On February 6, 2010, Norbert Link will give two messages, discussing Passover Preparations and “Honoring Father and Mother.”

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.

How much importance do we place on belief or believing something? I am not just talking about “believing” anything, but rather things in relationship to God the Father and Jesus Christ and their ability to perform miracles in our life. Some may not think it is that important, while others may feel that it is somewhat important, and then there are those who know that it is very important.

There was a popular song called “Believe,” which was performed by two well-known artists. This song had very interesting lyrics. Here are a few lines from that song: “There can be miracles when you believe. Though hope is frail, it’s hard to kill… Who knows what miracles you can achieve? When you believe, somehow you will. Now you will… when you believe.”

It is amazing how true these words are. Let us consider some of the healings that Christ performed, and let us also review some of the examples when Christ did not do mighty works.

We read in Mark 9 that a father asked Christ to heal his son who was demon-possessed. Christ answered him: “… ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.’ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!’ When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, ‘Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!'” (Mark 9:23-25). Then we read that the demon did in fact leave the child.

This man believed but only up to a certain point. He had little faith and asked  for more, and as a result his son was healed. This demonstrates the power of belief or faith.

Another example can be found in the book of Matthew. We read in Matthew 9:27-29: “When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, ‘Son of David, have mercy on us!’ And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, ‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’ They said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord.’ Then He touched their eyes, saying, ‘According to your faith let it be to you.'”

Christ specifically asked them if they believed or had the faith that Christ could heal them, and they replied with YES. After that expression of their conviction, they were healed, according to their faith.

Belief or faith is a living dynamic force which can have positive miraculous results, as demonstrated by the healings performed for those who believed. On the other hand, lack of belief is a strong negative force, which resists or impedes the ability to heal and perform miracles, as shown by the next example, recorded in Matthew 13:53-58:

“Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there. When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, ‘Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?’ So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.’ Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.”

Christ did not do many mighty works there because of unbelief and because of their rejection of Christ. The parallel passage in Mark 6:5-6 is even more telling: “Now He COULD DO NO mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a FEW sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief…”

Their lack of faith inhibited Christ’s ability to heal MANY people and to perform many MIGHTY miracles. This is really amazing when you think about it, because we are not just talking about an ordinary man here. Christ was God in the flesh, the second member of the God Family, the God of the Old Testament. The Holy Spirit of God the Father dwelled in Him without measure, and it was through the power of THAT Spirit that on some occasions, He healed “all sick people” who were brought to Him and “who were afflicted with various diseases and torments” (Matthew 4:24). However, as we have seen, because of unbelief and the rejection of Christ, He was unable to perform mighty works or miracles on other occasions–showing the negative and restricting consequences of unbelief.

The same kind of rejection of one of God’s true ministers might also prevent the healing of sick persons today. We read in Matthew 10:1 that Christ gave His early apostles power over unclean spirits and to heal “all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.” He promised in Mark 16:18 that that same power would be given to all of His true ministers throughout the ages. But as people could not be healed because of their unbelief and their rejection of Christ, so the same may be true for people today who hold grudges against God’s true ministers; who have not really repented of their sins and are unwilling to reconcile with others; and who do not REALLY believe that God can and will heal them (compare James 5:14-16).

It is clearly evident that miracles can be performed if we believe and not waver in faith, and that the ability to heal is stifled, as it were, by unbelief, which causes resistance and barriers for those who are in need of miraculous intervention. Such unbelief can prevent the effectiveness of the healing powers of God.

These are glaring warnings for us today, not to fall into the ditch of unbelief or of rejection of God’s true servants. Do you want to have your prayers answered? Do you want your prayers to be effective?  If you do, then it is imperative that you believe, with true and unwavering faith, and then you can expect miracles. The real question is: “Do you believe in miracles?”

The state of the U.S. economy appears to be hopeless. No recovery is in sight, nor should we expect any substantial improvement. Instead, we are told that the latest U.S. budget is “a recipe for financial disaster” and that America’s debt crisis can be associated with Third World countries.

The recent Afghan conference was a total and complete failure, and it is interesting how everything seems to work against the USA. Brussels is upset with Washington, and Europe is becoming painfully aware that it must do more to achieve influential and powerful unification. Tensions between the USA and Iran are heightening, in spite of empty words and “promises” from the Iranian government, and mixed signals from Washington show an ongoing policy of glaring inconsistencies and indecisiveness.

While Barack Obama’s mentor goes public with his criticism of the President’s performance, Republican challenger Scott Brown continues to make controversial remarks in an effort to distance himself from the Republican GOP, and Germans become increasingly dissatisfied with their current government.

In Haiti, survivors thank their voodoo gods and goddesses for protection, as, according to a Haitian saying, “people here are ’60 per cent Catholic, 40 per cent Protestant and 100 per cent voodoo.” At the same time, the U.S. Air Force “accommodates” cadets by setting aside an outdoor worship area for Pagans, Wiccans, Druids and other Earth-centered believers.

While the pope criticizes British equality rights laws as endorsing homosexual conduct, an ever-widening scandal in Germany and elsewhere sheds a terrible light on Jesuit priests who committed sex crimes against boys.

The government of Catholic France is refusing to grant citizenship to Muslims unwilling to cease wearing burquas, and a jury in Oregon convicts parents who believe in divine healing “of criminally negligent homicide for failing to seek medical care for their 16-year-old son.” We conclude with an excerpt from our free booklet, titled, “Sickness and Healing–What the Bible Tells Us,” addressing parental responsibilities in cases of sick children.

Economy on Road to Recovery?

The Associated Press reported on January 29:

“The economy boomed at the end of 2009, growing at the fastest rate in more than six years. Now if only it could keep it up. The economy expanded at an annual rate of 5.7 percent in the fourth quarter, the second straight quarter of growth. But analysts warn it’s unsustainable.

“Consumer spending, chilled by double-digit unemployment and scant wage gains, remains weak. And the benefits of government aid and higher company output to feed stockpiles will dwindle. Many analysts predict gross domestic product will expand at a rate closer to 2.5 to 3 percent in the current quarter and 2.5 percent or less for the year. That won’t be enough to significantly reduce the unemployment rate, now 10 percent. In fact, most analysts expect the rate to keep rising for months and to remain close to 10 percent through year’s end. To drive down the jobless rate by just 1 percentage point this year, the economy would have to grow by 5 percent for the whole year. No one thinks that will happen…

“Roughly two-thirds of the quarter’s growth came from increased manufacturing as businesses drew down their stockpiles of goods at a slower rate. But companies will eventually let those inventories fall again unless consumers — who account for about 70 percent of the economy — spend more. Unlike past rebounds driven by the spending of ordinary shoppers, this one appears to hinge on spending by businesses, foreigners and — until it runs out — government stimulus.

“History suggests this isn’t the recipe for a strong recovery… Still, the overall news for 2009 wasn’t good. Friday’s report showed economic activity for the year fell by 2.4 percent — the sharpest drop since 1946. It was the first annual decline since 1991… If gains from inventories and exports are taken out, the economy last quarter grew at just a 1.7 percent pace.”

As we warned for a long time, belief in a substantial recovery of the U.S. economy is just wishful thinking. The sad reality is that we are reaping what we have been sowing… and what we are still planning to sow, as the next two articles show.

The U.S. Budget — “Spend-While-You-Can”

The Wall Street Journal wrote on February 2:

“One rule of budget reporting is to watch what the politicians are spending this year, not the frugality they promise down the road. By that measure, the budget that President Obama released yesterday for fiscal 2011 is one of the greatest spend-while-you-can documents in American history… The budget reveals that overall federal outlays will reach $3.72 trillion in fiscal 2010, and keep rising to $3.834 trillion in 2011.

“As a share of the economy, outlays will reach a post-World War II record of 25.4% this year. This is a new modern spending landmark, up from 21% of GDP as recently as fiscal 2008, and far above the 40-year average of 20.7%… All of this spending must be financed, and so deficits and taxes are both scheduled to rise to record levels… But this is a giant tax increase on American companies that operate overseas, and it includes no offsetting cut in the U.S. 35% corporate tax rate, which is among the highest in the world… Even these tax increases won’t be enough to pay for the spending…”

The U.S. Budget — “A Recipe for Financial Disaster”

USA Today wrote on February 2:

“Since taking office last year, President Obama has been preaching fiscal restraint while practicing something else. Nothing shows this more than the budget he released Monday. His administration is planning a deficit for this year of almost $1.6 trillion.

“… the budget plan forecasts an endless flow of red ink that will push the American economy relentlessly toward a perilous economic precipice. This is, of course, Obama’s failing. But it is also testament to years of dysfunction in Washington by both parties.

“To make the mind-boggling budget numbers easier to understand, it helps to subtract eight zeroes. Say you earned $21,000 this year, spent $37,000 and borrowed $16,000 to cover the difference. Maybe you could get away with this for a year or two to get through unusually hard times. Beyond that, though, it’s a recipe for financial disaster. Such is the fate facing the federal government. The recession turned an already yawning budget gap into a chasm…

“What causes the most concern is not that Obama’s budget forecasts three $1 trillion-plus deficits in a row, including the one he inherited from George W. Bush. It is the large deficits projected even when the stimulus will be done and presumably the economy will be in much better shape. The deficits for 2013 through 2015 all run above $700 billion a year…

“Most important, Obama has not laid the groundwork for going after the real problem behind the nation’s grim fiscal outlook… America is on a collision course with the kind of debt crisis associated with Third World countries.”

U.S. Budget Outlook “Bleak”

MoneyNews.com reported on January 29:

“Global equities are “vulnerable to correction” after rallying from their March lows and as governments around the world withdraw stimulus measures, says investor Jim Rogers.

