Our domestic and international problems seem insurmountable. We are facing problems in Afghanistan, the Middle East and now with Europe. And look at our economic problems–while our recession is deepening, our bank failures are on the increase, and our unemployment is rising. Health care discussions don’t address the real concerns, and Mr. Obama’s eligibility as President is widely ignored. But sugar-coating, suppressing or falsifying the facts or resorting to compromise will never get us anywhere.
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Current Events
The Afghan Debacle–“We’re Waiting, Mr. President…”
Der Spiegel Online wrote on October 29 that President Obama “Must Provide Better Leadership on Afghanistan.”
The article continued:
“Afghanistan and Pakistan are being shaken by attacks, and the Taliban is dictating the course of the war. US President Obama has been silent about the situation for far too long and European countries like Germany and France are correct to demand better American leadership on the issue of Afghanistan. The most important piece of news from the most recent meeting of NATO defense ministers was that there was no news…
“The mission in Afghanistan is seen as a toxic issue in all Western nations, and every government that has provided troops has come under sharp criticism at home. What the US’s NATO allies now find far more irritating is US President Barack Obama’s silence on the issue. The world has been waiting for clear words from the White House for months…
“Wednesday’s attacks underscore that things have been progressing in the opposite direction for some time. The Taliban is in control of the military initiative, and it is increasingly dictating the course of the war. Whether Obama can even regain the political initiative in the Hindu Kush is now questionable…
“‘I have doubts and reservations about our current strategy and planned future strategy,’ US Marine Corps Captain Matthew Hoh wrote recently. As part of Holbrooke’s team, Hoh was responsible for coordinating civilian reconstruction in the dangerous Zabul Province, but he recently resigned.
“His resignation, he said, had less to do with the way the war is currently being fought. Instead, he said, he simply no longer knows ‘why and to what end’ the war is being fought in Afghanistan… It’s alarming news when even former Marines like Hoh, men with combat experience in Iraq, can no longer believe in their mission because politicians cannot answer their questions…
“So far Obama has only made it clear that he doesn’t intend to withdraw any troops and that he hasn’t decided yet whether to add more soldiers. But this smells more like a lazy compromise than a clear statement of intent…
“Obama’s silence stands in contrast with the impassioned rhetoric that carried him into the White House… why should countries like Germany and France believe the verbose promises of a president who is not even sending a clear message at home, even though he has a majority in both houses of Congress?
“There is no doubt that hardly a day passes in Europe without criticism of US policy. This has become a trans-Atlantic ritual. But despite this ritual, Europeans are still looking for one thing from the White House: leadership.
“We’re waiting, Mr. President.”
Apart from the fact that the world is losing more and more patience WAITING for U.S. LEADERSHIP, the USA is becoming more and more unable to PROVIDE such leadership.
According to Wikipedia and the Associated Press, the U.S. War in Afghanistan has been going on, so far, for 8.1 years. This means that it is already the second-longest war in the history of the USA. Only the Vietnam war was (slightly) longer, so far, lasting 8.4 years. The American Revolutionary War lasted 6.7 years, followed by the Iraq war which has been lasting (so far) for 6.6 years. By comparison, the American Civil War lasted for 4 years, America’s participation in World War II lasted for 3.7 years, and the Korean War lasted for 3.1 years.
The big difference is, too, that America has won its wars in the past, but has been unable to win any war since World War II, including the Vietnam war, the war in Iraq and the war in Afghanistan. We can see that America is no longer blessed in ANY of its endeavors, domestically or abroad.
Rather, America is in domestic turmoil–as our articles below on the economy prove–and it is in no position to achieve success abroad. For the reasons as to why this is, please read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”
The Afghan Debacle–USA To Be Blamed
On November 2, Der Spiegel Online quoted numerous German magazines and newspapers, opinionating that the USA or NATO are responsible for the terrible situation and “fiasco” in Afghanistan. The magazine wrote:
“The Afghan election fell apart on Sunday after Abdullah Abdullah pulled out of the run-off poll, leaving President Hamid Karzai as the sole candidate. Now the election commission has cancelled the vote and declared Karzai the winner. German newspapers on Monday question whether the government in Kabul can still have any credibility…
“The first round of the election on August 20 turned into a debacle after it became obvious that there had been widespread election fraud… [The] Election Complaints Commission found that around one-third of the votes cast were invalid. Massive international pressure forced Karzai to accept a run-off poll against his nearest challenger, Abdullah, scheduled for Nov. 7.
“However, Abdullah said on Sunday that he would not go ahead with the run-off vote because key election officials had not been removed from their posts. He said he believed that the poll would be neither free nor fair. The international community’s role in the elections has also come in for tough criticism…
“The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: ‘President Karzai did not enjoy a great reputation before the election and now he has lost even more authority. His country is politically crippled…’
“The Financial Times Deutschland writes: ‘The US and NATO are responsible for the fiasco that is the presidential election. They have never made a secret of the fact that they considered Afghan President Hamid Karzai to be a scoundrel, but he was their scoundrel — one who was supposed to help with building the much-trumpeted civil society. But instead of holding on tightly to the strings of their puppet, the international overseers allowed Karzai to blatantly falsify the elections and was about to do the same for the planned run-off on Saturday…
“‘The consequence is dramatic: Instead of the coveted democratically legitimate government, Afghanistan is getting a government that has already lost all credibility before taking office. It makes little difference that Karzai would in all likelihood have won the run-off election. For the US and its allies the establishment of a functioning state with a government accepted by the population was at the top of their list of strategic goals in Afghanistan. Without such a government it is almost impossible to convince the Afghan people that they are better off under the care of the Kabul government than of the tribal leaders and warlords…’
“The conservative Die Welt writes: ‘”Mission Afghanistan” is increasingly losing credibility. The thought of having to rely on a government that is discredited by election fraud for the reconstruction and pacification of the country over the next five years is depressing.'”
America is being blamed–rightly or wrongly–for the Afghan fiasco. The times when America is looked upon as a true leader in this world have passed. The next article shows that America is accused of failing to provide a leadership role in the Middle East.
Mr. Obama’s Difficult Role re Afghanistan
Der Spiegel Online wrote on November 3:
“The Afghan president is becoming an especially serious problem for the US. After the fiasco in the Afghan election… and Abdullah’s withdrawal, how is President Barack Obama supposed to explain to his people that he now wants to send more troops to Afghanistan to support precisely this government? ‘It won’t be easy,’ the New York Times comments dryly in its own analysis.
“The mood of the US public is becoming more and more critical for Obama. Washington has already spent close to a quarter-trillion dollars in Afghanistan. Nevertheless, all the news coming out of the crisis region these days seems to be bad. In October, more US soldiers died in the Hindu Kush than in any previous month — an alarming signal for the home front…
“Obama is caught in a trap that he is going to have great difficulty freeing himself from. In the coming weeks, he is expected to present his new plan for Afghanistan. Once again people are expecting to see the light at the end of the tunnel: the withdrawal of US troops. Before that can happen, though, the country must be stabilized. That’s why Obama wants to send several thousand additional soldiers to Afghanistan. But the current chaos surrounding the election farce will merely serve to strengthen skeptics…
“The United States isn’t the only country left perplexed by the election. In Germany, the mandate for the deployment of the Bundeswehr, the country’s armed forces, in Afghanistan must be renewed by parliament in December. Members of parliament are viewing the latest developments with concern…
“Disastrous as the situation already is, Karzai will soon deliver the icing on the cake. At the very latest, this will happen when the new president presents the names of the members of his new cabinet — names which are unlikely to please the West. In order to secure a majority, Karzai has recruited several brutal warlords to his team, including the notorious Mohammed Fahim. From a Western point of view, Fahim should be answering to the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague. In Kabul, though, he’s poised to become vice president.”
Mrs. Clinton Tries to Back-Pedal from Back-Pedaling…
The Guardian wrote on November 2:
“Amid mounting concern that Barack Obama’s much-heralded engagement with the Middle East peace process is going nowhere fast, Arab leaders expressed their fury at Clinton’s endorsement of Israel’s argument that it is not required to halt settlement activity in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, as the administration had previously demanded…
“Speaking in Marrakech she qualified her remarks to say that Netanyahu’s offer of ‘restraint’ on settlements fell short of US expectations but would still have a ‘significant and meaningful effect’ on limiting the growth of Jewish outposts on land the Palestinians want for their own state. But she clearly faced an uphill struggle in convincing Arab states that Washington has not changed tack in favour of Israel.
“Earlier today Amr Moussa, the secretary general of the Arab League, said: ‘I am telling you that all of us, including Saudi Arabia, including Egypt, are deeply disappointed … with the results, with the fact that Israel can get away with anything without any firm stand that this cannot be done’…
“There were harsher comments from Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas: ‘The negotiations are in a state of paralysis, and the result of Israel’s intransigence and America’s backpedalling is that there is no hope of negotiations on the horizon’…
“Israelis on the left joined in criticism of Clinton’s remarks. ‘The secretary of state, I assume with the full support of the president, has turned around after 10 months of negotiating the precondition of freezing settlements,’ said Akiva Eldar in the Haaretz newspaper.”
The USA is perceived as being unable to help in creating peace in the Middle East. The Bible shows that it will be a united Europe to take over the role of “peace-keeper”–but they won’t do so with peaceful means. Europe will create a confederation with Middle Eastern states against Israel. Israel will find itself totally isolated–the false idea that Europe will make a peace treaty with Israel can nowhere be found in Scripture.
The Lisbon Treaty Ratified
Deutsche Welle reported on November 3:
“The head of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, has welcomed the signing by the Czech president, Vaclav Klaus, of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty. He said it removed ‘the last hurdle.’ Klaus announced that he had signed the Lisbon Treaty just a few hours after a ruling by the Czech constitutional court on Tuesday that the treaty did not break Czech law. He criticized the court’s decision, saying that ‘the constitutional court’s ruling is not a neutral legal analysis but a biased political defense of the Lisbon Treaty on the part of its supporters.’ But he said he had expected the verdict and would respect it.
“The treaty allows the EU to speed up decision making, increase the power of the European Parliament and appoint a longer-term president and a more powerful foreign representative. The Swedish prime minister, Fredrik Reinfeldt, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency, said he would call a summit shortly and begin ‘name consultations’ over the two new posts. ‘The treaty enters into force on 1 December and all the details must now be put into place,’ he said.
“The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, has also welcomed the development; she noted during a speech to the US Congress in Washington that, with the new treaty, the EU ‘will become stronger and more capable of acting, and so a strong and reliable partner for the United States.'”
However, the relationship between an increasingly stronger EU and an increasingly weaker USA will not remain friendly. Certain signs can already be seen when considering the next two articles.
