On March 22, 2008, Brian Gale will give the sermon, titled, “The Church Does Not Have Perfect People.”

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.

Close counts in playing marbles, horseshoes and for certain other games. As used in our daily conversation, close means to be near in space or time.

But just being close doesn’t count if we want to know and believe the truth!

False teachers come close to the truth. They may even say some things that are partially true, but this is done to promote what is untrue. Paul had to contend with this counterfeit element within the Church of God:

“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

No created being was closer to God than Satan. He is identified as one of the original covering cherubs who were at the throne of God (Compare Ezekiel 28:14). But being close to God was not enough. Satan chose a course of life that drove him away from God. Jesus said this about Satan:

“‘…He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it’” (John 8:44).

Our Christianity faces constant assault from Satan, and he does it by his deceiving lies. His success has been all too pervasive, but not complete. John makes this contrast about us—if we are the true followers of Jesus Christ:

“We KNOW that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. And we KNOW that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may KNOW Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 5:19-20).

Being called to the knowledge of the truth of God sets us free from the lies of Satan and from those who represent him (Compare John 8:32). For us to know the truth and to know to reject the lies, Jesus Christ, “…gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father” (Galatians 1:4).

Considering this, we must constantly examine what we believe and with what fervency we hold on to the truth we have received! Being just close, in this endeavor, is NOT enough!

Iraq–After Five Years of American Occupation

On March 17, 2008, Der Spiegel Online reported the following:

“The situation in Iraq on the eve of the anniversary of ‘Operation Iraqi Freedom’ has both opponents and supporters of the American military campaign puzzled. The body of a Catholic archbishop is found near the northern city of Mosul, and yet the US embassy in Baghdad is holding a flea market as if it were peacetime. There has been a slight rise in the number of attacks again… The United States has been in Iraq longer than it fought in World War II. The conflict is getting long in the tooth… the war has already cost the country at least $3 trillion…
 
“How the country proceeds in Iraq will be decided, at least in part, by American voters this November. If they elect Republican John McCain as president, they may have to get used to a US presence in Iraq for another 100 years, as McCain has suggested. Meanwhile, the Democratic presidential candidates are urging a pullout of US troops. But neither side has thought of a peaceful way to resolve the political problems among Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds.”

The Associated Press commented on March 16:

“Sometime soon, the U.S. military will suffer the 4,000th death of the war in Iraq.

“When the 1,000th American died in September 2004, the insurgency was just gaining steam. The 2,000th death came as Iraq held its first elections in decades, in October 2005. The U.S. announced its 3,000th loss on the last day of 2006, at the end of a year rocked by sectarian violence. The 4,000th death will come with the war further out of the public eye, and replaced by other topics on the front burner of the U.S. presidential campaigns.

“Analysts say the 4,000 dead, while an arbitrary marker, could inject the war debate back into the campaign season, particularly with the war’s fifth anniversary on Thursday. Or, with overall violence lower in Iraq, the milestone could pass with far less public discussion than in past years. Last year was the deadliest for American troops in Iraq, with 901 troops killed. As of Sunday, at least 3,988 Americans have died in Iraq…

“The number killed in Iraq is far less than in other modern American wars. In Vietnam, the U.S. lost on average about 4,850 troops a year from 1963-75. In the Korean war, from 1950-53, the U.S. lost about 12,300 soldiers a year… Soldiers and analysts alike say the impact of the deaths in Iraq has been largely lost on many Americans who have no personal connection to the war.”

CBS News reported on March 18:

“One the eve of the five-year anniversary of the start of the war with Iraq, [64 percent of] Americans continue to think the results of the war have not been worth the loss of American lives and the other costs of attacking Iraq…”

NO WAR, fought by humans, is “worth it.” But WHEN will mankind learn this bitter lesson? For more information, please read our free booklet, “Should YOU Fight in WAR?”

Iraq War–Doubts about America’s Future

The Christian Science Monitor wrote on March 20:

“The Iraq war has been perhaps America’s bitterest lesson since Vietnam in the realities of war and geopolitics – profoundly altering ordinary citizens’ sense of their country, its essential abilities, and the overall role it plays in the world. Poll after poll shows that Americans are worried about US troops. They’re distressed at the war’s rising human and financial cost and are fully aware of the globe’s rising tide of anti-Americanism. Most of all, they may be confused – unsure of how the United States got here, uncertain about what to do next, and in doubt about how, and when, the conflict will end… The bottom line may be that today many in the US view the Iraq invasion as a mistake they don’t want to see repeated…”

Disastrous Conditions in Iraq

AFP reported on March 20:

“The US-led war on Iraq that toppled the brutal regime of dictator Saddam Hussein entered its sixth year on Thursday with millions of Iraqis still battling daily chaos and rampant bloodshed.

“On March 20, 2003, US planes dropped the first bombs on Baghdad. Within three weeks, invading troops toppled Saddam but left US forces battling a resentful and rebellious people… US President George W. Bush defended the war that has already cost his administration more than 400 billion dollars but admitted the human cost was high… The top UN official in Iraq, Staffan de Mistura, told AFP in an interview that time is running out for Iraqi leaders to resolve differences hampering the political progress… Hans Blix, the former chief UN weapons inspector, in an article for Britain’s Guardian newspaper, slammed the Iraq war as a ‘tragedy — for Iraq, for the US, for the UN, for truth and human dignity.’

“On the streets of Baghdad, fear of Saddam’s hated secret police has been replaced by a new terror. Americans ‘brought our way things we never knew like terrorism and the killings we see on the streets,’ [according to one Iraqi observer]… The International Committee of the Red Cross said the plight of millions of Iraqis who still have little or no access to clean water, sanitation or health care was the ‘most critical in the world.’… The economy, the main concern of Iraqis after security, is also a wreck. Unemployment is running at between 25 and 50 percent, according to government figures… public services as water and electricity have yet to be fully restored, despite billions of dollars having been spent on often badly managed reconstruction projects.”

Europe and the Iraq War

The EUObserver wrote on March 20:

“It has been five years since the United States began its military operation dubbed ‘Iraqi Freedom’. The war resulted in a deep rift in transatlantic relations, caused a split within the European Union and made Iraqis the single largest group seeking refuge in Europe… Several countries, led by France and Germany, were opposed to US-led invasion, while others took part. At the time, US defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld exacerbated the divisions by saying: ‘Germany has been a problem and France has been a problem.’ … Since 2003, a number of EU countries such as Italy, Lithuania, Hungary, Portugal, Spain, Slovakia and the Netherlands have withdrawn their soldiers from the violence-torn country, mainly due to public opinion.  At the same time, troops from Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Romania and the Czech Republic remain deployed in Iraq…

“In general, it is estimated that six million people inside Iraq need urgent humanitarian assistance as a result of the conflict. Some 2.5 million are internally displaced, while an additional two million are hosted by neighbouring countries such as Syria and Jordan.”

Americans Have A Right to Own Guns

The Associated Press reported on March 18:

“Americans have a right to own guns, Supreme Court justices declared Tuesday in a historic and lively debate that could lead to the most significant interpretation of the Second Amendment since its ratification two centuries ago… a majority of justices appeared ready to say that Americans have a ‘right to keep and bear arms’ that goes beyond the amendment’s reference to service in a militia…

“The court has not conclusively interpreted the Second Amendment since its ratification in 1791. The amendment reads: ‘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.’  The basic issue for the justices is whether the amendment protects an individual’s right to own guns no matter what, or whether that right is somehow tied to service in a state militia.

“A key justice, Anthony Kennedy, seemed to settle that question early on when he said the Second Amendment gives ‘a general right to bear arms.’ He is likely to be joined by Roberts and Justices Samuel Alito, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas – a majority of the nine-member court.”

And so, America’s fascination with guns will continue. And so will killing and death. Let us all pray that the day will soon arive when all people will recognize the utter uselessness of guns and weapons, and when they will “beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks” (Isaiah 2:4).

