On January 15, 2011, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, respectively, “The Days of Punishment.”

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 January 16, 2011, Norbert Link will officiate the memorial service for Lois Bargar.

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org (1:00 pm Pacific Time; 2:00 pm Mountain Time; 3:00 pm Central Time; 4:00 pm Eastern Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

On the 16th January 1986, Mr Herbert W Armstrong died. As many of you may know, until his death, he was the human leader of the Church of God, known at that time as the Worldwide Church of God. Some 25 years later, the Church of God is organisationally split asunder with many off-shoots. This was, in part, caused by apostasy that came to a head in the mid 1990’s when it became obvious that the intention of the new leadership was to dismantle the Church to suit a mainstream approach.

This was not new but it would be fair to say that one might have been expecting problems and persecutions from the outside, but not from the inside, as it turned out to be. As we take the Bible as our guide to life, we ought to consider what had happened to the Church in the first century, when there was clear evidence of problems even at that time.

Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians 3:6 that Church members were to “withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us.” The doctrines taught by Christ and His disciples are to be safeguarded by “the church of the living God, the pillar and ground (foundation) of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). We know that Paul had to admonish the Corinthian Church about the many problems that plagued it, and we read in 3 John, verses 9 & 10, that Diotrophes loved to have the preeminence among the brethren and forbade true believers to attend the local Church congregation.

There is much more biblical evidence of false leaders and those being led away from the truth. However, we should also note that God uses and approves of those who are submissive to His Will and prove to be good leaders (not perfect of course), and whose hearts are right with God.  A number of God’s followers in the Old Testament would fall into that category, as well as the disciples and early apostles and leaders in the New Testament Church. But often, when a leader dies, things change and not always for the best. The history of Israel and Judah are testament to that.

In the 20th  century, there can be no question that Mr Armstrong submitted to God’s Will to be used in a mighty way in the Church of God. Since the apostasy after his death, so many have thought themselves to become experts, discounting this, dismissing that and generally trying to diminish the Church’s heritage, history and doctrinal understanding. What such people forget is that had God the Father and Jesus Christ not used Mr Armstrong, these same people would not have been drawn to the Church of God and given the understanding that they had received. It is true, of course, that God could have used someone else to restore the truth that had been lost to the Church of God in the 20th century, but He didn’t.

Then there are those who almost worship Mr Armstrong, giving him almost a status of being “divine” or a “pope,” saying that nothing could be changed after his death. But Mr Armstrong emphasized again and again that we must change when in error. He stated that such willingness was one of the signs of a true Christian. If it were otherwise, there could have been no personal growth in any Church member in the last 25 years, but we are instructed to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

Balance is needed instead of swinging from one ditch into the other. Mr Armstrong was a man of God but not one to be worshipped. If he were alive today, he would be amazed as to what has happened to the Church since his death. Or would he? Perhaps he had the vision of what would occur, as he made mention on several occasions that he didn’t think many or even most Church members “got it”.

God has used and will use whom He will. And He wants to use each and every one of us today, in extraordinary ways, preparing us to become glorified members in the Kingdom and Family of God. The question is, Are you allowing God to use you to do HIS Will?

Jared Loughner, 22, was charged with the shooting in Tucson, Arizona, on Saturday, January 8, 2011, in which six people were killed, including a federal judge and a nine-year-old girl, and more than a dozen injured. Some on the political left were anxious to blame “the right” for these horrendous murders. These reactions are not only ludicrous and irresponsible, they are also devoid of any facts. It appears that Loughner dabbled in the occult and devil worship, as well as alcohol and drugs, and he might very well have been demonically inspired, if not possessed, to carry out these heinous crimes.

Our “sophisticated” modern western world does not (want to) believe in a devil and his forces of evil, and while biblical standards are torn down and pushed aside (see our article, “No More Father and Mother in US Passports”), biblical “teachers” discredit the Bible when such abominable and blasphemous conduct helps their political agenda (see our article, “How Religious Liberals Violate Scripture.”). Even the memorial service in Tuscon, Arizona, which was conducted on Wednesday, January 12, for the victims of the shooting, began with the “blessing” of a Native American Indian!

We also observed this week the continuing dismantling of America’s special relationship with Britain, while core Europe–especially Germany and France—proceed to show and use their muscles. We report on the crisis in Lebanon and conclude with articles on floods in Australia and the ongoing worldwide mass deaths of many birds and fish. Despite “scientific speculatory explanations” and attempts by the mass media to “downplay” the issue, the mystery remains.

How Some on the Left Lose All Decency…

Der Spiegel Online wrote on January 10:

“Saturday’s assassination attempt on Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is a tragedy… only hours [later], the debate showed signs of derailing. Of all people, it is precisely those who have complained the loudest about the culture of debate — about the rhetoric of the Tea Party, the right wing’s harsh words and the baseless Obama-Hitler comparisons — who are now poisoning the debate with their own baseless insinuations. With little reliance on facts, they began searching for scapegoats for the attack and they found them, selectively, among the right wing, the Tea Party, Republican Party boss Michael Steele and Tea Party heroine Sarah Palin.

“… commentator Keith Olbermann called for Palin to be ousted from the Republican Party if she didn’t repudiate her role in ‘amplifying violence and violent imagery in politics.’ In his column in the New York Times, Paul Krugman sought to link the ‘toxic rhetoric’ coming from right-wing preachers of hate with the assassination attempt…

“What little is known about the perpetrator does not suggest that he was a supporter of the Tea Party or an admirer of Palin’s — he doesn’t even appear to have any clear political convictions. His favorite books include the ‘Communist Manifesto,’ Hitler’s ‘Mein Kampf’ and ‘Peter Pan’… So far, there is no evidence that there were any political motives behind the crime. Indeed, the massive criticism of Sarah Palin is misguided. This is not only due to the fact that the accusation is baseless, but also because the calculated attempt to weaken Palin in this manner could ultimately backfire.”

Occult and Devil Worship the Real Cause?

Yahoo reported on January 10:

“The 22-year-old Arizona shooter who attacked Rep. Giffords and 17 others on Saturday (Jan. 8, 2011) initially appeared to be motivated by political beliefs… Now, though, it appears that Jared Loughner was also inspired by devil worship or some other occult practice. Investigators have discovered a tent in the back yard of Jared Loughner’s home, containing an altar. Atop the altar there is a skull on a pot of charred oranges. Candles and potting soil sit nearby. These items are reportedly common elements of occult rituals…

“If Jared Loughner’s actions were truly motivated by devil worship or some other occult belief system, then his political rantings might have been intentional misdirection or an irrelevant sideline. This news also once again raises the possibility that Loughner might belong to some group that advocates killing – perhaps an occult group of some kind”.

USA Today reported on January 11 that the shooter had “a curious, dark change,” continuing, “the nice, skinny kid some classmates remember from Tucson’s Mountain View High School appears to have transformed into an oddball with psychological problems… former friends, co-workers and mental health specialists suggest a personality gone awry… Paul Ragan, a professor of psychiatry… says news reports about Loughner strongly suggest he was a paranoid schizophrenic….

“‘Being psychotic is not like a light switch where you’re OK one moment and then you’re suddenly psychotic,’ says Ragan… ‘People talk about descending into psychosis. They experience this ego disintegration.’… Loughner’s demeanor may have changed as he began dabbling in alcohol and drugs…Loughner took a job at a Quiznos sandwich shop a year or so ago. Manager Jose Landeros… says he seemed normal at first but underwent a sort of personality transformation that led to his firing.”

Many do not believe that Satan and his demons can actually motivate or even possess humans to induce them to carry out most despicable acts. They might even dabble in the occult, thinking it is “harmless fun.” The Bible shows, however, that the devil and evil spirits exist; that trying to get in touch with them in some way, even “inadvertently” or “ignorantly,” is terribly dangerous; and that demonic activity will increase in these last days. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World.”

No More Father And Mother in US Passports

Newsmax reported on January 9:

“In what seems to be a diplomatic effort at extreme political correctness and a nod to gay rights groups, the Obama administration is removing the words ‘mother’ and ‘father’ from U.S. passport applications and replacing them with ‘gender neutral’ terminology. Mom and dad will now be referred to rather coldly as ‘parent one’ and ‘parent two.’

“Conservative Christian groups are outraged over the decision… Family Research Council president Tony Perkins wrote: ‘… This is clearly designed to advance the causes of same-sex “marriage” and homosexual parenting without statutory authority, and violates the spirit if not the letter of the Defense of Marriage Act.’

“… A statement on the State Department website noted: ‘These improvements are being made to provide a gender neutral description of a child’s parents and in recognition of different types of families’… Gay rights groups are applauding the decision.”

How Religious Liberals Violate Scripture

The left-liberal Huffington Post published the following incredible article by a “Rev. Candace Chellew-Hodge” on the Bible and homosexuality. This article is not only a disgrace and postulates totally wrong concepts, it shows the kind of wrong religious “leadership” within U.S. Christianity, which is so rampant today. Be warned: Reading excerpts from this article will probably make you upset and even somewhat angry—and it should!

The author makes the following outrageous claims:

“There are several reasons that gays and lesbians should never argue scripture… Those who are anti-gay are more likely to see the Bible as the infallible ‘Word of God’ — which means the words literally dripped from the lips of God through the pens of the scribes and onto the page. Each jot and tittle is God-breathed and never to be contradicted. (Never mind that much of the Bible is full of contradictions and much of it we disregard with impunity these days. Those sorts of inconveniences never actually apply to the argument around homosexuality.)

“Those who argue from the pro-gay side are generally those who see the Bible as inspired by God, but not the literal, infallible words of God. This means they are more open to different interpretations and approaches to scripture…

“The most important reason, however, that gays and lesbians should never, ever argue about scripture is because the Bible has nothing much to say about homosexuality. We have to remember that this is an ancient book… we cannot extract modern ideas from an ancient book. The writers of the Bible no more understood homosexuality than they understood that a spherical Earth orbited the sun…. Why on earth would we take [the Bible] as an authority on sexual orientation?…

“Humanity has moved from seeing God as a harsh judge and lawmaker to… seeing God as full of grace, mercy and love.  We don’t learn about God by pulling out tiny details of the book and proclaiming them as true for all time…

“The reason gays and lesbians should never argue over scripture is because, not only does scripture not condemn homosexuality, arguing over it produces nothing but strife, division and hatred. Anything that does not promote love is not of God. Instead of arguing, let us love one another, even those with whom we disagree. This is God’s message to us. Nothing else matters.”

This incredibly foolish article overlooks and denies myriads of truisms, one of which is the definition of love: “This is the love of God that we keep His commandments” (1 John 5:3). The Bible clearly condemns homosexual practices–please read the first chapter in the book of Romans. Religious teachers who write articles like the one excerpted above are of no value to God’s people or to this nation. In fact, they are deceivers who mislead those who listen to them.

If you want to prove to yourself what value the Bible should have in your life today, and that it is indeed inspired by God to be taken quite literally, please read our free booklet, “The Authority of the Bible.”

Special US Relationship with Britain in Jeopardy?

Mail On Line wrote on January 11:

“Barack Obama has declared that France is America’s greatest ally, undermining Britain’s Special Relationship with the U.S. The President risked offending British troops in Afghanistan by saying that French president Nicolas Sarkozy is a ‘stronger friend’ than David Cameron. The remarks, during a White House appearance with Mr Sarkozy, will reinforce the widely-held view in British diplomatic circles that Mr Obama has less interest in the Special Relationship than any other recent American leader.

