Jesus called the people of His generation blind! He particularly criticized the Jewish religious leaders of that day for their hypocrisy. Quoting from Isaiah, Jesus said this: “‘‘…Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive”’” (Matthew 13:14).

This ringing indictment, itself, was not understood by almost all who came into contact with Jesus Christ!

Here we are in the closing years of this age—do we understand, do we perceive?

Or are we also fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah—and of Jesus?

Prophecies are now being fulfilled in ways that are simply unprecedented! The pace is so rapid, that I imagine we find it hard to even keep abreast of it all. This sudden acceleration was prophesied: “’”Disaster will come upon disaster, And rumor will be upon rumor”’” (Ezekiel 7:26). Also, “‘…It will be a terror just to understand the report’” (Isaiah 28:19). Continuing, “‘…For I have heard from the Lord God of hosts, A destruction determined even upon the whole earth’” (Isaiah 28:22).

Prophecy also tells us what we should be doing in this time!  In chapters 24 and 25 of Matthew, key events heralding the end of the age are written with a special emphasis given to those who will live in these times. What we are told is to watch and pray and to be ready (compare 24:42, 44; 25:10, 13).

Returning to Matthew 13, Jesus also spoke in reference to His followers:

“‘But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it’” (Verses 16-17).

If we are diligent to use our gift of understanding, then we will continue “to discern both good and evil” (compare Hebrews 5:14). Recognizing the events that are transpiring takes effort on our part, and we are warned to stay attentive to our responsibilities and not to become lazy in these matters (compare Hebrews 6:11-12).

When the Pharisees and Sadducees sought an impressive visible heavenly sign from Him, Jesus’ answer was pointed: “‘…When it is evening you say, “It will be fair weather, for the sky is red”; and in the morning, “It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.” Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times’” (Matthew 16:2-3).

If we are among the elect who discern the signs of our times, then we must not ignore the accountability that comes with this knowledge: “‘…For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more’” (Luke 12:48).

Have you been given much understanding of God’s Will, and has much responsibility been committed to you to have a part in the Work of God? In answering this question for ourselves, remember the underlying principle by which we are being judged—that is, to be “‘…faithful…'”, even if it is just  ‘”over a few things’” (compare Matthew 25:14-30).

You might just test yourself and honestly consider—what do you hear and what do you see?

Our leading articles focus on the unification of Europe under possible German-French leadership, and the deteriorating relationship between France and the USA. We point out that Germany is at this point helping Israel militarily, while anger is being displayed over the recent riots at the Temple Mount and calls for international intervention are becoming louder. For information on the future of the state of Israel and the city of Jerusalem, please read our free booklet, “The Book of Zechariah–Prophecies for Today.”

We are introducing two new German politicians on the world scene and report on possible anti-German protests by the Muslim world.

According to some observers, “Anglicanism” is over, due to an anticipated mass exodus of Anglican clergy to the Catholic Church, and Germany’s Protestants are also interested in “improving” their relationship with the Catholic Church.

We are also reporting on Turkey and the prophesied unification of Asian powers, which will result in hostility between those powers and a united Europe. For more information, please read our free booklets, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord” and “Is That in the Bible?–The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation.”

While the freedom of the press is being threatened in the USA and more US banks are failing, evolutionists are appalled by a growing number of people around the world demanding the teaching of creationism in school. To learn more about the unscientific nature of the evolution theory, please read our free booklet, “The Theory of Evolution–a Fairy Tale for Adults?”

We conclude with twisted rabbinical rulings pertaining to the Sabbath, showing the importance of not making the Sabbath a burden, but observing it as a joyful occasion. Jesus said that “the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). For more information, please read our free booklet, “God’s Commanded Holy Days.”

Sweeping Powers of EU’s New Foreign Minister

The EUObserver wrote on October 23:

“The EU’s new foreign minister will have sweeping powers to conduct foreign policy, propose his own budget and name his own staff independently of other EU institutions, according to the latest EU presidency blueprint… The new institution is to manage general foreign relations as well as EU security and defence projects, such as the police missions in Bosnia, Kosovo, Georgia and Afghanistan or any future peacekeeping operations in, for example, Africa…”

The First European President

Der Spiegel Online wrote on October 28:

“For weeks, many have speculated that former British Prime Minister Tony Blair was in line to become the European Union’s first president. But now, Jean-Claude Juncker from tiny Luxembourg may have torpedoed the plan. EU logic indicates that a third candidate may emerge victorious… The duel between Juncker and Blair comes as the 27 EU heads of state and government prepare to gather in Brussels at the end of this week for the bloc’s fall summit. In addition to the post of president, the EU also must name 27 commissioners and choose a Foreign High Representative, often referred to as the EU foreign minister.

“Still, discussions about the EU’s two highest posts are not likely to be made public. The European Union will only get a president and a foreign minister once the Lisbon Treaty has been completely ratified — and Czech President Vaclav Klaus continues to withhold his signature. He says he is waiting for the results of a case pending before the Czech constitutional court; the court said on Tuesday it would reconvene on Nov. 3, at which time it will likely hand down its verdict…

“While climate change and the EU’s plan for the Baltic Sea region are at the top of the summit agenda, the main topic in the hallways is likely to be Blair and the presidency… The fact that Juncker has now entered the fray does not come as a surprise. It is well known that Juncker — the longest-serving head of government in the EU and a man who carries the nickname ‘Mr. Europe’ with pride — would love to be the first EU president in history. His chances, though, are seen as being close to zero. Both Great Britain and France, two of the EU’s largest member states, are opposed to his candidacy.

“Juncker is almost surely aware of that, which is why many speculate that his motive is a different one — that of preventing Blair from getting the office. It is a classic move on the Brussels chessboard: one creates a dichotomy of extremes — in this case a prominent politician from the country of euro-skeptics versus a European-by-conviction from a small member state — and immediately, the EU culture of consensus almost demands a compromise candidate. In this scenario, neither Blair nor Juncker would be appointed president, but a third candidate. German government sources see this scenario as being the most likely.

“Juncker’s motivation is not hard to guess at… The idea of a Briton speaking for the European Union is difficult for him to accept. Furthermore, Blair’s alliance with former US President George W. Bush during the invasion of Iraq has not been forgotten. Both points are often underestimated in London… At the moment, it looks as though Juncker’s strategy will pay off. Few in Brussels are still betting on Blair, with most guessing that a third candidate will pop up… There are many in Great Britain who would likewise breathe a sigh of relief were Blair to fall short…

“Should it become clear at this week’s summit that backing is lacking for Blair, then the deck will be reshuffled — and German Chancellor Angela Merkel could find herself in the role of kingmaker. So far she has been waiting to see which direction the wind is blowing, as the chancellor has a tendency to do. On Wednesday evening, she is expected in Paris for a working dinner with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the subject of EU top slots is almost sure to be a topic of discussion. But in contrast to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Sarkozy and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Merkel has made no indication as to who she might prefer. Once she does make up her mind, her word is likely to carry all the more weight.”

It is very interesting that it is again Germany which seems to be playing a major role in deciding who the first European President will be.

Will France-German Axis Rule Europe?

The Economist reported on October 22:

“… the French have been laying the ground for their next big idea: a deepening of the Franco-German axis to entrench their dual leadership and make Europe ‘one of the principal players of the 21st century.’

“In a speech to his ambassadors in August, President Nicolas Sarkozy declared that he wanted ‘Europe once again to make history instead of enduring it’. His model was ‘Franco-German understanding’ built on his friendship with Angela Merkel, the German chancellor. His Europe minister, Pierre Lellouche, is zealously spreading the message. ‘More than ever, the relationship between France and Germany will form the heart of what I would call the third phase of post-war European history,’ he recently wrote in Le Monde…

“The French realise that the British are likely to be unhelpful friends if the Eurosceptical Conservatives win the election next spring… Another factor is the view that, when the French and the Germans agree, Europe makes its voice heard.

“… the French are not blind to the need for other ties in Europe. They still hope to draw the British into a common European defence policy, even under a Conservative government. It is far harder for two countries to steer an EU of 27 members than one of 12. Yet the French expect the most from Germany—and it is not clear they will get much.”

Ultimately, Europe will be ruled by ten core nations or groups of nations, and it appears certain that France and Germany will be powerful players within that group.

France vs. USA

Reuters reported on October 23:

“French President Nicolas Sarkozy, initially dubbed Sarko the American for his pro-U.S. stance, is finding it much tougher to deal with Washington than he had anticipated and is recalibrating his policies accordingly. Stung by perceived snubs from U.S. President Barack Obama and encouraged by the growing importance of the G20, Sarkozy is increasingly reaching out to non-aligned states in an effort to extend France’s international influence.

“He has forged especially close ties with Brazil, is seeking alliances in central Asia and is intensifying his activities in the Middle East, using multi-billion dollar military and civilian nuclear trade deals as his calling card. These initiatives are being played out against a discordant tone in Franco-American relations…

“Analysts say Obama clearly prefers dealing with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Sarkozy is visibly frustrated by the situation… Officials say the disconnect is centred on real issues, such as Obama’s attitude to Iran’s nuclear ambitions, which has been less hardline than Sarkozy’s hawkish stance… There are also real differences of opinion over how to deal with the lingering financial crisis, with a close Sarkozy aide accusing Washington this week of risking global inflation by printing money and ‘flooding the world with liquidity’.

“The French government spokesman said on Wednesday that Sarkozy would propose ‘a new international monetary organisation which better reflects today’s world’ when France holds the presidency of the Group of 20 wealthy nations in 2011. Roughly translated, this means France wants to challenge the supremacy of the dollar as the world’s reserve currency.”

The Bible reveals that ultimately, the relationship between the USA and Europe–including France–will become extremely hostile.

Germany to Provide Israel with Warships and Submarines

Deutsche Welle reported on October 23:

“Israel would like… two [German] warships, worth an estimated 400-500 million euros ($600-750 million), free of charge… The ships’ weapons would be supplied by the United States. The two state of the art corvettes, which are hard to detect by radar, are said to be larger than Israel’s current flagship Hanit.

“The Israeli navy wants to install a ‘Barak 8’ missile defence system on the two vessels along with sophisticated radar so as ‘to be prepared for potential wars’, according to the Israeli daily newspaper Ma’ariv. The move would allow Israel to shift a part of its missile defense system to the sea, rendering it less vulnerable to potential rocket attacks.”

The Local added on October 23:

“The [Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung] reported that the government has not yet reacted to Israel’s request. But ‘influential politicians from northern Germany,’ where the shipbuilding industry is suffering from the global economic downturn, are apparently supportive in the interest of keeping German shipyards in business. The shipbuilding contract would go to Hamburg company Blohm + Voss… But the internal weapons system would come from the United States, with the end result being a missile defence system on water.

“Israeli naval forces have already received help from the German government. Between 1999 and 2000, three submarines completed by Kiel shipyard Howaldtswerken Deutsche Werft were delivered. Meanwhile the government is reportedly paying for two-thirds of two more submarines with fuel-cell power plants priced at €500 million. They are currently under construction in Kiel with plans to deliver them to Israel in 2012.”

Even though Germany entertains at this point friendly relationships with the state of Israel, this will dramatically change in the not-too-distant future.

Clashes at Temple Mount

AFP wrote on October 25:

“Clashes erupted on Sunday between Israeli police and Palestinians in and around the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in the latest violence to shake Jerusalem’s flashpoint site holy to Muslims and Jews… Police twice entered the compound itself after Palestinian demonstrators threw stones at visitors to the holy site, known to Muslims as Al-Haram Al-Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary) and to Jews as the Temple Mount…

“Kamal Khatib, a spokesman for the Israeli Arab Islamic Movement, which has been at the forefront of recent demonstrations at the compound, blamed [Israeli] police for the violence… The office of Western-backed Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas warned of ‘dangerous consequences’ and called on Israel to ‘halt all provocative acts’… and called on the international community to intervene to ‘put pressure on the Israeli government’…

“The Palestinian calls for protests came amid rumours that right wing Jewish activists were planning to gather at the … mosque compound and the adjacent Western Wall…”

Haaretz wrote on October 26:

“After two weeks of relative quiet in the Jerusalem area, disturbances again broke out in the city and its periphery yesterday morning. Shortly after the Temple Mount was opened up to tourists and other non-Muslim visitors, several dozen Palestinians began throwing stones at both police and tourists. The police attempted to disperse the stone throwers and the Temple Mount was closed to visitors…

“Yesterday’s disturbances appear to have been sparked, as in the past, by printed announcements by Jewish groups seeking to gain access to the Temple Mount to pray. The northern branch of the Islamic Movement and other parties, including Abdel Kader, called on the Palestinian public to come to the Temple Mount to defend it…

“Over the weekend, the Jerusalem police raised their level of alert following calls by Muslim leaders to “defend the Temple Mount from conquest by Jews” alongside calls from right-wing Jewish activists for Jews to come to the Temple Mount in large numbers… Police Commissioner David Cohen said the Islamic Movement was directing and fomenting large numbers of East Jerusalem residents and Israeli Arabs on the Temple Mount… Jerusalem police also pointed a finger at Hamas as a source for the unrest…

“MK Talab al-Sana (United Arab List-Ta’al) warned that “Israel was provoking a billion Muslims who would not hesitate to defend the Al-Aqsa mosque with their bodies.” A leading Sunni Muslim religious figure, Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, called on the Arab League and the kings of Saudi Arabia and Morocco to intervene immediately over the situation on the Temple Mount.”