Financial Crisis in the USA–Worst Since World War II

On March 16, The Financial Times published an article by Alan Greenspan, former chairman of the US Federal Reserve, commenting on the present economic crisis in the USA. Even though his future predictions for a recovery are to be judged as being highly optimistic and unrealistic, his comments pertaining to the present disaster are worthwhile noticing:

“The current financial crisis in the US is likely to be judged in retrospect as the most wrenching since the end of the second world war… The American housing bubble peaked in early 2006, followed by an abrupt and rapid retreat over the past two years. Since summer 2006, hundreds of thousands of homeowners, many forced by foreclosure, have moved out of single-family homes into rental housing, creating an excess of approximately 600,000 vacant, largely investor-owned single-family units for sale. Homebuilders caught by the market’s rapid contraction have involuntarily added an additional 200,000 newly built homes to the ’empty-house-for-sale’ market…

“Single-family housing starts have declined by 60 per cent since early 2006, but have only recently fallen below single-family home demand… The pace of liquidation is likely to pick up even more as new-home construction falls further. The level of home prices will probably stabilise…That point, however, is still an indeterminate number of months in the future.

“The crisis will leave many casualties… In the current crisis, as in past crises, we can learn much, and policy in the future will be informed by these lessons. But we cannot hope to anticipate the specifics of future crises with any degree of confidence.”

Is the USA “On Top of the Situation”???

It would be reassuring to know–in light of such incredible and irresponsible financial debacle–that America is on “top of the situation.” If we could only believe it! This is what The Associated Press wrote on March 17:

“President Bush, trying to ease turmoil in financial markets, said Monday that his administration is ‘on top of the situation’ in dealing with the slumping economy. ‘One thing is for certain, we’re in challenging times,’ the president said after meeting with Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and other senior economic advisers. ‘But another thing is for certain: we’ve taken strong decisive action.’ The president commended the Fed for its urgent actions over the weekend. He said that ‘we’ve shown the country and the world that the United States is on top of the situation.’… Repeating his reassurances to the country, the president said that in the long run, the economy is going to be fine. Bush spoke on a day of turmoil and plunging prices on global financial markets. Oil prices hit a record in Asian trading, U.S. stock index futures fell sharply and the dollar hit record lows.”

The Associated Press published this follow-up article on March 18:

“President Bush traveled a fair distance from Friday to Monday, and not just to New York and back to the White House. One day, he warned the economy could land ‘in a ditch’ if the government engaged in big bailout-type help for people losing their homes because they gambled, unwisely or unknowingly, on the now-collapsed subprime mortgage market. On the other, he endorsed the Federal Reserve’s move to provide $30 billion in backing for the rescue of one of Wall Street’s largest investment banks, needed because Bear Stearns Cos. risked too much in that very sector.

“Meanwhile, throughout the economy’s recent turbulent times — lost jobs, sky-high gasoline prices, plunging home values, a free-falling dollar, shaken consumer confidence, a growth slowdown and possibly even a recession — Bush has projected an air of unwavering optimism, even joviality. He is the nation’s biggest economic cheerleader at a time of deep uncertainty…

“It all has some people shaking their heads. Is there a disconnect here? Does the president get how this might feel to the little guy? Is there a different standard for the big financial community and the strapped homeowner facing foreclosure?…

“Democrats are struggling for the right note, too. They assumed the somewhat awkward position of criticizing Bush for going too far and not far enough at the same time. They want more direct help for homeowners, such as changing the bankruptcy code to allow judges to adjust mortgage rates… Bush rejects the bankruptcy plan and other ideas like it… Last month, he surprised some people by saying he was unaware that some analysts were predicting $4-a-gallon gasoline by summer.”

The Freefall of the U.S. Dollar

WorldNetDaily wrote on March 18:

“The European Union has overtaken the U.S. as the world’s No. 1 economy due to the continued dramatic fall of the dollar… The U.S. Gross Domestic Product, or GDP, for 2007 is officially estimated at $13,843,800 billion. The 2007 GDP for the 15 EU countries is estimated at 8,847,889 billion euros…  That means when the euro yesterday topped $1.56, the EU officially became the largest economy in the world… As the [Federal Reserve] continues to lower rates to stimulate the sagging economy, the dollar is increasingly abandoned, hitting new lows almost every day against other major currencies.”

Most Americans Think We Are in a Recession and Worry About a Depression

USA Today wrote on March 18:

“More than three in four Americans think the country is in a recession, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll over the weekend shows, reflecting a crisis of confidence that economists say could make the economy worse… Seventy-six percent of those polled said the economy is in recession, compared to 22% who said it’s not. Not since September 1992, two months before President George H.W. Bush lost re-election, have so many Americans said the economy was in such bad shape… Asked if the nation could slip into a depression lasting several years, 59% said it was likely, and 79% said they were worried about it. A recession is an economic downturn that usually lasts at least six months; a depression is longer, deeper and more broadly dispersed.”

Americans have every reason to worry about a depression. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

High Honors for Chancellor Merkel in Israel–But Why?

On March 17, Der Spiegel Online raised the question whether the high honors bestowed on Chancellor Merkel during her visit in Israel–and the good relationships between the two countries–are bought by Germany’s silence about Israeli excesses over the years. The magazine stated:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel has become Israel’s staunchest ally in Europe. This week, the country has pulled out all the stops to welcome the German leader. Back home, though, many wish Merkel would finally speak up about Israeli excesses in the Gaza Strip…

“Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert personally met his guest at Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday — an honor that until now he has only bestowed on George W. Bush. Merkel then helicoptered down to the Negev Desert to visit the grave of David Ben Gurion, the father of modern Israel. There, she was hosted by Israeli President Shimon Peres. On Monday, Olmert accompanied Merkel to the Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem, where foreign dignitaries normally lay a wreath alone. ‘The chancellor’s visit has the same status as a visit by the US president,’ Olmert’s chief of staff told an advance delegation…

“When the Israeli army attacked the Gaza Strip in early March and over 120 Palestinians died, Merkel said nothing. Even the pope called for both sides to immediately cease all hostilities. And Merkel made no comment when Olmert’s government announced two weeks ago — contrary to previous promises — that Israel would again begin expanding settlements in the occupied territories. Even a year and a half ago, the chancellor refrained from directly displaying any unease with Israel’s military operation in Lebanon. When the Israeli air force killed four UNIFIL soldiers, she merely expressed her ‘deep regret.’ Other European statesmen like France’s then President Jacques Chirac vehemently condemned the incident…

“Merkel’s policies remain controversial. Critics say that Germany is sacrificing its credibility among Arab countries. And even in Israel, Germany’s policy of unconditional solidarity has at times been viewed with astonishment. In Germany, it is primarily Merkel’s coalition partners who are muttering about her politics… Even members of Merkel’s own Christian Democratic Union and its sister party the Christian Social Union, warn of a growing sense of annoyance among the Arab states…

“It remains to be seen whether these exceptional close ties will eventually lead to a ‘normal’ relationship between the two countries, one that naturally includes both mutual criticism and solidarity. The new Israeli ambassador in Berlin, Yoram Ben-Zeev, recently experienced just how ill at ease Germans can be on the topic of Israel when he spoke with a group of journalists in Munich. During clashes with alleged terrorists in the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces had just killed 120 Palestinians, including many civilians, but none of the reporters asked any questions about the incident.”

Merkel in Israel–But Not Everyone Is Pleased…

AFP wrote on March 18:

“Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday pledged Germany’s unwavering support for Israel in a landmark address to parliament, as she wrapped up a visit 60 years after the Jewish state was founded in the wake of the Nazi Holocaust. ‘Germany will never abandon Israel but will remain a true friend and partner,’ said Merkel, the first German head of government to address the Knesset, an honour usually reserved for heads of state. ‘Germany and Israel are, and will always remain, linked in a special way through the memory of the Holocaust,” said Merkel… ‘The Holocaust fills us Germans with shame’…

“‘I say clearly and unequivocally: the Qassam (rocket) attacks by Hamas must stop,’ she said in reference to attacks on southern Israel by militants in the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian enclave run by the Islamist Hamas movement… The German visitor drew loud applause when she opened her address in Hebrew, saying: ‘I thank you for the honour of allowing me to address the Knesset.’ But the fact she delivered the rest of her speech in German ruffled feathers among MPs in a country where the memory of the Nazi murder of six million Jews still runs deep. Several lawmakers stayed away from the chamber in protest. ‘I know the last sounds heard by my grandparents and my uncles … were those of the German language,’ Arieh Eldad, an MP of the far-right National Union-National Religious Party said earlier in the day. Addressing the controversy, Merkel explicitly thanked the deputies for allowing her to speak in German…

“Merkel’s three-day visit was designed to reiterate support of Israel by its most important political and trading partner in Europe. On Monday, Hamas, which is pledged to Israel’s destruction, slammed the German leader for ignoring the ‘holocaust’ perpetrated by Israel in the impoverished territory. Merkel’s statements ‘reflect a moral degradation… by supporting without failure an entity that commits massacres against Palestinian children, women and the elderly,’ Hamas said in a statement. Earlier this month, an Israeli army blitz on Gaza, launched in response to rocket fire, killed more than 130 Palestinians, including several dozen children and other civilians. Five Israelis were also killed.”