GM and Opel Debacle
The Wall Street Journal wrote on November 4:
“The timing is what diplomats might call unfortunate. The German chancellor was in Washington yesterday for talks with President Obama, and to deliver an historic address to the U.S. Congress. In her speech she thanked America, saying its support had been invaluable in ensuring German reunification. Yes, she said, America and Europe have ‘had their share of disagreements’. But… ‘I am convinced that we will not find a better partner than America.’
“Within hours, with Merkel heading back across the Atlantic, General Motors sensationally switched course and announced that it would not, after all, be selling Opel, its huge German subsidiary. The German government had made much of backing a deal for it to to be bought by Magna – thus protecting jobs. This throws all that up in the air, and is extremely problematic politically for Merkel.
“Couldn’t G.M. have chosen a better time for their decision and its announcement? That is just one of the many questions one imagines the chancellor will be insisting her officials ask their counterparts in Washington.”
Reuters added on November 4:
“Bitterness, anger and disbelief mixed with betrayal and even resignation are just some of the emotions boiling within Germany following Tuesday’s news that General Motors Co. will scrap its sale of Opel to Magna International Inc.
“Opel labor leader Klaus Franz said workers would not go along with GM’s ‘blackmail’ of European governments and staff… Other workers directed venom at GM’s American board for reversing course on plans to sell Opel, a decision that many fear will lead to thousands more job losses and plant closures than if Magna [had] taken control. Half of Opel’s 50,000 workers are based in Germany.
“‘I can only say that in GM’s executive offices in America sit the biggest liars that the world has ever seen,’ one Opel worker raged in a German radio interview…
“Chancellor Angela Merkel and key allies in her conservative party lobbied heavily in Magna’s favor ahead of the parliamentary elections on Sept. 27, thinly veiling a threat that no German aid would flow should any other decision be taken.”
Der Spiegel Online reported on November 5:
“The decision by General Motors to hold onto its German subsidiary Opel has unleashed a wave of shock and despair on this side of the Atlantic, with politicians railing against American corporate duplicity and unions striking…”
“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung wrote on November 5:
“‘Without the billions of dollars in aid that the Obama administration gave to GM, the company would not exist. And the GM board members who decided not to sell Opel this week were almost all appointed by President Obama. But apparently the American leader knew nothing of this decision by GM when he was hosting Angela Merkel only a few hours earlier. Perhaps at that time the US president really didn’t know anything — which doesn’t say much for him. Perhaps he did know something was up but he chose not to tell the German chancellor about it — that also doesn’t say much for him and his administration.'”
Britain Concerned
The Telegraph wrote on November 3:
“So the deed is done. Eight years after EU leaders attending a summit in the Belgian town of Laeken agreed to the idea of drawing up a European constitution, the final obstacle to its implementation was removed at about 3pm yesterday when President Vaclav Klaus of the Czech Republic signed on the dotted line. Of course, it is no longer called a constitution. Those original, grandiose plans were scuppered by the voters of France and the Netherlands. Instead, we were invited to believe that the treaty signed in Lisbon in 2007 was somehow a different beast altogether (thereby obviating the need for a referendum) when it was, in fact, identical in all significant respects.
“There were lingering hopes among those dismayed by the profoundly undemocratic way in which the treaty has been foisted upon the people of Europe that Mr Klaus would hold out, somehow, until after a Conservative government was elected in Britain, committed to a referendum that could yet stop ratification. But it was not to be. He waited just a few hours after the Czech courts ruled that his agreement would not be unconstitutional to add his signature to those of 26 other heads of government. The Treaty of Lisbon now becomes PART of the Treaty of ROME and its provisions embedded in EU law.”
EU Infighting on the Horizon?
The EUObserver wrote on November 3:
“Leaders of the countries next in line to take on the day-to-day running of the European Union have made it clear that they do not wish to be sidelined by any future EU president. Gathered in Brussels last week to present a common logo for 18 months of co-operation beginning in January, the prime ministers of Spain, Belgium and Hungary were keen to emphasize the importance of ‘institutional balance’ – an oblique way of saying they do not wish to get elbowed out of the political picture by a powerful new president of the European Council, a post created by the… ratified Lisbon Treaty…
“[Focus] has turned to the uncertainties contained in the document [of the Lisbon Treaty]. One of these includes how the six-month rotating presidencies and the national leaders of the moment will rub along with the permanent president. While the president, who can hold office for up to five years, is supposed to drive forward the political agenda of the EU through the regular meetings of EU leaders, the rotating presidency will manage the daily policy-making including chairing monthly ministerial meetings in all areas, bar foreign policy. The set-up, with its undefined hierarchy, could lead to damaging turf wars.
“The problem of the proliferation of chiefs with potentially overlapping job descriptions under the Lisbon Treaty – it also introduces a beefed up foreign policy post – has practical implications too, such as who will take part in EU summits with third countries…
“Who will be the first president of the European Council is still unclear, with member states unsure about whether they want a powerful global figure, or someone with a more administrative job description. The EU parliament will discuss the role of the new president on 11 November, while the appointment itself is expected to be decided at an extraordinary summit later this month. The type of person who gets the job is set to strongly influence how the EU will make a go of the new Lisbon Treaty system…”
The Bible says that the leading member states of a unified Europe will be partly strong and partly weak.
Searching for the EU President
The Telegraph wrote on October 30:
“… speaking to journalists late last night at the summit, Jean-David Levitte, Mr Sarkozy’s foreign policy adviser, said that it was unlikely that France would support a presidential candidate from the UK. Britain’s position outside the euro and the Schengen agreement on free travel meant that a British president would face difficulties, Mr Levitte said. So would the UK’s various opt-outs from some EU policies, including justice and home affairs…
“Mr Sarkozy and Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, discussed the presidency at dinner on Wednesday, where they are said to have agreed that the president should come from a right-of-centre political party which would rule out Mr Blair.”
It will be interesting to see who the first EU President will be. But before the last European military leader, called the “beast” in the book of Revelation, will emerge, we need to await the development of a core Europe of ten nations or groups of nations, within a united Europe, which will then give their power and authority to the “beast.”
United Europe Has Come a Long Way…
The Wall Street Journal wrote on November 2:
“In 1989, the EU had just 12 members. Now its has 27, stretching from the sun-drenched shores of the Algarve to the Polish border with Belarus… The EU’s powers have also mushroomed in sensitive areas—such as defence and immigration—that lie at the heart of sovereignty. And remember the franc, the deutschmark, the lira, and the drachma? Currencies that once symbolised national power are now curious relics of the past.
“But perhaps the most dramatic change over the last 20 years has been the gradual removal of border controls between EU states. Over the centuries, millions of Europeans have died fighting over sometimes illogical, often arbitrary and almost always unnatural frontiers. Now that they are gone, the prospect of war between EU states has become unthinkable. It is also increasingly difficult to argue that a person on one side of a border should be taxed, taught and ruled differently from a person on the other side, when the line separating them no longer exists…
“I was brought up believing that Europe’s east-west division was permanent, and that the threat of conflict in Europe would always exist. Then came Berlin, 11/9. Within a year Germany was reunited, the dissident playwright Vaclav Havel was president of Czechoslovakia and a union activist named Lech Walesa was Poland’s head of state. Two years later the Soviet Union had splintered and the map of central and eastern Europe had been completely redrawn…
“The EU, which emerged from the ashes of a world war that left Europe shattered, humiliated and sidelined, is now the world’s biggest economic power, exporter, trading bloc, aid donor and foreign investor… Europe has become one. Europe has been reborn.”
“Europe Must Stop Being So Submissive to the USA”
Der Spiegel Online wrote on November 2:
“… a study by an influential Brussels think tank suggests the EU is going about things the wrong way. The Europeans must stop being so submissive, they must present a united front on foreign policy and they must work toward a ‘post-American’ state of affairs, the study says…
“[The] European Council on Foreign Relations… released a study on Monday called ‘Toward a Post-American Europe,’ based on wide-ranging interviews and research conducted in the 27 EU member states. In it, the authors make a clear appeal to European leaders:
“This ‘fetishization’ of the trans-Atlantic relationship must stop… It is high time that Europe declare a new, ‘post-American’ age and do away with old myths about the trans-Atlantic relationship. Myths like the idea that the continent’s security is dependent on American protection… Or the one about American and European interests being the same at heart…”
How German Unification Came About…
A united Europe would have been impossible without a united Germany. On November 3, 2009, Der Spiegel Online published an interview with Rudolf Seiters, an aide of then German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and a key negotiator during Germany’s reunification. His reflections on the events in 1989 and 1990 are quite interesting and prove that higher powers are involved in key political events, which are necessary to fulfill biblical prophecy:
“Without a doubt, we were also lucky. Solidarity, the Polish trade union, contributed in a major way. We are also grateful to the Hungarians, who were the first to open their borders to East German refugees. And Bush provided unlimited support. It was also important that Helmut Kohl was able to systematically build a close, trusting relationship with Mikhail Gorbachev in 1989 and 1990…
“Margaret Thatcher’s stance is well-known, as are her considerable doubts about and objections to reunification. Giulio Andreotti, the Italian politician, also remarked: ‘We love Germany so much that we would prefer to have two of them.’ At a later point, Mitterrand was also one of our closest friends and supporters, but in 1989 he still had doubts about the project…
“In the West, there were fears and worries regarding the prospect of German reunification. Many Europeans believed that, if reunified, Germany would change its political orientation. In his memoirs, Kohl later wrote that he never attended a European summit with such an icy atmosphere as the meeting on Dec. 9 in Strasburg, which was held 14 days after he presented his 10-point plan for overcoming the division of Germany and Europe…
“For Helmut Kohl, it was always clear that a reunified Germany needed to be intertwined within the broader European process. He viewed German unity and European unity as two sides of the same coin, and that something he was convinced of deep down. Likewise, he strongly believed that, for Europe to move forward, France and Germany had to cooperate closely. He also knew that the smaller European countries needed to be part of it, as well…
“In the autumn and winter of 1989, I was surprised by the helplessness of the GDR [East German] leadership and its rapid loss of authority. The SED was helpless when it came to the issue of refugees. It was helpless when the Berlin Wall came down, which was not even meant to happen when it did. And it was also helpless in Dresden. Everything happened amazingly fast. When I became head of the Chancellory in Bonn in April 1989, no one knew or even suspected that, in a few months, the Wall would fall and that Germany would be reunified one and a half years later. That was more than surprising; that was practically a miracle.”
No More German Support for China and India?