“The comments follow a pattern of coldness towards the UK. When Gordon Brown was prime minister, Mr Obama snubbed his requests for meetings in the U.S. He also denounced Britain during his inauguration speech.

“The UK has lost nearly 350 troops in the war against the Taliban – seven times as many as France. And there are more than 10,000 British soldiers serving in Helmand province, compared with just 3,850 Frenchmen. Mr Obama’s stance was swiftly condemned in Westminster… The remarks also angered conservatives in Washington.

“Nile Gardiner, director of the Margaret Thatcher Centre For Freedom at the Heritage Foundation think-tank, said: ‘Quite what the French have done to merit this kind of high praise from the U.S. President is difficult to fathom. And if the White House means what it says this represents an extraordinary sea change in foreign policy.’

“Dr Gardiner… added: ‘To suggest that Paris and not London is Washington’s strongest partner is simply ludicrous. Such a remark is not only factually wrong but insulting to Britain, not least coming just a few years after the French knifed Washington in the back over the war in Iraq.’”

The Bible reveals that the relationship between the USA and Great Britain will indeed continue to deteriorate. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Book of Zechariah—Prophecies for Today!”

Core Europe Pressures Portugal

The EUObserver wrote on January 10:

“Reports over the weekend quote senior European sources as saying Berlin, Paris and other core eurozone capitals are leaning heavily on Lisbon to apply for a financial rescue…

“The eurozone core fears that if a firewall is not built around Portugal, investor nervousness could spread to Spain, a much larger economy than those of the two states – Greece and Ireland – that have already been bailed out.”

The Bible prophesies the emergence of a core Europe, led by Germany, which will consist of ten nations or groups of nations. This core Europe will have great economic, political, military and even religious influence on the entire world. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Is that in the Bible—the Mysteries of the Book of Revelation.”

Crisis in Lebanon

The Associated Press reported on January 13:

“The collapse of Lebanon’s government plunged the country into deep political uncertainty Thursday after a year of relative stability, as the president began the process of putting a new administration together.

“President Michel Suleiman asked Saad Hariri to stay on as caretaker prime minister after the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah and its allies resigned Wednesday and brought down Hariri’s government. The crisis was the climax of tensions that have been simmering for months over the U.N. tribunal investigating the 2005 assassination of Hariri’s father, former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

“The tribunal is widely expected to indict members of Hezbollah soon, which many fear could rekindle violence in the tiny nation plagued for decades by war and civil strife… The collapse of the government ushers in the worst political crisis since 2008 in one of the most volatile corners of the Middle East.”

In a related article, The Associated Press noted on January 13 that “Israeli troops in the north were on alert Thursday over worries that the political turmoil in Lebanon might spill over into renewed violence on their shared border, following the collapse of the Lebanese government.”

Floods in Australia

Reuters wrote on January 13:

“The floods across the state of Queensland have killed at least 19 people, 12 of whom died in the Toowoomba area inland, and 61 were missing, the state government said. Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley region, west of state capital Brisbane, were devastated by tsunami-like flash flooding on Monday. Large parts of Brisbane have become muddy lakes, with an entire waterfront cafe among the debris washing down the Brisbane River, a torrent that has flooded 12,000 homes in the city of 2 million and left 118,000 buildings without power…

“Officials warned of the risk of further severe flooding in the coming weeks, with two months of the wet season ahead and already overflowing dams requiring seven days to empty to normal levels to cope with more heavy rains…

“The floods could cost insurers nearly $1 billion and some economists expect $6 billion in damage from the deluge that began last month in Queensland, crippling the coking coal industry and destroying roads, railways and bridges.”

Mysterious Mass Deaths of Animals Continues

On January 6, 2011, The Huffington Post wrote the following:

“On Wednesday, GeaPress reported hundreds — possibly thousands of dead and dying birds in Italy. Countless turtle doves were found scattered in the streets, in flower beds and hanging tragically from trees… in the town of Faenza. Many of the birds that fell dead from the sky were discovered with a mysterious blue stain in their beaks.

“In the past week, similar incidents of mass animal death have been reported across the world. Thousands of dead birds fell from the sky in Arkansas on New Year’s Eve, and similar incidents were reported on different days in Louisiana, Kentucky and Sweden. Two million fish were discovered dead in Maryland, with other fish kills also reported in Brazil, New Zealand and Arkansas — approximately 100 miles from the bird incident. 40,000 crabs washed up on England beaches in the past few days, as well.

“While the events are likely unrelated, most still remain a mystery.”

CBS wrote on January 11:

“A bizarre scene is evolving on the Chicago lakefront, with Canada geese and mallard ducks gulping down dead or dying gizzard shad… Thousands, perhaps far more than that, of dead gizzard shad in the 3- to 5-inch range are frozen in the ice of Chicago harbors or floating around in open patches of water.”

Please view our new StandingWatch program, “Birds and Fish Will Waste Away.”

On Sunday, January 16, we will be conducting a memorial service for Lois Bargar in Ramona, California. The services will begin at 1:00 pm Pacific Time.

Our new member letter was sent out this week and posted on the Web.

New pocket Holy Days calendars were enclosed with the member letter and are also posted on the Web, under “Feasts.”

On January 8, 2011, Norbert Link will give the sermon from Oregon, titled, “Babylon’s False Prophet.”

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.

Are you experiencing events in your life that you just don’t like? I’m sure you do. We all do. But rather than becoming discouraged, complaining about “life,” focusing on the seemingly “negative,” the apostle Paul is approaching this subject in quite a different way. He was most certainly familiar with suffering, trials, mischiefs, headache, set-backs and tremendous problems. He was beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, persecuted, maligned, arrested, tried, released and subsequently imprisoned again. If there was any man who could have given up in despair, it would have been him. But did he?

While imprisoned in Rome, Paul wrote his famous letter to the Philippians. Philippi had been the first European city visited by Paul. He arrived there on the Feast of Pentecost, following the direction of a vision, which he had received in Troas (Acts 16:9-13). Paul and Silas were beaten, arrested and imprisoned in Philippi, but then freed through an earthquake (Acts 16:16-40). The beginnings of that church were very small, but it seems that it grew and that the Philippian brethren were very kind to Paul. And Paul did not forget that.

In his letter to the church in Philippi, Paul thanked and encouraged them. He spoke about his imprisonment as an event which helped, not hindered, the preaching of the gospel. Even though some might have described his condition in a very negative way, Paul viewed it quite differently.

When reading Philippians 1:12, one is amazed to see how strongly Paul was willing to relate the positive aspects of his situation. However, in the New King James Bible, the rendering of his statement is awkward and, frankly, quite misleading. There, we read: “But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel…” This could give the impression that Paul believed that “the things” in his life just occurred because of “happenstance”—that they were the result of “blind fate” or time and chance.

This is, however, not the meaning of the verse. The words “which happened” are not in the original Greek. They were, unfortunately and incorrectly, added by the translator. Notice how other translations render this verse.

The New American Bible says: “I want you to know, brothers, that my situation has turned out rather to advance the gospel…”

The New Jerusalem Bible says: “Now I want you to realize, brothers, that the circumstances of my present life are helping rather than hindering the advance of the gospel…”

Paul knew that the “things” in his life did not just “happen” because of “time and chance.” Are you unsure about why you are going through certain events or discouraging problems in your life? Do you think they just might “occur” because you “happen” to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and that God has nothing to do with them? If so, think again. And while you are at it, please read chapter 4 in our free booklet, “Are You Predestined to Be Saved?”

Paul did not believe that he was a helpless victim of blind fate, and if you are a converted Christian, you should not believe it either. Paul knew that God was always there to watch, guide and direct him; to encourage him; and yes, even to chastise and punish him, when necessary. Paul would later write in his letter to the Hebrews that God chastises every child whom He wants to receive into His Kingdom (Hebrews 12:5-11). Paul knew that he was no exception. He was convinced that his occasional chastisement,  even though seemingly painful at the moment, was a positive, and not a negative event.

Paul was of the firm conviction that God was watching him at all times, and that nothing would just “happen” to him without or against God’s Will. He knew Christ’s words that no sparrow falls to the ground apart from the Father’s Will, and that the very hairs of our head are all numbered (Matthew 10:29-30).

I would like to quote from an older commentary—“Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible.” Admittedly, it is written in a language which might sound a little bit strange to our modern ears, but I believe that you will appreciate the gist of his comments:

“[Paul’s] sufferings on account of the Gospel, which though said to happen, were not things of chance but of appointment; for as all the sufferings of Christ the head, were by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, so are those of all the members of his [spiritual] body, and of his ministers who are appointed to these things, and they for them; of which Christ has given previous notice, so that they do not come unexpected, but are looked for by them; nor are they over distressed with them, being supported with the presence, Spirit, grace, and favour of God; hence they can rejoice in them, in hope of the glory of God…”

In addition, please also note these insightful statements in “Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary”:

“The apostle was a prisoner at Rome; and… he shows the wisdom and goodness of God in his sufferings. These things made him known, where he would never have otherwise been known; and led some to inquire after the gospel… Since our troubles may tend to the good of many, we ought to rejoice… Let us leave it to Christ, which way he will make us serviceable to his glory, whether by labour or suffering, by diligence or patience, by living to his honour in working for him, or dying to his honour in suffering for him.”

Paul saw God’s directing and sustaining hand in his life. Even though (or because) he was a prisoner, he was able to help in the furtherance of the truth of the gospel. His condition as a Roman captive enabled him to fulfill his commission, which Christ had given to him (Acts 20:24)–to open the eyes of the Gentiles and to turn them from darkness to light (Acts 26:12-18).

How about you? If God called you into His spiritual body, He has given you the same charge of living the truth of the gospel–of standing up for and, if appropriate, “defending” it (compare 2 Peter 3:15). When things go “wrong,” don’t blame time and chance or “life.” This would be a most serious mistake. Rather, consider whether the wrong things may be just right for you. Stay positive. Be thankful that God IS in charge—and that He has promised that He will be with you, always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20).

We begin reporting on worldwide natural disasters and strange occurrences, including the mysterious death of birds and fish and flooding in Australia, and we are reflecting on earthquakes and other catastrophes in 2010. We continue relating the grim and hopeless conditions in California, emphasize reasons as to why the euro will not fail, and warn of rising oil prices and expensive times to come. We speak on Europe’s dismay and anger with Egypt, report on Europe’s helplessness or unwillingness to stand up to Russia’s totalitarian regime, and conclude with a strong article in a Jewish paper on the Coming of the Messiah.

Mysterious Deaths of Thousands of Birds

Today’s THV wrote on January 2, 2011:

“Just before folks in Beebe (Arkansas) rang in the New Year, many witnessed an uncanny resemblance to the Hitchcock movie ‘The Birds.’ About 2,000 black birds [actually, up to 5,000, see article below] fell from the sky off Windwood Drive, leaving quite the mess to clean up. Folks Today’s THV spoke with initially thought the birds were poisoned because they are what they call a nuisance around this time every year, but they are surprised to hear it is more of a mystery…

“The mystery is unraveling like scenes from a movie, dozens of U.S. Environmental Services crews spent the day picking up the birds, walking between homes and climbing on roofs with protective hazmat suits and breathing masks.

“Charles Boldrey stands outside watching the crews, ‘Nobody knows, I asked these guys who are out here picking them up and they don’t seem to know anything. Nobody seems to know anything. It just kind of freaked everybody out.’… Game and Fish Commission’s Karen Rowe says poisoning doesn’t appear to be the case and strange events similar to this have occurred across the globe a number of times.”