The present unique friendly relationship between Germany and Israel will not continue. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”

“Merkel More One-Sided Than Bush in the Middle East”

This is the assessment of some German commentators, pertaining to Chancellor Merkel’s most recent trip to Israel. Der Spiegel Online reported on March 19:

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes:… ‘The fact that Hamas’ rule in the Gaza Strip and the rocket attacks on Israeli towns are condemned by the European Union goes back in particular to… Germany’s EU presidency under Merkel. But Germany has to take pains not to repeat Bush’s capital mistake of acting on behalf of one side in the peace process. In her speech the Palestinians were hardly mentioned. Merkel has to protect her independence and criticize Israel for its occupation and settlement polices… The Israeli army is carrying out an asymmetrical war against the comparatively small groups, and as recently demonstrated in the Gaza Strip, applies disproportionate force. The pope has even called for an end to the violence, but Merkel stays silent and doesn’t want to interfere. But the majority of Palestinians are not terrorists and like the Israelis, want to live in peace. The creation of the two-state solution also belongs to Germany’s reason of state: a safe Israel and safe Palestine, without Jewish settlements’…

“The left-leaning Die Tageszeitung writes: ‘(Merkel) did not meet with a single Palestinian. This amount of ignorance about the Palestinian side is unusual. Merkel is acting even more one-sidedly than George W. Bush, who recently also met with President Mahmoud Abbas as a matter of course… True responsibility towards Israel and its own past would involve a policy that did not atone for its sins at the expense of the Palestinians, but instead exerted pressure on Israel to change its (self-) destructive policy.'”

Israel Prepares for War With Syria and Iran

The Jerusalem Post wrote on March 17:

“In the face of a possible escalation with Syria and Iran’s efforts to obtain a nuclear weapon, parts of the country will shut down next month in what security officials say will be the largest emergency exercise in Israel’s history. The drill, which is being organized by the newly-established National Emergency Authority, will take place over five days starting on Sunday, April 6.

“But first, on Tuesday, a first-of-its-kind hospital emergency exercise will take place to see how Ashkelon’s Barzilai Medical Center would cope with a Grad missile hitting a five-story hospitalization building and an outpatient clinic’s laboratory filled with toxic chemicals and a fire breaking out, requiring patients to be lowered from the roof…

“On the first day of the drill [in April], Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will convene the cabinet in Jerusalem in response to an ‘enemy attack’ and to decide on an Israeli response… The rescue services will drill mass evacuations from ‘hit zones’ – including mock chemical and biological attacks – and hospitals will drill their ability to provide medical treatment to thousands of wounded… All government ministries will participate in the exercise and they will hold a drill on one day during which they will direct all of their personnel to enter bomb shelters. Civilians will be asked to locate the public bomb shelter closest to their homes.”

China’s Brutal Crackdown

Der Spiegel Online reported on March 17 about the most recent outbreak of violence in Tibet:

“Tanks in the street of Lhasa, burning cars on the Roof of the World and thousands of soldiers brandishing assault rifles, imposing peace at the barrel of a gun — it is as if China was an imploding banana republic. On top of that, there are unknown numbers of dead on both sides. This, surely, is not the new China — a gleaming economic powerhouse — that Beijing wanted to present to the world before its celebration of the century: the 2008 Olympic Games.

“In fact, the situation is turning into a nightmare. The horror is worst for the locals, who in the next few days will be dragged out of their homes and subjected to terrible punishments and torture. The promise that Beijing will uphold human rights in the run-up to the Olympic Games has now gone out the window..

“In reality, the Chinese government isn’t at all interested in an amicable solution to the conflict. Instead, Beijing is using the Chinese populace as its most potent weapon, in the form of a resettlement policy that has seen tens of thousands of ethnic Chinese relocated to Tibet in recent years — and the resulting assimilation of the region… The Dalai Lama, for his part, has unfortunately been unable to find an adequate political strategy to counter Beijing’s cultural imperialism. As a monk living in exile who is dedicated to non-violence, his options are limited…

“China sees Tibet as a ‘domestic affair’ and as such is not willing to listen to council from outside its borders. Furthermore, America’s human rights record of the last few years has made it easy for China to follow an aggressive course.”

AFP added on March 20:

 “Thousands of soldiers were seen in Lhasa on Thursday amid reports of a huge military build-up, as the Dalai Lama expressed fears China’s crackdown on Tibetan protesters had caused many casualties. Long military convoys were on the move in Tibet while troops also poured into nearby provinces, after a week of violent unrest against China’s rule of the Himalayan region…

“A week of protests against China’s 57-year rule of Tibet erupted into rioting in Lhasa last Friday. Demonstrations have since spilled over into nearby Chinese provinces with sizeable ethnic Tibetan populations… The unrest has been a public relations nightmare for China in the lead-up to the Beijing Olympics in August, an event the nation’s communist rulers had hoped would showcase a harmonious country.

“While no government has called for a boycott of the Games, China has faced increasing international pressure to resolve the unrest peacefully and to hold talks with the Dalai Lama… China has banned foreign journalists from Lhasa and tried to block them from the nearby western provinces of China, where a spate of violent protests have taken place over the past week.”

New Violence in Kosovo

Der Spiegel Online reported on March 17:

“United Nations police and security forces clashed on Monday with Serb demonstrators in [Mitrovica in] Kosovo in the [worst] violence since Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence on Feb. 17… The European Commission urged restraint after the clashes…

“Mitrovica, which is divided into an ethnic Albanian part and an ethnic Serbian enclave, has been a center of ethnic tension since Kosovo’s secession from Serbia, and Serbs wanting to take control of UN-run institutions in Kosovo have protested daily outside the courthouse in recent weeks. Serb protestors have prevented ethnic Albanian judges from going to work at the court, which has been controlled by the UN since the end of the war in Kosovo in 1999. Kosovo Serbs also recently tried to take control of a railway line in northern Kosovo, where most of Kosovo’s ethnic Serbs live.

“Monday’s rioting… poses a serious challenge to the authority of NATO, the UN and the new European Union mission to Kosovo. Serbia considers Kosovo’s declaration of independence to be illegal under international law, a position which is supported by Russia. Most EU member states and the US, however, have recognized Kosovo’s independence.”

AFP added on March 17:

“UN police were forced to withdraw Monday from the Serb-populated part of this flashpoint Kosovo town after coming under attack as they stormed a court occupied by Serbs opposed to independence… Northern Kosovo has a 40,000-strong Serb population who are divided from the mainly ethnic Albanian south by the Ibar River, which passes through Mitrovica. The clashes came on the four-year anniversary of the March 2004 anti-Serb riots by ethnic Albanians in which 19 people were killed and dozens of mediaeval Serbian Orthodox churches and monasteries were destroyed or damaged.”

Switzerland To Sign Huge Iran Gas Deal

The Jerusalem Post wrote on March 16:

“Swiss energy giant EGL is set to sign a 25-year deal in Teheran on Monday to buy 5.5 billion cubic meters of Iranian natural gas per year, starting in 2011, for a reported €18 billion. The contract will be the second largest European gas deal… In April, the Austrian energy company OMV signed letters of intent with Iran valued at €22 billion to supply Europe with gas, but that contract has yet to be finalized… Critics of the growing number of European-Iranian oil and gas deals argue that Teheran can use the profits for a nuclear weapons program… [All of this] comes at a sensitive time because a number of European Union countries and the US are trying to restrict trade with Iran’s energy and banking sectors.”

Homeschooling Debate in California Continues…

The San Diego Union Tribune wrote on March 17:

“Families who educate their children at home have been gaining a powerful band of supporters since a recent court decision that severely restricts most home schooling in the state. California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal ruled Feb. 28 that it is illegal for parents without teaching credentials to home-school their children.

“Officials from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to state Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell have vowed to protect home schooling as a legitimate choice for families who want an alternative to traditional schools. California Assemblyman Joel Anderson, R-La Mesa, has introduced a resolution calling on the state Supreme Court to reverse the decision…

“The ruling caught the home-schooling community off guard because it was not the result of an organized campaign targeting them. The decision stemmed from a child-welfare dispute involving two children who were home-schooled – along with siblings – by their mother. The children were enrolled in independent-study programs at Sunland Christian School, a Los Angeles County school for home-schoolers.

