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.

On January 23, 2010, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “Mercy.”

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.

Knowing what we know separates us from those who believe differently. Others might casually recognize this fact, but it certainly should be more than apparent among those who have been called by God.

It is God’s intention and according to His purpose that how we live is unlike others. Jesus prayed for His followers, and we must never lose sight of the deep implications of what He requested from the Father:

“‘I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth, Your word is truth’” (John 17:14-17).

We see from this that it is God’s TRUTH that sets us apart from others.

The apostle John emphatically draws the contrast between Christians and those who follow another path: “We know that WE are of God, and the WHOLE WORLD lies under the sway of the wicked one” (1 John 5:19).

The Word of God describes those who are guilty of disobedience as walking in darkness—as not practicing the truth (compare 1 John 1:6). Although we all were once guilty of this destructive way of living, we are to be different: “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8).

Our separation from those who are deceived is as distinctly and vividly contrasted as light is to darkness! We have become parted from the ways of this world! Yet, as we continue to serve God, the somber darkness of this age deepens. Remember—Jesus said, “‘YOU are the light of the world’” (Matthew 5:14).

Having come this far, how do we face what is surely going to happen? We know the prophecies of God, and believing them, we definitely don’t want the same fate as those who defy God and impudently rebel against His revealed Truth. Even as we now live in–but separate from– the world, so must we continue, and we find this promise:

“But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever BRIGHTER unto the perfect day” (Proverbs 4:18).

The earthquake in Haiti will not be the last BIG earthquake predestined to occur very soon. Since last Sunday, several earthquakes, ranging from magnitude 5.8 to 6.3, were reported worldwide. And while the USA has assumed a leadership role in Haiti to deal with the crisis, it is being blamed for apparent shortcomings, and especially France has begun to accuse the USA of trying to occupy Haiti. And while President Obama had to face a huge and extremely embarrassing loss in liberal Massachusetts exactly one year after he took power, the relationship between the USA and China is bound to deteriorate, which will greatly hurt the US economy.

At the same time, it is felt that German engagement is a key factor for European success in the Middle East. Evidence is also mounting that the fanatic Iranian regime or Hezbollah were responsible for the murder of Masoud Ali Mohammadi, and Germans, including the two big churches, are becoming increasingly frustrated with German military involvement in Afghanistan in lieu of the recent terrorist attack of the Taliban. We conclude with a report of the pope’s visit to Rome’s main synagogue, highlighting the ongoing troubled relationship between the Vatican and the Jews.

Big Earthquakes in USA

LiveScience reported on January 15:

“As disaster crews and scientists investigate the havoc wrought in Haiti, questions emerge as to whether such a vastly destructive disaster could happen at home in the United States. In fact, cities are located near dangerous earthquake zones all throughout the country, from the most infamous on the West Coast to potential time bombs in the Midwest and even on the Eastern Seaboard…

“Stretching from northern Vancouver Island in Canada to northern California is the Cascadia subduction zone, where one giant plate of the Earth’s surface is diving deep beneath another one. ‘The very largest earthquakes all occur on subduction zones,’ said seismologist Geoffrey Abers at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University in New York. ‘These are also the faults that make very large tsunamis that propagate across ocean basins to cause a lot of damage.’

“These ‘megathrust earthquakes’ that threaten Seattle, Portland and Vancouver can be magnitude 9 or greater, geological records reveal… The Seattle Fault runs right through downtown Seattle…

“The most well-known earthquake zone in the United States is the San Andreas Fault, where the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate are sliding past each other, running along heavily populated areas of California. Still, other fractures in the earth threaten the state as well, such as the Hayward Fault that lies mainly on the east side of San Francisco Bay, and [a] previously unknown fault that caused the 1994 Northridge quake… Geologists expect the Los Angeles area will eventually be struck by an earthquake larger than any seen in recorded history…

“Three of the largest earthquakes in North America recorded in history originated from the New Madrid fault system over the course of two months from 1811 to 1812. These magnitude 7 events shook with enough power to apparently force the Mississippi River to temporarily flow backward. The quakes — the largest ones ever known in the center of the United States — have raised fears of a ‘big one’ there sometime this century. The closest cities to the New Madrid fault system are Memphis and St. Louis…

“The ancient Ramapo Fault runs near New York City… A number of other ancient faults go from Canada all the way at least to South Carolina… Alaska experiences the most earthquakes in the United States, more per year than the combined total of the rest of the country. The nation’s largest recorded earthquakes have all happened there as well. ‘The last big earthquake in 1964 there was the largest ever recorded in the United States at magnitude 9.2,’ Abers said. ‘It destroyed several towns and it heavily damaged Anchorage. The risk of tsunami is high for coastal areas as well…'”