MSNBC wrote the following  on January 3, thereby only adding to the mystery:

“Preliminary autopsies on 17 of the up to 5,000 blackbirds that fell on this town indicate they died of blunt trauma to their organs, the state’s top veterinarian told NBC News on Monday. Their stomachs were empty, which rules out poison, Dr. George Badley said, and they died in midair, not on impact with the ground. That evidence… suggests they suffered some massive midair collision, he added. That lends weight to theories that they were startled by something…

“Violent weather rumbled over much of the state Friday, including a tornado that killed three people in Cincinnati, Ark. Lightning could have killed the birds directly or startled them to the point that they became confused. Hail also has been known to knock birds from the sky… Rough weather had hit the state earlier Friday, but the worst of it was already well east of Beebe by the time the birds started falling, said Chris Buonanno, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in North Little Rock.”

CNN added the following on January 4:

“Karen Rowe, an ornithologist for the game and fish commission, said the incident is not that unusual and is often caused by a lightning strike or high-altitude hail… Officials also speculated that fireworks shot by New Year’s revelers in the area might have caused severe stress in the birds… ‘Initial examinations of a few of the dead birds showed trauma. Whether or not this trauma was from the force of hitting the ground when they fell or from something that contacted them in the air, we don’t know,’ she said…

“In a seemingly separate incident, some 500 red-winged blackbirds, starlings and grackles were found dead in southern Louisiana in Labarre. The birds showed no evident trauma, according to Jim LaCour, a veterinarian with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.”

On January 5, USA Today reported about another theory explaining the deaths of thousands of birds in Arkansas: “It was someone shooting off professional grade fireworks in a residential district, scaring the night-blind birds out of their roost into a 25-mph flight that ran them into houses, signs and even the ground, says Karen Rowe, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission ornithologist.”

The Local reported on January 5 that “Shortly before midnight on Tuesday, residents found 50 to 100 jackdaws on a street in Falköping southeast of Skövde [Sweden]. The incident echoed a number of unexplained incidents earlier this week across the southern US.”

Ktre.com reported on January 5: “A large number of dead birds spotted on the Hwy 155 bridge near Ore City [Texas] is most likely a natural occurrence in the area and not related to the mysterious bird deaths in Arkansas and Louisiana.”

Deaths of Thousands of Fish

There have also been reports of many fish dying. Today’s THV reported on January 2: “Arkansas Game & Fish is trying to figure out why 100,000 fish in Northwest Arkansas turned up dead. They were found along a 20-mile stretch between the Ozark Dam and Highway 109 Bridge in Franklin County.”

The Guardian added on January 4:

“Birds dropping dead from the skies and rivers flowing with tens of thousands of dead fish sounds like a cheesy Hollywood movie about the Apocalypse. Or the ravings of a Revelation-obsessed street preacher. But residents of several US states are coping with the reality of mystery mass wildlife deaths, which have left officials scratching their heads and jumpy members of the public joking (nervously) about the end of the world…

“Today it emerged that about 500 red-winged blackbirds and starlings had been found dead in Louisiana… That would be spooky enough. But the Louisiana bird die-off came just a few days after up to 5,000 blackbirds fell to earth in neighbouring Arkansas in the small town of Beebe…

“In even more grim news, anglers and other members of the public reported that more than 80,000 drum fish had suddenly died in the state’s Arkansas river, about 100 miles west of Beebe. The silvery bodies of the fish floated in the river and washed up on its sides having died at roughly the same time. In another incident, hundreds of miles away on the Maryland coast of Chesapeake Bay, tens of thousands of dead fish also washed up on the shore…”

Wftv.com reported on January 5: “Thousands of dead fish were floating in Volusia County Tuesday (in Florida). The fish kill is unusual because it is warm, according to people who live along the creek.”

In addition, The Star reported on January 5 that “more than 40,000 Velvet swimming crabs have wound up dead on England beaches.”

Parana Online reported on January 3: “A survey… indicates that at least 100 tons of fish (sardine, croaker and catfish) have turned up dead since last Thursday off the coast of Parana (Brazil).”

“Birds and Fish Will Waste Away…”

These incidents remind us of a prophecy in Hosea 4:3 which awaits worldwide fulfillment in the future: “… the land will mourn; And everyone who dwells there will waste away with the beasts of the field And the birds of the air; Even the fish of the sea will be taken away.” In this context, the following article by The Examiner, dated January 4, is quite interesting:

“The incidents have prompted Christian sects to look to the Bible and, most importantly, to the sky, for more alleged signs of apocalyptic happenings… many believe this week’s dead birds and fish are a sign the Great Tribulation talked about in the book of Revelation and Daniel is fast approaching…

“According to the book of Revelation (depending on how one interprets prophetic code), there will be an increase in earthquakes, floods, war, and strange phenomena before God ushers mankind into the Great Tribulation, a three-and-half-year period of poverty, war, persecution, disease and mass death. Most Christians believe God will unleash the wrath while world powers move closer to one final battle between good and evil… 

“According to Christians, Jesus Christ will return to Earth to save mankind from destroying the world… Whether these events will unfold lies with those who believe in Bible prophecy. However, according to prophecy, as many understand it, they will occur before Christ returns.

“According to studies, 41 percent of Americans believe Jesus Christ will return by 2050. The remaining 59 percent make up those who predict other dates and groups who don’t believe in the Second Coming.”

Flood of “Biblical Proportions”?—Hardly!

The Sydney Morning Herald wrote on January 1:

“Queensland was suffering a flood disaster of ‘biblical proportions’ that could cost the state’s economy more than $1 billion, its government declared yesterday. Authorities confirmed that 200,000 people had been affected and 22 cities and towns inundated by the worst floods in Queensland’s history. More than 1000 people were in 17 evacuation centres across the state yesterday. That figure was expected to reach 4000 in the next few days, police said.”

BBC News added on January 3:

“Devastating flood waters across the Australian state of Queensland may not recede for weeks, the state’s Premier Anna Bligh has warned… Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard [said:] ‘This is a major natural disaster and recovery will take a significant amount of time. The extent of flooding being experienced by Queensland is unprecedented and requires a national and united response.’ Approximately 850,000 sq km have been affected, an area equivalent in size to France and Germany…

“The Queensland premier said 75% of operations at the state’s coal fields had been halted, which supply half of the world’s coking coal needed in steel manufacturing. The state is also responsible for almost all the country’s sugar production, and with cane fields drenched, Australia, usually a net exporter, will be forced to import.”

Even though such devastating floods are extremely trying, a flood of biblical proportions would be worldwide–one which would destroy the entire earth. God promises us, however, that such a flood will not occur (compare Genesis 8:21-22). But Christ also said that floods—much bigger than the current one in Australia—will ravage parts of this planet. Compare Luke 21:25: “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring…” At the same time, the Bible does say that certain English-speaking countries like Australia—one of the descendants of the ancient house of Israel—will experience tremendous hardship before certain other countries will, such as those in continental Europe.

2010—“Exceptional Year” for Worldwide Disasters

AFP wrote on January 3:

“The Haiti earthquake and floods in Pakistan and China helped make 2010 an exceptional year for natural disasters, killing 295,000 and costing $130 billion… The last time so many people died in natural disasters was in 1983, when 300,000 people died, mainly due to famine in Ethiopia… A total of 950 natural disasters were recorded last year, making 2010 the second worst year since 1980… And in terms of economic cost, insured losses amounted to approximately $37 billion, putting 2010 among the six most loss-intensive years for the insurance industry since 1980…

“The earthquake in Haiti in January was by far the worst disaster in terms of human cost, killing 222,570 people… Some 56,000 died in a combination of heatwaves and forest fires in Russia… The other most destructive events were an earthquake in China in April that killed 2,700, floods in Pakistan between July and September that cost 1,760 lives and August floods in China in which 1,470 perished… [the] earthquake in Chile… was the world’s most expensive natural disaster last year, with overall losses of 30 billion dollars and insured losses of eight billion dollars. The second most expensive disaster for the insurance industry was a series of earthquakes that rattled New Zealand, which cost an estimated 3.3 billion dollars…

“The American continent suffered the most disasters — 365 in total — with 310 in Asia. A total of 120 natural disasters were recorded in Europe, 90 in Africa and 65 in Australia and Oceania…”

New Laws in California

The Los Angeles Times reported on December 31:

“Californians will welcome 725 new laws on Jan. 1. Here’s a glance at some of the laws taking effect when you ring in the new year:

“AB 119 prevents insurance companies from charging different rates for men and women for identical coverage. SB 782 prevents landlords from evicting tenants who are victims of domestic or sexual abuse or stalking. AB 1844… will increase penalties, parole provisions and oversight of sex offenders, including a ‘one-strike, life-without-parole penalty’ for some.  AB 1871 allows people to lease out their cars when they are not being used—alleviating the need to purchase additional insurance… SB 1411 makes it a misdemeanor to maliciously impersonate someone via a social media outlet or through e-mails… SB 1317 allows the state to slap parents with a $2,000 fine if their K-8 child misses more than 10 percent of the school year without a valid excuse. It also allows the state to punish parents with up to a year in prison for the misdemeanor… SB 1399 allows California to medically parole state prison inmates with physical incapacitating conditions…”

Some of these new laws are good (for instance, AB 119, AB 1844 and SB 1411), but some are very bad, as they open up possibilities of terrible abuse (such as SB 1317). As always, this proves that man—in spite of good intentions—is really incapable of ruling justly and fairly.

New Governor in California—Same Old Same Old

BBC News reported on January 3:

“Jerry Brown is set to be inaugurated as the new governor of the US state of California, taking over from outgoing Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Mr Brown, a Democrat who also served as California’s governor from 1975 to 1983, will be only the second person to lead the state for three terms. He has warned California residents to expect ‘shared sacrifice’ as the state struggles to overcome a fiscal crisis… The state faces a $28bn (£18bn) budget shortfall over the next 18 months. Voters may be asked to agree to the extension of temporary taxes that were brought in in 2009 and are due to expire in July. Mr Brown, 72, will need the backing of some Republicans in the state legislature if he is to put any tax measures to voters.”

The Telegraph added on January 3:

“Having taken the helm of the troubled state declaring ‘failure is not an option’, Mr Schwarzenegger, 63, leaves with an approval rating of just 22 per cent and a tripled $28 billion budget deficit. His decision to focus on tackling climate change was criticised by opponents and commentators who said he should have prioritised fixing the state’s economy, the eighth largest in the world. His departure, which comes amid fears California could become insolvent, has prompted headlines in the US media such as ‘Hasta La Vista, Failure’.”

We have seen a steady decline in California’s economy—notwithstanding all of the usual (but failed) promises from past and present politicians, regardless of whether they belong to one of the two major parties or whether they are independent. And so, it would be extremely naïve to expect that the new administration were to improve California’s status.

Why the Euro Will Not Fail

Bloomberg wrote on December 31:

“French President Nicolas Sarkozy said today that an end of the euro common currency would signal the end of Europe.  ‘Europe held strong, Europe protected us’ in the economic crisis, Sarkozy said… ‘I will oppose this backlash with all my strength,’ he said… France will hold the rotating chairmanship both of the Group of 20 nations and of the Group of Eight in 2011…”

Reuters reported on December 30:

“’Europe stands, in these months, in the middle of a great test. We must strengthen the euro. It’s not just about our money. The euro is far more than a currency,’ [German Chancellor Angela] Merkel [told] the country… ‘The euro is the foundation of our prosperity. Germany needs Europe and our common currency. For our own well-being and in order to overcome great worldwide challenges. We Germans assume our responsibility, even when it is sometimes very hard.’”

