn at 601 James Way, Pismo Beach, CA 93449. When you call under 1-805-773-6020, please make sure that you mention that you are attending the Feast convention of the Church of the Eternal God. Further information is available on our Web site (www.eternalgod.org), under “Feasts.”

by Michael Link

A question I have asked myself in the past few months has simply been, “What’s the delay?”  The reason for this is the anticipation and desire I’ve been personally longing for to start a new chapter in my life – where my hard work and persistence will finally pay off.  It has always been a dream of mine to pursue an actual “career” when it comes to music; however, it was difficult for me to fathom the idea of how this would ultimately work out, especially in this society and the stereotypical atmosphere that the music industry portrays.  The question I had then was, “How?”

Great things have happened in the past few months, and it has been an amazing journey thus far, especially since the time of being “discovered,” by a person who could turn my dreams into reality.  The big test in all of this was my first priority – my beliefs, and that compromising against my faith would be out of the question.  I made that clear from the outset, by being completely honest and upfront, explaining what I believe since I know who has given me my talents in the first place.  If I were to slip up, even just once, my dreams would be in jeopardy. 

The response I received was everything I hoped for and our relationship became even stronger as a result.  Excitement was building as plans were being discussed, which would involve an extensive process and time line to bring this project into fruition.  In order for that to happen, the necessary funding would have to be available first.

Everything seemed to go according to plan and I was ready to go.  And then–the delay… The question was and still is, When is GOD ready?  I have to respect the fact that God has this all figured out, and He knows when it’s time.  Yes, I was getting a little impatient, and it was discomforting not knowing when this would all come about.  With planning comes patience and my patience was and still is being tested.  Everything is still according to plan, with the exception of the timeline, and knowing that God is extremely patient, I will continue to be so until He is ready and His Will is done.

On July 9, 2011, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “Confidence in the Bible?”

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.

Before his conversion, the apostle Paul made havoc of the early church by his unbridled zeal to try and stamp it out (Acts 8:1-3). He was a deeply religious man whose zeal turned to fanaticism in a quest to eliminate what he thought was a false belief system. He was zealous for the traditions of his fathers (Galatians 1:14), but in his misplaced zeal, he actually persecuted the true church of God (Philippians 3:6).

In the third chapter of the book of Revelation, the church of Laodicea was told that it was “wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked” (verse 17).  It was bereft of vital qualities that were needed, and it was lukewarm.  

Have we fallen at one time or another into either, or both of these traps? Perhaps when we were called, we had so much enthusiasm and somewhat misguided zeal that we tried to convert family, friends and anyone else we could get to listen to our story. And we became upset, at times, when they did not want to accept our “convincing” arguments. But, perhaps after many years in the church, we became lukewarm, having heard it all before and taking our calling much less seriously than we had done when we first came into a knowledge of the truth.

Taking the comparisons a little bit further, we may have had our nose in the Bible at every available opportunity, forsaking everything else and neglecting our responsibilities for our mate and children, but now we may rarely look at the Word of God from one Sabbath to another. Does any of this strike a chord with anyone?

One writer commented that “If you are told someone is ‘a bit zealous,’ it does not convey a totally positive image. Words like enthusiastic, keen, hot headed, lacking wisdom, scary, etc. tend to come to mind!” 

We have to avoid being a fanatic because this can send out the wrong signal when we are told to be lights to the world (Matthew 5:14-16). On the other hand, we have to have Godly zeal and enthusiasm for the Way that we have been called to. I remember clearly a minister saying to me some decades ago that “we have to be sold on this Way of life.” That must be reflected in the way that we conduct ourselves at all times.

It’s a fine balance. Do we consistently achieve that in our lives?

In this issue, we first focus on the USA and Canada, followed by the Middle East, with special emphasis on Iran, Saudi Arabia, Libya and Syria. We continue reporting on Denmark’s controversial decision to reintroduce border controls, which the EU considers as being in violation of EU law, and show from an article in the Wall Street Journal that Germany is THE leader in Europe. At the same time, the article points out that Europe is expecting much more from Germany, including in regard to military action. We also speak of Greece’s loss of much of its sovereignty.

We also focus on the developments regarding the questionable allegations regarding Dominique Strauss-Kahn and the abominable and shameful way in which our legal system has been compromised, pointing out at the same time that none of this excuses his infidelity and adulterous conduct.

We conclude with a report on the death of Otto von Habsburg and a ridiculous piece by CNN, which asks the question as to what is wrong with eating dog meat. We provide the answer from the Bible.

Down on the Fourth of July: the United States of Gloom

The Telegraph wrote on July 4:

“Across America today, people will gather for barbecues in their backyards, parades through their towns and firework displays lighting up the night sky. They’ll be celebrating Independence Day – the birthday of the United States and the 235th anniversary of shaking off the oppressive yoke of British rule. On this day in 1776 a group of 13 colonies broke away to found a new nation free to govern itself as it saw fit, pledging that each citizen would have the [sic] unalienable right to ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’. A nation, as Americans are apt to declare without equivocation, which became the greatest on the face of the earth.