“‘We’re overdue for a correction,’ Rogers says… ‘We have huge amounts of money printed throughout the world. It’s going to cause currency instability. It’s going to cause more inflation. It’s going to cause higher interest rates.’

“The Congressional Budget Office has called the U.S. budget outlook ‘bleak,’ in a forecast that hurts the chances for extending Bush-era tax cuts and raises pressure for fiscal belt-tightening, The Wall Street Journal reports.

“In its annual report, the nonpartisan CBO… said the government will run an aggregate deficit of about $6 trillion during the next decade, a level that many economists worry could lead to currency shock, inflation, crippling interest rates or other economic maladies. By the end of 2020, ‘debt is projected to climb to $15 trillion, or 67 percent of gross domestic product,’ CBO director Doug Elmendorf said on his blog post. ‘With such a large increase in debt…interest payments on the debt are poised to skyrocket.'”

Unemployment on the Rise

The Associated Press wrote on February 4:

“The number of newly laid-off workers filing initial claims for jobless benefits rose unexpectedly last week, evidence that layoffs are continuing and jobs remain scarce. The rise is the fourth in the past five weeks. Most economists hoped that claims would resume a downward trend that was evident in the fall and early winter.”

Huge Bailout for Social Security?

CNNMoney wrote on February 4:

“… another huge bailout is starting, this time for the Social Security system. A report from the Congressional Budget Office shows that for the first time in 25 years, Social Security is taking in less in taxes than it is spending on benefits. Instead of helping to finance the rest of the government, as it has done for decades, our nation’s biggest social program needs help from the Treasury to keep benefit checks from bouncing — in other words, a taxpayer bailout… without the interest income, Social Security will be $28 billion in the hole this fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30…

“Social Security hasn’t been cash-negative since the early 1980s, when it came so close to running out of money that it was making plans to stop sending out benefit checks. That led to the famous Greenspan Commission report, which recommended trimming benefits and raising taxes, which Congress did. Those actions produced hefty cash surpluses, which until this year have helped finance the rest of the government. But even then, it was clear the surpluses would be temporary. Now, years earlier than projected, Social Security is adding to the government’s borrowing needs…

“Social Security currently provides more than half the income for a majority of retirees. Given the declines in stock prices and home values that have whacked millions of people, the program seems likely to become more important in the future as a source of retirement income, rather than less important.

“It would have been a lot simpler to fix the system years ago, when we could have used Social Security’s cash surpluses to buy non-Treasury securities, such as government-backed mortgage bonds or high-grade corporates that would have helped cover future cash shortfalls. Now it’s too late… Until this year, Social Security was a problem for the future. Now it’s a problem for the present.”

The Afghan Conference–Unrealistic and Doomed to Failure

Der Spiegel Online wrote on January 29:

“The Afghanistan conference on Thursday ended with a long list of plans and promises. But how realistic is NATO success in the war-torn country?… Still, will the conference really make much of a difference in Afghanistan? German papers on Friday aren’t so sure.

“The left leaning daily Die Tageszeitung writes:

“‘It is not a new idea to make demands of the Afghan government. However, they have never before been as unrealistic as they are now. Such demands will only succeed if there are consequences should they not be met. NATO is just as dependent on Karzai as he is on NATO: It is inconceivable that Karzai would be dropped just because he failed to meet his targets. After all, the alliance needs a reasonably intact government in order to pull off a face-saving withdrawal. The fact that even a big electoral fraudster is considered good enough for this role shows just how desperate NATO is.’

“Conservative daily Die Welt writes:

“‘… Yesterday, Taliban leaders rejected outright the reconciliation policy of the ‘occupiers.’ The London conference has dodged the question of what to do if the plan does not work out. Any answer to this is not under discussion at the moment. This agreement gives the impression that none of the parties would be responsible should the project fail. If the reconciliation of Taliban sympathizers and civilian society are derailed, the participants of the London conference… would be able to say, to themselves and their voters, that they have tried to improve this situation using all their powers, both military and otherwise’…

“The left-leaning paper Berliner Zeitung writes: ‘… It is an illusion to think that the Afghan police and army will develop into respected forces in the near future. There is not enough time and state wages will not rise enough to make the security forces resist corruption and the temptation to ally themselves with those making money from drugs.'”

The Western world will not win their war against Afghanistan. And especially the USA will have to learn the hard way that without God on their side, everything will turn against them.

The Difficult War in Afghanistan

AFP wrote on January 31:

“To force the Taliban leadership to the negotiating table… US military officials have said there needs to be greater success on the battlefield — and this is where the Marines come in. But the challenges on the ground are immense. Fields are littered with improvised explosive devices (IEDs) responsible for most of the deaths of foreign troops in Afghanistan, which hit a record 520 fatalities last year.

“The Taliban are also entrenched in their strongholds holding sway over the population and setting up shadow governments across the country, meaning they have the local intelligence that the Marines desperately need… Five Marines were killed in southern Afghanistan in two days of January alone in IED blasts and ambushes.

“… the Marines prepare a full-on assault on Marjah in the coming weeks or months. Marjah has a population of at least 60,000. Built in the 1950s with US government help, it was intended to be a model agricultural town with an irrigation system flowing from the Helmand river. But instead of legitimate crops, poor farmers plant opium poppy, the trafficking and sale of which bankrolls the Taliban movement.

“The Marines’ mission is to show US strength, assist in installing government control in Helmand province and let the local population know they have arrived. The challenge however is huge. Taliban militants harass the villagers at night, warning them of trouble if they help US troops. Under the cover of darkness, they also plant IEDs in fields the Marines have to cross.”

Everything Seems to Work Against the USA

The Times wrote on February 1:

“President Karzai announced a timetable for the first round of peace talks with the Taleban yesterday as US troops admitted that they may have bombed an Afghan army base by mistake… Speaking in Kabul for the first time since he returned from last week’s London conference, Mr Karzai called on militants in Pakistan to return home and make peace so that US-led forces could withdraw. The Taleban have called repeatedly for all foreign forces to leave Afghanistan as a precondition of talks.

“… details emerged of an [U.S.] attack south of the capital that left four Afghan soldiers dead and at least seven injured… Afghan troops in a remote outpost mistook the American patrol for insurgents and opened fire. Nato said that the Americans, on a joint patrol with Afghan commandos, returned fire before calling in an airstrike…

“Hours earlier, an interpreter opened fire at a base in the same province, killing two US soldiers before being shot… Afghan authorities confirmed the account, saying that the interpreter had argued with troops over pay.”

Brussels Disgruntled–Obama to Skip EU-US Summit

Deutsche Welle reported on February 2:

“Brussels is disgruntled by US President Barack Obama’s decision not to attend the EU-US summit in May. Washington, however, insists the move is not meant as a snub against Brussels… Obama is increasingly facing challenges implementing his domestic reform agenda and has indicated that in 2010 he will spend more time on home soil. His approval ratings in the US have dropped as the economic recovery has been slow to translate onto the job market…

“US Assistant Secretary of State Philip Gordon on Monday told reporters that it never had been on Obama’s agenda to attend the Spanish summit… Obama’s absence at the summit would likely be regarded as a blow for Brussels. The new president of the European Council, Herman van Rompuy, has yet to formally meet with Obama.”

On February 3, Der Spiegel Online reported on German media reactions to President Obama’s refusal to attend the summit:

“While it is certainly plausible that Obama’s prime motivation is to focus his attention on his difficult domestic agenda, there are some indications of growing frustration in Washington with the EU’s confusing structures. State department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters on Tuesday that the EU leadership was part of the problem, indicating that there was a lack of clarity on both sides as to where and how the annual summits would be held…

“‘The very fact that the summit is taking place in Spain, after the establishment of a more permanent presidency and a high representative, is indicative of the fact that the EU is still in institutional limbo,’ Charles A. Kupchan, a senior fellow for European studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, told the Associated Press…

“While Obama’s election was widely welcomed across the Atlantic in 2008 after the often fraught dealings with his predecessor, George W. Bush, relations have not been particularly smooth with the new White House…

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: ‘… It’s understandable that the Americans no longer have any desire to get involved in bizarre intra-European affairs.'”

“The conservative Die Welt writes: ‘… As for Europe, Obama’s refusal of the invitation is a pity…’

“The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: ‘… The Europeans now have their dream president, and he obviously has better things to do than jet across the Atlantic to spend a few hours chatting with them… But, seriously, does Obama have nothing to discuss with the EU that is important to him and that might be worth the flight over? Or does he not even consider the EU as being all that relevant?… perhaps it will now dawn on the Europeans that they are not the center of this president’s attention.'”

As we have foretold for many years, the relationship between the USA and Europe will deteriorate. In addition, as was pointed out above, Europe is still not totally united–but the Bible says that it will soon become the most powerful bloc on earth. For more information, read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

Tensions Between USA and Iran Heighten Dramatically

The Guardian wrote on January 31:

“Tension between the US and Iran heightened dramatically today with the disclosure that Barack Obama is deploying a missile shield to protect American allies in the Gulf from attack by Tehran. The US is dispatching Patriot defensive missiles to four countries – Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait – and keeping two ships in the Gulf capable of shooting down Iranian missiles. Washington is also helping Saudi Arabia develop a force to protect its oil installations.

