On April 16, 2011, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “The Promise.”

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.

On Sunday evening, after sunset, April 17, 2011, is Passover, followed by the Night to Be Much Observed on Monday evening, April 18, 2011, after sunset.

For those of our scattered baptized brethren who need to partake of the Passover at home, we refer to pertinent information, which was published in Update #387 (dated March 26, 2009), under Feasts, and Update #238 for the week ending April 7, 2006.

On Tuesday, April 19,  2011, is the First Day of Unleavened Bread. Rene Messier will be giving the sermon in the morning from Oregon, titled, “The Footsteps of Christ.”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 10:00 am and 2:00 pm Pacific Time, respectively (which is 11:00 am Mountain Time; 12:00 pm Central Time; 1:00 pm Eastern Time for the morning service; and 3:00 pm Mountain Time; 4:00 pm Central Time; 5:00 pm Eastern Time for the afternoon service). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

In less than three days, baptized members of the Church of God will observe the annual Passover, by humbly participating in the foot-washing ceremony and by soberly partaking of unleavened bread and red wine, symbolizing the broken body and the shed blood of Jesus Christ. They will deeply appreciate the solemn occasion of this unique festival, reflecting on the death of their Savior and High Priest, who was willing to die for them so that they could live.

They will have examined themselves to make sure that they will not eat of the bread and drink of the wine in an unworthy manner—that they will not be guilty of refusing to discern the Lord’s body. They will have tested themselves to see convincing evidence that Jesus Christ is indeed living within them. They will have reflected on the incredible love which both God the Father and Jesus Christ bestowed on them; and when they participate in the Passover service, they will again be reminded of the great Sacrifice that the God Family was willing to make for them.

In His great love which far exceeds the love of any man, the Father gave His only begotten Son so that everyone who believes in Him should not perish, but could inherit everlasting life.  Jesus Christ was filled with the same godly love. He did not consider it robbery to be equal with God the Father, but He was willing to give up His glory and divinity to become a man; to live and die in the flesh; to struggle against and overcome sin; and to cope with and endure the trials of life.

He knew His fate from the beginning. He KNEW that Judas would betray Him. He KNEW that all—even His closest disciples and friends—would deny and forsake Him and leave Him alone, showing no empathy for His suffering and pain. He KNEW that His own mother and His brothers and sisters would, at first, not believe in Him, thinking that He had become insane. He KNEW that He would be betrayed and delivered into the hands of Gentile sinners and the Jewish leadership. He KNEW that He would be illegally arrested at night, under the “cover” of darkness; illegally “tried”; blasphemed; spit at and hit; beaten under Pilate several times, with more than just 39 stripes at a time.

He KNEW that He would be mocked and tortured and finally crucified to experience a most excruciating death. He KNEW that this trial would be extremely difficult to bear, and He confided in His disciples how distressed He was until His “baptism” was accomplished; and He even prayed that if it was possible, that “cup” would be taken away from Him.

It is terrible enough when a guilty person has to suffer such a cruel and inhumane “penalty,” which only the sick, Satan-inspired human mind could have concocted; but Jesus was completely innocent, even by the legal standards of man. His arrest, “trial,” torturous “punishment”  and execution by crucifixion were illegal and in violation of the Jewish law—a blatant miscarriage of “justice” and an abomination in the eyes of God.

And Christ KNEW it, ahead of time! He KNEW that evil selfish power-hungry hypocritical men would kill Him under the disguise of false accusations. He KNEW that He would be “taken from prison and judgment,” and illegally murdered instead. He was willing to accept this fate as a humble, quiet “lamb”—and He did it for you and for me. He was willing to die for our sins, paying our deserved penalty on our behalf. Even though technically, Romans and Jews killed Christ, in reality, we all killed Him. We all brutally participated in and consented to the illegal arrest, “trial,” torture and murder of a completely innocent man—a “righteous man”—GOD in the flesh. We all killed the One who created us—the One who gave us our very life! THAT IS WHY converted members of the Church of God deeply and soberly reflect, before and during the Passover service, on what they did to Christ, and what Christ did and does for them.

Even though this occasion is a memorial of His death, it is also pointing to the joyful time of His return. On every Passover evening, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. Even before Christ entered into the final hours of His human life—a life which was rejected by all—He focused on the time of joy which would follow. It was for the joy that was set before Him, that He was willing to endure the cross and despise the shame; and He told His disciples, before going together to the garden of Gethsemane to face His merciless accusers and enemies, that His joy would be in His people.

When we participate in the Passover service within a few days, let us deeply and humbly reflect on its fundamental and momentous meaning: God became man to suffer and die for us—the Righteous and Just for the unrighteous and unjust—so that we, who were the enemies of God, could become His friends, experience healing and ultimately everlasting life with Him in His very Family. That is LOVE—the love of GOD.

We report on events on Europe’s new appetite for military action in certain parts of the world, including Libya and Ivory Coast; show how European maneuvering offered the post of EU President to Herman Van Rompuy; quote Donald Trump’s doubts on the legitimacy of President Obama as US President; show how ill prepared the USA would be for a nuclear attack; report on the last minute “deal” averting the shutdown of the US government; and conclude with articles pointing out the ongoing unrest in the Middle East, including Israel, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Bahrain, and Egypt–along with charges of “torture,” and a powerful challenge by the Bric Countries against the US dollar.

“Ivory Coast: UN Air Strikes Show West’s New Appetite for Military Action”

The Telegraph wrote on April 9:

“Barack Obama swept to power in 2008 on a wave of anti-war sentiment, while David Cameron entered Downing Street last year insisting that the West ‘can’t drop democracy from 40,000ft’. Yet the past three weeks have found the council – this time with a less noisy Anglo-American wing – willing to pass stunningly powerful resolutions allowing missile strikes against murderous leaders. Both resolution 1973 on Libya and resolution 1975 on Ivory Coast give external forces the authority to take “all necessary” measures to protect civilians from violence – practically a carte blanche…

“A Western diplomat at the UN last night said the resolutions showed members were… promising ‘timely and decisive action’ against atrocities… While Mr Obama has stayed almost invisible, the domestically embattled Nicolas Sarkozy has taken personal ‘ownership’ of both interventions…”

The Bible foretells that Europe will engage in similar military action in the not-too-distant future, as it relates to the Middle East, and especially the Holy Land.

How Herman Van Rompuy Became EU President…

The EUObserver reported on April 8:

“How did the post of European president get to be created? And how did someone completely unknown to most Europeans end up in it? This is the story revealed in a new TV documentary, ‘The President’, a film by Danish director Christoffer Guldbrandsen… The hour-long film presents the struggle by Europe’s top politicians to get a president elected… It reveals for the first time how German and French leaders, Schroeder and Chirac, agreed at a breakfast not to give Berlusconi the honour of striking a deal on the European Constitution during the Italian EU presidency. Schroeder and Chirac got their way… Another political drama explored in the film was the legendary Franco-German deal on farm subsidies in 2006. Struck between Chirac and Schroeder in Brussels’ fashionable Hotel Conrad ahead of a full EU leaders’ summit, it took everybody by surprise, particularly the Brits…

“For his part, Herman Van Rompuy, the man who eventually became EU president, notes how he turned down the post three times. But in the end, faced with 26 other leaders urging him to take the job, he gave in… Tony Blair, previously Britain’s prime minister, was for a long time seen as a serious contender… Blair had the backing of Nicolas Sarkozy… Ultimately however, Blair’s own party allies in the Social Democrat group in the European Parliament blocked the road… former commission president Romano Prodi… reveals how surprised he was to learn that personal relations often mean more than national interests among political leaders.”

According to the Bible, ten nations or groups of nations will transfer their power and authority to the beast—a political charismatic end-time leader.  Based on what is revealed in the article above, we might get a clearer picture as to how this process might occur.

Barak Obama Not Allowed to Be President?

Newsmax reported on April 7:

“Donald Trump says he has ‘real doubts’ about President Barack Obama’s birthplace and has sent investigators to Hawaii to find out whether Obama was in fact born there, as he claims. During an interview with NBC’s ‘Today’ show on Thursday, the real estate billionaire said his investigators might uncover ‘one of the greatest cons in the history of politics and beyond.’ The host of ‘The Apprentice,’ who is considering a run for president in 2012, suggested that Obama is engaged in a cover-up regarding his birthplace.

“‘He spent $2 million in legal fees trying to get away from this issue, and if it weren’t an issue, why wouldn’t he just solve it? I wish he would, because if he doesn’t it’s one of the greatest scams in the history of politics and in history, period. You are not allowed to be a president if you’re not born in this country. Right now, I have real doubts.’…

“’The grandmother in Kenya is on record saying he was born in Kenya,’ Trump said. ‘The hospital has, not only no birth certificate — or if they have it they should produce it, maybe there is something on it, who knows — but they have no records that he was there. The family is fighting over which hospital in Hawaii he was born in. There is not one record, in any hospital in Hawaii, that Barack Hussein Obama was born there,’ he added.”

USA Ill Prepared for Nuclear Attack

The Washington Post wrote on April 7, 2011:

“U.S. officials say the nation’s health system is ill-prepared to cope with a catastrophic release of radiation, despite years of focus on the possibility of a terrorist “dirty bomb” or an improvised nuclear device attack…

“After a nuclear blast, hospitals probably would fill with trauma patients. Later, others would arrive with acute radiation syndrome, which can take days to manifest and affects multiple organ systems. Without supportive care, about 50 percent of people exposed to 3.5 Gray, a measure of radiation dose, would die. Proper care would almost double the exposure level at which 50 percent would survive, but only a small fraction of American medical professionals have training and expertise in treating radiation injury. Given that not enough beds would be available, hospitals and first responders would have to choose which patients to save…

“Many experts predict that without more education, people probably would flee as many are doing in Tokyo and as many Americans did after the Three Mile Island nuclear accident in 1979… Such an exodus would extend panic and devastation far beyond the locus of the event, draining food, water, medicines, gasoline and other resources from surrounding communities and potentially causing gridlock that would severely compromise many elements of the official disaster response…”

The Bible predicts that the USA will be attacked with nuclear weapons, with devastating consequences.

US Government Shutdown Averted

Politico wrote on April 8:

“The bottom line to Friday night’s spending deal is a record $40 billion cut in domestic and foreign aid appropriations – and a hard lesson in the tough and almost permanent disorder of Washington’s budget politics… House Speaker John Boehner… and President Barack Obama only reached agreement hours before what would have been an unprecedented wartime shutdown of the government that threatened both men… Both men later cast the agreement as the best available, but the grueling, often distrustful process testified to how tough this legislative year will be and the immense pressure on Boehner from the right.

“The administration largely succeeded in blocking the most controversial policy riders impacting the environment and abortion-rights. But the spending cut is one of the single largest in history, and a preview of what lies ahead when Republicans move their 2012 budget plan next week and fight with Obama over raising the debt ceiling in May and June…

“With a deal in hand and no time to spare, the Senate quickly adopted a one week stopgap bill to keep the government operating and buy time for processing the final package. Just minutes after midnight, the House followed suit…”

Turkey Condemns Israel

Haaretz reported on April 10:

“Turkey expressed displeasure on Sunday at Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip over the weekend, calling the strikes ‘excessive and disproportionate’, Agence France-Presse reported. ‘We strongly condemn the excessive and disproportionate reprisals of Israel that have injured and killed civilians in Gaza,’ read a Turkish Foreign Ministry statement. ‘The region cannot be allowed to enter into a new spiral of violence,’ it added.

“Nineteen Palestinian militants and civilians in Hamas Islamist ruled Gaza have been killed since Israel launched a series of air raids on Thursday after the critical wounding of a teenager by an anti-tank rocket that was fired at a school bus. Palestinian militants responded by firing more than 120 rockets and mortars at Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip over the course of the weekend, with tens of thousands of people spending the past few nights in reinforced rooms.

“Relations between Israel and Turkey, once close allies, have sharply deteriorated in recent years amid Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan’s frequent outbursts against Israeli policies towards the Palestinians and Israel’s raid on the Gaza flotilla in May, in which IDF commandos killed 9 Turkish citizens aboard.”

The relationship between Turkey and the state of Israel—the Jews or the house of Judah–will continue to deteriorate. In ancient times, Edom or Esau and Jacob or Israel were brothers. Future Turkey—biblical Edom—is condemned in the book of Obadiah for their conduct and attitude towards the Jews:

“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 in 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 lay 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. For the day of the LORD upon all nations is near; As you have done, it shall be done to you… the house of Esau shall be stubble… And no survivor shall remain of the house of Esau…” (Obadiah 12-18).

Further Unrest in the Middle East

The Telegraph reported on April 9:

“Supporters of Syria’s president Bashir al-Asad opened fire during fresh protests on Friday killing at least 22 people… There were protests in cities across Syria sparking violent responses from the authorities…

“The violence is further evidence that after the Egyptian and Tunisian revolutions, where the army pulled back as deaths mounted, other Arab regimes facing popular revolts are less prepared to hold off from the use of force.