“That’s the good news. On the flip side, however, a country whose hallmark has always been a sense of irrepressible optimism is in the grip of unprecedented uncertainty and self-doubt. With the United States mired in three foreign wars, beaten down by an economy that shows few signs of emerging from deep recession and deeply disillusioned with President Barack Obama, his Republican challengers and Congress, the mood is dark. The last comparable Fourth of July was probably in 1980, when there was a recession, skyrocketing petrol prices and an Iranian hostage crisis, with 53 Americans being held in Tehran.

“Frank Luntz, perhaps America’s pre-eminent pollster, argues that his countrymen are much more downbeat now than in 1980… Remarkably, many Americans think things will only get worse and the good times will never return… But Americans do not just blame Obama; and the national malaise is to do with far more than one president. ‘Every institution in America has gone through a collapse,’ says Luntz. ‘The Church is not what it was, thanks to all those religious scandals, the media is much less trusted today than it was 20 or 30 years ago. Big business does not have credibility.”

CNN Money wrote on July 6:

“Almost no one is satisfied with the current state of the U.S. economy. But economists say the outlook is pretty bleak too. Sluggish economic growth will continue into 2012, if not beyond, with only modest hiring and high unemployment… Expectations started off strong in 2011… but momentum waned in the spring after the Japanese earthquake shook the world economy and oil prices rose precipitously. Since then, [some economists raise] the risk of a new recession…”

The pessimistic mood in the USA is in fact quite realistic. The Holy Scriptures have prophesied that in these end times, the great nation of America—descendant of biblical Manasseh—will fall.

How Not to Improve Our Economy

The Weekly Standard wrote on July 3:

“When the Obama administration releases a report on the Friday before a long weekend, it’s clearly not trying to draw attention to the report’s contents. Sure enough, the ‘Seventh Quarterly Report’ on the economic impact of the ‘stimulus,’ released on Friday, July 1, provides further evidence that President Obama’s economic ‘stimulus’ did very little, if anything, to stimulate the economy, and a whole lot to stimulate the debt. The report was written by the White House’s Council of Economic Advisors, a group of three economists who were all handpicked by Obama, and it… [shows that] the ‘stimulus’ has added or saved just under 2.4 million jobs — whether private or public — at a cost (to date) of $666 billion.

“That’s a cost to taxpayers of $278,000 per job. In other words, the government could simply have cut a $100,000 check to everyone whose employment was allegedly made possible by the ‘stimulus,’ and taxpayers would have come out $427 billion ahead. Furthermore, the council reports that, as of two quarters ago, the ‘stimulus’ had added or saved just under 2.7 million jobs — or 288,000 more than it has now.  In other words, over the past six months, the economy would have added or saved more jobs without the ‘stimulus’ than it has with it. In comparison to how things would otherwise have been, the ‘stimulus’ has been working in reverse over the past six months, causing the economy to shed jobs.

“… it’s quite possible that by borrowing an amount greater than the regular defense budget or the annual cost of Medicare, and then spending it mostly on Democratic constituencies rather than in a manner genuinely designed to stimulate the economy, Obama’s ‘stimulus’ has actually undermined the economy’s recovery — while leaving us (thus far) $666 billion deeper in debt. The actual employment numbers from the administration’s own Bureau of Labor Statistics show that the unemployment rate was 7.3 percent when the ‘stimulus’ was being debated. It has since risen to 9.1 percent. Meanwhile, the national debt at the end of 2008, when Obama was poised to take office, was $9.986 trillion. It’s now $14.467 trillion—and counting.”

“Obama Lets China Guzzle Canada’s Oil”

Newsmax reported on July 2:

“The Obama administration is foot-dragging on approving a pipeline to deliver abundant Canadian oil to the United States at the same time the Chinese are investing in a pipeline that could send that oil to China… The Canadian province of Alberta has the world’s third-largest oil reserves after Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, and more than Russia or Iran. Daily production from oil sands is expected to rise from 1.5 million barrels today to 3.7 million in 2025.

“Delivering the oil will mean building two pipelines, one south to the refineries on the Texas Gulf Coast and the other west toward the Pacific, where it can be exported to China. If the United States doesn’t approve its pipeline promptly due to environmental concerns, ‘Canada might increasingly look to China, thinking America doesn’t want a big stake in what environmentalists call “dirty oil,” which they say increases greenhouse gas emissions,’ according to a report from The Associated Press.

“Sinopec, a Chinese-controlled company, has invested $5.5 billion in the planned pipeline to the Pacific coast. Sinopec has also paid $4.6 billion for a stake in Syncrude, Canada’s largest oil-sands project… Environmentalist groups have urged Obama to reject the pipeline project. They assert that extracting oil from oil sands requires huge amounts of energy and water, increases emissions and threatens rivers and forests. But Michael A. Levi, senior fellow for energy and the environment at the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations, maintains that environmentalists are exaggerating the dangers of oil sand extraction.”

Canada is a descendant of the biblical Ephraim—one of the two sons of Joseph. It was prophesied that Ephraim would become a company or commonwealth of nations. Great Britain, as well as English-speaking Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other English-speaking nations, are descendants of Ephraim. The next article shows the still existing relationship between the descendants of Ephraim—especially of English-speaking Canada and England.

