On April 12, 2008, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “Paul’s Message to Corinth.”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 12:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

As we quickly approach Passover, we are once again reminded of the great sacrifice that Christ made. After divesting Himself of His Godhead, Jesus walked the earth as a righteous man, doing no wrong. For this He was rewarded with ridicule, abuses and ultimately death. Christ willingly did this so that we may have opportunity to have God’s ear when we go before Him on a daily basis, and as well as being offered the chance for salvation.

Having had such great possibilities laid at our feet, what are we willing to sacrifice in order to make the most of what we have been given?  Presently, we have not been asked to physically give up our life, but merely to be a LIVING SACRIFICE by means of SERVICE (Romans 12:1).

We read from our booklet “The Sacrificial System and the Tabernacle in the Wilderness“: “As the burnt offering was completely burned (Leviticus 1:9), so we must give ourselves completely and without reservation to God. As members of God’s Church, we have to become without blemish (Ephesians 5:25-27).”

We do this through the righteousness which is following God comprehensively and unconditionally with all of our ability (Mark 12:33; Proverbs 21:3; Hebrews 13:16; Romans 14:17-18).

When we contemplate the magnitude of what Christ did for us and contrast it with what we have been asked to do, surely we must come to the conclusion that it is the least that we can do.  Every time we choose right over wrong and God’s way over our way, we offer up our spiritual sacrifice (1 Peter 2:5).  Let us keep this in mind for this season, the rest of the year and the years that we have remaining, before the return of the One whose sacrifice made this all possible.

“NATO Summit Fails to Heal Deep Divisions”

On April 4, 2008, Der Spiegel Online reported the following:

“The smiles in Bucharest were little more than show. Politically, the NATO summit was a fiasco. The Western alliance remains deeply divided and faces an identity crisis… The allies didn’t even dare begin the urgent discussions about strategies and plans. They were afraid that by doing so they would no longer be able to conceal the deep division that cuts right across the defense alliance… Instead of just talking about expansion, NATO needs a new concept, a justification for its existence, a guiding vision behind which all members can gather…

“There are completely different conceptions of who is protecting whom against whom and by what means. The alliance is militarily bigger and more powerful than ever — yet politically weaker than it has ever been. There is a deep rift when it comes to all the important questions: On the one side the Americans and their friends in Eastern Europe, on the other the Germans, the French and their neighbors… It was Russia that dominated the meeting in Bucharest. Yet when outgoing President Vladmir Putin arrived in Romania on the last day of the summit, no one really wanted to debate with him.”

Deutsche Welle added on April 4:

“The big enlargement summit that NATO’s leading power and many new eastern European members had wished for has fallen through. Germany and France thwarted US plans and candidates Ukraine and Georgia were sent back to the waiting room. The conflict between the US and western European countries was openly talked about at the summit. That’s a new thing for NATO, since usually decisions are already made beforehand and everything happens according to plan.

“This time, however, the outgoing American president was stymied in his almost missionary expansion zeal. Another unusual aspect of the meeting in Bucharest was the fact that 25 NATO countries were unable to get Greece and Macedonia to agree on a compromise in the bizarre twist over Macedonia’s name. That’s why only Croatia and Albania were invited to become members. George W. Bush, the lame duck, didn’t manage to have his way against Greece, either…

“The summit’s surprise was German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s newly revived close cooperation. They obviously want to shift NATO’s focus towards Europe. France’s return to NATO’s military command structures in the coming year fits into that strategy. It now depends on who will win the race to the White House and what level of importance the new administration will place on the alliance.

“An overly confident Russian President Vladimir Putin has gained astonishing influence over NATO during his last years of neo-nationalistic foreign policy…

“In the short term, NATO will have to send even more troops to Afghanistan to get the security situation under control. The Germans will be called upon in the fall at the latest. In Bucharest, the chancellor cleverly managed to avert a debate on an expanded role for the German military in Afghanistan, but it cannot be avoided forever.”

Bush and Putin Say Farewell, Fail To Overcome Sharp Differences

The Associated Press reported April 6:

“President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin failed to overcome sharp differences over a U.S. missile defense system, closing their seven-year relationship Sunday still far apart on an issue that has separated them from the beginning.

“‘Our fundamental attitude toward the American plan has not changed,’ Putin said at a news conference with Bush at his vacation house at this Black Sea resort. ‘We got a lot of way to go,’ Bush said… Putin said [his hand-picked successor, Dmitry] Medvedev would be in charge, and would represent Russia at the Group of Eight meeting of industrial democracies in July in Tokyo…

“At their 28th and presumably final meeting as heads of state, Bush and Putin sought to emphasize their good personal relations, praising each other extensively. But they also both acknowledged remaining strong disagreements… Putin called the U.S. missile plan – which envisions basing tracking radar sites in the Czech Republic and interceptors in Poland – the hardest of US-Russian differences to reconcile.”

Murder in the Name of Islam?

The Daily Mail wrote on April 4:

“A gang of British Muslims planned to blow up seven planes within hours in the biggest terrorist atrocity since 9/11, a court heard yesterday. Two thousand passengers would have died in the plot by eight fanatics working ‘in the name of Islam’, the jury was told [by the prosecution]. It could have involved up to 18 suicide bombers. And they were almost ready to strike. The jets they targeted would all have been bound from Heathrow to cities in the U.S. and Canada, it was claimed…
 
“The alleged plot was foiled on August 9, 2006 when two of the key gang members… were arrested by police in a town hall car park in Walthamstow, East London following several months of surveillance.  A series of arrests followed including… the alleged third key member of the plot, and led to chaos, cancellation and delays at airports across the UK as a huge security crackdown swung into operation.”

Now France Threatens China With Boycott of the Olympic Games

After Angela Merkel announced that she will not attend the Olympic Games in China, Nicolas Sarkozy followed suit and threatened to boycott the Games as well. AFP wrote on April 5:

“France stepped up the pressure on China Saturday over its handling of the Tibet crisis with a warning that President Nicolas Sarkozy may boycott the Olympic opening following fresh violence… Sarkozy will only attend the opening ceremony if China opens dialogue with exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and frees political prisoners… China must also end the ‘violence’ against Tibetans… all three conditions [are] ‘indispensable’…”

“Something is Rotten in the State of” Europe

Reuters reported on April 5:

“Trade unions protested over corporate greed and the ‘poverty wages’ of more than 30 million workers in Europe as politicians and central bankers meeting in Slovenia on Saturday urged wage restraint to combat inflation… Company profits have risen for more than a decade, but the share of wealth going into wages has shrunk and the divide has widened between those at the top and bottom…

“European Central Bank Governor Jean-Claude Trichet said that keeping a lid on labor costs would be ‘absolutely decisive’ in fighting inflation and that a five percent pay rise for German public sector employees in 2008 should not be copied elsewhere. ‘It would be an enormous mistake to imitate Germany,’ said Trichet, stressing that German public sector workers had gone without any pay rise in the past two years and that others had not shown such restraint. More unusually, the euro zone’s chief inflation-fighter got hearty support from politicians too who were at pains to say that the fight against inflation was the best way to defend people’s spending power.”

While European politicians and governmental leaders are giving themselves pay raises and other benefits on a continuing basis, “average workers” are refused such benefits “to fight inflation.” This incredible proposal is probably one of the more abominable testimonies of an incompetent and evil world ruled by Satan the devil. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World.”

More Injustice in Europe–With Interesting Potential Consequences for the Superstate

The EUObserver wrote on April 4 about another outrageous decision of the EU Court, which flies in the face of social justice, equity and fairness, contradicting and overruling local German law:

“European trade unions have strongly criticised the latest EU court judgement on the right of member states to set minimum wages for foreign workers saying it is an ‘invitation to social dumping.’ The judgement, delivered on Thursday (3 April) by the bloc’s highest court, concerned a Polish subcontractor of German company Objekt und Bauregie which paid employees only 46.5% of the minimum wage prescribed by Lower Saxony for work on a public site. The court found in favour of the company on grounds of the freedom to provide services, one of the core principles of the EU’s internal market. It argued that Lower Saxony’s law on the awarding of public contracts, which states they may only be awarded to companies which promise to pay their employees the minimum wage for the sector concerned and promise to impose that obligation on sub-contractors, breached an EU law on the posting of workers to other member states…

“The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) said ‘this is another destructive and damaging judgement. [It] underlines the need for urgent action by the European authorities to confirm that the EU is not just an economic project but has as its main objective the improvement of living and working conditions of its populations’…

“Trade unions are still smarting from a recent EU court ruling in a Swedish case with similar implications. Known as the Laval case, the Luxembourg-based court in December found that Swedish unions cannot force a foreign company to observe local pay deals. ‘The EU must improve peoples living conditions, not reduce them. Politicians ought to put their feet down and clarify the rules to change the practice of the Court,’ said Wanja Lundby-Wedin, head of the Swedish Trade Union Confederation. ‘We want to see an open Europe, not a Europe that risks creating hostility towards foreigners and demands for closed borders,’ she continued…

“Meanwhile, Britain’s largest trade union Unite has said the ruling has implications for the construction of the London Olympics to be held in 2012, meaning the infrastructure may be built using workers who are paid very low wages. ‘This decision effectively means that foreign companies working here in the UK, or in any other European country, can flout domestic laws and collective agreements with regard to pay,’ said Derek Simpson, joint secretary general of Unite. ‘This is a recipe for disaster and, if applied here in the UK, will cause massive industrial unrest and threaten the delivery of major infrastructure projects including the Olympics site.'”

Unfortunately, it can be expected that the coming European Superstate WILL become hostile to foreigners. AND–that countries like Great Britain and perhaps Sweden will ultimately NOT be part of the prophesied ten nations or groups of nations which will RULE Europe, under the leadership of a powerful charismatic political personage. For more information, please read our free booklets, “Europe in Prophecy – The Unfolding of End-Time Events,” “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord,” and “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

Worldwide Financial Crisis–USA and Britain Hit the Hardest

The Daily Mail wrote on April 10:

“The world is facing the biggest financial shock since the Great Depression, warns the International Monetary Fund. And the IMF warns that Britain could be the country hit hardest by the global credit crunch as it has bigger debts than anywhere else… Analysis by the IMF reveals British banks will lose more than £20bn from the international mortgage meltdown, equivalent to three per cent of gross domestic product (GDP). For the first time the IMF also predicts that the American economy is heading for recession and will shrink by 0.7 per cent this year, sending shock waves across the globe. American banks, which it was thought would be worst affected, will lose £72 billion, or 1.4 per cent of US GDP.

“Despite healthy growth in the Far East, it now believes there is a 25 per cent chance that the whole world could follow the Americans into recession. ‘The financial markets crisis that erupted in August 2007 has developed into the largest financial shock since the Great Depression,’ the report says. It estimates that the losses from American mortgages will reach $945billion (£500billion) – more than twice previous estimates. The U.S. housing collapse is far from over, with the fund economists expecting a further 10 per cent decline in 2008, on top of a similar fall in prices in the previous years. Such declines, it believes, are way beyond anything seen in the previous American experience.”