“Yemen, where more than 120 people have died in three months of protest, was last night also nearer a state of open conflict after President Ali Abdullah Saleh rejected a peace deal presented by his Gulf neighbours, led by his closest ally, Saudi Arabia… Earlier this week, Washington lost patience with Mr Saleh, its ally, who has ruled Yemen for 32 years… But Mr Saleh, who had earlier given indications he welcomed efforts by the Gulf Co-operation Council to mediate with the opposition, was defiant yesterday, telling supporters he rejected outside offers…

“The United States singled out Syria, Libya and another ally Bahrain for criticism in its annual report on human rights abuses, published yesterday. It said that movements to replace dictatorships with sustainable democracies would improve ‘the Middle East region, and with it the whole world’.”

This conclusion would be highly doubtful.

Violence in Egypt

BBC News reported on April 9:

“Egypt’s army has cracked down on protests in Cairo’s symbolic Tahrir Square, leaving at least one person dead and dozens injured… The violence came after a huge protest in the square on Friday. Hundreds of thousands demanded the prosecution of Mr Mubarak for corruption…”

In its accompanying “analysis,” BBC News wrote:

“This is the latest worrying sign of tensions between the ruling military and supporters of the 25 January revolution who are becoming increasingly impatient with the pace of change. There is growing anger that remnants of the former government, including the ousted President Hosni Mubarak and his family, have not been charged with corruption. Some blame the former Defence Minister, Field Marshal Tantawi, who is head of the Supreme Military Council. He was very close to Mr Mubarak. Reports that the army has arrested and tortured demonstrators that have circulated in recent weeks and the fact that military trials continue add to the mistrust. The armed forces insist they were simply enforcing a curfew when they moved into Tahrir Square overnight and that they are meeting their promises of reforms and justice.”

This development was so predictable. Despite the glowing and frantic reports of the Western press and governmental officials about Egypt’s democratic reforms, the cold reality is that the current political and military leaders are very unlikely to give up their powers.

“Torture” Outrage

The guardian.co.uk reported on April 10:

“Obama professor among 250 experts who have signed letter condemning humiliation of alleged WikiLeaks source:

“More than 250 of America’s most eminent legal scholars have signed a letter protesting against the treatment in military prison of the alleged WikiLeaks source Bradley Manning, contesting that his ‘degrading and inhumane conditions’ are illegal, unconstitutional and could even amount to torture.

“The list of signatories includes Laurence Tribe, a Harvard professor who is considered to be America’s foremost liberal authority on constitutional law. He taught constitutional law to Barack Obama and was a key backer of his 2008 presidential campaign.

“Tribe joined the Obama administration last year as a legal adviser in the justice department, a post he held until three months ago.

“He told the Guardian he signed the letter because Manning appeared to have been treated in a way that ‘is not only shameful but unconstitutional’ as he awaits court martial in Quantico marine base in Virginia.

“The US soldier has been held in the military brig since last July, charged with multiple counts relating to the leaking of thousands of embassy cables and other secret documents to the WikiLeaks website.”

This reaction is called a “stinging rebuke of Obama,” but is just a further indictment of the United States in general and with the worldview of American policies eroding on every front!

“Bric Countries” Challenge Dollar!

Reporting on April 14, 2011, the BBC stated:

“The Bric countries are some of the world’s fastest-growing economies – China, India, Brazil and Russia.”

Continuing, this article highlights the momentous challenge that the U.S. dollar is now facing:

“As well as the WTO call, the group has asked for certain changes to the global financial system.

“These include a call for the International Monetary Fund to expand its use of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), which are used as a quasi currency to transfer funds between member governments.

“The Brics called for a broad-based international reserve currency system “providing stability and certainty”.

“A joint communique, termed the Sanya Declaration, said the current system was no longer representative.

“‘The governing structure of the international financial institutions should reflect the changes in the world economy, increasing the voice and representation of emerging economies and developing countries,’ it said.

“At the summit on the southern island of Hainan, the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa said the recent financial crisis had exposed the inadequacies and deficiencies of the current monetary order, which has the dollar as the world’s most-used currency…

“These countries are worried about the long-term direction of the dollar because of the US’s large trade and budget deficits.

“China has been diversifying into euros to reduce its dependency on the value of the dollar.

“In a move designed to signal another type of move away from dollar-dependency, the development banks of the five nations agreed in principle to establish mutual credit lines denominated in their local currencies.”

These Bric nations have 40% of the population of the world, and represent a potent new power-bloc that is accelerating the demise of the now embattled U.S. currency! This staggering assault on America’s position of power and leadership is happening because the people who are descendants of the ancient House of Israel have blantantly turned away from the God of the Bible–the One who has so richly blessed our nations. For more details, please read our booklets, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America,” and “Europe in Prophecy–The Unfolding of End-Time Events.”

1 John 5:4-8 reads, in context:

“(Verse 4) For whatever is born [better here: begotten] of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. (Verse 5) Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (Verse 6) This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who [better: which] bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. (Verse 7) For there are three that bear witness (in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. (Verse 8) And there are three that bear witness on earth): the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.”

First of all, please note that the words in verses 7 and 8, which are placed in parenthesis, are not in the inspired original text, but they are a very late addition by a copyist who wanted to “prove” that the Trinity was biblical. Today, it has been universally accepted that these words were a fraudulent falsification and must be omitted from the text. Many modern translations do not even contain these words any more, and those which do, normally point out in the margin or in a footnote that they are a very late addition, which are not found in the oldest manuscripts.

We are explaining the following in our free booklet, “Is God a Trinity?”

“1 John 5:7-8 is probably the most frequently quoted text to ‘prove’ that God is a Trinity… most scholars agree that the words in verse 7, ‘in heaven: the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one,’ were later added by the Catholic Church to ‘prove’ the Trinity, and that these words were not in the original writings. Many Bible translations and commentaries state that this particular phrase, referred to as the ‘Comma Joanneum,’ is ‘not contained in the best authorities and constitutes a late addition in the Latin Text.’ [Pattloch Bible, Appendix, page 85].

“The Zürcher Bible comments in a footnote that ‘this passage was added in the fourth century in the Latin Text, and only in the 15th century in some Greek Texts.’ The NIV [New International Version] adds in a footnote that this particular phrase is only contained ‘in the late manuscripts of the Latin Bible and that it is not found in any Greek manuscripts before the 16th century.’ Other commentaries point out that these words are clearly a falsification and that they have therefore been correctly omitted, even as a footnote, in many modern translations.”

But what is meant with the phrase in verses 7 and 8, that “there are three which bear witness: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and these three agree as one”? Notice that in context, the reference is to Jesus Christ who came by water and blood (verse 6), and the Spirit of truth bears witness to that fact (same verse). Also, John points out that those who have been begotten by the Spirit and believe that Jesus is the Son of God, overcome the world (verses 4 and 5).

In his letter, John emphasizes that Jesus came in the flesh—that He became fully Man. He had changed from a Spirit being into a mortal human being (compare John 1:1-3, 14). The spirit of antichrist denied and denies that fact (1 John 4:1-3). It denied and denies that Jesus had REALLY become a Man. But John makes clear that Christ had to become a Man—fully flesh and blood—in order to be able to die. And so, His blood testifies to the fact that Jesus was and is our Savior (compare also Hebrews 12:24). He DIED, and His death paid the penalty for our sins. That is why John emphasizes twice that Jesus came by water and blood—not just by water, but by water and blood (1 John 5:6).

Before His death, Jesus gave the apostles wine to drink, symbolizing His blood which was to be shed for the forgiveness of their sins (Matthew 26:27-28; Luke 22:20). Christ shed His very blood—“He poured out His soul” or life “unto death” (Isaiah 53:12). In the context of his first letter, John is telling us that we must believe that Jesus was fully Man and that He died, by shedding His precious blood for us (compare 1 Peter 1:18-19; Acts 20:28; compare, too, Leviticus 17:11).

But John is telling us more. He is also emphasizing the fact that Jesus came “by water.”

This reference to water has been the subject of widespread discussion. The Nelson Study Bible states:

“Water and blood have been interpreted in at least four ways: (1) as Jesus’ baptism and death; (2) as His incarnation; (3) as the water and blood that flowed from His side on the Cross; and (4) as the baptism of the believer and the Lord’s Supper…”

The Ryrie Study Bible adds:

“The water refers to the inauguration of Christ’s earthly ministry at His baptism by John (Mark 1:9-11); the blood refers to the close of His earthly life at His crucifixion. Jesus proved Himself to be the Christ (Messiah) at His baptism and by pouring out His soul to death.”

In addition, we might think of Scriptures telling us that at the time of Moses and Israel in the wilderness, water came out of the rock (Numbers 20:10-11). We might perhaps draw an analogy to the spiritual water of the Holy Spirit, flowing from the spiritual Rock—Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 10:1-4). Further, we are told that we are being cleansed with the washing of water by God’s Word (Ephesians 5:26 ); and that the Holy Spirit will flow out of our hearts like rivers of living water (John 7:37-38).

We see, then, that the reference to the blood, the water and the Spirit includes multiple applications.

The fact that Christ came “by water” can be viewed as containing additional proof that Jesus was fully Man. When hanging on the cross or stake, “one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out” (John 19:34). [As an aside, the soldier pierced Christ’s side, when He was still alive, not after He had died. He caused Christ’s death by piercing His side. For a thorough explanation of this little-understood fact, please read our free booklet, “Jesus Christ—A Great Mystery.”].

A Spirit being has no blood, bones or water. The fact that Jesus did, shows that He was a Man—that He came in the flesh. His Incarnation was a change from spirit to flesh—Christ BECAME flesh.

As pointed out in some of the commentaries, as quoted above, John’s reference to water can also be associated with Christ’s water baptism, which He asked John the Baptist to perform. John’s baptism was one of repentance, but Jesus had never sinned, so He had nothing to repent of. That is why John hesitated to baptize Jesus, but Jesus insisted that it had to be done, in order to fulfill all righteousness. He wanted to set an example for us, who did sin, to be baptized, after repentance and faith in our Savior Jesus Christ and His Sacrifice which makes possible the forgiveness of our sins. Christ made it very clear that without water baptism, we cannot enter the Kingdom of God (John 3:5).

Finally, John also stresses in his first letter that Jesus, although fully flesh, had the Spirit of God the Father within Him, and that without measure (compare John 3:34, Authorized Version). It was through the power of the Holy Spirit that God the Father impregnated Mary to bring forth and give birth to Jesus; it was through the fullness of the Holy Spirit in Christ that He could do the mighty works which He did. God, through His Holy Spirit of truth, testifies to us that Jesus came in the flesh—that He had blood and water—and that He “gave up His spirit” and died (John 19:30).

When we repent of our sins and believe in Jesus Christ and His Sacrifice, and are baptized in and under water (with the subsequent laying on of hands), we will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit of truth. Christ compared the Holy Spirit with living water (John 4:10, 14; 7:38-39). And only with God’s Holy Spirit, remaining in us, motivating us to obey the WORD of God, can we enter the Kingdom of God (compare again John 3:5). And so, John is saying that the three—the blood and the water and the Spirit—agree as one—in unified testimony. They testify that Jesus came in the flesh—a human being with blood and water–and that He overcame sin in the flesh by living a sinless life by and through the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in Him.

They also agree that through His death on the cross, salvation was made possible for man. They agree that we—human beings—can receive the Holy Spirit to help us to overcome sin and this sinful world in the flesh, as Christ did. We are to overcome, as Christ overcame (Revelation 3:21). And with the living Christ dwelling in us through the power of the Holy Spirit, we CAN be victorious, as Christ was (Philippians 4:13; Romans 8:37; 1 Corinthians 15:57).

As the Spirit of God testifies that Jesus became a Man and died for us, so it testifies that Jesus lives His life in His disciples today—that is, Jesus Christ is “coming in the flesh” of His disciples (compare 2 John 7). The spirit of antichrist denies this truth as well. But God’s Spirit bears witness that we are children of God (Romans 8:16), as it gave witness to John the Baptist, and later to Peter and other apostles, that Christ was the Son of God (Matthew 3:17; 16:15-17; 17:5). Blood and water bear witness that we—human beings with blood and water—can obtain forgiveness of sin through the shedding of Christ’s blood; and that we can receive God’s Holy Spirit–God’s living waters–after water baptism, as Christ was baptized, to fulfill all righteousness, and to receive special powers to work miracles (compare Acts 10:36-38).

In conclusion, blood, water and the Holy Spirit “witness” and testify in agreement that Christ was a Man; that He died for our sins; that He was resurrected and that He lives His life again in His disciples today; and that we–human beings—are condemned to die because of our sins; but that by our repentance and our belief in Christ’s shed blood, we can obtain forgiveness of our sins. Furthermore, through our “death” in water baptism and our “resurrection” from the dead, when we rise out of our watery grave (Romans 6:1-6), we can receive the gift of God’s Holy Spirit, through which Christ lives His life in us all over again.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

A new StandingWatch program was posted on the Web, titled, “How Did Christ Really Die?”