“Syria: Israel Wants to Destroy al-Aqsa Mosque”

YNetNews.com wrote on October 26:

“The Syrian Foreign Ministry has denounced Israel’s ‘blatant violation of the sanctity of al-Aqsa Mosque,’ following the recent wave of riots in Jerusalem. In an official statement released Monday, the ministry said that ‘(Damascus) believes the Israeli security forces’ invasion of al-Aqsa was part of Israel’s scheme to Judaize Jerusalem and destroy the mosque.’ A Syrian news agency further quoted the official as saying Israel’s actions were ‘a crime against Arab history and heritage and against Muslims’ holy places.’ The official expressed his support and gratitude to the ‘brave men’ who rallied to the compound’s defense, and urged the international community to denounce Israel’s actions.

“Syria’s censure joins that of Jordan: On Sunday, Amman urged Israel to prevent both security forces and extreme rightists from entering the Temple Mount compound. The Hashemite Kingdom’s State-run news agency warned Jerusalem that such ‘provocations’ were hazardous to the peace process.”

It is interesting to see an increased call for “international” intervention regarding problems surrounding the Temple Mount.

Westerwelle–Germany’s New Vice Chancellor and Foreign Minister

Deutsche Welle wrote on October 24:

“… with only out-of-government experience, and a political career that has barely, if ever, involved foreign relations, what can Westerwelle bring to the table for Germany? The 47-year-old has little direct experience of foreign policy… His party is pro-American… On Saturday, Oct. 24, Westerwelle said nuclear non-proliferation and the removal of US atomic warheads from German soil would be a priority for his ministry…

“But that won’t necessarily mean that Germany will give in to US wishes to commit more troops to Afghanistan. While Westerwelle has been vague on many foreign policy points, he has stated clearly his aversion to any expansion in German army operations under NATO…

“But Westerwelle will be bound to make waves for being Europe’s first openly gay foreign minister, having publicly ‘come out’ at Merkel’s 50th birthday bash. The trained lawyer dismissed any notion that this could pose problems in his role as foreign minister. ‘Some other countries may have had a problem with the fact that Angela Merkel became the first female chancellor of Germany. Of course she does not wear a veil on the red carpet when she visits certain Arab states,’ he has been quoted as saying. ‘The decision as to whom we send as a government representative rests solely with us Germans, based on our political and moral standards’…

“Westerwelle’s seeming inability to speak English well [has] raised some questions about his suitability for the post of Germany’s top diplomat. Westerwelle declined to answer a question in English that had been put to him by a BBC reporter during his first news conference after last month’s elections. ‘In Great Britain it is expected that people speak English, and it is the same in Germany – people are expected to speak German,’ Westerwelle said at the time, prompting heated debate on the Internet.”

Due to his “sexual preference” and his insistence in German authority to make decisions and uphold German “values,” Westerwelle is indeed a unique figure in post-war Germany.

Guttenberg–Germany’s New Defense Minister

Der Spiegel Online wrote on October 24:

“The cabinet’s rising star Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg is to move from the Economics Ministry to Defense. At only 37 the young Bavarian conservative’s huge popularity may now be put to the test as he faces the task of overseeing the country’s unpopular mission in Afghanistan. However, his smooth communication skills and fluent English should help him in his dealings with Germany’s allies.”

It will remain to be seen what political role Guttenberg will play on the world scene.

Possibility of Anti-German Protests in the Muslim World

Der Spiegel Online wrote on October 26:

“The man who killed Marwa al-Sherbini, a pregnant Egyptian woman, in a German courtroom on July 1 went on trial on Monday in a case that authorities fear could trigger violent anti-German protests in the Muslim world…

“The killing on July 1 of Marwa al-Sherbini, the 31-year-old mother of a three-year-old, during a court hearing triggered anti-German protests in the Muslim world and led to criticism from Muslim immigrants and commentators that Islamophobia is widespread in Germany. German authorities are concerned that the trial could lead to a fresh wave of demonstrations abroad and have turned the court in Dresden into a fortress after Internet threats against her attacker, named only as Alex. W, who moved to Germany from Russia in 2003…

“The German government, which was accused by Muslim groups in Germany of being too slow to express its sorrow over the attack, is now at pains to prevent the trial from stoking demonstrations of the kind that followed the publications of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in Danish newspapers in 2005…

“The Egyptian government is closely monitoring the case and has sent its ambassador and a delegation to attend it. The president of the Egyptian bar association and the public prosecutor of Alexandria are also watching the trial. Rarely has a German justice authority been under such scrutiny…

“The German government has been aware of the explosive potential of the Dresden case for weeks, and an analysis by the foreign ministry has warned of violent protests in front of German embassies abroad… Berlin diplomats have taken unusual steps to cater for the Arab media… The court building has been cordoned off with fences and hundreds of armed police are patrolling the area. Snipers are on hand and a bullet-proof glass screen separates the court from the public gallery…”

“The Anglican Experiment Is Over…”

The Telegraph wrote on October 24:

“John Hind, the Bishop of Chichester, has announced he is considering becoming a Roman Catholic in a move that could spark an exodus of clergy. Bishop Hind said he would be ‘happy’ to be reordained as a Catholic priest and said that divisions in Anglicanism could make it impossible to stay in the church. He is the most senior Anglican to admit that he is prepared to accept the offer from the Pope, who shocked the Church of England last week when he paved the way for clergy to convert to Catholicism in large numbers.

“In a further blow to the Archbishop of Canterbury’s hopes of preventing the Anglican Communion from disintegrating, other bishops have cast doubt over its survival… John Broadhurst, the Bishop of Fulham, even claimed that ‘the Anglican experiment is over’. He said it has been shown to be powerless to cope with the crises over gays and women bishops.

“In one of the most significant developments since the Reformation, the Pope last week announced that a new structure would be set up to allow disaffected Anglicans to enter full communion with Rome, while maintaining parts of their Protestant heritage. The move comes after secret talks between the Vatican and a group of senior Anglican bishops.

“Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, was not informed of the meetings and his advisers even denied that they had taken place when the Sunday Telegraph broke the story last year… the planning behind last week’s announcement began in 2006, when the Pope asked the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to consider how they could invite Anglicans into the Roman Catholic fold. He had reached out to disillusioned Anglicans three years earlier, when as head of the Congregation, the most powerful of the Vatican’s departments and successor to the medieval Inquisition, he wrote a personal letter to Anglicans in America. He reassured them of the Catholic Church’s support of their stand against the liberal tide.”

The Bible predicts that the Protestant “daughter churches” will ultimately return to the “motherly” fold of the Roman Catholic Church. In this context, please note the next article.

Woman Will Lead Germany’s Protestants

The Local reported on October 28, 2009:

“Hannover Bishop Margot Käßmann became the first woman to lead the Protestant church in Germany on Wednesday after the majority of the synod voted in her favour… Käßmann… will lead all of Germany’s 25 million Protestants for the next six years.

“Käßmann has proposed a radical course of reform for the Evangelische Kirche Deutschland (EKD), which suffers from shrinking congregations and revenues. In addition to streamlining the clergy, she plans to increase the church’s profile and improve strained relations with the Catholic Church.”

Bild Online quoted Käßmann on October 29, 2009, as follows: “The Catholics know what they got with me. [Bishop Fürst, a high-ranking Catholic bishop] was one of the first who congratulated me in the name of the Catholic Conference of Bishops. We both know: We are much more unified than divided.”

However, the Bible makes it very clear that women are not to serve in, and/or be in charge of the ministry (compare 1 Timothy 2:11-15; 1 Corinthians 14:34-35). For more information, read our free booklet, “The Keys to Happy Marriages and Families.”

Turkey Looks Eastward…

The Financial Times wrote on October 22:

“Mr Sarkozy has put himself in the vanguard of European leaders – they include Germany’s Angela Merkel – who are viscerally opposed to Turkish accession to the European Union.

“It is half a century since Turkey first knocked on Europe’s door with a bid to join the Common Market. There were plenty of detours on the way to the start of formal accession talks in 2004. Often, it must be said, the fault lay with Turkey. Military coups and political repression did not help make the case for membership of Europe’s democratic club… Turkey is still a long way from meeting the democratic terms of EU membership… Admitting Turkey, Mr Sarkozy says, would ‘dilute’ the Union. What he really means is that Europe does not want 70-odd million Muslims.

“The government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the prime minister, has decided to look eastwards… Ignoring anxieties in western capitals, Turkey has engaged with the Palestinian Hamas and with the Iranian-sponsored Hizbollah in Lebanon… On the other side of the ledger, the Israeli invasion of Gaza has led to a rupture in the long-standing relationship with Israel. Mr Erdogan sees an Israeli-Palestinian settlement as the sine qua non of strategic stability in Turkey’s back yard. But he has concluded that the Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu has no interest in a deal.

“Not everyone is happy with the eastwards turn… But the west is losing its leverage. US power is being challenged across the Middle East; and Europe seems intent on irrelevance. Mr Erdogan’s Turkey still wants to be part of Europe…”

Deutsche Welle reported on October 28:

“Turkey makes no bones about its aspirations to act as a bridge between East and West, but a string of recent events have left the West wondering how stable any such construction might be.

“The problems began earlier this year when Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stormed out of a panel discussion in Davos over the Israeli offensive in Gaza. Since then Israeli-Turkish relations, traditionally very strong, have been on a steady downward curve which culminated in Ankara excluding Israel from a recent NATO exercise. Then this week, ahead of a two-day visit to Iran, Erdogan dismissed Western worries over Teheran’s controversial nuclear program as ‘gossip’ and accused the perpetrators of hypocrisy…

“The question many commentators are asking is whether, in light of recent gestures to the East, Turkey still wants a place in Brussels… As it stands, the earliest they could join is 2015, but in terms of politics that is a long way off, and it is conceivable that by then, interest will have waned altogether… So although Turkey will continue with its accession negotiations, it is realistic enough not to put all its eggs in the European basket. It is actively pursuing other options… And that might ultimately see it drawn deeper into the Middle East fold or holding hands with fuel-rich Russia.”

Although it does not appear that Turkey will become a member of the EU–at least not in the final configuration of a united Europe led by ten nations or groups of nations–Turkey will assist in Europe’s military action against Israel, as the book of Obadiah clearly reveals.

The Kings of the East…

The BBC wrote on October 24:

“Asian leaders meeting in Thailand are discussing plans to ‘lead the world’ by forming an EU-style community by 2015… The community would involve the 10-members of Asian [Association of Southeast Asian nations] with regional partners China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand, Japanese officials have said… there was debate at the summit over whether the community would also include the United States. Increased integration has been a recurring theme of the meetings in Thailand, as the region seeks to capitalise on its recovery from financial turmoil.”

The 10-members of Asian are: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. The Bible predicts, there will form a powerful alliance in that part of the world in the near future. It is referred to in Scripture as the “kings of the east” (Revelation 16:12). This alliance will be able to muster an army of “two hundred million horsemen” (Revelation 9:16). However, Australia and New Zealand–as modern descendants of the ancient house of Israel–won’t be part of that alliance, but many of the other nations mentioned in the article undoubtedly will be. Also, Russia will clearly be a part of this alliance.

USA and China vs. Europe?

Deutsche Welle reported on October 25:

“In a move that wasn’t widely reported, but probably didn’t go unnoticed in Beijing, President Barack Obama last month turned the authority to monitor and approve missile and technology sales to China from the White House to the Commerce Department… to promote US business interests instead of the Pentagon or the State Department.
 
“Earlier, Obama’s decision not to meet the Dalai Lama before the president’s upcoming trip to China – the first presidential snub for Tibet’s spiritual leader since 1991 – had made international news and triggered a debate about a possible shift of US-China policy. Another indicator of a new US approach was a statement by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that human rights issues were still part of US-China policy, but couldn’t ultimately damage the relationship…

“That shift in focus by the new administration – less emphasis on human rights issues, more emphasis on trade and security issues – is reminiscent of a China approach favored by German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. During his tenure from 1998 to 2005 he repeatedly argued for overturning a EU weapons embargo against China, but his move was rejected at home by the Green party, his coalition partner, and abroad by other EU member states. President Obama may prove to be more successful in altering US human rights policy toward China than Chancellor Schroeder was in his efforts to reframe the EU’s China policy…

“Josef Braml, a US expert with the German Council on Foreign Relations… [noted that] both the US and China are basically forced to get along, because they simply are dependent on each other… ‘China could destroy America if it pulled the trigger in terms of financing US debt, but it would also hurt itself.’ With Beijing holding approximately two billion dollars, mostly in government bonds, it is a major financier of US debt. However, a quick disposal of those funds would seriously undermine the value of the US dollar and by extension the ability of American consumers to buy Chinese products. Therefore both China and the US have an avid interest in good economic and political relations…

“Despite the slow pace of improving military ties – something that the Bush administration had also worked on – relations between two of the world’s major players have improved so much under Obama that there have been concerns about the so-called G2, the US and China, determining international policy with others left to follow…

‘[Andrew Small, a China expert at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, points out:] ‘And if you look on the Chinese side, there is a lot of what they would describe as Euro-skepticism where the China-European relationship has got to and a sense that US-China relations are continuing to move in a very good direction and if anything are being upgraded with the new administration which has led them to become even more US-centric than they were before… And that’s meant that countries like China in particular and Russia are seeing quite a different environment and in some cases that is taking place at the expense of ties with Europe… The standing of Europe for the new administration you would have to say in the grand scheme of things is probably not as high as it was under Bush.'”

These are interesting developments in the light of biblical prophecy, showing that ultimately, there will be a military confrontation between a united Europe and a confederation of Asian nations, including China. This war will take place AFTER Europe’s attack against and defeat of the USA. The article above might give us some hints as to why, to an extent, a European-Asian war will ensue as a consequence of the previous European-American war.