“American officials said the move is aimed at deterring an attack by Iran and reassuring Gulf states fearful that Tehran might react to sanctions by striking at US allies in the region… Washington is also concerned at the threat of action by Israel, which is predicting that Iran will be able to build a nuclear missile within a year, a much faster timetable than assessed by the US, and is warning that it will not let Tehran come close to completion if diplomacy fails…

“Washington is also concerned that if Iran is able to build nuclear weapons, other states in the region will feel the need to follow. Israel is the only country in the Middle East to already have atomic bombs, although it does not officially acknowledge it…”

Washington’s and Iran’s Mixed Signals

The Financial Times wrote on February 2:

“On a day when Washington sought to make sense of favourable comments from Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad, president of Iran, about a compromise previously spurned by Tehran, Dennis Blair, US national intelligence director, said the final decision about nuclear arms was Iran’s to make.

“Other US officials were seeking clarification on Mr Ahmadi-Nejad’s remarks about a deal offered by the US and allies last year under which most of Tehran’s low-enriched uranium would be sent abroad to be processed into fuel for a medical research reactor. Mr Ahmadi-Nejad said on Tuesday that Iran would have ‘no problem’ giving the west its low-enriched uranium and taking it back when it was enriched for use in the reactor… Iran had previously balked at the idea of handing over uranium unless fuel was returned straight away…

“‘The real question is, “Are they serious?”‘ said a state department official.”

And the real answer is, of course not. Iran is trying to buy time, as the next article shows, while producing the bomb. And Washington’s attempts to walk away from any responsibility is not helpful.

Washington’s policy towards Iran is one of glaring inconsistencies and indecisiveness. It is truly amazing that such a small country like Iran can hold the USA hostage in such a dramatic way.

Iran Plays Cat and Mouse with the West

The Times wrote on February 4:

“President Ahmadinejad demonstrated yesterday that he has become a master of playing cat and mouse with the West — and this time the mouse was real. Once again, the Iranian leader offered a last-minute concession to head off the West’s drive for new sanctions against the Islamic republic [stating that Iran had “no problem shipping enriched uranium abroad”].

“At the same time, Iran thumbed its nose at UN restrictions on its ballistic missiles programme by sending a rocket into space carrying a mouse, two turtles and some worms…

“Mr Ahmadinejad hailed the launch as a breakthrough that would help to break ‘the global domineering system’ of Western powers. At a ceremony for a new satellite he said that Iran hoped to send astronauts into space soon. Western experts suggested that the space programme provided cover for the development of long-range missiles capable of carrying a nuclear pay-load… A senior Western diplomat acknowledged that Mr Ahmadinejad’s gambit could buy Iran more time.”

Former Mentor Highly Critical of Obama

The Times wrote on February 1:

“President Obama’s self-confidence borders on complacency. He is ill served by senior staff, especially his Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel. He does not appear to be learning on the job as he did when campaigning for the White House. His Administration is too deferential to Congress, too reliant on the President’s personal charm, and as a result is regarded by its enemies as weak and ineffectual.

“As Mr Obama prepared to release his $3.8 trillion (£2.4 trillion) budget today, this assessment of his first year in office came not from one of his established critics on the Right, but from one of his most respected mentors — his former professor at Harvard Law School, Chris Edley… Professor Edley, who worked in the Clinton and Carter Administrations, added: ‘I wouldn’t give [Obama] as high a grade as President as I gave him when he was my student. I know he can do better.’

“He reserved the harshest criticism for Mr Emanuel, the second-most powerful figure in the White House, who has been pilloried by liberals for appearing to undermine Mr Obama’s healthcare reforms since the loss of a crucial Senate seat to the Republicans…

“Mr Edley lamented the failure of the White House to force Congress into line, as President Lyndon Johnson would have done… The professor fears that Mr Obama’s best chance to deliver the change he promised may have been wasted… The Administration’s biggest mistake, he said, has been to pander to Congressional vanities by leaving the two chambers to argue about their own versions of healthcare reform with little concrete guidance from the White House…”

While President Obama is criticized by his former professor at Harvard Law School, Mr. Obama’s strongest challenger, “Republican” Senator Scott Brown, is giving equally confusing signals, as the next article shows.

Brown Backs Abortion Rights

The Associated Press reported on January 31:

“Republican Sen.-elect Scott Brown of Massachusetts says he opposes federal funding for abortions, but thinks women should have the right to choose whether to have one. Brown tells ABC’s ‘This Week’ that he disagrees with his party’s position that the Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion should be overturned.

“Brown says the abortion question is one that’s best handled by a woman, her family and her doctor. He also says more effort needs to go into reducing the number of abortions in the U.S. Brown has said the GOP shouldn’t take his vote for granted on every issue. He says he’s fiscally conservative but more moderate on social issues.

“Brown recently won the Senate seat long held by liberal Democrat Edward M. Kennedy, who died last summer.”

Merkel Isn’t Doing That Good

Der Spiegel Online wrote on February 1:

“Chancellor Angela Merkel’s new center-right coalition has been in office for 100 days this week, and media commentators aren’t impressed with its performance or with Merkel’s leadership.

“Chancellor Angela Merkel’s first 100 days in power at the head of a new center-right government following her re-election in September have been marred by infighting on economic and foreign policy and opposition accusations of cronyism and incompetence.

“Merkel has been accused by members of her Christian Democratic Union of failing to show leadership, and opinion poll ratings for her coalition of conservatives and pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) have been falling ahead of an important regional election in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state, in May…

“Business daily Financial Times Deutschland writes: ‘The center-right government has agreed [to] just one law in the 100 days since it took office. And now prominent members of the FDP want to reverse a key part of that legislation… That’s more than populism. That is tantamount to dismantling oneself… It shows that the FDP and to some extent the conservatives as well, are stumbling their way through government without a coherent strategy.’

“Center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: ‘… The glow of victory has vanished and members from the parties’ own ranks are opposing the federal government because they’re increasingly panicking about a regional election campaign.’

“Left-wing Die Tageszeitung has a photomontage of a blind Merkel being led by a blind guide dog in the shape of FDP leader Westerwelle. ‘Neither of them has a vision of society, neither has any idea how to make an export-orientated nation like Germany fit for the future. It’s been one major mistake after another… There are no clear policies on financial market regulation, on social or education policy or on a future-oriented energy policy. It’s reckless to think that doing nothing is enough to avoid making mistakes…’

“Conservative Die Welt writes: ‘Angela Merkel faces a dilemma. The leadership style that enabled her to get to the pinnacle of politics is now increasingly becoming a burden and is endangering her power. Her internal critics expect Angela Merkel to exert more authority and decisiveness… But such so-called leadership skills are diametrically opposed to the consensus-seeking, moderating style with which the 55-year-old has so far run her party…'”

It appears that the world is presently lacking decisive leadership. And while we do not expect any strong leader to arise in the USA, the Bible shows that a very powerful political personage will arise in Europe in a very short time. Unfortunately, this will bring the world to the brink of annihilation.

Voodoo in Haiti

The Telegraph wrote on February 1:

“Every evening, Monique Henri offers thanks to the voodoo deity Ogu Feray at a shrine in her home for sparing her family from the earthquake. She used to be a regular worshipper at her local Catholic church. But these days she goes there less often. The disaster has moved voodoo centre-stage in Haiti. Yesterday, 1,000 members of the national convention of voodoo priests met in an emergency session to formulate their response to it. Failure to take decisive action, they warned, could bring down another disaster on the shattered country.

“The devastation in Haiti has led many in the traumatised population to seek solace in faith and mysticism and there has been a move by some to turn back towards the old religion, with a marked rise in the numbers taking part in voodoo ceremonies and rituals.

“… the foreigners have trouble competing with voodoo, the fusion of African religions and Christianity which found its first adherents among the original slave population, and which is now deeply ingrained in the culture of the country. It’s a faith that leaps barriers: as the Haitian saying goes, people here are ’60 per cent Catholic, 40 per cent Protestant and 100 per cent voodoo.'”

The Bible predicts that in the end time, the world will refuse to repent and submit to God and rather continue to worship demons (Revelation 9:20). Haiti is not an exception, as the next article about the U.S. Air Force shows.

U.S. Air Force’s Worship Areas for Pagan Worship

The Associated Press reported on February 1:

“The Air Force Academy has set aside an outdoor worship area for Pagans, Wiccans, Druids and other Earth-centered believers… A double circle of stones atop a hill on the campus near Colorado Springs has been designated for the group, which previously met indoors… Lt. Col. William Ziegler, one of the academy’s chaplains, said designating the space is part of the school’s effort to foster religious tolerance and to defend the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom…

“The school also has worship facilities for Protestant and Catholic Christians, Jews, Muslims and Buddhists… The academy has about 4,000 cadets. The school is one of five U.S. service academies, including West Point and Annapolis. Cadets graduate as second lieutenants.”

Pope Condemns U.K. “Equality Rights” Laws

AFP wrote on February 2:

“Gay-rights campaigners and secularists called on Tuesday for protests during a visit to Britain by Pope Benedict XVI this year after he condemned equality legislation seen as friendly to gays… [The pope said] that ‘the effect of some of the legislation designed to achieve this goal has been to impose unjust limitations on the freedom of religious communities to act in accordance with their beliefs. In some respects it actually violates the natural law upon which the equality of all human beings is grounded and by which it is guaranteed.’

“Observers said the pontiff was referring to legislation that took effect on January 1, 2009 preventing adoption agencies — including Catholic ones — from discriminating against gay couples.”

Mail-On-Line wrote on February 2:

“The Pope yesterday hit out at Britain’s equality legislation, claiming Harriet Harman’s attempts to bring in new laws enforced sinful behaviour.

“The National Secular Society (NSS) today said it would mount a protest campaign against the visit made up of gay groups, victims of clerical abuse, feminists, family planning organisations and pro-abortion groups among others.