Did Jesus die of a broken heart or exhaustion? Does the Bible explain HOW Christ died on the cross? The Holy Scriptures tell us that He died by shedding His blood, and that He was pierced through for our transgressions. HOW was He pierced through? The answer might surprise you.

A new German AufPostenStehen program was posted on the Web, titled “Wie Starb Christus Wirklich?” (“How Did Christ Really Die?”).

During the coming Spring Festival period, several of the ministers are traveling to meet with brethren: Norbert and Johanna Link (and extended family) are in Germany; Rene and Delia Messier will be in Oregon; and Wray and Jule Zehrung (and family) will be in Ramona, California. Your prayers for their safety and for all of God’s people who will be meeting together to observe these times will be greatly appreciated.

Shana Rank

Sweet music to a Mother’s ears! These simple words hold a lot of power – “please” and “thank you”. These words convey politeness and often foresight and follow through.

I delight when I hear my kids showing their good manners, but as my own Mother so wisely told me, the process of learning takes time. As long as my boys live in my house, I will need to encourage them to say “please” and “thank you.”

The other day, I sat in the kitchen listening to my two boys, Gideon and Nolan, playing in the living room. Giggles, snorts, sputtering, squealing… “Gideon, can I have your car, I’ll give it back in one minute.” After sharing I hear, “thank you,” and they go about their play.  The times I need to go in and referee the boys are the times I don’t usually hear them using “please” and “thank you.”

I ask myself why these words work. Developing Godly character, which helps me treat others correctly, requires that I put what I’ve learned into action. When I was a child, I said those words because I was taught to do so, and I am passing that training on to my children. Now as an adult–a wife and a mother–communication that is based on true courtesy still serves me as a most valuable and indispensable skill.

On April 9, 2011, Brian Gale will give the sermon, titled, “And the Love of Many Will Grow Cold.”

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.

Many of us have decisions to make each and every day. Some decisions come easily; so easily that we may make them on auto pilot. Other decisions may take some thought and extra effort. And then there are the BIG decisions!

One of those BIG decisions may involve difficulties that we may have with another person or persons. We are all unique with different personalities, different levels of understanding and may be from different cultures. There may be other factors involved, including age, marital status, personal likes and dislikes, and how seriously we take God’s instructions as outlined in His Word.

Some little while ago, I had a brief “difficulty” with another Church member, and I knew what the instruction in Matthew 5:23-24 clearly stated: “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

What was I to do?  Ignore this because pride got in the way and because I thought that I was right, or “bite the bullet” and make the peace? Usually there is right and wrong on both sides of almost every disagreement and in the final analysis, does it really matter who was right or wrong?

I did make the right decision to reconcile and because the other person must have felt the same, we resolved what was a relatively minor problem pretty quickly because both parties knew that this was God’s Way. Decision time had arrived, and I believe that both parties passed the test.

When Jesus Christ was hanging on the stake, He made this astonishing statement, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34).  Here was a completely innocent Man, asking His heavenly Father to forgive those who had committed this vile and most painful of acts against Him.  And yet, sometimes, we can hold grudges against others for months and years!  

It is surely one of the great paradoxes of our time that the odd innocent word – or even look – can cause so many problems, but much more serious issues are accepted as the norm. It is a great irony, a self-contradiction that can permeate our so-called civilised society.  
 
There is such a sensitivity with words today that people can easily take offence – sometimes – or even often – where no offence was meant. 
 
Over the years, I’m sorry to say, there have been situations where Church brethren have been offended, albeit over minor matters in many cases – but God’s people really should be above those sorts of things. But, unfortunately, these things do happen.  It is a sign of character to see how we react in times of pressure and trial.  

In a little bit over a week, baptized members of the Church of God will be taking the Passover. Have they left “their gift at the altar” and attempted to reconcile with anyone who may have something against them?   If not, they will be ignoring the clear biblical teaching on the matter and the consequences could be grave. If this does apply to us, it is incumbent on us to do something about it – and quickly. When I reconciled with the person whom I spoke about earlier, I felt better for having done so and for having followed God’s instruction on the matter. I am sure that the other person will have felt the same.

If anyone still has any outstanding situations that fit into this category, it is now “decision time”. What decision will be made?

We begin with reporting on Guido Westerwelle’s resignation as leader of the German FDP coalition party, and as Vice-President, while trying to hold on to the post of Foreign Minister. Germany’s political landscape is bound to change.

In the meantime, France continues to send troops into the tumultuous Ivory Coast; carries out air strikes against military targets; and has taken control of the country’s main airport, to “protect its citizens.” Europe’s leading military role is becoming more and more obvious in other parts of the world as well, such as Libya. At the same time, we can safely say that the euro will not only survive, but it will become much more powerful than the dollar.

While many crop-producing states of the USA are plagued by a most serious drought, Japan’s struggle with leaking radiation is far from over, and highly radioactive water is seeping into the ocean.

A provocative “stunt” of an American pastor has angered the Muslim world, especially Afghanistan, showing again the fragile and superficial relationship between America and its Muslim “allies,” and while American leaders speak of the “Holy Koran,” it should be realized why Muslims consider it to be “holy.”

We conclude with a revealing admission that the Protestant churches are really the outgrowth of the Roman Catholic Church. While they agree on most core traditions and teachings, those are not taught in the Holy Bible.

Westerwelle Resigns….

Deutsche Welle reported on April 4:

“On Sunday, [Guido] Westerwelle gave in to relentless pressure to resign leadership of the party [FDP] after 10 years at the helm. He announced he would relinquish his post as vice chancellor as well, and said he intended to focus on his job as foreign minister.

“But it is unclear how long Westerwelle will be able to hold on to that post, as his standing has suffered not only with his party but also among the wider electorate. The three opposition parties, the Social Democrats, the Greens and the Left, have called for Westerwelle to resign the Foreign Ministry.”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on April 4:

“[Chancellor Angela] Merkel’s junior coalition partner [FDP] has gone from ineffective to being in a shambles. Not only have the recent state elections shown that the party has little support among the German electorate, there would appear to be little chance that the FDP will be able to recover substantially prior to the next general elections in 2013. Indeed, were elections held now, the FDP would have trouble clearing the 5 percent hurdle on the national level.

“In other words, if Merkel hopes to remain in the Chancellery beyond 2013, she will have to quickly find a new political partner to pair up with. And given Germany’s recent tilt to the center-left, that search promises to be a difficult one… Westerwelle’s fall has taken place with almost breath-taking speed. In the autumn of 2009, the FDP received 14.6 percent of the vote in general elections, the party’s best-ever nationwide showing. The problems, though, began almost immediately…”

The Süddeutsche Zeitung wrote on April 4:

“Despite all its failings, the FDP used to have the reputation as a wise, clever party… In its heyday, the FDP was a fertile opposition within government: in the conservative governments of Konrad Adenauer and Ludwig Erhard, the FDP left its mark as a party of democratic justice, and in the center-left governments of Willy Brandt and Helmut Schmidt, it was the guardian of market economics. The FDP was a guarantor of continuity in the changing governments of the republic… One should mourn the decline of every democratic party. Its passing also removes a piece of democratic tradition. If a newspaper folds, it’s a blow to the freedom of the press. If a party dies, as the FDP is at risk of doing, it’s a blow to party democracy.”

The Tageszeitung wrote on April 4:

“The liberal story about guaranteeing personal freedom is looking out of date. Would Germany miss the FDP if it weren’t around anymore?”

Should the FDP disappear, other groups will take its place. But will it be for the better of the country and the entire world?

Westerwelle’s Successor Nominated

Der Spiegel Online reported on April 5:

“Germany’s Free Democrats on Tuesday anointed Philipp Rösler, the Vietnamese-born health minister, as their new leader to replace Guido Westerwelle… The FDP’s executive board agreed that Rösler, 38, should stand for the chairmanship at a party conference in May. He is expected to remain health minister, a job in which he has had only modest success since taking it on as the youngest minister in Merkel’s cabinet in 2009… Rösler was born in a southern Vietnamese village in 1973 during the war, and was adopted by a family in Germany at the age of nine months. He joined the pro-business FDP while he was still a teenager in 1992. He studied medicine in Hanover and Hamburg before becoming a medical doctor in 2002…

“Rösler is affable and eloquent and less confrontational than Westerwelle, who is famous for his outbursts of combative rhetoric… The demands on the mild-mannered Rösler are huge, and there are doubts whether he is resolute and thick-skinned enough for the job… But his career has nevertheless been meteoric. He was 27 years old when he became the FDP’s general secretary for the state of Lower Saxony in 2000. He joined the FDP’s national executive in 2005 and became FDP leader in the state in 2006. In early 2009, he was appointed Lower Saxony’s economics minister and deputy governor.”

Nato and Libya

Sky News reported on April 6, 2011:

“Libyan rebels have accused Nato of being too slow to act – and asked them to suspend operations unless they ‘do the job properly’… Rebel leader Abdel Fattah Younes has complained that the alliance takes hours to respond to events on the battlefield because of an overly bureaucratic process. He claimed the alliance’s inaction was allowing Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s forces to advance and was letting them kill people in the rebel-held city of Misratah ‘every day’.

“He said: ‘Nato is moving very slowly, allowing Gaddafi forces to advance. Nato has become our problem.’ Mr Younes also said if Nato had wanted to lift the siege of Misrata, it could have done it weeks ago… Nato took over from a coalition led by the US, Britain and France on March 31. It puts the alliance in charge of air strikes targeting Col Gaddafi’s military infrastructure as well as policing a no-fly zone and an arms embargo.”

The USA does not want to act and Nato is being criticized for acting too slowly. All eyes turn to Europe—as the next article shows as well.

Europeans Must Lead

The Financial Times wrote on April 6:

“Transatlantic relations are being tested by the US’s refusal to lead the military mission in Libya, with figures on both sides of the ocean depicting the conflict as a wake-up call for Europe’s military and political establishments. Britain and France are straining to fill the gap left by Washington’s decision to pull back, as Europe’s military ambitions are tested.

“The Pentagon said on Tuesday that it had flown 1,600 sorties since operations began on March 19 and would no longer be involved in air strikes against Libyan targets. It would continue support missions, such as aerial refuelling, and would remain on alert for emergency strike missions, if requested by Nato. Defence experts maintain that the US move has a longer-term significance, since it signals that Europeans cannot rely on Washington to provide security in crises in their neighbourhood.

“’What we’ve seen in Libya is hugely significant,’ said Lord Hutton, a former defence secretary in the last Labour government. ‘The US has been saying for 10 or 15 years that it wants the Europeans to share more of the security burden and we have to heed that lesson. We should be doing much more in Europe. We cannot go on expecting the US to take the leading role.’

“Nicholas Burns, a former US ambassador to Nato, added that a Washington burdened with the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq welcomed the Franco-British lead, even though it is the first time in Nato’s 62-year history that the US has not been in a clear leadership role in an alliance operation.”

France Sends Troops to Ivory Coast

Deutsche Welle reported on April 3:

“France on Monday dispatched more troops to protect civilians in Ivory Coast as the battle for control of Abidjan intensified.

“Forces backing the presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara were said to be preparing for a final assault to remove incumbent Laurent Gbagbo. He is clinging on to power and has refused to accept last November’s UN-certified election results which showed that Ouattara had won the disputed poll. Ouattara’s forces marched into Abidjan on Thursday… France was meanwhile considering the evacuation of some 12,000 of its residents from Ivory Coast.

“President Nicolas Sarkozy has already issued an order for French citizens in the country to be brought together in [a] single location ahead of a possible repatriation operation. France estimates that 12,200 of its citizens live in Ivory Coast. The vast majority, some 11,800, are thought to live in Abidjan. The French army took control of the country’s main airport on Sunday to allow the evacuation of foreigners from the country…”

The EUObserver reported on April 5:

“United Nations and French helicopters have carried out strikes against military targets belonging to incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo in the Ivory Coast, as forces loyal to president-elect Alassane Ouattara conduct a final offensive to capture the country’s main city of Abidjan… UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the attacks were not a declaration of war against Gbagbo but were ordered instead to defend civilians, citing UN Security Council resolution 1975 of 30 March 2011.”

European countries, such as France, are becoming more and more militarily engaged in other countries, and we observe outright invasions under the pretext of a need to assist their citizens. The Bible shows that European military actions will increase and culminate in an invasion of the entire Middle East.

Portugal May Apply for EU Bailout

Deutsche Welle reported on April 5:

“The Portuguese prime minister announced Lisbon’s intention to apply for a bailout from the European Union in a televised address to the nation on Wednesday… The news comes in the aftermath of the collapse of Portugal’s government last week. Prime Minister Jose Socrates called snap elections for June 5 after the country’s parliament failed to pass austerity measures aimed at reducing its debt burden…

“Portugal is currently being governed by a caretaker government which does not have the authority to make major financial decisions… Portugal would become the third Eurozone member, after Greece and Ireland, to seek financial assistance from Brussels. Should Lisbon apply for financial help, it would have to place its economy under the supervision of the International Monetary Fund, the European Central Bank and the European Commission.”