Deutsche Welle reported on October 30 that Germany’s new development minister, Herr Niebel, said that aid to China and India should be cut completely. The article continued:
“Niebel (FDP) told a German newspaper that economic powers like China and India, commonly referred to as ‘developing nations,’ no longer met the criteria of that distinction. ‘Battling poverty is more important than ever. That means we have to concentrate our resources effectively in the most needy areas. Economic giants like China and India don’t belong to these,’ he told the mass-circulation daily Bild Zeitung. Niebel, meanwhile, did not provide any details on when the 70 million euros ($103 million ) of annual aid to China would be discontinued…
“Claudia Warning, head of the German federation of non-governmental organizations active in development cooperation, VENRO, has said the new government’s international policy disregards commitments Germany has already made regarding development aid… Warning said the new government’s program put too much emphasis on ‘promoting German economic interests abroad.’ The ministry’s task was to ‘contribute to the international fight against poverty, and not the promotion of German business interests,’ she said.”
This article, and the next one, begin to indicate that the relationship between Europe and the Far East will deteriorate, and why Europe may be prompted to attack Russia and other Asian nations, as it will be troubled by rumors from the “east and the north” (Daniel 11:44).
Rumors from the East…
The Telegraph reported on November 1 on Russian war games directed against Poland:
“The armed forces are said to have carried out ‘war games’ in which nuclear missiles were fired and troops practised an amphibious landing on the country’s coast. The manoeuvres are thought to have been held in September and involved about 13,000 Russian and Belarusian troops. Poland, which has strained relations with both countries, was cast as the ‘potential aggressor’…
“The operation also involved the simulated suppression of an uprising by a national minority in Belarus – the country has a significant Polish population which has a strained relationship with [the] authoritarian government of Belarus.
“Karol Karski, an MP from Poland’s Law and Justice, is to table parliamentary questions on Russia’s war games and has protested to the European Commission… His colleague, Marek Opiola MP, said: ‘It’s an attempt to put us in our place. Don’t forget all this happened on the 70th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Poland.’ Ordinary Poles were outraged by news of the exercise and demanded a firm response from the government…
“After spending 40 years under Soviet domination few in Poland trust Russia, and many Poles have become increasingly wary of a country they consider as possessing a neo-imperialistic agenda… With a resurgent Moscow now more willing to flex its muscles, Central and Eastern Europeans have warned of Russia adopting a neo-imperialistic attitude to an area of the world it still regards as its sphere of influence. In July, the region’s most famed and influential political figures, including Lech Walesa and Vaclav Havel, wrote an open letter [to] Barack Obama warning him that Russia ‘is back as a revisionist power pursuing a 19th-century agenda with 21st-century tactics and methods.’”
That Russia is trying to re-establish itself in that part of the world cannot be denied. Europe and especially countries like Poland eye this development with suspicion, and will finally engage in a “pre-emptive strike,” as the Bible clearly prophecies.
The Terrible Curse of Halloween
On October 29, LiveScience wrote the following:
“Like Halloween itself, the display and carving of pumpkins – from the lanterns placed inside to the scary faces we pick – has pagan origins that morphed with the passage of time as well as the crossing of an ocean. The modern traditions of Halloween have roots in a Celtic holiday called Samhain, which was celebrated throughout Western Europe (but especially Ireland) every Oct. 31 to mark the end of the summer and the final harvest…
“As the tipping point that also ushered in the beginning of the ‘dark season,’ it was believed that the night opened a kind of door to the Otherworld, letting spirits roam the Earth… Nicholas Rogers, a historian at York University in Toronto, [said]… ‘It was also a period of SUPERNATURAL INTENSITY, when the FORCES OF DARKNESS and decay were said to be abroad…
“To combat the threat, ancient Celts often held raging bonfires – fire being a common way to ward off evil spirits. Later, in towns, the fires shrank and were placed instead within turnips or gourds, which were inexpensive, readily available and safe ‘containers.’
“‘Originally they were simply pierced to emit light, and were carried to scare away the spirits from the Otherworld who could enter the mortal realm,’ said Verlyn Flieger, a mythology specialist at the University of Maryland… ‘Designed to ward off scary faces, they gradually TOOK ON the aspects of the very foes they were supposed to forestall,’ she told LiveScience… The holiday exploded in the United States and Canada with the wave of Irish that came over during that country’s potato famine in the mid 19th century.”
The Roman Catholic Church Condemns Halloween, But…
The Telegraph added on October 30 that the “Vatican has condemned Hallowe’en as anti-Christian, saying it is based on a sinister and dangerous ‘undercurrent of occultism.'” The article continued:
“The Holy See has warned that parents should not allow their children to dress up as ghosts and ghouls on Saturday, calling Hallowe’en a pagan celebration of ‘terror, fear and death’. The Roman Catholic Church has become alarmed in recent years by the spread of Hallowe’en traditions from the US to other countries around the world.
“As in Britain, it is only in recent years that Italian children have dressed up in costumes, played trick or treat on their neighbours and made lanterns out of hollowed out pumpkins. The Vatican issued the warning through its official newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, in an article headlined ‘Hallowe’en’s Dangerous Messages’.
“Last year a newspaper controlled by the Italian bishops, Avvenire, called for a boycott of Hallowe’en, calling it a ‘dangerous celebration of horror and the macabre’ which could encourage ‘pitiless [Satanic] sects without scruples’. Earlier this week the Catholic Church in Spain also condemned the growing popularity of Halloween…”
But millions of people celebrated this horrible demonic feast, including hundreds of thousands of confessing and practicing Catholics.
In addition, Der Spiegel Online wrote on October 31 about the practice of the Catholic Church to “christianize” pagan holidays, as follows:
“In the Middle Ages, the pagan practice was ‘christianized.’ In 837 A.D., Pope Gregory IV declared November 1 as ‘All Saints Day.’ Now Christians were able to celebrate the pagan festival Samhain, without sinning.”
But the Bible is mightier than human inventions. And the Bible makes it very clear that we SIN when we celebrate Halloween–or other pagan festivals such as Christmas or Easter. For more information, please read our free booklets, “Don’t Keep Christmas,” and “Is That in The Bible–Man’s Holidays and God’s Holy Days.”
Vatican Woos Anglicans
USA Today wrote on November 1:
“The Vatican said Saturday that married Anglican priests will be admitted to the Catholic priesthood on a case-by-case basis as Rome makes it easier for disillusioned conservative Anglicans to convert… The Roman Catholic church requires its priests to be celibate, except in the case of the Eastern rite Catholics, who are allowed to be ordained if married. But over the last decades, it has also quietly allowed married Anglican clergy to stay priests when converting to Catholicism. In no case could a married man become a bishop, and the new rules would exclude any married Anglican bishop from retaining that post…
“Anglicans split with Rome in 1534 when the Vatican refused to give English King Henry VIII a marriage annulment. The Anglican communion includes the Episcopalian Church in the United States. Some Anglican faithful, unhappy over progressive reforms in their church, consider themselves Catholics although they have not yet officially joined the Roman Catholic church.
“Anglicans have been divided over such issues as admitting women to the priesthood. The rift was torn wide open in 2003, when the Episcopal Church in the United States consecrated V. Gene Robinson, as the first openly gay bishop. Also disenchanting Anglican conservatives has been the blessing of same-sex marriages.”
The Bible indicates that much of the “Christian” and perhaps even non-Christian world will place itself under the “religious umbrella” of the Catholic Church.
… And the Horror Saga of Failed U.S. Banks Continues…
U.S. Bank failures continue. But did not the U.S. government indicate that the recession was over? What blatant nonsense–as is so clearly pointed out by the following article:
The Associated Press wrote on October 30:
“[Bank] Failures have been especially concentrated in California, Georgia and Illinois. While the pounding from losses on home mortgages may be nearing an end, delinquencies on commercial real estate loans remain a hot spot of potential trouble, regulators say. If the RECESSION DEEPENS, defaults on the high-risk loans could spike. Many regional banks, especially, hold large concentrations of these loans.”
More US Banks Fail…
The Los Angeles Times wrote on October 31:
“Regulators seized Los Angeles-based [68-branch] California National Bank on Friday night in the country’s fourth-largest bank failure this year…
“Eight smaller banks owned by FBOP, a privately held Oak Park, Ill., company, were also taken over by regulators and acquired by U.S. Bank. They include San Diego National Bank, with 28 offices, and San Francisco’s Pacific National Bank, which has 17… Before Friday, 106 U.S. banks had failed this year.”
This Is BIG–CIT Bankrupt
Bloomberg wrote on November 1:
“CIT Group Inc., a 101-year-old commercial lender, filed for bankruptcy to cut $10 billion in debt after the credit crunch dried up its funding and a U.S. bailout and debt exchange offer failed. CIT listed $71 billion in assets and $64.9 billion in debt… The U.S. Treasury Department said the government probably won’t recover much, if any, of the $2.3 billion in taxpayer money that went to CIT…
“CIT… filed the fifth-largest bankruptcy by assets… The failure… is the biggest measured by assets since regulators seized Washington Mutual banking unit in September 2008… CIT’s largest unsecured claim holders were Bank of America Corp., as collateral agent for a $7.5 billion claim, and Bank of New York Mellon Corp., as a trustee for retail bonds with a claim of $3.2 billion. Canadian senior unsecured notes have a claim for $2.1 billion, and Citigroup Inc. also has a $2.1 billion claim as an administrative agent to bank debt due 2010…
“CIT has said it’s the third-largest U.S. railcar-leasing firm and the world’s third-biggest aircraft financier. It also finances trade in Canada, Europe and Asia by lending to small manufacturers that sell to retailers. CIT accounts for about 70 percent of all short-term U.S. financing known as factoring, worth about $40 billion a year…”
USA Today wrote on November 2 that CIT is “the leading provider of financing to retailers and their vendors,” and its failure “is one of the largest in U.S. history.”
U.S. State Elections
The Wall Street Journal wrote on November 4:
“It’s a grumpy nation. We probably all knew that, but Tuesday’s election results underscore the point.
“It wasn’t a good election for Democrats, of course. They lost the two biggest races, the governor’s races in New Jersey and Virginia, the first a blue state they should own and the second now a swing state Democrats liked to think they had turned in the last two elections.
“But Democrats can argue they won in the race that is most relevant to what is going on in Washington, the special [election] for the 23rd congressional district in New York. That represents a victory in a traditionally Republican district, and a sign that GOP conservatives probably overplayed their hand by forcing a liberal Republican out of the race.
“The broader lesson in all this, however, may simply be the signs of grumpiness all around. In each case, independent voters appear to have swung against the party holding the seat. And in New York, a wildly over-funded and universally known incumbent mayor, Michael Bloomberg, barely won against a wildly under-funded and unknown Democratic challenger. In the midst of an economic mess, voters don’t seem to like over-spending and over-reach, but more than that they seem unhappy with the status quo in general.
“‘Change’ was a good theme for Barack Obama in 2008. It still might best capture the mood of voters.”