More American Airlines Shut Down

Airline Business wrote on April 7:

“More trees are falling in the forest that is the US airline industry, chopped by the ever sharper edge of the fuel price cleaver. The latest carriers to fold their wings and shut down are ATA Airlines and Skybus Airlines, both of which ceased operations in the first week of April. ATA lost a key charter contract, making futile its search for new funding to meet the demands of the pump. Skybus, which plans to file for Chapter 11 today, also blamed rising fuel prices and a slowing economy. The death of these two airlines comes just days after another carrier with a long history and a well-known name, Aloha Airlines, shut down suddenly. All have blamed the rising spire of oil prices as well as competitive pressures.”

In addition, as The Associated Press reported on April 10, “American Airlines canceled more than 900 flights Thursday to fix faulty wiring in hundreds of jets, marking the third straight day of mass groundings as company executives offered profuse apologies and travel vouchers to calm angry customers. Other carriers operating similar aircraft also left passengers scrambling for alternatives as they too canceled flights to inspect the wire bundles at the heart of a renewed safety crackdown by the Federal Aviation Administration.”

Family Breakdown in Great Britain

The Daily Mail reported on April 4:

“Family breakdown is a ‘cancer’ behind almost every evil affecting the country, a senior judge will declare today. Mr Justice Coleridge blames youth crime, child abuse, drug addiction and binge-drinking on the ‘meltdown’ of relations between parents and children. He warns that the collapse of the family unit is a threat to the nation as bad as terrorism, crime, drugs or global warming… The 58-year-old judge, who is married with three grown-up children, will say family breakdown is an epidemic affecting all levels of society from the Royal Family down. It is ‘on a scale, depth and breadth which few of us could have imagined even’ a decade ago. It is a never-ending carnival of human misery. A ceaseless river of human distress.

“‘I am not saying every broken family produces dysfunctional children but I am saying that almost every dysfunctional child is the product of a broken family… Families are the cells which make up the body of society. If the cells are unhealthy and undernourished, or at worse cancerous and growing haphazard and out of control, in the end the body succumbs… Single parents often do a fantastic job, but a great many, perhaps through no fault of their own, do not. A large number of families now consist of children being brought up by mothers who have children by a number of different fathers, none of whom take any part in their lives or support or upbringing… Almost all society’s ills can be traced directly to the collapse of family life. We all know it. Examine the background of almost every child in the care system or the youth justice system and you will discover a broken family.’… Latest figures show marriage rates at a historic low and divorce at a historic high.”

The Pope on Abortion and Divorce

AFP reported on April 5:

“Divorce and abortion are offences in the sight of God, Pope Benedict XVI charged Saturday, while calling on the Catholic Church to be merciful to those who had experienced such events. ‘The ethical judgement of the Church on divorce and abortion is clear and well-known,’ he told participants in a Catholic congress on marriage and the family. ‘They are serious offences… which violate human dignity, inflict deep injustice on human and social relations and offend God himself… Divorce and abortion are choices… which sometimes develop in difficult and dramatic circumstances… and are a source of profound suffering for those who take such decisions. They also affect innocent victims, the barely-conceived and unborn infant, the children caught up in divorces.'”

Hollywood Legend Charlton Heston Died

The Associated Press reported on April 6:

“Charlton Heston, who won the 1959 best actor Oscar as the chariot-racing ‘Ben-Hur’ and portrayed Moses, Michelangelo, El Cid and other heroic figures in movie epics of the ’50s and ’60s, has died. He was 84… Heston revealed in 2002 that he had symptoms consistent with Alzheimer’s disease, saying, ‘I must reconcile courage and surrender in equal measure’…

“The actor assumed the role of leader offscreen as well. He served as president of the Screen Actors Guild and chairman of the American Film Institute and marched in the civil rights movement of the 1950s. With age, he grew more conservative and campaigned for conservative candidates. In June 1998, Heston was elected president of the National Rifle Association, for which he had posed for ads holding a rifle… [In 2003] he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. ‘The largeness of character that comes across the screen has also been seen throughout his life,’ President Bush said at the time…

“The Hestons’ newborn, Fraser Clarke Heston, played the role of the infant Moses in the film [“The Ten Commandments”]… He railed at suggestions the race [in “Ben Hur”] had been shot with a double…

“Charles’s parents divorced, and [his mother] married Chester Heston… [He called] himself Charlton Heston from his mother’s maiden name and his stepfather’s last name… In 1944 he married [a] drama student, Lydia Clarke… They had been married 64 years when he died.

“In [later] years, Heston drew as much publicity for his crusades as for his performances. In addition to his NRA work, he campaigned for Republican presidential and congressional candidates and against affirmative action. He resigned from Actors Equity, claiming the union’s refusal to allow a white actor to play a Eurasian role in ‘Miss Saigon’ was ‘obscenely racist.’ He attacked CNN’s telecasts from Baghdad as ‘sowing doubts’ about the allied effort in the 1990-91 Gulf War. At a Time Warner stockholders meeting, he castigated the company for releasing an Ice-T album that purportedly encouraged cop killing. Heston wrote… that he was proud of what he did ‘though now I’ll surely never be offered another film by Warners, nor get a good review in Time…'”

When the disciples heard that marriage was for life, and that it can only be dissolved under very limited circumstances, they responded, “If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry” (Matthew 19:10). Jesus answered that “all cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given” (verse 11). He continued, in verse 12:

“For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it.”

Most commentaries are in agreement that Christ was not teaching “compulsory celibacy” for anyone. The Nelson Study Bible explains the meaning of the passage as follows:

“Jesus indicates [in verse 11] that remaining unmarried is only for a few people… Some people do not marry because they were born with no sex drive. Others do not marry because they are castrated. Still others forgo marriage for the sake of serving God. Some have been given the spiritual gift of celibacy in order to do this (see 1 Cor. 7:7).”

The Life Application Bible points out:

“Couples should decide against divorce from the start and build their marriage on mutual commitment. There are also… reasons for not marrying, one being to have more time to work for God’s kingdom… Some have physical limitations that prevent their marrying, while others choose not to marry because, in their particular situation, they can serve God better as single people. Jesus was not teaching us to avoid marriage because it is inconvenient or takes away our freedom. That would be selfishness.”

The Broadman Bible Commentary adds the following observations:

“The alternative to marriage is celibacy. Jesus made room for both as honorable and proper to discipleship. He warned, however, that the demands upon celibacy are high, just as they are upon marriage. Some are incapacitated for marriage because of physical impotence or impairment. They are those who are ‘eunuchs who have been so from birth,’ or those ‘who have been made eunuchs by men.’ In royal courts, especially, there were slaves who were made eunuchs through surgery so that they would not be a threat to their masters’ household. Those who ‘made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven’ are those who forego marriage with a view of life given more fully to the service of Christ.”

To interject, some have taken this statement literally [“there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake”]; apparently, Origin castrated himself in obeying this “supposed obligation.” This is, however, NOT what Christ meant. He had already mentioned the category of literal eunuchs who had become such “by men.” The third category of “eunuchs” for the sake of the kingdom of God deals with those who VOLUNTARILY forgo marriage. Christ did not imply that they ought to literally castrate themselves.

The Broadman Bible Commentary continues:

“As Jesus spoke of marriage and celibacy he did not say that one was morally higher than the other… Each is an honorable choice to be made on an individual basis… ”

Jesus did not teach supremacy of celibacy over marriage. At least some of the apostles were married, including Cephas or Peter, as well as the believing brothers of Jesus (compare 1 Corinthians 9:5). Paul adds in Hebrews 13:4 that “marriage is honorable among all.”

It is correct that Paul seems to be giving celibacy a preferred state over marriage in 1 Corinthians 7:1, 6-8, 32-33, 40. But we must realize the context–it is because of “the present distress” (verse 26), prompting Paul to say that even those who have wives should be as though they had none (verse 29). He said this because of the ensuing persecution, which would cause married couples “to have trouble in the flesh” (verse 28). Christ said, in Matthew 24:19: “But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days”–immediately preceding the Great Tribulation. He also stated in Luke 23:29: “For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!'”

On the other hand, Paul did not teach that it was ever sinful to marry, even in times of great physical distress, and he added that for some, it was necessary to marry even then. He stated in 1 Corinthians 7:9, 28: “… if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion… if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned.”

To clarify, the Church of the Eternal God in the USA and its corporate affiliates in Canada and Great Britain do NOT advise to forgo marriage because of the soon-coming return of Jesus Christ. We simply don’t know the exact time of Christ’s return. At one time, many felt that Christ might return in the early 1970’s. Now, after more than 30 years, He still has not returned. If people had forgone marriage in the 1970’s because of their anticipation of Christ’s return, which will be preceded by the Great Tribulation, just imagine what they would have missed–including seeing their children and grandchildren growing up.

Proverbs 18:22 tells us that “He who finds a wife finds a GOOD thing, And obtains FAVOR from the LORD,” and God said at the beginning, after He had created man, that it was NOT GOOD for the man to be alone. He then made the woman to be the man’s companion and helpmate (Genesis 2:18). It is true that those who will, in the future, enter the Kingdom of God as immortal spirit beings, will not marry nor are given in marriage at that time (Matthew 22:30), but this is not to be applied today to mortal human beings on a physical level.

As can easily be seen from the very wording of Christ’s sayings in Matthew 19:12, He was not teaching that anyone MUST forgo marriage to enter the kingdom of heaven. He was clearly talking about a VOLUNTARY individual decision, without coercion from anyone. Biblical examples of those who decided for themselves, not to get married for the sake of the Kingdom of God, were Jesus Christ Himself, as well as John the Baptist. As a former Pharisee, Paul would have been married, but his wife apparently died, and he decided not to re-marry, but to remain a widower.

Since the Bible does not teach coerced celibacy, why is it, then, that the Catholic Church teaches compulsory celibacy for their priests–prohibiting them to get married?