“Euro-skeptics” will be quick to use Portugal as another example as to why the euro is doomed. However, apart from the fact that they do not understand biblical prophecy, a move which would place Portugal under European supervision and control only shows the strengthening of an autocratic European power bloc over some of the current 17 euro-zone countries.

Severe Drought in the USA

The Associated Press reported on April 6:

“In most years, the dark clouds over western Oklahoma in the spring would be bringing rain. This year, they’re more likely to be smoke from wildfires that have burned thousands of acres in the past month as the state and its farmers struggle with a severe drought. Oklahoma was drier in the four months following Thanksgiving than it has been in any similar period since 1921. That’s saying a lot in the state known for the 1930s Dust Bowl, when drought and high winds generated severe dust storms that stripped the land of its topsoil.

“Neighboring states are in similar shape as the drought stretches from the Louisiana Gulf coast to Colorado, and conditions are getting worse, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The area in Texas covered by an extreme drought has tripled in the past month to 40 percent, and in Oklahoma it nearly doubled in one week to 16 percent, according to the monitor’s March 29 update… While dozens of people in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas have lost homes to the hundreds of grassfires that have torn through the parched landscape in the past month, Oklahoma officials said more fires caused more damage as recently as 2009… Almost all of Oklahoma is covered in some degree of drought.”

Startling prophecies for the USA come to mind. Although recorded thousands of years ago, God said this about our times today, when addressing the modern descendants of the ancient house of Israel, including America: “I will make your heavens like iron [no rain] and your earth like bronze [dried up]. And your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield its produce, nor shall the tress of the land yield their fruit” (Leviticus 26:19-20). Also, notice this additional prediction for our time: “The field is wasted, The land mourns; For the grain is ruined, The new wine is dried up, The oil fails… the harvest of the field has perished… All the trees of the field are withered…”(Joel 1:10-12)

“Path of Radiation Leak at Japan Plant Is Unclear”

The Associated Press reported on April 4:

“Workers used a milky white dye Monday as they frantically tried to trace the path of highly radioactive water gushing near Japan’s tsunami-damaged nuclear plant and seeping into the ocean. A crack in a maintenance pit found over the weekend was the latest confirmation that radioactivity continues to spill into the environment. The leak is a symptom of the primary difficulty at the Fukushima Dai-ichi complex: Radioactive water is pooling around the plant and preventing workers from powering up cooling systems needed to stabilize dangerously vulnerable fuel rods.

“Engineers have turned to a host of improvised and sometimes bizarre methods to tame the nuclear plant after it was crippled in Japan’s magnitude 9.0 quake and tsunami on March 11… Radioactive water has pooled up throughout the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant because the operator has been forced to rely on makeshift ways of pumping water into plant — and allowing it to gush out wherever it can — to bring down temperatures and pressure in the reactor cores.

“Government officials conceded Sunday that it will likely be several months before the cooling systems are completely restored. And even after that happens, there will be years of work ahead to clean up the area around the complex and figure out what to do with it. The makeshift system makes it difficult to contain the radiation leaks, but it is aimed at preventing fuel rods from going into a full meltdown that would release even more radioactivity into the environment.

“Radioactivity is quickly diluted in the ocean, and Edano said the dump should not affect the safety of seafood in the area… The crisis has unfolded as Japan deals with the aftermath of twin natural disasters that decimated large swaths of its northeastern coast. Up to 25,000 people are believed to have died in the disaster, and tens of thousands lost their homes. Thousands more were forced to flee a 12-mile (20-kilometer) radius around the plant because of the radiation.”

The Associated Press reported on April 5:

“For the first time, Japan is setting a standard for the amount of radiation allowed in fish. The decision comes after radiation more than 7.5 million times the legal limit for seawater was found just off a tsunami-damaged nuclear plant… The move came after the health ministry reported that fish caught off Ibaraki prefecture — which is about halfway between the plant and Tokyo — contained levels of radioactive iodine that exceeded the new legal limit. Cesium was also found just below the limit… officials contended Tuesday that the contamination still does not pose an immediate danger.”

Reuters wrote on April 5:

“India has imposed a three-month ban on imports of food articles from the whole of Japan on fears that radiation from an earthquake-hit nuclear plant was spreading to other parts of the country, becoming the first country to introduce a blanket ban… A number of countries have imposed bans on dairy products, meat, fish and other produce from areas near the crippled nuclear power plant.”

Even though we are told that the dump of radioactive water into the ocean should not affect the safety of seafood in the area, who is really willing to believe this? All the evidence speaks to the contrary.

Muslim Anger Against America

Mail On Line reported on April 4:

“Despite clear evidence that his actions have led to multiple murders and widespread violence in the Middle East, controversial Florida pastor Terry Jones has vowed to step up his provocative campaign against Islam. The radical pastor said that he was considering putting Islamic prophet Mohammed ‘on trial’ for his next ‘day of judgement’ publicity stunt.

“His last, in which he oversaw the burning of a copy of the Koran after a six-hour mock trial, has been directly responsible for a wave of violence that began last night and has left 30 people dead and more than 150 injured.

“The defiant stance has led General Petraeus, the head of NATO forces in Afghanistan, to join international condemnation of pastor Jones. The General urged Afghans to understand only a small number of people had been disrespectful to the Koran and Islam. He said: ‘We condemn, in particular, the action of an individual in the United States who recently burned the Holy Koran. We also offer condolences to the families of all those injured and killed in violence which occurred in the wake of the burning of the Holy Koran.’

“The call comes after a third day of violence in Afghanistan saw at least ten deaths, 78 injured and at least 17 arrests as protesters clash with security forces in Kandahar…

“[Jones’] March 20 burning stunt received little press in Afghanistan at first. But after President Hamid Karzai condemned the burning of the book and religious leaders called for justice in sermons yesterday, thousands poured into the streets in several cities to protest. At least eight UN staff and around a dozen locals were murdered after a mob killed the UN guards, stole their weapons and opened fire…

“Thousands of demonstrators marched through the western Afghan city of Herat. There, protesters burned a U.S. flag at a sports stadium and chanted ‘Death to the US’ and ‘They broke the heart of Islam’.

“Last week, Afghan President Hamid Karzai issued a statement calling the burning a ‘crime against a religion’. He denounced it as a ‘disrespectful and abhorrent act’ and called on the U.S. and the UN to bring to justice those who burned the holy book and issue a response to Muslims around the world.”

Again, the world has it all backwards and upside down. Of course, there is no need to burn the Koran, but is Afghan President Hamid Karzai equally eager to bring to “justice” those who burn the American flag and shout, “Death to the U.S.”? It is interesting that General Petraeus “condemns” those who burn the “Holy Koran,” but have he or other Western leaders been equally indignant and outspoken against those who have burned the Holy Bible or circulated cartoons ridiculing Jesus Christ? Of course, “political correctness” would prevent that from happening, it seems. And why would a professing Christian call the Koran “holy”? In fact, why do Muslims call it “holy”?

The “Holiness” of the Koran?

The following article was published by WorldNetDaily on April 2:

“[Former Muslim Al] Fadi says that an important detail in understanding Islam is that all Muslims are taught from childhood that the Quran is a perfect book. The Quran Dilemma author’s assessment is backed up by the Islamic site, IslamiCity.com, that says that the Quran is, ‘a record of the exact words revealed by God by the angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad. It was memorized by Muhammad and then dictated to his companions, and written down by scribes, who cross-checked it during his lifetime. Not one word of its 114 chapters, Suras, has been changed over the centuries, so that the Quran is in every detail the unique and miraculous text which was revealed to Muhammad fourteen centuries ago.’ The host of TheQuran.com adds that Muslims are taught that every detail presented in the Quran is without error…

“[Fadi] discusses the serious teachings of Islam like jihad and relationships with non-Muslims. ‘In one part it will say, “Christians are your closest friends,” yet in another chapter it says, “Christians and Jews are infidels and your enemies, enemies of God and you must kill them,”’ Fadi pointed out… ‘Radical Muslims, for instance, will tell you that the commands to kill are active and valid right now… I personally want to say that the radicals are truly following the teaching of the Quran. They truly understand what the Quran is teaching,’ Fadi added…

“Fadi says Sura Nine is a key element of understanding Quranic doctrine and teaching. That emphasizes the Islamic reality that Quranic teaching should be taken literally. ‘Certainly if we study the history of Islam, we’ll see that they’ve followed it to the letter. That’s why we have invasions by Muslims to other countries. They have occupied Northern Africa, Southern Spain, went all the way to the borders of India, basically because they were following this mandate,’ Fadi further explained.”

A Christian could not possibly accept the claim that the writings of the Koran were revealed, word for word, to Mohammed by the angel Gabriel. The Koran does contradict the Bible, which is, in truth, God’s HOLY BOOK and His divine revelation to man. Therefore, the Koran cannot also be God’s “holy” book, and neither is any other book (for instance, the book of Mormon), which contradicts the Bible in any way.

Protestants to Re-Adopt Catholic Traditions?

On April 3, 2011, CNN published an article by a leading Protestant Pastor in Washington D.C., stating as follows:

“… many Protestant churches have a very short-term memory. For them, church history only goes back to the Protestant Reformation and Martin Luther. While we may have our theological differences, we share a long history, and I believe there are things that Protestant and Catholic churches can learn from each other in ways that don’t compromise their core beliefs.

“I for one am thankful for the Lenten tradition that has been cultivated, celebrated and cherished within the Catholic church. I think more Protestant churches will re-adopt some of those traditions that are part of our common church history from before the Protestant Reformation.”

This pastor recognizes what many Protestants today would like to forget—that the Protestant churches are daughters of the mother church of Rome. Even though they may have rejected some concepts of the Catholic Church, they have maintained their core teachings, which are, sadly, not found in the Bible. For instance, Sunday, Lent, Easter or Christmas are merely human traditions, adopted from paganism, which were enjoined by the Catholic Church; while at the same time, God’s weekly Sabbath or His annual Holy Days were rejected and at one time expressly forbidden by the Catholic Church to be kept. The Bible clearly shows that in the not-too-distant future, the Catholic Church and most Protestant churches will merge into one big “Christian” Church.

We read in the New Testament that animal sacrifices did not forgive sin, nor did they clean or purify the ancient Israelites from an evil conscience. That was never the purpose of the animal sacrifices. Forgiveness of sin and the opportunity to inherit eternal life was only made possible through the supreme Sacrifice of Jesus Christ (John 3:14-17).

Hebrews 10:1-4 makes it very clear that animal sacrifices were just reminders of sins, but that they could not take away or forgive sin. They were foreshadowing the death of Christ. We read:

“For the [sacrificial] law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshippers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.”

Hebrews 9:9-10 confirms that the sacrificial system was only of a temporary nature, to be superseded by the death of Jesus Christ:

“It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices were offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience—concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation.”

Paul elaborates in the book of Galatians that the sacrificial law was added because of transgression (sin is the transgression of the spiritual law of the Ten Commandments, compare 1 John 3:4, Authorized Version), but only until the Seed—Jesus Christ—would come. We read in Galatians 3:19, 24-25:

“What purpose then does the [sacrificial] law serve? It was added because of transgression [of the spiritual law], till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a meditator [Note that the Ten Commandments were NOT appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator, but they were spoken directly by God Himself]… Therefore the [sacrificial] law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith [but it is an obedient faith, compare Romans 1:5; 16:26]. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor [the sacrificial law].”

Matthew Henry’s Whole Commentary, in his explanations of Leviticus 4:31, points at the temporary meaning and duration of animal sacrifices, and the all-important Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, when stating:

“From all these laws concerning the sin-offerings we may learn, 1. To hate sin, and to watch against it. That is certainly a very bad thing to make atonement for which so many innocent and useful creatures must be slain and mangled thus. 2. To value Christ, the great and true sin-offering, whose blood cleanses from all sin, which it was not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away. Now, if any man sin, Christ is the propitiation (1 Jn. 2:1, 2), not for Jews only, but [also] for Gentiles.”

Matthew Henry’s Whole Commentary, in reference to Leviticus 6:7, points out how the animal sacrifices, as a tutor, foreshadowed the all-encompassing Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He also shows that the spiritual law of the Ten Commandments and the statutes and judgments, explaining and magnifying the Ten Commandments, were not abolished when the animal sacrifices were superseded by THE Sacrifice of Jesus:

“This trespass-offering could not, of itself, make satisfaction for sin, nor reconciliation between God and the sinner, but as it signified the atonement that was to be made by our Lord Jesus, when he should make his soul an offering of sin, a trespass-offering; it is the same word that is here used, Isa. 53:10. The trespasses here mentioned are trespasses still against the law [of God]… and though now we may have them pardoned without a trespass-offering, yet not without true repentance, [obedience], reformation [that is, a lasting change of our thinking and action], and a humble [obedient] faith in the righteousness of Christ [which we must obtain]: and, if any make the more bold with these sins because they are not now put to the expense of a trespass-offering for them, they turn the grace of God into wantonness, and so bring upon themselves a swift destruction. The Lord is the avenger of all such, 1 Th. 4:6.”