This Week in the News
Breaking News:
The mysteries surrounding the worst mass murder at a U.S. military deployment are far from solved.
As USA Today reported late on November 5, “The suspect in a mass shooting Thursday at Fort Hood in Texas is alive… Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan… has been identified as the shooting suspect in the attack that left 12 more dead and 31 wounded… The aunt of the alleged suspect… said her nephew had been trying to leave the military for years…”
Fox News and the Associated Press had reported earlier, on November 5: “Major Malik Nadal Hasan [is] a psychiatrist who reportedly didn’t believe in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and wanted out of the military before he was set to be deployed overseas… A former neighbor of Hasan’s in Silver Spring, Md. told Fox News he lived there for two years with his brother and had the word ‘Allah’ on the door… The shooter’s cousin, Nader Hasan… said, ‘He wasn’t even someone who enjoyed going to the firing range.’ He said his cousin… turned against the wars after hearing the stories of those who came back from Afghanistan and Iraq… [Nidal Malik Hasan] who was raised a Muslim… now is believed to have been behind the worst mass shooting at a U.S. military base in history.”
In other news, we report that developments overseas, especially in Afghanistan and the Middle East, testify to the inability of the United States to provide meaningful and respected leadership in the world. Rather, accusations and blame is heaped on the USA for its perceived cowardliness or back-pedaling. The Afghan war and the most recent “elections” in Afghanistan have proven to be a millstone around the American neck, and Mrs. Clinton’s support for Israel has angered the Arab world.
After Czech President Václav Klaus has signed the Lisbon Treaty this week, it has now been ratified by all member states. While some fear Europe will become too powerful, others plead for even more power. The European Council on Foreign Relations suggests that Europe must really unite in order to be able to present a united front on foreign policy, and they must work toward a “post-American” state of affairs. In other words, they must prepare to replace the USA as the leader of the Western world.
As the new German government may have begun a process of distancing itself from China and India, Poland especially is deeply concerned about Russia’s militaristic ambitions. We are getting closer to the time when a united Europe will launch a “preemptive strike” against a confederation of Far Eastern countries, as prophesied in Scripture. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Is That in the Bible?–The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation.”
Next, we are publishing two articles on the horrible festival of Halloween. Even though the Catholic Church condemns it, it tried to “christianize” it, according to Der Spiegel, by inventing “All Saint’s Day,” to make it easier for pagans and Christians alike to observe “Samhain.” Similarly, the attempts of the Roman Church to woo Anglicans–who are very willing to be wooed–shows an ongoing development which will ultimately result in a unification or merger of most “Christian” churches and many non-Christian religions under the Catholic umbrella.
We conclude with the terrible state of affairs of the U.S. economy. Notwithstanding some laughable allegations that we have seen the end of the recession and that the stimulus package created and saved millions of jobs, the reality is quite different: More and more banks fold, and we have witnessed this week one of the largest bankruptcy failures in U.S. history. And it may well be that several U.S. state elections have sent a message to the White House, demanding “real change.”
Update 417
Live Services
The Spirit and Power of Elijah
On November 7, 2009, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “The Spirit and Power of Elijah.”
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.
Editorial
Beware the Subtleties
by Eric Rank
This year, I was aware and consciously prepared for it, but the sight still provoked me to shake my head in disdain. As I shopped for some household supplies on November 1st, it was impossible to ignore that the jack-o-lanterns present in stores during the previous month had been swiftly replaced with displays of Christmas trees and ornaments. I expected this to happen, but I still hoped for a break from the parade of collateral promoting the man-made holidays so displeasing to God. There is no denying it — the stream of propaganda and celebration of uninspired days following the season of God’s true Holy Days has begun.
While we live in this world, we must be ready and prepared to defend ourselves against the carnally inspired messages, influences and temptations presented to us. The most dangerous kinds of temptations are those which are the most subtle. Participation in the wrong event, even in a marginal way, erodes our loyalty to God. With a constant stream of messages telling us that participation is harmless and that origins are irrelevant, it might be tempting to justify an action, declaring it to be innocent. Nevertheless, we must remember what God inspired in Isaiah 5:20-21: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight!”
Don’t be fooled! God can see through the most self-convincing rhetoric we may contrive. While this certainly applies to the participation in man’s holidays, it applies quite generally to God’s laws as well. Compromise occurs when we start interpreting right and wrong based on our own beliefs, rather than what the Bible clearly teaches. As starkly wrong as an exchange of good for evil is, it begins very subtly within ourselves by merely considering wrong behavior as harmless. If you don’t see the danger discerning between right and wrong based on our human beliefs rather than the teachings of the Bible, consider the calamities recorded in the book of Judges, during which time “everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:25). The times we live in today and the way this world thinks is not so different.
While Satan may “walk about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8), we need to remember that he also “transforms himself into an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14), preying on the carnal man’s vulnerability to things which on the surface seem harmless, good and right. The subtle compromises are the most dangerous snares to us. Those simple actions requiring a justification of the means for the sake of the end result slowly weaken the strength of our faith.
For this reason, especially as we are barraged during the season of man’s holidays, we must maintain our strength and vigilance. In Ephesians 6:10-11, Paul says this quite succinctly: “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Our defense against temptation is only as strong as our weakest vulnerability. The whole armor of God implies completeness in several aspects, not just one. However, by identifying and continuing to improve on our weaknesses, we strengthen our defense.
Current Events
Breaking News:
The mysteries surrounding the worst mass murder at a U.S. military deployment are far from solved.
As USA Today reported late on November 5, “The suspect in a mass shooting Thursday at Fort Hood in Texas is alive… Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan… has been identified as the shooting suspect in the attack that left 12 more dead and 31 wounded… The aunt of the alleged suspect… said her nephew had been trying to leave the military for years…”
Fox News and the Associated Press had reported earlier, on November 5: “Major Malik Nadal Hasan [is] a psychiatrist who reportedly didn’t believe in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and wanted out of the military before he was set to be deployed overseas… A former neighbor of Hasan’s in Silver Spring, Md. told Fox News he lived there for two years with his brother and had the word ‘Allah’ on the door… The shooter’s cousin, Nader Hasan… said, ‘He wasn’t even someone who enjoyed going to the firing range.’ He said his cousin… turned against the wars after hearing the stories of those who came back from Afghanistan and Iraq… [Nidal Malik Hasan] who was raised a Muslim… now is believed to have been behind the worst mass shooting at a U.S. military base in history.”
In other news, we report that developments overseas, especially in Afghanistan and the Middle East, testify to the inability of the United States to provide meaningful and respected leadership in the world. Rather, accusations and blame is heaped on the USA for its perceived cowardliness or back-pedaling. The Afghan war and the most recent “elections” in Afghanistan have proven to be a millstone around the American neck, and Mrs. Clinton’s support for Israel has angered the Arab world.
After Czech President Václav Klaus has signed the Lisbon Treaty this week, it has now been ratified by all member states. While some fear Europe will become too powerful, others plead for even more power. The European Council on Foreign Relations suggests that Europe must really unite in order to be able to present a united front on foreign policy, and they must work toward a “post-American” state of affairs. In other words, they must prepare to replace the USA as the leader of the Western world.
As the new German government may have begun a process of distancing itself from China and India, Poland especially is deeply concerned about Russia’s militaristic ambitions. We are getting closer to the time when a united Europe will launch a “preemptive strike” against a confederation of Far Eastern countries, as prophesied in Scripture. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Is That in the Bible?–The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation.”
Next, we are publishing two articles on the horrible festival of Halloween. Even though the Catholic Church condemns it, it tried to “christianize” it, according to Der Spiegel, by inventing “All Saint’s Day,” to make it easier for pagans and Christians alike to observe “Samhain.” Similarly, the attempts of the Roman Church to woo Anglicans–who are very willing to be wooed–shows an ongoing development which will ultimately result in a unification or merger of most “Christian” churches and many non-Christian religions under the Catholic umbrella.
We conclude with the terrible state of affairs of the U.S. economy. Notwithstanding some laughable allegations that we have seen the end of the recession and that the stimulus package created and saved millions of jobs, the reality is quite different: More and more banks fold, and we have witnessed this week one of the largest bankruptcy failures in U.S. history. And it may well be that several U.S. state elections have sent a message to the White House, demanding “real change.”
This Week in the News
The Afghan Debacle–“We’re Waiting, Mr. President…”
Der Spiegel Online wrote on October 29 that President Obama “Must Provide Better Leadership on Afghanistan.”
The article continued:
“Afghanistan and Pakistan are being shaken by attacks, and the Taliban is dictating the course of the war. US President Obama has been silent about the situation for far too long and European countries like Germany and France are correct to demand better American leadership on the issue of Afghanistan. The most important piece of news from the most recent meeting of NATO defense ministers was that there was no news…
“The mission in Afghanistan is seen as a toxic issue in all Western nations, and every government that has provided troops has come under sharp criticism at home. What the US’s NATO allies now find far more irritating is US President Barack Obama’s silence on the issue. The world has been waiting for clear words from the White House for months…
“Wednesday’s attacks underscore that things have been progressing in the opposite direction for some time. The Taliban is in control of the military initiative, and it is increasingly dictating the course of the war. Whether Obama can even regain the political initiative in the Hindu Kush is now questionable…
“‘I have doubts and reservations about our current strategy and planned future strategy,’ US Marine Corps Captain Matthew Hoh wrote recently. As part of Holbrooke’s team, Hoh was responsible for coordinating civilian reconstruction in the dangerous Zabul Province, but he recently resigned.
“His resignation, he said, had less to do with the way the war is currently being fought. Instead, he said, he simply no longer knows ‘why and to what end’ the war is being fought in Afghanistan… It’s alarming news when even former Marines like Hoh, men with combat experience in Iraq, can no longer believe in their mission because politicians cannot answer their questions…
“So far Obama has only made it clear that he doesn’t intend to withdraw any troops and that he hasn’t decided yet whether to add more soldiers. But this smells more like a lazy compromise than a clear statement of intent…
“Obama’s silence stands in contrast with the impassioned rhetoric that carried him into the White House… why should countries like Germany and France believe the verbose promises of a president who is not even sending a clear message at home, even though he has a majority in both houses of Congress?
“There is no doubt that hardly a day passes in Europe without criticism of US policy. This has become a trans-Atlantic ritual. But despite this ritual, Europeans are still looking for one thing from the White House: leadership.
“We’re waiting, Mr. President.”
Apart from the fact that the world is losing more and more patience WAITING for U.S. LEADERSHIP, the USA is becoming more and more unable to PROVIDE such leadership.