The Fox News-Obama War

On October 23, Fox News published the following article by Lloyd Green, who served in the Justice Department during the George W. Bush presidency:

“The Obama White House looks like it is has taken a page out of the playbook of the late Nixon Press Secretary Ron Ziegler… during the 1972 presidential campaign, Ziegler barred Rolling Stone reporter and Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson from flying on the lead campaign press plane, notwithstanding that Thompson had been covering the race, that there was space on the plane, and that Thompson was an accredited reporter. Thompson’s problem was that he did not report things the way the Committee to Reelect the President would have liked things to have been reported…

“Robert Gibbs, the Obama press secretary, is doing all he can to follow in Ziegler’s footsteps. Gibbs is trying to get the news organizations that cover the White House to drop Fox from the White House press pool. Pressed on his efforts to get the press to dump Fox from the pool, Gibbs demurred. Despite repeated questioning by ABC’s Jake Tapper, Gibbs would not give a straight answer on where the White House stood on Fox and pool coverage.

“It does not look like Gibbs and the White House are meeting with the success they had hoped for. On the Atlantic Monthly’s Web site, Matt Cooper was critical of the White House’s approach. According to Cooper, if the White House could talk to Iran it could surely talk to Fox. Jay Leno has also weighed in. Leno quipped that the administration was raising another 40,000 troops — to fight Fox. In the Senate, Minority Whip Lamar Alexander chided Obama for Nixon-like tactics. This is not where Obama thought he would be.

“Now today’s New York Times reports that Fox’s competitors in the press pool refused to comply with a government effort ‘to exclude Fox from a round of interviews with the executive-pay czar Kenneth R. Feinberg.’ According to The Times, a ‘pool’ camera was to tape the interviews. Guess what? The administration blinked. Fox stayed in the mix.

“Perhaps it is time for Gibbs and this administration to act like grown ups… If Obama can get the prof and the cop together for a beer, he should be adult enough to call a truce…”

When in a democracy, freedom of the press is being attacked and abolished, such a democracy is destined to fall.

More U.S. Banks Fail…

The Associated Press reported on October 24:

“It’s a big number that only tells part of the story. The number of banks that have failed so far this year topped 100 on Friday – hitting 106 by the end of the day – the most in nearly two decades. But the trouble in the banking system from bad loans and the recession goes even deeper. Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of other banks remain open even though they are as weak as many that have been shuttered. Regulators are seizing banks slowly and selectively – partly to avoid inciting panic and partly because buyers for bad banks are hard to find…

“When a bank fails, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. swoops in, usually on a Friday afternoon. It tries to sell off the bank’s assets to buyers and cover its liabilities, primarily customer deposits. It taps the insurance fund to cover the rest… The FDIC won’t say how deep a hole its deposit insurance fund is in. It can tap a credit line from the Treasury of up to a half-trillion dollars to cover the gap.

“… recovery is expected to be slow. Americans remain hesitant to spend money because of job losses, flat wages, tight credit and high debt. Their cutbacks have triggered tens of thousands of business failures. Abandoned retail space in downtowns and suburban malls means no rental income for property owners. As landlords default on real estate loans, they weaken the banks that hold the loans. The situation now is especially grave in Southern California, Georgia and Illinois, which have some of the highest home foreclosure rates…”

The economic situation in the USA is bound to decrease further. According to some financial experts, a great depression is still coming.

Evolutionists “Appalled” Over Public “Ignorance”

Mail-On-Line wrote on October 26:

“More than half the population believes children should be told about creationism – the belief that God created the world – in school science lessons, a poll reveals today. Some 54 per cent of Britons want biology teachers to discuss ‘alternative perspectives’ on human origins alongside traditional explanations of evolution. They also want children to be told about intelligent design, the idea that aspects of the universe are too complex to be explained by science and natural selection. Critics say this is just creationism under another name. The findings, in a survey commissioned by the British Council, come amid growing pressure from religious groups for schools to teach creationism… Some 21 per cent of Britons said only evolutionary theory should be taught, while 54 per cent said children should hear rival explanations.

“Britain’s support for teaching other theories alongside evolution was higher than in any of the other countries apart from Argentina and Mexico – but had the lowest proportion – at six per cent – believing that other theories should be taught in preference to evolution. National curriculum guidelines say creationism has no place in science lessons.

“Worldwide, the survey reveals just over four in 10 (43 per cent) of people believe that evolution should be taught alongside other theories in science lessons, while a fifth (20 per cent) said only evolution should be taught. In the US, almost a quarter of those questioned (23 per cent) said either other theories but not evolution should be taught, or that no theories should be taught. This figure was 28 per cent in China and 21 per cent in South Africa.

“Lewis Wolpert, emeritus professor of biology at University College London and vice-president of the British Humanist Association, told The Guardian: ‘I am appalled. It shows how ignorant the public is. Intelligent design and creationism have no connection with science and are purely religious concepts. There is no evidence for them at all. They must be kept out of science lessons.’

“Steve Jones, professor of genetics at UCL, said: ‘This shows the danger of religions being allowed to buy schools, hijack lessons and pretend that they have anything useful to say about science – which, by definition, they do not….'”

WE are appalled over the ignorance or willful mispresentations of evolutionists who claim that the evolution theory has been scientifically proven. It has not been, nor can it be.

Twisted Sabbath Rulings…

ABC News reported on October 26:

“Rabbinical ruling causes havoc as Orthodox Jews debate fate of Sabbath elevators… The Jewish day of rest has become a bit more labor-intensive for Yosef Ball. The Orthodox Jew and his wife are no longer using elevators custom-built for the Jewish Sabbath, ever since a rabbinical ruling last month outlawed them. Instead, they have been hiking up seven flights of stairs to get home each Saturday, lugging with them their five young children and a double stroller…

“Jewish law, or halacha, forbids the use of electrical items on the Sabbath. But for decades rabbis have allowed special elevators that automatically stop at every floor without the riders pushing any buttons, permitting Orthodox Jews to ride them and live in high-rise buildings. The ruling last month by one of Israel’s leading rabbis, calling the elevators a no-go, has reignited a vigorous debate over the lifts, forcing Orthodox Jews living on top floors to decide if they’re up for the steep hike home from synagogue on Saturdays.

“The Orthodox community has long been divided over the elevators. Opponents say that while the riders push no button, the weight of the passengers still increases the amount of electricity required to power the lift, thus violating Jewish law…

“The ruling, decreed last month, is the latest in a series by Israeli rabbis on the minutiae of applying Jewish law to daily life. Top rabbis can count tens of thousands of followers who abide by their rulings. Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, the revered 99-year-old scholar who signed the elevator ruling, has been behind other controversial decisions before. In September, he proclaimed Jews could not wear Crocs shoes on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, because they were deemed too comfortable for the somber fasting holiday…

“The elevators are just one of several electric devices that rabbis have found loopholes for, allowing their use. Religious families can use timers for their lights and special hot plates to warm food as long as those hot plates were not switched on or off during the Sabbath.”

No wonder that Jesus chastised the religious rabbinical leadership of His time for having made the Sabbath a burden through their pharisaical rulings. What would He say today? Obviously, He would not approve of such modern twisted unbiblical Sabbath decrees either.

Let us read the passage in context, beginning in Romans 13:8:

“Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘You shall not covet,’ and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does not harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment [better: fulfilling] of the law.”

The Amplified Bible gives the following rendering, with the brackets in the original:

“Keep out of debt and owe no man anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor–who practices loving others–has fulfilled the Law [relating to one’s fellowmen], meeting all its requirements…”

(1) Concentrating first on Paul’s statement that we are indebted to loving our neighbor, let’s notice the following comments:

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible states:

“Love is a debt. The law of God and the interest of mankind make it so… [Paul] specifies the last five [actually, last six] of the ten commandments, which he observes to be all summed up in this royal law, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself…

“… it is a sin not only to devise evil against thy neighbour, but to withhold good from those to whom it is due; both are forbidden together… This proves that love is the fulfilling of the law… for what else is that but to restrain us from evil-doing, and to constrain us to well-doing? Love is a living active principle of OBEDIENCE to the whole law.”

The New Bible Commentary:Revised, agrees, stating: “This conclusion does not invalidate the Ten Commandments in the interest of a nebulous, existential ‘Love, and do as you please’… Love… is the spirit in which we are to keep the law; but we need the law’s particulars and prescriptions to give body and definition…”

John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible writes:

“… to love one another… is the only debt never to be wholly discharged; for though it should be always paying, yet ought always to be looked upon as owing… For he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law… of the decalogue; that part of it particularly which relates to the neighbour; the second table of the law… for fulfilling the law means DOING it, or acting according to it; and so far as a man loves, so far he fulfils, that is, DOES it…”

When we love our neighbor, we fulfill the law of the last six of the Ten Commandments, which deal with our relationship with our neighbor. The last six of the Ten Commandments define for us HOW to love our neighbor, and how NOT to do him any harm. Far from teaching that the Ten Commandments are no longer in effect, Paul teaches the exact opposite. As the commentaries quoted above point out, when we love our neighbor by keeping the last six of the Ten Commandments, then we fulfill or DO the law. And when we break just one of these commandments, as the apostle James says, then we have broken them all (James 2:8-11).

(2) Paul prefaced his statement that we owe it to our neighbor to love him by saying that we must not otherwise be indebted.

Please notice the following comments explaining the meaning of Paul’s statement in this regard:

John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible writes:

“From the payment of dues to magistrates [compare Romans 13:6-7], the apostle proceeds to a general exhortation to discharge all sorts of debts; as not to owe the civil magistrate any thing, but render to him his dues, so to owe nothing to any other man, but make good all obligations whatever, as of a civil, so of a natural kind. There are debts arising from the natural and civil relations subsisting among men, which should be discharged; as of the husband to the wife, the wife to the husband; parents to their children, children to their parents; masters to their servants, servants to their masters; one brother, friend, and neighbour, to another.

“Moreover, pecuniary debts may be here intended, such as are come into by borrowing, buying, commerce, and contracts; which though they cannot be avoided in carrying on worldly business, yet men ought to make conscience of paying them as soon as they are able: many an honest man may be in debt… but for men industriously to run into debt, and take no care to pay, but live upon the property and substance of others, is scandalous to them…”

Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible writes:

“In the previous verse the apostle had been discoursing of the duty which we owe to magistrates. He had particularly enjoined on Christians to pay to ‘them’ their just dues. From this command to discharge fully this obligation, the transition was natural to the subject of debts ‘in general,’ and to an injunction not to be indebted to ‘any one’… The interpretation of this command is to be taken with this limitation, that we are not to be indebted to him so as to ‘injure’ him, or to work ‘ill’ to him [compare Romans 13:10].

“This rule, together with the other rules of Christianity, would propose a remedy for all the evils of bad debts in the following manner… it would teach people to be ‘industrious,’ and this would commonly prevent the ‘necessity’ of contracting debts… it would make them ‘frugal, economical,’ and ‘humble’ in their views and manner of life… it would take off the affections from the splendor, gaiety, and extravagances which lead often to the contraction of debts… it would put a period to the ‘vices’ and unlawful desires which now prompt people to contract debts… it would make them ‘honest’ in paying them. It would make them conscientious, prompt, friends of truth, and disposed to keep their promises.”

The Nelson Study Bible states: “In the present context, owe no one anything primarily means respect and honor (see verse 7). No doubt money is also included, but this passage does not prohibit borrowing (see Psalm 37:21; Matthew 5:42).”

It is true that the Bible does not prohibit borrowing, especially for the purposes of business investments, mortgaging a house or financing certain necessities. However, Psalm 37:21 reminds us that “The wicked borrows and does not repay…” Focusing on the righteous, Psalm 37:21 continues that he can and should LEND to others who are in need (compare Matthew 5:42), but this does not mean that the righteous should just indiscriminately BORROW.

Even when speaking of investments and other business transactions, we must be careful that we don’t overextend ourselves, but that we count the costs first to make sure that we have enough to finish what we want to start (see the principle in Luke 14:28-32).

Regarding not being indebted or owing something to our neighbor, please also note the following passages:

Leviticus 19:13 reads, pertaining to the employer’s duty to pay his employees promptly and timely, in accordance with the employment agreement: “You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all night until morning.” Compare also Deuteronomy 24:15.

Regarding our general duties toward one another, we read in Proverbs 3:27-28: “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in your power of your hand to do so. Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it,’ When you have it with you.” Compare Galatians 6:10 and James 2:15-16.

In light of this, true servants of God should have the attitude, that loving conduct towards others is their duty, obligation and debt. Christ said in Luke 17:9-10: “Does he [the master] thank the servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.'”

In conclusion, we are always indebted to others to love them and show our love to them. We do this by keeping God’s law from the heart. It is His Law which defines for us what is and what is not true godly love. At the same time, we must not neglect to pay our debts, if at all possible, or work out an arrangement with our creditors (Matthew 5:25-26). In addition, we should be extremely careful before going into debt, especially for physical things which we don’t really need. God will provide for us all our need (Philippians 4:19), when we seek His Kingdom and His righteousness first (Matthew 6:30-33), and He will do so without us becoming indebted to others. Remember, the borrower is servant or slave to the lender (Proverbs 22:7). And in this materialistic world, lenders can be ruthless and merciless (Matthew 18:28-30).

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Our next Church Conference in Colorado has been set for Friday, March 5, to Wednesday, March 10, 2010. Any suggestions for discussion or clarification would be appreciated.

A new member letter by the ministry, together with an Editorial by Norbert Link, was sent out this week. Both documents are posted on the Web. The letter and the Editorial report about the Feast of Tabernacles and what we are facing now, in the times ahead.

In Canada, our ongoing Internet ad campaign has resulted so far in about, respectively, requests for 90 and 80 copies of our free booklets, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord,” and “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World.”

In Great Britain, our ongoing Internet ad campaign has resulted so far in excess of 710 requests for our free booklet, Europe in Prophecy.

A new StandingWatch program, titled, “Should You Observe Halloween?,” was posted on StandingWatch and YouTube. In the program, we ask the questions, Do you know the origins of Halloween and its customs and practices? Is it harmless fun or more sinister and dangerous? Please get the facts before you decide to observe Halloween this year.