We can expect many more big earthquakes to occur soon on a worldwide scale. On January 17, Reuters reported that “A 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck off the southern coast of Argentina on Sunday… The quake was centered about 220 miles (355 km) southeast of Ushuaia, Argentina, at a depth of 6.2 miles (10 km).” On January 18, Reuters reported that “A magnitude 6.0 earthquake hit Guatemala’s Pacific coast near the border with El Salvador on Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. It said the quake, 64.2 miles (103.3 km) deep, was centered 60 miles (97 km) southeast of Guatemala City.” CNN reported on January 19: “A 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck Tuesday off the Cayman Islands…” The Washington Post reported on January 20 that Haiti was hit “by a 6.1-magnitude tremor — one of the strongest aftershocks since the 7.0-magnitude quake crippled this city eight days ago.”

“America Must Tread Carefully in Haiti”

On January 18, Der Spiegel Online reported on the German reaction to America’s involvement in Haiti, which has been overwhelmingly positive. However, it is also pointed out that in this world of political maneuvering and jealousies, hidden dangers are lurking for the US.

The magazine wrote:

“UN chief Ban Ki-moon has appealed for patience as anger mounts in Haiti over the tardiness of the relief effort and aid groups criticize the US management of the airport… The aid is starting to get through to Haiti. But it is insufficient and it is not reaching enough of the people who desperately need it…

“The US is preparing to send in more troops to deal with the aftermath of the 7.0 quake… While planes and ships are descending on the country to provide relief, the US- controlled airport is proving to be a bottleneck and the ports cannot be used because of quake damage…

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes:

“In this catastrophe the United States is showing its best side. Helping its neighbors in their hour of need is one of America’s primary virtues. Washington is reacting to the crisis in Haiti with a kind of general mobilization, even an invasion of mercy. The humanitarian superiority of the US has already raised suspicions. France has criticized the abrasive way the Americans at the airport have taken command, as the completely helpless government in Port-au-Prince abandons control to the US soldiers.

“‘This kind of criticism will only increase as soon as thousands of GIs go on patrol in order to provide temporary security. America must tread carefully in Haiti — after decades of interference and occupation. No one can help more at the moment than the superpower. Later, however, many will claim to know how things could have been done better. The good deed of today can in the long term become a terrible curse.’

“The Financial Times Deutschland writes:

“‘The frustration of the foreign aid workers’ and the helpless people in the face of a humanitarian disaster is understandable. However, the bottlenecks occurring in Haiti are unavoidable and the criticism is unfair. When an earthquake completely destroys the already weak infrastructure of a poor country, then blockages are unavoidable…

“‘One thing is striking about the operation in Haiti: The US has taken a leading role. Not only is it sending an enormous amount of material and personnel, it is also coordinating much of the aid coming from other countries. However, it would be negligent if the international community were to depend on the US or other big powers to do the same in future disasters — the US reacted far too late in the case of the tsunami five years ago…’

“The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes:

“‘As if the international aid organizations didn’t have better things to be doing, a narrow-minded rivalry has begun over the “leadership.” Mexico has already called for a session of the UN Security Council with the aim of strengthening the role of the US in handling the relief effort. And in Europe, too, people are seeking the limelight by attacking the US, which is putting in motion the massive capabilities of its forces, providing huge amounts of money and mobilizing prominent fundraisers.

“No power in the world is better placed to get things off the ground. That is the political truth: Nothing works without… America’s determined involvement, no matter how generous other providers of aid may be. Without Washington’s long-term engagement, Haiti has no future…'”

The world is still hoping for and looking to the United States for leadership. But confidence in American accomplishments will diminish more and more. Even now, the US is blamed for apparent shortcomings, dealing with Haiti, while nobody else has been willing to assume any leadership role in this crisis.

France Accuses the US of Trying to “Occupy” Haiti

Britain’s Times on Line has been much more critical towards the humanitarian relief efforts in Haiti. In its article of January 18, titled, “France and America bicker as Haiti aid fails to reach city,” the paper wrote the following:

“The international effort to deliver humanitarian aid to the victims of last week’s Port-au-Prince earthquake was hit by bickering today as a French government minister accused the Americans of trying to occupy Haiti instead of helping it. Thousands of American soldiers have poured in to Port-au-Prince airport since President Obama announced that he was ordering a ‘swift and aggressive’ campaign to help millions of Haitians left homeless by last week’s 7.0 magnitude earthquake.