An interesting explanation is given by James Hastings, in his “Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics,” Vol. 3, pages 272-273:

“Two influences contributed especially to the rise of sacerdotal celibacy… To the Gnostic…, ‘marriage and generation are from Satan… marriage [was pronounced] to be corruption and fornication.’… To these we must add the influence of the religion of Isis and the worship of Mithra… both of which were wide-spread throughout the Roman Empire and had a powerful following in the 1st and 2nd century. The former had its… tonsured men and women–emblematic of a higher purity. The latter had its grades of initiation and its companies of ascetics and virgins… Catholic Christians were not to be outdone by heretics and heathens in self-renunciation… the outcome was inevitable. The highest type of Christian was the celibate… Christian teachers praised virginity, and marriage came to be in their eyes only a secondary good for those who were unable to preserve continence… [Ultimately,] superiority of virginity or celibacy to the marital state [had become Catholic Church doctrine]. Anathemas [being accursed from Christ] were pronounced on all who held to the contrary. This remains the law of the Roman Catholic Church…”

As we can see, the Catholic Church came to teach mandatory celibacy for their priests in direct or indirect consequence of Gnostic teachings and the worship of Isis and Mithra. This teaching was not derived from Scripture. On the other hand, Protestants have mostly rejected the concept of compulsory celibacy. Hastings continues to explain, on page 275:

“The Protestants vigorously denounced clerical celibacy… Luther, as early as 1520, advocated allowing pastors their freedom in the matter, and denounced compulsory celibacy as the work of the devil… he said that the celibacy of the clergy was ‘a popish innovation against the eternal word of God’… Calvin… denounced the ‘vile celibacy’ of the priests and the interdiction of marriage to priests as contrary to the word of God and to all justice… Ulrich Zwingli… condemn[ed] vows of chastity… [The] Anglican Church… asserts that ‘Bishops, Priests, and Deacons are not commanded by God’s Law either to vow the state of single life or to abstain from marriage: therefore it is lawful for them, as for all other Christian men, to marry at their own discretion, as they shall judge…’

“The attitude of Protestants and Catholics has remained practically unchanged to the present time, and the subject is unlikely to be touched UNLESS A PROPOSAL FOR UNION BE MADE” (emphasis added).

As the fruits have shown over the centuries, coerced celibacy is a very bad concept. Some who wanted to become Catholic priests and were forced, as a consequence, to take the vow of celibacy, have either been having their “affairs” with unmarried women, including nuns or their “housekeepers,” or they have been having homosexual relationships, sometimes even with minors and altar boys. Human regulations and man-made restrictions, which go beyond or contradict the Word of God, bring forth unnecessary and avoidable pain and suffering. Compulsory mandatory celibacy is one of those wrong concepts, which is clearly not taught in the Bible.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

A new StandingWatch program (#163) has been posted on StandingWatch, Google Video and YouTube. It is titled, “Where Do Evil and Strife Come From?” In the program, Norbert Link asks the questions why is it so difficult for man to live in peace with his neighbor? Why is there so much violence and war in the world? Did God create man with an evil human nature? Are we incapable of doing good and overcoming evil? The Bible gives us answers to all of these questions, but are we willing to believe God and do what He says?

A new member letter by the ministry was written and sent out via mail. The letter gives a report of our conference and raises important questions regarding the Passover season and the Work of God.

On April 5, 2008, Brian Gale will give the sermon.

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 12:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

God told Joshua in Joshua 1:6-7 to be “strong and of good courage.” Being physically strong gives us physical courage. More importantly, spiritual strength gives us spiritual courage and encouragement. We know that when our ways please God, He backs us up and gives us needed spiritual strength to fulfill our individual responsibilities.

The reason we can have the assurance of God’s help is that God promises never to leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). This is the same promise He made to Joshua in Joshua 1:5: “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor FORSAKE you.” This means, through thick and thin–in good times and in bad times. In that we can have confidence!

The other side of the coin is this: When we are weak physically or spiritually, we can easily get discouraged. And then, we can become targets for our adversary–Satan the devil–to influence our thinking and thereby affecting the way we conduct ourselves.

How can we, as God’s people, remain on the strong and encouraging side of the coin? One way is to follow the admonition in 1 Peter 5:6-7, to humble ourselves under the MIGHTY hand of God and to cast ALL (not some of) our care upon Him, KNOWING that He CARES for us.

If we can bear this truth in mind in the face of trials and adversity, we will strengthen our resolve not to get discouraged, but rather, to remain powerful in the LORD.

As long as we are strong and of good courage, doing His Will in our lives, we can be assured of the fulfillment of God’s promise never to leave us nor to forsake us–because He cares for us and our potential to be in His Kingdom. He has an “investment” in us, so to speak. So let us “pay” God “back” for His goodness, by making sure that we remain faithful, hopeful and confident–being strong and of good courage.

Merkel Not to Attend Olympics–At Odds With Brown

The Guardian wrote on March 29:

“The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, yesterday became the first world leader to decide not to attend the Olympics in Beijing. As pressure built for concerted western protests to China over the crackdown in Tibet, EU leaders prepared to discuss the crisis for the first time today, amid a rift over whether to boycott the Olympics. The disclosure that Germany is to stay away from the games’ opening ceremonies in August could encourage President Nicolas Sarkozy of France to join in a gesture of defiance and complicate Gordon Brown’s determination to attend the Olympics.

“Donald Tusk, Poland’s prime minister, became the first EU head of government to announce a boycott on Thursday and he was promptly joined by President Václav Klaus of the Czech Republic, who had previously promised to travel to Beijing… Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Germany’s foreign minister, confirmed that Merkel was staying away. He added that neither he nor Wolfgang Schäuble, the interior minister responsible for sport, would attend the opening ceremony.

“Hans-Gert Pöttering, the politician from Merkel’s Christian Democratic party who chairs the European parliament, encouraged talk of an Olympic boycott this week and invited the Dalai Lama to address the chamber in Strasbourg… ‘I cannot imagine German politicians attending the opening or closing ceremonies [if the Tibetan crackdown continued],’ he said. Merkel enraged the Chinese leadership a few months ago by receiving the Dalai Lama in Berlin for private talks. Brown is to meet the Tibetan spiritual leader when he visits Britain in May, but is determined to be in Beijing…”

Germany and USA At Odds

Der Spiegel Online wrote on March 28:

“US President George W. Bush wants to bring more Eastern European countries into the military alliance at the upcoming NATO summit. But Germany is thwarting his plans, because of concerns about Ukraine and Georgia — and in deference to Russia.

“German objections dominate the debate over NATO expansion in the final days leading up the military alliance’s summit meeting in the Romanian capital Bucharest. James Goldgeier, a member of the National Security Council in the administration of former US President Bill Clinton, told SPIEGEL ONLINE: ‘I am amazed at how openly the current differences between Berlin and Washington are being aired. In February it was the German role in Afghanistan. Now it’s about the issue of NATO expansion, in which Germany quite openly orchestrated the resistance to Ukraine and Georgia. This is relatively unusual in advance of this sort of summit.’

“Goldgeier’s words ring especially true when one considers the importance of the issue for the Bush administration. NATO expansion is one of the few strategies it took over almost seamlessly from the Clinton administration. ‘Bush absolutely wanted to get the acceptance process for Georgia and Ukraine underway in Bucharest,’ says Goldgeier…”

These developments are quite interesting in light of Biblical prophecy. For more information, please read our free booklets, “Europe in Prophecy” and “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

Not All Happy at NATO Summit–and Germany Prevails Against the USA

Der Spiegel Online wrote on April 3:

“A disappointed Macedonia warned Thursday that its failure to join NATO could lead to instability in the region. While Ukraine and Georgia were also rejected, the two countries welcomed the pledge that they would one day be part of the alliance.”

The article continued:

“A dejected Macedonian delegation walked out of the NATO summit in Bucharest after Greece succeeded in vetoing Macedonia’s membership bid on Thursday… Macedonian Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki told reporters that 90 percent of his people supported membership and that he and his officials needed to show their solidarity with their people. ‘Macedonia’s delegation will leave the summit because they see it as necessary to being together with our people today. This is a difficult time for a small nation.’…

“Two other failed bids for NATO membership ended on a happier note on Thursday. Although NATO refused to grant Ukraine and Georgia a so-called Membership Action Plan (MAP), the alliance held out the prospect that the two countries would become members one day in the future and promised to review their progress in December… Germany and France had blocked giving the two countries MAP status now, despite fierce pressure from Washington, arguing that neither met NATO’s criteria. Public support for membership in Ukraine is barely 30 percent, while Georgia is locked in a conflict with separatists in two of its provinces…”

In a related article, Der Spiegel Online commented on April 3 on the German-French successful strategy to defeat President Bush. The magazine stated:

“The first day of the NATO summit saw France and Germany combine forces to thwart the membership ambitions of Ukraine and Georgia. They stood firm in their opposition despite the mounting pressure from US President George W. Bush to admit the two former Soviet republics… US President George W. Bush suffered a first setback when he failed to persuade the alliance to open the door to Ukraine and Georgia for membership. France and Germany stood firm in their opposition…”

More Trouble Between USA and Germany Over Afghanistan

Der Spiegel Online wrote on April 3:

“Earlier this week, it seemed as though US President Bush [was] softening his tone regarding Germany’s presence in Afghanistan. Now, though, it seems that such hopes might have been premature.”

The article continued:

“Often a major thorn in Germany’s side for his demands that Berlin take on a greater combat role in Afghanistan, Bush’s tone in a recent interview with German daily Die Welt had seemed full of comprehension for the political difficulties facing Chancellor Angela Merkel. In the interview, he indicated he would no longer ask Berlin to send combat troops to the more dangerous southern part of Afghanistan. The US President said he recognized that the German people, and by extension the German parliament, would be unable to stomach such a demand…

“But on Wednesday morning the joy about this new tone from Bush was revealed as being premature… The alliance would have to ‘maintain its resolve and finish the fight,’ Bush said. And then he repeated his old line: ‘We expect our NATO allies to shoulder the burden necessary to succeed.’… There he was again, the old Bush, the one who wants more engagement from the Europeans — and from Germany. And more clearly than ever, Bush also demanded that a tough line be taken against Iran and Syria. He was also uncompromising in his insistence that Ukraine and Georgia be promised membership of the NATO club…

“When it comes to Afghanistan, there is no denying the US has a strong argument. The US, Great Britain, Canada and Australia are providing around 60 percent of the 43,000 ISAF soldiers in Afghanistan. And they have suffered a disproportionate number of casualties since the fighting started in 2001. While those countries stationed in the south and east of the country have lost around 650 troops, the other nations, including Germany in the north, have only lost 115…

“It is clear that Berlin’s hopes for an end to the debate were naive. Even if it were true that Bush had grown tired of the discussion with Berlin and had simply given up, all of his potential successors — both Democrats and Republican — have made it clear that when it comes to the demands for more Europeans to go to the frontline in Afghanistan, there will be continuity in Washington… German commanders have dropped their opposition to taking part in operations in the western or eastern parts of the country, should the need arise…

“The position of Supreme Allied Commander Europe… will soon need to be filled. The new man set to take over this extremely important strategic position is the current top commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus. That’s not exactly a signal from Washington that it intends to end its aggressive line in Afghanistan.”

NATO Endorses Missile Defense System for Europe

The Associated Press reported on April 3:

“President Bush won NATO’s endorsement Thursday for his plan to build a missile defense system in Europe over Russian objections. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called it a ‘breakthrough agreement’ for the military alliance. ‘Now it is clearly understood in the alliance that the challenges of the 21st century, the threats of the 21st century, make it necessary to have missile defense that can defend the countries of Europe,’ Rice told reporters at the NATO summit. Progress on missile defense represented perhaps the biggest boon to Bush from the NATO summit. Russia has fiercely opposed it.”