A new German StandingWatch program on Halloween Halloween–Grusel-Fest der bösen Geister [“Halloween–Spooky Festival of Evil Spirits”]has been posted on the Web and on our German website (www.aufpostenstehen.de).

A new German sermon, entitled, “Europa in the Prophezeiung” [“Europe in Prophecy”], was posted on the Web.

For eight days, God’s Church observed God’s festivals of the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day. While temporarily leaving behind the troubles and misery of this present evil world, we focused on and foreshadowed God’s time of peace, happiness, true freedom and joy for all of mankind. But now we are back IN the world — and even though not OF the world, we are still forced to observe, interact with and counteract its many hopeless victims who are caught in the clutches of the ruthless “god” of this world.

Satan — the ruler of this world and the prince of the power of the air — is having a field day. He is busy focusing the world’s attention on his demonic festivals, such as Halloween — and later in the year, on pagan holidays like Christmas, which an unsuspecting and ignorant “Christianity” celebrates “in honor of” Jesus Christ.

At the same time, it is becoming obvious to us that this world is winding down. A new and better world is coming — and it is coming very soon. In the meantime, politicians and governmental leaders propagate and declare their willingness and ability to change our lives and living conditions for the better — but in just focusing on the United States, a reality check shows how much worse off we are now than–let’s say–a few years ago. The downfall of the United States is inevitable — and no “politically correct” wishful thinking or sugarcoating of the truth will be able to change the facts.

We are bombarded constantly with grandiose deceptive words of emptiness–and no wonder, because the god and ruler of this world is a master of propaganda. Satan wants to keep us in the dark–he does not want you to know how soon his rule will end. But the facts speak for themselves.

Gerald Celente of Trends Research recently said that the USA is facing “the beginning of the greatest depression.” Peter Schiff, president of Euro Pacific Capital, said that Ben Bernanke “could be the Fed chairman who brought down the whole thing.” The dollar has lost its reserve status, and Arab nations and Iran are contemplating, or have begun to exchange the euro for the dollar for their oil transactions. The FDIC insurance fund has fallen into the red. And while 99 banks have already failed in 2009, the number of additional US problem banks jumped to 416. The US federal budget deficit for 2009 is $1.42 trillion — more than the national debt for the first 200 years of the Republic, and the biggest deficit since World War II. In September alone, our government spent $46.6 billion more than it took in. And much of our debt is in FOREIGN hands. For instance, China holds more than $800 billion.

At the same time, Europe is uniting. For all practical purposes, the Lisbon Treaty is a done deal, and we will soon see a powerful President of Europe. The Financial Times pointed out that the EU can now move forward with its plan for “world domination.” The Telegraph reported that the EU is drawing up secret plans to establish itself as a “world power.” Der Spiegel wrote that only Germany can lead Europe and that “a European army would be a good place to start.”

The Bible shows us that when the last revival of the ancient “Holy” Roman Empire has been accomplished in Europe and when ten European core nations or groups of nations give their authority to a political and military leader (the “beast”), Europe will ATTACK militarily and ENSLAVE a powerless and subdued America. By that time, America will be without effective leadership and will have weakened itself through its irresponsible fiscal policy and other unwise political measures, as well as through its entanglement with useless or inexpedient wars such as Iraq, Afghanistan and possibly Iran and North Korea. It will be in no position to defend itself against the enemy. But Europe will only rule for a very short time — the indication is, for perhaps about 3 1/2 years. And THEN Christ WILL return to usher in the wonderful world tomorrow.

We are already seeing the birth pangs of the new world to come. In fact, the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now, awaiting the deliverance from the bondage of its corruption or decay (compare Romans 8:21-22).

Time is short indeed. While we groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for our sonship — the redemption of our body; the transformation into a glorified being; and the conformation to the very image of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:23, 29) — we need to be careful that this current world does not induce us to follow in its path. And when we see “signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and expectation of those things which are coming on the earth” (Luke 21:25-26), then we are to look up and lift our heads, because our redemption has drawn near (verse 28).

Our God of peace WILL crush Satan and his present evil world under our feet shortly (Romans 16:20). This present age with its false promises of self-serving politicians and leaders WILL soon end.

GOD’s Kingdom will come to this earth and replace ALL the kingdoms of this world (Revelation 11:15). YOU can possess and be IN God’s Kingdom (Daniel 7:22, 27). YOU can sit with Christ on His throne here on earth to rule the nations (Revelation 3:21; 5:10). Not now — not quite yet — but very soon!

As we reported in last week’s Update the EU is determined [and predestined] to become a global power. According to the Telegraph, once the Lisbon Treaty is adopted (and bowing to pressure, Czech President Klaus announced that he too, as the last leader of the 27 EU member states, will ratify the Treaty), the EU will become a “single legal personality which will sign all kinds of international agreements, including on foreign policy and defense.” Whether Tony Blair will become the first permanent EU President is doubtful, given the fact that the UK is not part of the eurozone.

While there is a possibility of a coming power struggle within the EU for prestigious positions, there is already a power struggle ensuing between the Catholic and the Anglican churches. In an unparalleled move and in its desire to invite into their fold as many Anglican converts as possible, “a new Catholic structure will allow Anglicans, including married clergymen, to enter full communion with the Catholic Church.”

Bowing to outside pressure and due to allegations of massive election fraud, Afghan President Karzai is allowing a runoff election against his challenger Abdullah on November 7. As Deutsche Welle stated, “Few observers doubt that Karzai will win the runoff. Indeed, it’s questionable whether anything will change in Afghanistan regardless of the outcome.”

Turkey is moving further away from Israel and closer to Syria. As the Jerusalem Post put it, “Turkey officially left the Western alliance and became a full member of the Iranian axis.” The paper also said that if “Westernized Turks” wish to remain in Turkey, they will have to “join the Islamist camp and add their voices to the rising chorus of anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism sweeping the country.” These developments are especially interesting in light of end-time prophecies in the book of Obadiah, pertaining to the hostile relationship between modern Turkey (ancient Edom) and Israel (both the modern house of Israel, especially the USA, as well as the Jews).

Focusing our attention on the ever increasing reports about devastating developments in the USA, the FDIC Insurance Fund is “in the red”; 99 banks have failed so far in 2009; more than 416 additional banks are included in the FDIC’s confidential “problem list”; and the Federal Budget Deficit has reached the unprecedented staggering figure of $1.42 Trillion. As we said in our last Update, “Empire America” is on its steady, inevitable and incurable decline. Both its government (“the head”) as well as its people (“the sole of the foot”) are lacking soundness (Isaiah 1:6). Instead, God describes the USA (as well as other modern nations descended from the ancient houses of Israel and Judah) as a “sinful nation, A people laden with iniquity, A brood of evildoers, Children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the LORD, They have provoked to anger The Holy One of Israel, they have turned away backward” (Isaiah 1:4).

To illustrate the point: We conclude with an article about a Louisiana justice of the peace who refused to issue a marriage license to an interracial couple. He explained that “it is his experience that most interracial marriages do not last long” and “that most of black society does not readily accept offspring of such relationships, and neither does white society.” Of course, left-liberal organizations and the mass media began a campaign of hate against the man, demanding his resignation, but we would have to agree with the stated experience of the justice of the peace officer. The Bible does not support marriages which are clearly, obviously and visibly interracial. However, this would not include marriage candidates who are of “mixed” blood.” For more information, please read our Q&A on the issue.

EU’s Move Towards a World Power

The Telegraph wrote on October 7:

“EU draws up plans to establish itself as ‘world power’… The European Union has drawn up secret plans to establish itself as a global power in its own right with the authority to sign international agreements on behalf of member states… Confidential negotiations on how to implement the Lisbon Treaty have produced proposals to allow the EU to negotiate treaties and even open embassies across the world… According to one confidential paper, the first pilot ’embassies’ are planned in New York, Kabul and Addis Ababa.

“The move is highly symbolic in Britain… Mark Francois, Conservative spokesman on Europe, said that the deal showed why the British should have been given a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. ‘As we have long warned, the Lisbon Treaty increases the EU’s power at the expense of the countries of Europe,’ he said. ‘The new power a single legal personality would give the EU is a classic example’…

“The decision… will mean a new European diplomatic service with over 160 ‘EU representations’ and ambassadors across the world. Lorraine Mullally, the director of Open Europe, described the move as ‘a huge transfer of power which makes the EU look more like a country than an international agreement’. ‘Giving the EU legal personality means that the EU, rather than member states, will be able to sign all kinds of international agreements – on foreign policy, defence, crime and judicial issues – for the first time,’ she said.”

A Democratic Time-Bomb Is Ticking…

The EUObserver wrote on October 21:

“… the major visible part of Lisbon will be the posts the Treaty creates: a European President and Secretary of State…  events will drive whoever holds that position [of Secretary of State] towards a prominent role on the world stage and perhaps into a potentially damaging power struggle with the President.

“The occupants of these posts will… have a great effect on how Europe is portrayed on the world stage and in international relations… de facto they will be the faces of post-Lisbon Europe…

“What these posts will do, however, is to shine a spotlight on the EU’s democratic deficit… A democratic time-bomb is ticking… A chasm looms…”

Sarkozy Distances Himself from Blair and Condemns Klaus

The EUObserver wrote on October 16:

“French president Nicolas Sarkozy has indicated that British ex-prime minister Tony Blair may not be acceptable as a future president of the European Council because the UK remains outside the eurozone…

“When asked by French daily Le Figaro whether Mr Blair is a good candidate for the job, Mr Sarkozy said: ‘… Personally I believe in a Europe that is politically strong and embodied by a person. But the fact that Great Britain is not in the euro remains a problem.’

“Sixteen of the 27 member states are members of the eurozone. Mr Sarkozy does not elaborate on whether eurozone membership is a general consideration when the president of the European Council post comes up for a discussion. Of the 11 countries not sharing the common currency, most are central and eastern European states, including Poland, as well as Denmark, Sweden and the UK…

“Mr Sarkozy also used the Le Figaro interview to threaten Czech president Vaclav Klaus, who is holding out against signing the Lisbon Treaty. He called Mr Klaus’ stance ‘unacceptable’ adding ‘decision time is coming for him and it will not be without consequence. And whatever happens, this issue will be resolved by the end of the year.'”

Czech President Throws in Towel

The Daily Mail wrote on October 19:

“The last faint hope of blocking the Lisbon Treaty was dashed yesterday when the Czech president threw in the towel. With it went any real prospect of Britain having a referendum on the treaty that critics say will rob nations of their sovereignty. Vaclav Klaus had been the only EU leader still refusing to ratify it and the Conservatives had hoped he would hold out until next year’s General Election. They have promised a referendum if they are elected, but only if it has not been ratified by all EU member states…

“But President Klaus said yesterday: ‘I do not consider the Lisbon Treaty to be a good thing for Europe, for the freedom of Europe, or for the Czech Republic. However, the train has already travelled so fast and so far that I guess it will not be possible to stop it or turn it around, however much we would wish to. I will not and cannot wait for the British election. They would have to hold it in the coming days or weeks.’

“The treaty is expected to be ratified within weeks. President Klaus will sign if as expected the Czech constitutional court throws out a challenge to it brought by a group of senators.”

Coming Power Struggle for EU Positions?

Der Spiegel Online wrote on October 19:

“Now recalcitrant nations are finally signing the Lisbon Treaty, the EU may get a phone number. And there are several candidates waiting to pick up the phone. But will it be the president or the foreign minister who does so?… The person who picks up the phone is to be called the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. That’s what stands in the Lisbon Treaty, which was approved by the Irish on Oct. 2 and ratified by the Poles just a few days later. If the Czechs now sign as well, the European Union will finally be able to operate according to those new rules…

“When it comes [to] a collective EU foreign policy, the British and French have very different ideas from the Germans. Going against the wishes of the German government, they pushed through a second new post in the Lisbon Treaty: a full-time President of the European Council, the body that represents member nations. Among other things, this president’s duties would include coordination of foreign and defense policy for 27 different countries.

“The success of the Lisbon Treaty depends very much on who is appointed to these roles. And the relationship between the foreign minister and the Council president is not prescribed by the treaty. Who is the captain and who is the first mate? This will become clear when the men who [are] appointed to these posts have developed their roles, having fought for power and influence…

“Leading politicians in Berlin are worried that instead of producing a common foreign policy, these new positions will only lead to a power struggle.”

Power Struggle Between Catholic and Anglican Churches

Deutsche Welle reported on October 20:

“The Vatican has announced the creation of a new structure that will allow whole Anglican congregations to convert to Catholicism. The move reveals a power struggle between the Catholic and Anglican churches. A new Catholic structure, called Personal Ordinariates, will allow Anglicans, including married clergymen, to enter full communion with the Catholic Church…

“A joint press conference was held at the Catholic church headquarters in London in response to the Vatican announcement, hoping to ease concerns that relations between the heads of the 1.1-billion member Catholic Church and the 77-million Anglican communion would be affected by the Vatican’s move. The Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and the Catholic archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols sat side by side in a show of unity…

“There have indeed been a number of individual conversions from Anglicanism to Catholicism in the past forty years, but this marks the first time since the 16th century Reformation that entire Protestant communities will be able to reunite with Rome. Catholic bishops in Britain have previously warned that attempts to draw in former Anglicans appeared to take advantage of the divisions within the Anglican Church…”

The Wall Street Journal added on October 21:

“A newly created set of canon laws, known as an ‘Apostolic Constitution,’ will clear the way for entire congregations of Anglican faithful to join the Catholic Church. That represents a potentially serious threat to the already fragile world-wide communion of national Anglican churches, which has about 77 million members globally…

“The Anglican Communion has been strained by fights over its relations with other Christian denominations and the church’s growing acceptance of gay and women clergy and same-sex marriage. The 2003 election of an openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church, the U.S. branch of the movement, has sharpened those tensions. The move comes nearly five centuries after King Henry VIII broke with Rome and proclaimed himself head of the new Church of England after being refused permission to divorce.