“His remarks have been interpreted as an attack on the Sexual Orientation Regulations which forced Catholic adoption agencies to consider gay couples as potential adoptive parents. By the time the regulations came into force in January last year, five of the agencies in England and Wales had cut ties with their Roman Catholic dioceses in order to comply with the new laws…

“Despite praising Britain’s ‘firm commitment to equality of opportunity for all members of society’, the world’s most powerful religious leader turned his guns on Miss Harman’s equality agenda, which many in the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church say could force them to hire homosexuals or transsexuals.

“The powerful attack from Rome will deepen Miss Harman’s difficulties over her Bill. The criticism, unexpected by ministers since it comes from abroad, follows last week’s emphatic rejection by the House of Lords of clauses Catholic churches feared would force them to hire actively homosexual priests and staff, or force Catholics to allow women to become priests. Miss Harman’s Bill has already provoked deep opposition from the Church of England…

“When he visits the UK the Pope is expected to address MPs and peers on the issue of religious freedom from the spot in Westminster Hall where Sir Thomas More was condemned to death in 1535 for opposing the adultery of Henry VIII.”

While the Roman Catholic Church has been officially condemning homosexuality, Jesuit priests perpetrated despicable sex abuse crimes against boys in Germany and other countries, as the next article reports.

Sex Scandal at German Catholic School

The Local wrote on February 2:

“The scope of a child sex abuse scandal that was uncovered at an elite Berlin Catholic school last week has spread to other parts of Germany and beyond, the provincial superior for the country’s Jesuit order… has revealed.

“In addition to the 20 victims who have come forward at the Canisius College in Berlin, three from Hamburg and another two from the town of St. Blasien in the state of Baden-Württemberg have also said they were abused by the same two priests in the 1970s and 1980s]. There are also indications from Church files that one of the perpetrators… may have also sexually abused children in Chile and Spain up until 1990.

“In a statement addressed to his victims over the weekend, the 65-year-old former sports teacher Wolfgang S., who left the order in 1992, said it was ‘a sad fact that I abused children and young people for years under pseudo-educational pretexts’… Wolfgang S., who currently lives in South America, claimed that he had informed his Jesuit superiors of his dark past in 1991. Jesuit provincial leader Dartmann said over the weekend that the order did know of his crimes, and has hired a lawyer ‘to ascertain what the Jesuits specifically knew at the time, and what steps were taken.’

“According to Dartmann, Wolfgang S. taught between 1975 and 1979 at the Canisius College before moving on to the Saint Ansgar School in Hamburg between 1979 and 1982. Then in 1982 he went the St. Blasien in the Black Forest and stayed until 1984 before moving on to Chile in 1985. He was also reportedly under psychiatric care while he served in Hamburg and St. Blasien.

“The second suspect in the Canisius case, 69-year-old former religion teacher Peter R., taught religion at Canisius College between 1972 and 1981 in Berlin, before he moved on to Göttingen to work with youth between 1982 and 1989. He was suspended between 1989 and 1992, and then left the order in 1995. The church now has no contact with him, Dartmann said.”

No French Citizenship for Burqua-Wearing Muslims

On February 3, Deutsche Welle reported:

“France’s Prime Minister Francois Fillon said Wednesday on Europe 1 radio he would sign a decree sent to him by Immigration Minister Eric Besson refusing citizenship to a Moroccan man. The reason, he said, was that the man stated in his application he would never allow his wife to leave the home without a full veil and that a woman ‘is an inferior being.’ Fillon said the applicant does not respect French values of secularism and equality of the sexes… The applicant’s wife is a French citizen, Fillon said.

“France has made similar citizenship decisions in the past. A veiled Moroccan woman was denied citizenship by a French court two years ago because the court claimed her ‘radical’ practice of Islam was incompatible with French values…

“This most recent case comes as France engages in a heated national debate about what it means to be French and whether the burqa has a place in French society. President Nicolas Sarkozy has said the burqa was ‘not welcome’ in secular France, and last week a parliamentary commission recommended banning burqas in schools, hospitals, government offices and on public transportation. Sarkozy and his government have pushed for some sort of burqa ban.”

These decisions by the French government show the ongoing struggle of a Catholic country against non-Catholic beliefs–especially the Muslim faith. We can expect those controversies to intensify and to become (more) violent in the near future.

Guilty of Homicide for Failing to Seek Medical Help

The Oregonian on February 2:

“A Clackamas County jury found Jeffrey and Marci Beagley guilty today of criminally negligent homicide for failing to seek medical care for their 16-year-old son Neil Beagley [who] died June 17, 2008, of an undiagnosed and untreated urinary tract blockage. Instead of taking their son to a doctor when he became ill, the Beagleys treated him with faith healing – prayer, anointing with oil and laying on of hands.

“The Beagleys will be sentenced Feb. 18. They could face a maximum of 10 years in prison, although the normal sentencing range for people with no criminal history would be 16 to 18 months in prison. They could also be sentenced to probation… The Beagleys are the first parents from the Followers of Christ church in Oregon City to be convicted of homicide in the faith-healing death of a child.

“Legislators cracked down on faith healing in 1999, due in large part to a history of child deaths associated with the members of the church. A change in law eliminated the spiritual treatment defense for cases involving second-degree manslaughter and first- and second-degree criminal mistreatment.”

It is important that Christian parents know of the stance of their government regarding faith healing of children. Note this excerpt from page 36 of our booklet, “Sickness and Healing–What the Bible Tells Us”:

“If, as a parent, your individual conviction prohibits you from consulting doctors or taking medications, then you are not to violate your conviction (compare Romans 14:23). But it is always good to evaluate your conviction based on the Bible, to make sure that it is not the product of human reasoning or pre-conceived notions. In addition, the law in most countries prescribes that, as a parent, you are to seek medical help for your sick child. If you fail to do so, the government might take your child away from you, or, if the child should die, you may face charges of involuntary manslaughter, or worse.

“Additionally, faith is necessary in order to be healed. But what if your child does not have the required faith? God does not transfer your faith to that of the child. The Bible clearly states that God does not apply the righteousness of the parents to the children (Ezekiel 14:19–20). Romans 14:22 asks, ‘Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God!’

“This is not to say that parents are not to teach their children the necessity of having faith in God when they are sick. They are, in fact, supposed to encourage them to ask God for healing by asking the elders of the church to anoint them with oil and to pray over them. We are only addressing here those parents who, because of conscientious reasons, would refuse to consult and work with doctors and get medical help. Even though parents are to teach their children to place their faith in GOD for healing, they should not withhold medical help from them, if it is due (compare Proverbs 3:27).”

In the context of this verse, the account shows that Jesus was reacting to the rejection of His teaching by the Pharisees (compare verse 14). In Luke 16:13, Jesus concluded a parable with this admonition, “‘…You cannot serve God and mammon’”—a statement that challenged the Pharisaical practices!

Continuing in Luke 16:15-16:

“And He said to them, ‘You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

“‘The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.’”

Now specifically, in the first part of Luke 16:16, Jesus states, “‘The law and the prophets were until John.’” His comment is about how God was represented to men—especially, to those of Israel, and even more directly to the House of Judah. However, the Jews of that time were not even following the law of God or paying attention to what the prophets of God taught. Jesus continued His teaching with another parable, and note the poignant indictment of this lesson:

“‘But he said to him, “If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead”’” (Luke 16:31).

That indeed proved to be the case, for Jesus Christ did rise from the dead, and, still, many of the Jews rejected Him—neither did they repent and turn to God. The proof of this is borne out in the way that the religious Jewish hierarchy fought against the disciples of Jesus who preached of His resurrection (compare Acts 5:22-42 regarding the original Apostles; Acts 7 regarding Stephen; and Acts 13:13-52 regarding the Apostle Paul).

In another account, the story of Jesus restoring life to Lazarus swept throughout the population. Even in the face of a multitude of witnesses to this remarkable miracle, the Pharisees (a dominant religious and political party in Palestine) tried to squelch the truth of the matter!

The people reacted quite differently to this raising of Lazarus from the dead:

“The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: ‘Hosanna! ‘ “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” ‘The King of Israel!’ Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: ‘Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey’s colt.’ His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him. Therefore the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness. For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign” (John 12:12-18)

Note the bitter jealously with which the Pharisees reacted to this event.

“The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, ‘You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!’” (John 12:19).

Because of their intransigent attitude, Jesus rebuked those who withstood His preaching of the Gospel:

“‘But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in’” (Matthew 23:13).

On the one hand, we see that there was a great resistance to what was being preached since the time of John the Baptist, but we also find that many began to turn to God and to believe the message of both John the Baptist and Jesus Christ:

“‘For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him’” (Matthew 21:32).

Also, John himself testified against those who tried to falsely respond to his preaching:

“Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, ‘Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance…’” (Matthew 3:5-7).

Following His healing of a leper, Jesus warned the man to discreetly appear before the priest along with an appropriate offering; but this isn’t what he did:

“However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction” (Mark 1:45).

After another miraculous event in which Jesus fed a large number of people, notice what followed:

“Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone” (John 6:15).

Even following His resurrection, His own closest disciples anticipated the immediate establishment of God’s Kingdom: “…they asked Him, saying, ‘Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’” (Acts 1:6).

So we see that while the entrenched religious factions of the time fought against what both John the Baptist and Jesus Christ preached—that is, the Gospel of the Kingdom of God (compare Matthew 3:1-2; 4:17)—many people were “pressing into it.” Some did it for purely political or chauvinistic reasons, and their intentions did not find fulfillment. Others heard the message and understood that they had to “bear fruits worthy of repentance.” That kind of approach was magnified surrounding the events of the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was given. The apostles preached the same message as that of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ—one that pointed to the future establishment of God’s Kingdom on the earth.