“On Friday, the Pacific Justice Institute, a conservative legal organization representing the school, filed a motion for rehearing with the courts. ‘If that is denied, then we will be filing an appeal with the state Supreme Court in the first week of April,’ said Brad Dacus, president of [the] institute…

“Although the state does not keep records on the number of students who are home-schooled, estimates indicate as many as 200,000 California children receive their education this way. Countywide, experts estimate that up to 4,000 students [in San Diego county] are home-schooled.”

We find that, in New Testament times, certain local congregations apparently had a Passover meal in Church before partaking of the Passover symbols of bread and wine, as can be seen in the passage in 1 Corinthians 11:17-22 (Authorized Version):

“Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse. For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper. For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not…”

When discussing this passage, many commentaries conclude that at least some New Testament churches–like the one in Corinth–had a practice of eating a meal in Church on Passover eve, before partaking of the symbols of bread and wine. (Please note that many of the commentaries refer to the Passover with incorrect terms, such as, “Holy Communion” or “Eucharist.” An upcoming Q&A will also explain why the terminology of “Lord’s Supper” for the Passover today is misleading.)

The Broadman Bible Commentary states that “Verses 17-22 and 33-34 indicate that a meal was eaten at the time [when] the Lord’s Supper was observed… it appears that the Lord’s Supper is separate from the main meal and is taken after the meal has been eaten… “

The Ryrie Study Bible agrees: “The early Christians held a love feast in connection with the Lord’s Supper, during which they gathered for a fellowship meal.”

The New Bible Commentary: Revised adds: “In the early days the observance of the sacramental acts of the Holy Communion took place in connection with a common meal or ‘love feast’ (Jude 12) in imitation of the Last Supper.”

Commentaries are divided on the question whether local congregations should have observed the New Testament Passover in this way at all; that is, whether they should have had a meal in Church before partaking of the Passover symbols. When focusing on Paul’s statement, “This is not to eat the Lord’s Supper”, the commentary of Adam Clarke points out: “They did not come together to eat the Lord’s Supper exclusively, which they should have done, and not have made it a part of an ordinary meal.”

Other commentaries conclude that at least the way it was done in Corinth was wrong, so that Paul instructed them not to continue in that practice.

The commentary of Jamieson, Fausset and Brown writes:

“‘… there is no such thing as eating the Lord’s Supper; ‘it is not possible’ where each is greedily intent only on devouring ‘HIS OWN supper,’ and some are excluded altogether, not having been waited for, where some are ‘drunken,’ while others are ‘hungry’. The love-feast usually preceded the Lord’s Supper (as eating the Passover came before the Lord’s Supper at the first institution of the latter). It was a club-feast, where each brought his portion, and the rich, extra portions for the poor; from it the bread and wine were taken for the Eucharist; and it was at it that the excesses took place, which made a true celebration of the Lord’s Supper during or after it, with true discernment of its solemnity, out of the question.”

It adds: “‘at home.’ That is the place to satiate the appetite, not the assembly of the brethren.”
Matthew Henry’s Commentary agrees:

“In this passage the apostle sharply rebukes them for much greater disorders than the former, in their partaking of the Lord’s supper, which was commonly done in the first ages, as the ancients tell us, with a love-feast annexed, which gave occasion to the scandalous disorders which the apostle here reprehends.”

The People’s New Testament writes, commenting on 1 Corinthians 11:22: “‘What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in?’ The practice is rebuked. The place to eat… was at home.”

So, we see that Paul PROHIBITED the brethren in Corinth to have a Passover meal in Church, before partaking of the Passover symbols. Paul told them to eat at home, before coming to Church to partake of the New Testament Passover symbols (compare verse 34, Authorized Version: “And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye may not come together unto condemnation.”). This fact alone should tell us that it is therefore not mandatory to have a Passover meal in Church prior to partaking of the Passover symbols; otherwise, Paul could not have told them to eat at home. He would have SINNED when telling them that; and God would not have inspired it to be written down as a command in the Bible–and He would not have preserved it for us today–IF God had required of His disciples to eat a Passover meal in Church prior to partaking of the New Testament Passover symbols.

The fact that some New Testament Church congregations might have had that practice does not prove that it had to be done in that way. For instance, the early New Testament Church still offered sacrifices until the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D., although it was no longer necessary to do so. It was not sinful to offer sacrifices, nor was it sinful NOT to do so. Even though Paul had clearly explained that sacrifices were no longer necessary, he himself subsequently brought sacrifices for the sake of unbelieving Jews (compare Acts 21:20-26).

The same can be said about circumcision. The early New Testament Church made the administrative decision, during a ministerial conference, as reported in Acts 15, that circumcision was not necessary in order to become a Church member. At the same time, the practice of circumcision was not sinful–Paul circumcised Timothy for the sake of unbelieving Jews (compare Acts 16:1-3). However, he did NOT circumcise him because he felt that circumcision was in any way necessary for salvation. He made it very clear that it was not. In fact, he stated that if someone felt that it was, then Christ died in vain for such a person, and that Christ’s death profited him nothing (Galatians 5:2). As will be discussed, the same is true when we think it is necessary to have a Passover meal (including the prior killing and roasting and the subsequent eating of a Passover lamb), together with partaking of the New Testament Passover symbols of bread and wine.

We can also ascertain that in Old Testament times, New Moons were celebrated–even though the Bible does not command this. Therefore, it is of course not sinful NOT to celebrate New Moons.

When focusing on a Passover meal in Church, though, additional considerations must be taken into account. It is true that in Old Testament times, beginning with Moses and the Israelites in Egypt, one Passover lamb was slain for each household, and the Passover lamb was eaten at home, in individual houses, as part of a family meal. However, as can be seen from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, this was no longer true in New Testament times, when the Passover ceremony was observed by some in Church–not in private homes. Further, Christ did not only change the symbols of the Old Testament Passover (by introducing footwashing and the symbols of bread and wine, and replacing thereby the Passover lamb, see below), He also changed certain aspects of the Passover observance: He did NOT partake of the Passover with His family in the privacy of His home, but He observed it with His twelve apostles in a “rented” facility. Neither the wives nor family members of the twelve apostles were present, nor was Mary, the mother of Jesus, nor were any of His brothers and sisters and other relatives.

It has been said that Jesus observed the Passover only with His apostles, because He was away from home, perhaps on a missionary journey or a baptizing tour, while the rest of His disciples and family members were still at home, and not in Jerusalem, so that they could not have participated with Jesus at His last Passover. However, the Bible does not support this conclusion at all. We read that Christ was accompanied by many of His disciples (male and female) when He was on “missionary travels”; and we also read that His mother and other family members and disciples WERE present in Jerusalem to observe the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread. Please note that Mary and other relatives and disciples were assembled at the cross, or looking at it from afar, after the Passover evening and before the first day of Unleavened Bread began (Matthew 27:55-56; Luke 23:49; John 19:25-27). It specifically says in Mark 15:41 that many of His female disciples had come up with Him to Jerusalem. To claim that they only reached Jerusalem AFTER the Passover eve is contradicted by Scripture. Mary and Joseph, for instance, kept the Feast of the Passover in Jerusalem, together with their children, as was their CUSTOM–and they arrived in Jerusalem before the Passover began, and they stayed in Jerusalem for all the DAYS of the Feast (compare Luke 2:41-43; Exodus 12:15).

Further, we read that we are to “eat” Jesus Christ–the New Testament Passover Lamb–by partaking of the SYMBOLS of bread and wine. There is no hint that we are still to kill and eat lambs, in addition (compare 1 Corinthians 5:7). As mentioned, if we were to insist that we ought to do that, then we would go backwards–as those Jews did in Galatia who insisted that Gentiles need to become circumcised. Paul said that with such an approach, Christ will profit us nothing (Galatians 5:2, 6; compare 1 Corinthians 7:19).

We should realize that at times, physical observances (“shadows of things to come”) may end, when the spiritual purpose has been completely achieved, which purpose was foreshadowed by the physical observance (compare Hebrews 10:1-10; Galatians 3:24-25, referring to the sacrificial law which foreshadowed things and events which by now HAVE come to pass). At the moment of the complete spiritual fulfillment, the necessity of the physical observance, foreshadowing that fulfillment, might have ceased. (However, this is not to imply, as some have erroneously concluded, that the Sabbath or the annual Holy Days are no longer to be observed, as, allegedly, the “spiritual reality” of the Sabbath, Jesus Christ, has come. Nowhere in Scripture do we find such an analogy. See discussion below.)