President Sarkozy and Chancellor Merkel are absolutely right. The end of the euro would be the end of Europe, and since the Bible clearly says that Europe’s unification (the last revival of the ancient Roman Empire) will continue until shortly before Christ’s return, we know that the euro will also continue to be the common currency for the major EU countries—including the ten nations or groups of nations which will arise out of the current EU. Far from abandoning the euro, more and more European countries are adopting it, as the next article shows:

The Associated Press reported on December 31:

“Estonians are preparing for historic New Year’s celebrations as the tiny Baltic country begins phasing in the euro on Jan. 1. Estonia will become the 17th nation in the euro area and the first former Soviet republic to adopt the common currency.”

This is not to say that the world, including Europe, won’t face for a while dire or “expensive” times in the future, including financial hardship. Jesus speaks in His famous Olivet Prophecy of “expensive times,” in addition to wars and “earthquakes here and there” (Matthew 24:7, revised Luther translation from 1964). In this context, please see the next article:

Expect Sharply Rising Oil Prices

Deutsche Welle reported on January 3:

“Oil prices closed out 2010 at a 26-month high of $92 (69 euros) a barrel… there is widespread agreement that consumers and industry can expect sharply rising prices due to soaring demand…  some experts are predicting… a surge to levels never seen before – possibly as high as $200 a barrel…

“Werner Zittel, an oil expert… told German public broadcaster ARD on Monday that ‘the hour of truth’ had arrived. ‘Can global oil production keep up with the growing demand or not? I tend to think: no, game over,’ he said. Zittel is convinced that 2011 will be a fateful year for worldwide oil supplies. He believes that the price shock of 2008 was just a harbinger of what’s to come…

“Economists are worried that rising energy prices could stifle the fledgling economic recovery. If manufacturers are forced to charge more for goods due to rising production costs for energy, consumers will cut back on purchases which, in turn, would put another dent in sales and profits.”

Russia-China Oil Pipeline Opens

BBC News reported on January 1:

“The first oil pipeline linking the world’s biggest oil producer, Russia, and the world’s biggest consumer of energy, China, has begun operating… Concentrated in western Siberia, Russia’s network of pipelines for oil exports has so far run towards Europe… Russia overtook Saudi Arabia as the world’s largest oil producer in 2009. China surpassed the US as the world’s largest consumer of energy last year.”

As prophesied, Russia and China are moving closer together, and farther away from Europe. What impact the new pipeline will have on overall oil prices for the rest of the world will have to be seen.

Europe Concerned Over Egypt

Deutsche Welle reported on January 3:

“Chancellor Merkel said in a message to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Monday that she experienced ‘horror and revulsion’ when hearing the news of the New Year’s Day bombing in Alexandria, Egypt, in which 21 people died and dozens were injured. ‘The German government condemns this barbaric terrorist attack, in which Christians – but also Muslims – lost their lives, to the utmost,’ Merkel wrote. The deadly attack has prompted widespread condemnation across the political spectrum in Europe.

“In a letter to Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, French President Nicolas Sarkozy wrote that ‘nobody should be worried or afraid for their life in exercising their fundamental right to freely practice their faith.’ Italy’s foreign minister Franco Frattini urged his European Union counterparts to respond forcefully to the attack and to discrimination of Christians throughout the world… ‘The moment for a powerful and clear political response by all governments that cherish human rights, of which religious freedom is a basic part, has come’…

“The parliamentary human rights spokesman of Germany’s Green party, Volker Beck, said ‘the condemnation of such attacks is not enough. Egypt and other states must effectively combat the demons of religious intolerance.’ Contemplating measures that could be taken, Stefan Mueller, the parliamentary leader of Germany’s Christian Social Union, said it was time to tie development aid to the question of whether or not Christians are persecuted by the state or groups in a particular country. ‘There can be no financial aid to countries in which Christians cannot practice their faith unhindered,’ Mueller said…

“The deputy party leader of Germany’s governing Christian Democrats, Annette Schavan, called on Islamic leaders around the world to take a clear stand against religious violence. ‘Muslim authorities in Cairo and elsewhere must clearly distance themselves from all forms of violence in the name of religion,’ she said…”

Die Tageszeitung wrote on January 3:

“So the new year has brought al-Qaida’s insanity, as we know it from Iraq, into Egypt… the Egyptian government needs to finally stand up against the creeping Islamization of the country…”

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung wrote on January 3:

“… America’s war in Iraq has increased pressure on Christians in the region. But the errors and dubious nature of Western politics alone cannot ‘explain’ this new terror. The jihadists believe that they have to ‘cleanse’ Islam of Western influence…”

The Süddeutsche Zeitung wrote on January 3:

“Egypt was long seen as the anchor of stability in a region which, for decades, has been synonymous with political violence. But the human rights situation is a catastrophe, the regime is corrupt, the superficial democracy is a farce. That all fuels the popularity of… Islam. Given the fine line between militant and non-militant Islam, violent attacks could soon return to Egypt.”

The Bible predicts a confederacy against Israel (the state of Israel, as well as USA and Great Britain) between nations such as Germany (biblical Assyria) and Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey, Syria, and Iraq (Psalm 83:5-8; note, however, that Egypt is not listed there; nor is Iran). Daniel 11:42-43 also shows that in these last days, Europe (the king of the North) will invade the Middle East and the Glorious Land, and “Egypt shall not escape.”

Core Europe in the Making…

The Guardian wrote on January 4:

“2011 could turn out to be the year that a multispeed Europe starts to look more like a two-speed Europe, with an inner core impelled towards closer political and economic union by the need to rescue the single currency.

“The UK risks becoming a marginal voice, as European decision making is increasingly centred around the euro area. The French and allies are pushing hard for summits restricted to euro area leaders, who would meet to discuss ‘European economic government’ within their inner core… Britain is the least powerful of the three most powerful countries that between them dominate the EU. On its own, it cannot make the EU bend to its will…

“The single market’s creation, nearly two decades ago, required an unholy alliance between European federalists and free market liberals… calling for a free-trade Europe without a supra-national regulator at the top is so much empty talk, you don’t get one without the other.

“As EU leaders struggle to save the euro in 2011, the danger is of a different bargain between federalists and corporatists. In concrete terms, rich paymaster countries like France and Germany may accept pleas to guarantee the debts of insolvent nations on Europe’s periphery only in exchange for economic harmonisation on their terms. The numbers would be on their side: assemble the countries that use the euro – with such free-market advocates as Britain, Sweden, Denmark or the Czech Republic absent from the room – and the balance of opinion swings towards interventionism.

“…any creation of a formal inner core around the single currency… could change the very nature of the European project, in ways that make it far less congenial to the free market… If 2011 does see a leap towards a two-speed Europe, securing a place in the slow lane will only mark the start of Britain’s worries.”

The Bible clearly prophesies the emergence of a core Europe, consisting of ten nations or groups of nations, and countries like Britain, Denmark and Sweden will—in all likelihood–not be part of core Europe.

Russia Laughs at Europe

The EUObserver wrote on December 30:

“Commentators have warned that polite diplomacy alone will have zero impact on an increasingly wayward Russia as EU leaders lined up to criticise the jailing of oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky on Thursday…

“’There’s nothing anyone can say outside of Russia that has any effect on the Russians. They just laugh as we condemn their actions,’ Bill Browder, the CEO of US venture capitalist firm Hermitage Capital, whose lawyer, Sergey Magnitsky, died in suspicious circumstances in a Russian prison last year, told this website shortly after the Khodorkovsky sentence.

“’The only action that has any effect on their behavior is targeted sanctions taken outside Russia against specific Russian officials. When they see that they could be personally punished for violating human rights or abusing their own people, they get scared,’ he added. ‘If they behave like cannibals at home, we shouldn’t invite them to our dinner tables in Europe.’

“Andrew Wilson, a UK-based Russia expert at the European Council for Foreign Relations (ECFR) think-tank, noted: ‘Definitely, there is no rule of law in Russia. There is the opposite: the trial shows that everyone is fundamentally prosecutable.’…

“…the EU is currently finalising its approval of Russia’s bid to join the World Trade Organisation. EU member France this week clinched a €1.4 billion arms deal with Moscow, while Germany is the lead EU investor in a new Russian gas pipeline. Beyond the Union, the International Olympic Committee aims to hold the 2014 winter games in Russia and the international football authority, Fifa, recently awarded it the 2018 world cup…

“Mr Browder added: ‘My advice to the big companies in the West is to avoid Russia entirely because investing there is like a game of Russian roulette and you should be prepared to literally have your head blown off if things go wrong… if you do have problems, as my company did, you don’t just risk losing money, people get killed.”

However, greed and the desire to make a profit will override Mr. Browder’s warnings. And sadly, political and economic interests seem to be much more important to the rulers and the mighty of this world than individual liberties and freedom.

“When the Messiah Comes…”

On January 6, 2011, Haaretz wrote the following:

“When the Messiah comes, rabbis will treat him like Jesus. They will brand him disloyal… In wall posters, Sabbath sermons, ritual decrees and signed petitions, careful not to use his title, chief rabbis of cities and towns will warn of an existential threat to the essential Jewish character of the state… The rabbis’ declarations will divide the Jewish people and bring wrath and dishonor upon Israel…

“When the Messiah comes, the Right will crucify him… ads and billboards [will show] him with a tail to go along with his horns…

“When the Messiah comes, an Israel political party… will propose legislation declaring him a delegitimizer of Israel and the army…, a blasphemer of Zionism… and rendering him ineligible for citizenship unless he signs a loyalty oath stating that even if Israel did practice crucifiction, it did so in a democratic and Jewish manner… [They] will take out a Facebook page headed ‘Mavet L’ Mashiach’ – Death to the Messiah.”

Sadly, when the Messiah comes, the nations of this world will not recognize Him and even try to fight Him in war.

In order to offer an accurate analysis of the fate of the “tares,” we need to look at the entire parable in Matthew 13, in its context. Beginning with verse 24, Jesus states:

“Another parable He put forth to them, saying: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, “Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?” He said to them, “An enemy has done this.” The servants said to him, “Do you want us then to go and gather them up?” But he said, “No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, ‘First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”’”

After sending the multitudes away and going into the house, He explained the meaning of the parable to His disciples. We read, beginning with verse 37:

“He answered and said to them: ‘He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!’”

We need to notice that the parable deals with the time of Christ’s return. We are told that the angels will gather the tares out of His kingdom (that is, the tares will not enter the Kingdom of God at that time), and they will cast them into the furnace of fire. The tares are described as those people who offend and who practice lawlessness. Sin is defined as lawlessness, or transgression of the law (1 John 3:4). The angels will then gather the wheat into the barns; that is, the righteous will become glorified beings in the Kingdom of God the Father, shining forth as the sun (compare Daniel 12:3). They were righteous because they allowed Christ to fulfill the righteous requirements of the law in them (Romans 8:4), and when, even after conversion, they sinned and committed unrighteousness, but then repented and claimed, in faith, Christ’s sacrifice for the forgiveness of their sins, they were being made righteous on an ongoing basis (1 John 1:7-10).