AFP added on April 3:

“The United States and the Czech Republic said they reached agreement Thursday on the stationing in the Czech Republic of a US missile defense radar strongly opposed by Russia. ‘This legally-binding agreement calls for the stationing of a US radar in the Czech Republic to track ballistic missiles,’ they said in a joint communique… The US plan calls for deploying 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and a targeting radar in the Czech Republic by 2012 in response to what Washington says is a growing ballistic missile threat from Iran… NATO leaders agreed that the proliferation of ballistic missiles [poses] a threat…”

Coming–Worldwide Disaster for Banks

Der Spiegel Online wrote on March 29:

“For months, experts have been wondering just how bad the ongoing finance crisis might turn out to be. Now, Germany’s Federal Financial Services Authority, known as BaFin, thinks it has the answer… an internal BaFin report says that shortfalls at finance institutions worldwide could end up totalling $600 billion (€380 billion). The shortfall comes as a result of ill-advised speculation on the US subprime market and resulting jitters in markets worldwide. BaFin says that its prognosis is merely a worst-case scenario. ‘Given what we know about the current situation on the markets, we presume that a total of $430 billion is more probable,’ the 16-page report says.

“The paper also lists losses that have already been admitted to by various credit institutions: a total of $295 billion. Some 10 percent of those shortfalls are accounted for by German banks. Should that share of the damage remain constant, German banks can expect losses to be as high as $60 billion. BaFin experts fear that the finance crisis will spread to other sectors of the economy. The turbulence could hit ‘other financial institutions outside of the banking sector,’ the paper says. The report lists hedge funds, insurance companies and retirement funds as being at risk.”

“USA 2008: The Great Depression”

The Independent wrote on April 1:

“Startling official statistics show that as a new economic recession stalks the United States, a record number of Americans will shortly be depending on food stamps just to feed themselves and their families. Dismal projections by the Congressional Budget Office in Washington suggest that in the fiscal year starting in October, 28 million people in the US will be using government food stamps to buy essential groceries, the highest level since the food assistance programme was introduced in the 1960s… Emblematic of the downturn until now has been the parades of houses seized in foreclosure all across the country, and myriad families separated from their homes. But now the crisis is starting to hit the country in its gut. Getting food on the table is a challenge many Americans are finding harder to meet…

“Michigan has been in its own mini-recession for years as its collapsing industrial base, particularly in the car industry, has cast more and more out of work. Now, one in eight residents of the state is on food stamps, double the level in 2000… At least six states, including Florida, Arizona and Maryland, have had a 10 per cent increase in the past year. In Rhode Island, the segment of the population on food stamps has risen by 18 per cent in two years.”

“Why Americans Never Vote For What They Really Want”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on April 2:

“American voters are a contradictory bunch: They say they want social welfare, but don’t want to pay for it. They claim they are left-leaning, but vote for center-right candidates. Only candidates who can appeal to both sides stand a chance… America is divided, but not just into North and South, black and white, poor and rich. The two Americas appearing on the pollsters’ radar screens lie close together in the political brain of the individual voter. The findings are clear: the desires of American citizens contradict their fundamental convictions.

“The overwhelming majority of Americans are troubled by the social injustices in their country. They dream of a nation in which bridges do not collapse and with a school system in which drug dealers are not the main authority figures. No one doubts that, politically at least, they want to see these shortcomings corrected… When it comes to putting these ideas into practice, Americans quickly lose their wistful gazes…

“Voters come up with… schizophrenic responses when asked about the Iraq war. The majority believes that the invasion of Iraq was a mistake, but that the United States is a safer place today than it was then. The majority of citizens favors withdrawal, but is convinced, or at least considers it likely, that the United States will still win the war first…

“…  What a sharp contrast with the European way of thinking. When the government announces new benefits for citizens, the typical European thinks: ‘I’m getting something new.’ But the average American thinks: ‘It’s going to cost me something.’… One would think that voters would eventually have to make a decision, at least by election day. But even that isn’t quite true. Although Americans will elect only one candidate, they will want it to be the one who embodies both personalities. Ideally, the winning candidate will combine idealism and fundamental conviction… This explains why campaign advisors always make sure that their respective presidential candidates are ready to use soft words and reach out to the other side.”

EU Membership Is Costing British Taxpayers £6 Billion

The Daily Mail wrote on March 29:

“The bill to British taxpayers for EU membership is expected to almost double next year to £6.1billion, according to figures buried in the Budget. This year, Britain will pay £4.1billion net to the EU – £800million more than the £3.3billion forecast by the Treasury. The difference would have been enough to pay the salaries this year of nearly 32,000 nurses, 8,000 doctors or 28,800 soldiers, or to cut taxes by £25.31 per taxpayer… This year’s increase has been caused by extra demands for funding by new EU members, including Bulgaria and Romania. But the figures show how Britain’s contribution to the EU budget will continue to shoot up as the Government’s surrender in 2005 of billions of pounds of rebate payments begins to bite. Margaret Thatcher won the rebate in 1984.

“Shadow Europe Minister Mark Francois said: ‘These figures show how Britain is paying more and more to the EU while our taxes are going up and our public finances are in a mess. We can now see just how damaging Gordon Brown’s cave-in was when he gave away £7billion of Britain’s rebate in return for nothing at all. Brown isn’t getting Britain value for money in the EU. He’s ramming through the renamed EU Constitution without the promised referendum. Gordon Brown has failed to stand up for Britain in Europe.'”

“Implementation of Biofuels Plan a Disaster”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on April 3:

“Germany wanted to lead the way in the use of bioethanol on its roads… Germany’s enthusiasm for biofuels is in question this week after estimates were released that well over a million vehicles on German roads would be unable to run on gasoline containing a higher mixture of bioethanol. Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel had planned to introduce a requirement that gasoline sold in Germany contain 10 percent green ethanol made from plants, a mixture known as E-10. But he said in an interview with the Stuttgarter Nachrichten that, should more than 1 million vehicles be unable to run on the higher mixture, the regulation would be abandoned… The German automobile club ADAC on Wednesday responded by claiming that up to three million cars would be unable to run on E-10. The group demanded that Gabriel’s plans be abandoned immediately. Germany’s Association of Automobile Importers on Thursday threw its hat into the ring as well, claiming that over 1 million vehicles would be affected…

“But not everyone is so sure of the new numbers. Until now, Gabriel’s ministry had assumed that the number of cars affected would be closer to 375,000… The plan, championed by Chancellor Angela Merkel, would cut emissions 40 percent by 2020 at a cost of €3.3 billion ($5.2 billion)… German dailies on Thursday take a look at the impending debacle.

“The Financial Times Deutschland writes: ‘What the federal government and special interest groups once thought was a win-win strategy, hasn’t done so well in the court of public opinion recently. After the sweeping euphoria accompanying climate protection last year, this and other recent projects show that the devil is in the details. Voters get angry when they are asked to bear the brunt of additional costs. A year and a half before the next federal election, promoting climate protection at any cost has become too great of a political risk.’… The left-leaning Berliner Zeitung writes: ‘The idea was a good one, but its implementation was a disaster…'”

Muslims More Numerous Than Catholics

Reuters reported on March 30:

“Islam has overtaken Roman Catholicism as the biggest single religious denomination in the world, the Vatican said on Sunday… Muslims made up 19.2 percent of the world’s population and Catholics 17.4 percent…[The Vatican said] that if all Christian groups were considered, including Orthodox churches, Anglicans and Protestants, then Christians made up 33 percent of the world’s population — or about 2 billion people. The Vatican recently put the number of Catholics in the world at 1.13 billion people. It did not provide a figure for Muslims, generally estimated at around 1.3 billion.”

One Great World Religion Coming?

CNA wrote on March 28:

“A proposal for religious dialogue presented by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has prompted warm reactions from several Jewish, Christian, and Muslim leaders in what could be a major development in inter-religious relations, the Associated Press reports. ‘The idea is to ask representatives of all monotheistic religions to sit together with their brothers in faith and sincerity to all religions as we all believe in the same God,’ King Abdullah said Monday night…

“King Abdullah said he presented the idea to Pope Benedict XVI when he visited the Vatican in November of last year.  Saying the Pope had ‘warmly welcomed’ him in ‘a meeting of a human to a human which I would never forget,’ the king said he aimed ‘to seek the consent of Allah according to what he ordered in the religions: the Torah, Bible and Quran.’… The king said he planned to hold conferences to learn the opinion of Muslims from other parts of the world, after which he would meet with ‘our brothers’ in Christianity and Judaism ‘so we can agree on something that guarantees the preservation of humanity against those who tamper with ethics, family systems and honesty.’

“Specifics of the proposal remained unclear, such as whether Israelis could take part in the initiative and whether restrictions on religious freedom in Saudi Arabia could be relaxed.  The kingdom bans non-Muslim worship services and objects of veneration from other religions, including crosses and Bibles. Under Saudi law, the conversion of a Muslim to another religion is punishable by death.”

In a related article, CBS wrote on April 3, under the headline: “Pope To Visit NYC Synagogue For Passover”:

“Pope Benedict XVI will visit a synagogue led by a rabbi who survived the Holocaust during his first papal trip to the United States, the nation’s bishops said Thursday. Benedict’s visit will be just the third visit by any pope to a synagogue in the 2,000 year history of the Roman Catholic Church. It is this second visit to a synagogue as pontiff… Separately, the pope has scheduled a meeting with Jewish leaders and representatives of other faiths for April 17 in Washington… Benedict will address the U.N. the morning of April 18…

“The pope has been reaching out to Jews, following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II. Some tensions arose recently over a Good Friday prayer the pope revived from the old Latin rite that had historically been used as an excuse for violence and discrimination against Jews. Benedict revised the prayer to address Jewish fears, but some Jewish leaders worried that the changes did not go far enough. Benedict is visiting the United States for the first time as pontiff from April 15-20, with stops in just two cities, Washington and New York. He will meet with President Bush at the White House, address the presidents of Roman Catholic colleges and universities, and hold Masses at Nationals Park and Yankee Stadium.”

Human-Animal Embryos

BBC News reported on April 1:

“Scientists at Newcastle University have created part-human, part-animal hybrid embryos for the first time in the UK, the BBC can reveal. The embryos survived for up to three days and are part of medical research into a range of illnesses… The Catholic Church describes it as ‘monstrous’. But medical bodies and patient groups say such research is vital for our understanding of disease… [The embryos] were created by injecting DNA derived from human skin cells into eggs taken from cows ovaries which have had virtually all their genetic material removed.”

Times On Line added on April 2:

“The admixed embryos created by the Newcastle group are of a kind known as cytoplasmic hybrids, or cybrids, which are made by placing the nucleus from a human cell into an animal egg that has had its nucleus removed… The ultimate aim is to grow these for six days, and then to extract embryonic stem cells for use in research… It is already illegal to culture human-animal embryos for more than 14 days, or to implant them in the womb of a woman or animal, and these prohibitions will remain in the new legislation.”