Here is what Peter preached to those in Jerusalem as the Church of God became established:

“‘But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began’” (Acts 3:18-21).

In spite of opposition or even the ill-founded desires of those who sought God’s Kingdom for materialistic and selfish reasons, access is only possible through the door that God has opened—a door which no one can open on their own or shut (compare Revelation 3:7-8). Jesus reveals this important key:

“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free’” (John 8:31-32).

And this:

“Then Jesus said to them again, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture’” (John 10:7-9).

The lesson for Christians is to make certain that we legitimately seek God’s Kingdom according to the instructions left for us. We have this warning from Jesus:

“‘Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?” And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Matthew 7:21-23).

Today, many, in a sense, are still “pressing into” the Kingdom of God, but as the statement from Matthew 7 reveals, they are going about it the wrong way! They have yet to repent of their sins against God, and they have to OBEY God!

Notice what we said in a previous Q&A: “Christ also refers to the fact in Matthew 11:12 that some would try to ‘press into’ the Kingdom of heaven in the wrong way–thinking that they do not have to keep God’s law anymore (compare Luke 16:16-17).”

Please also note what was written in our booklet, “The Gospel of the Kingdom of God,” on page 24:

“Consider now this passage in Luke 16:16: ‘The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the Kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.’ Until the prophet John came, only the Old Testament scriptures—the law and the prophets—were known. In Luke 24:44, the entire Old Testament is summarized as the ‘Law of Moses, and the Prophets, and the Psalms.’ The Kingdom of God had already been preached in the Old Testament, but not with such magnitude and clarity as Christ came to preach. NOW was the real possibility to enter it—since Christ had already qualified as King of that Kingdom, so that He could, with authority, proclaim the Kingdom of God as a future certainty for mankind. NOW it had become NEAR.

“And because of Christ’s preaching, many responded by trying to get into the Kingdom. But unless they were called, they would still not know HOW. Remember, Christ told us in Luke 13:24 that many would TRY to enter it, but would not be able to. Christ warned those of His time, as well as us today, that not everyone who would just say ‘Lord, Lord’ to Christ, would enter the Kingdom of God, but only the person ‘who does the will of My Father in heaven.’ (Matt. 7:21)

“This same thought is expressed in Luke 16:16: Everyone wants to desperately enter the Kingdom of God. But what does Christ tell us in verse 17: ‘And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.’ In other words, if you want to enter into eternal life, keep the commandments. Only those who do the will of the Father, which is, to keep the commandments of God, will enter the Kingdom of God. And now Christ continues to give us an example of such a commandment to be kept, in verse 18: ‘Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery.’

“’You shall not commit adultery’ is one of the commandments that we are to keep. And divorcing someone for any other than Biblical reasons and then marrying again, is a violation of the law against adultery. In order to enter the Kingdom of God, in order to be part of the Kingdom of God, we must keep God’s Law. It is the SAME Law, as we are told in Luke 16:16, that had already been preached up until the time of John the Baptist. It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for the Law to fail.”

Also consider the truth that Paul wrote about, when he stated: “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption” (1 Corinthians 15:50). As he explains throughout this chapter, physical must be changed to spiritual, and that can only be accomplished through our belief in and obedience to our Savior, Jesus Christ!

Finally, let us be reminded of exactly who will inherit the Kingdom of God–those who are truly able to be “pressing into it”:

“Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?” (James 2:5).

Lead Writer: Dave Harris

A new StandingWatch program was posted on the Web. It is titled, “The State of the Union Address and No Solutions…”

In the program, Norbert Link points out that we do NOT experience a recovery of the U.S. economy. Sales of homes are down; unemployment is up; and the economic activity in 2009 showed the sharpest drop since 1946. USA Today commented: “The U.S. is broke.” Hope in U.S. leadership is at an all-time low, as the national and international reactions to the President’s State of the Union address demonstrated. Two quarters of Americans believe that their federal government is not working. The Telegraph wrote: “Barack Obama gets an F for world leadership.” Nobody seems to present workable solutions. Aren’t there any?

A German sermon, titled, “Ehre Vater und Mutter” [“Honor Father and Mother”], was posted on the Web.

A German sermon, titled, “Das Neue Jerusalem” [“The New Jerusalem”], was posted on the Web.

On January 30, 2010, Robb Harris and Dave Harris will give split sermons, titled, respectively, “Chance” and “So Run.”

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.

Without question, all of us suffer trials in our life—some more than others. Perhaps we are going through a trial right now. In the face of trials, we may look upon them as a sign of God’s displeasure or correction, and this may well be the case. Unfortunately, trials may tend to breed a sense of doubt, bewilderment, depression, and even of anger and frustration. They can lay heavily on our minds, whether they come upon us suddenly as when an accident occurs, or whether they creep up on us gradually, as when a sickness takes hold and lingers, and we may wonder: “Have I sinned? Is that why I’m suffering?” It is always good to ask ourselves this question, but sometimes, individual sin may not be the reason for our trial.

For those of us called by God, the hardest trials are those which occur seemingly in spite of our faithfulness to God’s Word. But we should keep in mind, as David tells us: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them ALL” (Psalm 34:19). And Paul tells us: “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12).

We ought to realize that in the absence of trials in our Christian life, the ultimate tragedy would not be our physical death, but to lose the potential to be given eternal life. Thus trials must come if we expect immortality and real power as kings, priests and judges in God’s Kingdom. Otherwise, without testing us now through trial as free moral agents, God could not entrust us as immortal beings with all the power that will accompany that reward. We might say that God has to see what we are made of before He will imbue us with such great power. The complicity of Satan, a spirit being, to sin continually is THE example of what God wants to avoid with those of us whom He has called and sanctified and who are yet to be changed into spirit beings, having successfully endured our trials.

Trials can lead to either spiritual growth or bitterness. The response of those who suffer determines the result. We as Christians are bound to experience trials in order for us to demonstrate our faith in God and His promises. Our faith needs to be tried in order for it to be strengthened. Trials should never be a reason to dispense with faith—faith that comes to us through Jesus Christ.

James 1:2-3 tells us: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” To count our trial for joy is sometimes easier said than done, but we all need to grow in patience, when a trial comes upon us.

The trials we suffer from time to time do tend to try our patience and our faith, and necessarily so. In a familiar verse Peter exhorts us: “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you [in effect] partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy” (1 Peter 4:12-13).

How do we cope in the meantime? We will find encouragement when we accept a three-pronged solution to our trials, i.e. faith in God’s promises (compare Psalm 34); obedience toward His laws; and patience. They all go hand-in-hand.

Let us recall that verse in Hebrews 11:6 that tells us: “But without faith it is impossible to please [God].” If we do not please God, He will not be pleased with us. By surviving trials, be they mild or excruciating, with strength and determination and dignity, we are allowing God to build His righteous character in us, so that we become worthy of those blessings He holds out for those of us who endure to the end. As the end-time events rapidly manifest themselves, we all look forward to protection during the Great Tribulation yet to come upon this world. Let us pray fervently that we shall be counted worthy to escape THAT awful trial (compare Luke 21:36).

While we hear about lofty promises and representations about “the end” of the U.S. recession and recovery being just around the corner, the housing market and the debt deficit paint quite a different picture. And while Hillary Clinton is upset about international criticism of U.S. engagement in Haiti, the controversies between the USA and Germany over Afghanistan are continuing.

Notwithstanding Angela Merkel’s highly unpopular decision to send more German troops into Afghanistan–a decision which could lead to her political demise–the Afghan war proves to be another nail in the coffin of deteriorating relationships between the USA and Germany. At the same time, German anger begins to be directed against those who claim Germans are not good soldiers and are not doing enough in Afghanistan.

While the relationship between Germany and Iran is (temporarily) worsening, at least in part due to inhumane activities of the Iranian government, a US Court recognized that Germany engages in persecution of religious minorities.

The Telegraph, in commenting on President Obama’s State of the Union address, wrote that “Barack Obama gets an F for world leadership.” And even domestically, looking at the seemingly insurmountable problems that this nation is facing–with no true answers being offered by our politicians–President Obama’s “optimism” sounded shallow and unconvincing, when he said, referring to the recession: “The worst of the storm has passed.” Or when he stated: “I have never been more hopeful about America’s future than I am tonight. Despite our hardships, our union is strong. We do not give up. We do not quit. We don’t allow fear or division to break our spirit.”

At the same time, a revealing article on the background of Mr. Obama’s greatest current challenger, Scott Brown, shows the depth of trouble this country is in. It reminds us of a biblical prophecy in Isaiah 9:13-16 about the modern house of Israel (i.e., the USA, Great Britain, Canada and other English-speaking nations). That passage reads:

“For the people do not turn to Him who strikes them, Nor do they seek the LORD of hosts. Therefore the LORD will cut off head and tail from Israel, Palm branch and bulrush IN ONE DAY. The elder and honorable, he is the head; The prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail. For the leaders of this people cause them to err, And those who are led by them are destroyed.”

We conclude with an article about the unchristian and sick custom of self-flagellation, showing how far this world has turned away from the true God of the Bible.

Recovery? What Recovery?

The Associated Press reported on January 25:

“Sales of previously occupied homes took the largest monthly drop in more than 40 years last month, sinking more dramatically than expected after lawmakers gave buyers additional time to use a tax credit.