We also need to notice that the tares were sown by Satan, not by God. Satan brought tares into the Church, but Christ said that everyone who has not been sown by God will be uprooted (Matthew 15:13). The tares never received the Holy Spirit. They looked very similar to the wheat. Even though the angels (i.e., the servants, compare verses 27-30 with verses 41-42) could detect the difference, it is sometimes difficult for the human mind to recognize tares among the saints. Christ tells the angels not to remove the tares prematurely, as He does not want to jeopardize the salvation of the saints. This could happen, perhaps, if an unconverted Church member (who is not causing division) is being removed from Church attendance or participation in social Church functions, and the converted member might be negatively affected and become offended by such action.

The People’s New Testament states:

“The roots of the wheat and tares were often so intertwined that one could not be pulled up without the other.”

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible offers this further comment:

“They [the tares] so much resembled the true wheat that even then it would be difficult to separate them. By gathering them, they would tread down the wheat, loosen and disturb the earth, and greatly injure the crop. In the harvest it could be done without injury.”

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible adds:

“… not that men of openly scandalous lives are to be tolerated in churches; they are to be withdrawn from, and put away; nor men of known, avowed, heretical principles; such, after the first and second admonition, are to be rejected: yet there may be such in churches, not altogether agreeable in principle and practice, whose character and situation may be such, that there is no removing them without offending some truly gracious, useful persons, in whose affections they stand, who may be tempted, by such a step, to leave their communion; and so cannot be done without a considerable prejudice to the church.”

We also note that the tares will be cast into the fiery furnace at the beginning of the Millennium. This is the same lake of fire into which the beast (a military leader) and the false prophet (a religious leader) will be thrown at the time of Christ’s return (Revelation 19:19-20). This does not necessarily mean that any of them (the beast, the false prophet, the tares) had committed the unpardonable sin, as the lake of fire, leading to the second and final death in the Third Resurrection (Revelation 20:14-15), is quite different from the one in existence at the beginning of the Millennium.

We note a similar passage of the events at the time of Christ’s return, in 2 Thessalonians 1:3-10 (American King James Bible):

“We are bound to thank God always for you, brothers, as it is meet, because that your faith grows exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other abounds; So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure: Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer: Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.”

It appears that the tares will be raised either in the Second Resurrection (the Great White Throne Judgment period), to be given an opportunity to repent and accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, or, if they have committed the unpardonable sin, they will be raised in the Third Resurrection, to be cast into the final lake of fire to be burnt up and extinguished for all eternity.

Although the tares did not have God’s Spirit, there is still an accountability for the knowledge and understanding one has been given and the way one handles that knowledge in regard to what God expects of him. This determination will be done by God who knows the heart and intents of man. Normally, a person must have received the Holy Spirit before he can commit the unpardonable sin, by rebelling against God and losing again the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 6:4-8). However, it is possible to commit the unpardonable sin, even if one has never accepted the gift of the Holy Spirit into his life (Matthew 12:31-32). When God offers repentance to someone, but that person refuses to accept that gift and rebelliously and presumptuously rejects God and His way of life, God will not force repentance and eternal life upon such a person.

We can therefore reach the following conclusions:

Within the fellowship of the spiritual body of Christ–the Church of God–there are certain individuals who may appear to be true Christians, but they are not. However, unless they cause division and affect negatively true believers by their sinful lifestyle, God does not order His Church to remove such persons, prior to Christ’s return, lest His true followers become negatively affected and offended by such Church action.

At the time of the return of Christ, the “tares” will be removed and burned up, while the true saints will inherit the Kingdom of God and eternal life. The unconverted tares will either be raised in the Great White Throne Judgment period (if they did not commit the unpardonable sin prior to Christ’s return) or in the Third Resurrection to be cast into the final lake of fire (if they had committed the unpardonable sin).

True Christians are not to judge others and attempt to discern as to who is a tare and who is a true Christian (unless this becomes rather obvious, compare 2 Timothy 2:19-21; 1 John 5:16-17; 2 John 9-11). They are to concentrate and focus on their own salvation, not becoming negatively affected by the sins of others, while being aware that God’s Word warns all of us of the fact that there will be tares amongst the saints.

Lead Writers: Norbert Link and Rene Messier

Our new booklet, “Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians—How to Understand It,” was posted on the Web. The files were sent to a printer in the USA.

A new member letter has been written and will be sent out early next week, together with new Holy Days pocket calendars. In the letter, Brian Gale addresses the affairs of this world, which is unwilling to obey God and His Word.

A new StandingWatch program was posted on the Web, titled, “Birds and Fish Will Waste Away.” What is the meaning of the worldwide deaths of thousands of birds and over 150,000 fish? What will happen next? Is the Great Tribulation about to begin? Will Christ the Messiah return soon? Will mankind rejoice when He appears?

Another StandingWatch program was posted on the Web, titled, “The Origin of New Year’s Traditions.” Why do we observe New Year’s Eve on December 31 and New Year’s Day on January 1? Why do we have fireworks, firecrackers, oracle traditions and party games? What is the origin of many of these and other customs? Should true Christians participate in such activities?

A new German sermon was posted on the Web, titled, “Die Welt der Daemonen, Teil 2” [“The World of Demons, Part 2]”

by John Amorelli
 
Man’s holiday season of “getting” has just passed. 

Recently, I have found myself asking questions on the subject of getting.  “Why can’t we get a better home?” “Why can’t I get a better car?” “Why can’t I have more money?” “Why can’t I get a better job?” These were some of the questions that I was reflecting on. The spirit of selfishness and way of “get” had leached into my life!

This forum is a reminder for me to be very careful not to slip into the “old man’s” carnal way of thinking.  It is also an unambiguous reminder that my attitude needs a re-assessment and a plan of action towards God’s Way of Life.

I need to learn, with God’s help, to acquire an attitude of gratitude; to be grateful for what I have!

Upon further reflection, the home I live in keeps my wife and me warm in the winter and cool in the summer; my car takes me to where I need to go; I am able to pay my bills; and I have work! No excuse for complaining.

On January 1, 2011, Michael Link will give the sermon, titled, “Common Misconceptions.”

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.

John the Baptist had some scathing words for the Pharisees and Sadducees as they approached him while he was baptizing people in the Jordan. Among other things, he chastised them for their misplaced reliance on their affiliation to Abraham (Matthew 3:9). These groups had come to put too much weight on this and had neglected the more important matters.

Paul admonished the Corinthians for nearly the same thing — their gloating about their associations. They were saying, ‘”I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,…”‘ (1 Corinthians 1:12) and ignoring the real issue at hand.

When aligning ourselves with a person, a minister, an organization or even with a church, we can often feel safe because of numbers, past reputation or espoused doctrine. We can believe that by virtue of our alliance with them, we are justified in our current state and position.

But note the admonitions by John and Paul regarding those that were resting on the laurels of others: John the Baptist told the Jews that they needed to repent (Matthew 3:8); Paul goes on to direct those at Corinth, “that, as it is written, ‘He who glories, let him glory in the LORD’” (1 Corinthians 1:31). In other words, we cannot become complacent with our current condition, and we must continue to change it by looking to the Example who is “the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).

There have been many, even in our recent history, that have failed to remain on guard, thinking they were in the right place or that they could ride the coattails of another. “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12-13).

We begin with a remarkable article in the British paper, Mail On Line, about Hitler’s Christmas observance, identifying it accurately as the pagan celebration of the “winter solstice,” and we conclude with a funny, but telling cartoon on the origins of Christmas, which was circulated on the Internet this week, as well as an eye-opening article on New Year’s celebrations.

An interesting article warns against the consumption of pork, and several reports deal with the West’s gradual unconditional acceptance of the homosexual lifestyle. While a popular evangelist chastises the U.S. army, even liberals begin to wonder why President Obama refuses to publish his birth certificate.

In the light of our unprecedented weather conditions, we publish an article which wonders whether we are observing global warming or the beginning of a mini ice age.

We also learn that 2010 was the worst year for US Bank failures since 1992.

Focusing on the violent history and present developments in Asia, we also report on the current scandalous conduct of totalitarian Russia and the timid, meaningless and inconsequential objections from the West.

While peace in the Middle East is becoming more and more elusive, an insightful article in Deutsche Welle shows how post-war Germany is being drawn into militaristic activities, and that even against the present will of the majority of the people.

Hitler Correctly Identified Origins of Christmas

Mail On Line reported on December 24:

“… the Nazi Christmas [as celebrated by Hitler and other Nazi officials on December 18, 1941] was far from traditional. Hitler believed religion had no place in his 1,000-year Reich, so he replaced the Christian figure of Saint Nicholas with the Norse god Odin and urged Germans to celebrate the season as a holiday of the ‘winter solstice’, rather than Christmas… at the top of the tree… was a swastika instead of an angel, and many of the baubles carried runic symbols and iron cross motifs…

“In 1944-1945, the Nazis tried to reinvent Christmas once again as a day to commemorate the dead, in particular fallen soldiers – by that time Germany had lost almost four million men in the war. But while many Germans baked biscuits and cakes in the shape of swastikas and adorned their trees with the symbols of the Nazi regime, most still called the festival Christmas.”

It may perhaps be surprising to some, but Hitler did not replace the “Christian figure of Saint Nicholas with the Norse god Odin.” Rather, he quite accurately identified Saint Nicholas as the pagan god Odin; and he went back to the real foundations of Christmas, which originated in the heathen “winter solstice.” For more information on the incredible transition from a pagan festival to a presumably “Christian” holiday, please read our free and eye-opening booklet, “Don’t Keep Christmas.”

Why Not to Eat Pork

The Huffington Post wrote on December 24:

“Last week the Humane Society of the United States released a grisly report and undercover video on the disgusting treatment of pregnant sows at one of its industrial swine facilities in Virginia. And this week, Russia announced it will not buy pork products from the company’s Smithfield, VA plant, because they are tainted with ‘residue and pathogen issues’…

“Smithfield produced 27% of all US pork products in 2007… The animal you are eating could well have been born in a windowless piglet factory, where his mother was held prisoner in a tiny metal crate during pregnancy, then grief stricken as her still-nursing young were yanked away, before she was artificially impregnated once again.

“Your young pig was then transferred to a nursery facility — another sealed off building crammed with thousands of animals — before ending up at a ‘finishing operation,’ where he was raised on concrete slats over pits filled with ammonia emitting excrement, and supplied a steady diet of drugs, heavy metals and other unnatural feed additives that accelerate growth and stave off disease long enough to get him to market weight…

“I eat very little pork. Pigs are smart and… Aztec nobles once informed their nauseated Spanish captors that pork tastes just like people. They couldn’t get enough of the stuff.”

The Bible prohibits the consumption of pork, calling such consumption an “abomination.” Those who laugh at God’s law–“Christians” and non-Christians alike–are warned that they will have to give account to God for their gross disobedience in this regard. The time of reckoning IS coming. For more information, please read our free booklet, “And Lawlessness Will Abound.”