According to Wikipedia and the Associated Press, the U.S. War in Afghanistan has been going on, so far, for 8.1 years. This means that it is already the second-longest war in the history of the USA. Only the Vietnam war was (slightly) longer, so far, lasting 8.4 years. The American Revolutionary War lasted 6.7 years, followed by the Iraq war which has been lasting (so far) for 6.6 years. By comparison, the American Civil War lasted for 4 years, America’s participation in World War II lasted for 3.7 years, and the Korean War lasted for 3.1 years.
The big difference is, too, that America has won its wars in the past, but has been unable to win any war since World War II, including the Vietnam war, the war in Iraq and the war in Afghanistan. We can see that America is no longer blessed in ANY of its endeavors, domestically or abroad.
Rather, America is in domestic turmoil–as our articles below on the economy prove–and it is in no position to achieve success abroad. For the reasons as to why this is, please read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”
The Afghan Debacle–USA To Be Blamed
On November 2, Der Spiegel Online quoted numerous German magazines and newspapers, opinionating that the USA or NATO are responsible for the terrible situation and “fiasco” in Afghanistan. The magazine wrote:
“The Afghan election fell apart on Sunday after Abdullah Abdullah pulled out of the run-off poll, leaving President Hamid Karzai as the sole candidate. Now the election commission has cancelled the vote and declared Karzai the winner. German newspapers on Monday question whether the government in Kabul can still have any credibility…
“The first round of the election on August 20 turned into a debacle after it became obvious that there had been widespread election fraud… [The] Election Complaints Commission found that around one-third of the votes cast were invalid. Massive international pressure forced Karzai to accept a run-off poll against his nearest challenger, Abdullah, scheduled for Nov. 7.
“However, Abdullah said on Sunday that he would not go ahead with the run-off vote because key election officials had not been removed from their posts. He said he believed that the poll would be neither free nor fair. The international community’s role in the elections has also come in for tough criticism…
“The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: ‘President Karzai did not enjoy a great reputation before the election and now he has lost even more authority. His country is politically crippled…’
“The Financial Times Deutschland writes: ‘The US and NATO are responsible for the fiasco that is the presidential election. They have never made a secret of the fact that they considered Afghan President Hamid Karzai to be a scoundrel, but he was their scoundrel — one who was supposed to help with building the much-trumpeted civil society. But instead of holding on tightly to the strings of their puppet, the international overseers allowed Karzai to blatantly falsify the elections and was about to do the same for the planned run-off on Saturday…
“‘The consequence is dramatic: Instead of the coveted democratically legitimate government, Afghanistan is getting a government that has already lost all credibility before taking office. It makes little difference that Karzai would in all likelihood have won the run-off election. For the US and its allies the establishment of a functioning state with a government accepted by the population was at the top of their list of strategic goals in Afghanistan. Without such a government it is almost impossible to convince the Afghan people that they are better off under the care of the Kabul government than of the tribal leaders and warlords…’
“The conservative Die Welt writes: ‘”Mission Afghanistan” is increasingly losing credibility. The thought of having to rely on a government that is discredited by election fraud for the reconstruction and pacification of the country over the next five years is depressing.'”
America is being blamed–rightly or wrongly–for the Afghan fiasco. The times when America is looked upon as a true leader in this world have passed. The next article shows that America is accused of failing to provide a leadership role in the Middle East.
Mr. Obama’s Difficult Role re Afghanistan
Der Spiegel Online wrote on November 3:
“The Afghan president is becoming an especially serious problem for the US. After the fiasco in the Afghan election… and Abdullah’s withdrawal, how is President Barack Obama supposed to explain to his people that he now wants to send more troops to Afghanistan to support precisely this government? ‘It won’t be easy,’ the New York Times comments dryly in its own analysis.
“The mood of the US public is becoming more and more critical for Obama. Washington has already spent close to a quarter-trillion dollars in Afghanistan. Nevertheless, all the news coming out of the crisis region these days seems to be bad. In October, more US soldiers died in the Hindu Kush than in any previous month — an alarming signal for the home front…
“Obama is caught in a trap that he is going to have great difficulty freeing himself from. In the coming weeks, he is expected to present his new plan for Afghanistan. Once again people are expecting to see the light at the end of the tunnel: the withdrawal of US troops. Before that can happen, though, the country must be stabilized. That’s why Obama wants to send several thousand additional soldiers to Afghanistan. But the current chaos surrounding the election farce will merely serve to strengthen skeptics…
“The United States isn’t the only country left perplexed by the election. In Germany, the mandate for the deployment of the Bundeswehr, the country’s armed forces, in Afghanistan must be renewed by parliament in December. Members of parliament are viewing the latest developments with concern…
“Disastrous as the situation already is, Karzai will soon deliver the icing on the cake. At the very latest, this will happen when the new president presents the names of the members of his new cabinet — names which are unlikely to please the West. In order to secure a majority, Karzai has recruited several brutal warlords to his team, including the notorious Mohammed Fahim. From a Western point of view, Fahim should be answering to the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague. In Kabul, though, he’s poised to become vice president.”
Mrs. Clinton Tries to Back-Pedal from Back-Pedaling…
The Guardian wrote on November 2:
“Amid mounting concern that Barack Obama’s much-heralded engagement with the Middle East peace process is going nowhere fast, Arab leaders expressed their fury at Clinton’s endorsement of Israel’s argument that it is not required to halt settlement activity in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, as the administration had previously demanded…
“Speaking in Marrakech she qualified her remarks to say that Netanyahu’s offer of ‘restraint’ on settlements fell short of US expectations but would still have a ‘significant and meaningful effect’ on limiting the growth of Jewish outposts on land the Palestinians want for their own state. But she clearly faced an uphill struggle in convincing Arab states that Washington has not changed tack in favour of Israel.
“Earlier today Amr Moussa, the secretary general of the Arab League, said: ‘I am telling you that all of us, including Saudi Arabia, including Egypt, are deeply disappointed … with the results, with the fact that Israel can get away with anything without any firm stand that this cannot be done’…
“There were harsher comments from Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas: ‘The negotiations are in a state of paralysis, and the result of Israel’s intransigence and America’s backpedalling is that there is no hope of negotiations on the horizon’…
“Israelis on the left joined in criticism of Clinton’s remarks. ‘The secretary of state, I assume with the full support of the president, has turned around after 10 months of negotiating the precondition of freezing settlements,’ said Akiva Eldar in the Haaretz newspaper.”
The USA is perceived as being unable to help in creating peace in the Middle East. The Bible shows that it will be a united Europe to take over the role of “peace-keeper”–but they won’t do so with peaceful means. Europe will create a confederation with Middle Eastern states against Israel. Israel will find itself totally isolated–the false idea that Europe will make a peace treaty with Israel can nowhere be found in Scripture.
The Lisbon Treaty Ratified
Deutsche Welle reported on November 3:
“The head of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, has welcomed the signing by the Czech president, Vaclav Klaus, of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty. He said it removed ‘the last hurdle.’ Klaus announced that he had signed the Lisbon Treaty just a few hours after a ruling by the Czech constitutional court on Tuesday that the treaty did not break Czech law. He criticized the court’s decision, saying that ‘the constitutional court’s ruling is not a neutral legal analysis but a biased political defense of the Lisbon Treaty on the part of its supporters.’ But he said he had expected the verdict and would respect it.
“The treaty allows the EU to speed up decision making, increase the power of the European Parliament and appoint a longer-term president and a more powerful foreign representative. The Swedish prime minister, Fredrik Reinfeldt, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency, said he would call a summit shortly and begin ‘name consultations’ over the two new posts. ‘The treaty enters into force on 1 December and all the details must now be put into place,’ he said.
“The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, has also welcomed the development; she noted during a speech to the US Congress in Washington that, with the new treaty, the EU ‘will become stronger and more capable of acting, and so a strong and reliable partner for the United States.'”
However, the relationship between an increasingly stronger EU and an increasingly weaker USA will not remain friendly. Certain signs can already be seen when considering the next two articles.
GM and Opel Debacle
The Wall Street Journal wrote on November 4:
“The timing is what diplomats might call unfortunate. The German chancellor was in Washington yesterday for talks with President Obama, and to deliver an historic address to the U.S. Congress. In her speech she thanked America, saying its support had been invaluable in ensuring German reunification. Yes, she said, America and Europe have ‘had their share of disagreements’. But… ‘I am convinced that we will not find a better partner than America.’
“Within hours, with Merkel heading back across the Atlantic, General Motors sensationally switched course and announced that it would not, after all, be selling Opel, its huge German subsidiary. The German government had made much of backing a deal for it to to be bought by Magna – thus protecting jobs. This throws all that up in the air, and is extremely problematic politically for Merkel.
“Couldn’t G.M. have chosen a better time for their decision and its announcement? That is just one of the many questions one imagines the chancellor will be insisting her officials ask their counterparts in Washington.”
Reuters added on November 4:
“Bitterness, anger and disbelief mixed with betrayal and even resignation are just some of the emotions boiling within Germany following Tuesday’s news that General Motors Co. will scrap its sale of Opel to Magna International Inc.
“Opel labor leader Klaus Franz said workers would not go along with GM’s ‘blackmail’ of European governments and staff… Other workers directed venom at GM’s American board for reversing course on plans to sell Opel, a decision that many fear will lead to thousands more job losses and plant closures than if Magna [had] taken control. Half of Opel’s 50,000 workers are based in Germany.
“‘I can only say that in GM’s executive offices in America sit the biggest liars that the world has ever seen,’ one Opel worker raged in a German radio interview…
“Chancellor Angela Merkel and key allies in her conservative party lobbied heavily in Magna’s favor ahead of the parliamentary elections on Sept. 27, thinly veiling a threat that no German aid would flow should any other decision be taken.”
Der Spiegel Online reported on November 5:
“The decision by General Motors to hold onto its German subsidiary Opel has unleashed a wave of shock and despair on this side of the Atlantic, with politicians railing against American corporate duplicity and unions striking…”
“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung wrote on November 5:
“‘Without the billions of dollars in aid that the Obama administration gave to GM, the company would not exist. And the GM board members who decided not to sell Opel this week were almost all appointed by President Obama. But apparently the American leader knew nothing of this decision by GM when he was hosting Angela Merkel only a few hours earlier. Perhaps at that time the US president really didn’t know anything — which doesn’t say much for him. Perhaps he did know something was up but he chose not to tell the German chancellor about it — that also doesn’t say much for him and his administration.'”
Britain Concerned
The Telegraph wrote on November 3:
“So the deed is done. Eight years after EU leaders attending a summit in the Belgian town of Laeken agreed to the idea of drawing up a European constitution, the final obstacle to its implementation was removed at about 3pm yesterday when President Vaclav Klaus of the Czech Republic signed on the dotted line. Of course, it is no longer called a constitution. Those original, grandiose plans were scuppered by the voters of France and the Netherlands. Instead, we were invited to believe that the treaty signed in Lisbon in 2007 was somehow a different beast altogether (thereby obviating the need for a referendum) when it was, in fact, identical in all significant respects.