Jesus Christ–our Passover lamb–died for us; hence, it is no longer necessary to kill a lamb which foreshadowed THE Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ. By analogy, remember that Israelites placed blood on their doorposts in Egypt to be protected from the death angel; however, there is no evidence that they ever did so again during subsequent Passover celebrations [NOR, that they ever did so BEFORE the events in Egypt]. The purpose of the blood on the doorposts–protection from the death angel–was limited to that one spectacular event in Egypt and had been achieved during that first Passover night. Although we are commanded to keep today the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread, partly as a memorial of what God did for Israel in Egypt, we are not commanded to place blood on the doorposts of our houses.

There is another important reason why it could be dangerous to eat a Passover meal while partaking of the bread and wine. That reason is that the Passover bread must be DISTINGUISHED from an ordinary meal–it must NOT be viewed as part of an ordinary meal. Paul warns us in 1 Corinthians 11:27-29 not to eat the bread and drink the wine in an unworthy manner. Rather, we must examine ourselves and then partake of the Passover symbols in a worthy manner. We must “discern” the Lord’s body (verse 29), which is–in the context of that passage–symbolized by the bread. As we break and eat a small piece of unleavened bread, we meditate on the fact that Christ’s physical body was beaten for our transgressions–so that we can obtain healing from our physical sicknesses. In order to AVOID the danger NOT to discern the Lord’s body; NOT to reflect on the symbolic meaning of the piece of the Passover bread; NOT to just treat it as part of an ordinary meal; the apostle Paul tells us to eat at home first, if we are hungry (verse 34). We are NOT to eat the Passover bread to satisfy our hunger.

The commentary of Jamiesson, Fausset and Brown explains: “… not discerning-not duty judging: not distinguishing in judgment (so the Greek: the sin and its punishment thus being marked as corresponding) from common food…”

The Geneva Study Bible adds: “The supper of the Lord was instituted not to feed the belly, but to feed the soul with the communion of Christ, and therefore it ought to be separated from common banquets.”

It is therefore strongly recommended that we eat at home to satisfy our hunger BEFORE we come to Church services to partake of the New Testament Passover symbols of bread and wine. But as will become clear below, we should not prepare and eat a time-consuming elaborate meal at home, just prior to attending Passover services. [For further explanations on that important aspect of the Passover service, please read our free booklet, “The Meaning of God’s Spring Holy Days.”]

Ultimately, it all boils down to an administrative issue–to a question which needs to be decided by the Church, so that there is no confusion in the body of Christ. Paul said that it is the Church that must determine and “judge” how to keep the Sabbath and the Holy Days. Colossians 2:16-17 says, correctly translated from the Greek (compare the Authorized Version, which is close to the Greek, but not totally accurate): “Let no man therefore judge you in eating and drinking, or in respect of an holiday, or of a new moon, or of the Sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come, but the body of Christ.”

It is the body of Christ–the Church of God (Colossians 1:18)–which is to judge, HOW to keep the Sabbath and the Holy Days. Paul said: “Let no one judge you… but the body of Christ”; in other word, let the body of Christ–the Church–judge or determine this issue.

As we explain in more detail in our booklet, “God’s Commanded Holy Days,” and in our new booklet, “Is That in the Bible?–Man’s Holidays and God’s Holy Days,” the weekly Sabbath and the annual Holy Days are still to be kept today. They are, in part, memorials of what God did in the past, and they are foreshadowing certain future events (the spiritual fulfillment of those “things” has not yet come–compare Hebrews 4:1-11). This is still true in respect to those who have been called today into God’s truth–and it is most certainly true for the vast majority of mankind, who will be called during the Millennium and the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:4-6, 11-12).

It was the Church–the “body of Christ”–that made the administrative decision, based on Scripture, that it was not wrong to eat and drink on the Sabbath and the Holy Days (with the exception of the Day of Atonement), even though some were judging the brethren in Colossae for doing so, wrongly insisting that they had to fast on all of those days.

It was the Church which made the administrative decision, in Acts 15, that Gentiles didn’t have to be circumcised.

And it was the Church which, through the apostle Paul, explained to the Jewish Christians, for instance in the book of Hebrews, that they did not have to offer sacrifices anymore, or participate in Temple worship and services.

The Church of the Eternal God and its international affiliates, the Church of God, a Christian Fellowship in Canada, and the Global Church of God in the UK, have made it clear from their inception that they will follow the teachings of Mr. Armstrong, as long as they are not contradicted by Scripture. Our Statement of Beliefs reads, under “Doctrinal Foundation”: “The major doctrines of the Church are those, which were taught by Herbert W. Armstrong, derived from the Biblical teachings as followed by God’s faithful servants, and originally established by Jesus Christ through the founding of His Church in the time of His chosen early apostles. Since we are to increase in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, we are committed to review and alter any of our teachings, if and when proven to be wrong by the Bible.”

Under Mr. Armstrong, the Church never had a “Passover meal” in services, combined with the partaking of the symbols of eating bread and drinking wine. Part of the reason for the Church’s practice and decision was Paul’s explicit prohibition of a Passover meal in Church prior to the solemn occasion of partaking of the New Testament Passover symbols.

Based on the foregoing discussion, we conclude that the practice of the Church, as established under Mr. Armstrong, is to be upheld.

The Passover evening is one when we reflect on the supreme Sacrifice of Jesus Christ and what He did for us; it also focuses on the terrible hours of His arrest, trial and subsequent death. The elaborate preparation and the eating of a “family” meal in Church [or even at home, see above] just prior to partaking of the Passover symbols does not seem to be appropriate for such a solemn, deeply meaningful and thought-provoking occasion. The preparation of an elaborate meal in Church [or at home] just prior to Passover would also mean added work and labor, especially for the ladies, forcing them to focus on physical matters such as time-consuming and elaborate cooking, thereby diverting their attention from the real spiritual meaning of the solemn New Testament Passover evening. As one lady said, “There would be no rest for the women and they would be so tired that the whole purpose would be in vain. We could not even reflect on the true meaning of the Passover night.”

In conclusion, the Church of the Eternal God and its corporate affiliates continue to adhere to the decade-long practice of the Worldwide Church of God, which was established under Mr. Armstrong, to conduct a Church service, on Passover evening, during which we participate in the footwashing ceremony and during which we partake of the symbols of bread and wine. At that time, we reflect on the supreme love and Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, rather than allowing ourselves to be detracted by a family meal in Church, which would be accompanied by inherent dangers, as the example of the Corinthian Church has shown.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Our new booklet, “Is That in the Bible?–Man’s Holidays and God’s Holy Days” has been sent to the printer in Canada.

Several of Norbert Link’s video-taped sermons were posted this week on Google Video. They are:

“Bible Study–Pride Precedes Punishment” (March 15, 2008)

“Bible Study — Why Is God Angry?” (May 21, 2005)

A new StandingWatch program (#161)  has been posted on StandingWatch, Google Video and YouTube. It is titled, “New Seven Mortal Sins.” In the program, Norbert Link discusses the British Telegraph’s report on the Vatican’s announcement that there are seven new mortal or deadly sins–one of which is to pollute the earth. The paper’s statement continued that if the faithful don’t confess these sins to their priest and obtain forgiveness, they will be tortured in hell for all eternity. But is this what the Bible teaches? Are there mortal and not-so-mortal sins; is forgiveness obtained through confession to a priest; and is an ever-burning hellfire the fate of unrepentant sinners? The answers from God’s Holy Scriptures might surprise and shock you.

by Shelly Bruno

That’s a favorite saying of mine—one I use when I feel the appropriate moment arises. It’s my secret weapon. Something I find useful when I see a situation where someone is in doubt. It’s such a simple statement, but one that can wield a powerful impact. It can simply erase doubt.

I’ve been using it a lot on my husband lately. He’s interviewing for a new job and has experienced stress and consternation about it—worrying about what so-and-so might say or think, and doubting the outcome of the situation. “It’s not up to them,” I quickly submit. And I believe it. “They” aren’t in charge of the outcome, God is. And it’s easy for me to see that God will indeed control the results. I have no doubt.

That is, as long as the situation involves others.

Lately I’ve noticed that doubt is inserting itself into my own life. Creeping in here and there when I least expect it. Creating worries where there shouldn’t be any. And these worries, whether rational or not, have cast a serious shadow of doubt. How can I rid myself of it? What do I need to do? Is my secret weapon failing me?