National Support for “Gay Marriages” Inevitable

The MacClatchy Newspaper wrote on December 24:

“Attitudes toward same-sex marriage are ‘evolving,’ and a national consensus for gay marriage is inevitable, Vice President Joe Biden said… Biden cited the administration’s successful push to repeal the military’s 17-year-old ‘don’t ask don’t tell’ policy toward gays as a sign of the change in public attitudes. He saw the trend as leading to support of same-sex marriage…

“58 percent of Marines and 48 percent of Army respondents [were] saying that ending the ban would have negative consequences. And a sizable minority said repeal could affect morale and training and whether they would stay in the military. Marines voiced the loudest opposition…

“… a Pew Research Center poll of the American public [in December] found 59 percent of the public favored allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly… A Pew survey released in October… found that 48 percent opposed allowing gays and lesbians to legally marry, while 42 percent were in favor. Still, a Pew analysis noted, ‘for the first time in 15 years, fewer than half oppose same-sex marriage… Notably, pluralities of white mainline Protestants and white Catholics now favor allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally…’”

Vice President Biden, a practicing Catholic, has found himself in disfavor with the Catholic hierarchy over his stance on abortion, so that communion was refused to him. His latest stance on same-sex marriages, which is apparently supported by many white Catholics, will certainly create further controversies with the Church of Rome.

The Next Trend?

The Daily Mail reported on December 28:

“Elton John and his civil partner David Furnish have announced they are proud parents to a healthy baby boy… He was born via a surrogate mother in California on Christmas Day… Sir Elton, 62, married Furnish, 48, in 2005 after 12 years together…

“They first attempted to adopt an HIV positive child from the Ukraine last year, but were rejected because of Sir Elton’s age and the fact that the country did not recognise civil marriages…”

Evangelist Graham Chastises U.S. Military

Newsmax wrote on December 24:

“Franklin Graham… the noted evangelist and son of world-renowned preacher Billy Graham…strongly chastised the U.S. military, which has restricted Christian displays of faith.

“‘Chaplains in the United States military are not allowed to pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Isn’t that a shame that a chaplain in the Christian faith is not allowed to pray in the name of Christ? So yes, there is a war, no question about it.’

“Franklin Graham himself has felt the sting of the hostility, when Pentagon officials excluded him from participation in this year’s National Day of Prayer event, citing his controversial comments about the dangers of radical Islam.”

Even Liberals Want to See President Obama’s Birth Certificate

Real Clear Politics reported on December 27 about some surprising statements by liberal MSNBC television host, Chris Matthews:

“On Monday night’s edition of ‘Hardball,’ host Chris Matthews talked about putting the birth certificate controversy surrounding President Obama to rest. ‘Why has the president himself not demanded they put out the original documents?’ Matthews wonders. ‘If it exists, why not put it out?’ Chris Matthews asks.”

Newsmax added on December 29:

“Even MSNBC’s pro-Obama host Chris Matthews has joined the crowd calling on the president to release his long-form birth certificate to settle the controversy surrounding his birthplace once and for all…  Matthews has been critical of the so-called ‘birthers’ who insist that Obama was not born in the United States and therefore is ineligible to be president…

“The majority of Americans discount that conspiracy theory… Still, many find it interesting that Obama has continued to refuse to release his long-form birth certificate, and Obama joins just a handful of presidents who have no declared place of birth as a significant national landmark…

“’I am not a birther,’ Matthews declared. ‘I am an enemy of the birthers.’ But he held up the long-form birth certificate of someone who was born the day before Obama, and compared it with the shorter version Obama has released… ‘Why has the president himself not demanded that they put out the official document?’ Matthews said… ‘ Why doesn’t the president just say, send me a copy right now?… The department out there just said the… original document of his birth is available. They have it in storage, they said. And if it exists, why not put it out? Will there be any harm done by releasing the original document?’”

Monster Storm in the USA

USA Today reported on December 27:

“The effects of a blizzard that pummeled the Northeast continued to wreak havoc Monday on the plans of thousands of holiday travelers, many of whom may not reach their final destination for days… Snow continued to snarl traffic, flights were delayed, trains sold out, cars got stuck by the side of the road, and air passengers tried frantically to book a spare seat…

“There were roughly 3,000 flights canceled Sunday and another 3,000 were likely to be canceled Monday… New York’s LaGuardia and JFK airports closed Sunday in the midst of the storm, began to slowly reopen Monday. So did Philadelphia’s airport. Newark wasn’t scheduled to open for arrivals until 6 a.m. Tuesday…

“In New Jersey, hundreds of people were stranded Sunday night on hilly highways that became clogged with disabled vehicles, says the state’s Commissioner of Transportation Jim Simpson… ‘We had people driving in their pajamas, people out shopping after-Christmas sales, or people out for fun … to see the snow,’ he says. ‘No one was prepared.’”

The Associated Press reported on December 26:

“The monster storm is the result of a low pressure system off the North Carolina coast… The white Christmas in the South was one for the record books. Columbia, S.C., had its first significant Christmas snow since weather records were first kept in 1887. Atlanta had just over an inch of snow—the first measurable accumulation on Christmas Day since the 1880s…”

In addition, The Daily Star wrote on December 30 that Britain’s winter might end up to be the coldest winter since 1683 and close to being the chilliest in nearly 1,000 years.

Global Warming or Mini Ice Age?

Investors.com wrote on December 22:

“Nothing makes fools of more people than trying to predict the weather. Whether in Los Angeles or London, recent predictions have gone crazily awry. Global warming? How about mini ice age?

“The sight of confused and angry travelers stuck in airports across Europe because of an arctic freeze that has settled across the continent isn’t funny. Sadly, they’ve been told for more than a decade now that such a thing was an impossibility — that global warming was inevitable, and couldn’t be reversed.

“This is a big problem for those who see human-caused global warming as an irreversible result of the Industrial Revolution’s reliance on carbon-based fuels. Based on global warming theory — and according to official weather forecasts made earlier in the year — this winter should be warm and dry. It’s anything but. Ice and snow cover vast parts of both Europe and North America, in one of the coldest Decembers in history…

“Prognosticators who wrote the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC, global warming report in 2007 predicted an inevitable, century-long rise in global temperatures of two degrees or more. Only higher temperatures were foreseen. Moderate or even lower temperatures, as we’re experiencing now, weren’t even listed as a possibility. Since at least 1998, however, no significant warming trend has been noticeable…

“Unfortunately, the prophets of climate doom violate this idea. No matter what happens, it always confirms their basic premise that the world is getting hotter. The weather turns cold and wet? It’s global warming, they say. Weather turns hot? Global warming. No change? Global warming. More hurricanes? Global warming. No hurricanes? You guessed it.

“Nothing can disprove their thesis. Not even the extraordinarily frigid weather now creating havoc across most of the Northern Hemisphere…”

What can be said for sure is that our weather conditions have become unusually extreme. Since God is in control of the weather, this should perhaps tell us something.

2010 Worst Year for US Bank Failures Since 1992

The Washington Post wrote on December 28:

“More banks failed in the United States this year than in any year since 1992, during the savings-and-loan crisis… Amid high unemployment, a struggling economy and a still-devastated real estate market, the nation is closing out the year with 157 bank failures, up from 140 in 2009. As recently as 2006, before the bubble burst, there were none. Now, there are more on the horizon. The FDIC’s list of ‘problem’ banks – those whose weaknesses ‘threaten their continued financial viability’- stood at 860 as of Sept. 30, the highest since 1993. Historically, about a fifth of banks on the watch list end up failing…

“About half of the 2010 failures involved banks headquartered in four states: California, Florida, Georgia and Illinois. As of Sept. 30, the FDIC insurance fund for bank deposits had a balance of negative $8 billion. But that doesn’t include reserves such as premiums collected in advance from the banking industry. Also, as of the third quarter, the agency was predicting that bank failures would cost $52 billion through 2014…”

Asia—the Historic Battlefield

The International News reported on December 25:

“Since after the World War II, Asia’s geopolitical landscape has gone through a sea change in terms of its emerging political, economic and strategic problems and priorities. In the post-World War II era, the real Cold War was enacted on Asian soils which witnessed some of the most violent eruptions of the East-West struggle, and even some of the longest wars of the last century. These include the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the conflicts in Laos and Cambodia, the Arab-Israeli wars, the three India-Pakistan wars, the Iran-Iraq War, the Afghan War, the Gulf War, the Iraq War, and now the ongoing US war in Afghanistan…

“Asia is a vast region, home to nearly two-thirds of the world’s population, covering almost one-third of the earth’s landmass and comprising… the poverty-stricken and tension-ridden South Asia, the resource-rich yet politically unstable Central Asia, the economically pulsating East Asia, the volatile Middle East and the oil-rich Persian Gulf…

“Asia’s major regions continue to be a global hotspot. The long-standing Asian issues include the Palestine question, the Kashmir issue, the tensions on the Korean Peninsula and across the Strait of Taiwan and the triangular relations among Japan, the US and China, or in an expanded regional context, pentagonal relations among these three powers plus Russia and India.

“The ramifications of endless tensions and instability in some parts of Asia for global peace and security are immense. Some of the sources of current tensions and conflicts in Asia include America’s yet-to-end wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, its growing military and nuclear cooperation with India, the Iranian nuclear crisis, North Korea’s worrisome nuclear and ICBM capability, the deadlocked six-party talks on this issue, and other unresolved territorial disputes in the region, including those between Japan and Russia, China and South Korea.

“The new unipolarity has created serious imbalance of global power… What aggravates this scenario is the growing inability of the international community to respond to these challenges with unity of purpose. Iraq is still simmering. Afghanistan has yet to have peace. Kashmir is disillusioned. Palestine has given up. Germany has been reunited but the Korean Peninsula remains artificially divided…

“This year, China has had high-level visits and exchanges with almost all Asian countries including India and Pakistan. Next year, Pakistan and China will be celebrating the 60th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations…

“For Asia, the real challenge in the 21st century is to capitalise on its own resources and assert its role as a balancing factor in the unipolar world by carving out a new niche for itself in the global geopolitical matrix. It has the power and the clout to do so as one of the largest geographical groups at the UN where it must now decisively stake a claim for an additional Asian permanent seat in the Security Council for a criteria-based rotation among the important Asian states.

“India must cede its regional hegemonic ambitions to a larger regional cause. Asian states must rise above sub-regional mode and concentrate on a common Asian cause by concerting their policies on issues of global relevance while also addressing Asia’s interstate and intraregional issues in an appropriate manner.”

The Bible shows that most Asian nations will unite under Chinese and Russian leadership. And while this unification will perhaps at first appear to be peaceful and in fragile harmony with Europe (as the next articles might suggest), it will ultimately lead to a terrible war between an Asian confederacy and united Europe. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Is That in the Bible? The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation.”

China to Europe’s Rescue…?

Reuters reported on December 23:

“China is willing to help countries in the euro zone return to economic health and will support the International Monetary Fund element of a bailout package for the bloc, … Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu [said. She] also told a regular news conference in Beijing that the euro zone was one of the most important areas for China’s foreign exchange investments, following reports that Beijing could step in to shore up European finances…
 
“The Financial Times reported on Wednesday that China had offered to take more ‘concerted action’ to support European financial stabilization.”

… Or Not?…

The Telegraph wrote on December 29:

“’In the coming five years, our military will push forward preparations for military conflict in every strategic direction,’ said [Chinese defense minister] Liang Guanglie… ‘We may be living in peaceful times, but we can never forget war, never send the horses south or put the bayonets and guns away,’ Mr Liang added.”

Western World “Condemns” Russia

Deutsche Welle reported on December 27:

“Germany and other Western countries have condemned the guilty verdict pronounced by a Russian court against jailed tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky on new fraud charges. In a statement, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle called the verdict ‘a step backward’ for Russia. Westerwelle said that the way the trial was conducted was ‘very dubious’ and called on Russia to ‘stand up for the rule of law, democracy and human rights.’