“Six days after the quake, however, precious little aid is getting beyond the airport perimeters – largely because of security concerns – and aid agencies with long experience of operating in disaster zones have complained that their flights in are being blocked unnecessarily. Among the aircraft turned back by American air traffic controllers who have assumed control at Port-au-Prince airport was a French government Airbus carrying a field hospital… Speaking to Europe 1 radio from an EU ministerial meeting in Brussels this morning, Mr Joyandet said that the UN would have to clarify the role of the US in the Haitian aid effort. ‘It’s a matter of helping Haiti, not occupying Haiti,’ he said…

“One of the MSF flights turned back on Saturday was carrying a large inflatable hospital of a type that MSF have used in various disaster zones since the Kashmir earthquake four years ago. The flight was diverted to the neighbouring Santa Domingo and the hospital and the medical supplies are having to be brought in overland…

“Ordinary water supplies are polluted and broken, and bottled water is selling for $6 a bottle on the black market in the streets. On the rare occasion that a water truck appears on the streets, it is mobbed. Even the most visible camp for homeless people… has not a single fixed water supply, aid distribution point or clinic to assess the needs of the wounded… At the airport, many soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division have been hanging around since Wednesday night without leaving the complex. One of them, Private First Class Patrick Jones, told The Times that only a few supplies of food and water had arrived…

“The delays are causing anger and frustration, and leading to unrest and violence. Witnesses report large-scale, organised looting by groups of youths armed with knives in the tight grid of streets next to the Champs de Mars homeless camp, stripping the last remaining supplies from the empty city… A New York Times [newscaster] reported seeing four alleged looters dumped by police at the national cemetery, three dead and one dying from gunshot wounds. Mobs of Haitians are also reported… taking the law into their own hands, with at least one confirmed case of a looter lynched to death.

“Dorsainvil Robenson, a policeman chasing down looters in the capital, said: ‘We do not have the capacity to fix this situation. Haiti needs help … the Americans are welcome here, but where are they? We need them here on the street with us.’”

Der Stern Online added on January 19 that “one week after the earthquake, Haiti might drown in chaos.”

President Obama’s Huge Loss in Massachusetts

The election of Republican Scott Brown as new senator of Massachusetts will have tremendous negative consequences for President Obama and the Democrats. The importance of Brown’s victory cannot be over-emphasized.

The Associated Press reported on January 19:

“In an epic upset in liberal Massachusetts, Republican Scott Brown rode a wave of voter anger to win the U.S. Senate seat held by the late Edward M. Kennedy for nearly half a century, leaving President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul in doubt and marring the end of his first year in office…

“The loss by the once-favored Democrat Martha Coakley in the Democratic stronghold was a stunning embarrassment for the White House after Obama rushed to Boston on Sunday to try to save the foundering candidate. Her defeat on Tuesday signaled big political problems for the president’s party this fall when House, Senate and gubernatorial candidates are on the ballot nationwide.

“Brown’s victory was the third major loss for Democrats in statewide elections since Obama became president. Republicans won governors’ seats in Virginia and New Jersey in November… Brown will become the 41st Republican in the 100-member Senate, which could allow the GOP to block the president’s health care legislation. Democrats needed Coakley to win for a 60th vote to thwart Republican filibusters.

“The trouble may go deeper: Democratic lawmakers could read the results as a vote against Obama’s broader agenda, weakening their support for the president. And the results could scare some Democrats from seeking office this fall. The Republican will finish Kennedy’s unexpired term, facing re-election in 2012.”

Reuters added on January 20:

“Dealing a stunning blow to Obama, Republican Scott Brown won a bitter election battle in Massachusetts on Tuesday seen by some analysts as a sign of voter anxiety over the president’s policies amid double-digit unemployment and a sluggish economic recovery. Brown’s win deprived Democrats of a crucial 60th Senate vote they need to pass the healthcare bill… and push through other big measures on climate change and financial regulatory reform…

“The election upset in Massachusetts compounded the problems confronting Obama as he reached the one-year anniversary of the day he took office with soaring paeans to hope and change. Since then, Obama’s public approval rating has fallen from 70 percent-plus at his inauguration to around 50 percent now, among the lowest of recent presidents at this stage in their tenure…”

Times On Line wrote on January 20:

“Republicans scored an historic victory overnight that put President Barack Obama’s agenda in jeopardy exactly a year after he took power – and which could kill his plans for healthcare reform. A little-known Republican state legislator won Edward Kennedy’s old seat in the US Senate in Massachusetts in what appeared to be a massive protest vote against the party that controls both chambers of Congress and the White House… Scott Brown, a lawyer, military officer and former male model, has promised to use his Senate vote to defeat the Democrats’ healthcare reform, which was on the brink of passage after decades of trying.