California Homeschooling Development

The California Catholic Daily reported the following on March 26:

“The following is an announcement from the Virginia-based Home School Legal Defense Association. On March 25, the California Court of Appeal granted a motion for rehearing in the In re Rachel L. case—the controversial decision which purported to ban all homeschooling in that state unless the parents held a teaching license qualifying them to teach in public schools. The automatic effect of granting this motion is that the prior opinion is vacated and is no longer binding on any one, including the parties in the case.”

This is not necessarily correct, as worded. To grant a motion for rehearing just means, without more, that the prior decision may have been STAYED–not vacated–if so decided by the Court, pending the outcome of the new trial.

The apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 11:23-24: “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He BROKE it and said, ‘Take, eat; this is [meaning “represents”] My body which is BROKEN for you; do this in remembrance of Me.'”

John 19:31-37 reports that at the time of Christ’s crucifixion, a soldier pierced His side with a spear and killed Him. When other soldiers came to break the legs of Christ and the two robbers, they noticed that Christ had already died. Therefore, they did not break His legs. Verse 36 informs us that “these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, ‘Not one of His bones shall be broken.'”

It is important that we realize the different words used in the Greek for the English word, “broken.” In John 19:36, the Greek word for “broken” [in the phrase, “Not one of His bones shall be broken”] is “suntribomai,” meaning “to be wholly broken.” Also, when we read that the soldiers came to break the legs of the crucified victims (in verses 32 and 33), the word is “katagnumi,” meaning “to break down.”

However, the word for Christ’s “broken” body, in 1 Corinthians 11:24, is “klaomai,” which is derived from the word “klao,” (just meaning, “to break”). “Klao” is also used in 1 Corinthians 11:24 (“He broke” the bread), and in 1 Corinthians 10:16 (“The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?”).

The use of different Greek words shows that there is no contradiction. Even though Christ’s bones were not wholly broken or broken down, His body was clearly “broken” for us, which is signified by the “broken” Passover bread.

John Gill’s Exposition to the Entire Bible points out:

“… for though a bone of him was not broken… his skin and flesh were torn and broken by blows with rods and fists, by whippings and scourgings, by thorns, nails, and spear…”

Some claim that the word “broken” in 1 Corinthians 11:24, referring to Christ’s broken body, is not contained in some old manuscripts, but even they admit that it needs to be supplied, in context with the broken bread. For instance, Jamieson, Fausset and Brown state: “The oldest manuscripts omit ‘broken,’ leaving it to be supplied from ‘brake.'” Others add the word “given” instead of “broken,” but this seems to be insufficient when analyzing the context: Christ did BREAK the bread and then gave it to the disciples, explaining that the BROKEN bread symbolized His body.

In any event, old Greek manuscripts DO include the word “broken” in 1 Corinthians 11:24, when referring to Christ’s body, and the Authorized Version, which is based on the so-called “textus receptus,” does include it in its translation. It is also included in the Greek Text of Stephens [or Stephanus], together with the Interlinear Literal Translation.

The broken Passover bread has tremendous symbolic meaning for us today. As we explain in our booklet, “The Meaning of God’s Spring Holy Days“:

“The bread which Christ ate, and which He wanted His disciples to partake of, was unleavened bread, symbolizing Christ’s sinless life. When Christ broke the unleavened bread and handed it to the disciples to eat, it foreshadowed the pain and suffering He would have to endure, being beaten and pierced with a [spear] at the cross. THE BROKEN BREAD includes healing from physical pain, sickness and injury (Isaiah 53:4–5; Psalm 103:1–3; Matthew 8:16–17).

“In addition, the broken bread symbolizes spiritual healing or reconciliation with God, as man’s sins separate him from the Father (1 Peter 2:21–25; Colossians 1:19–22). Man must also be spiritually reconciled or ‘healed’ with each other. If we devour each other (Galatians 5:14–15), we can’t expect to receive physical healing from God.

“We must pray fervently, in faith, for our physical healing, calling for the elders of the Church to be anointed, while at the same time asking for forgiveness of our transgressions and sins against God and against each other that might have caused or contributed to our physical sickness (James 5:14–16).”

When we pray for God’s healing for our sicknesses, we are to remember Christ’s broken body and the excruciating suffering and pain He endured on our behalf. It is through the Sacrifice of Christ’s broken body that we can obtain physical healing from our sicknesses and injuries. Isaiah 53:4-5 tells us, in the Jewish Tanakh translation:

“Yet it was our sickness that he was bearing, Our suffering that he endured. We accounted him plagued, Smitten and afflicted by God; But he was wounded because of our sins, Crushed because of our iniquities. He bore the chastisement that made us whole, And by his bruises we were healed.”

The margin of the New King James Bible clarifies that the meaning for “wounded” is “pierced through,” and the “bruises” or “stripes” describe “blows that cut in.” We were and are healed by Christ’s “stripes”–when He was scourged or flogged with a Roman scourge (possibly TWICE), and when He endured the pain inflicted upon Him through thorns, brutal blows on the head, nails and the piercing spear of the Roman soldier (John 19:1; Matthew 27:26, 29-30; John 20:25; compare too Isaiah 50:6). For more information on the terrible events of Christ’s suffering and crucifixion, please read our free booklet, “Jesus Christ–A Great Mystery.”

We must never forget, or be indifferent or negligent about the fact, that Christ allowed His body to be broken FOR US–for the healing of OUR sicknesses and infirmities.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

We want to thank all of you for your prayers for a successful conference, which ended Wednesday, April 2. Your prayers were surely answered, and Norbert Link will give a report during services on this Sabbath, April 5. A pre-Passover member letter, including a detailed report on the conference, is being prepared.

On March 29, 2008, Rene Messier will give the sermon, titled, “Hierarchical Government.”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 12:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

On Friday, March 28, we will begin our week-long annual conference. We have been asking you to pray for its success. But how should you pray, exactly? Which petitions, in particular, should you include in your daily prayers?

Jesus Christ asked us to pray for the soon-coming Kingdom, and that God’s Will be done on earth (Matthew 6:10). He also reminded us to ask the Father for our daily bread (Matthew 6:11); that is, for our daily physical and spiritual needs. We understand that God’s Kingdom will NOT come, unless it is proclaimed first in all the world as a witness (Matthew 24:14), and unless the Bride of Christ–His Church–has made herself ready (Revelation 19:7; 2 Peter 3:9). If we want to be useful tools in God’s Work, we MUST strive to overcome our weaknesses and sins. Since God has assigned to us the task of participating in His great and awesome endeavor–His two-fold commission for the Church–here are some areas to include in your daily prayer for a successful conference:

— Pray for God’s guidance and revelation of His Will regarding current and new projects of the Church–to provide open doors for us to preach the gospel (1 Corinthians 16:9; 2 Corinthians 2:12). For instance, we are going to discuss ways to produce German video and French audio programs, as well as placing our English video programs with additional Internet providers. We will also discuss new advertisement projects, and how to become more known and effective, in general, by and for our present and future readership and audience. All of this will require God’s direction to make right decisions in this regard, as well as much time and additional laborers.

— Pray for God’s guidance in deciding which new booklets and other literature should be produced in 2008, to help our fellow-man to understand and grow in the Truth of God.

— Pray that God shows us how to spend wisely His money, which He has entrusted to us. What new equipment needs to be bought in furtherance of the preaching of the gospel and feeding the flock? What other expenses will be necessary or expedient to fulfill God’s commission? As we said at the outset of establishing the Church of the Eternal God, we will not go into debt. We will not commit to or “spend” money which God has not yet given us. We trust that God will give us our daily bread–including our needs for doing the Work and feeding the flock in accordance with His Will (compare Matthew 10:7-10; 1 Timothy 5:17-18; 1 Corinthians 9:14).

— Pray for the financial blessing of the Work and that God will send laborers into His harvest (Matthew 9:37-38), so that we can carry out endeavored projects, according to God’s Will. This would include praying for physical blessings for our members and co-workers; for the securing and maintaining of good jobs; and for their healing or protection from sickness, which could prevent some of becoming or staying gainfully employed. At the same time, pray to God to provide His Work with more co-workers, and to impress on His people the need to be faithful in regular tithes and offerings (Malachi 3:8-10; Leviticus 27:30). Pray to God to bless the annual Holy Day offerings, which are to be given seven times a year, commencing with two Holy Days during the Days of Unleavened Bread, which will be observed shortly after the conference (Please review our booklet, “The Meaning of God’s Fall Holy Days,” on pages 58-60).

–Pray that our discussions and implementation of Feast site preparations for the Feast of Tabernacles 2008 in the USA will be successful, and that God will clearly show and provide us with the location where HE wants HIS name to be placed for us (Deuteronomy 12:5).

— Pray for God’s Wisdom as to how to deal with other Church organizations within the Body of Christ, as well as how to deal administratively with problems which might arise within our own fellowships.

— And finally, please pray that God will give all of us, whom He has called in this day and age, the unwavering zeal and enthusiasm for His Work (compare John 2:17; Revelation 3:19)–the most important task ANYONE could be engaged in–to announce the soon-coming end of this present terrible and EVIL world, and a so much better world to come. God has promised us that He will provide us with what we NEED (Philippians 4:19)–individually and collectively–when we SEEK Him and HIS righteousness FIRST (Matthew 6:31-34). We can absolutely trust in His promise–because God CANNOT lie (Titus 1:2)–as long as WE do our part.

So please, stay involved! Pray daily for a successful conference. There is so much to pray about. You might think of additional areas, which are not mentioned in this Editorial. Just make your requests known to God on high (Philippians 4:6)–and God, in accordance with His Will, has promised to grant us the desires of our hearts, if we fully believe Him, without doubting (1 John 5:14-15; James 1:6-7).

The Pope Angers Jews–But the Real Issue Is Overlooked

Deutsche Welle reported on March 23:

“German Jews accused the pope Thursday of allowing anti-Semitic sentiment to fester in the Catholic Church by refusing to abolish the disputed ‘Prayer for the Jews’ in the Latin mass for Good Friday… Berlin rabbi Walter Homolka said Jews found its message deeply offensive… Homolka has joined some 1,600 other rabbis around the world in formally protesting against the prayer. But he said their calls have fallen on deaf ears at the Vatican…

“The old prayer calls on God to ‘remove the veil from [the] hearts’ of the Jews and to end ‘the blindness of that people that acknowledging the light of thy truth, which is Christ, they may be delivered from their darkness.’ A new version published last month removes any reference to the veil or the allusion to blindness but does retain the call for conversion, asking God to ‘illuminate their hearts, that (they) acknowledge Jesus Christ is the savior of all men.’… The vice president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Salomon Korn, told the daily Frankfurter Rundschau that Jews expected more sensitivity from a German pope due to the country’s Nazi past.”