“German Human Rights Commissioner Markus Loening found even stronger words to condemn the verdict, telling the dpa news agency that he was ‘outraged.’ ‘The judgment throws no good light on circumstances in Russia,’ he said…

“Chief European Union diplomat Catherine Ashton called on Russia ‘to respect its international commitments in the field of human rights and the rule of law.’ She said the EU would ‘continue to follow developments very closely, including the forthcoming announcement of the sentence.’

“Across the Atlantic, United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the verdict raised ‘serious questions about selective prosecution – and about the rule of law being overshadowed by political considerations.’ Clinton also warned in a statement that ‘this and similar cases have a negative impact on Russia’s reputation for fulfilling its international human rights obligations and improving its investment climate’…

“Khodorkovsky is currently serving an eight-year prison sentence for tax evasion. His release was scheduled for 2011. Sentencing in the current case is expected in the next few days. The prosecution is seeking a six-year jail term…’

“Khodorkovsky and his lawyers say the [embezzlement] charges against him are politically motivated. The tycoon has been an outspoken opponent of former president and current prime minister Vladimir Putin, openly funding opposition parties ahead of 2003 parliamentary elections. Khodorkovsky’s original trial in 2003 was widely seen as having been orchestrated by Putin. If Khodorkovsky remains in jail through 2012, it will prevent him from wielding his influence ahead of the election scheduled in that year.

“The current case has been seen as a test of the independence of the Russian justice system. But Monday’s conviction sheds grave doubts on President Dmitry Medvedev’s vows to modernize Russia and take it out of Putin’s shadow.”

The International News gave the following additional shocking details in its report, dated December 27:

“Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the former head of Russia’s largest oil company and once its richest man, has been found guilty of embezzlement. His supporters say his real crime was daring to oppose the country’s prime minister, Vladimir Putin.

“Former oil tycoon and billionaire Mihkail Khodorkovsky, nearing the end of a first sentence of hard labour at a Siberian prison camp, was again judged guilty Monday by a judge deliberating on new charges of theft and money laundering at a second trial… The entire case has been called by many a personal vendetta by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Russia’s most powerful politician, against a once-potential rival… For many observers, the verdict of the trial was a foregone conclusion – and one that calls into question the credibility of Russia’s legal system.”

Many observers also feel that Russia is ruled by a repressive and totalitarian regime, and that the conviction of Khodorkovsky, at the instigation and manipulation of Vladimir Putin, formerly a spy in East Germany who worked for the despicable STASI, was political and unjust. Is the West interested in the rule of law and personal liberty and freedom in Russia and Asia? Will it be intimidated by Russia’s objections (see next article)?  Or does the West’s real interest lie in lucrative economic deals with rich Asian countries? If so, lip services of condemnation (note the pitiful and meaningless statement by Catherine Ashton, as quoted above), will not convince anyone.

Totalitarian Russia Reacts and Accuses…

Predictably, Russia complained about the complaints from the West. The New York Times wrote on December 28:

“…  the Russian Foreign Ministry released a statement accusing other countries of trying to interfere with a domestic judicial matter… Mr. Khodorkovsky is the country’s best-known prisoner, and his treatment has been cited by the Kremlin’s opponents as evidence that justice here is readily manipulated by those in power. Supporters of Mr. Khodorkovsky contend officials pressed new charges against him to make sure that he would stay in prison at least through presidential elections in 2012…

“As the session began, [Khodorkovsky and another defendant] were hustled into the courtroom by a squad of black-clad commandos. The judge entered with a stack of what appeared to be several hundred typewritten pages… Outside, a few hundred people gathered in an impromptu protest… But the protest soon ended with the sounds of sirens, screams and cursing, as the riot police dragged people into police vans… Mr. Khodorkovsky’s lawyers called the new charges absurd and politically motivated. Even some government officials said they had a hard time understanding exactly what Mr. Khodorkovsky had done wrong.”

All of this brings to mind the abominable history of Stalin’s murderous conduct, and the criminal methods of Hitler’s Gestapo during Nazi Germany…

… And Does Not Care About Meaningless Criticism!

The BBC News reported on December 30:

“Imprisoned former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, once Russia’s richest man, has been sentenced to six more years in jail for fraud [the maximum penalty for such “accusations”]. With his current sentence due to expire next year, Khodorkovsky, 47, now faces imprisonment until 2017. He could ‘only be reformed by being isolated from society’, the judge said…

“After the sentencing, US state department spokesman Mark Toner said Washington was concerned by the apparent ‘abusive use of the legal system for improper ends…’ German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was ‘disappointed’ by the sentence. ‘The impression remains that political motives played a role in the trial,’ she said in a statement… As sentence was passed, Khodorkovsky’s mother shouted at the judge: ‘May you and your offspring be damned!’… Defence lawyer Yury Shmidt told reporters that the sentence amounted to ‘lawlessness’.”

Lawlessness is not only symptomatic for Russia, but it is, sadly, a worldwide phenomenon. For more information, please read our free booklet, “And Lawlessness Will Abound.”

In addition, an interesting comment was posted in The Local, dated December 30:

“Viktor and Marina Kalashnikov, now thought to be poisoned by mercury here in Berlin, Alexander Litvinenko murdered by radioactive poisoning in London, and Mikhail Khodorkovsky is jailed for another 6 years, all have become victims of Mr. Putin.  All have one thing in common, they were critical of the Kremlin. I can understand why Germany might have some reservations about the Russian government.”

But here is the clincher. As The Local states in its main article, “Russia and Germany have a lucrative trade relationship. Russian exports to Germany reached €25 billion ($33 billion) in 2009 while Germany exported nearly €21 billion in goods and services to Russia.”

No Peace in the Middle East

The Associated Press reported on December 26:

“Israel’s foreign minister [Avigdor Lieberman] said Sunday a peace deal with the Palestinians is impossible under current conditions… After days of accelerated Palestinian rocket attacks on southern Israel and Israeli airstrikes in response, Israeli soldiers killed two Palestinians on the border early Sunday… ‘It’s not only that it is impossible’ to reach an overall agreement, [Lieberman] said. ‘It is simply forbidden.’

“Lieberman said the West Bank Palestinian Authority — with whom Israel has pledged to negotiate — is ‘not legitimate’ because it has postponed elections. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas remains in office though his term expired almost a year ago, and there is no date for a new election… A statement from [President] Netanyahu’s office said Lieberman’s comments reflect ‘his personal positions,’ not those of the government.

“Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority broke down in September after an Israeli freeze on settlement construction expired. The Palestinians say they will not negotiate as long as Israel builds homes for Jews in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, lands the Palestinians claim for a future state…

“Israeli Cabinet Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer warned Sunday that if peace talks fail, ‘the whole world’ is likely to recognize a sovereign Palestinian state–a development Israel would not welcome. ‘Within a year, we will find ourselves in a situation where the whole world — and I wouldn’t be surprised if even the United States — would support a Palestinian state,’ he said.”

The Bible shows that the whole world WILL turn against the state of Israel. For  more information as to what is predicted to happen soon, please read our free booklet, “The Book of Zechariah—Prophecies for Today!”

Germany’s Move from Peace to War

Deutsche Welle reported on December 28:

“In memory of the atrocities committed under the Third Reich, democratic West Germany foreswore war as an instrument of its foreign policy. Its military served a single purpose: To help defend the NATO allies in Western Europe and North America from a Soviet attack. But when the Berlin Wall fell, the world changed, as did Germany’s role within it. The government of Chancellor Helmut Kohl had just finalized German reunification when a series of conflicts erupted in the Persian Gulf, Yugoslavia and Somalia.

“As the international community intervened to contain these conflicts, Germans faced a historically uncomfortable question: Should a reunited and fully sovereign Germany become a military power capable of using force on the world stage?… As the US and its coalition partners launched air strikes to eject the Iraqi military from Kuwait in January 1991, the streets of Germany’s major cities filled with 250,000 protestors who opposed the US-led war against Saddam Hussein. The protests expressed a deep-seated national aversion to war and militarism. After living at the epicenter of international conflict for an entire century, German society had lost its taste for political violence…

“But the Germans’ rejection of the American-led coalition, and a UN-sanctioned military campaign that targeted an aggressive dictator, left Chancellor Helmut Kohl’s government in a deeply uncomfortable position… Instead of sending troops to the Persian Gulf, Bonn wrote the coalition partners a check for 17 billion marks ($12 billion, or 8 billion euros) and supplied logistical support…

“The Kohl government had been politically and legally boxed into a corner. On top of vehement public opposition, the government faced a constitution that sanctioned war only in self-defense. And since Saddam Hussein had neither attacked Germany nor the NATO allies, direct German military participation in the conflict was off-limits.

“In an effort to reconcile Germany’s laws with its international obligations, the center-right Christian Democratic Union called for the “clarification” of two conflicting constitutional articles. Article 87 gave Germany the right to field an army for national defense. But Article 24 also permitted Germany to join collective security organizations to preserve world peace. Many conservatives argued that Article 24 sanctioned German participation in multilateral military operations – with or without a UN mandate – that were not directly related to territorial defense…

“But world events overshadowed the partisan debate in Germany. The dust had hardly settled in the Persian Gulf when devastating civil wars broke out in Yugoslavia and Somalia. In an attempt to contain violence in Southeastern Europe, NATO and the West European Union – a European defense organization – imposed a sea and air blockade on Yugoslavia. NATO deployed AWACS radar planes to patrol the skies of the Balkan war zone. With Germans serving in the multinational crews that manned these aircraft, participation in the blockade was a foregone conclusion…

“While NATO tried to stem the tide of violence in Yugoslavia, the UN sanctioned a US-led peacekeeping mission to stabilize Somalia… With the political parties still in gridlock over the constitutional question, the Kohl government decided to act without parliamentary approval. Kohl deployed ships and aircraft to Yugoslavia and more than 1,000 soldiers to Somalia…  the Federal Constitutional Court ruled that Germany could participate in UN, NATO and WEU military operations worldwide. But there was an important caveat: These operations had to be approved by a simple parliamentary majority.” 

This article showed how a nation can be drawn into war—sometimes even against the will of the majority of the people. The Bible prophesies that Germany will become the leading nation of a European military alliance, and that that confederation will engage in a worldwide war in the not-too-distant future. For more information, please read our free booklets, “Europe in Prophecy” and “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”

“Franco-German Exhibition Highlights Napoleon’s Ambiguous Glory”

Deutsche Welle reported on December 29:

“A world of opinions exists about Napoleon and his time, and that has always been the case. In 1806, Hegel described him as an iconic ‘world-soul,’ and even his enemies could not quite shake off the fascination for the emperor who at first seemed to be invincible. But poets and artists of his time also portrayed Napoleon as a heartless warmonger, a ridiculous caricature, and even as Satan’s eldest son.

“In ‘Napoleon and Europe, Dream and Trauma’ the Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany takes on Napoleon in the context of his time… The historic exhibition was done in cooperation with the Musee de l’Armee in Paris, where it will be shown in the spring of 2012… ‘Up to now in France, it’s been quite impossible to have a reasonable point of view about Napoleon,’ Robert Bresse, director of the Musee de l’Armee, told Deutsche Welle…

“His ambitious plans to unify Europe under his command resulted in strategic triumphs, such as the Battle of the Three Emperors in 1805. But they also led to his disastrous defeat and eventual downfall after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815… Other exhibitions have dealt thoroughly with the millions of victims who were killed in the Napoleonic wars…

“Napoleon’s influence remains a part of Europe up to the present day. The exhibit shows how he implemented new standards like the metric system, connected European cities through a system of roads and telegraph lines, and, of course, introduced the Napoleonic Code, the civil rights opus still applied in France. But Napoleon’s impact on the face of Europe was dark as well… [and was] as controversial as Napoleon himself.”