Prince William and Kate Visit Canada

The Associated Press reported on July 4:

“Prince William was preparing to put his military helicopter training to the test Monday with his first attempt at a water landing before crowds in Canada, where he and his wife, Kate, have been on their first official overseas trip since their wedding… Canada is the only country that trains its Sea King helicopter pilots to do a controlled landing on water should there be an emergency. The Sea King, which William flies back in the U.K, has the ability to land on water because of its amphibious hull…

“The Quebec visit hit a nerve among French-speaking separatists. Prince William and Kate had a private lunch at the Citadelle, a fortified residence where the British flag was raised at the end of the pivotal 1759 Battle of Quebec, when British forces defeated the French to seal the conquest of New France… The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as they are officially known, encountered small but vocal protests for the second straight day during their visit to predominantly French-speaking Quebec, following protests in Montreal…

“The jeers contrasted with the start of the royal couple’s Canadian trip in the largely English-speaking capital, Ottawa, where they were cheered by tens of thousands of people on Friday’s Canada Day holiday. Quebec separatists are angry that Canada still has ties to the monarchy. Queen Elizabeth II is still the country’s head of state… Support for the separatists among Quebeckers has been on the decline in recent years as the 80-percent French-speaking province has enjoyed plenty of autonomy even without quitting Canada.”

Note that Queen Elizabeth II is still the head of Canada.

Iran Funnels New Weapons to Iraq and Afghanistan

The Wall Street Journal wrote on July 2:

“Iran’s elite military unit, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has transferred lethal new munitions to its allies in Iraq and Afghanistan in recent months… In June, 15 U.S. servicemen died in Iraq, the highest monthly casualty figure there in more than two years. The U.S. has attributed all the attacks to Shiite militias it says are trained by the Revolutionary Guards, rather than al Qaeda or other Sunni groups that were the most lethal forces inside Iraq a few years ago.

“In Afghanistan, the Pentagon has in recent months traced to Iran the Taliban’s acquisition of rockets that give its fighters roughly double the range to attack [the] North Atlantic Treaty Organization and U.S. targets. U.S. officials said the rockets’ markings, and the location of their discovery, give them a ‘high degree’ of confidence that they came from the Revolutionary Guard’s overseas unit, the Qods Force.

“U.S. defense officials are also increasingly concerned that Iran’s stepped-up military activities in the Persian Gulf could inadvertently trigger a clash. A number of near misses involving Iranian and allied ships and planes in those waters in recent months have caused Navy officials to call for improved communication in the Gulf… U.S. and European officials also say Iran has grown increasingly aggressive in trying to influence the political rebellions across the Middle East and North Africa. Tehran is alleged to have dispatched military advisers to Syria to help President Bashar al-Assad put down a popular uprising.”

Iran would like to emerge as the new leader of major countries in the Middle East, but as the next article shows, this appears presently to be unlikely to happen.

The New “Cold War” Between Iran and Saudi-Arabia

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 2:

“Prince Turki al-Faisal, a former Saudi intelligence chief, has warned that if Iran obtained nuclear weapons, Saudi Arabia would too. Analysts say the two are already engaged in a ‘cold war’ in various parts of the world… Iran and Saudi Arabia are historical rivals who both see themselves as the most legitimate natural leaders of the Muslim world. Iran is a majority Shia state that subscribes to an [sic] politicized Islamist ideology, while Saudi Arabia is a predominantly Sunni monarchy…

“Saudi Arabia fears that Iran will take advantage of the democracy movements that have toppled a series of dictatorships in the region to strengthen its influence in those countries. Iran has positioned itself as an ally to these protest movements, and there are concerns within the Saudi government that the country’s Shia minority would even answer a call to arms from Iran… As far as some analysts are concerned, the current situation amounts to a serious conflict.

“‘Saudi Arabia and Iran are now engaged in a regional cold war that is spreading out into the rest of the world,’ said Theodore Karasik, director of research and development at the Dubai-based Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis (INEGMA). ‘It’s a cold war where Saudi Arabia and Iran are using proxies to fight against each other and creating a sectarian Sunni–Shia divide.’

“The flashpoints have already been identified. Saudi Arabia recently invited Morocco and Jordan, both Sunni monarchies, to join the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a group made up of Sunni autocratic states. This was seen as an attempt to create a defensive alliance against Iran. By the same token, Saudi Arabia sent troops to Bahrain earlier this year to help quell protests led by Shia Muslims.

“But this proxy conflict extends to more unexpected places. Saudi Arabia and Iran are competing in Malaysia, Indonesia and Bangladesh, said Karasik. They are rivals in West Africa, especially in Nigeria, and in Latin America the two nations compete when it comes to building mosques and distributing sectarian literature…

“For analyst Steinberg, the significance of Faisal’s speech is not so much the threat of a nuclear arms race. ‘I think the point is less that Saudi Arabia is really planning to make nuclear weapons – it’s about impressing on the US how urgent it is to react to Iran’s nuclear program,’ he said.”