On March 21, Der Spiegel Online published an interview with rabbi Homolka, who stated the following:

“It is insulting to Jews that the Catholic Church, in the context of Good Friday of all things, is once again praying for the illumination of the Jews, so that we can acknowledge Jesus as the savior… Given the weight of responsibility that the Catholic Church has acquired in its history with Judaism, most recently during the Third Reich, this is completely inappropriate and must be rejected to the utmost degree… He [the pope] indicates that he believes that the path to salvation, even for Jews, can only go through Jesus, the savior. This opens the floodgates for the conversion of Jews… The Catholic Church does not have its anti-Semitic tendencies under control… [This is] a theological statement that Jews cannot help but perceive as aggressive and crass.

“… any approach to the possibility of a mission by the Church to convert Jews is essentially a hostile act — a continuation, on a different level, of Hitler’s crimes against the Jews. These are strong but honest words… the controversial Good Friday Prayer completely ignores the unique status of the Jews as God’s chosen people. God called us Jews to be a ‘light for the nations,’ so we certainly do not require illumination by the Catholic Church. The younger sister has clearly struck the wrong chord here… Jesus put forward his arguments within the context of an internal Jewish dialogue. What the Church turned this into was something completely different. It made Jesus the rabbi into a deity. On top of that, it claims that the crucifixion of this rabbi is relevant to my personal salvation. Such teachings would have been news to Jesus.

“… a collective expectation of Judaism to acknowledge Jesus as savior is a heavy imposition… Good Friday this year will be a black day in relations between Jews and Catholics… Relations between the Catholic Church and the Jewish community suddenly face a crucial test of the sort that hasn’t been seen in decades.”

These comments are quite interesting for several reasons:

It cannot be denied that the Catholic Church has pursued in the past a course of violent persecution of all those who refused to convert to their belief system–refusing to turn to the “Virgin Mary” or any other of the Catholic doctrines, including the belief in a Trinity, an immortal soul, purgatory or an ever-burning hell fire, or the belief that the righteous go to heaven when they die.  None of these concepts are taught in Scripture, and a refusal to accept those was and is clearly justified. Martin Luther did not fare much better, when he wrote polemic anti-Semitic tirades, which he directed against Jews and all those who keep the Sabbath. It is therefore understandable that the Jewish community looks with great suspicion at a Catholic prayer which brings back to mind the terrible times of persecution–not just during the Nazi era, but also, for example, the Spanish Inquisition.

On the other hand, it must not be overlooked that the Bible teaches that there is NO OTHER WAY to salvation than through Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). Jesus Himself declared that He was the ONLY way to God the Father (John 14:6; 10:7-9, 26-28). The Bible does not justify those who reject Jesus as their personal Savior, warning instead that we cannot inherit salvation through any other “god” or human savior (compare Matthew 24:24). Certainly, the way to God does not require membership within the Catholic Church–but it does not allow for rejection of the true Jesus of the Bible, either. For Scriptural references, please note Romans 11:7-10, 25; 1 Corinthians 1:22-23; Luke 2:34; Luke 19:12-14; John 1:11.

For more information on the crucial role of Jesus Christ for man’s salvation, please read our free booklet, “Jesus Christ–A Great Mystery.”

German Jews Sue Google and YouTube

Der Spiegel Online wrote on March 21:

“The Central Council of Jews in Germany on Thursday requested that a Hamburg court issue a cease-and-desist order against Google for disseminating what it claims are anti-Semitic videos that incite ‘racial hatred and discrimination’ on its YouTube Web site… ‘The radical right-wing scene is using YouTube, massively, as a platform,’ said Stephan Kramer, the general secretary of the Central Council of Jews, the umbrella organization of Germany’s Jewish communities. ‘We are accusing Google, with its YouTube video platform subsidiary of being an accomplice to inciting racial hatred and discrimination.’

“YouTube’s main line of defense against extremists videos is self-policing by its online community. If users spot an inappropriate video that has been uploaded by one of the service’s millions of users, they can report it with the click of a mouse. ‘These complaints are then handled by (YouTube) employees who have been trained to deal with them,’ said [Google Germany spokesman Kay] Oberbeck. Once a video has been banned, YouTube has technology that can identify it and prevent it from being uploaded again in the future.”

If THAT is YouTube’s main line of defense, then that defense will fail, as their technology does not prevent the upload of previously deleted videos. On the other hand, Google and YouTube are very careful not to allow anti-Semitic propaganda to be posted on their sites, and the claim that they are an “accomplice to inciting racial hatred and discrimination” appears overblown and legally flawed.

The Pope Angers Muslims

Reuters reported on March 24:

“The Easter baptism of an Italian Muslim [Egyptian-born journalist Magdi Allam] by Pope Benedict was a provocative act that raises questions about the Vatican’s approach to Islam, a leading participant in Christian-Muslim dialogue [Aref Ali Nayed] said on Monday… Commentators in Algeria and Morocco echoed Nayed’s view, saying Allam’s conversion was a personal affair but his attacks on Islam and his headline-grabbing baptism by the pope strained relations between Muslims and the Catholic Church…

“Mohamed Yatim, commentator for the Moroccan daily Attajdid, called the high-profile baptism ‘a new provocation for the Islamic world and part of a trend that has intensified in recent years with the caricatures of the Prophet’… The Saudi daily al-Watan reported the baptism on its front page and described Allam as someone who ‘worked tirelessly to attack Islam’ and was close to pro-Israel groups… Christophe Roucou, the French Catholic Church’s top official for relations with Islam, also questioned the publicity surrounding Allam’s conversion. ‘I don’t understand why he wasn’t baptized in his hometown by his local bishop,’ he said.”

Hybrid Human-Animal Embryos

Reuters reported on March 21:

“Research using hybrid human-animal embryos for experiments is ‘monstrous’ and should be banned, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland said on Friday… In an interview with BBC radio on Friday, he added: ‘This is Frankenstein science and it must be stopped.'”

The Daily Mail added on March 23:

“Gordon Brown is facing an unprecedented challenge to his authority over plans for embryo research. As many as 12 ministers could quit if ordered to back a Bill allowing the creation of part-human, part-animal embryos for medical research. The Prime Minister is determined to pass the legislation – which will also abolish the need for IVF clinics to consider a child’s need for a father and allow the creation of ‘saviour siblings’ to cure sick brothers and sisters…

“The Association of Medical Research Charities and the Genetic Interest Group, which between them represent more than 200 patient charities, said the research ‘could greatly increase our understanding of serious medical conditions affecting millions’. They said hybrid embryos – created using the ‘shell’ of an animal embryo with adult human DNA added – could help address a shortage of donated human embryos for research.”

The discussion continues and seems to escalate. As the Daily Mail reported on March 24:

“Fertility expert and television scientist Lord Robert Winston has accused senior members of the Catholic church of lying… [He] has told the Daily Telegraph: ‘[Scottish Cardinal Keith O’Brien’s] statements are lying. They are misleading and I’m afraid that when the Church, for good motives, tells untruths, it brings discredit upon itself.’…

“Today a leading Church of England bishop added his voice to those who describe the proposals as immoral. The Bishop of Lichfield…, Jonathan Gledhill, said: ‘It’s a very important part of our society and a very important part of the Christian faith that you should have respect for human embryos. If you stop obeying God you start to limit the rights of human beings and this is a case in point… A society has to be judged by the way that it treats its poorest and most vulnerable and weakest. And what can be weaker than an unborn child?… On all sides of this debate we abhor the treatment of patients, for instance, by the Nazis and we have decided not to permit cloning humans…'”

Britain’s Jaguar and Land Rover to Be Sold to New Indian Owners

The Daily Mail reported on March 26:

“Two of Britain’s most famous motoring marques – Jaguar and Land Rover – are set to be sold today to new Indian owners in a £1billion deal. The luxury British car-makers are being hived off by current American owners Ford to Indian industrial conglomerate TATA. The Indian giant… already owns Britain’s Tetley Tea and Corus steel-to-hotels conglomerate that already employs nearly 300,000 people in 85 counties… The ultimate automotive Indian take away also marks yet another sell-off of Britain’s automotive ‘crown jewels’. It follows MG and Rover being [sold] to the Chinese, Aston Martin to the Kuwaitis, Bentley to Germany’s Volkswagen and Rolls-Royce and the Mini to BMW.”

“The End of Britain as We Know It “

Christian Science Monitor reported on March 24:

“You might want to take that vacation in England just as soon as you can – before its 1,000-year run as a sovereign nation comes to an end. This winter, 27 nations of the European Union (EU) signed the Treaty of Lisbon… for England (Britain, actually) the Treaty of Lisbon isn’t that appetizing. That’s because, if ratified, it will become the decisive act in this creation of a federal European superstate with its capital in Brussels. Britain would become a province… And that’s no small humiliation for a country that gave the world English and saved Western civilization in the Battle of Britain in 1940.

“The Eurocrat elite in Brussels might not admit it, but the Treaty of Lisbon is essentially a constitution for a ‘country’ called Europe… But British resistance is stirring. In a recent series of minireferendums, almost 90 percent of voters gave the Lisbon Treaty an emphatic thumbs down and demanded a nationwide referendum.

“If all 27 nations ratify the treaty this year, it will begin to come into effect on Jan. 1, 2009. The British will then be expected to transfer loyalty and affection to the EU… With its flag, anthem, currency, institutions, regulations, and directives, the EU has long been indistinguishable from a nation-state-in-waiting. Now the Lisbon Treaty gives it those requisites of nationhood it’s always lacked: a president, a foreign minister (and diplomatic corps), a powerful new interior department, a public prosecutor and full treaty-making powers. Add to those its common system of criminal justice, an embryonic federal police force, and the faintly sinister-sounding European Gendarmerie Force, and what this union becomes is a monolithic state with great power pretensions. Most alarmingly, though, is that the Lisbon Treaty can be extended indefinitely without recourse to further treaties or referendums…

“… in 1961 the Anti-Common Market League had warned that signing the Treaty of Rome (which created the Common Market) ‘would mean a permanent, irrevocable loss of sovereignty and independence’ and that Britain’s affairs ‘would increasingly be administered by supranational bodies … instead of by our own elected representatives’… Perhaps only Queen Elizabeth II can rescue her realm from the baleful Treaty of Lisbon. She could veto it when it comes to her for royal assent and – sensationally – declare that she’s not prepared to see her proud, independent, liberty-loving country swallowed up by an arrogant, authoritarian, and unloved European superstate… This is about national survival.”

Update on American Presidential Elections

AFP reported on March 25:

“Democrat Hillary Clinton on Tuesday revived the row over the fiery racial rhetoric of Barack Obama’s former pastor, saying she, unlike her White House rival, would have left his church. Clinton’s decision to reignite the controversy came as she battled to shrug off her own embarrassment, after admitting that her claims that she dodged sniper fire during a trip to Bosnia in 1996 as first lady were untrue… The furor [surrounding Obama’s former pastor Jeremiah Wright] prompted Obama to give a landmark speech on racial reconciliation last week which appeared to quiet the storm. But Republican commentators denounced him for refusing to disown Wright, and the drama, which some analysts say could hurt Obama with working-class white voters, looks set to be a general election issue if he wins the nomination.”