“There were lingering hopes among those dismayed by the profoundly undemocratic way in which the treaty has been foisted upon the people of Europe that Mr Klaus would hold out, somehow, until after a Conservative government was elected in Britain, committed to a referendum that could yet stop ratification. But it was not to be. He waited just a few hours after the Czech courts ruled that his agreement would not be unconstitutional to add his signature to those of 26 other heads of government. The Treaty of Lisbon now becomes PART of the Treaty of ROME and its provisions embedded in EU law.”
EU Infighting on the Horizon?
The EUObserver wrote on November 3:
“Leaders of the countries next in line to take on the day-to-day running of the European Union have made it clear that they do not wish to be sidelined by any future EU president. Gathered in Brussels last week to present a common logo for 18 months of co-operation beginning in January, the prime ministers of Spain, Belgium and Hungary were keen to emphasize the importance of ‘institutional balance’ – an oblique way of saying they do not wish to get elbowed out of the political picture by a powerful new president of the European Council, a post created by the… ratified Lisbon Treaty…
“[Focus] has turned to the uncertainties contained in the document [of the Lisbon Treaty]. One of these includes how the six-month rotating presidencies and the national leaders of the moment will rub along with the permanent president. While the president, who can hold office for up to five years, is supposed to drive forward the political agenda of the EU through the regular meetings of EU leaders, the rotating presidency will manage the daily policy-making including chairing monthly ministerial meetings in all areas, bar foreign policy. The set-up, with its undefined hierarchy, could lead to damaging turf wars.
“The problem of the proliferation of chiefs with potentially overlapping job descriptions under the Lisbon Treaty – it also introduces a beefed up foreign policy post – has practical implications too, such as who will take part in EU summits with third countries…
“Who will be the first president of the European Council is still unclear, with member states unsure about whether they want a powerful global figure, or someone with a more administrative job description. The EU parliament will discuss the role of the new president on 11 November, while the appointment itself is expected to be decided at an extraordinary summit later this month. The type of person who gets the job is set to strongly influence how the EU will make a go of the new Lisbon Treaty system…”
The Bible says that the leading member states of a unified Europe will be partly strong and partly weak.
Searching for the EU President
The Telegraph wrote on October 30:
“… speaking to journalists late last night at the summit, Jean-David Levitte, Mr Sarkozy’s foreign policy adviser, said that it was unlikely that France would support a presidential candidate from the UK. Britain’s position outside the euro and the Schengen agreement on free travel meant that a British president would face difficulties, Mr Levitte said. So would the UK’s various opt-outs from some EU policies, including justice and home affairs…
“Mr Sarkozy and Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, discussed the presidency at dinner on Wednesday, where they are said to have agreed that the president should come from a right-of-centre political party which would rule out Mr Blair.”
It will be interesting to see who the first EU President will be. But before the last European military leader, called the “beast” in the book of Revelation, will emerge, we need to await the development of a core Europe of ten nations or groups of nations, within a united Europe, which will then give their power and authority to the “beast.”
United Europe Has Come a Long Way…
The Wall Street Journal wrote on November 2:
“In 1989, the EU had just 12 members. Now its has 27, stretching from the sun-drenched shores of the Algarve to the Polish border with Belarus… The EU’s powers have also mushroomed in sensitive areas—such as defence and immigration—that lie at the heart of sovereignty. And remember the franc, the deutschmark, the lira, and the drachma? Currencies that once symbolised national power are now curious relics of the past.
“But perhaps the most dramatic change over the last 20 years has been the gradual removal of border controls between EU states. Over the centuries, millions of Europeans have died fighting over sometimes illogical, often arbitrary and almost always unnatural frontiers. Now that they are gone, the prospect of war between EU states has become unthinkable. It is also increasingly difficult to argue that a person on one side of a border should be taxed, taught and ruled differently from a person on the other side, when the line separating them no longer exists…
“I was brought up believing that Europe’s east-west division was permanent, and that the threat of conflict in Europe would always exist. Then came Berlin, 11/9. Within a year Germany was reunited, the dissident playwright Vaclav Havel was president of Czechoslovakia and a union activist named Lech Walesa was Poland’s head of state. Two years later the Soviet Union had splintered and the map of central and eastern Europe had been completely redrawn…
“The EU, which emerged from the ashes of a world war that left Europe shattered, humiliated and sidelined, is now the world’s biggest economic power, exporter, trading bloc, aid donor and foreign investor… Europe has become one. Europe has been reborn.”
“Europe Must Stop Being So Submissive to the USA”
Der Spiegel Online wrote on November 2:
“… a study by an influential Brussels think tank suggests the EU is going about things the wrong way. The Europeans must stop being so submissive, they must present a united front on foreign policy and they must work toward a ‘post-American’ state of affairs, the study says…
“[The] European Council on Foreign Relations… released a study on Monday called ‘Toward a Post-American Europe,’ based on wide-ranging interviews and research conducted in the 27 EU member states. In it, the authors make a clear appeal to European leaders:
“This ‘fetishization’ of the trans-Atlantic relationship must stop… It is high time that Europe declare a new, ‘post-American’ age and do away with old myths about the trans-Atlantic relationship. Myths like the idea that the continent’s security is dependent on American protection… Or the one about American and European interests being the same at heart…”
How German Unification Came About…
A united Europe would have been impossible without a united Germany. On November 3, 2009, Der Spiegel Online published an interview with Rudolf Seiters, an aide of then German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and a key negotiator during Germany’s reunification. His reflections on the events in 1989 and 1990 are quite interesting and prove that higher powers are involved in key political events, which are necessary to fulfill biblical prophecy:
“Without a doubt, we were also lucky. Solidarity, the Polish trade union, contributed in a major way. We are also grateful to the Hungarians, who were the first to open their borders to East German refugees. And Bush provided unlimited support. It was also important that Helmut Kohl was able to systematically build a close, trusting relationship with Mikhail Gorbachev in 1989 and 1990…
“Margaret Thatcher’s stance is well-known, as are her considerable doubts about and objections to reunification. Giulio Andreotti, the Italian politician, also remarked: ‘We love Germany so much that we would prefer to have two of them.’ At a later point, Mitterrand was also one of our closest friends and supporters, but in 1989 he still had doubts about the project…
“In the West, there were fears and worries regarding the prospect of German reunification. Many Europeans believed that, if reunified, Germany would change its political orientation. In his memoirs, Kohl later wrote that he never attended a European summit with such an icy atmosphere as the meeting on Dec. 9 in Strasburg, which was held 14 days after he presented his 10-point plan for overcoming the division of Germany and Europe…
“For Helmut Kohl, it was always clear that a reunified Germany needed to be intertwined within the broader European process. He viewed German unity and European unity as two sides of the same coin, and that something he was convinced of deep down. Likewise, he strongly believed that, for Europe to move forward, France and Germany had to cooperate closely. He also knew that the smaller European countries needed to be part of it, as well…
“In the autumn and winter of 1989, I was surprised by the helplessness of the GDR [East German] leadership and its rapid loss of authority. The SED was helpless when it came to the issue of refugees. It was helpless when the Berlin Wall came down, which was not even meant to happen when it did. And it was also helpless in Dresden. Everything happened amazingly fast. When I became head of the Chancellory in Bonn in April 1989, no one knew or even suspected that, in a few months, the Wall would fall and that Germany would be reunified one and a half years later. That was more than surprising; that was practically a miracle.”
No More German Support for China and India?
Deutsche Welle reported on October 30 that Germany’s new development minister, Herr Niebel, said that aid to China and India should be cut completely. The article continued:
“Niebel (FDP) told a German newspaper that economic powers like China and India, commonly referred to as ‘developing nations,’ no longer met the criteria of that distinction. ‘Battling poverty is more important than ever. That means we have to concentrate our resources effectively in the most needy areas. Economic giants like China and India don’t belong to these,’ he told the mass-circulation daily Bild Zeitung. Niebel, meanwhile, did not provide any details on when the 70 million euros ($103 million ) of annual aid to China would be discontinued…
“Claudia Warning, head of the German federation of non-governmental organizations active in development cooperation, VENRO, has said the new government’s international policy disregards commitments Germany has already made regarding development aid… Warning said the new government’s program put too much emphasis on ‘promoting German economic interests abroad.’ The ministry’s task was to ‘contribute to the international fight against poverty, and not the promotion of German business interests,’ she said.”
This article, and the next one, begin to indicate that the relationship between Europe and the Far East will deteriorate, and why Europe may be prompted to attack Russia and other Asian nations, as it will be troubled by rumors from the “east and the north” (Daniel 11:44).
Rumors from the East…
The Telegraph reported on November 1 on Russian war games directed against Poland:
“The armed forces are said to have carried out ‘war games’ in which nuclear missiles were fired and troops practised an amphibious landing on the country’s coast. The manoeuvres are thought to have been held in September and involved about 13,000 Russian and Belarusian troops. Poland, which has strained relations with both countries, was cast as the ‘potential aggressor’…
“The operation also involved the simulated suppression of an uprising by a national minority in Belarus – the country has a significant Polish population which has a strained relationship with [the] authoritarian government of Belarus.
“Karol Karski, an MP from Poland’s Law and Justice, is to table parliamentary questions on Russia’s war games and has protested to the European Commission… His colleague, Marek Opiola MP, said: ‘It’s an attempt to put us in our place. Don’t forget all this happened on the 70th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Poland.’ Ordinary Poles were outraged by news of the exercise and demanded a firm response from the government…
“After spending 40 years under Soviet domination few in Poland trust Russia, and many Poles have become increasingly wary of a country they consider as possessing a neo-imperialistic agenda… With a resurgent Moscow now more willing to flex its muscles, Central and Eastern Europeans have warned of Russia adopting a neo-imperialistic attitude to an area of the world it still regards as its sphere of influence. In July, the region’s most famed and influential political figures, including Lech Walesa and Vaclav Havel, wrote an open letter [to] Barack Obama warning him that Russia ‘is back as a revisionist power pursuing a 19th-century agenda with 21st-century tactics and methods.’”
That Russia is trying to re-establish itself in that part of the world cannot be denied. Europe and especially countries like Poland eye this development with suspicion, and will finally engage in a “pre-emptive strike,” as the Bible clearly prophecies.