Because of the hostilities between Sunnites and Shiites, it appears presently unlikely that Sunnite countries will accept the Shia state Iran as their leader. On the other hand, stranger things have happened, and current Shia minorities might emerge in some countries as majority powers. In addition, as we dicussed in our recent Q&A on Iran, at least some modern Iranians will participate, perhaps as mercenaries, in military actions by some Middle Eastern countries in collaboration with the modern Babylonian system in Europe. These actions and attacks will be directed against the state of Israel. Subsequently, Iran, which is presently supported by Russia, will again become a strong ally of Russia and fight together with Russia against modern Babylon.

Waiting for the “Imam Al-Mehdi”

On July 2, emirates247.com stated the following:

“A Saudi man mounted a prayers platform at the Grand Mosque in Islam’s holiest shrine in the Gulf kingdom and told thousands of worshippers that he was a prophet and their saviour before he was seized by police…

“It was the latest in a series of incidents involving persons claiming to be Al-Mehdi Al-Montathar (the Chosen Imam Al-Mehdi) at Islamic holy sites in Makkah over the past few months. All of them had been arrested and medically examined. Muslims believe Imam Al-Mehdi, dubbed ‘the ultimate saviour of mankind’ will eventually reappear as a great reformer who will destroy the beliefs of injustice and ignorance and fill this earth with fairness after it has been filled with injustice and oppression.”

In future Q&As, we will be addressing the role of Saudi Arabia in prophecy and the Muslim expectation of a coming Savior or “Mahdi.”

Gadhafi Threatens to Attack Europe “Like Locusts, Like Bees”

The Associated Press reported on July 1:

“A defiant Moammar Gadhafi threatened Friday to carry out attacks in Europe against ‘homes, offices, families,’ unless NATO halts its campaign of airstrikes against his regime in Libya. The Libyan leader… delivered the warning in a telephone message played to thousands of supporters gathered in the main square of the capital Tripoli. It was one of the largest pro-government rallies in recent months, signaling that Gadhafi can still muster significant support…

“‘We can decide to treat you in a similar way,’ he said of the Europeans. ‘If we decide to, we are able to move to Europe like locusts, like bees’…

“In the past, Gadhafi supported various militant groups, including the IRA and several Palestinian factions, while Libyan agents were blamed for attacks in Europe, including a Berlin disco bombing in 1986 and the downing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, that killed 270 people, mostly Americans. Libya later acknowledged responsibility for Lockerbie…

“A U.S. State Department spokesman… said the U.S. would take Gadhafi’s threat of attacks seriously, as his regime carried out such actions in the past. Toner said he did not know if there was intelligence to indicate Gadhafi’s regime would be able to carry out such attacks.”

Gadhafi’s choice of words for military action and weaponry, such as “locusts” and “bees,” is quite interesting; compare the biblical language for “locusts” in Revelation 9:3, 7; Isaiah 33:3-4; and for “bees” in Deuteronomy 1:41-44; Psalm 118:10-14; and Isaiah 7:18-20.

African Union Rejects Arrest Warrant Against Gadhafi

Sky News wrote on July 2:

“The African Union has called on member states to disregard the arrest warrant issued against Colonel Muammar Gaddafi by the International Criminal Court. The AU says the ICC’s move ‘seriously complicates efforts to find a solution to Libya’s crisis.’[ The African body recommended member nations do not honour the warrant if Col Gaddafi visits their country. If members apply the AU’s decision, it will weaken the warrant as it will mean the dictator will be able to travel freely on the continent.”

NATO Will Not (Cannot) Intervene in Syria…

The EUObserver wrote on June 30:

“Nato head Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said there will be no military intervention in Syria despite similar levels of government-sponsored violence as in Libya… Perception that Nato is in the business of regime change in Libya rather than protecting civilians, as mandated by UNSC 1973, is the main reason for opposition to any UN move on Syria in key swing UNSC voters – Brazil, India and South America.”

NATO will not intervene in Syria, because it cannot obtain the necessary votes within the UN Security Council (presently led for another three weeks by German Defense Minister Guido Westerwelle). But the time will come when another emerging mighty power will act, with or without NATO or UN approval.

Denmark in Violation of EU Law?

The Local wrote on July 1:

“German Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger has sharply criticised Denmark’s decision to reintroduce border controls and demanded EU officials take action against the Scandinavian country. ‘I expect the European Commission as guardian of (EU) treaties to probe the compatibility of the Danish decision with European law,’ she [said]…

“Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger said Copenhagen’s move to reimpose customs checks on border crossings with Germany and Sweden was a ‘bad day for Europe’ and in clear violation of its EU treaty obligations.

“Denmark’s minority government, prodded by the far-right populist DVP party, on Friday announced it would start to make random checks starting next week ostensibly to stem the flow of criminals from eastern Europe. But the EU and the country’s neighbours have argued they will impinge on the freedom of movement within the visa-free Schengen area.”

It is foreseeable that Scandinavian countries such as Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland will not become a part of the eurozone and the final unification of core European nations, and neither will Great Britain.