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible adds the following, regarding Leviticus 6:7:

“And the priest shall make an atonement for him [the sinner] before the Lord,…. By offering the ram he brought, by which a typical, but not real atonement was made; for the blood of bulls and goats, of sheep and rams, could not take away sin; but as they were types of Christ, and led to him, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.”

For a thorough discussion of the sacrificial law, as referred to in the book of Galatians, please read our free booklet, “Paul’s Letter to the Galatians—How to Understand It.”

In light of these clear teachings of the New Testament, how are we to explain passages in the Old Testament, seemingly saying that people who were offering animal sacrifices could thereby obtain forgiveness for their sins? For instance, we read in Leviticus 4:20 that upon the sacrifice of a young bull, the priest was to make atonement for the unintentional sin of the congregation, “and it shall be forgiven them.” Also, verse 26 says that upon the sacrifice of a young male goat, the ruler’s unintentional sin “shall be forgiven him.” Also, in regard to an unintentional sin of a common person, we read that upon the sacrifice of a female kid of the goats, “the priest shall make atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him” (verses 31, 35).

We need to emphasize that the Bible does not contradict itself (compare John 10:35). We also must understand the Old Testament Scriptures in the light of the New Testament, and not vice versa. As the New Testament clearly teaches that spiritual forgiveness of sin could NOT be obtained through animal sacrifices, what then is the meaning of the above-quoted passages in Leviticus?

The following statements from selected commentaries shed more light on the issue.

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible states: “…the meaning [of forgiveness through animal sacrifices] is, he shall not be punished for it.”

The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary concurs, saying this about Leviticus 4:35:

“None of these sacrifices possessed any intrinsic value sufficient to free the conscience of the sinner from the pollution of guilt, or to obtain his pardon from God; but they gave a formal deliverance from a secular penalty (Heb 9:13, 14); and they were figurative representations of the full and perfect sin offering which was to be made by Christ.”

The (above-mentioned) passage in Hebrews 9:13-14 shows indeed what kind of “forgiveness” could be obtained through animal sacrifices. It reads: “For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies [sets aside or apart; that is, allowing a relationship between God and man] for the PURIFYING OF THE FLESH, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

Animal sacrifices provided a means of permitting the ancient Israelite who had sinned unintentionally, to remain in the community of the nation, under God’s rule, and to be spared from physical punishment. In case of an unintentional sin by the entire congregation, animal sacrifices prevented that God would turn His back on them and forsake them. They did not provide spiritual forgiveness, and later, Israel misused and abused animal sacrifices in a terrible way, so that God had to remind them that He did not desire animal sacrifices, but an upright and humble heart.

Animal sacrifices were a means of maintaining a relationship between God and man, by “forgiving” the physical transgression and allowing the transgressor to remain within the community of Israel. They were never meant to provide spiritual “forgiveness” of sin. They never abolished or superseded the spiritual penalty for sin, which is eternal death (Romans 6:23), nor did they make possible the means of inheriting eternal life. Only the Sacrifice of Christ can bring about such spiritual forgiveness and allow us to continue on our righteous path (1 John 1:8-9; Romans 8:3-4), to ultimately being given eternal life at the time of Christ’s return.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

A new StandingWatch program was posted on the Web, titled, “Could Jesus Return Tonight?” A strong minority of Americans believes that we are living in the End Times, while 52 percent disagree. Some believe and teach that Jesus could come back tonight, while others say that He won’t return at all. What does the Bible tell us?

A new German sermon was posted on the Web, titled, “Das Opfer Jesu Christi” (“The Sacrifice of Jesus Christ”).

Our new German booklet, “Jesus Christus—Ein Grosses Geheimnis” (“Jesus Christ—A Great Mystery”), was posted on the Web.

RECIPES FOR DAYS OF UNLEAVENED BREAD

The following sets forth a selection of recipes for the Days of Unleavened Bread:

SOFT UNLEAVENED BREAD
 
Ingredients:
1-1/2 c. unbleached white flour
1-1/2 c. whole wheat or rye flour
1/4 c. flaxseed meal (optional)
3 eggs
1/2 t. salt
1/3 c. oil
 
Mix oil and eggs together then add to flour and salt. Add enough water to make it easy to pour.
Pour into well-greased large cookie sheet with edges. Bake in preheated 450 F oven for 15 to 20 min
or until slightly golden brown. 
 
Cut into rectangles when cooled. Good for sandwiches and toast because it is somewhat soft.

ALMOND BREAD
 
Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter/oil
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract
1 small bag almonds, sliced
 
Mix sugar, eggs and 1 cup flour and butter. Mix well. Add remaining ingredients.  Pour (mash) into 2 bread pans (greased and floured).  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Reminds one of a solid brick. Can be cut and toasted.

VANILLA KIPFERL’S
 
Ingredients:
2 1/8 cups flour
1 1/4 cups ground almonds
1 egg
3/4 cup butter
pinch of salt
3 tsp. granulated sugar
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
Confectioners’ sugar for rolling Kipferls in.
 
In a large mixing bowl, combine the salt and the flour.  Cut in the butter, and mix in with your hands. Add the confectioners’ sugar, the egg, the granulated sugar, and the ground almonds to the flour mixture.  Place the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.  Remove dough from refrigerator, pinch off about an inch and form into a crescent shape.  Place the kipferl on a baking tray, leave them in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.  Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes. When done (slightly brown), remove carefully from the tray.  While still warm, roll the kipferl in the confectioners’ sugar.
 
The vanilla kipferls originated in Austria, and they are also very popular in Switzerland and Germany.  The kipferl becomes even yummier after 2 to 3 days….but only for those who can resist long enough. If desired, the two ends of the kipferl can be dipped in warm chocolate and then left to cool.  Makes 5 dozen (30 servings).
 
BUTTER FUDGE SQUARES

Base:
½ cup butter
½ cup brown sugar
¼ tsp. salt
1½ cups flour
Mix and pat in square pan.

Topping:
2 eggs, beaten
1cup brown sugar
3 tbs cocoa
¼ cup chopped nuts
1/3 cup coconut
1 tsp. vanilla
 
Spread over base and bake 15-30 minutes at 350.  Ice if desired 

CHEESE MARMELADE SQUARES

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
½ cup butter
½ cup soft nippy cheese
½ tsp. salt
Mix until crumbly.
 
Take more than half and pat into 8×8 greased pan.
Spread with orange marmalade and cover with remaining cheese mixture.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.

CHEESE DELIGHT
(cheese cake)

Ingredients:
1¼ cup cornflake crumbs
¼ cup sugar
1/3 cup melted butter
Combine cornflakes, sugar, and butter.  Pat crumb mixture into 9×13 pan.
Bake 375 F for 8 minutes.  COOL

1 cup icing sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
8 oz. pkgs. Cream cheese
 
Mix well.

4 cups of whipped cream
Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture.

Let set in fridge or freezer till firms from the cold.
Spread on top 1 or 2 tins of canned pie filling, any kind you like.    
 

CRUSTLESS BROCCOLI AND CHEDDAR MINI QUICHES

Ingredients:
1 can ( 12 oz.) evaporated low-fat 2% milk
3 large eggs- beaten
2 tbs flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cups ( 8 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups chopped frozen broccoli – thawed and drained
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
 
 Preheat oven to 350 degrees
 Grease and lightly flour 12 ( 2 1/2 inch ) muffin cups
 Wisk together evaporated milk, eggs, flour, salt and pepper in medium bowl
 Stir in cheese, broccoli, and red pepper
 Spoon mixture info muffin cups filling almost to rim
 Bake 23-28 minutes.  Cool 15 minutes.  Run spatula around the inside edges to remove quiches.
 
 
CHOCOLATE CHERRY SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Ingredients:
1/2 cup maraschino cherries, drained and chopped
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup cold butter
12 ounces white chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. 
In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Using a blender, cut in the butter until mixture resembles large crumbs (doesn’t have to be fine). Stir in drained cherries and white chocolate chips. Stir in almond extract. Knead mixture until it forms a smooth ball. Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Using the bottom of a drinking glass dipped in sugar, flatten balls to 1-1/2-inch rounds. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until centers are set. Cool for 1 minute on cookie sheet. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool. Makes about 50.  To store, layer cookies between waxed paper in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. 
 

POTATO CHIP COOKIES (tastes like pecan sandies)

Blend together until smooth:
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. butter
1 egg
1 t. vanilla

Mix in:
1-1/2 cup flour
1-1/2 c. chopped pecans
3/4 c. finely crushed potato chips

Drop by spoonful onto lightly greased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with a fork.
Bake at 350 F. for 12-15 min.

CREPES (dessert or main course)

Put the following ingredients in a blender and mix until well blended.
2/3 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
3 eggs
1 c. milk

For each crepe, pour 1/4 c. batter into hot, lightly greased and pre-heated 8-inch skillet or crepe pan, tilting the pan to cover the bottom. Cook over medium heat until lightly browned on both sides, turning once when the crepe begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Mix together:
Two 8-ounce pkgs cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla or lemon juice and 1 t. grated lemon rind

Spread cream cheese down the center of each crepe, then roll up like a burrito. Serve warm or cold with fruit compote topping. Can also fill with a savory meat mixture (such as creamy chicken and broccoli or creamy beef and mushrooms to serve warm as a main course. Instead of vanilla or lemon flavoring, use herbs

On April 2, 2011, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “How Close Are You To God?”

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.

Satan would love nothing more than to drive a wedge into our spiritual life and separate us from God. His ultimate goal is to do whatever he can to take us out of the Church, the body of Christ. Now, especially at this pre-Passover time of the year and at this juncture in the end-time, he is for sure doing all that he can to disrupt us in our walk towards the Plan of God.

Imagine a spirit being that has been around for eons – 6,000 years would be a short time to him.  Knowing that he only had this short time, he, as an entity that never tires, would be relentless in his goal to derail true Christians.  Night and day, he would accuse the brethren before God (Revelation 12:10), and he would walk around seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8; Job 1:7; 2:2). 

Now imagine that this very short period of 6,000 years is almost up.  How much more, if it were possible, would Satan be stepping up his effort to thwart the Plan of God? 

God would love nothing more than to have us as members of His Family in His Kingdom.  His ultimate goal is to do whatever He can to see that we are successful in this calling.  Now, especially at this pre-Passover time of the year and at this juncture in the end-time, He is for sure doing all that He can to reconcile us in our walk towards the Plan of God.

Imagine a loving God—the Father—who has inhabited eternity with only one other Family member—Jesus Christ. After all that time, He began carrying out His plan that included fashioning the physical universe with all the laws to govern it. God also created man and gave him His laws to be governed by.  He sacrificed His only Son to pay for the penalty for our sin in order that we may live and have access to His Power – the Holy Spirit which further aids us in attaining His goal for us—to grant us the awesome opportunity to qualify for a position in His Kingdom and Family. 

Now imagine we only have a short time left.  We are quickly coming to a crossroads – a time when God will pronounce His final judgment on the firstfruits of His creation.  Then, in the twinkling of an eye, it will all be decided.  Do we sense the urgency?

Wherever we look, it seems that we are confronted these days with uncertainty, turmoil, upheaval and disaster.

We begin reporting on tumultuous political events in Europe—including Germany, France, England and Italy—which could lead to an emergence of charismatic popular leaders replacing current less popular ones. And while we are told that the euro has been saved for good, evidencing the continuing and inevitable unification of continental Europe, the Canadian government failed, and President Obama’s political survival is anything else but certain.

Focusing on the Middle East, we are reporting on events in and pertaining to Iran, Syria and Libya; addressing the terrible costs of war which will undoubtedly contribute to America’s economic downfall; discussing frightening revelations on the dangerous levels of radioactivity in Japan; and concluding with a settlement involving Jesuits who agreed to pay $166.1 million to hundreds of American Indians and Alaska Natives who were abused at the Catholic order’s schools in Oregon, Washington state, Idaho, Montana and Alaska.

Clearly, the time for Jesus Christ’s return MUST be near! But not everyone agrees—in fact, the majority of Americans does not. As Fox News reported on March 24, “the perceived increase in the number and severity of natural disasters is evidence to 44 percent of Americans of what the Bible calls The End Times, prophesied in the Old Testament’s book of Daniel and the New Testament’s book of Revelation. Fifty-two percent disagreed, according to the poll.”