“Democrats pledged to try to push through healthcare reform despite the loss, but they risk a popular backlash if they do so… The Democrats now face failure on healthcare or the risk of employing strong-arm tactics that could be devastatingly unpopular. The most straightforward would be to force through a vote in the Senate before Mr Brown is officially certified as a senator – thereby using their old 60-seat super majority. Another option would be persuading the Democrat majority in the House to vote through the weaker version of the healthcare bill that had already been passed by the Senate.

“A more convoluted approach would be to pass the Senate’s bill and repackage the additional measures into a budget reconciliation bill – this kind of legislation can be passed with a simple majority of 51 in the 100-seat Senate. All three approaches would be dismissed as dishonest by the Republicans although the latter tactic was used by George W. Bush to force through two sets of tax cuts.

“The only other options available to Mr Obama are to persuade one or two Republican senators to change their minds on the issue, probably at the cost of further concessions, or to give the legislation up altogether and risk limping towards the mid-term elections in November having failed to achieve his defining domestic policy pledge.

“The Democrats’ defeat in Massachusetts was particularly ironic because healthcare reform was Senator Kennedy’s lifelong passion until his death from brain cancer in August… The state – often considered the most liberal in America with legal gay marriage and its own universal healthcare plan – has not elected a Republican to its other Senate seat since 1972.”

German Reactions to President Obama’s Defeat

Der Stern commented on January 20 that with the defeat of the Democrats in Massachusetts, President Obama’s image as a “messiah” has clearly and totally evaporated.

Der Spiegel Online wrote on January 21:

“The World Bids Farewell to Obama… German commentators say it is the end of hope…

“The Financial Times Deutschland writes: ‘… For everyone else in the world, this means that they will have to bid farewell to a candidate for whom the hopes were so high. They will have to say goodbye to the charisma they fell in love with. Obama will be staying home after all.’

“The left-leaning daily Die Tageszeitung writes: ‘In addition to health care reform, Obama’s reputation has primarily been harmed by the high unemployment rate and the increasingly unpopular war in Afghanistan. It will become even more difficult in the future for the president to push projects through successfully. Not just because Republicans now have a means of preventing it, but also because the Democratic camp is deeply divided. Some would like to see the party shift toward the center — wherever that may be — whereas others want the party to position itself to the left. Such a battle is hardly a good sign for the mid-term elections in November. Massachusetts could prove to be an omen.’

“The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: ‘Of course the president rejects the interpretation that the Massachusetts election was a referendum on his first year in the White House. But he cannot ignore the fact that his health care reform package is not popular, the situation of the country’s finances is seen as threatening and many voters blame the high unemployment rate on the party in power — on the Democrats, led by Obama…'”

Ahead–Stormy Relations Between China and USA

The Financial Times wrote on January 18:

“Google’s clash with China is about much more than the fate of a single, powerful firm. The company’s decision to pull out of China, unless the government there changes its policies on censorship, is a harbinger of increasingly stormy relations between the US and China. The reason that the Google case is so significant is because it suggests that the assumptions on which US policy to China have been based since the Tiananmen massacre of 1989 could be plain wrong. The US has accepted – even welcomed – China’s emergence as a giant economic power because American policymakers convinced themselves that economic opening would lead to political liberalisation in China.

“If that assumption changes, American policy towards China could change with it. Welcoming the rise of a giant Asian economy that is also turning into a liberal democracy is one thing. Sponsoring the rise of a Leninist one-party state… is a different proposition. Combine this political disillusionment with double-digit unemployment in the US that is widely blamed on Chinese currency manipulation, and you have the formula for an anti-China backlash.

“Both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush firmly believed that free trade and, in particular, the information age would make political change in China irresistible… So far, the facts are refusing to conform to the theory…

“Google’s decision to confront the Chinese government is an early sign that the Americans are getting fed up with dealing with Chinese authoritarianism… To date, the Obama administration has based its policy firmly on the assumptions that have governed America’s approach to China for a generation… But, after being censored by Chinese television in Shanghai and harangued by a junior Chinese official at the Copenhagen climate talks, Barack Obama may be feeling less warm towards Beijing…

“Even if the administration itself does not move, the voices calling for tougher policies against China are likely to get louder in Congress. Google’s decision to highlight the dangers of cyberattack from China will play to growing American security fears about China. The development of Chinese missile systems that threaten US naval dominance in the Pacific are also causing concern in Washington. Impending US arms sales to Taiwan are already provoking a dispute…

“A trade war between America and China is hardly to be welcomed. It could tip the world back into recession and inject dangerous new tensions into international politics…”

On January 21, 2010, Times On Line wrote the following:

“Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, dramatically raised the stakes with China over internet freedom today, insisting that that [sic] those who carried out cyber attacks should face ‘international condemnation.’… Mrs Clinton said she expected China to make a thorough and transparent investigation of cyber attacks on Google… ‘The United States and China have different views on this issue. And we intend to address those differences candidly and consistently.’ Mrs Clinton also criticised China for restricting Internet access and erecting other electronic barriers to the free flow of information.”