The Terrible Curse of Halloween
On October 29, LiveScience wrote the following:
“Like Halloween itself, the display and carving of pumpkins – from the lanterns placed inside to the scary faces we pick – has pagan origins that morphed with the passage of time as well as the crossing of an ocean. The modern traditions of Halloween have roots in a Celtic holiday called Samhain, which was celebrated throughout Western Europe (but especially Ireland) every Oct. 31 to mark the end of the summer and the final harvest…
“As the tipping point that also ushered in the beginning of the ‘dark season,’ it was believed that the night opened a kind of door to the Otherworld, letting spirits roam the Earth… Nicholas Rogers, a historian at York University in Toronto, [said]… ‘It was also a period of SUPERNATURAL INTENSITY, when the FORCES OF DARKNESS and decay were said to be abroad…
“To combat the threat, ancient Celts often held raging bonfires – fire being a common way to ward off evil spirits. Later, in towns, the fires shrank and were placed instead within turnips or gourds, which were inexpensive, readily available and safe ‘containers.’
“‘Originally they were simply pierced to emit light, and were carried to scare away the spirits from the Otherworld who could enter the mortal realm,’ said Verlyn Flieger, a mythology specialist at the University of Maryland… ‘Designed to ward off scary faces, they gradually TOOK ON the aspects of the very foes they were supposed to forestall,’ she told LiveScience… The holiday exploded in the United States and Canada with the wave of Irish that came over during that country’s potato famine in the mid 19th century.”
The Roman Catholic Church Condemns Halloween, But…
The Telegraph added on October 30 that the “Vatican has condemned Hallowe’en as anti-Christian, saying it is based on a sinister and dangerous ‘undercurrent of occultism.'” The article continued:
“The Holy See has warned that parents should not allow their children to dress up as ghosts and ghouls on Saturday, calling Hallowe’en a pagan celebration of ‘terror, fear and death’. The Roman Catholic Church has become alarmed in recent years by the spread of Hallowe’en traditions from the US to other countries around the world.
“As in Britain, it is only in recent years that Italian children have dressed up in costumes, played trick or treat on their neighbours and made lanterns out of hollowed out pumpkins. The Vatican issued the warning through its official newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, in an article headlined ‘Hallowe’en’s Dangerous Messages’.
“Last year a newspaper controlled by the Italian bishops, Avvenire, called for a boycott of Hallowe’en, calling it a ‘dangerous celebration of horror and the macabre’ which could encourage ‘pitiless [Satanic] sects without scruples’. Earlier this week the Catholic Church in Spain also condemned the growing popularity of Halloween…”
But millions of people celebrated this horrible demonic feast, including hundreds of thousands of confessing and practicing Catholics.
In addition, Der Spiegel Online wrote on October 31 about the practice of the Catholic Church to “christianize” pagan holidays, as follows:
“In the Middle Ages, the pagan practice was ‘christianized.’ In 837 A.D., Pope Gregory IV declared November 1 as ‘All Saints Day.’ Now Christians were able to celebrate the pagan festival Samhain, without sinning.”
But the Bible is mightier than human inventions. And the Bible makes it very clear that we SIN when we celebrate Halloween–or other pagan festivals such as Christmas or Easter. For more information, please read our free booklets, “Don’t Keep Christmas,” and “Is That in The Bible–Man’s Holidays and God’s Holy Days.”
Vatican Woos Anglicans
USA Today wrote on November 1:
“The Vatican said Saturday that married Anglican priests will be admitted to the Catholic priesthood on a case-by-case basis as Rome makes it easier for disillusioned conservative Anglicans to convert… The Roman Catholic church requires its priests to be celibate, except in the case of the Eastern rite Catholics, who are allowed to be ordained if married. But over the last decades, it has also quietly allowed married Anglican clergy to stay priests when converting to Catholicism. In no case could a married man become a bishop, and the new rules would exclude any married Anglican bishop from retaining that post…
“Anglicans split with Rome in 1534 when the Vatican refused to give English King Henry VIII a marriage annulment. The Anglican communion includes the Episcopalian Church in the United States. Some Anglican faithful, unhappy over progressive reforms in their church, consider themselves Catholics although they have not yet officially joined the Roman Catholic church.
“Anglicans have been divided over such issues as admitting women to the priesthood. The rift was torn wide open in 2003, when the Episcopal Church in the United States consecrated V. Gene Robinson, as the first openly gay bishop. Also disenchanting Anglican conservatives has been the blessing of same-sex marriages.”
The Bible indicates that much of the “Christian” and perhaps even non-Christian world will place itself under the “religious umbrella” of the Catholic Church.
… And the Horror Saga of Failed U.S. Banks Continues…
U.S. Bank failures continue. But did not the U.S. government indicate that the recession was over? What blatant nonsense–as is so clearly pointed out by the following article:
The Associated Press wrote on October 30:
“[Bank] Failures have been especially concentrated in California, Georgia and Illinois. While the pounding from losses on home mortgages may be nearing an end, delinquencies on commercial real estate loans remain a hot spot of potential trouble, regulators say. If the RECESSION DEEPENS, defaults on the high-risk loans could spike. Many regional banks, especially, hold large concentrations of these loans.”
More US Banks Fail…
The Los Angeles Times wrote on October 31:
“Regulators seized Los Angeles-based [68-branch] California National Bank on Friday night in the country’s fourth-largest bank failure this year…
“Eight smaller banks owned by FBOP, a privately held Oak Park, Ill., company, were also taken over by regulators and acquired by U.S. Bank. They include San Diego National Bank, with 28 offices, and San Francisco’s Pacific National Bank, which has 17… Before Friday, 106 U.S. banks had failed this year.”
This Is BIG–CIT Bankrupt
Bloomberg wrote on November 1:
“CIT Group Inc., a 101-year-old commercial lender, filed for bankruptcy to cut $10 billion in debt after the credit crunch dried up its funding and a U.S. bailout and debt exchange offer failed. CIT listed $71 billion in assets and $64.9 billion in debt… The U.S. Treasury Department said the government probably won’t recover much, if any, of the $2.3 billion in taxpayer money that went to CIT…
“CIT… filed the fifth-largest bankruptcy by assets… The failure… is the biggest measured by assets since regulators seized Washington Mutual banking unit in September 2008… CIT’s largest unsecured claim holders were Bank of America Corp., as collateral agent for a $7.5 billion claim, and Bank of New York Mellon Corp., as a trustee for retail bonds with a claim of $3.2 billion. Canadian senior unsecured notes have a claim for $2.1 billion, and Citigroup Inc. also has a $2.1 billion claim as an administrative agent to bank debt due 2010…
“CIT has said it’s the third-largest U.S. railcar-leasing firm and the world’s third-biggest aircraft financier. It also finances trade in Canada, Europe and Asia by lending to small manufacturers that sell to retailers. CIT accounts for about 70 percent of all short-term U.S. financing known as factoring, worth about $40 billion a year…”
USA Today wrote on November 2 that CIT is “the leading provider of financing to retailers and their vendors,” and its failure “is one of the largest in U.S. history.”
U.S. State Elections
The Wall Street Journal wrote on November 4:
“It’s a grumpy nation. We probably all knew that, but Tuesday’s election results underscore the point.
“It wasn’t a good election for Democrats, of course. They lost the two biggest races, the governor’s races in New Jersey and Virginia, the first a blue state they should own and the second now a swing state Democrats liked to think they had turned in the last two elections.
“But Democrats can argue they won in the race that is most relevant to what is going on in Washington, the special [election] for the 23rd congressional district in New York. That represents a victory in a traditionally Republican district, and a sign that GOP conservatives probably overplayed their hand by forcing a liberal Republican out of the race.
“The broader lesson in all this, however, may simply be the signs of grumpiness all around. In each case, independent voters appear to have swung against the party holding the seat. And in New York, a wildly over-funded and universally known incumbent mayor, Michael Bloomberg, barely won against a wildly under-funded and unknown Democratic challenger. In the midst of an economic mess, voters don’t seem to like over-spending and over-reach, but more than that they seem unhappy with the status quo in general.
“‘Change’ was a good theme for Barack Obama in 2008. It still might best capture the mood of voters.”
Q&A
Are there sins which are more serious than others? Are all of God's laws equal in importance?
We need to understand that Christ died for our sins, and sin is defined as the transgression of God’s law (1 John 3:4, Authorized Version). In that sense, all of God’s spiritual commandments are of equal importance, as Christ died for each and every one of our sins.
James 2:10-11 explains that we are transgressing the law if we fail or miss the mark in one point–even though we might think that particular prohibition that we violate might not be as important as other injunctions. But even though we might feel that not committing adultery is more important than not committing murder (perhaps by having an abortion or killing in war), James says that the violation of either one makes us a transgressor of the law and declares us guilty of all. The wages for each and every sin is the second death (Romans 6:23).
At the same time, each sin, which is truly repented of, will be forgiven (1 John 1:7, 9). Notice Paul’s catalogue of sins in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. Paul says that all these sins were washed away in baptism (verse 11).
This does not mean that in God’s eyes, some sins are not more serious than others. Of course, we understand that the unpardonable sin, which cannot be forgiven, is the most serious of all sins, as it brings about the second death in the lake of fire. It is the sin which makes repentance impossible, because the sinner has irrevocably decided, after having understood the truth, that he or she does not want to repent.
Certain sins could more easily than others lead to an attitude of defiance of God and perhaps even to a complete rejection of God and His way of life. The Bible says that the love of money–or covetousness–is a root of ALL evil (1 Timothy 6:10). Scripture also contains many warnings about the devastating effect that pride can have for a person, and we read that God absolutely hates pride (compare Proverbs 16:5; James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5).
In Proverbs 6:16-17, we find an entire list of specific sins that God hates. Amongst others, He hates lies. That sin is also mentioned in Revelation 21:8; and 22:15, together with impermissible sexual conduct, murder, idolatry, sorcery, unbelief and cowardliness. Since God hates all sin, it is interesting that these categories are specifically mentioned in the book of Revelation, in the context of those people who have committed the unpardonable sin.
Many times, sins may be caused by the person’s attitude. One can sin unintentionally or ignorantly, as well as deliberately, with premeditation, defiantly, rebelliously, presumptuously or willfully. Depending on the person’s state of mind, it may be more difficult to repent of certain conduct or thought patterns.
There are sins–although they will be forgiven upon true repentance–which are more grievous and weigh more heavily in God’s eyes than other sins. This can also be seen by the fact that violations of certain Old Testament laws carried more severe penalties than others (compare Exodus 21:16, 22-25, 28-31, 35-36).
In Luke 12:47-48, a distinction is made between sins committed in ignorance, and those which are performed knowingly. Both are still sins, but the “punishment” for the ignorant person is less severe than for the person who knows that what he does is wrong. In fact, we read in Acts 17:30 that the times of ignorance God has “overlooked.” But God requires repentance once the ignorant person begins to understand the truth (same verse; Acts 3:13-21; Luke 23:34).