Maybe I can’t really “do” anything. I can worry all day long but that won’t change a thing. I can, however, change where I put my faith. I can still believe “it’s not up to them,” but more importantly I should accept that it’s not entirely up to me, either. I have to let go of my own doubtfulness and turn my worries over to God.

So as I continue my crusade to erase doubt, I think I’ll change my secret weapon. “Me,” “them” or “they” don’t really matter, because ultimately, “it’s up to Him!”

On March 15, 2008, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled “Pride Precedes Punishment.”

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.

From time to time, we may do stupid things. We may say something, which we should not have said. We may hold our tongue when we should have spoken up. In short, we might have made mistakes.

But we might not realize it then. And so, we may make the same mistake again. And again. And we still may not get it.

Oftentimes, wrong conduct leads to automatic unpleasant consequences for us–physically or spiritually (compare Jeremiah 2:19; 4:18). But we might not see the connection. Unaware that we should not have acted or spoken in a certain way, we might not comprehend that the unhappy events which might “befall” us are the direct and automatic result of our wrong behavior.

However, when we don’t see and learn from our mistakes, we are bound to repeat them.

That is where correction comes in. And correction may enter into our lives in many different ways. As pointed out, a certain “penalty” or “correction” may be “automatic.” However, when we don’t connect the dots, a friend, mate, relative, employer, employee, church member or minister may point out to us an area of concern. Sometimes, such type of “correction” won’t prove to be sufficient (Proverbs 29:19). And so, God may become directly involved in other ways. He may let us look into the mirror of His Word, by causing us to find and read a particular passage in Scripture (James 1:22-24; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). He may inspire one of His ministers to give a sermon on the relevant issue. Or, He may give us thoughts during our prayers, fasting and meditation which reveal to us our shortcomings.

The real question is: When we are in need of correction, how do we react when correction comes?

Are we easily entreated? Are we willing to listen? Are we humbly allowing for the possibility that we have been wrong? Are we willing to make amends? Are we willing to reconcile with others whom we may have offended–perhaps not realizing that we did, until it is brought to our attention? And since misunderstandings or bad relationships are oftentimes caused by mutual conduct, are we willing to also give and accept mutual correction and forgiveness? And once we have forgiven from the heart, are we eradicating the perceived or real offense from our memory–as God does when He forgives?

Or, are we so proud and convinced of ourselves that we dismiss all godly-inspired correction as Satanic “persecution” or  “wrong and evil accusation”? Are we explaining away God’s direct and loving intervention in our lives (Proverbs 3:12)? Are we mislabeling God’s correction as mere “time and chance” (Jeremiah 5:3; Zephaniah 3:2)?

On the other hand, if we realize that it is God’s correction, are we gladly accepting it as an opportunity to overcome our shortcomings (Job 5:17)? Or are we despising or rejecting God’s correction and then becoming discouraged and dissatisfied? The fact is, we all do this from time to time. But God tells us to look very positively and joyfully at His correction (Hebrews 12:5-6).

Correction is necessary for our own good–to bring about change and growth in our lives. And so, when examining ourselves, we must not forget to focus on the vital area of our need for godly correction. Let us be prepared for it. After all, it will come–the question is, are we going to deal “correctly” with correction?

Homeschooling Under Attack in California

The San Francisco Chronicle reported on March 7:

“A California appeals court ruling clamping down on homeschooling by parents without teaching credentials sent shock waves across the state this week, leaving an estimated 166,000 children as possible truants and their parents at risk of prosecution… The Second District Court of Appeal ruled that California law requires parents to send their children to full-time public or private schools or have them taught by credentialed tutors at home… the appeals court said state law has been clear since at least 1953, when another appellate court rejected a challenge by homeschooling parents to California’s compulsory education statutes. Those statutes require children ages 6 to 18 to attend a full-time day school, either public or private, or to be instructed by a tutor who holds a state credential for the child’s grade level.

“‘California courts have held that … parents do not have a constitutional right to homeschool their children,’ Justice H. Walter Croskey said in the 3-0 ruling issued on Feb. 28… Parents can be criminally prosecuted for failing to comply, Croskey said. ‘A primary purpose of the educational system is to train school children in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation as a means of protecting the public welfare,’ the judge wrote, quoting from a 1961 case on a similar issue…

“Brad Dacus, president of the Pacific Justice Institute… said the appellate court ruling has set a precedent that can now be used to go after homeschoolers. ‘With this case law, anyone in California who is homeschooling without a teaching credential is subject to prosecution for truancy violation, which could require community service, heavy fines and possibly removal of their children under allegations of educational neglect,’ Dacus said…”

The ruling by the Second District Court of Appeal has been posted on links.sfgate.com/ZCQR. In reviewing the case, it should be noted that the court allows for a very limited and extremely burdensome exception for those (like those adherents of the Amish faith and practice) who set forth facts in detail proving that it would be against their religious conviction to have children taught in public schools. The court demands a very detailed and convincing description. The mere statement to the effect that homeschooling is “against my sincere religious conviction, based on the Bible,” would not be sufficient.

Governor Schwarzenegger and Others Blast Ruling on Homeschooling

WorldNetDaily wrote on March 7:

“California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today blasted a court ruling that endangered homeschooling and homeschoolers statewide. ‘Every California child deserves a quality education and parents should have the right to decide what’s best for their children,’ the governor said in a prepared statement. ‘Parents should not be penalized for acting in the best interests of their children’s education.’

“The comments came after a state appellate court ruling essentially concluded California state law allows no option for parents to school their children at home… ‘This outrageous ruling must be overturned by the courts and if the courts don’t protect parents’ rights then, as elected officials, we will,’ he said.

“The governor’s office said the ruling from the 2nd District Court of Appeal in Los Angeles concluded ‘all children ages 6 to 18 must attend public or private school full-time until graduation from high school or be tutored at home by a credentialed teacher.’ The ruling resulted from a case involving the family of Phillip and Mary Long, who earlier described for WND their concerns with the public school district’s advocacy for alternative sexual lifestyles and the promotion of a faith in evolution…

“James Dobson, founder of the Focus on the Family powerhouse Christian publisher, called it ‘an imperious assault on the rights of parents.’ ‘How dare these judges have the audacity to label tens of thousands of parents criminals – the equivalent of drug dealers or pickpockets – because they want to raise and educate their children according to their deeply held values?’ he said.”

On Tuesday, March 11, 2008,  the State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell issued a press release on behalf of the California Department of Education. In the statement, O’Connell wrote: “I want to assure parents that chose to home school that California Department of Education policy will not change in any way as a result of this ruling. Parents still have the right to home school in our state… some parents choose to send their children to private schools or to home school, and I respect that right.”

It is interesting what this rather political statement does not say. It does not recognize the rights of parents to have their children taught by uncredentialed teachers–a practice which the Court of Appeal explicitly denied. IF the California Department of Education wants to grant such a right, it would be in conflict with the holding of the Court of Appeal. Unless the Court of Appeal’s decision is repealed by the California Supreme Court, or the United states Supreme Court, or unless California law is AMENDED, the Court of Appeal’s decision is binding on all lower California courts. This means, parents in violation of the Court of Appeal’s findings could still be sued and convicted of crime–regardless of what “practice” the California Department of Education may claim to endorse or support.

Will Other States Accept California Ruling on Homeschooling?

The Christian Science Monitor stated on March 10:

“A court ruling that California parents ‘do not have a constitutional right’ to home-school their children has touched off anger and bewilderment throughout America’s home-schooling community and prompted a denunciation from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

“For a movement that has gained greater accommodation in recent years, a state appellate court decision last month is a setback that, if not overturned on appeal, could force some 166,000 home-schooled students in California to enroll in conventional schools. It may also prod California and other states with vague or nonexistent laws on home schooling to be more specific about what is allowed and what is required of home-schoolers.

“California’s education statutes, for instance, do not mention ‘home schooling,’ but officials have allowed the practice for decades. The appellate court, however, found that the state’s laws have not been changed to allow home schooling since a case back in 1953 erected a major roadblock to the practice…

“‘I could see this [ruling] being a real strong impetus for home-schoolers in California to get the legislature to change their laws…. Or I could see it being perhaps the beginning of other states wanting to look more closely both at their laws and current enforcement,’ says Kimberly Yuracko, a professor at Northwestern University’s Law School in Chicago.