“… the announcement appeared to catch Anglican leaders off guard… ‘I was informed of the planned announcement at a very late stage…’ Archbishop Williams wrote… The Right Rev. Michael Scott-Joynt, the Anglican Bishop of Winchester and co-chair of the English Anglican-Roman Catholic Committee, said the new measures went outside the ‘mainstream’ of Vatican-Anglican dialogue, adding that he, too, was told of the measures at a ‘very late stage’…

“The new measures also raised questions in Rome… leading some Catholic canon lawyers to question how Pope Benedict will square Anglican and Catholic teachings. The Vatican has at times provided dispensations to non-Catholic married priests on an individual basis, including Anglicans and Lutherans. Eastern Rite Churches, which are in communion with the pope, ordain married men as priests.

“Still, relaxing rules on priestly celibacy for a group as large as the Anglican Communion is more dramatic, said Eduardo Baura, a professor of canon law at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross and a consultant to the Holy See’s Congregation for Bishops.”

Run-Off Election in Afghanistan

Der Spiegel Online reported on October 20:

“On Tuesday, the Election Commission in Afghanistan decided against President Hamid Karzai — thus joining the United Nations-supported Electoral Complaints Commission, which had found that around one-third of the votes cast in the country’s August presidential elections were invalid. Karzai will now face a run-off election against his challenger Abdullah Abdullah on Nov. 7…

“The US sent Senator John Kerry, chairman of the powerful Foreign Relations Committee, to Kabul in an effort to reach a rapid solution… French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner also made the trip and numerous heads of state and government telephoned Karzai and urged him to back down…

“US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Monday evening that the US administration can’t afford to postpone sending additional troops to Afghanistan until the government problem has been solved. But if Obama were to go ahead and get the reinforcements moving, he would have to explain why he wants to support a corrupt government.”

Deutsche Welle added on October 20:

“Although there had been some talk of a power-sharing agreement between Karzai and Abdullah, a runoff was practically inevitable after grotesque irregularities were reported in almost every aspect of the election process… Karzai’s image in the West has greatly suffered since he officially took office in 2004. But in some cases, ironically, that fact may have helped him on the domestic front…

“The large numbers of civilian casualties resulting from the US-led aerial bombardment of the Taliban have created increasing resentment toward the presence of foreign troops. And that, together with endemic corruption within the Afghan government, may be working to the advantage of the West’s enemies… Few observers doubt that Karzai will win the runoff. Indeed, it’s questionable whether anything will change in Afghanistan regardless of the outcome.”

Turkey Moves Further Away From Israel

Der Spiegel Online wrote on October 19:

“Turkey has recently sought to secure a new role as Middle East mediator. But fallout from postponed military exercises has seen it move further from Israel and closer to Syria. Israelis are concerned, Syrians are celebrating and the Turks are guardedly diplomatic.

“It was a good week for Syria’s Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem. Last Tuesday, he was part of a group of Syrian and Turkish politicians that met at Oncupinar, a border crossing between Syria and Turkey, to mark the removal of entry visa requirements between the two countries.

“It was a big step. As recently as the late 1990s, the two neighbors were on the verge of conflict due to Syrian support for Kurdish resistance fighters in Turkey. Parts of the Turkish-Syrian border are still mined. Times, though, have changed: These days, the two countries cooperate on joint military maneuvers and have created a High Level Strategic Cooperation Council.

“Indeed the fact that Ankara and Damascus are planning to work together militarily shortly after signing the visa exemption agreement is nothing short of spectacular… the gathering on the Turkish-Syrian border would likely have generated little attention were it not for the news that immediately preceded it: Israel, a sworn enemy of Syria, was uninvited from a planned international military exercise on Turkish territory.

“… it was rumored that the Turks were angry with the Israelis because of the late delivery of unmanned Heron surveillance planes. And then Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan joined the fray, indicating that the exclusion of the Israelis was indeed politically motivated — a response to Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip… His people, Erdogan assured viewers, ‘were rejecting Israel’s participation.’ Additionally Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu noted that Turkey cannot afford to be seen as Israel’s military partner at a time when there are no efforts being made for peace.

“These are strong words — and cause for unease in Israel. Israel is too small to conduct air force exercises of its own, and the relationship with Turkey — Israel’s only Muslim ally in the region — is vital… the Turkish-Israeli relationship is worse now than it has been in a long time,..”

The Jerusalem Post wrote on October 15:

“Once the apotheosis of a pro-Western, dependable Muslim democracy, this week Turkey officially left the Western alliance and became a full member of the Iranian axis. It isn’t that Ankara’s behavior changed fundamentally in recent days. There is nothing new in its massive hostility toward Israel and its effusive solicitousness toward the likes of Syria and Hamas. Since the Islamist AKP party first won control over the Turkish government in the 2002 elections, led by AKP chairman Recip Tayyip Erdogan, the Turks have incrementally and inexorably moved the formerly pro-Western Muslim democracy into the radical Islamist camp populated by the likes of Iran, Syria, Hizbullah, al-Qaida and Hamas.

“What made Turkey’s behavior this week different from its behavior in recent months and years is that its attacks were concentrated, unequivocal and undeniable for everyone outside of Israel’s scandalously imbecilic and flagellant media…

“As for the Obama administration, since entering office in January it has abandoned US support for democracy activists throughout the world, in favor of a policy of pure appeasement of US adversaries at the expense of US allies. In keeping with this policy, President Barack Obama paid a preening visit to Ankara where he effectively endorsed the Islamization of Turkish foreign policy that has moved the NATO member into the arms of Teheran’s mullahs.

“Taken together, the actions of the Bush and Obama White Houses have demoralized Westernized Turks, who now believe that their country is doomed to descend into the depths of Islamist extremism. As many see it, if they wish to remain in Turkey, their only recourse is to join the Islamist camp and add their voices to the rising chorus of anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism sweeping the country…

“For its part, as the lone Jewish state that belongs to no alliance, Israel had no ability to shape internal developments in Turkey. But still, Turkey’s decision to betray the West holds general lessons for Israel and for the free world as a whole… Turkey is lost and we’d better make our peace with this devastating fact.”

FDIC Insurance Fund Will Stay in Red Through 2012

CNN wrote on October 14:

“The government insurance fund designed to protect consumer bank deposits will likely stay in the red through 2012… The fund has come under severe strain in recent months amid the recent surge in bank failures. Ninety-eight banks [by now 99 banks] have failed so far this year, which has reduced the fund’s value to $10 billion from $45 billion a year ago.

“Last month, the agency painted an even more dire picture, estimating that the fund is currently in the red after taking into account future bank failures it anticipates will happen.”

America’s Depleted Insurance Fund and Its Hundreds of Problem Banks

The Associated Press reported on October 17:

“Regulators shut down San Joaquin Bank in California on Friday, marking the 99th failure this year of a federally insured bank… the deposit insurance fund has fallen into the red. The FDIC board recently proposed to have U.S. banks prepay about $45 billion of their insurance premiums – three years’ worth. That plan isn’t a long-term remedy for the depleted fund. But it would spare ailing banks the immediate cost of an alternative idea: paying an emergency fee for the second time this year. And the FDIC still has billions in loss reserves apart from the insurance fund…

“The 99 failures may not fully reflect the depth of banks’ travails. Many more banks – perhaps hundreds – are so weak they could have been shut down already, experts say. Many vulnerable banks are in limbo. Regulators have threatened to close them unless they shore up their balance sheets, but the recession has made it difficult to raise capital or sell assets. The number of banks on the FDIC’s confidential ‘problem list’ jumped to 416 at the end of June from 305 in the first quarter.”

Federal Budget Deficit of $1.42 Trillion

The Associated Press reported on October 16:

“What is $1.42 trillion? It’s more than the total national debt for the first 200 years of the Republic, more than the entire economy of India, almost as much as Canada’s, and more than $4,700 for every man, woman and child in the United States. It’s the federal budget deficit for 2009, more than three times the most red ink ever amassed in a single year…

“Treasury figures released Friday showed that the government spent $46.6 billion more in September than it took in…

“The previous year’s deficit was $459 billion. As a percentage of U.S. economic output, it’s the biggest deficit since World War II. ‘The rudderless U.S. fiscal policy is the biggest long-term risk to the U.S. economy,’ says Kenneth Rogoff, a Harvard professor and former chief economist for the International Monetary Fund. ‘As we accumulate more and more debt, we leave ourselves very vulnerable.’

“Forecasts of more red ink mean the federal government is heading toward spending 15 percent of its money by 2019 just to pay interest on the debt, up from 5 percent this fiscal year. President Barack Obama has pledged to reduce the deficit once the Great Recession ends and the unemployment rate starts falling, but economists worry that the government lacks the will to make the hard political choices to get control of the imbalances…

“Much of that debt is in foreign hands. China holds the most – more than $800 billion. In all, investors – domestic and foreign – hold close to $8 trillion in what is called publicly held debt… If those investors started dumping their holdings, or even buying fewer U.S. Treasurys, the dollar’s value could drop…

“A lower dollar would cause prices of imported goods to rise. Inflation would surge. And higher interest rates would force consumers and companies to pay more to borrow to buy a house or a car or expand their business. ‘We should be desperately worried about deficits of this size,’ says Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Economy.com. ‘The economic pain will be felt much sooner than people think, in the form of much higher interest rates and much higher rates of inflation.'”

US Dollar Weakness “Unbearable”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on October 20:

“The dollar continues to weaken against the euro. The result is that European exports — one of the primary engines behind Europe’s fragile recovery — are becoming more expensive in the United States and in a number of Asian countries that have pegged their currency to the dollar. On Tuesday, a euro was going for $1.4976, just off its 14-month high of $1.4994 seen on Monday. Many, though, expect the dollar to continue its fall against the euro with a return to the $1.60 rate…

“The development is of particular concern in Germany, whose economy is heavily reliant on exports. The euro’s strength against the pound likewise pushes up the price of German goods in the euro zone’s largest trading partner, Britain… Henri Guaino, a special counsellor to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, said the US was ‘flooding the world’ with dollars. He added that dollar weakness may become ‘unbearable’…”

An Alternative World Currency to the US Dollar

USA Today wrote on October 22 about the weak dollar. Although we most certainly do NOT agree with the overly optimistic assessment in the article, we are quoting the following excerpts which accurately relate the facts (even though USA Today then goes on to put ridiculous spins on them):

“Just about every day seems to bring more bad news for the dollar. Recent months have witnessed a steady erosion in the greenback’s value, down 16% since March against the currencies of the top U.S. trading partners. On Wednesday, the euro broke through the symbolically important $1.50 barrier for the first time in 14 months.

“Depending on whom you believe, a dollar hovering near its 52-week low represents either the market’s devastating verdict on the Obama administration’s profligacy or a salutary rediscovery of risk by newly emboldened investors. Maybe it’s a bit of both. But the downbeat drumbeat bangs on. Chinese officials openly worry about taking a bath on their enormous U.S. Treasury holdings. Foreign bankers talk of promoting an alternative global currency, such as the euro, yuan or a new synthetic medium of exchange cooked up by the International Monetary Fund…

“Robert Zoellick, president of the World Bank [warned last month:] ‘Looking forward, there will increasingly be other options to the dollar’…

“Since supplanting the British pound more than 60 years ago, the dollar has reigned supreme in global markets. As of the end of June, the most recent data available, 62.8% of foreign exchange reserves worldwide were held in the form of U.S. dollars. An additional 27.5% were stockpiled in euros… The dollar’s position has eroded in the past five years…

“In the short run, the only currency that could challenge the dollar is the euro. It, too, has a continental-size economy behind it, and a decade after its introduction, the European currency has established itself as a fully convertible, stable store of value…

“The dollar’s long-run prognosis is negative… And with Uncle Sam’s printing press running overtime to cover the government’s trillion-dollar budget deficits, the currency is expected to be further cheapened… In the political realm, the dollar’s weakness is interpreted as a referendum on American decline…”

Interracial Couple Denied Marriage License

The Associated Press wrote on October 15:

“A Louisiana justice of the peace said he refused to issue a marriage license to an interracial couple out of concern for any children the couple might have. Keith Bardwell, justice of the peace in Tangipahoa Parish, says it is his experience that most interracial marriages do not last long… Bardwell told the Daily Star of Hammond that he was not a racist. ‘I do ceremonies for black couples right here in my house,’ Bardwell said…

“Bardwell said he has discussed the topic with blacks and whites, along with witnessing some interracial marriages. He came to the conclusion that most of black society does not readily accept offspring of such relationships, and neither does white society, he said.”

Just the opposite is true! Christians still have to make a continuing choice to obey God and to reject the wrong way, and the Bible fully explains this most remarkable and foundational truth!

As a beginning point, we need to understand that God’s intentions have always been that mankind would ultimately be given the sustainable option to choose a path leading to life and reject the one leading to death. Chapters two and three of Genesis recount the epic account of how Adam and Eve chose to disobey God. From this record we see very clearly that God gave man an opportunity to choose for himself (compare verses 16-17).

In another time, after having selected the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as His chosen people, God, nonetheless, required that the people choose to follow His way and to reject the wrong way (compare Deuteronomy 30:11-20):

“‘(Verse 15) See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil… (Verse 19) I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing, therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.'”

In subsequent times, the Old Testament reveals the contrast of those who did choose to follow God and those who did not—importantly, this record also shows the consequences for these choices.

Following the ministry of Jesus Christ, God established His Church, and He inspired His ministers to teach the people. What was taught was obedience to God, and we have Peter’s dramatic answer to people who heard him preach:

“Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 2:38).

Some from among this group chose to do exactly as they were instructed, and because they did, God gave them His Holy Spirit, which enabled them to obey Him more fully. Paul powerfully taught that this gift was the vital key that would allow mankind to live God’s way:

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Romans 8:5-9).