“The report reflects a sharp drop in demand after buyers stopped scrambling to qualify for a tax credit of up to $8,000 for first-time homeowners. It had been due to expire on Nov. 30. But Congress extended the deadline until April 30 and expanded it with a new $6,500 credit for existing homeowners who move…

“December’s sales fell 16.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.45 million… Sales had been expected to fall by about 10 percent… The report ‘places a large question mark over whether the recovery can be sustained when the extended tax credit expires,’ wrote Paul Dales, U.S. economist with Capital Economics… The Federal Reserve’s $1.25 trillion program to push down mortgage rates is scheduled to expire at the end of March…

“Many experts project home prices, which started to rise last summer, will fall again over the winter. That’s because foreclosures make up a larger proportion of sales during the winter months, when fewer sellers choose to put their homes on the market…”

This development will have further devastating consequences for the US economy. Many big banks are holding on to “their” money–especially in light of proposed “fees” requiring them to pay back “bail-out” money received from the government. They are unwilling to provide reasonable and affordable loans and mortgages, while many of the smaller banks are being shut down by the Federal Government. 

“The U.S. Is Broke…”

USA Today wrote on January 27:

“Trouble is, the deficit is only a symptom of a chronic disease that strikes at the very heart of democratic government… Thanks to decades of promises for ever-higher benefits and low taxes for the indefinite future, there’s now less give in future budgets than at any point in American history. At least profligate Congresses in the past confined their excesses and temporarily large deficits to the current year. Until recently, they didn’t box in the future…

“For the first time in U.S. history, in 2009 every single dollar of revenue was committed before Congress voted on any spending program. Meanwhile, most of government’s basic functions — from justice to education to turning on the lights in the Capitol — are paid for out of swelling, unsustainable deficits. Blame the recession for some of this dip. But even a recovery only temporarily restores a bit of financial freedom, not enough to reverse the downward trend.”

Hillary Clinton Deeply Resents International Criticism of USA

AFP wrote on January 26:

“Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday she ‘deeply resents’ foreign criticism of the US response to the earthquake in Haiti, saying the United States was doing as much as it could. ‘I deeply resent those who attack our country, the generosity of our people and the leadership of our president in trying to respond to historically disastrous conditions after the earthquake,’ Clinton told State Department employees…

“Clinton did not single out critics but said that ‘some of the international press either misunderstood or deliberately misconstrued’ the US decision to send troops along with civilians to Haiti. A senior Italian official on Sunday criticized the lack of a coordinated international aid effort in Haiti, saying that the United States had ‘too many officers’ there and could not find a capable leader.”

All justification for anger about such criticism aside, the fact that the US IS encountering these kinds of verbal attacks shows the lack of trust and confidence many nations have in US leadership.

“Warfare” Between US and German Armies Over Afghanistan

Bild Online wrote on January 21:

“In a BILD interview US General Stanley McChrystal yesterday challenged the Germans to also take more risks in the fight against the Taliban. But German defence minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg held a press conference in which he hit back at McChrystal’s criticism and gave his full support to the German army: ‘Our soldiers are being exposed to high risks every day.’ Asked by a reporter whether the German soldiers are cowards, Guttenberg said: ‘That interpretation is nonsense! General McChrystal made it clear how much he values the engagement of the Germans.’

“Guttenberg told BILD: ‘McChrystal describes the high risks that all ISAF soldiers are exposed to in Afghanistan. Our German soldiers also risk their lives there every day. For this they deserve thanks and recognition from all of us.’ A German general told news agency ‘ddp’ that the comments of the US General were ‘inappropriate’ and ‘unfounded.’

“It is true that other countries in Afghanistan are indeed exposed to much higher risks. The main reason for this is that they are fighting in the South whereas the German army has been assigned, at least in recent years, to the noticeably quieter North. It could also explain why the British, for example, have deployed around double the number of troops in Afghanistan but have had seven times the number of deaths (249)…

“The German army is even often left out of important operations in the North. Yesterday special forces invaded a farmstead in Kunduz to dismantle a weapon store – an operation headed by the Americans and Afghans. The German soldiers were not with them…”

The Bible clearly shows that the relationship between the USA and Germany–and united continental Europe–will deteriorate. The next article shows the degree of German frustration with the USA.

Afghanistan–Another Nail in the Coffin of American-German Friendship…

Der Spiegel Online wrote on January 25:

“The German government hopes to discuss a new approach to Afghanistan at Thursday’s conference in London. But the Americans see the strategy as already fixed. If Berlin adopts the new counterinsurgency methods, more German troops are likely to die — making the operation even more unpopular back home…

“The weeks leading up to the London conference were also deeply humiliating for the Germans, and not just because of the arrogance of someone like Richard Holbrooke [the US government’s special envoy for Afghanistan]. The Americans decided to deploy an initial contingent of 2,500 soldiers to northern Afghanistan, and perhaps to even double that number in the future. It was a vote of no confidence in the Germans, who are responsible for the north, and the message was clear: You can’t get it done, so move aside and let us take over…

“Germany has acquired the reputation of a discredited nation, a nation incapable of waging war, a cowardly nation. It is an accusation that has been around for a long time. It was apparent when the Germans refused to take part in the first and second Iraq wars. It was apparent when the Germans requested a region that was guaranteed to be safe during the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Somalia. And it was apparent when the Germans took responsibility for what was then the relatively safe northern part of Afghanistan. Now the north is no longer safe, and the Germans are seen as too cowardly to take on the Taliban.

“It is largely an unfair accusation. After the horrors of World War II, the Germans had to take an extremely cautious approach to the subject of war. For the Germans, unlike their current allies, military traditions are severely tainted by historical events. But now, almost 65 years after the end of the war, Germans are grappling with the question of how and when a democratic Germany should wage war.

“Until now, the Germans had expected Afghanistan to be a clean mission in support of a worthy cause, with no bloodshed involved. Germany can now forget about that idea, after Colonel Georg Klein used fabricated information to order an air strike on two tanker trucks which killed up to 142 people, including civilians, on Sept. 4, 2009. It is no longer possible to separate the worthy cause from bloodshed…”

The time will come when Germany WILL wage war again. It is a great paradox and a tragedy that countries like the USA will be highly responsible for this development, since they are encouraging and demanding German military engagement in other countries, including Afghanistan.

Germany’s Incoherent Government

On January 26, Berlin announced it will send an extra 500 troops to Afghanistan, plus an additional 350 soldiers as a “flexible reserve.” It was also stated that Berlin will contribute €50 million towards a program to reintegrate Taliban fighters. At the same time, German Foreign Minister Guide Westerwelle stated on Tuesday that he will begin withdrawing German troops by 2011. This inconsistent approach is puzzling to many. The German government is in disarray.

Openly gay Westerwelle’s decision to have his partner accompany him to official visits with Arab leaders did not help in building foreign confidence in effective German leadership. According to a report of The Local and DDP, dated January 27, a “new poll on Wednesday showed public support for the pro-business Free Democrats, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s junior coalition partners, had dropped by a third just four months after national elections.”

Angela Merkel’s position on Afghanistan has been met with strong criticism. It might actually lead to her political downfall.

The German press wrote in overwhelmingly negative terms about Germany’s future engagement in Afghanistan. Der Spiegel Online reported on January 26.

“German commentators on Tuesday take a closer look at the cash-for-Taliban idea, with most of them pointing out the massive potential for corruption in the proposed ex-Taliban money pool. But others wonder why, after eight years, Afghanistan’s state institutions are so weak.

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: ‘…There will be no more “presence” without more soldiers. And working closer to the Afghan people will mean more danger for German troops… A defense minister who wants to send soldiers into Afghan villages in anything besides up-armored vehicles is proposing more risk.’

“The left-wing Berliner Zeitung argues: ‘… Under the new plan German taxpayers could… be subsidizing human-rights violators.’

“The business daily Handelsblatt writes: ‘… Presence in Afghanistan, for German soldiers, means taking far greater risks. If they follow newly-trained Afghan soldiers into new regions, they will come in range of insurgents… The German government hopefully understands that a public debate over mounting casualties will be the result.'”

However, it seems that the German government does not understand this, or that it does not want to. This will have terrible consequences for its survival.

Growing Tensions Between Germany and Iran

The Local and AFP reported on January 27:

“Iran said Wednesday it arrested two German diplomats for allegedly having a hand in deadly anti-government protests which erupted on a Shiite Muslim holy day last month… The agencies did not specify whether the diplomats were still detained, but German officials dismissed the reports. ‘No German diplomats were arrested on December 27 last year,’ German Foreign Ministry spokesman Andreas Peschke told a press conference in Berlin. ‘If the accusations turn out to have been made, we reject them categorically’…

“Meanwhile, German industrial giant Siemens said on Wednesday it would stop signing new business deals in Iran from mid-2010 amid growing tensions between Berlin and Tehran… Germany is one of the world’s leading exporters to Iran, although pressure to roll back dealings with the regime in Tehran has grown as the international community mulls sanctions over its disputed nuclear programme.

“Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday that German-Iranian trade had ‘declined considerably’ while acknowledging that the two countries had a ‘long tradition of economic cooperation.’ In 2008, German exports to Iran, mainly machine tools and industrial equipment, rose by nearly nine percent despite international condemnation of the regime in Tehran.

“For her part, Merkel warned that time was running out before the international community considers sanctions, adding that February would be the ‘crucial month’ in the UN Security Council. Sanctions on Iran would only work if applied ‘over the broadest possible basis,’ Merkel added, following talks with Israel’s President Shimon Peres.”

US Court Recognizes Religious Persecution in Germany

The Local wrote on January 27:

“A US court has granted asylum to an evangelical Christian family who fled Germany because they were not allowed to homeschool their children. An immigration judge in Nashville, Tennessee ruled that parents Uwe and Hannelore Romeike, and their five children, are free to stay in the US, where they have been since 2008… The parents, who came from the state of Baden-Württemberg, allege they were persecuted for their faith and defiance of Germany’s compulsory school attendance since those who do not comply face fines and jail time.