America is predestined to lose more and more power and influence in the world. Deteriorating relationships with China will hurt greatly the US economy.

“Falling into the Abyss”

Deutsche Welle reported on January 20:

“Speaking in parliament on the second day of a four day session to debate her government’s 2010 budget proposals, Chancellor Angela Merkel said… ‘We have managed to do the right thing to prevent falling into the abyss…’

“The draft budget, proposed by Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, foresees the highest deficit in Germany’s post-war history. Total expenditures for 2010 are expected to reach some 325 billion euros; 33 billion euros more than last year. The largest, single outlay at nearly 147 billion euros is earmarked for social services. Schaeuble warned that public spending would be cut in 2011 and said ‘grave decisions lie ahead’…

“Merkel said the goal of her government was to bring the economy ‘intelligently out of the slump’ and defended controversial tax cuts agreed on by her center-right coalition. The chancellor said she aimed to have the economy back to its pre-crisis growth levels by 2013.”

Chancellor Merkel’s choice of words (“falling into the abyss”) is quite remarkable in light of a prophecy in Revelation 9, stating that the ancient Roman Empire would be revived, under German leadership, by coming out of “the bottomless pit” (or “abyss” in Greek; compare the rendering in the New International Version; the Revised English Bible; and the New Jerusalem Bible, among others.).

“German Support Key to European Efforts in Middle East”

The Netzeitung wrote on January 18:

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a historic… joint cabinet meeting in Berlin with top ministers on Monday. The gathering of the two governments, the second ever after a similar meeting in Israel two years ago, will address urgent security issues such as Iran and underline the strong bond forged in the wake of the Holocaust. Netanyahu and German Chancellor Angela Merkel were also to hold bilateral talks focused on efforts to revive Middle East peace talks…

“Media have widely reported that Israel has ordered a sixth Dolphin-class diesel submarine from Germany… The submarines are believed to have a range of 4,500 kilometres (2,800 miles) and the capacity to launch nuclear-capable cruise missiles…

“Germany is playing a leading role in efforts to broker a prisoner exchange between Israel and the Islamist Hamas movement for an Israeli soldier held by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip since 2006…

“Meanwhile Avi Primor, the former Israeli ambassador to Berlin, on Monday called on Germany to back an international security force to ensure peace and stability in the Middle East… He said Germany would not necessarily have to send troops to the region, but that Berlin needed to take the political responsibility for its creation… [Primor] said German support was key to European efforts in the Middle East…”

Europe, under German leadership, will soon intervene in the Middle East to bring “peace” to that war-stricken region. However, this intervention will only lead to more war.

“Who Killed Masoud Ali Mohammadi?” — Terrorists “Above Iran’s Law”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on January 18:

“The recent assassination of physicist Masoud Ali Mohammadi in Tehran was baffling even by Iranian standards. The regime claims he was murdered by foreign agents, while some observers think he may have been killed to warn other opposition supporters. There is even speculation that Hezbollah was involved…

“The killing is one of the most puzzling in the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran, a country not exactly lacking in assassinations… Tehran… did everything it could to create the impression that foreign powers were behind the attack…

“It is certainly true that the Israeli government fears nothing more than nuclear weapons falling into the hands of a fanatical regime that threatens its existence… But why would agents have wanted to kill Mohammadi? His friend Shirzad says that he ‘cannot recall that he did any research on nuclear issues’…

“This suggests that the assassination could also have been meant as a warning to other people who were tempted to step out of line… A militant group from Lebanon… which maintains close ties to its fellow Shiites in Iran, has experience with the use of explosives to liquidate its enemies, namely Hezbollah, which, with Tehran’s help, has been fighting archenemy Israel for years from its base in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah members are also believed to be supporting the fanatics in Iran in their efforts to quell the ‘green rebellion’ in the streets of Iranian cities…

“Could the attack on the professor bear the signature of Hezbollah involvement, as members of the opposition speculate? On the other hand, Tehran’s intelligence agencies are very technically adept and could easily have built any type of bomb themselves… Whoever Tehran’s Chief Prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi presents as the killer, he is highly unlikely to belong to Hezbollah or the government security apparatus. In Iran, the members of those organizations are considered to be above the law.”