Carefully note that in these verses it is revealed that the Spirit of BOTH the Father and of His Son dwells in those who have repented and who have become obedient to God (compare John 14:23).

What, we may ask, is the difference once we have the Holy Spirit?

The answer lies in the WAY in which we live! Without God’s Holy Spirit we are without the power to live according to His Will. Paul describes this difference by showing that godly qualities are produced—what he calls “fruit”—if we “walk in the Spirit”; while if we engage in “the works of the flesh,” we “will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Compare Galatians 5:16-26).

A careful study of the above cited reference shows that Paul is addressing Christians, and he is appealing to them to continuously keep themselves in check regarding how they either use or reject God’s guidance through His Holy Spirit. Here is the point—Christians must choose to obey God, and they must continuously choose to overcome sin while they live in the flesh.

The resounding and repeatedly emphasized message from Jesus Christ to the Church of God is this—that each one called to the Truth of God must OVERCOME! (Compare Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21). Quite plainly, the Bible summarizes the task of mankind in this way: “‘He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son’” (Revelation 21:7). Additionally, we have this concluding statement from Jesus: “‘And behold I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me to give to every one according to his work’” (Revelation 22:12).

What can we take from these references? It is that even with the help of God’s Holy Spirit, we must still choose to overcome sin; we must choose to allow Christ living His life in us; and we must choose to allow Him to produce in us works worthy of reward in the kingdom of God! We must choose to do this! It remains our choice throughout!

But we need HELP!

Help is provided through the Holy Spirit, and it is what Paul referenced when he said, “LET this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…” (Philippians 2:5).

In an earlier letter, Paul shows that we are TAUGHT “spiritual things” through the Spirit (compare 1 Corinthians 2:10-16—especially, verses 12 and 13). Jesus promised to continue to help His disciples following His resurrection through the power of God’s Holy Spirit: “‘I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you’” (John 14:18).

We are responsible to choose to use the Holy Spirit. Timothy, a minister of Jesus Christ, was encouraged in this regard:

“Therefore I remind you to STIR UP the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of POWER and of LOVE and of a SOUND MIND” (2 Timothy 1:6-7).

In another place, Paul warns all: “Do not QUENCH the Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19).

Taking action to “stir up” or avoiding an action that might “quench” the Holy Spirit involves our choosing.

Many have been erroneously taught that one only has to “confess” and “believe in” Jesus Christ, and that nothing more is required. This would imply that Jesus Christ continues to somehow sanction wrong behavior after “conversion”. However, Jesus Christ will no more sanction sin now than He did when He lived in the flesh (Compare 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15). Furthermore, even after having received the Holy Spirit, we are warned about thinking we can take Christ’s role in our lives for granted:

“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame” (Hebrews 6:4-6).

The fact is, Christians do still commit sins—something they must continue to overcome, and they are taught how to do so:

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 John 1:8-10; 2:1-2).

In addressing the two paths of living that all people face, Jesus said:

“‘Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it’” (Matthew 7:13-14).

This parable again points to the fact that individuals must choose and then continue to choose the right way—a way of resisting and overcoming sin along with learning to become completely obedient to God.

Paul shows that we must willingly learn—throughout our converted life—to think like Jesus Christ:

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

This statement means more than us bringing our own thoughts in line to be obedient to Christ. On our own, we simply can’t do that. Rather, the greater implication is that we must choose to submit to allowing Christ to live His life in us through the power of God—the Holy Spirit of God the Father and of Jesus Christ! Paul knew this and it was the basis for his preaching the gospel:

“…and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith [of] Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith” (Philippians 3:9).

This point is further explained in his teaching of the Gentiles:

“… the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:26-27).

Also:

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith [of] the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

Neither the Father nor the Son seeks to “possess” human kind against their will. Rather, we must choose to obey God, and following conversion we must continue to choose to grow, to overcome and to conquer wrong thoughts and actions (compare 2 Peter 3:18).

Ultimately, the choice—the responsibility—is ours! We must choose. Let us all learn to make the right choice of choosing life!

Lead Writer: Dave Harris

A new member letter has been written. It is being printed and will be sent out early next week.

In the USA, our ongoing Internet ad campaign has resulted so far in, respectively, requests for 363 and 247 copies of our free booklets, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord,” and “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World.”

A new StandingWatch program, titled, “Obamageddon and Europe’s Goal of World Domination,” was posted on StandingWatch and YouTube. In the program, the real meaning of the following facts is discussed: While President Obama was awarded the Nobel peace prize, he is considering expanding the war in Afghanistan. While experts warn of an American-induced global depression still to come and have coined the term, “Obamageddon,” more and more dollars are being printed, and while the dollar has lost its reserve status, Arab states, as well as Iran, have announced their refusal to accept any more dollars for their oil. At the same time, Europe is uniting with the declared intent to achieve world domination.

Norbert Link’s new video-recorded sermon, “Letter to the Galatians, Part 4,” was posted on the Web, and on our Website (www.eternalgod.org, under Audio).

Our new German Sermon, “Unser Gewissen” [“Our Conscience”], was posted on the Web and on our German Website (www.aufpostenstehen.de).

Our new German StandingWatch program, Obamas Fall und Europas Aufstieg [“Obama’s Fall and Europe’s Rise”] has been posted on the Web, and on our German Website (www.aufpostenstehen.de).

On October 17, 2009, Norbert Link will give the sermon,titled, “Letter to the Galatians, Part 4.”

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.

Society often associates privilege with those who have more than the average. It may also associate privilege with advantages obtained through birth into a wealthy or aristocratic family. Finally, in describing privilege, it may focus on other advantages that the ordinary man in the street doesn’t have or enjoy.

Wikipedia states that “privilege” “can refer to special powers or ‘de facto’ immunities held as a consequence of political power or wealth. Privilege of this sort may be transmitted by birth into a privileged class or achieved through individual actions. Compare elite.”

There can be both deference to those so privileged or, very often, resentment from those who feel that life can be unfair and that they themselves may be disadvantaged. It usually depends on which side of the fence you’re on!

But let us apply the word “privilege” to our calling and the Feast of Tabernacles that we’ve just observed. What a privilege that has been and how privileged we are to have been given the knowledge of the truth at this time so that we have the opportunity to be in the first resurrection!

Is the world envious of our “privilege”? Pretty unanimously, the answer must be no as we can be viewed as odd or peculiar for keeping festivals that are considered outdated and irrelevant. What would be the point of resenting those who are looked at as “religious” and outmoded in a secular society? It is extremely doubtful that we are seen as being privileged by anyone outside the Church today.

But conversely, do we consider ourselves privileged to have been called at this time? We should. We must. If we don’t, we could easily miss out on the most stupendous and thrilling future that we could ever envisage. Out of nearly seven billion people on this earth, very few have had the marvelous calling that we have been privileged to have been given. Attitude is so important and God is reviewing and monitoring our approach to our calling.  

If anyone in the Church of God resents any worldly “privilege” that others may enjoy, that would be a hypocritical approach. It would be good to reflect on the fact that WE indeed are the people of privilege if you think about it! “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called” (1 Corinthians 1:26).  And we understand that the first resurrection is the better resurrection (compare Hebrews 11:35 and Revelation 20:6). Now that’s real privilege!

The Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day provided us with a wonderful time to be with God at His Feast site and with other like-minded brethren. What a PRIVILEGE it was to have been there!

Dramatic developments are occurring in Europe. While Ireland and Poland have adopted the Lisbon Treaty, all eyes are focused on the Czech Republic–the last European member state which still needs to sign the Treaty. But especially Ireland’s “Yes-vote” has observers worried about the willingness of Europe to give up democracy and instead resort to fear tactics, and some claim that Europe is steadily advancing towards its ultimate goal of world domination. Many seem to support Tony Blair as the first permanent European president–especially after his conversion to Roman Catholicism–while others advocate the notion that only Germany is predestined to continue to create and lead Europe.

For more information on the future of Europe, as explained in the Bible, please read our free booklets, “Europe in Prophecy” and “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”

In other European news, we report on Austria’s strong support of its right-winged parties one year after Joerg Haider’s mysterious death; the idle attempts of some in Germany to create nationwide “Jewish” (actually biblical) and Muslim holidays; and Poland’s reaction to Russian endeavors to make a hero out of a mass murderer–Josef Stalin.

Turning to the Middle East, no peace is in sight for Jerusalem and no real solutions seem to present themselves to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power.

Focusing on the USA, the world reacted with shock, disbelief and even outright mockery when it was announced that President Obama was awarded this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. And while new U.S. legislation is being proposed for “hate crimes” and “universal healthcare,” the coined term, “Obamageddon,” summarizes fears of a coming great depression and the demise of the U.S. dollar and of the “Empire America.”

The biblically prophesied fate of the USA is described in our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

We conclude with an article of Time magazine, comparing President Obama with Moses, just to show how far the mass media is straying from biblical truth.

Only Germany Can Lead Europe

Der Spiegel Online wrote on October 7:

“With the Lisbon Treaty approaching the final hurdles before it is adopted, it is time for the European Union to take a bold step forward. It  is up to Germany’s new government to lead the EU out of a decade of doldrums. A European Army would be a good place to start…Only Germany Can Lead…

“Germany at the moment is the only remaining motor of Europe. French President Nicolas Sarkozy has fallen too deeply in love with French grandeur to be a credible leader for Europe. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is politically crippled and his potential successor, David Cameron, is a vehement Euro-skeptic. Of the big three, only Germany can lead the EU into the future… A unified market and a common currency would have been unthinkable without German leadership… A clear commitment to a European army and a European civil reconstruction corps would not just reinvigorate EU integration, but it would also make the bloc a much bigger player on the international stage…

“The US, overstretched as it currently is, would welcome any attempt to increase Europe’s military capacity… The first European Union president, who will be named soon, will point the way to the future. Germany needs to begin building a broad coalition to install a candidate who will be able to wield power beyond Europe’s borders… We want a European Union that plays an active role in the world…”

Europe Lost Its Struggle For Democracy

Der Spiegel Online wrote on October 5:

“In the end, it wasn’t even close. Instead of the predicted photo finish, the ‘yes’ vote galloped home to victory in Friday’s referendum on the Lisbon Treaty in Ireland, with the winds of the financial crisis at its back…

“In Ireland, the recession was plainly the deciding factor in the sharp turnaround. With the Irish economy in the doldrums, public debt soaring and unemployment on the brink of 20 percent, the voters chose to decisively back the treaty….

“The Financial Times Deutschland writes: ‘The fact that an overwhelming majority of Irish voters supported the Lisbon Treaty has a lot to do with the financial crisis… The strong ‘yes’ vote… was… clouded by the fact that it was the result of a fear campaign…’

“The left-leaning Die Tageszeitung writes: ‘… Everyone who eight years ago at the constitutional convention dreamed of a more democratic Europe have now lost… The new treaty will never get over the blemish of how it came about. The people who said ‘no’ the first time, were either not asked a second time or were blackmailed with the threat of being marginalized in economically tough times…'”

Europe’s Plot To Take Over the World

The Financial Times wrote on October 5:

“At last! Ireland has passed the Lisbon treaty and now the European Union can move forward with its plan for world domination… Jean Monnet, the founding father of the EU, believed that European unity was “not an end in itself, but only a stage on the way to the organised world of tomorrow”. His successors in Brussels make no secret of the fact that they regard the Union’s brand of supranational governance as a global model.”

Poland Approves Lisbon Treaty

Deutsche Welle reported on October 11:

“German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said he was ‘delighted’ that the Polish had signed the EU’s reform treaty… Top European diplomats joined in the chorus of praising the Polish signing of the Lisbon Treaty.

“EU Commission President José Manuel Barroso, who attended Saturday’s signing ceremony in Warsaw, described the move as a ‘very important chapter for Poland and the European Union’…

“Poland’s signature leaves the Czech Republic as the sole remaining hold-out on the Lisbon Treaty, as its own euroskeptical President Vaclav Klaus awaits the outcome of a legal challenge of the treaty… Any further delay would be disappointing to Barroso who hoped to see the treaty take effect by January 1, 2010.”

Will the Czechs Sign?

The EUObserver wrote on October 13:

“The Czech constitutional court will hear a challenge to the EU’s Lisbon Treaty at the end of October. But the relief in Brussels at having a clear timetable is being undermined by the continued unpredictability of Czech President Vaclav Klaus, who holds the fate of the treaty in his hands.

“The court on Tuesday (13 October) said it would examine whether the treaty is compatible with the Czech constitution at a hearing on 27 October… In the past, Czech court has usually given its verdict a few days after such a hearing. But this is not a hard and fast rule.

“If the judges reject the challenge, the treaty still has to be signed by Mr Klaus, a eurosceptic and arch opponent of the document. Mr Klaus recently made those who believe he will not sign even after judicial approval more nervous by throwing out an eleventh-hour demand for Prague to get an opt-out from the Charter of Fundamental Rights, a part of Lisbon…

“The Czech ratification saga is being viewed with some disbelief among EU officials, who point to the fact that both houses of the Czech parliament have already passed the treaty… Mr Barroso contented himself with pointing out that Mr Klaus himself signed the country’s EU accession treaty and himself originally asked for the Czech Republic to be a member of the 27-nation club.”

Tony Blair First Permanent EU President?

The EUObserver wrote in October 14:

“Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on Wednesday (14 October) came out in favour of ‘Forza Blair’ as president of the European Council. ‘Tony Blair has all the credentials to become the first president of the European Council,’ Mr Berlusconi wrote in a letter that appeared in Il Foglio, a conservative daily…

“On Tuesday, the newspaper… said that Mr Blair’s candidacy was an opportunity both for Europe and for ‘Il Cavaliere.’ ‘If Silvio Berlusconi, after the furious and embarrassing controversies of recent months, wanted to revive the activities of his government’s international profile and give its political agenda a boost, he should exploit a tremendous opportunity: to fight for the nomination of former British prime minister Tony Blair as president of the European Council,’ the paper wrote.