Germany on Top of the World

The Wall Street Journal wrote on June 27:

“Germany is sitting on top of the world… The country has come roaring out of the global financial crisis, boasting one of the strongest economies in the West and seemingly poised for years of rising exports ahead. What’s more, the better it does, the more the world expects it to do. Europe and the U.S. want Germany to take charge on cleaning up Europe’s debt crisis and do more for big causes—like supporting the Arab revolutions and the sputtering global economic recovery…

“Unlike many other Western countries, Germany has spent years living within its means and building up a deep trade surplus. Now it’s reluctant to bail out nations that weren’t as prudent. And it doesn’t want to get involved in foreign entanglements like Libya. All of which leads to a question with big implications for the global economy and political order: What is Germany’s place in the world?…

“NATO allies are worried by the revival of a pacifist stance under German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle. German pacifism after World War II was long tolerated, even welcomed, in a Europe that had suffered from German militarism. But since the 1990s, Germany was supposed to become a ‘normal’ country again, one that took part in multilateral interventions in war-torn places such as Kosovo and Afghanistan.

“When the UN Security Council voted for military intervention in Libya, Germany abstained, breaking with its NATO allies. Germany even withdrew its ships from NATO naval patrols in the Mediterranean… Many German lawmakers are uncomfortable with Mr. Westerwelle’s policy, and Ms. Merkel has made efforts to repair relations within NATO. But opinion polls showed ordinary Germans want just as little to do with the Libya conflict as their foreign minister.”

But things will gradually change, as the Bible clearly shows. We can already see signs right now. Der Spiegel reported on July 2, that this summer Germany will sell 200 military “Leopard” battle tanks to Saudi Arabia for billions of euros. The magazine also stressed that with 11 % of global weapon trade, Germany is the world’s third-biggest weapons exporter, following America (30%) and Russia (23%); and that about 80,000 people work for the German weapon industry.

At the same time, the Local and Der Tagesspiegel argued on July 5 that Germany was “once a strong yet evil country. Then it was weak but good. Today it’s both strong and good.” They also claimed that “The United States has become weaker, but is still fairly ruthless. Germany is stronger, but still extremely prone to high-minded moralizing – even while considering the sale of hundreds of tanks to Saudi Arabia. Can this new balance hold?”

Prophecy shows that it won’t.

Note, in this context, The Local’s report from July 6:

“Germany, France and Poland have joined forces to form a joint European combat group that will be ready to deploy in crisis zones from 2013. The three European Union military powers signed an agreement in Brussels to put together a unit of 1,700 soldiers that will take part in the rotation of the EU’s rapid reaction force, known as battlegroups. The three nations, bound by a long history of alliances, rivalry and wars, have discussed the possibility of creating the so-called Weimar Combat Group since 2006… The technical agreement between the high-ranking military officers from Germany, France and Poland comes four days after Poland took over the EU’s rotating presidency… Paris, Berlin and Warsaw created the Weimar Triangle in 1992 to encourage cooperation between the three nations after the Cold War.”

Greece Faces ‘Massive’ Loss of Sovereignty

The EUObserver wrote on July 4:

“Eurozone finance ministers over the weekend staved off looming bankruptcy in Greece by agreeing to release the next tranche of aid to the country, but Athens will pay with a massive loss of its sovereignty, the eurozone chief has said. In return for the €12 billion – the fifth payment from the €110 billion EU-IMF loan agreed last year – Greece will have to push through a swathe of privatisations reminiscent of the selling of East German firms in the 1990s after the fall of Communism.

“‘The sovereignty of Greece will be massively limited,’ Jean-Claude Juncker told Germany’s Focus Magazin…”

In the future, we will observe the loss of sovereignty of other European countries as well.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn Victim of Conspiracy?

On July 2, Reuters reported the following:

“Scrutiny of the accuser in the sexual assault case against former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn intensified on Saturday after more revelations about her conduct following the purported May 14 attack. A judge released Strauss-Kahn from house arrest and lifted strict bail conditions on Friday after prosecutors discovered a pattern of lying in the accuser’s background, although serious charges including sexual assault and attempted rape remain in place against the man once seen a top French presidential contender…

“In a [recorded] phone conversation with her boyfriend, who was held in an Arizona jail on suspicion of possessing 400 pounds (180 kg) of marijuana, she said there was money to be made from Strauss-Kahn… On Friday, prosecutors said the accuser lied about being gang-raped in Guinea as part of an application for U.S. asylum and changed details of her story about what she did after the incident in Straus-Kahn’s luxury hotel suite.

“As the woman’s stature falls, that of Strauss-Kahn has rebounded. Some in France are talking about a political comeback…Revelations about the accuser have left prosecutors struggling to make a case with a central witness whose credibility would be targeted by Strauss-Kahn’s defense lawyers. Investigators once trumpeted the woman as a devout Muslim…”

The New York Post wrote on July 2:

“Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s accuser wasn’t just a girl working at a hotel — she was a working girl. The Sofitel housekeeper who claims the former IMF boss sexually assaulted her in his room was doing double duty as a prostitute, collecting cash on the side from male guests… The woman was allegedly purposely assigned to the Midtown hotel by her union because it knew she would bring in big bucks…

“Sources also told The Post Strauss-Kahn’s probers uncovered evidence that she was part of a pyramid scheme that targeted immigrants from her native Guinea… The stunning new info surfaced yesterday as the accuser was unmasked as a pathological liar and scam artist by prosecutors whose rape case has unraveled… To get tax benefits, she also claimed she had a second child. She only has one, a 15-year-old daughter.”