A7-News reported on January 19:

“Evidence is mounting that Hizbullah may have been behind last week’s assassination of Professor Ali Mohammadi… Within a day of the assassination, Iran accused ‘Zionists’ and the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of being responsible for the murder. The government on Monday warned it will take revenge against the two countries.

“An opposition group has claimed that a Hizbullah assassin was photographed at the scene of the bomb explosion and that Iran hired its ally Hizbullah to carry out the murder in order to scare opposition forces. A blogger associated with the opposition named the possible assassin as Abu Nasser Hossein, identifying him as a prominent Lebanese Hizbullah member who has been in Tehran and who has been involved in suppressing demonstrations…

“The bomb blast, a rarity in Tehran although not uncommon in outlying areas of Iran, was similar to the modus operandi of Hizbullah explosions in Lebanon.”

It appears very likely that Iran’s fanatic and totalitarian regime was behind this murder–either directly or through Hezbollah or Hizbullah–to intimidate opponents and to gain support from the Iranian people for military or terrorist actions against Israel and the USA. At the same time, any meaningful “sanctions” against Iran appear highly questionable, in light of the economic interests involved, as the next article shows.

One-Billion-Euro Deal Between Germany and Iran

AFP reported on January 20:

“Iran has signed a one-billion-euro (1.44-billion-dollar) deal with a German firm to build 100 gas turbo-compressors… The contract provides for the unnamed German firm to transfer the know-how to build, install and run the equipment needed to exploit and transport gas… The German company has already delivered 45 such turbo-compressors to Iran… Industry experts said [that the company is apparently]Siemens… But the National Iranian Gas Company… denied the signing of a deal.

“The reported 2010-2015 deal for material not under an international embargo comes as the Islamic republic faces the threat of new financial, technological and international trade sanctions over its disputed nuclear programme… Iran has the world’s second largest proven global gas reserves after Russia but so far has played only a minor role on the gas export market…

“The government daily Iran Daily said the contract was signed at the start of the week and would be a ‘relief for many German businesses that have long complained about restrictions on trade with Iran’ under sanctions. Germany and China are Iran’s top trading partner after the United Arab Emirates…”

Ongoing Violence in Afghanistan

Times On Line reported on January 18:

“Taleban militants struck in the heart of the Afghan capital today, launching suicide attacks on key government targets around Hamid Karzai’s presidential palace. Kabul’s streets were all but abandoned as traders fled their stalls amid fears of more spectacular attacks. Shops and banks closed early as smoke billowed across the city during a four-hour battle to restore order.

“At least ten people including seven insurgents and a child were killed and almost 40 people were injured when a Taleban suicide squad launched a series of coordinated attacks on the edge of the presidential palace, where more than a dozen new Cabinet ministers were being sworn in…

“A few hundred metres… away gunmen attacked the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Justice, the Afghanistan National Bank, a shopping centre and a cinema… A Taleban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahed said 20 suicide bombers had infiltrated the city. ‘This is the work of our Holy Warriors,’ he said…

“It was the biggest assault on the capital since October 28 when gunmen disguised as police officers stormed a guest house used by United Nations staff, killing at least 11 people including three UN employees. In February last year suicide squads stormed the Justice Ministry, while in January 2008 a similar tactic was used to overrun security guards outside the five star Serena hotel.”

German Media Comments on Terrorism in Afghanistan

On January 19, 2010, Der Spiegel Online published excerpts from the German press regarding the terrorist attack in Afghanistan:

“In its coverage, SPIEGEL ONLINE writes: ‘In the run-up to the Afghanistan conference in London, the attack is evidence of how vulnerable security is in the capital city. As much as politicians would like to discuss perspectives for a withdrawal in London, the Taliban (attack) clearly shows that this intent is hardly realistic right now. The security situation is too precarious…’

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: ‘The Taliban have shown once again that they can have a relatively large impact at relatively little cost. It took only 20 of its well-coordinated fighters to carry the war into the Afghan capital. The attack shows how terrorism can keep on harassing a society and curtailing its freedoms. It also shows how poorly prepared the Afghan security forces are to combat it. Kabul was paralyzed for five hours until the gunfire finally stopped. There was little coordination among the security forces, and a lot of confusion…’

“The conservative Die Welt writes: ‘…The goal is… to prove that Karzai’s government and its Western protectors are not even capable of protecting themselves. If they can’t do that, then how are they supposed to protect the average man, woman or young girl making her way to school?… If the insurgents can continue long enough to spark the rejection and protests of voters in Germany and elsewhere, then they will have won…’

“The left-leaning daily Die Tageszeitung writes: ‘The aim of the attack had less to do with military objectives and more with propaganda… The Taliban demonstrated that there can be no military security in Afghanistan. In the process, they wanted to show that US President Barack Obama’s strategy of a surge aimed at defeating the Taliban militarily cannot succeed. That will make it more difficult for other countries to increase their troop levels and increase pressure to reach a political solution based on the Taliban’s conditions, which include the withdrawal of all foreign troops.'”