“Europe had hope for a future, the article continued, ‘only if a figure of great international calibre, able to warm hearts, to be respected outside Europe and perhaps even feared, but also able to identify the institutions with his leadership, is chosen’…

“If the Italian leader is hoping to win over resistance to Mr Blair’s coronation, he chose an unusual forum. Il Foglio is most known for its robust support of the Iraq war. It has often been said, even by his supporters, that if Mr Blair does not win the post, one of the biggest reasons will be the former prime minister’s backing of the invasion of Iraq.

“The paper also cheered Mr Blair’s conversion to Roman Catholicism… Mr Berlusconi’s backing strengthens Mr Blair’s chances, although it reinforces the perception that the battle over the ex-UK leader could shape up to be one between large and small EU states.”

One Year After Haider–Austria’s Far Right Enjoys Strong Support

Deutsche Welle reported on October 10:

“A year after his death in a car accident, Austrian far-right leader Joerg Haider continues to captivate. Austrians have turned out in large numbers on Sunday to pay their respects to the divisive politician. Joerg Haider died in a car accident on October 11 last year. He was 58 at the time, married, a father of two daughters and governor of Carinthia.

“Investigators found that he had three times the legal limit of alcohol in his blood when he lost control of his vehicle on a road near Klagenfurt in the early hours of the morning. He had been returning from a party at a gay bar and was travelling at around 140 kilometres per hour, or roughly twice the local speed limit. Those circumstances did nothing to dent Haider’s popularity, and conspiracy theories of the crash abound in his home province.

“One year on from his death, his Alliance for the Future of Austria party enjoys unprecedented levels of support in Carinthia. Earlier this year it won regional elections with 45 percent of the vote…

“Austria’s two far-right parties won roughly 27 percent of the vote between them at last year’s legislative elections. Together, they now control 54 of the 183 seats in the country’s national parliament and form the biggest opposition to the ruling coalition of Social Democrats and the centre-right People’s Party. As well as campaigning against accepting immigrants, the far right parties oppose Turkey’s membership of the European Union and reject EU influence in Austrian affairs.”

May Russia’s Mass Murderer Stalin Stand Up…

The EUObserver wrote on October 14:

“The Polish head of the EU parliament on Wednesday… underlined some basic facts about Joseph Stalin at an event held in the context of mounting historical revisionism in Russia. The Molotov-Ribbentrop pact of 23 August 1939, an agreement between Stalin and Hitler, carved up ownership of Poland, Finland, Romania and the Baltic states, saw millions deported and led to the deaths of 760,000 Poles, ‘many of them children,’ he said in his speech…

“The speaker of the Lithuanian parliament, Irena Degutiene, equated Stalinist crimes with Nazi crimes and noted that ‘the Soviet occupation and Stalinist terror totaled the loss of every third resident of Lithuania’…

“The EU parliament seminar comes amid a new Russian campaign to rehabilitate the image of Stalin, who oversaw the deaths of millions of Russians but who also helped defeat Nazi Germany. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin at a World War II commemoration ceremony in Poland last month defended the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact on the basis that Western countries also made deals with Hitler.

“In September, a new Russian handbook for schoolteachers called History of Russia from 1945 to 2008 described Stalin as an ‘efficient manager’ and his occupation of the Baltic states as ‘entirely rational.’ Moscow authorities in August also opened a newly-restored 1950s metro station in the city, complete with Soviet insignia and a plaque saying: ‘Stalin reared us on loyalty to the people. He inspired us to labour and heroism.’

“The pro-Stalin campaign has fueled eastern European fears of a new wave of Russian imperialism, following Russia’s invasion of Georgia in 2008 and its recent attempts to influence the upcoming presidential election in Ukraine. A US decision to scrap plans for military bases in Poland and the Czech Republic has also raised concerns that Washington is no longer serious about its security promises to former Communist states.”

Nationwide Muslim and “Jewish” Holidays in Germany?–Not a Chance!

Deutsche Welle reported on October 14:

“German politicians and religious organizations broadly shot down a proposal by Germany’s Turkish Community (TGD) for schools to close one day out of the year to observe a Muslim holiday. Head of the TGD, Kenan Kolat prompted the debate when he suggested that the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, could become a school holiday for all students… The Central Council of Jews supported Kolat’s proposal, and suggested that the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur be observed by schools as well. However, many politicians and church representatives, as well as the Central Council of Muslims, came out against the idea.

“‘I see no reason to turn this day (Eid al-Fitr) into a general school holiday or bank holiday for everybody,’ Aiman Mazyek, general secretary of the Central Council of Muslims told German Press Agency dpa, saying it was good enough that Muslim students were excused from attending school on their religious holidays.

“The Chairman of the Evangelical Church, Bishop Wolfgang Huber, told Wednesday’s edition of the daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that there was a ‘priority for Christian holidays in the culture of our country’ based on millennia of Christian influence in Germany…”

The Fight for Jerusalem

The Jerusalem Post wrote on October 7:

“Since the deadly 1929 riots, the struggle over Jerusalem has been at the core of the Arab-Israeli conflict, and, as recent events show, nothing has changed. For the Palestinians and their supporters, any Jewish presence in Jerusalem that is not under Arab control is not only unacceptable, but seen as threatening… Thus, for the Arabs, recognition of the history and legitimacy of Jewish claims is a threat to their own narrative and legitimacy, particularly for the Muslims…

“As long as the Arab and Muslim position slams the door to block Jewish history, Jerusalem will remain a battleground in which the Jewish nation will have no choice but to use force when necessary to defends these rights. “

Is the US Preparing to Bomb Iran?

ABC News reported on October 6:

“Is the U.S. stepping up preparations for a possible attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities? The Pentagon is always making plans, but based on a little-noticed funding request recently sent to Congress, the answer to that question appears to be yes…

“The request was quietly approved. On Friday, McDonnell Douglas was awarded a $51.9 million contract to provide ‘Massive Penetrator Ordnance Integration’ on B-2 aircraft. This is not the kind of weapon that would be particularly useful in Iraq or Afghanistan, but it is ideally suited to hit deeply buried nuclear facilities such as Natanz or Qom in Iran.”

The Gain from an Attack

Newsweek reported on October 3:

“The United States or Israel could attack Iran from the air. To be effective, such an attack would have to be large-scale and sustained, probably involving dozens and dozens of sorties over several days. The campaign would need to strike at all known Iranian facilities as well as suspected ones. Such an attack would probably not get at everything. Iran’s sites are buried in mountains, and there are surely some facilities that we do not know about. But it would deal a massive blow to the Iranian nuclear program.

“The first thing that would happen the day after such an offensive begins would be a massive outpouring of support for the Iranian regime. This happens routinely when a country is attacked by foreign forces, no matter how unpopular the government. Germany invaded Russia at the height of Stalin’s worst repression—and the country rallied behind Stalin… The Iranians would respond in the wake of such an attack… an American or Israeli military attack would clearly put pro-American forces on the defensive in the Islamic world… The gain from an attack… as Secretary of Defense Robert Gates points out, would be to delay, not end, the Iranian program, perhaps by a few years but no more.”

In an accompanying interview with Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Michael Oren, the question was posed whether Israel is going to strike. Oren responded: “Israel supports President Obama’s position of [keeping] all options on the table.” When asked, “That means military options, right?”, Oren answered, “All options means all options.”

Russia Disapproves of Sanctions Against Iran

Reuters reported on October 14:

“Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Wednesday warned major powers against intimidating Iran and said that talk of sanctions against the Islamic Republic was ‘premature.'”

No Joke–Obama Wins Peace Prize “For What?”

The Times On Line wrote on October 9:

“The award of this year’s Nobel peace prize to President Obama will be met with widespread incredulity, consternation in many capitals and probably deep embarrassment by the President himself. Rarely has an award had such an obvious political and partisan intent. It was clearly seen by the Norwegian Nobel committee as a way of expressing European gratitude for an end to the Bush Administration, approval for the election of America’s first black president and hope that Washington will honour its promise to re-engage with the world.

“Instead, the prize risks looking preposterous in its claims, patronising in its intentions and demeaning in its attempt to build up a man who has barely begun his period in office, let alone achieved any tangible outcome for peace.

“The pretext for the prize was Mr Obama’s decision to ‘strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples’. Many people will point out that, while the President has indeed promised to ‘reset’ relations with Russia and offer a fresh start to relations with the Muslim world, there is little so far to show for his fine words.

“East-West relations are little better than they were six months ago, and any change is probably due largely to the global economic downturn; and America’s vaunted determination to re-engage with the Muslim world has failed to make any concrete progress towards ending the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

“There is a further irony in offering a peace prize to a president whose principal preoccupation at the moment is when and how to expand the war in Afghanistan. The spectacle of Mr Obama mounting the podium in Oslo to accept a prize… would be all the more absurd if it follows a White House decision to send up to 40,000 more US troops to Afghanistan. However just such a war may be deemed in Western eyes, Muslims would not be the only group to complain that peace is hardly compatible with an escalation in hostilities…

“Mr Obama becomes the third sitting US President to receive the prize. The committee said today that he had ‘captured the world’s attention’. It is certainly true that his energy and aspirations have dazzled many of his supporters. Sadly, it seems they have so bedazzled the Norwegians that they can no longer separate hopes from achievement. The achievements of all previous winners have been diminished.”

Controversial Decisions of Nobel Committee

The Wall Street Journal wrote on October 9:

“The deadline for nominations for the prize was Feb. 1 — two weeks after Mr. Obama was inaugurated. ‘So soon? Too early. He has no contribution so far,’ former Polish President Lech Walesa, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, said Friday…

“The Nobel committee has courted controversy from time-to-time ever since its founding in 1901. In 1906, it awarded the peace prize to President Theodore Roosevelt for his role in bringing an end to the Russo-Japanese war. But for many Americans and others around the world, Roosevelt was better known for his willingness to project U.S. military force, including a global tour of an expanded U.S. Navy, not to mention his pre-Presidential exploits as a cavalry officer during the Spanish-American war of 1898.

“The Norwegians also earned big brickbats in 1973 for awarding the prize to Henry Kissinger, vilified by many on the left as a pushing for the expansion of the Vietnam War into neighboring countries. His co-laureate, the Vietnamese politician Le Duc Tho, was the only person ever to decline the award. The committee has also been criticized for political bias, especially after it awarded the Nobel to Jimmy Carter in 2002 and Al Gore in 2007 — moves that were both seen as rebukes to the then U.S. president, George W. Bush. They’ve also been slammed for their omissions. Mahatma Gandhi, the iconic leader of the Indian independence movement and a symbol of nonviolence, never won the Nobel, though he was nominated five times.”

US Senate Finance Committee Adopts HealthCare Bill

The Financial Times wrote on October 14:

“President Barack Obama said Tuesday’s Senate committee vote for a centrist $829bn healthcare bill brought the US closer to his goal of achieving universal healthcare reform but warned Democrats ‘not to pat ourselves on the back’ given the long road ahead.

“The 14-9 margin on the Senate finance committee, which included the sole Republican vote of Olympia Snowe of Maine, paves the way for Harry Reid, Senate majority leader, to craft a new bill for the Senate floor that will be designed to overcome a probable Republican filibuster… Tuesday’s vote will also be taken as a rebuke to the health insurance industry, which published a last-minute report on Monday claiming that premiums would rise much faster under the proposed reforms than they would otherwise… Republicans continued to attack the plan on Tuesday. Charles Grassley, the top Republican on the committee, said it would put the US on a ‘slippery slope to more and more government control of healthcare.'”

The Associated Press reported on October 14:

“Health care talks slip back behind closed doors Wednesday as Senate leaders start trying to merge two very different bills into a new version that can get the 60 votes needed to guarantee its passage… The Finance Committee bill that was approved Tuesday has no government-sponsored insurance plan and no requirement on employers that they must offer coverage. It relies instead on a requirement that all Americans obtain insurance.”

On the other hand, both proposed bills provide for individual penalties for not acquiring insurance–a measurement which, as we explained before in the Current Events section of our previous Update, is possibly unconstitutional. USA Today reported on October 14 that the bill of the Finance Committee provides that “With few exceptions, everyone would be required to buy health insurance. Each adult without it would pay an annual penalty, set at $200 in 2014; $400 in 2015; $600 in 2016; and $750 in 2017.” The [bill of the] Help Committee “has a mandate and a tax penalty of $750 per individual — up to $3,000 per family. It is not phased in.”

Newsmax.com reported on October 13:

“U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following statement Tuesday regarding the Finance Committee vote on partisan healthcare reform… ‘The fact is, this proposal [adopted by the Finance Committee] will never come before the Senate. But what we do know is that the bill written behind closed doors here in the Capitol will be another 1,000-page, trillion-dollar Washington takeover. We know it will slash a half-trillion dollars from seniors’ Medicare, add new taxes, and raise premiums. That’s not reform.’”

New Hate Crime Bill

The Associated Press reported on October 8:

“The House voted Thursday to make it a federal crime to assault people because of their sexual orientation, significantly expanding the hate crimes law enacted in the days after Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in 1968. With expected passage by the Senate, federal prosecutors will for the first time be able to intervene in cases of violence perpetrated against gays… The measure is attached to a must-pass $680 billion defense policy bill and President Barack Obama – unlike President George W. Bush – is a strong supporter. The House passed the defense bill 281-146, with 15 Democrats and 131 Republicans in opposition…

“Many Republicans, normally stalwart supporters of defense bills, voted against it because of the addition of what they referred to as ‘thought crimes’ legislation. ‘This is radical social policy that is being put on the defense authorization bill, on the backs of our soldiers, because they probably can’t pass it on its own,’ House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio said.