Turmoil in Europe

Germany — Stunning Defeat for Merkel

On March 28, 2011, Deutsche Welle reported:

“Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) suffered significant political blows over the weekend following two state elections which saw the Greens make dramatic gains. The polls have been widely viewed as a referendum on nuclear energy. The Greens garnered 24.2 percent support in the Baden-Württemberg election, doubling their share of the vote since the last state polls in 2006. This has paved the way for a Green party state premier, a first in German history. The Social Democrats (SPD) polled 23.1 percent, giving a green-red coalition of the Greens and the SPD a majority. As predicted, the CDU took a severe drubbing, coming in with only 39 percent, a drop of 5.2 points. It was the party’s second-worst showing in the state…

“Speaking in Berlin on Monday, Merkel said the election defeat in the conservative stronghold of Baden-Württemberg after nearly six decades of rule was painful and would take a long time to overcome…  [In] the smaller state of Rhineland-Palatinate it was the SPD, not Merkel’s CDU, that was the main casualty of anti-incumbent sentiment on election day, although state Premier Kurt Beck is to retain power. The SPD lost its absolute majority but remained the strongest party with 35.7 percent of the vote, a fall of 9.9 percent since the last state election in 2006. The Greens polled 15.4 percent, a 10.8-percent increase, securing representation in the state parliament after a five-year hiatus… The result could indicate a coalition between the SPD and the Greens in Rhineland-Palatinate as well.”

We present the following selection from Germany’s press releases on Monday:

Der Spiegel wrote:

“… the writing is on the wall for Merkel and her center-right coalition if it doesn’t regain the trust of voters ahead of the 2013 general election… Merkel’s controversial decision last year to extend the lifetimes of Germany’s 17 nuclear reactors by an average of 12 years is coming back to haunt her… But it would be unwise to start writing off Merkel…”

Süddeutsche Zeitung wrote:

“Merkel is already studying the Green Party, which could become important to her as a means to stay in power, as a replacement for the [present coalition party] FDP… The things one does to stay in power! Anything, if need be. And she will reverse everything again if necessary. The CDU will suffer a crisis of identity. The FDP is already in an existential crisis which has now dramatically worsened…”

Die Tageszeitung wrote:

“The CDU will hold party leader Angela Merkel accountable for the disaster. She will remain in office, simply because there is a lack of alternatives to her… Of course the nuclear disaster in Japan had an impact. But the Greens can justifiably claim that no one warned about the dangers of nuclear technology as consistently as they did… The Greens have been insisting on an energy turnaround for more than 30 years. After their landslide victory it’s clear now that this epochal change in energy policy has just been launched.”

Bild wrote:

“The election is, of course, a major blow for the center-right coalition. Losing power in the conservative bastion of Baden-Württemberg will cause long-term pain. Angela Merkel knows that. She won’t throw in the towel though. She has stronger nerves than Gerhard Schröder, who abruptly called an early general election when his SPD lost its stronghold of North Rhine-Westphalia.”

Ultimately, and perhaps very soon, a powerful charismatic German political figure will arise who will meet the approval of most of the German people.

France — Blow for Sarkozy

Deutsche Welle reported on March 28:

“France’s Socialists emerged with the greatest share of the vote by far in local elections on Sunday, dealing a blow to French President Nicolas Sarkozy ahead of presidential elections next year… the left… attracted 49.9 percent of the vote. That figure… compares with 35.9 percent for Sarkozy’s conservative UMP party…

“… the pressure on Sarkozy appears to be coming from the right, as well as the left. The far-right National Front scored 11 percent, having seen its polling popularity increase significantly since leader Marine Le Pen, daughter of long-time leader Jean-Marie Le Pen, took over in January… An opinion poll for the Le Parisien daily, suggesting that Le Pen herself could win the first round of the presidential election, has sent shockwaves through the center ground of French politics. The French president’s popularity has sunk to a record low of below 30 percent… Elections took place in about half of France’s cantonal councils on Sunday.”

The EUObserver added on March 28:

“Several EU diplomats and even one foreign minister speaking off the record in Brussels in the run-up to the Libya campaign pointed to next year’s French presidential elections as a big reason for Sarkozy’s enthusiasm to take on the Libyan dictator. But looking in detail at French operations in Libya, military analysts have also said that France is using the war to promote its badly-selling €60-million-per-unit Rafale fighter.”  

It may be shocking for many to realize that wars are being started for selfish politcal and economic reasons. But if we want to be honest—hasn’t this always been the reason for human wars? (compare James 4:1-2). Considering this sobering fact, why would a true Christian want to participate in such godless conduct?

England—Turmoil on the Streets

The EUObserver reported on March 28:

“In the largest demonstration of public anger to hit the UK since protests against the Iraq War in 2003, hundreds of thousands marched through the British capital on Saturday (26 March) against cuts to public services. According to various sources, between 250,000 and 500,000 snaked their way through central London during the event, which was organised by the country’s Trade Union Congress, with 800 coaches [buses] from across the country arriving in London…

“Protesters also engaged in a series of roving civil disobedience actions shutting down high-street shops and banks to highlight the companies’ tax avoidance policies while a few hundred anarchists smashed the windows of store fronts and daubed bank offices with paint. Some 200 individuals were arrested and 84 injured, including 12 police officers who required minor treatment at hospital. A few hundred protesters gathered in Trafalgar Square at the end of the day, but police cleared the area in the evening provoking scuffles with protesters.

“While the government says the cuts are necessary to tame the government deficit, protesters said that reduction in public spending during a recession will worsen the situation… Opposition leader Ed Miliband spoke out against the cuts at a rally in Hyde Park, comparing the protest to previous struggles for justice against Apartheid South Africa and the fight for the vote for women.”

Ultimately, Great Britain will not be able to solve its economic problems. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

Italy — Berlusconi Faces the Music

Deutsche Welle reported on March 28:

“Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi attended his first hearing in eight years on Monday over allegations of fiscal fraud and breach of trust in his Mediaset business empire. Berlusconi – as well as his son Pier Silvio Berlusconi, who is deputy chairman of Mediaset – are accused of fraud and embezzlement over the acquisition of television rights for inflated prices… Last year, Italy’s Constitutional Court struck down a law that protected the billionaire prime minister from prosecution…

“It’s the first of four hearings bearing down on Berlusconi, who is set to stand trial next month on charges that he slept with an underage prostitute. He is also involved in a bribery trial which reopened last week. The embattled leader has denied all charges against him, insisting they are part of a left-wing plot to oust him.”

It appears that Mr. Berlusconi’s days as Italy’s leader are numbered; but then, stranger things have happened, especially in Italy.

The Euro Has Been Saved “For Good”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on March 25:

“EU leaders achieved a breakthrough in Brussels on Thursday night, reaching a deal on the permanent crisis fund that will come into effect in 2013. After agreeing to a last-minute change regarding the terms of how Germany would pay money into the new permanent bailout fund for the euro, European Union leaders on Thursday reached a final agreement on the plan that they hope will eliminate speculation over the future of the common currency…

“In addition to the permanent euro crisis fund starting in 2013, Thursday’s deal includes stricter debt rules to ensure the stability of the euro and a pact aimed at strengthening fiscal coordination among EU countries. The European summit… had been billed as the final major summit to seal a long term rescue plan for the euro. A year after Greece’s de facto bankruptcy — leading to 12 months that saw the common currency fighting for survival — the message from Brussels was: The euro will not spiral into another existential crisis. The euro has been saved for good.”

Notwithstanding the “expert opinions” of those who do not understand biblical prophecy, it has been certain from the outset that the euro will survive.

Turmoil in Canada

Canadian Government Collapes

Reuters reported on March 25:

“The opposition toppled Canada’s Conservative government on Friday, accusing it of sleaze and mismanagement…The defeat paves the way for an election that will likely be fought on two main themes — ethics and the economy. Likely dates are May 2 or May 9. Canada’s dollar was steady at C$0.9810 to the U.S. dollar, or $1.0194… Prime Minister Stephen Harper admitted he was disappointed by the result, and said Canadians did not want what will be the fourth general election in less than seven years.”

We should continue to take note of Canada. As the British people are descendants of Ephraim—one of the two sons of Joseph—so are the English-speaking Canadians. Canada’s close relationship with the USA must be realized–the people of the USA being descendants of Manasseh, the older son of Joseph (compare Genesis 48:1-20). And so it appears that the biblically prophesied fate of all of these “blood-related” countries is closely intertwined.

Trump vs. Obama?

Newsmax reported on March 24:

“Donald Trump is not backing down from his demand that President Barack Obama produce his birth certificate and stepped up his criticism by questioning why he has not released other personal records, including college transcripts and legislative papers. The billionaire real estate tycoon and star of ‘The Apprentice’ created a stir on Wednesday when he said on ‘The View’ that Obama must release his birth certificate. Now Trump has reiterated his call in an exclusive interview with Newsmax.TV, with this simple message for Obama: Why don’t you produce your birth certificate and put to rest all speculation that you were born outside the United States?

“He says Obama’s birth certificate controversy is a ‘strange situation’ — there are conflicting reports as to what Honolulu hospital he was born at, and the governor of Hawaii claims he somehow remembers Obama being born 50 years ago…

“Obama asserts that he was born in Honolulu, but former Pennsylvania Deputy Attorney General Philip Berg has claimed that Obama’s paternal grandmother says she was in the delivery room when he was born in Kenya… After questions were raised about his birth, Obama’s campaign released a Certification of Live Birth. The form is a summary document and does not include the newborn’s location of birth. The long-form Birth Certificate includes such data, but Obama has declined to release it…

“Asked about the Obama administration’s handling of the rebellion in Libya, Trump tells Newsmax: ‘For one thing, if you’re going to save lives on a humanitarian basis you should have started sooner, because many of those lives are gone. For another thing, you really have to find out who you’re fighting for. Who are the rebels? You have some people who say that Iran is controlling the rebels, that Iran is the happiest of all nations because they think as soon as we leave they’re going to go in with the rebels and take over Libya. I hear more and more reports that the rebels aren’t the sweetest people on earth either. It looks to me like it’s a total mess.’”

On March 28, Newsmax added the following:

“Donald Trump, who has been making television appearances calling for President Barack Obama to release his official birth documents, released his birth certificate exclusively to Newsmax on Monday. ‘It took me one hour to get my birth certificate. It’s inconceivable that, after four years of questioning,  the president still hasn’t produced his birth certificate…’

“Trump was skeptical that so few people have stepped forward to verify Obama’s birth.’ I went to the best college and I was a great student, and it is inconceivable to my brain that no doctor, no nurse, nobody has stepped forward to verify the birth, other than the governor. He remembers? The governor [of Hawaii]? A birth 50 years ago? Come on…’

“He said other presidents have produced these documents without any hesitation. ‘Ronald Reagan, George Bush have produced their birth certificates’… Trump added that the local newspaper ad announcing Obama’s birth also strikes him as odd. ‘Someone takes an ad out in the paper announcing his birth days later? How many people do you know who take an ad out in the paper to announce a birth, and then won’t show anyone the birth certificate?’…

“Trump appeared on ‘The View’ last week and found it ‘insulting’ that co-host Whoopi Goldberg intimated that racism was behind the birth-certificate issue. Goldberg said that no white president had ever been asked to produce a birth certificate. ‘The fact is they asked John McCain for his birth certificate,’ Trump told Fox today. ‘They’ve asked others for their birth certificate. They asked Bush for his birth certificate…’”

The reaction of the mainstream media, and especially the center-left and left media, was predictable. Rather than responding to the issues, attempts were made to discredit Donald Trump in other respects.

And so, the following was reported by Newsmax on March 29, 2011:

“Billionaire real estate developer and rising GOP 2012 prospect Donald Trump is firing back at mainstream media reports that the birth document he provided exclusively to Newsmax on Monday was invalid. Trump has provided Newsmax a signed, dated Certificate of Birth from the City of New York’s Department of Health.

“The new birth certificate states that Trump was born in the borough of Queens on June 14, 1946. It is signed by the mayor, the acting registrar of records, and the commissioner of health. Trump said that once he realized the document he provided Newsmax on Monday was not an official birth certificate, it only took him a couple of hours to clear up the matter and locate the official document.”

On March 31, 2011, Real Clear Politics reported:

“Donald Trump speculates that President Obama’s birth certificate may say he is a Muslim. Trump says there is something on his certificate that he does not want the public to see.”

Donald Trump might very well become an interesting political figure in the months and years ahead. His assessment pertaining to President Obama’s birth certificate and the situation in Libya might be correct.