“According to Uwe Romeike, his family was fined the equivalent of some $10,000 over two years, but could not afford to make payments after their court appeals failed. ‘I think it’s important for parents to have the freedom to choose the way their children can be taught,’ Romeike told AP, later adding that German curriculum was increasingly ‘against Christian values.’

“In October 2006, police forcefully took the family’s children to school in their home town of Bietigheim-Bissingen when they refused to do so themselves. One year later, the country’s high court ruled that in some similar cases the state could take children from their parents…

“’This decision finally recognises that German homeschoolers are a specific social group that is being persecuted by a Western democracy,’ Mike Donnelly, a lawyer for the Home School Legal Defense Association, said in a statement. ‘It is embarrassing for Germany, since a Western nation should uphold basic human rights, which include allowing parents to raise and educate their own children,’ he said. ‘We hope this decision will cause Germany to stop persecuting homeschoolers’… In November 2009, another Christian couple was fined by a Kassel court for refusing to send their children to school.”

The importance of this decision, even though not yet final, cannot be over-emphasized.

As Der Spiegel Online wrote on January 28, “Fundamentalist Christians in the United States have been critical of German mandatory school attendance laws for years… It is illegal to keep children out of school for any reason. The outcomes of several cases in the past indicate that parents opposed to mandatory school attendance have little chance of success…

“In late May 2006, the German Constitutional Court ruled that parents are not entitled to keep their children from attending school because of their religious views. In November 2007, the Federal Supreme Court ruled that parents can even be deprived of the custody of their children… In September 2006, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Germany’s mandatory school attendance policy, along with the corresponding ban on homeschooling, is compatible with both European law and the European Convention on Human Rights.”

As a consequence, according to Der Spiegel, the court in Memphis held that Germany’s mandatory school law violates the basic human rights of German citizens. The magazine wrote:

“Announcing his verdict in a court in Memphis, Tennessee, Judge Lawrence Burman ruled that the Romeikes’ were entitled to political asylum… Burman argued that he believed the Romeike family’s basic human rights were being violated in Germany… Burman also defined so-called homeschoolers… as ‘a particular social group that the German government is trying to suppress.’ The family, Burman argued, has ‘a well-founded fear of persecution’ and, as a result, the right to political asylum in the United States.

“HSLDA attorney Mike Donnelly [said:] ‘This is simply about the German state trying to coerce ideological uniformity in a way that is frighteningly reminiscent of past history.'”

State of the Union Address

The Telegraph wrote on January 28:

“As expected, Barack Obama’s 70 minute State of the Union address focused heavily on the economy and the domestic political agenda. This was hardly surprising in the aftermath of last week’s catastrophic defeat for his party in the Massachusetts special Senate election, where the Republicans scored an historic victory. American voters are turning strongly against the president’s health care reform package as well as his big government vision for the economy, which has contributed to spiraling public debt and mounting unemployment, now standing at over 10 percent.

“But the scant attention paid in the State of the Union speech to US leadership was pitiful and frankly rather pathetic. The war in Afghanistan, which will soon involve a hundred thousand American troops, merited barely a paragraph. There was no mention of victory over the enemy, just a reiteration of the president’s pledge to begin a withdrawal in July 2011. Needless to say there was nothing in the speech about the importance of international alliances, and no recognition whatsoever of the sacrifices made by Great Britain and other NATO allies alongside the United States on the battlefields of Afghanistan. For Barack Obama the Special Relationship means nothing, and tonight’s address further confirmed this.

“Significantly, the global war against al-Qaeda was hardly mentioned, and there were no measures outlined to enhance US security at a time of mounting threats from Islamist terrorists. Terrorism is a top issue for American voters, but President Obama displayed what can only be described as a stunning indifference towards the defence of the homeland.

“The Iranian nuclear threat, likely to be the biggest foreign policy issue of 2010, was given just two lines in the speech, with a half-hearted warning of ‘growing consequences’ for Tehran, with no details given at all. There were no words of support for Iranian protestors who have been murdered, tortured and beaten in large numbers by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s thuggish security forces, and no sign at all that the president cared about their plight. Nor was there any condemnation of the brutality of the Iranian regime, as well as its blatant sponsorship of terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“As the example of Iran showed, the advance of freedom and liberty across the world in the face of tyranny was not even a footnote in the president’s speech. I cannot think of a US president in modern times who has attached less importance to human rights issues. For the hundreds of millions of people across the world, from Burma to Sudan to Zimbabwe, clamouring to be free of oppression, there was not a shred of hope offered in Barack Obama’s address.

“Obama’s world leadership in his first year in office has been weak-kneed and little short of disastrous. He has sacrificed the projection of American power upon the altar of political vanity, with empty speeches and groveling apologies across the world, from Strasbourg to Cairo. He has appeased some of America’s worst enemies, and has extended the hand of friendship to many of the most odious regimes on the face of the earth. Judging by the State of the Union address tonight, we can expect more of the same from an American president who seems determined to lead the world’s greatest power along a path of decline.”

Just Blame Others…

The New York Post added on January 28:

“Obama’s response last night was to recommit himself to the agenda that has gotten him in so much trouble… Obama, in his supreme arrogance, didn’t really seem to care… there was an innumerate, inaccurate and distinctly unpresidential whine — blaming George W. Bush for nearly all of his problems (leaving out, among other things, that the Democrats have been controlling Congress and crafting budgets since 2006).

“… the president promised more jobs bills, more ‘investments’ in schools, roads, trains and factories. He even reaffirmed his support for his carbon-tax legislation — which would send far more jobs overseas than it would create here at home.

“But Obama has a bigger problem: Aside from a few throwaway lines of self-deprecation, whenever he grew passionate, it was to blame others. His predecessor topped his list, of course. But also everyone else who disagrees with him. Obama insists that Americans need to muster the courage to agree with him, to sign on to his agenda…

“He decried the politicians who are in ‘permanent campaign’ mode — the same week he brought into the White House his campaign manager. Other politicians are vain, cowardly and insubstantial. They need the courage to change. Meanwhile, Obama is great the way he is. That is the attitude that has gotten the president in so much trouble. And last night’s State of the Union speech showed us that change really isn’t easy, particularly for the president.”

No Specifics Given…

Times On Line wrote on January 28:

“In a gesture to his liberal base, the President said that he would seek the repeal of the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy instituted by President Clinton on gays in the military. He also admitted that he and his team had made mistakes in their first year. Most were unspecified but he owned up to a failure to communicate his aims for health reform more clearly.

“No detailed strategy was expected for saving the healthcare Bill that dominated Mr Obama’s first year in office, and none was offered. Mr Obama restricted himself to a plea ‘to come together and finish the job for the American people’. Earlier, Senator Harry Reid, who led round-the-clock negotiations on the Bill until the Democrats lost their Senate supermajority last week, said that there was ‘no rush’ to get it passed.

“… polls published yesterday showed that three quarters of Americans believe that their federal government is not working and 58 per cent feel that their country is heading in the wrong direction.”

… But What ARE the Facts?

In analyzing President Obama’s State of the Union address, The Associated Press wrote on January 28:

“The anticipated savings from this proposal [to freeze government spending for three years, beginning in 2011] would amount to less than 1 percent of the deficit – and that’s if the president can persuade Congress to go along. Obama is a convert to the cause of broad spending freezes. In the presidential campaign, he criticized Republican opponent John McCain for suggesting one. ‘The problem with a spending freeze is you’re using a hatchet where you need a scalpel,’ he said a month before the election. Now, Obama wants domestic spending held steady in most areas where the government can control year-to-year costs. The proposal is similar to McCain’s…

“OBAMA [said:]: ‘I’ve called for a bipartisan fiscal commission, modeled on a proposal by Republican Judd Gregg and Democrat Kent Conrad. This can’t be one of those Washington gimmicks that lets us pretend we solved a problem. The commission will have to provide a specific set of solutions by a certain deadline. Yesterday, the Senate blocked a bill that would have created this commission. So I will issue an executive order that will allow us to go forward, because I refuse to pass this problem on to another generation of Americans.’

“THE FACTS: Any commission that Obama creates would be a weak substitute for what he really wanted – a commission created by Congress that could force lawmakers to consider unpopular remedies to reduce the debt, including curbing politically sensitive entitlements like Social Security and Medicare. That idea crashed in the Senate this week, defeated by equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans. Any commission set up by Obama alone would lack authority to force its recommendations before Congress, and would stand almost no chance of success…

“OBAMA [said:] ‘Because of the steps we took, there are about 2 million Americans working right now who would otherwise be unemployed. … And we are on track to add another one and a half million jobs to this total by the end of the year.’

“THE FACTS: The success of the Obama-pushed economic stimulus that Congress approved early last year has been an ongoing point of contention. In December, the administration reported that recipients of direct assistance from the government created or saved about 650,000 jobs. The number was based on self-reporting by recipients and some of the calculations were shown to be in error.

“The Congressional Budget Office has been much more guarded than Obama in characterizing the success of the stimulus plan. In November, it reported that the stimulus increased the number of people employed by between 600,000 and 1.6 million ‘compared with what those values would have been otherwise.’ It said the ranges ‘reflect the uncertainty of such estimates.’ And it added, ‘It is impossible to determine how many of the reported jobs would have existed in the absence of the stimulus package.’

“OBAMA… called for action by the White House and Congress ‘to do our work openly, and to give our people the government they deserve.’