AFP reported the following on March 26:

“Republican White House pick John McCain Wednesday broke with President George W. Bush on glaring disputes that soured relations with US allies, but said America had a moral duty to stay in Iraq. The Arizona senator grabbed the spotlight as the Democratic race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama took another negative lurch, while the former first lady vowed to fight on all the way to the party’s August convention.

“‘Our great power does not mean we can do whatever we want, whenever we want, nor should we assume we have all the wisdom and knowledge necessary to succeed,’ McCain said in a major foreign policy address here… ‘I detest war. It might be the worst thing to befall human beings, but it is wretched beyond all description,’ the former Vietnam prisoner of war said. ‘Whatever gains are secured, it is loss the veteran remembers. Only a fool or a fraud sentimentalizes the merciless reality of war,’ he told the Los Angeles World Affairs Council… ‘We have incurred a moral responsibility in Iraq. It would be an unconscionable act of betrayal, a stain on our character as a great nation, if we were to walk away from the Iraqi people,’ he said. Such a ‘premature’ and ‘irresponsible’ US exit would consign Iraqis to horrendous violence, ethnic cleansing and possibly genocide, McCain said…

“McCain, who endured torture in Vietnam, said he would close the Guantanamo Bay prison camp in Cuba, which has sparked outrage in Europe, and would outlaw torture and treat suspected terrorists humanely… ‘The bonds we share with Europe in terms of history, values and interests are unique. Americans should welcome the rise of a strong, confident European Union as we continue to support a strong NATO.’ Again with an eye on major European powers, McCain called for a successor to the Kyoto accord on climate change, and a cap-and-trade system to cut greenhouse gas emissions. McCain had harsh words for Moscow’s ‘nuclear blackmail or cyber attacks’ and he renewed his call for Russia to be ejected from the Group of Eight industrialized nations.”

Unfortunately, the “rise of a strong, confident European Union” is NOT good news for the USA and Britain. For more information, please read our free booklets, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America,” “Europe in Prophecy,” and “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”

Breach of Passport Files of All Three Presidential Candidates

ABC News reported on March 21:

“An embarrassed State Department admitted today that the passport files of all three presidential candidates — Sens. John McCain, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton — have been breached by its employees… In a rapid series of escalating admissions, State Department Secretary Condoleezza Rice called Obama to apologize. She then had to call Clinton to apologize as well. And by noon, the department held a news conference to concede that McCain’s personal file had also been improperly accessed… All three employees worked for private companies hired by the State Department… The passport files would provide basic information like birth dates and background on where candidates have traveled. But the files would also include sensitive information like Social Security numbers, which could be used to track down credit reports and other personal information…

“Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton issued a statement Thursday evening referring to the Obama revelation, saying, ‘This is an outrageous breach of security and privacy, even from an administration that has shown little regard for either over the last eight years. Our government’s duty is to protect the private information of the American people, not use it for political purposes.’…

“According to one official, such breaches have happened several times before with nonpolitical celebrities. On at least two other occasions during the last eight months, contractors were fired for accessing records of Hollywood celebrities, the official said.”

Constitutional Gun Rights With Restrictions?

The Christian Science Monitor wrote on March 21:

“During oral arguments March 18 on a historic case, a majority of the Supreme Court indicated it sees gun ownership as a right. Nonetheless, their ruling, due by July 1, will also likely restrain such a right… Just on its own, a ruling that… gives Americans the same inalienable right to gun ownership as to freedom of speech could send shock waves into the campaigns for president and Congress – campaigns that have largely dodged talk of gun limits up to now. In a country that sees an average of 80 gun deaths a day and, recently, mass killings by firearms almost once a year, this ruling probably won’t settle the debate.

“The nation has gnawed on the Second Amendment for two centuries with no clear-cut decision by the high court. Yet a majority of the justices may now claim historical clairvoyance on the framers’ intent regarding militias and gun ownership. And they may overreach for grammatical acuity into the amendment’s ambiguous, oddly punctuated wording. (‘A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.’)

“… Chief Justice John Roberts warned against an ‘all-encompassing’ ruling that would apply to every gun law. One reason for such hesitation may be a key argument from the National Rifle Association that an absolute gun right is necessary to allow citizens to rise up against a future ‘tyranny’ in this democracy. That threat of insurrection could even apply against a Supreme Court that denies a right to bear arms… The court might recall last year’s shootings at a Missouri city council by a man out to avenge the perceived wrongs of government. Five officials died. Recognizing an absolute right to guns could kill other rights and give freedom to deny other freedoms.

“The NRA has paid out nearly $20 million in campaign donations since 1990, and Democrats decided after the 2000 election that it’s better not to speak strongly for restraints on gun ownership… Right or no right, politicians are now more constrained by the political power of the NRA than the courts, but that may soon change…”

The U.S. Economy–HOW BAD Is It Really?

The Associated Press reported on March 23:

“For months, Americans have been subjected to a sort of economic water torture–a maddening drip of bad news about jobs, gas prices, sagging home values, creeping inflation, the slouching dollar and a stock market in bumpy descent. Then came Bear Stearns. One of the five largest U.S. investment banks nearly collapsed in a single day before the government propped it up by backing emergency loans and a rival stepped in to buy it for a paltry $2 per share.

“To the drumbeat of signs that seemed to foretell a traditional recession, this added a nightmarish specter… Americans are nervously wondering about retirement savings, interest rates, jobs that had seemed safe. They are surveying the economic landscape and asking: Just how bad is it? They are peering over the edge and asking: How far down? And the scariest part of all? No one can say for sure…

“By the end of 2007, 36 percent of consumers’ disposable income went to food, energy and medical care, a bigger chunk of income than at any time since records were first kept in 1960, according to Merrill Lynch… People are treating themselves less often. The National Restaurant Association says 54 percent of restaurants reported declining traffic in January, and the government says eating at home increased last year for the first time since 2001… Financial planners say that more than ever, parents are calling for advice on how to deal with grown children who have moved back in with Mom and Dad after losing a job or just to save money…

“On top of an economy that was already groaning under the weight of a downturn, Bear Stearns came down like an anvil. It tied together so much of what’s wrong with today’s economy–the housing crash, the credit crunch and a loss of confidence among investors and consumers alike…

“Nearly 9 million households now have upside-down mortgages, and for the first time ever, aggregate mortgage debt is bigger than the total value of homeowner equity–bigger by $836 billion… Nearly 90 percent of chief financial officers of global public companies don’t see an economic recovery coming until 2009…

“So what’s the way out?… Already, the Fed has slashed interest rates. It has cut the closely watched federal funds rate, the overnight lending rate for banks, six times since September, from 5.25 percent to 2.25 percent–two-thirds of the cut coming in the last two months alone. But the Fed can’t work alone. Upcoming tax rebates for millions of people and tax breaks for businesses may give a little relief, but economists think that something will have to be done soon to slow down the number of foreclosures, a cornerstone of the economy’s woes.”

Epic Financial Crisis Should Be at Center of U.S. Election Debate–But It Isn’t!

On March 24, The New York Times published the following article by Paul Krugman, which was republished by Der Spiegel Online:

“We’re now in the midst of an epic financial crisis, which ought to be at the center of the election debate. But it isn’t…

“Now, I don’t expect presidential campaigns to have all the answers to our current crisis — even financial experts are scrambling to keep up with events. But I do think we’re entitled to more answers, and in particular a clearer commitment to financial reform, than we’re getting so far. In truth, I don’t expect much from John McCain, who has both admitted not knowing much about economics and denied having ever said that. Anyway, lately he’s been busy demonstrating that he doesn’t know much about the Middle East, either. Yet the McCain campaign’s silence on the financial crisis has disappointed even my low expectations…

“On the Democratic side, it’s somewhat disappointing that Barack Obama, whose campaign has understandably made a point of contrasting his early opposition to the Iraq war with Hillary Clinton’s initial support, has tried to score a twofer by suggesting that the war, in addition to all its other costs, is responsible for our economic troubles. The war is indeed a grotesque waste of resources, which will place huge long-run burdens on the American public. But it’s just wrong to blame the war for our current economic mess: in the short run, wartime spending actually stimulates the economy. Remember, the lowest unemployment rate America has experienced over the last half-century came at the height of the Vietnam War.

“Hillary Clinton has not, as far as I can tell, made any comparably problematic economic claims. But she, like Mr. Obama, has been disappointingly quiet about the key issue: the need to reform our out-of-control financial system…

“America came out of the Great Depression with a pretty effective financial safety net, based on a fundamental quid pro quo: the government stood ready to rescue banks if they got in trouble, but only on the condition that those banks accept regulation of the risks they were allowed to take… Now, the shadow banking system is facing the 21st-century equivalent of the wave of bank runs that swept America in the early 1930s. And the government is rushing in to help, with hundreds of billions from the Federal Reserve, and hundreds of billions more from government-sponsored institutions… you don’t have to be an economic radical… to see that what’s happening now is the quid without the quo…

“Now, the securities and investment industry is pouring money into both Mr. Obama’s and Mrs. Clinton’s coffers. And these donors surely believe that they’re buying something in return. Let’s hope they’re wrong.”

Worldwide Financial Crisis

Deutsche Welle reported on March 22:

“One of Germany’s most respected economists… Peter Bofinger called the current financial crisis the worst in decades [and the biggest crisis since 1945]…  Bofinger, a member of Germany’s independent Council of Economic Experts, said Berlin cannot treat the credit crisis lightly, although he differentiated between the situation in Germany and the United States. ‘The (economic) upswing in Germany is not an upswing bought on credit,’ he said. ‘Where there is no credit bubble, there can’t be a credit burst.’… The Green Party has weighed in, calling for state intervention to prevent future crises. It wants to see the establishment of new regulatory guidelines for financial markets that would encourage transparency and put effective controls in place. ”

In a related article, Deutsche Welle wrote on March 18:

“Germany’s finance minister said politicians, central banks and loaning institutions have to work together to overcome the global financial crisis… Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck… said Germany had a better chance of withstanding the crisis than the American economy, calling it more ‘robust.’…  German economists said they expected market turmoil to have negative effects on the country’s economy… Threats to Germany’s economy cannot be attributed to a single cause, according to Juergen Thumann, head of the Federation of German Industries. ‘It is the influence of the weak dollar, rising oil prices, falling US economy and financial crisis that is making the situation difficult for companies,’ he told the daily Berliner Zeitung on Tuesday.”