Turmoil in the Middle East

Watch Iran

CBN wrote on March 28:

“New evidence has emerged that the Iranian government sees the current unrest in the Middle East as a signal that the Mahdi–or Islamic messiah–is about to appear. CBN News has obtained a never-before-seen video produced by the Iranian regime that says all the signs are moving into place — and that Iran will soon help usher in the end times. While the revolutionary movements gripping the Middle East have created uncertainty throughout the region, the video shows that the Iranian regime believes the chaos is divine proof that their ultimate victory is at hand…

“The propaganda footage has reportedly been approved at the highest levels of the Iranian government. It’s called The Coming is Near and it describes current events in the Middle East as a prelude to the arrival of the mythical twelfth Imam or Mahdi — the messiah figure who Islamic scriptures say will lead the armies of Islam to victory over all non-Muslims in the last days…

“The video claims that Iran is destined to rise as a great power in the last days to help defeat America and Israel and usher in the return of the Mahdi. And it makes clear the Iranians believe that time is fast approaching… The ongoing upheavals in other Middle Eastern countries like Yemen and Egypt–including the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood — are also analyzed as prophetic signs that the Mahdi is near — so is the current poor health of the king of Saudi Arabia, an Iranian rival…

“Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khameini, and Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Iran’s terrorist proxy Hezbollah, are hailed as pivotal end times players, whose rise was predicted in Islamic scriptures. The same goes for Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadenijad, who the video says will conquer Jerusalem prior to the Mahdi’s coming.”

Iran is definitely a country to watch. There can be no doubt that the fanatic approach of Iranian Muslims regarding the coming of the Mahdi could create much turmoil in the Middle East and around the world.

Syria Divides USA and France

The EUObserver wrote on March 28:

“Syrian President Bashir al-Assad’s forces killed at least 20 more protesters over the weekend. But the US gave him credit for reforms and ruled out intervention, in contrast to hawkish French rhetoric…

“Al-Assad has freed prisoners, promised to lift the country’s long-standing emergency law and to change the constitution to appease demonstrators. But some EU diplomats stationed in Damascus fear he is capable of extreme violence if things go badly, citing the example of his father, who massacred over 20,000 people in the town of Hama in 1982… US secretary of state Hilary Clinton condemned the violence but appeared to give al-Assad a blank cheque in terms of outside intervention.

“… the Clinton rhetoric stands in contrast to remarks by French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Brussels on Thursday. Referring specifically to Syria and Libya, Sarkozy at the time said: ‘Every ruler should understand, and especially every Arab ruler should understand that the reaction of the international community and of Europe will from this moment on each time be the same.’”

There is much polemic talk, of course, but wars do begin with words!

The Los Angeles Times reported on March 29:

“The Syrian government resigned Tuesday as President Bashar Assad sought to stem a widening rebellion by promising to reform the police state that has kept his family in power for more than 40 years in one of the Middle East’s most strategic countries. Dissolving the Cabinet was the latest gambit by Assad to counter protests that threaten the kind of upheaval that brought down autocratic leaders in Egypt and Tunisia. The move suggested that the ruling elite is alternating between concessions and crackdowns as it navigates a crisis that has killed at least 61 people in recent days. That strategy did not save Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak or Tunisian President Zine el Abidine ben Ali.”

Libya—The Dangerous Adventure

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 19:
 
“By beginning to attack targets in Libya, the international coalition, led by France, is embarking on a dangerous adventure… It’s not clear what they hope to achieve with the military action. If it’s about protecting civilians from Gadhafi, the coalition would have to engage in a month-long attack… What also applies to this war is: If you go into it, you need to know how and when you can end the fight. I fear that the coalition has become involved in this civil war, despite the lessons of the Balkan wars, the Iraq wars and the Somalia fiasco, but perhaps with pure intentions. It’s not clear how it’s going to end.

“Therefore, the German Government has made the right decision not to participate in the military conflict… Giving the French President, who is under domestic pressure, the lead role is also not the best solution. Sarkozy is prone to impulsive decisions… Are France and Italy prepared for a Gadhafi, who has been backed into a corner, to send his bombers to attack Naples or Marseilles? He has already made these kinds of threats.

“If the actions of the coalition require many civilian casualties in Libya, the favorable public opinion in the coalition and in the Arab world will rapidly tip – against the coalition. A dangerous adventure with an uncertain outcome has begun.”

A very good analysis. Please also read the next article in this regard.  For more insight, please watch our two StandingWatch programs, “The Future of Libya” and “Libya in Prophecy.”

Chaos and Uncertainty in Libya’s Revolutionary Leadership

Der Spiegel wrote on March 30:

“The international community is using air strikes and missiles to defend freedom, human rights and democratic ideals in Libya. But are those also the values the rebels themselves are fighting for?… Since the air strikes began, the revolution has become a war with foreign support legitimized by a United Nations resolution and, as of this week, led by NATO. Western planes — whether American, French, Spanish or Canadian — have flown hundreds of sorties, bombing Gadhafi’s supply convoys, military bases, tank columns and primary residence in Tripoli.

“It was a moral decision, meant to help people rising up against one of the most brutal dictators in the Arab world. But there is no turning back. If the West intends to liberate the country from its dictator, it really has only three options: annihilate Gadhafi’s forces in a massive bombing campaign; send in ground forces; or equip the rebels with heavy weapons. The rebels have ruled out peace negotiations with Gadhafi.

“For the international community, the intervention in the Libyan conflict is about defending the fundamental values of freedom, human rights and self-determination. But the question is: Are all those who have a say in Benghazi just as interested in freedom, human rights and self-determination?…

“Libya is a political no man’s land… Most of those now calling the shots here are sons of the former regime and it’s worth asking what kind of state they want to create. Is it possible for democracy to prevail after 41 years where politics were forbidden? Or will the revolution fail in the end, even if it succeeds in toppling Gadhafi? And perhaps the greatest danger of all: Could this country, cobbled together by force under Gadhafi, end up disintegrating back into its component parts, into tribes, criminal gangs, warlords and Jihad groups, well-armed with Western weapons?…

“It is said that 8,000 people in Benghazi were government spies — the rebels found their names in files kept by the secret police. Armed young men roam the streets at night, arresting regime supporters, but private acts of revenge take place as well… Around 100 regime loyalists have recently been imprisoned. Armed young men are searching houses and also arresting sub-Saharan Africans, anyone they assume to be mercenaries and all those they simply refer to as spies, locking them up in the same prisons once used to hold opposition members… The prisoners sit in dark cells that stink of feces and urine…

“The rebels’ mood, exuberant and lighthearted in the beginning, has shifted. Their rhetoric is becoming increasingly tense and they dismiss any criticism as propaganda… These are the same threats, word for word, that Gadhafi uses to scare his opponents.”

Sadly, this seems always to be the end result of human rule. The oppressed, when being given the opportunity, become the oppressors.

Similar… with the Same Results?

The Drudge Report published the following on March 20:

“MARCH 19, 2011

“OBAMA: ‘Today we are part of a broad coalition. We are answering the calls of a threatened people. And we are acting in the interests of the United States and the world’…

“MARCH 19, 2003

“BUSH: ‘American and coalition forces are in the early stages of military operations to disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger’…”

This is indeed an interesting comparison, also in regard to the dates. We should realize that God has a time table. For more information, please read our free booklets, “The Authority of the Bible” and “Are You Predestined to Be Saved?”

Libya—War May Last “Awhile“

The New York Times wrote on March 27:

“Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates acknowledged Sunday that the unrest in Libya did not pose an immediate threat to the United States. Even so, he and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the Obama administration was justified in taking military action to avert a massacre there that could have altered the course of the popular revolts roiling the Arab world. The comments by President Obama’s two top national security officials… offered a striking illustration of the complex calculus that Mr. Obama faced in committing the military to impose a no-fly zone over Libya — one of the greatest gambles of his presidency… Both officials acknowledged that the operation could drag on for months or even into next year…

“On the key question of whether Libya constituted the kind of vital national interest that would normally justify military intervention, Mr. Gates offered a blunt denial… ‘No, I don’t think it’s a vital interest for the United States, but we clearly have interests there, and it’s a part of a region which is a vital interest for the United States,’ Mr. Gates said… Mrs. Clinton jumped in to clarify that the United States was obliged to act after allies like Britain and France, for whom Libya is a vital national interest, had requested that the international community respond… Mrs. Clinton emphasized that the administration did not view the Libya intervention as a precedent… she ruled out military action in Syria… the administration has watched violent crackdowns in Bahrain, Yemen and other Arab countries without intervening…”

President Obama Defends Action Against Libya…

The Associated Press reported on March 29:

“Defending the first war launched on his watch, President Barack Obama declared Monday night the United States intervened in Libya to prevent a slaughter of civilians that would have stained the world’s conscience and ‘been a betrayal of who we are.’ Yet he ruled out targeting Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, warning that trying to oust him militarily would be a costly mistake. Obama announced that NATO would take command over the entire Libya operation on Wednesday, keeping his pledge to get the U.S. out of the lead but offering no estimate on when the conflict might end.”

… While World Leaders Plan for Post-Gaddafi Libya

France24.com/AFP reported on March 29:

“Leaders from more than 35 governments and NGOs meeting in London have agreed to set up a contact group to provide ‘political direction’ to a post-Muammar Gaddafi Libya in coordination with the UN, African Union, Arab League and EU.”

Reading between the lines, while President Obama said that it would be a costly mistake to oust Gaddafi militarily, the 35 leaders meeting in London are already planning for a post-Gaddafi Libya.

Libya–NATO Takes Over… What?

The New York Times wrote on March 28:

“… the American military warned on Monday that the insurgents’ rapid advances could quickly be reversed without continued coalition air support… General Ham’s warning… underscored the essential role of Western airstrikes, now focused mainly on Colonel Qaddafi’s ground troops, in reversing the rebels’ fortunes…

“Left open, as well, was the question of how the allies could justify airstrikes on Colonel Qaddafi’s forces around Surt if, as seems to be the case, they enjoy widespread support in the city and pose no threat to civilians. On Monday, the Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, strongly criticized the allied attacks, saying ‘we consider that intervention by the coalition in what is essentially an internal civil war is not sanctioned by the U.N. Security Council resolution,’ news agencies reported…

“At a news conference in Naples, Italy, Lt. Gen. Charles Bouchard of Canada, who has been named to lead the NATO air campaign, said that the goals of the air campaign remained the same… As Western warplanes again bombed sites around Tripoli and other Qaddafi strongholds, NATO agreed at a meeting in Brussels to take over the mission. The decision effectively relieved the United States of leading the fight…”

NATO Hypocritical?

The Local wrote on March 25:

“Angela Merkel’s government has gone on the offensive over its maligned Libya policy, pushing hard for a complete oil embargo and even hinting that its NATO allies are hypocrites for bombing the country while still buying its oil.

“Development Minister Dirk Niebel told broadcaster ZDF on Thursday night that in effect Britain, France and the US were hypocritical for not supporting a complete embargo on Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi’s oil. ‘It is notable that exactly those countries which are blithely dropping bombs in Libya are still drawing oil from Libya,’ he said – remarks that are hardly likely to ease tensions with key allies angered over the country’s refusal to take part in the military operation.

“Meanwhile Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle on Friday criticized French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s broad threat to Arab rulers that they faced Libya-style intervention if they violently repressed their own people… Westerwelle, who abstained from the United Nations Security Council vote last week to enforce a ‘no-fly zone’ in Libya, said military means alone could not solve the Libyan crisis… It has been widely reported that NATO allies – France in particular – are deeply annoyed by Germany’s refusal to participate in enforcing the no-fly zone and bombing Libyan military targets, as well as its abstention in the vote to approve the measures in the Security Council.”

The Costs of War

Reuters reported on March 22:

“The no-fly zone over Libya could end up costing the Western coalition more than $1 billion if the operation drags on more than a couple of months, defense analysts say… The expense of patrolling the no-fly zone… is likely to be $30 million to $100 million a week… By comparison, the much more extensive Afghan war costs more than $9 billion a month.

“Some U.S. lawmakers and critics of President Barack Obama’s decision to join allies in the Libya bombing campaign have argued the United States cannot afford the operation while Congress wrangles over spending cuts and the country’s $1.48 trillion deficit. The Pentagon already has plans to cut $78 billion in defense spending over five years and is delaying weapons programs and putting off maintenance to reduce costs.

“… the Tomahawk cruise missiles fired so far by Britain and the United States cost about $200 million… The crash of a U.S. F-15 warplane was an unexpected cost… [The Pentagon will] probably… replace it with a joint strike fighter, with an estimated price tag of between $100 million and $150 million… defense analysts warned that British expenses for even a limited operation like Libya could quickly add up. Analyst Francis Tusa told BBC Radio 4 the missions flown so far cost Britain about 200,000 pounds ($325,000) per aircraft, with missiles running 800,000 pounds ($1.3 million) apiece. With Britain flying 10 Typhoon fighters to patrol the no-fly zone, ‘you’ll be looking at potentially 2, 3 million pounds a day ($3.25 million to $5 million),’ he said…”

ABC News reported on March 28:

“One week after an international military coalition intervened in Libya, the cost to U.S. taxpayers has reached at least $600 million, according figures provided by the Pentagon. U.S. ships and submarines in the Mediterranean have unleashed at least 191 Tomahawk cruise missiles from their arsenals to the tune of $268.8 million, the Pentagon said. U.S. warplanes have dropped 455 precision guided bombs, costing tens of thousands of dollars each. A downed Air Force F-15E fighter jet will cost more than $60 million to replace. And operation of the war craft, guzzling ever-expensive fuel to maintain their positions off the Libyan coast and in the skies above, could reach millions of dollars a week, experts say.”