“GOP opponents were not assuaged by late changes in the bill to strengthen protections for religious speech and association – critics argued that pastors expressing beliefs about homosexuality could be prosecuted if their sermons were connected to later acts of violence against gays. Supporters countered that prosecutions could occur only when bodily injury is involved, and no minister or protester could be targeted for expressing opposition to homosexuality…

“Tom McClusky, vice president of the conservative Family Research Council’s legislative arm said the next step likely would be contesting the legislation in court. ‘The religious protections are pretty flimsy,’ he said. He contended that Democrats were trying to move their ‘homosexual agenda’ this year because it would prove unpopular with voters next year.”

“Obamageddon”–The Coming Great Depression and Decline of Empire America

WorldNetDaily wrote on October 10:

“A trends forecaster says the current economic ‘rebound’ from last winter’s Wall Street collapse of banks, insurance companies and automobile manufacturers is an artificial blip created by ‘phantom money printed out of thin air backed by nothing’… Gerald Celente of TrendsResearch.com, says people right now should be bracing for ‘the greatest recession’ which will hit worldwide and will mark the ‘decline of empire America’…

“‘There’s no recovery. This is merely a cover-up,’ he said. ‘The market crashed in March of 2009 and around the world they papered over the damage from the collapse with phantom money printed out of thin air backed by nothing,’ he said. This is ‘much bigger’ than an economic collapse, he said. ‘This is the decline of empire America… This is the beginning of the greatest depression’…

“USA Today says Celente ‘has a knack for getting the zeitgeist right,’ and CNBC says, ‘The man knows what he’s talking about’… He said… that retail sales this coming Christmas season will be the ‘real nail in the economic coffin’… Tim Barello in the Examiner noted that since 1980 Celente has made at least 40 accurate predictions about major world events, such as the 1987 stock market crash… Now comes his forecast for a global depression and for the United States, ‘Obamageddon.’

“‘We want to make it very clear that the policies leading to the decline of “Empire America” have been long in the making,’ Celente told Barello. ‘What has happened in the Obama administration is that they have taken policies far beyond even what Bush took with the TARP program; for example, with his stimulus package, with the buyouts, with the bailouts, the rescue packages, these are unprecedented in American history.'”

The Demise of the Dollar

The Telegraph reported on October 6:

“In a graphic illustration of the new world order, Arab states have launched secret moves with China, Russia and France to stop using the US currency for oil trading

“In the most profound financial change in recent Middle East history, Gulf Arabs are planning – along with China, Russia, Japan and France – to end dollar dealings for oil, moving instead to a basket of currencies including the Japanese yen and Chinese yuan, the euro, gold and a new, unified currency planned for nations in the Gulf Co-operation Council, including Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Qatar…

“Against the background to these currency meetings, Sun Bigan, China’s former special envoy to the Middle East, has warned there is a risk of deepening divisions between China and the US over influence and oil in the Middle East…

“This sounds like a dangerous prediction of a future economic war between the US and China over Middle East oil – yet again turning the region’s conflicts into a battle for great power supremacy. China uses more oil incrementally than the US because its growth is less energy efficient…

“The Chinese believe, for example, that the Americans persuaded Britain to stay out of the euro in order to prevent an earlier move away from the dollar…

“Iran announced late last month that its foreign currency reserves would henceforth be held in euros rather than dollars. Bankers remember, of course, what happened to the last Middle East oil producer to sell its oil in euros rather than dollars. A few months after Saddam Hussein trumpeted his decision, the Americans and British invaded Iraq.”

“Dollar Loses Reserve Status to Yen and Euro”

The New York Post wrote on October 13:

“Ben Bernanke’s dollar crisis went into a wider mode yesterday as the greenback was shockingly upstaged by the euro and yen, both of which can lay claim to the world title as the currency favored by central banks as their reserve currency. Over the last three months, banks put 63 percent of their new cash into euros and yen — not the greenbacks — a nearly complete reversal of the dollar’s onetime dominance for reserves…

“Bernanke could go down in economic history as the man who killed the greenback on the operating table. After printing up trillions of new dollars and new bonds to stimulate the US economy, the Federal Reserve chief is now boxed into a corner battling two separate monsters that could devour the economy — ravenous inflation on one hand, and a perilous recession on the other.

“‘He’s in a crisis worse than the meltdown ever was,’ said Peter Schiff, president of Euro Pacific Capital. ‘I fear that he could be the Fed chairman who brought down the whole thing… The stimulus is what’s toxic — we’re poisoning ourselves and the global economy with it.'”

Obama–the New Moses?

In a somewhat preposterous article, Time wrote on October 13:

“Obama cast his run for the White House as a fulfillment of the Moses tradition of leading people out of bondage into freedom… Eight months into his presidency, Obama might want to give Moses a second look. On issues from health care to Afghanistan, the President faces doubts and rebellions, from an entrenched pharaonic establishment on one hand and restless, stiff-necked followers on the other…

“The plight of the Israelites resonated with the earliest American settlers. For centuries, the Catholic Church had banned the direct reading of Scripture. But the Protestant Reformation, combined with the printing press, brought vernacular Bibles to everyday readers… The Pilgrims stressed this aspect of Moses. When the band of Protestant breakaways left England in 1620, they described themselves as the chosen people fleeing their pharaoh, King James…

“The Moses image was so pervasive that on July 4, after signing the Declaration of Independence, the Congress asked Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams to propose a seal for the United States. Their recommendation: Moses, leading the Israelites through the Red Sea as the water overwhelms the pharaoh. In their eyes, Moses was America’s true Founding Father…

“So what lessons can the current occupant of the White House learn from a figure that nearly every one of his predecessors has invoked?

“… The Bible outlines at least a dozen rebellions in which the people attempt to overthrow Moses. In a striking parallel to Obama, the Israelites even question Moses’ birthright: ‘Who made you leader over us?’ God offers to destroy the people, but Moses brokers a compromise. The strongest leaders face the harshest criticism and hold fast against their naysayers.”

The Israelites never questioned the birthplace of Moses. If President Obama is a natural-born American citizen, let him produce the proof. Despite repeated inadequate left-liberal allegations, the American people are still waiting for evidence that Barack Obama is legally qualified to serve as their President.  

Jesus Christ warned His end-time disciples of the Great Tribulation, which will be so terrible that nothing like it ever happened before and will ever happen again (Matthew 24:21; Daniel 12:1). At the same time, Christ challenged us to watch and pray always to be counted worthy to escape or be protected from the Great Tribulation. Even though God is certainly capable of protecting us wherever we might be, HE HAS DECREED that He will protect His very elect at a particular place here on earth.

We would like to quote the following excerpts from chapter 8 of our free booklet, “Is That in the Bible?–The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation,” pages 54-55:

“Christ promises His people—who are worthy—a way to ‘escape all these things that will come to pass’ (Luke 21:34–36; compare Revelation 3:10; Zephaniah 2:3; Psalm 31:19–20). That ‘place of refuge’ (Proverbs 14:26) will be on this earth—not in heaven (Revelation 12:14; Isaiah 33:16; Isaiah 26:20–21).

“Even though God CAN protect us anywhere He wants, He has decreed that His people will be protected at a certain place here on earth—the place of safety and ‘shelter’ (Joel 3:14–16). Christ compares the time preceding His coming with the time of Noah (Matthew 24:37–39), and as God protected Noah and his family in the ark—here on earth—so He will protect His people on this earth in the way that HE has chosen. He will definitely NOT protect them by ‘rapturing’ them to heaven!”

Our free booklet, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord,” contains the following comments, on pages 58-60:

“God has promised us protection from the terrible times to come, if we are faithful to Him. Christ tells us in Revelation 3:10: ‘Because you have kept My command to persevere (to have patience), I also will keep you from the hour of trial [tribulation] which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.’

“Notice Christ’s additional admonition and promise in Luke 21:34–36: ‘But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.’

“Recall that the name of Zephaniah means, ‘Whom the LORD has hidden.’ We are told in Zephaniah’s message, as well, that WE can be hidden, or protected, in the day of the LORD’S anger. Yes, there is a way! Notice this remarkable promise in Zephaniah 2:3: ‘Seek the LORD, all you meek [humble] of the earth, Who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden In the day of the LORD’S anger.’

“King David, himself a prophet, also understood that God would hide and protect those who faithfully trust in Him. Listen to these encouraging words: ‘Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of your wings…’ (Psalm 17:8). ‘For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in his pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock’ (Psalm 27:5).

“’Oh, how great is Your goodness, Which You have laid up for those who fear You, Which you have prepared for those who trust in You In the presence of the sons of men! You shall hide them in the secret place of your presence From the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion From the strife of tongues’ (Psalm 31:19–20).

“King Solomon confirms, in Proverbs 14:26, that God’s people will be protected in the coming times of trial: ‘In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge.’

“This place of refuge is more clearly described in Revelation 12:14, promising the end-time Church of God her place in the wilderness—on this earth—prepared by God, a place where she will be nourished for 3 ½ years and protected from Satan the devil. Compare this with Isaiah 33:16, describing the righteous person (verse 15) as dwelling ‘on high; His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks; Bread will be given him, His water will be sure.’

“God gives us the same promise in Isaiah 26:20–21: ‘Come, My people, enter your chambers, And shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, Until the indignation is past. For behold, the LORD comes out of His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; The earth will also disclose her blood, And will no more cover her slain.’

“Through all this, we can take great comfort from God’s promise for His people, as recorded by the prophet, Joel. We can be protected, if God looks at us as His people and counts us worthy to escape the terrible times ahead of us. Joel 3:14–16 reads: ‘Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. The sun and moon will grow dark, And the stars will diminish their brightness. The LORD also will roar from Zion, And utter his voice from Jerusalem; The heavens and earth will shake; But the LORD will be a shelter for His people, And the strength of the children of Israel.'”

Let us focus once again on God’s specific promise to protect His very elect on this earth–at a particular place “in the wilderness.”

We read in Jeremiah 4:6 that God’s people are to “Take refuge! Do not delay! For I will bring disaster from the north, And great destruction.”

As mentioned, Revelation 3:10 contains Christ’s promise to His people [those who have a Philadelphia spirit] in these end times to protect them from the Great Tribulation. The Moffat translation renders this passage as follows: “I will keep you safe through the hour of trial.” The Living Bible interprets: “I will protect you from the time of Great Tribulation and temptation.”

As pointed out above, one of the key passages, promising God’s end-time Church protection on this earth, at a particular place, can be found in Revelation 12:13-17. The passage reads:

“(13) Now when the dragon (Satan the devil, Revelation 12:9) saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child (Jesus Christ). (14) But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness TO HER PLACE [New International Version: “to the place prepared for her in the desert”], where she is nourished [Living Bible: “cared for and protected”; Amplified Bible: “where she is to be kept safe and fed”] FOR A TIME AND TIMES AND HALF A TIME [Living Bible: “for three and a half years”], from the presence of the serpent. (15) So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. (16) But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon spewed out of his mouth. (17) And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

We explain this passage as follows in chapter 13 of our free booklet, “Is That in the Bible? The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation!”, pages 78-79:

“We understand that the woman is, first of all, symbolic for Eve (Genesis 3:15); then for the Old Testament Church which would evolve from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and Jacob’s TWELVE sons, and which would become known as the Church of Israel in the wilderness; then for Mary, the mother of Christ; and—subsequent to Christ’s ascension—for the New Testament Church of God (compare Matthew 25:1; Ephesians 5:22–32; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Galatians 4: 26)…

“While the woman has flown to her place of safety, here on earth, with two wings of a great eagle (compare Exodus 19:4; Deuteronomy 1:31; 32:11; Isaiah 63:9), to be nourished there for 3-½ years (Revelation 12:14), Satan will spew water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman. This might perhaps allude to an army or to a military force (compare Daniel 11:10; Jeremiah 47:2–3). The earth will open its mouth to help the woman (compare Numbers 16:31–32). All of this will happen on earth—not in heaven, as some who believe in the false concept of a secret rapture erroneously teach. Satan will proceed to persecute others within the Church who will not be at the place of safety here on earth.”

Revelation 12:14-16 pictures the flight of a particular group of people. Exactly how all of this will come about is yet to be revealed. However, the biblical parallels as shown in past examples of God’s deliverance are recorded as lessons of encouragement and instruction for us.

2 Peter 2:4-9 tells us that God knows how to deliver the godly from temptation and trials, including the Great Tribulation. He saved Noah by letting him find protection in an ark, and He delivered Lot by leading him out of Sodom and providing a place of refuge for him at a particular location. Early Christians escaped from Jerusalem and fled to the city of Pella, just before the Romans invaded and destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A.D. (compare Eusebius in his Church History; and Josephus, Bellum Judaicum, Book VI, chapter 3, section 3). God has revealed to us, in His Word, that He will protect His very elect end-time people at a particular place “in the wilderness.” Will you be among those who are counted worthy to escape the Great Tribulation?

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

From all reports received, the Feast of Tabernacles 2009 in England and California was a great success. From what we can tell, all attendees arrived back home safely. We will discuss the Feast in more detail in an upcoming member letter. For now, here are a few excerpts from comments received:

Our Feast was very fulfilling. There wasn’t enough time for close visits with everyone, but, then again, perhaps next year!

The Feast was excellent! It was so good seeing everyone and all the messages were fantastic. One of our best Feasts ever!

It was a great Feast for sure.

Everyone seemed pleased with our Feast at Chatsworth. It was good to meet, finally, the Zehrung family.

We are back home safe and miss you all!! It’s amazing how fast the Feast went by

Thanks again for a GREAT Feast…

The Feast was over all too soon and time to return home.

Awesome Feast. We — linking into the internet FOT services — thank and appreciate the Tech-Team who provide us with the opportunity to be with you all.