Chinese Police Crush Tibetan Demonstration–Shooting at Monks and Nuns

TimesOnLine wrote on March 24:

“Hundreds of monks, nuns and local Tibetans who tried to march on a local government office in western China to demand the return of the Dalai Lama have been turned back by paramilitary police who opened fire to disperse the crowd. Local residents of Luhuo said two people – a monk and a farmer – appeared to have been shot dead and about a dozen were wounded in the latest violence to rock Tibetan areas of China… China says it has acted with the utmost restraint in response to the unrest…

“The Dalai Lama’s government-in-exile in India said today that the death toll in the clashes had risen to 130, but they gave no breakdown or details of the casualties. Foreign journalists have been barred from approaching any Tibetan areas where unrest has been reported, and the numbers are extremely difficult to verify.”

Overall Death Toll in Iraq Rises to 4,000 Americans

The Associated Press reported on March 24:

“The overall U.S. death toll in Iraq rose to 4,000 after four soldiers were killed in a roadside bombing in Baghdad, a grim milestone that is likely to fuel calls for the withdrawal of American forces as the war enters its sixth year… The Associated Press count of 4,000 deaths is based on U.S. military reports and includes eight civilians who worked for the Department of Defense… One widely respected tally by Iraq Body Count, which collects figures based mostly on media reports, estimates that 82,349 to 89,867 Iraqi civilians have lost their lives in the conflict.”

Developments in Pakistan Worry Washington

The Christian Science Monitor wrote on March 24:

“In naming its candidate for prime minister Saturday, the party of Benazir Bhutto has taken a further step toward sidelining Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf… With the public still firmly against Musharraf and his allies now out of power, each success of the new government leaves him more isolated. Musharraf has been an American ally in its war on terrorism, but his weakening position could certainly affect the way the United States battles Al Qaeda and Taliban operatives. The new ruling coalition has stressed the need for dialogue with militants – a position that reflects public opinion but may not be welcome by Washington…

“In the coming days and weeks, the new government promises to begin a process that could spell the end of Musharraf’s era all together. Within 30 days of assuming power, the parliament will reinstate the judges sacked by Musharraf when he declared a state of emergency Nov. 2… The expectation is that if the judges are restored, they will invalidate Musharraf’s presidency… Musharraf has few tools to prevent the ruling coalition. He can disband parliament, but that would likely lead to enormous public upheaval – something the US wants to avoid.”

Reuters added on March 24:

“The National Assembly elected Yousaf Raza Gilani prime minister [on Monday]… In a challenge to the increasingly isolated Musharraf, Gilani ordered the immediate release of judges detained after the president declared emergency rule and he also called for a U.N. investigation into Bhutto’s assassination on December 27… Gilani, a soft-spoken but resolute man, was jailed in 2001 by the Musharraf government on charges of making illegal appointments. He said the charges were aimed at pressuring him to abandon Bhutto, which he refused to do. He was freed in 2006…

“The United States and other Western allies fear more instability in their nuclear-armed ally, which is already facing a campaign of attacks by al Qaeda-inspired militants, if there is confrontation between the president and the new government.”

 

The use of the term “Lord’s Supper” for our observance of the New Testament Passover is not biblical–and it only adds to the confusion surrounding the CORRECT observance of the New Testament Passover.

We pointed out the following in a previous Q&A (Update #88; compare also Update #189, under “Feasts”):

“The Passover was kept once a year — ‘as a memorial.’ On the night when Christ was betrayed, He kept the Passover. The Passover was at that time celebrated as a supper — that is why it is called in Scripture ‘the Lord’s Supper.’ We are today to continue keeping the Passover, but not as a meal — not as ‘the Lord’s Supper.’ We are to only partake of the symbols of bread and wine on the Passover night — we do not eat a full meal during the Passover service. In fact, we are told that we must ‘discern the Lord’s body’ — we must distinguish the symbols of bread and wine from an ordinary meal (1 Corinthians 11:29). 1 Corinthians 11:20, 34 tells us, ‘Therefore when you come together in one place, it is NOT to eat the Lord’s Supper… But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home.’ (As an aside, nowhere does the Bible speak about ‘communion,’ during which we are to partake of bread and/or wine).”

In Update #336, we explain in detail why the Church of God does not observe today the Passover together with a meal. For that reason alone, it would be inappropriate to call the Passover “the Lord’s SUPPER.”

In addition, some who use the term “Lord’s Supper” for the Passover are confusing two separate events–the Old Testament Passover, when the death angel went through Egypt and PASSED OVER the Israelites, and the Night to Be Much Remembered or Observed, which occurred about 24 hours LATER, when Israel LEFT Egypt. The Church of God remembers this event of Israel’s exodus as well, and it has been keeping IT–but NOT the previous Passover observance–with a meal.

Let us note the distinction between these two events, which are set aside by a period of about 24 hours.

In a previous Update on Exodus 12:14, it was pointed out:

“The evidence that the Passover was and is to be kept at the BEGINNING of Nisan or Abib 14, not at the end, is overwhelming [The first month of the year, in accordance with the Hebrew Calendar, is called Abib or Nisan. Abib, the original name, means ‘sprouting’ or ‘budding.’ The name Nisan was adopted following the Babylonian captivity. The first month is comparable to the Roman calendar period of March-April, and begins, in Biblical terms, with a new moon.]… Christ and His disciples kept the PASSOVER at the BEGINNING of the 14th, and they should have known when to keep it. Further, the death angel went through Egypt on the night of the 14th, not the 15th, and that event is called Passover because the death angel passed over the Israelites, when he saw the blood at the doors of their houses (Exodus 12:27)… Passover [and this has to include the actual event of the death angel’s PASSING OVER the Israelites] was on the 14th — not the 15th (Leviticus 23:5; Numbers 28:16). Also, the Israelites were not to leave their houses until morning (Exodus 12:22), and still we read that they left Egypt by night (Deuteronomy 16:1). Since it could not have been the night of Nisan 14, it had to be the next night — of Nisan 15.”

While the Israelites had to stay in their houses to observe the Passover at the beginning of Nisan 14, they left Egypt the following night, the night of Nisan 15, on the very first Day of Unleavened Bread (Remember that days start and end with sunset according to the Hebrew calendar). It was THAT night–which occurred about 24 hours AFTER the Passover–which was ALSO to be kept as a memorial, in addition to Passover.

Exodus 12:40-42 reads, in the Authorized Version: “… even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. It is a night to be much observed unto the Lord for bringing them out of the land of Egypt: this is that NIGHT of the Lord to be OBSERVED. . . .” The New King James Bible calls it “night of solemn observance.” The Revised Standard Bible refers to it as a “night of watching.” Others render the phrase, “night of vigil,” or “night to be remembered.” German translations say mainly, “night of watching” (“Nacht des Wachens”).

Exodus 13:9 calls Israel’s exodus from Egypt–including the entire seven Days of Unleavened Bread and the “Night to Be Much Observed” at the beginning of the first Day of Unleavened Bread–a “memorial and a sign” (compare verse 3). As mentioned, the Days of Unleavened Bread begin 24 hours AFTER the Passover.

The origin of the Night to Be Much Remembered or Observed is also explained as follows in our booklet, “The Meaning of God’s Spring Holy Days“:

“… the Bible makes a definite distinction between the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread. Both are annual Feast days, to be kept once a year. The Passover is to be observed at the beginning of the 14th day of the first month (which month is called Abib or Nisan), according to the Hebrew calendar (Leviticus 23:5; Numbers 28:16)…

“The First Day of Unleavened Bread is to be observed once a year at the beginning of the 15th day of the first month, according to the Hebrew calendar (Leviticus 23:6; Numbers 28:17)…

“It was during the Passover night—the night of the 14th day of the month—that the death angel passed over the Israelites who were in their houses (hence the name ‘Passover’), while killing the firstborn of the Egyptian households (Exodus 12:6–13). But it was on the 15th day, ‘on the day AFTER the Passover’ or one entire day LATER, that the Israelites went out of Egypt, and it is on THAT day (at the beginning of the 15th day of the first month) that Church members celebrate the Night To Be Much Observed—’a night of solemn observance to the LORD’—when they gather together for an evening meal. On that occasion, they reflect on the events of the exodus of ancient Israel when they came out of physical slavery in Egypt, and the spiritual exodus by Church members from their slavery of sin (Exodus 12:42; Numbers 33:3)…

“The name, The Night to Be Much Observed, has been used by Church of God members in modern times. This title is taken from the Authorized Version as translated in Exodus 12:42: ‘It is a night to be much observed (‘Shim-moor,’ meaning night watch, watching, vigil) unto the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the LORD to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.’

“The Church of God continues to keep this beginning part of the first Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread—after sundown, which marks the start of the time God has established for His people to keep. Exodus 13, verses 3 through 10, explicitly casts God’s instructions as an ongoing regulation for those who seek to obey Him—note, in particular, verse 10: ‘You shall therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year.’”

Church members continue to have a meal during the Night to Be Much Observed. However, even though this occasion marks the beginning of an annual Sabbath–the First Day of Unleavened Bread on Nisan 15–it itself is not conducted as a Church service. Rather, members gather together for a meal in smaller groups in the privacy of their homes or at other private and appropriate locations. The Church of God conducts Church services during the subsequent daylight portion of the first Day of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 12:16; Leviticus 23:7).

The Church of God keeps the New Testament Passover exactly at the same time when Jesus kept it–at the BEGINNING of Nisan 14. Since Christ changed the Passover observance from that of eating a meal to that of partaking in a footwashing ceremony and partaking of the symbols of unleavened bread and red wine (not grape juice), His Church is following such directives. Paul told the Church at Corinth not to eat a meal in Church at Passover, but to eat at home. Instead, God’s Church partakes of a meal the following night, memorializing Israel’s exodus from Egypt which symbolizes spiritual Israel’s exodus from sin (For more information on this astonishing parallelism and symbolism, please read the pertinent sections in our afore-mentioned booklet on God’s Spring Holy Days).

It is therefore misleading to call the New Testament Passover the Lord’s Supper–as this might imply that a “supper” or “evening meal” should be eaten at Passover. This is not the case–Christ, our Passover Lamb, replaced the Old Testament Passover ceremonies with New Testament observances, as described. Members of the Church of God partake of an evening meal the following night, which is known today as the Night to Be Much Remembered or Observed.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Our new booklet, “Is That in the Bible?–Man’s Holidays and God’s Holy Days,” has been posted on the Web.

Norbert Link’s video-taped sermon, “Bible Study–The Life of Samson” (June 3, 2006), was posted this week on Google Video.

A new StandingWatch program (#162) has been posted on StandingWatch, Google Video and YouTube. It is titled, “Is Homeschooling For You?” In the program, Norbert Link discusses the fact that in California, a legal battle has begun, due to a decision by the Court of Appeals, holding that parents who are not credentialed to teach, do not have a constitutional right to homeschool their children. The Governor and others have declared that they will fight this decision or change the laws. But what about homeschooling? What are some of the potential pitfalls to be aware of? On the other hand, what is your responsibility as parents when you send your children to private or public schools? You need to know the answers to these all-important questions.