The abominable way in which Dominique Strauss-Kahn was treated, so far, by the American legal system and the American press is of course no justification or excuse for his infidelity. If he had not engaged in admitted adulterous conduct, no allegations of sexual assault could have been brought. Sadly, far too many would excuse his adulterous conduct, as long as it was “consensual.” Please read in this context our next article.

On the other hand, our legal system does not punish adultery, but it does punish sexual assault and attempted rape. However, insofar as those criminal allegations are concerned, our system demands that a person is viewed to be innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law, during a fair trial. This important principle has been terribly violated by our entire legal system and the shameless reporting by our media.

French “Tolerance” and “Admiration” for Infidelity

The Washington Post wrote on July 2:

“Even if the sexual assault case against former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn is faltering, its repercussions in France are not… Several people said Saturday that it was the rape allegations, not the infidelity, that started to shift their opinions…

“Journalists and politicians in France had long considered Strauss-Kahn a womanizer. But few here spoke of it publicly, even after he admitted to a 2008 affair with a Hungarian economist who was a subordinate at the International Monetary Fund. When they did, it tended to be with admiration or amusement, not concern. Even Strauss-Kahn’s wife, former broadcast journalist Anne Sinclair, said in 2006 that ‘for a political man, it is important to seduce.’

“French journalists obeyed a culture of discretion so strong and venerable that former president Francois Mitterrand was able to have a long-standing mistress and a child without journalists writing about it until shortly before he retired.

“That silence, many here say, was part of what enabled the encounter in room 2806 of the Manhattan Sofitel. Neither side disputes that a sexual encounter took place; at issue is whether it was consensual and whether it was violent…”

This is indeed a very sad testimony of a country which claims to be “Christian.”

“Otto von Habsburg, Heir to Austria’s Last Emperor, Dies at 98”

The Local wrote on July 4:

“Otto von Habsburg, the eldest son of Austria’s last emperor who became a champion of Europe’s enlargement as a Bavarian politician, died Monday in Germany at the age of 98. The man who was once first in line to the throne of the former Austro-Hungarian empire which covered most of central Europe, died at his home in Pöcking on Lake Starnberg in Bavaria…

“The son of emperor Karl I, who reigned for only two years before the empire disintegrated, Habsburg was born on November 20, 1912 in Reichenau an der Rax in eastern Austria… the state abolished his family’s titles and confiscated their property in 1919… [He served as an] elected member of the European parliament from 1979 to 1999 for Bavaria’s conservative CSU party. He held Austrian, German and Hungarian citizenship. An ardent anti-Communist, Habsburg organised in August 1989 the now-famous ‘Pan-European picnic’ in Sopron, near Hungary’s border with Austria, during which some 700 East Germans were able to escape to the West, a few months before the Berlin Wall fell on November 9.

“He always campaigned for a unified Europe based on Christian values and for a greater integration of eastern countries into Europe. Forced into exile with his family after the empire fell in 1918, Habsburg spent time in Switzerland, on the Portuguese island of Madeira, Spain, Belgium, France and the United States, and studied political and social sciences at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium, graduating with a doctorate in 1935. In the 1930s, he openly opposed the Nazi party, joining the Austrian resistance after the 1938 Anschluß and helping thousands of Jews flee the country at the beginning of World War II…

“He said he became ‘a European patriot in the very depths of his soul’ after Nazi Germany occupied Austria. In 1951, Habsburg married the German princess Regina von Saxe-Meiningen und Hildburghausen, with whom he had seven children. He reluctantly renounced all claims to the Austrian throne in 1961, five years before the state repealed so-called anti-Habsburg laws, adopted after World War I, which effectively banned all members of the former imperial family from setting foot in Austria.”

“What’s Wrong with Eating Dog Meat?”

CNN published the following ridiculous article on June 30:

“Dog soup, or Boshintang, is a summer delicacy in South Korea… A minority of people eat it regularly. It’s consumed most frequently in summer but is available year-round. And it’s more popular with men than women and is said to possess qualities that ‘help stamina’… In the country, they raise ‘meat dogs,’ also known as ‘junk dogs’ and ‘lower-grade’ dogs… So, what’s really wrong with eating dog? Just because we don’t do it in the U.S. doesn’t seem to make for a very good argument.”

If one was familiar with and believed the Bible, the answer would be obvious: God did not create dogs for human consumption. The fact that ignorant people don’t abide by God’s health laws and eat whatever they wish, does not mean that God approves of such conduct. For more information, please read our Q&As on the issue of clean and unclean meat. http://www.eternalgod.org/qapdf/1216 and http://www.eternalgod.org/qapdf/3192

In the previous Q&A, we saw that the modern Babylonian system under Assyria’s lead will conquer Edom (modern Turkey) and enslave it, after Edom had at first escaped the “king of the North,” while participating in the defeat of the modern houses of Israel (mainly the USA and GB) and Judah (the modern Jews).

We also saw in the last Q&A that God expressly stated that He will bring about Edom’s defeat to punish them for their conduct.

Psalm 137:7 tells us one reason for God’s anger with Edom: “Remember, O LORD, against the sons of Edom The day of Jerusalem, Who said, ‘Raze it [Lit., make it bare], raze it, To its very foundation!’”