In a world where people are starving to death because of lack of food and money, it is truly irresponsible to see world powers misappropriating funds to play their war games… But the curse of war and its terrible consequences are inevitable, as the next article shows.

“America Is Going Broke!”

Mail On Line wrote on March 23:

“A senior Federal Reserve official warned today that America is going broke… With the U.S. now fighting three wars, the massive new military drain on the budget could not have come at a worse time as the nation is trying to claw itself out of recession. The first day of Operation Odyssey Dawn had a price tag of well over $100 million for the U.S. in missiles alone…

“Dallas Federal Reserve Bank President Richard Fisher said the American economy is at a crucial ‘tipping point.’ He added: ‘If we continue down on the path on which the fiscal authorities put us, we will become insolvent – the question is when.’”

Japan—Dangerous Levels of Radioactivity

BBC News wrote on March 28:

“Highly radioactive water has been found for the first time outside one of the reactor buildings at Japan’s quake-hit Fukushima nuclear plant, officials say. The leak in a tunnel linked to the No 2 reactor has raised fears of radioactive liquid seeping into the environment. Plutonium has also been found in soil at the plant, but not at levels that threaten human health, officials say… Up until now, pools of water with extremely high levels of radiation have only been detected within the reactor buildings themselves.”

Mail On Line had already reported on March 19 that Japanese nuclear plant chief WEPT finally admitted that the radiation leak is “serious enough to kill people.”

The British paper, Express, added the following on March 31:

“NUCLEAR fallout from Japan has been detected in Britain sparking fears the whole country could have been exposed to radiation. Radioactive iodine was found in air samples taken in Oxfordshire, Glasgow and Dublin.

“Officials insisted the amount was ‘extremely low’ but the traces came from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, 5,500 miles away, which was crippled when the magnitude 9 earthquake and tsunami hit Japan nearly three weeks ago… Experts last night played down the risks to humans and the environment despite the Iodine 131, the chemical in a radioactive state.”

In spite of consistent denials by the Japanese government and even the Western press, we must consider the facts. And the facts are that radiation, resulting from destruction through earthquakes and other natural catastrophes, as well as from nuclear war, WILL kill an incredible amount of people in the future. Please study our free booklet, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”

Jesuits Settle Claims for Abuse

The Associated Press reported on March 25:

“Jesuits in the northwestern U.S. have agreed to pay $166.1 million to hundreds of American Indians and Alaska Natives who were abused at the Catholic order’s schools around the region. The settlement also asks the order to provide a written apology to the victims and to share documents with them such as their personal medical records. The Oregon Province of the Society of Jesus runs schools in Oregon, Washington state, Idaho, Montana and Alaska. The claims are from victims who were students at reservation and village schools in all five states. The province had previously settled another 200 claims. Then the organization filed for bankruptcy, claiming the payments had depleted their treasury. But victims argued the province remained wealthy because it controls and owns Gonzaga University, Gonzaga Preparatory School, Seattle University and other schools and properties.”

As many of our readers know, the Church of the Eternal God and its affiliates, the Global Church of God in the UK and the Church of God, a Christian Fellowship in Canada, as well as the Kirche des Ewigen Gottes in Germany, observe the annual Festival of the Days of Unleavened Bread. God commands us that during the seven days of that Festival, all leavened products have to be removed from our houses, and that only unleavened products are to be consumed during that time.

We explain in our Statements of Beliefs that we observe “The Days of Unleavened Bread once a year by not partaking of any food prepared with leaven for a period of seven days following the Passover. The partaking of the unleavened bread symbolizes the commitment to live a sinless life (Leviticus 23:6-8; Acts 20:6; 1 Corinthians 5:7-8).”

For a general overview as to this Festival, please read our Q&A, which asks and answers the question: “Exodus 12:18, among other Scriptures, commands us to eat unleavened bread for seven days. Is this command still valid today? If so, how is it to be applied?”

For a more thorough presentation, please read our two free booklets, “God’s Commanded Holy Days,” and “The Meaning of God’s Spring Holy Days.”

As the Question in this particular Q&A suggests, new people who become acquainted with this Festival and want to obey God’s injunction, might not have yet a clear understanding as to what constitutes leavened products, which need to be removed and avoided during the Seven Days of Unleavened Bread.

In a previous Q&A, we discussed, in general terms, what constitutes leaven, and we addressed some specific areas, such as beer or toothpaste. We also addressed some areas where the understanding of the Jews differs from the understanding that God reveals in His Word.

That particular Q&A asked and answered the question: “We are commanded in the Bible to remove all leaven from our houses during the Days of Unleavened Bread. Is it true that your understanding and the understanding of the Jews are different, as to what constitutes leaven that needs to be removed? If so, could you explain your position and the reasons for it?”

Please make sure that you read or re-read that Q&A in conjunction with the material that is presented herein.

In addition, we are now providing you with a list as to what constitutes leaven which should be removed from our houses and which should not be partaken of during that time. Although quite thorough, we still would like to mention that this list must be viewed with caution; that is, it is critically important that one looks at the ingredients of each product.

For instance, just because the word “puff” or “puffed” is in the label (for instance, “puff pastry”) does not necessarily mean that the product is leavened. In the USA, there are normally four main ingredients in puff pastry: flour, butter, salt, and water; that is, it would contain no leaven. However, in the UK, “puff pastry” DOES include leaven, as reflected on the label, which means that it must be avoided. In any case, even in the USA, labels need to be checked to ascertain whether the product contains leaven.

Some pie crusts are unleavened, but one needs to be careful here, because most crusts do have leaven in them. We are informed that Marie Calendar’s does not have leavening in their crusts. Again, it is important that the labels are carefully reviewed to ascertain what the products contain.

The following lists items which contain Baking Powder and/or Baking Soda (or Sodium Bicarbonate) and/or YEAST and/or Baker’s Yeast. All of these need to be avoided during the Days of Unleavened Bread:

Crackers; Bread; Bagels; Muffins; Hamburger and Hot Dog Buns; Garlic Bread; Baguettes; Cheese Straws; Sausage Rolls; Corn Dogs; Sour Dough; Biscuits; Pretzel; (some) Cereals; Cheese Puffs; Cake; Pastry; (some) Pies; Cookies; Ice Cream Cones and Wafers; (some) Ice Cream with added Cookies; Pancakes; Waffles; Puff Pastry [in the UK, see comments above]; Self-Rising Flour; Graham Crackers; Bread Crumbs; Deep-Fried Chicken; Anything battered, i.e., Onion Rings or Fish; Croutons; Flour Tortillas; Burritos; Soft Tacos; Kit Kat; Wafer Biscuits; (some) Candy; (some) Candy Bars; Chinese Orange Chicken; Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) Breaded Chicken; (some) Cereal Bars; Granola Bars; and (most) Bacon Bits.

Note that in the UK, the reference to “bacon” in “bacon bits” is understood as meaning pork. Of course, pork must not be eaten at any time. In the USA, the reference to “bacon” can also apply to beef and to turkey. But “beef bacon bits” or “turkey bacon bits” must not be consumed during the Days of Unleavened Bread, when they contain leaven (as distinguished from “autolysis yeast,” which is not a leavening agent, and therefore appropriate for consumption, see below).

Also, we need to point out that many restaurants have leavening in unsuspected products, for instance in meat. Most of this information is readily available online. For instance, in checking the ingredient statement on Taco Bell’s website, we are informed that in addition to the more obvious items (such as flatbread or chalupa flatbread), their chili and their “seasoned ground beef” contain yeast (which is to be avoided during the Days of Unleavened Bread).

On the other hand, products which contain Yeast Extract [as distinguished from Yeast] (for instance in soups), or “Autolyzed Yeast” or “Deactivated Yeast” are fine (these are not leavening agents, as they provide no fermentation activity. For instance, Deactivated Yeast is strictly designed to be used as a reducing agent for increased extensibility). In addition, Corn Tortillas are fine as well. Also exempt from the injunction to remove items from our houses during the Days of Unleavened Bread are those products which are not used for human consumption, such as dog or cat food, fire extinguishers and toothpaste; or beverages, such as beer.

We hope this list will be of assistance. We cannot overemphasize, however, that it is important to read the labels for the ingredients of each product. When in doubt, we should abstain from eating the item during the Days of Unleavened Bread, for “he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23).

A new member letter was sent out this week, covering our annual conference and the pre-Passover season in which we are living. The letter also makes reference to the recent ordination of Mr. Eric Rank as an Elder, and the imminent travel of Mr. and Mrs. Link and their entire family to Germany in order to observe the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread with the German brethren. The letter includes a renewal card for the USA, and everyone on our mailing list in the USA is requested to fill out and return the card to us, to ensure continuing and uninterrupted service.

New information regarding our Feast sites for 2011 in California and North Wales has been posted on our US and UK Web sites. 

A new StandingWatch program was placed on the Internet, titled, “The Future of Libya.” 

In the program, the following is discussed: Why are we fighting against Libya? What do we hope to achieve? Who should lead? The USA does not want to, but it does not like France to lead, either. The Arab world and Turkey are opposed to air strikes; Germany won’t participate at all; NATO is taking a confusing position; and France’s role is becoming more and more problematic. In light of this confusion, what does the Bible say about the role that Libya will play in the not-too-distant future?

A new German AufPostenStehen program was placed on the Internet, titled, “Libyen in der Prophezeiung” (“Libya in Prophecy”).

A new German sermon has been posted on the Internet.  It is titled, “Wie Nahe Ist Ihnen Gott?” (“How Close Is God To You?”)

by Bill Koeneke (Britain/USA)

Living on the east coast of New Jersey, I often went swimming in the summer. I was 7 or 8 years of age at the time when on one such occasion, I was suddenly caught by the undertow and dragged out to sea. It was perhaps only 10 yards or so, but it seemed a very long way out. Frightened, I became disoriented, attempting to grab onto  something–anything–and then I began to lose consciousness. It felt like an oncoming pleasant death. I simply gave in to what seemed inevitable. Suddenly someone grabbed me, pulled me out, and pumped me out—and here I am, yours truly!  On this occasion I had eluded death. Since that event I continue to fear being in deep water.

As a young lad in my teens, I became interested in justice, and I was always eager that the good guys would win over the bad guys.  Some of my favourite radio and cinema programs involved cops and robbers and cowboys. As I matured, and near the end of my last year of college, I decided I wanted to join the FBI. I travelled to one of their field offices to take a written test. Unfortunately, I was so nervous that, as a result, I failed to pass the test which appeared at first to be fairly easy — I “flunked out” as they say. Fortunately, however, in the years following and together with a bit of hindsight and also in the light of my calling, it has occurred to me I had been, in effect, diverted from this career where I would have had to carry a weapon and perhaps, in the line of duty, would have had to kill someone.

Prior to the closing years of World War II, I joined the U.S. Army Air Force and was trained in Texas as an Airplane and Engine mechanic on their B-29 bomber aircraft. Following completion of the course, I was shipped to an east coast camp where I was asked to volunteer for a secret mission. Not knowing what the mission was all about, and wary of volunteering for the unknown, I declined. Subsequently I learned that it would have involved a transfer to the Pacific island of Tinian where some of the Army’s B-29 aircraft were stationed.

That assignment, in turn, would have involved me as a mechanic, along with others, helping to prepare one such aircraft which eventually was used to drop the first atomic bomb on Japan–with the result of having directly killed, out of a total population of 450,000, around 135,000 in Hiroshima and 64,000 in Nagasaki and let alone those thousands who subsequently died weeks and months later from exposure to the effects of radiation and flash burns. In the light of my calling I have come to realize I was led to opt out of a potential scenario where I would have been directly involved in a mission with devastating consequences.

I was then shipped to the European theater of operations in southern France where there were no B-29s, in order to work on other types of aircraft as a mechanic while involved also in the refuelling unit. Thus I was spared from being assigned to one of the crews flying out of other airfields, for example in England, with B-17 aircraft, the so-called “Flying Fortress” that had as their daily mission the job of bombing, and thus killing, thousands of Germans, and in a number of cases the airmen themselves being shot down.

As a result of these incidents and considering the possibility of similar happenings in the past of which I am unaware, I feel mightily blessed, for with hindsight I have come to realise that, in effect, and unknowingly at the time, I was being super-naturally protected and prepared for a very special future mission.  Once discharged from the Air Force in 1946, it was to be another 26 years before I actually realized God’s calling for that future mission.

It has been brought to our attention that God predestined and foreknew those whom He would ultimately call, and that the called-out ones are no longer subject to time and chance. I believe, based on the incidents I related above, that even prior to my actual calling, God was already watching over me, and that He was guiding and directing me in certain incidents.

Considering my own situation in that light, God called me for a far greater mission than anything this world could offer—a mission in which I have been involved for the past 39 years—and Amen to that!