We all lived in ignorance, but we are now called to live as obedient children, knowing that Christ has forgiven us our sins by shedding His blood for us (1 Peter 1:13-19). Paul said that even though he was a blasphemer, persecutor and an insolent or violently arrogant man, he obtained mercy and forgiveness because he acted “ignorantly in unbelief” (1 Timothy 1:13).
The Pharisees thought that they were not living in ignorance or in blindness, and since they were unwilling to repent, Christ told them that their sin remained (John 9:40-41). God does not forgive us, unless we repent. Paul makes clear that even hateful conduct, as well as envy and malice, when repented of, will be forgiven (Titus 3:3-5), but if converted Christians refuse to repent of hateful attitudes, God’s Holy Spirit will be ultimately taken away from them (1 John 3:15).
Regarding sins which are committed with knowledge, but perhaps under temptation or because of weakness, these too can be forgiven, upon repentance, but they are more serious in God’s eyes and might also sometimes be more difficult to repent of.
In the Old Testament, a person had to be executed who had been correctly convicted of having committed premeditated murder. Exodus 21:14 states: “But if a man acts with premeditation against his neighbor, to kill him by treachery, you shall take him from My altar (signifying God’s protection), that he may die.” The Authorized Version says, “If a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour…” Compare also Deuteronomy 17:12-13.
In describing civil penalties for a person who sinned ignorantly (Numbers 15:27-29 in the Authorized Version; the New King James Bible says, “unintentionally”), and for one who acted presumptuously or “proudly,” Numbers 15:30-31 states: “But the person who does anything presumptuously [Margin: defiantly, lit., with a high hand], whether he is a native-born or a stranger, that one brings reproach upon [Margin: blasphemes] the LORD, and he shall be cut off [Margin: put to death] from his people. Because he has despised the word of the LORD…”
We find another example of presumptuous, rebellious conduct in Deuteronomy 1:43: “So I spoke to you; yet you would not listen, but rebelled against the command of the LORD, and presumptuously [Margin: willfully] went up into the mountain.” As a consequence, God allowed their defeat in war.
The penalty for persons who act arrogantly or proudly, while despising the Word of God, is always severe. David prayed to God that He would “keep back [His] servant from presumptuous sins” (Psalm 19:13). Still, David sinned greatly and despised God’s Word (2 Samuel 12:9), when he committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered her husband, Uriah. When he recognized and repented of his sin, God forgave him (verse 13), but the physical penalty inflicted on him was very severe (verses 10-12, 14).
In fact, David had sinned so greatly in God’s eyes that He later pointed out again David’s misconduct, in 1 Kings 15:5.
And so, attitude, the extent of knowledge and understanding, as well as circumstances, play an important role how God looks at sin. Christ said to Pilate in John 19:11: “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.” In addition, Israel’s sin with the golden calf is described by Moses as a “great sin” (Exodus 32:30).
As we mentioned, accountability and the extent of punishment is conditioned upon the level, extent and degree of sinful conduct. We read in James 3:1 that teachers or ministers–or those who claim those positions for themselves, thinking that they are qualified to teach and preach to others–will receive “stricter judgment” or, as the Authorized Version puts it–“greater condemnation.”
In Matthew 23:14; Mark 12:38-40; and Luke 20:47, Christ warned the Pharisees and scribes of the consequences of their doing, as they pretended to be righteous, but engaged in serious unrighteous conduct. As a consequence, He announced that they would receive “greater condemnation.”
At the same time, Christ made clear that some would have repented if certain events had taken place in their life time, and that they would therefore be in a better position, “in the day of judgment,” than others who should and could have repented, but refused to do so (Matthew 11:20-24).
As we pointed out, sin is the transgression of the law. But again, this does not mean that all commandments are of equal status. There are injunctions within the law which are weightier or more important than others. It is
true that we must strive to obey ALL of God’s laws, but the Bible makes it clear that we must not try to “major in the minors,” while neglecting the majors.
For instance, even though tithing is clearly still a commandment that must be obeyed by true Christians today, Christ emphasized that there are “weightier matters of the law,” namely justice, mercy, faith, and the love of God (compare Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42). He said that while we must tithe, we must not leave undone the weightier matters of the law.
Christ made it very clear that He did not come to do away with even “the least” of the commandments of God (Matthew 5:17-19), and that the one who teaches contrariwise will be called the “least” in the Kingdom of God. But He also explained that there is no commandment “greater” than the injunction to love God and to love our neighbor (Mark 12:28-31).
We read that this IS the love of God that we keep His commandments (1 John 5:3). It IS important to be “faithful in what is least,” because this shows God that such a person will also be faithful “in much”–and vice versa (Luke 16:10). But we are also told that godly love is the greatest of all of the characteristics of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 13:13), and that no one has “greater love” than he who lays down his life for his friends (John 15:13).
All these passages show that in God’s eyes, there are commandments within the law which are greater than others. Recognizing this, we are admonished, when dealing with sinful conduct of others, to act with mercy–mercy being one of the weightier matters of the law. We read in James 2:12:13: “So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” We are to treat others mercifully, as God deals mercifully with us and our sins–even when we are sometimes plagued by guilt for sins which have long been forgiven (compare 1 John 3:21).
No sin and no commandment of God is unimportant. Christ died for our sins–whether small or big. But we must realize that in God’s eyes, there are distinctions regarding the weight of our sins and His laws. Let us strive, foremost, to attain to the weightier matters of the law, desiring the greater spiritual gifts (compare 1 Corinthians 12:31). We must especially concentrate on avoiding to sin against those weightier matters, and it would be extremely dangerous to do so defiantly and presumptuously.
Above all, when we sin, we must not delay repentance. Let us not wait too long before confessing our sin to God and asking Him for His mercy and forgiveness. We must never harden our hearts, reject the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives, reach the point of no return, and commit the unpardonable sin–that type of “sin leading to [eternal] death” (1 John 5:16; compare Matthew 12:31-32; Hebrews 10:26-39; 6:4-8).
Lead Writer: Norbert Link
The Work
Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock
Our new booklet on Paul’s letter to the Galatians has entered the first review cycle. The booklet presents a verse by verse Bible study of Galatians, and includes additional chapters, discussing the little-understood concepts of Justification, Righteousness and Salvation. This will be our thirtieth booklet so far.
This week, YouTube was temporarily unable–we assume, because of technical problems–to show our most-viewed German AufPostenStehen program on the Swine Flu, Die Schweinegrippe–was man uns nicht sagt! which was recorded and posted more than six months ago. In the meantime, the problems have apparently been solved. By now, the program has been viewed in excess of 11,500 times.
Our most-viewed American program, “Coming–The Great Depression,” which was recorded and posted over a year ago, has by now been viewed approximately 31,300 times.
As of now, 28 German-speaking viewers have subscribed to our German AufPostenStehen programs, and 256 English-speaking viewers have subscribed to our StandingWatch programs.
A new German sermon, entitled, “Wieso starb Christus für SIE?” [“Why did Christ die for YOU?”] was posted on the Web. It discusses the nature of sin; that every man sinned and still sins; that only Christ did not sin; that He was the Lamb of God who came to carry away our sins; and that we can obtain God’s forgiveness, which requires repentance, faith, and baptism. The sermon also emphasizes that Christ makes us righteous today, by living in us.
Forums
Our Daily Struggle
by Kalon Mitchell
As I come away from the Feast, I am struck by the fact that I am not the only one that struggles with the troubles and the tests of living in Satan’s world. During the Feast I had the chance to share my stories and hear from others their life experiences. I felt rejuvenated and comforted when again realizing that we all struggle in our Christian life.
If I can look past the fact that I am not the only one fighting on, I can find encouragement and strength. Now as I go about my days, I keep in mind that I can do this, with God’s help, just as others sharing my faith have to, and just as others before me have done.
I need to remind myself that we are all in this together, and that I can help others, and receive help from others, when going through rough times. I can and should draw strength from others–and I should be willing and able to give strength to others–to be encouraged by them and to encourage them to persevere, to never give up!
God has called me and wants to see me make it into His Kingdom. Knowing this, I also know that all my struggles are worth fighting, and that God will give me the help that I need to persevere. And at times, God may want me to provide help and encouragement to others. In the end, it will have been more than worth it.
How This Work is Financed
This Update is an official publication by the ministry of the Church of the Eternal God in the United States of America; the Church of God, a Christian Fellowship in Canada; and the Global Church of God in the United Kingdom.
Editorial Team: Norbert Link, Dave Harris, Rene Messier, Brian Gale, Johanna Link, Eric Rank, Michael Link, Anna Link, Kalon Mitchell, Manuela Mitchell, Dawn Thompson
Technical Team: Eric Rank, Shana Rank
Our activities and literature, including booklets, weekly updates, sermons on CD are provided free of charge. They are made possible by the tithes, offerings and contributions of Church members and others who have elected to support this Work.
While we do not solicit the general public for funds, contributions are gratefully welcomed and are tax-deductible in the U.S. and Canada.
Donations can be sent to the following addresses:
United States: Church of the Eternal God, P.O. Box 270519, San Diego, CA 92198
Canada: Church of God, ACF, Box 1480, Summerland, B.C. V0H 1Z0
United Kingdom: Global Church of God, PO Box 44, MABLETHORPE, LN12 9AN, United Kingdom
Current Events
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.
This Week in the News
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.”
Update 416
Editorial
What Do You See?
by Dave Harris
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?
Current Events
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.”
This Week in the News
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.
Q&A
What does Paul mean when he says in Romans 13:8 that we must "owe no one anything except to love one another"?
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
The Work
Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock
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.
How This Work is Financed
This Update is an official publication by the ministry of the Church of the Eternal God in the United States of America; the Church of God, a Christian Fellowship in Canada; and the Global Church of God in the United Kingdom.
Editorial Team: Norbert Link, Dave Harris, Rene Messier, Brian Gale, Johanna Link, Eric Rank, Michael Link, Anna Link, Kalon Mitchell, Manuela Mitchell, Dawn Thompson
Technical Team: Eric Rank, Shana Rank
Our activities and literature, including booklets, weekly updates, sermons on CD are provided free of charge. They are made possible by the tithes, offerings and contributions of Church members and others who have elected to support this Work.
While we do not solicit the general public for funds, contributions are gratefully welcomed and are tax-deductible in the U.S. and Canada.
Donations can be sent to the following addresses:
United States: Church of the Eternal God, P.O. Box 270519, San Diego, CA 92198
Canada: Church of God, ACF, Box 1480, Summerland, B.C. V0H 1Z0
United Kingdom: Global Church of God, PO Box 44, MABLETHORPE, LN12 9AN, United Kingdom
Current Events
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.”
This Week in the News
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.
Very Soon…
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!