Joel 3:19 tells us: “Egypt shall be a desolation, And Edom a desolate wilderness, Because of violence against the people of Judah, For they have shed innocent blood in their land.” Note, in passing, that Egypt’s desolation will end, as Egypt will become a major power in the Millennium, and Esau’s desolation will also end, even though it will not become a major power in the Millennium.

Amos 1:11-12 adds:

“Thus says the LORD: ‘For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because he pursued his brother with the sword, And cast off all pity; his anger tore perpetually, And he kept his wrath forever. But I will send a fire upon Teman, Which shall devour the palaces of Bozrah.’” [As an aside, however, when Edom is punished, God will in turn punish those nations who act indecently and with unrestrained cruelty towards Edom, compare Amos 2:1].

Ezekiel 25:12-13 is even more specific, stating: “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Because of what Edom did against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and has greatly offended by avenging itself on them,’ therefore thus says the Lord GOD: ‘I will also stretch out My hand against Edom, cut off man and beast from it, and make it desolate from Teman; Dedan shall fall by the sword [or, as the margin has it, even to Dedan they shall fall by the sword]…’”

Ezekiel 35:1-15 adds more reasons for God’s anger with modern Edom. In that passage, the term, “you shall know that I am the LORD” is used several times. In prophecy, this expression is a reference to the time when God directly intervenes in human affairs, which He will begin to do about one year prior to Christ’s return. The prophecy in Ezekiel 35 states in detail:

“’Behold, O Mount Seir, I am against you; I will… make you most desolate; I shall lay your cities waste, and you shall be desolate. Then you shall know that I am the LORD. Because you have had an ancient [or everlasting] hatred, and have shed the blood of the children of Israel by the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, when their iniquity came to an end, therefore, as I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘I will prepare you for blood, and blood shall pursue you; since you have not hated blood [better: bloodshed], therefore blood shall pursue you. Thus I will make Mount Seir most desolate, and cut off from it the one who leaves and the one who returns. And I will fill its mountains with the slain; on your hills and in your valleys and in all your ravines those who are slain by the sword shall fall. I will make you perpetually desolate [until circumstances change], and your cities shall be uninhabited [for a while, as major Israelite cities will first be uninhabited for a while]; then you shall know that I am the LORD.

“‘Because you have said, “These TWO NATIONS and these TWO COUNTRIES [referring to the houses of Israel and Judah] shall be mine, and we will possess them,” although the LORD was there, ‘therefore, as I live,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘I will do according to your anger and according to the envy which you showed in your hatred against them; and I will make Myself known among them when I judge you. Then you shall know that I am the LORD. I have heard all your blasphemies which you have spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, ‘they are desolate; they are given to us to consume’… Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘The whole earth will rejoice when I make you desolate. As you rejoiced because the inheritance of the house of Israel was desolate, so I will do to you; you shall be desolate, O Mount Seir, as well as all of Edom—all of it. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.’”

Edom will become desolate for a while, but not for all eternity. Ezekiel emphasizes that they will realize that God is THE Lord—and many will turn to Him and believe in Him.

In this context, Ezekiel 36:3-5, 10 adds: “… Because they made you [the mountains of Israel, verse 1] desolate and swallowed you up on every side, so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations… therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD… ‘Surely I have spoken in My burning jealousy against the rest of the nations and against all Edom, who gave My land to themselves as a possession, with whole-hearted joy and spiteful minds, in order to plunder its open country… I will multiply men upon you [the mountains of Israel], all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities shall be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt…”

Obadiah sheds further light on the reasons why God will punish modern Edom so severely. In the previous Q&A, we showed that Obadiah’s entire prophecy applies to the time of the end—the Great Tribulation and the Day of the LORD. We read God’s words, beginning with verse 10:

“For violence against your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, And you shall be cut off forever. In the day that you stood on the other side—In the day that strangers carried captive his forces, When foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem—Even you were as one of them. But you should not have gazed on the day of your brother In the day of his captivity; Nor should you have rejoiced over the children of Judah In the day of their destruction; Nor should you have spoken proudly In the day of distress. You should not have entered the gate of My people In the day of their calamity. Indeed, you should not have gazed on their affliction In the day of their calamity Nor laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity. You should not have stood at the crossroads to cut off those among them who escaped; Nor should you have delivered up those among them who remained In the day of distress (Menge: the Great Tribulation). For the day of the LORD upon all the nations is near; As you have done, it shall be done to you…”

We have seen that Israel and Judah will have to go into slavery, and that Edom will actively participate in this future war against Israel and Judah which will bring about the complete downfall of those two nations. We also saw that Edom will possess at least parts of Israel’s and Judah’s territories. But what will happen in respect to Esau when the returning Jesus Christ frees Israel and Judah from their slavery and brings them back into the Promised Land? What will Israel and Judah do?

Let us now analyze what is prophesied regarding the role of the modern houses of Israel and Judah, in respect to the future of modern Edom.

We find a few amazing passages shedding some light on those future occurrences.

First, we read in Ezekiel 25:14 that God says:

“‘I will lay My vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel, that they may do in Edom according to My anger and according to My fury; and they shall know My vengeance,’ says the Lord GOD.”