“THE FACTS: Obama skipped past a broken promise from his campaign – to have the negotiations for health care legislation broadcast on C-SPAN ‘so that people can see who is making arguments on behalf of their constituents, and who are making arguments on behalf of the drug companies or the insurance companies.’ Instead, Democrats in the White House and Congress have conducted the usual private negotiations, making multibillion-dollar deals with hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and other stakeholders behind closed doors. Nor has Obama lived up consistently to his pledge to ensure that legislation is posted online for five days before it’s acted upon.”

Obama’s Fiercest Opponent?

Conservative German tabloid Bild Online wrote on January 22:

“A man who once stripped off for the nude centrefold of ‘Cosmopolitan’ magazine has become US President Barack Obama’s (48) fiercest opponent. Scott P. Brown (50) is an ultra conservative Republican who recently stunned America by conquering Massachussetts, the stronghold of the Democrats and the Kennedy clan. In doing so, Obama lost his majority in the Senate, giving the Republicans back the power to block his major projects such as health reform.

“So just who is Scott P. Brown, the hunk who stripped naked for a photo shoot in ‘Cosmopotitan’ in 1982? He’s a lawyer, lieutenant colonel in reserve and ‘Aerosmith’ fan. He’s a child of divorced parents who had constantly changing stepfathers, who were in part violent. And he’s a fitness freak – he gets up at 5 am every morning and jogs for 10 km. ‘I was the small boy who was woken at night by his mother screaming and believed that he had to save her…'”

The disappointment of many Americans with President Obama and his government, as well as with former President Bush and his administration, will induce especially independent voters or disenfranchised and disillusioned Democrats and Republicans to look for leaders in different places, such as the growing “Tea party” movement, which can be classified as a development of protest. However, that search for alternatives will likewise be met with disappointment. The only security would lie in a return to God and His laws–but neither the American people as a whole nor any other nation today, is simply willing to do so.

The Sickness of Self-Flagellation

CNN wrote on January 27:

“Pope John Paul II used to beat himself with a belt and sleep naked on the floor to bring himself closer to Christ, a book published Wednesday says. The late pope had a particular belt for self-flagellation and brought it with him to his summer residence, according to the book, ‘Why he is a Saint: The True story of John Paul II.’

“‘As some members of his own entourage were able to hear with their own ears, both in Poland and in the Vatican, Karol Wojtyla flagellated himself,’ the book says, using the name the pope was given at birth. ‘In the closet, among the cloaks, a particular pant-belt hung from a hook, which he utilized as a whip and one which he always had brought to Castel Gandolfo,’ the book says.

“The book was written by a Vatican insider, Slawomir Oder, with Italian journalist Saverio Gaeta of the Catholic weekly Christian Family. Oder is head of the Vatican committee investigating whether John Paul II should be declared a saint. John Paul died in 2005…

“Mother Teresa is among famous Catholics who self-flagellated in some way…

“Catholics are not alone in choosing to inflict pain on themselves for religion reasons. Some Shiite Muslims lash themselves until they bleed when marking the mourning period of Ashura…

“David Gibson [is] a journalist who worked for Vatican Radio when John Paul II was pope… ‘John Paul was a product of a very Old World Polish Catholicism,’ said Gibson… The authors of the new book clearly approve of any whipping the pope did of himself, he added. ‘Even though it’s going to weird people out, it’s obviously seen by his postulators as a sign of his holiness,’ he said…

“The authors of the book based it on interviews with 114 “witnesses” and access to unedited documents in the Vatican’s archives… The book is available only in Italian, but the publisher is having it translated into Polish and other languages.”

John 1:14 says that “.. the Word [the “Logos,” that is, Jesus Christ the Spokesman] became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory… full of grace and truth.”

The Greek word “charis,” which is commonly translated as “grace,” has a variety of meanings. It can and very often does refer to God’s forgiveness of our sins–His “unmerited pardon”–and to our justification. We read in Romans 3:24 that we are “being justified freely by His grace” (compare also Titus 3:7).

But we have to realize that Jesus Christ never sinned and that He therefore did not have to receive any “unmerited pardon” for sin. Still, we read in Luke 2:52 that Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in grace with God and men. Most translations render this verse as, “Jesus increased… in favor with God and men,” but in the Greek, the word “charis” is used which is translated as grace in John 1:14.

This shows that the word “grace” can also have the meaning of “favor.” We find that later, “great grace was upon” all of the early apostles when they witnessed to Christ’s resurrection with great power (Acts 4:33).

Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible states that Christ was full of “favor, kindness, and mercy to men; teaching the way to the kingdom of God, with all the simplicity, plainness, dignity, and energy of truth.”

Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible supports this understanding, stating: “The word ‘grace’ means ‘favors,’ gifts, acts of beneficence. He was kind, merciful, gracious, doing good to all, and seeking man’s welfare by great sacrifices and love; so much so, that it might be said to be characteristic of him, or he ‘abounded’ in favors to mankind. He was also ‘full of truth.’ He declared the truth. In him was no falsehood…”

In 1 Corinthians 16:3, we read that Paul told the disciples that he wanted to send someone to “bear your gift to Jerusalem.” The Authorized Version says, “your liberality.” The Greek word is “charis”–commonly translated as “grace.” This shows that the concept of grace includes gifts which are given freely and with liberality.

We read in John 1:16-17: “And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” The commentary of Jamieson, Fausset and Brown explains that the phrase “grace for grace” means, “grace upon grace… in successive communications and larger measures, as each was able to take it in.”

John was not saying here that we need to sin more so that God’s forgiveness of our sins might abound (compare Romans 6:1-2 and Jude 4), but that Christ bestowed gradually more and more favors on His disciples.

The Greek word for grace can also mean “gracious.” We read that Jesus spoke with “gracious words” (Luke 4:22), so that all marveled at them. And so, we are admonished today to always speak “with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one” (Colossians 4:6).

When we read that God gives us grace, then this does not only mean forgiveness of our sins upon repentance, but it can also refer to special favors and physical and spiritual help which we may need. We read in Hebrews 4:16: “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

The Greek word for grace (“charis”) can also mean “thanks” or “thankworthy” (compare Romans 6:17; 1 Peter 2:19 in the Authorized Version). To be truly thankful is a gift or favor from God, which we must use and apply toward God and man.

Christ, full of grace, is willing to bestow His grace on us. But we also read that we must be truly humble in order to obtain God’s grace (1 Peter 5:5; compare James 4:6). We must be careful and diligent, lest through a root of bitterness, “anyone fall short of the grace of God” (Hebrews 12:15).

When we read that Christ was full of grace, we need to understand that He was gracious to people, full of compassion and mercy. Since He was also full of truth, we need to comprehend that He never lied or compromised with God’s truth, just to “please” someone or avoid confrontation or persecution.

The One Volume Commentary by Dummelow states regarding John 1:14: “… grace is the divine favour and loving-kindness; truth … is not simply veracity, but holiness in general… Christ was full of grace and holiness, not that He might keep them to Himself, but that He might bestow them upon men.”

We must become people full of grace and truth–to be used for the benefit of others (compare Ephesians 4:29). Hebrews 12:28 says: “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.” We are to be “good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10)–not for selfish purposes, but for the purpose of sharing it with others.

We must be gracious and compassionate, filled with lovingkindness and goodwill, bestowing favors on others, as we have opportunity (compare Galatians 6:10). At the same time, we must be upright and dependable, truthful and trustworthy. As Christ’s disciples, we must grow in HIS grace and in HIS knowledge (2 Peter 3:18).

We must develop in us and embrace Christ’s gracious character traits, and we must steadily increase in the understanding of Christ–including how to answer someone truthfully and tactfully who asks us about our faith (1 Peter 3:15). Let us strive then to imitate Christ by reflecting His character, filled with grace and truth.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Our new booklet, “Paul’s Letter to the Galatians–How to Understand it,” has been posted on the Web and is being sent to our printer in England for printing. At the same time, England will be re-printing, for the second time, our booklet, “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World,” as we ran again out of stock, due to high demands and our Internet advertising campaign.

A new StandingWatch program was posted on StandingWatch and YouTube. It is titled, “Coming Up From the Abyss.” In the program Norbert Link explained that Germany is destined to lead a mighty political, economic and military European power bloc. The Bible prophesied thousands of years ago that in these last days, Germany and Europe will ascend out of the bottomless pit or the “abyss,” while America’s leadership will continually diminish.

A new German sermon was recorded this week, titled, “Ehre Vater und Mutter!” [“Honor Father and Mother!”]

by John Amorelli

My wife and I live in a very rural area. There is satellite, but it is not reliable and very costly. There is no cable. So it seemed that all was completely lost, and we had to deal with dial-up connection. I was determined to obtain a better, faster and easier internet connection. We just could not live with dial-up!!

Weeks later, I was introduced to a technology called “mobile broadband.” It is simply an “air card” that plugs into a computer which delivers broadband capabilities, and it acts much like a cell phone. Without hesitation, I was sold on this device. (It did come with a 30-day trial period and a 1-2 year agreement.) I brought it home, unpacked the “air card,” loaded the software, plugged the “air card” into the computer, and initially it worked. I was excited that we would finally have better and reliable internet connection! No more dial-up!

Then, eventually, something went wrong–dropouts, loss of signal, error messages. I became frustrated. After spending days and days trying to get this product to produce better results, I subsequently returned it, and my wife and I went back to “good ole” dial-up.

This “mobile broadband” internet device overshadowed my spiritual focus on prayer, meditation and Bible study. I realized that nothing is better, faster, and more reliable than prayer, and prayer comes with anti-adversary protection and no dropouts, and it is totally free. It’s the best deal around. I had to remind myself that there is no substitute for the best “wireless” connection–PRAYER.