“The number of students nationwide who are home-schooled is not known because 10 states are so hands-off they require no reporting at all, nor do parents always comply with reporting requirements. Estimates range from 1.1 million to 2.5 million home-schooled students, and the numbers are rising. About half the states require more than simple notification from parents or guardians, such as testing, curriculum approval, or home visits. But such rules are dwindling – either explicitly or by lax enforcement, say experts. Home-school advocates worry the California case could bring more regulation or enforcement, or both…

“California law stipulates two main exemptions to compulsory public school: enrollment in a full-time private school or instruction from a credentialed tutor. Some home-schoolers enroll their children in independent study programs at private or public charter schools that allow students to work mostly from home. Officials have also allowed parents to declare their home a private school, a process requiring once-a-year filing of a short form. In this case [decided by the appellate court], the parents had enrolled their children in a private school under an arrangement that kept the kids at home except to take year-end tests. School officials said they visited the home about four times a year. Writing for the appellate court, Justice H. Walter Croskey derided this arrangement as a ‘ruse’…”

President Bush Vetoes Bill Against Waterboarding

The Associated Press reported on March 8:

“President Bush said Saturday he vetoed legislation that would ban the CIA from using harsh interrogation methods such as waterboarding to break suspected terrorists because it would end practices that have prevented attacks… based on the margin of passage in each chamber, it would be difficult for the Democratic-controlled Congress to turn back the veto. It takes a two-thirds majority, and the House vote was 222-199 and the Senate’s was 51-45…

“But waterboarding is the most high-profile and contentious method in question. It involves strapping a person down and pouring water over his cloth-covered face to create the sensation of drowning. It has been traced back hundreds of years to the Spanish Inquisition and is condemned by nations around the world and human rights organizations as torture. The Detainee Treatment Act of 2005 includes a provision barring cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment for all detainees, including CIA prisoners, in U.S. custody. Many people believe that covers waterboarding…

“The military specifically prohibited waterboarding in 2006. The CIA also prohibited the practice in 2006 and says it has not been used since three prisoners encountered it in 2003. But the administration has refused to rule definitively on whether it is torture. Bush has said many times that his administration does not torture. The White House says waterboarding remains among the interrogation methods potentially available to the CIA.”

The Daily Mail reported on March 10 that “George Bush caused international outrage last night after refusing to ban torture by the CIA.”

“U.S. Economy Has Entered Recession”

Reuters reported on March 12:

“The U.S. economy has ground to a halt and probably already is in recession but faces higher inflation this year than thought just a month ago, a Reuters poll showed on Wednesday. A dismal run of economic data including two months of job market contraction, a declining factory sector and shrinkage in the dominant service sector, has led analysts to downgrade the already grim economic assessment they gave a month ago…

“Economists dropped growth expectations to none at all for the first three months of this year from the anemic 0.2 percent they forecast last month. The poll also showed a median 60 percent chance of an outright recession, which likely started in the current quarter if not late last year. That was up sharply from 45 percent last month and in January. ‘The evidence has built to the point that it is now beyond a reasonable doubt that the U.S. economy has entered recession,’ said Scott Anderson, a senior economist at Wells Fargo & Co. in Minneapolis… with the economy reeling amid the worst housing slump since the Great Depression and resulting financial market turmoil, some analysts say monetary policy may not be enough to cure what ails it.”

The Associated Press reported on March 13:

“Widespread concern about the outlook for the U.S. economy pushed the euro to a new record and the yen to 12-year highs against the U.S. dollar Thursday, while gold and oil prices also surged… The dark economic outlook has raised expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve will continue to cut interest rates — even as the European Central Bank sticks to a tough anti-inflation stance and signals that no rate cuts are on the way for the 15-nation euro zone from its current 4 percent level. Lower interest rates can jump-start a nation’s economy, but can also weigh on its currency as traders transfer funds to countries where they can earn higher returns.”

In other words, the economic world will move away from the U.S. dollar and embrace other currencies, such as the euro.

“What Can Europe Expect From the Next White House?”

On March 11, Der Spiegel Online published the following in-depth analysis of the three remaining presidential candidates in the light of a possible European and especially German future. The magazine stated:

“Obama, Clinton and McCain have one thing in common: They have recognized that maintaining the status quo in Washington is not an option. They know that one of their main challenges will be to reestablish fundamental confidence in the United States…

“President Bush, who may well be the worst president in the history of the United States… has brought the country’s reputation to an all-time low worldwide. In the eyes of much of the world, the America of George W. Bush is no longer a beacon of democracy. Instead, it stands for contempt for international law (because of the US’s unilateral war in Iraq), torture at Abu Ghraib, bending the law in Guantanamo and selfish environmental policies that do more harm than good to the world’s climate… Less than half of the populations of all Western European countries, 30 percent of Germans and only 8 percent of Turkish citizens have a positive view of the United States… When George W. Bush began his first term in January 2001, 78 percent of Germans still had a positive view of the United States.

“… the three presidential candidates… differ when it comes to their foreign policy proposals designed to repair America Inc. At first glance, the differences seem minor, but upon closer inspection they are significant — and they offer a surprising, but not always pleasant, outlook for German politics.

“Whether the Republican… or the Democrats… come into power, they will want Germany, as a NATO partner, to assume more responsibility, especially in Afghanistan. While Berlin has managed to fend off the urgent requests coming from a weakened Bush administration, this will become much more difficult when it is dealing with any new US commander-in-chief. Obama, the inexperienced candidate… recently said that it is unacceptable that the Americans and the British are bearing the brunt of ‘the dirty work’ in Afghanistan. If he becomes president, Obama will demand that the German military, the Bundeswehr, which has been stationed in the relatively safe northern part of the country until now, ultimately participate in combat missions in the south… Afghanistan experts believe that it is naïve to think that the Taliban can be defeated, no matter how many NATO troops are deployed to the region. Air strikes, the only effective weapon against the radical Islamists, who often hide in villages, also exact a high civilian death toll and fuel hatred among the population…

“Unlike Bush… McCain is opposed to allowing interrogation methods that border on torture. As a former POW in North Vietnam, McCain knows what torture means. Like his Democratic opponents, he would probably close the detainee camp at Guantanamo. Nevertheless, his worldview remains shaped by his military career. ‘We can afford to spend more on national defense,’ says McCain, as if the United States weren’t already spending more on defense today than the rest of the world combined. McCain also hasn’t ruled out a military strike against the regime in Tehran, although he has said that it wouldn’t be his ‘preferred option.’ …

“If terrorists were to attack the United States or concrete plans of such an attack became known, all three would strike back without hesitation. Even the charismatic Obama, who normally comes across as gentle, almost a pacifist, insists on the right to ‘unilateral American action.’ In the fight against al-Qaida, Obama says he would insist ‘that Pakistan crack down on the Taliban, pursue Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants.’ If necessary, the senator from Illinois would even use US Special Forces to eliminate current targets.

“Environmentalists should be overjoyed by the three American presidential hopefuls’ environmental policies. Obama, Clinton and McCain all sound as if they had been coached by a member of the German Green Party. All three have very similar ideas about reversing the Bush administration’s course, which has been deaf to environmental concerns, and make climate protection a top priority… When it comes to environmental policy, however, the least convincing of the three is McCain, who initially said that he would repeal the tax breaks for large corporations and the wealthy approved by his party, but then changed his mind.

“The Democrats are playing to voters’ fears triggered by the recession. Both Obama… and Clinton create the impression that they can use protectionist measures to bring back the jobs the United States has lost. They must know that they are merely creating illusions among trade unions and factory workers…

“Those who plan to vote for the Democrats support a phased, but clearly scheduled withdrawal [from Iraq]. Clinton and Obama agree that a ‘victory’ for US troops in Iraq is impossible. Those who plan to vote Republican will be supporting McCain’s statement that the US presence in Iraq could last ‘another 100 years’… McCain claims the surge is experiencing ‘success,’ citing the decline in American casualties. The Democrats counter that despite the fact that some parts of the country are now relatively peaceful, the overall situation remains dramatic, the struggle is shifting to new targets selected by the terrorists, like Mosul, and the relative calm in Baghdad is the work of radical Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr, who has chosen, for the time being, to respect the cease fire he proclaimed.