Under Napoleon, who was apparently of Italian (not French) descent, the eighth revival of the ancient Roman Empire occurred. The ninth revival happened under Mussolini and Hitler, and we are observing right now in Europe the beginning of the final and last revival of ancient Rome. For more information, please watch or listen to Norbert Link’s recent sermon, “Rome’s Revivals”.

The True Origin of Christmas

The following was circulated this week on the Internet:

 

Origin of New Year’s Celebrations

The Local wrote on December 30:

“Silvester is the German name for New Year’s Eve – owing to the fourth century Pope Sylvester I. Eventually made a saint by the Catholic Church, his feast day is observed on December 31… But despite the holiday’s Christian name, many German New Year’s traditions can be traced back to the pagan Rauhnächte practices of heathen Germanic tribes, which took place at the end of December and beginning of January.

“Instead of recognizing a single day as the winter solstice, the Germanic tribes observed twelve Rauhnächte – hairy nights, so called due to the furry forms of the deep winter demons – or Rauchnächte – smoky nights, due to the practice of smoking the spirits out of one’s house on January 5. Bringing very little sun to the northern regions, the twelve Rauhnächte were considered days outside of time, when the solar and lunar years were allowed to re-synchronise. Silvester took place right in the middle of the twelve Rauhnächte and was the night of the god Wotan’s wild hunt, a time of particular commotion and celebration.

“As in many other countries, the Germans celebrate Silvester with fireworks, champagne, and boisterous social gatherings. Making noise is key: the ruckus of fireworks, firecrackers, drums, whip-cracking and banging kitchen utensils has been driving away evil winter spirits since the days of the Germanic Teutons…

“Besides being a fun spectacle, the light of pyrotechnic displays also provides a surrogate sun during the dark Silvester night. Suffering the winter bleakness in their northern regions more than anyone, the Teutons feared that the sun, which they thought of as a wheel that rolled around the earth, was slowing to a stop during the darkest days of winter. Perhaps as a sign of protest, they lit wooden wheels on fire and sent them rolling down mountains and clubbed trees with flaming cudgels. These practices are likely forerunners to the Silvester firework tradition.

“The belief that the sun was slowing to a stop also led to the German tradition of doing no work on New Year’s Eve: everything should stand just as still on earth. Above all no one should do any laundry, because the god Wotan made his rounds with his army of devils for a wild hunt during Silvester and would be terribly angry if he got caught in any clotheslines.

“Because the twelve Rauhnächte – now associated with the twelve days of Christmas…  – were days outside of time, all manner of supernatural events were possible. Spirits of all sorts charged through the night, either embodying the horror of winter or chasing it away…

“The Rauhnächte were also a time when the future for the New Year could be divined. Silvester in Germany still calls for oracle traditions, which often take the form of party games. Bleigießen (lead pouring) is the most popular Silvester fortune-telling tradition. Party-goers melt small lead forms with a candle in an old spoon and pour them into cold water. The lead hardens into a shape that supposedly bears a certain meaning for the New Year. An eagle, for example, indicates career success, while a flower foretells that new friendships will develop.

“Other oracle traditions on Silvester include swinging a pendulous object, such as a necklace or watch, and asking it a yes-or-no question. If the pendulum swings in a circle, the answer is ‘yes,’ if it swings vertically, the answer is ‘no,’ and if it swings horizontally, the answer is uncertain. Bibelstechen involves opening the Bible to a random page, closing one’s eyes and pointing to a random verse. The verse should provide some information or advice for the coming year.”

For more information on the pagan origins of Christmas and New Year’s, please read our free booklet, “Is That in the Bible? Man’s Holidays and God’s Holy Days.”

First, we need to understand from the context what is meant with “one.” Christ said that the Father and He are ONE (John 10:30). Christ was not saying that the Father and He were one being. Rather, He addressed the concept of complete unity between the Father and Him. There was and always will be total harmony between the two members of the God Family. In fact, Christ won a legal argument with the Pharisees by proving that the Father and He, although “one,” were TWO beings (John 8:17–18).

Christ prayed to the Father that His disciples should become “one” (John 17:20–23). He did not pray that they should all become one being, but that they should become totally unified. We also read that Adam and Eve were to become “one” flesh (Genesis 2:24). Again, they were not to become one being. We can learn from these examples that Christ’s disciples, or Adam and Eve, were to reach, or achieve, oneness in mindset, in purpose, and in action.

Some claim that Scriptures like Deuteronomy 6:4 reject the concept that God is more than one being. However, this is not the case.

We are quoting from our free booklet, God Is A Family:

“Deuteronomy 6:4 reads: ‘Hear, O Israel, The LORD [‘Yahweh’] our God, the LORD [‘Yahweh’] is one!’ Many perceive that this Scripture teaches monotheism—that is, the existence of only one God. And indeed, it does. There is only one God. But… God is a Family, consisting of more than one being. Since God does not contradict Himself in His Word, what can we learn from Deuteronomy 6:4? ‘Yahweh’ is one being. The being who dealt directly with Israel was Jesus Christ. He was called ‘Yahweh’—He was and is one being. So, it is true that ‘Yahweh’—Jesus Christ—is one being.

“In addition, ‘Yahweh’ refers to the Father as well—and the Father is, of course, also one being. Thirdly, since ‘Yahweh’ refers to both the Father and the Son, they are also ‘one’—one in purpose, goal, mindset, willpower and determination. They are unified. There is no division in the God Family…

“Further, many commentaries, including the Jewish Bible or Tanakh, feel that the passage in Deuteronomy 6:4 should be translated, ‘The LORD is our God, the LORD alone.’ This would make sense too, given the fact that both God the Father and Jesus Christ are referred to as ‘LORD’ or ‘Yahweh’ in Scripture. In this sense, the prohibition is against worshipping other gods. Deuteronomy 6:4 definitively DOES NOT teach that there is only one God being, as this would contradict all the other Scriptures in the Bible that establish a duality in the Godhead.”

To elaborate, let us review several commentaries to see how they understand this passage, based on the original Hebrew. Bear in mind, however, that the commentaries that we will quote believe in the false concept of the Trinity—one God in three persons—whereas the Bible teaches that God is a Family, consisting of TWO persons, not three (The Holy Spirit is not a person, but the power of God, emanating from the Father and the Son).

Still, the following commentaries do understand that there is a PLURALITY in the Godhead and that Deuteronomy 6:4 actually teaches this plurality, rather than the concept that the God Family is just one BEING.

For instance, the Jamieson, Fausset and Brown commentary states:

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord—or, as the words may perhaps be better translated, ‘Hear, O Israel: Jehovah [our comment: Yahweh is the better rendition of the Hebrew YHWH than Jehovah] is our God (Elohim, plural), Jehovah alone’… The basis of their religion was an acknowledgment of the UNITY of God… it is observable that a belief in the UNITY of God was a fundamental principle not of their faith only, but of their political constitution. The social fabric in all other contemporary nations rested upon the assumed truth of polytheism…”

The New Unger’s Bible Handbook adds:

“This is the most significant verse for orthodox Jews, who call it Shema after the first word, ‘Hear!’ ‘The Lord [YHWH] our God, the Lord is ONE,’ the one, ‘ehad,’ expressing COMPOUND UNITY not ‘yahid,’ meaning a single one, thus not supporting Jewish and Unitarian denial of the Trinity [better, the duality in the Godhead]…”

Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible states:

“Hear, O Israel… shema Yisrael, Yehovah Eloheinu, Yehovah achad… Many think that Moses teaches in these words the doctrine of the Trinity [better: duality] in Unity. It may be so; but if so, it is not more clearly done than in the first verse of Genesis [where we read that God–“elohim” in Hebrew–created the heavens and the earth]… When this passage occurs in the Sabbath readings in the synagogue, the whole congregation repeat the last word… achad for several minutes together with the loudest vociferations… but all their skill… can never prove that there is not a plurality expressed in the word… Eloheinu, which is translated our God… it would apply more forcibly in the way of conviction to the Jews of the plurality of persons in the Godhead, than the word achad, of one… some Christians have joined the Jews against this doctrine, and some have even outdone them, and have put themselves to extraordinary pains to prove that… Elohim is a noun of the singular number! This has not yet been proved. It would be as easy to prove that there is no plural in language.”

Gill’s Exposition of the Bible states:

“These are the words of Moses, stirring up the people to an attention to what he was about to say of this great and momentous article, the UNITY of God, to prevent their going into polytheism and idolatry… they no ways [i.e., in no way] contradict the doctrine of a trinity [better: duality] of persons in the unity of the divine essence, the Father [and the] Word… which [two] are one; the one God, the one Jehovah, as here expressed…”

Deuteronomy 6:4 does not teach that there is only one God BEING, as this would contradict the myriads of Scriptures proving the opposite. Rather, Jesus Christ, the God of the Old Testament, in expressing the direct mandate from God the Father, warned the Israelites not to practice idolatry and polytheism, but to recognize and worship the one true God who led them out of the land of Egypt (compare Exodus 20:2-3). It is true that at that time, most Israelites did not even understand that God is a Family, and they falsely believed that Jesus—the God being dealing directly with them–was God the Father. Jesus came later to reveal the existence of the Father to them (Matthew 11:27; compare also John 1:18; 5:37; 6:46).

One might ask, why would God the Father have allowed the Israelites to worship and pray to the Word, Jesus Christ, erroneously thinking that they were worshipping God the Father? This was all part of God’s great plan. When Adam and Eve sinned, they cut themselves off (and man in general) from God the Father. It would be Jesus Christ who was to deal directly with the ancients and the nation of Israel in Old Testament times. Though some of the ancients understood that God is a Family, consisting of the Father and the Son, most did not. But even those who understood dealt directly with Christ—as mentioned above, none of them has ever heard the voice of the Father or has seen His form. However, there is, always has been, and always will be complete love, unity and harmony within the Godhead, and God the Father was in no way “jealous” of His Son, when Israel worshipped Christ instead of Him.

Christ came to this earth to teach very clearly that His disciples are to worship God the FATHER in spirit and in truth, and that they are to pray to Him, but they are told to do so in Christ’s name. Christ made it clear that the Father is the highest Personage within the God Family. Again, there is no jealousy within the God Family, and Christ is most certainly not jealous of the Father that it had to be revealed that He, rather than Christ, must be prayed to. Christ will always recognize His Father as the Highest, but remember, God is one. The members of the God Family live without any jealousy towards each other. They live in love, harmony and complete unity with each other.

Deuteronomy 6:4 does not negate the existence of two beings within the God Family, but it emphasizes the UNITY of the true God. It also includes the timeless prohibition against a belief in polytheism (consisting many times of pagan gods fighting each other) and against the worship of other gods beside or instead of the one true God (Family).

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

A new StandingWatch program was posted on the Web, titled, “Christmas Traditions and the Bible.” What do we know about the “three wise kings” from the East? Were they magicians? How many were they, according to the Bible? When did they visit Christ? What do we know about the star leading them? When was Jesus born? Why do we celebrate His birth with a Christmas tree, and why do we exchange gifts? How did Christmas become one of the most important festivals in orthodox Christianity?

The German version, titled, “Weihnachtsbräuche und die Bibel,” was posted on the Web as well.

A new German sermon was posted on the Web, titled, “The World of Demons, Part 1.”