Some commentaries say that this prophecy was fulfilled at the time of the Maccabees, but we need to note that this is an end-time prophecy, relating specifically to God’s vengeance, fury and anger. In what way will God act “by the hand of His people”?

Obadiah 17-21 adds:

“‘But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance [margin: salvation], And there shall be holiness; the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions. The house of Jacob shall be a fire, And the house of Joseph a flame; But the house of Esau shall be stubble; They shall kindle them and devour them, and no survivor shall remain of the house of Esau,’ For the LORD has spoken. The South (Negev) shall possess the mountains of Esau… Then saviors shall come to Mount Zion To judge the mountains of Esau, And the kingdom shall be the LORD’S.”

Even though it says in Obadiah 9 that no survivors shall remain of the house of Edom, we already saw—and will also show below—that some Edomites (for instance, the fatherless and widows) will survive. The reference in Obadiah seems to be to those “mighty men” in the Edomite army who fought against Israel and Judah, and who might be fighting with the Babylonian system against Christ at His return.

In what way will the house of Jacob and of Joseph become a flame, and the house of Esau stubble? Does this mean that when the house of Israel will be freed from slavery, they—mortal human beings–will fight in war against Esau and destroy them completely? This is hardly to be assumed, as by that time, “the kingdom shall be the LORD’S,” and the house of Israel will follow God’s ways and will therefore be unwilling to fight in war anymore (Isaiah 2:1-4). In fact, when at the beginning of the Millennium, Asiatic hordes try to overrun and conquer Israel, it will be God who will be doing the fighting for Israel by sending fire on those hostile armies—Israel will not fight at all (compare Ezekiel 38 and 39).

We read in Isaiah 10:17 that “the Light of Israel will be for a fire, And his Holy One for a flame; It will burn and devour His thorns and his briers in one day.” It will be Christ Himself and His angels who will punish His enemies through fire, when He returns (compare Malachi 4:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:3-10). At the same time, God’s followers (“the saints”) who will be resurrected and changed to immortality at the time of Christ’s return, will also participate in the judgment and the execution of unrighteous people, compare Psalm 149:5-9. Today, true Christians are spiritual Israelites, and once they have become immortal God beings, they will of course have every right to rule the nations with a rod of iron (Revelation 2:26-27). Those from the house of Israel and Joseph, who will have become immortal God beings, will be part of the “Light of Israel” and “the flame.”

As mentioned, the passage in Obadiah 9, 17-21 does not convey that the country of Esau will be a wasteland forever and that no one in Esau will survive; otherwise, what would there be for the nations of Israel and Judah to possess, and why would saviors come to Esau to judge them? This conclusion is also confirmed by the following passages.

Amos 9:11-12 states:

“‘On that day [referring to the end time when God begins to actively intervene in human affairs] I will raise up The tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, And repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, And rebuild it as in the days of old; that they may possess the REMNANT OF EDOM, and all the Gentiles who are called by My name,’ Says the LORD who does this thing.”

There will be still in existence a “remnant” of Edom. Not all Edomites will have died—there will be those who will live in the Millennium, and many of those will become converted.

Also, note Isaiah 11:11-14:

“It shall come to pass in that day That the LORD shall set His hand again the second time To recover the remnant of His people who are left… And will assemble the outcasts of Israel, And gather together the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth… they [especially Ephraim and Judah, verse 13] shall fly down upon the shoulder of the Philistines toward the west… they shall plunder the people of the East; they shall lay their hand on Edom and Moab; And the people of Ammon shall obey them…”

As we have seen earlier, God will bring Israel and Judah into the Promised Land and replace those nations (including Edom) who took illegal possession of the territory. No illegal acts on the side of the Israelites and Jews are implied here; they “plunder” or “rob” their enemies by taking back or receiving from them what had been illegally taken away from them in the first place. Regarding the statement that Edom will obey Israel and Judah, please read our Q&A on slavery in the Millennium.

In conclusion, God will punish Edom or modern Turkey severely due to Edom’s hatred and violence towards Israel and Judah. However, many of the surviving Edomites [the remnant of Edom] will convert to God in the Millennium, and their hatred towards their brother Jacob will end at that time.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

A new StandingWatch program was posted on our Web site and on YouTube, titled, “Global Economic Governance IS Coming!” Recent developments pertaining to the accusations against Dominique Strauss-Kahn cast great and shameful doubt on the integrity of our American legal system and the American press. But why is the appointment of “convicted European” Christine Lagarde as the new head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) so meaningful? In what way is her goal to create a “global economic governance organization” in line with biblical prophecy? And why will united Europe-and not America or China-become the most powerful economic might in the world?

A new German sermon was posted on the Web, titled  “Die Tuerkei in der Prophezeiung, Teil 2” [“Turkey in Prophecy, Part 2”].

Please feel free to proceed with making reservations for the Feast of Tabernacles 2011 with the Hilton Garden Inn at 601 James Way, Pismo Beach, CA 93449. When you call under 1-805-773-6020, please make sure that you mention that you are attending the Feast convention of the Church of the Eternal God. Further information is available on our Web site (www.eternalgod.org), under “Feasts.”