Even though the German press wants to convince their readers that the war in Afghanistan must continue and troop withdrawals would be a mistake, the German public is increasingly opposed to Germany’s involvement. Now, the German Catholic and Protestant Churches have joined the opposition to the war, as the next article shows.

German Catholic and Protestant Churches Criticize Afghan War

The Netzeitung wrote on January 18:

“Germany’s Catholic bishops echoed Protestant criticism of the country’s military presence in Afghanistan…

“Munich Catholic Archbishop Reinhard Marx told broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk on Sunday that Margot Käßmann, head of Germany’s Protestant churches, had raised an important debate about the country’s role in Afghanistan. Käßmann has been the subject of intense criticism by politicians and the DBwV German Military Association after condemning the military operation in Afghanistan as immoral, but Marx told the station that the row was ‘long overdue.’

“And head of Germany’s Catholic Bishop’s Conference Robert Zollitsch called for a re-evaluation of military service in Afghanistan and ‘new decisions.’ On Monday the Protestant church umbrella organisation the EKD greeted this support from the Catholics… The debate over the morality of military service in the region expanded as more violence erupted there over the weekend.

“German soldiers opened fire on a car speeding towards a checkpoint in northern Afghanistan, killing an Afghan and wounding another, the military said Sunday… The shooting follows a similar incident on Friday in which German troops shot and injured another Afghan driver whom they said had been speeding towards a checkpoint.

“Germany has the third largest international contingent in the NATO force with about 4,300 troops, most of them in the north where security has deteriorated this year with a sharp rise in attacks on foreign forces.”

Pope Visits Rome’s Main Synagogue

AFP reported on January 17:

“The role of the Roman Catholic Church during the Holocaust hung over a landmark visit Sunday by Pope Benedict XVI to Rome’s main synagogue. ‘Unfortunately many remained indifferent’ as the Nazis slaughtered millions of Jews before and during World War II, the German-born pope said in a speech often punctuated by applause in the cavernous temple. But silence greeted his assertion that the Holy See ‘performed actions of support, often hidden and discreet’…

“The much-anticipated visit came barely a month after the pope angered many Jews by moving his wartime predecessor Pius XII, accused of inaction during the Holocaust, further on the road to sainthood. The Catholic Church has long argued that Pius XII, who was pope from 1939 to 1958, saved many Jews who were hidden away in religious institutions, and that his silence was born out of a wish to avoid aggravating their situation. Speaking before the pope, the head of Rome’s Jewish community demanded access to Vatican archives on Pius XII…

“Benedict’s visit, announced in October, appeared at risk of being cancelled amid howls of protest over a papal decree bestowing the title ‘venerable’ on Pius XII. Adding fuel to the fire, the head of the Roman Catholic Church on Friday urged Vatican doctrinal experts to speed rapprochement with a Catholic fraternity that includes a Holocaust-denying bishop, Richard Williamson… Israel’s ambassador to the Holy See attended but remarked that ‘Catholic anti-Judaism still exists.'”

The relationship between the Catholic Church and the Jews will not improve, but gradually deteriorate.

As a beginning point in answering your question, first consider these comments from the NASB Study Bible regarding “suffers violence,” as translated in Matthew 11:12: “The Greek here is taken in a passive sense. In this context its passive meaning is, ‘suffers violent attacks.’ The verse emphasizes the ongoing persecution of the people of the kingdom.”

The statement by Jesus in Matthew 11:12 reflects the violence of persecution against representatives of the Kingdom of God. Specifically, those in the forefront of proclaiming the future establishment of God’s Kingdom on the earth are targets of mortal violence.

In the account of the ministry and message of John, we find this record: “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!’” (Matthew 3:1-2). John also foretold the Christ (compare verses 11-12)—note what He proclaimed: “From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand [margin: “has drawn near”]’” (Matthew 4:17).

Subsequently, we find this statement from Jesus about both John the Baptist and Himself: “‘But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise, the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.’ Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist” (Matthew 17:12-13).

John the Baptist, who came is the “‘spirit and power of Elijah’” (Luke 1:17), was murdered at the order of Herod. The grisly account of the beheading of John is found in Matthew 14, verses 1-12.

Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God (compare John 3:16), was murdered at the hands of the Roman governor, Pilate, along with the demands of His own people! While even Pilate tried to avoid ordering the death of Jesus, those Jews who had assembled to accuse Jesus made the proceedings personal in their hatred when they responded to Pilate: “And all the people answered and said, ‘His blood be on us and on our children’” (Matthew 27:25).

Following the Day of Pentecost and the establishment of the New Testament Church of God, the followers of Christ suffered persecution: Peter and the apostles were beaten (Acts 5:40); Stephen was martyred (compare Acts 7); Herod killed the apostle James (compare Acts 12:1-2); and Paul suffered terrible violence once he was converted to Christianity (compare 2 Corinthians 11:22-33).

Jesus warned His followers to be prepared to be treated unjustly. Notice the following three passages:

“‘Remember the word that I said to you, “A servant is not greater than his master.” If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also’” (John 15:20).

“‘These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world’” (John 16:33).

“‘Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake’” (Matthew 24:9).

Christians are representatives of the Kingdom of God—they are called “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:20). As such, those who are the citizens of this world and of this age in which Satan is the ruler—even its god—will reject us (compare John 12:31; 2 Corinthians 4:4; 1 John 5:19). Jesus said in Matthew 10:34-39:

“‘Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.’”

Notice that Jesus confronted those who rejected Him and His message: “‘You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it’” (John 8:44).

No one who follows the lead of Satan, who is the father of all violence, can or will have access to the Kingdom of God, which is presently in heaven, but which will come to and be established on earth. The record of the Bible is that Satan has tried to take over the realm of heaven, and he utterly failed in his rebellion (compare Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:11-17). Jesus spoke of this angelic rebellion when He said, “‘…I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven’” (Luke 10:18).

Satan has continued to foment violence against those who repent, who turn to God and to the promise of His Kingdom. He will also again seek to fight God, and, as prophecy shows, he will again fail:

“And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (Revelation 12:7-9).

Even after Jesus Christ returns to the earth and establishes God’s Kingdom for a period of 1,000 years, Satan, once he is released, will make a final violent attempt to deceive and motivate humans and to lead them in an attack on God’s ruling government (compare Revelation 20:7-9). Following these events, as Revelation 20:10 shows, Satan the devil will never again have access to God or the realm of God.

In addition, Jesus’ statement in Matthew 11:12 also emphasizes the fact that God’s disciples must STRIVE with all their might to enter the Kingdom of God (compare Luke 13:24).

Scofield Reference Notes point out: “It has been much disputed whether the ‘violence’ here is external, as against the kingdom in the persons of John the Baptist and Jesus; or that, considering the opposition of the scribes and Pharisees, only the violently resolute would press into it. Both things are true. The King and His herald suffered violence, and this is the primary and greater meaning, but also, some were resolutely becoming disciples.”

The Ryrie Study Bible adds: “Since the time John began preaching, the response has been violent, whether by vicious opponents or enthusiastic supporters.”

John 6:15 even reports that some of Christ’s overly zealous supporters “were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king,” and that Jesus “departed again to a mountain by Himself alone.”

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). In addition, “violent people” killed Christ so that they did not have to give up their authority and power (compare John 11:48-50). They refused to enter the Kingdom of God and tried to take it forcefully away from others. Jesus said about the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23:13: “‘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.'”

Because the faithful people of God continue to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, this very activity brings about violent reactions, arguments and persecutions. As the Nelson Study Bible writes: “… violent people forcibly oppose the kingdom with their hostility… As Christ’s kingdom advances, so do the attacks against it.” This is Satan’s world in terms of government, and he is inspiring violence in defense of his position. Even at the present time and on into the near future, Christians do and will suffer violent attacks on behalf of the kingdom of heaven!

For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Gospel of the Kingdom of God”.

Lead Writers: Dave Harris and Norbert Link

A new StandingWatch program was posted on StandingWatch and YouTube. It is titled, “Haiti–Where Was God?” In the program, Norbert Link asks the questions:

Why do natural catastrophes happen–like the terrible earthquake in Haiti? Why does God not prevent them? Why does He allow man’s wars and the evil which he inflicts on his fellow-man? The Bible warns us that much more terrible times will come soon, and it tells us WHY!

A corresponding German version of the English StandingWatch program was posted on our German website and YouTube, titled, “Haiti–Wo War Gott?”

A new German sermon was recorded this week and posted on http://aufpostenstehen.de/ and http://www.blip.tv/file/3112950. It is titled, “Erfolgreiche Kindererziehung” (“Successful Childrearing”).

Our recently recorded German sermon, “Neid–ein toedliches Gift, Teil 2” (“Envy–A Deadly Poison, Part 2”) was posted on http://aufpostenstehen.de/ and on  http://www.blip.tv/file/3089089