“It seems unlikely that McCain’s strategy of aggressive action in Iraq will sit well with voters. Despite the Pentagon’s considerable PR efforts, only 39 percent of Americans today believe that the troop surge is working and has been successful. More than 60 percent continue to see the war as a ‘mistake,’ and about half support withdrawing from Iraq as quickly as possible. In this respect, Obama has an advantage over Clinton. While she voted in favor of the war resolution in the Senate in October 2002, he was opposed to the Iraq invasion from the start on the grounds that it was in violation of international law.

“Berlin will also see additional burdens coming its way on the issue of Iraq. All three remaining presidential candidates want to ‘internationalize’ the Iraq conflict, and they are likely to ask allies for substantial financial and logistical contributions — perhaps even troops.”

To summarize, a substantial improvement of US.-EU relationships under a new U.S. President is, realistically, not to be expected. And the Bible says that it will not happen. For more information, please read our free booklets, “Europe in Prophecy” and “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

“The Magic Is Over”

The International Herald Tribune reported on March 13:

“Bernard Kouchner, the foreign minister of France and a longtime humanitarian, diplomatic and political activist on the international scene, says that whoever succeeds President George W. Bush may restore something of the United States’ battered image and standing overseas, but that ‘the magic is over.’… Asked whether the United States could repair the damage it has suffered to its reputation during the Bush presidency and especially since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, Kouchner replied, ‘It will never be as it was before.’

”’I think the magic is over,’ he continued, in what amounted to a sober assessment from one of the strongest supporters in France of the United States.”

“Progress” on U.S. Missile Shield Deal with Poland?

Reuters reported on March 10:

“President George W. Bush pledged on Monday to help modernize Poland’s military as part a U.S. effort to secure agreement for basing components of a global missile defense shield in Eastern Europe… The Bush administration wants to put the interceptors in Poland and a radar station in the Czech Republic as part of a system it says is meant to protect against long-range ballistic missiles from ‘rogue states’ such as Iran and North Korea. Russia has insisted, however, that the shield could pose a threat to its security, and Putin has warned that Moscow will target its missiles at the system if it is deployed in Eastern Europe, Russia’s former sphere of influence.”

“The European Airbus March on America”

Der Spiegel Online reported on March 10:

“Last week, the US Defense Department announced it was awarding the second-biggest contract in its history to a consortium that includes the European Airbus Group, leaving domestic aviation giant Boeing on the outside looking in. A political flap among politicians of all stripes quickly ensued, with calls for the contract to be reviewed and warnings that US national security may be at risk. On its surface, the deal looks simple enough — the contract is for several hundred in-flight refueling aircraft. But days of protest have made it clear that the issue at stake is more one of production locale than logistics — and the formula of global economic power.

“In Chicago, home to both Boeing’s headquarters and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, the Senator recently said that he could not believe that ‘an American company that has been a traditional source of aeronautic excellence would not have done this job.’ His Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, said that she was ‘deeply concerned about the Bush administration’s decision to outsource the production of refueling tankers for the American military.’ Her fellow Democrat, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, agreed and wondered aloud about the ‘national security implications of using an aircraft supplied by a foreign firm.’

“Meanwhile, Republican presidential candidate John McCain was surprisingly cautious in his remarks. He merely said that he was ‘interested to learn how the Air Force came to its contract award decision here and whether it fairly applied its own rules in arriving at that decision,’ adding that he wanted to examine the details of the deal before commenting on it. Nevertheless, the Republican Party base is incensed. Many consider the contract award to be unpatriotic…

“Boeing is currently considering a legal challenge to the Airbus deal. But should the court come to the conclusion that everything about the contract was perfectly legal, it could provide Americans with an unmistakable confirmation of something experts have been saying for years: that the competitiveness of the US economy has declined dramatically.

“Almost everything Americans need in their lives today is imported… Until now, the job of outfitting the US Armed Forces was sacrosanct — and reserved for domestic manufacturers. The Pentagon’s decision to award portions of the Air Force contract to a European company is thus both a provocation and a violation of a taboo… German Chancellor Angela Merkel did refer to the US Air Force deal as a ‘huge success.'”

Gaza Rocket Breaks Lull

Reuters reported on March 11:

“A rocket fired from the Gaza Strip hit southern Israel on Tuesday just hours after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert visited the area and cautioned residents not to expect a lull in Palestinian attacks to last. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine claimed responsibility for the rocket strike, the first against Israel since Sunday, saying its ‘battle against occupation is continuing.’ Such attacks have tailed off sharply since Israel ended a Gaza offensive eight days ago and Egypt stepped up truce mediation efforts. Israel has not raided the Gaza Strip since the five-day assault that killed some 120 Palestinians… Olmert said Hamas has ‘created a reality in which there is no way to protect Israeli civilians except to hit back at those who hit us, and sometimes to hit back disproportionately so their pain will be enough to deter them from continuing to fire.'”

AFP added on March 13:

“Israeli warplanes hit Hamas-run Gaza on Thursday after militants rattled the Jewish state with rocket fire… The violence flared within hours of an Israeli operation on Wednesday in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, where undercover special forces killed four Palestinian militants, including two senior commanders.”

Germany Condemns Israel’s Plans for New Settlements

AFP reported on March 10:

“Germany on Monday condemned Israel’s plan to build hundreds of new homes in occupied east Jerusalem and the West Bank, calling it unacceptable and a threat to the Middle East peace process… Authorities in Jerusalem said on Monday they planned to build a new Jewish settlement of around 400 homes in the annexed eastern part of the city, which Palestinians want as the capital of their promised state… The announcements followed Thursday’s attack on a Jewish religious school in west Jerusalem in which a Palestinian gunman shot dead eight people.

“The international community has never recognized Israel’s claim to east Jerusalem and Palestinians have demanded a halt to settlement activity in all areas occupied in the 1967 war… German Chancellor Angela Merkel will travel to Israel on March 16 with several cabinet ministers for a high level visit.”

Serbia’s Government Dissolved–“Most Important Election” Ahead

Reuters reported on March 10:

“Serbia’s coalition government, torn by division over the loss of Kosovo, was formally dissolved on Monday, opening the way for an early parliamentary election. The decision was taken at a brief cabinet session following Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica’s Saturday announcement that the government could not stay in office owing to disunity over the conflicting goals of defending Kosovo and joining the European Union…

“President Boris Tadic must now disband parliament and set a date for the election, probably on May 11. It will be the most important election since voters ended the era of the late autocrat Slobodan Milosevic in 2000… Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, whose country holds the EU’s rotating presidency, said he hoped for a victory for pro-European parties in Serbia’s upcoming election.”

Pledge of Allegiance Un-British?

Times on Line reported on March 11:

“Lord Goldsmith, the peer charged with carrying out a review for Gordon Brown, suggested children take oaths of allegiance to mark accession from being a student to becoming a UK citizen – an idea which appears similar to that held in America, where children stand at attention to the US flag with their right hand over the heart… However, plans for school pledges caused an immediate backlash from head teachers, the Scottish government – which has its own education powers – and a leading Liberal Democrat peer. ‘This is a half-baked idea…’, John Dunford, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said. ‘Schools will reject it as an un-British idea imported from America, which does not fit into their ethos or culture’…

“The Prime Minister’s spokesman said: “The Prime Minister very much welcomes Lord Goldsmith’s review of citizenship. It has a number of interesting proposals in it and no doubt there will be a debate about them. ‘He thinks this is a good issue to have a debate about. He has said we need to do more to entrench the notion of Britishness in British society.”

Former German President Warns of Dangers for German Political System

The Guardian wrote on March 6:

“Roman Herzog, a former German president and ex-head of the constitutional court, called for changes to the constitution and the electoral system to counter the drift towards government paralysis… Put plainly, the danger of minority governments will grow… Herzog raised the spectre of the Weimar Republic, the ramshackle democracy between the wars which collapsed in chaos and runaway inflation, paving the way for Adolf Hitler… The core of the problem is the long-term trend of erosion of support for the two big national parties, the CDU and the SPD… They now struggle to muster 70% support between them, while the fringe parties – the free market liberals of the FDP, the Greens and the Left – each take up to 10%. Neither of the two big parties can rely on a single junior partner to form a majority.

“For the entire post-war period, German democracy has been a three-party system, morphing into a four-party arrangement with the rise of the Greens in the 1980s. That has now changed. Herzog warned that the entrenchment of the hard left in German politics is likely to be mirrored by the emergence of a stronger extreme right, turning Germany into a six-party system. ‘The possibility of a sixth party, which would not need to be neo-fascist, cannot be quite excluded.’…

“Herzog called for a national debate over how to change the constitution and electoral laws to streamline the system. A British-style system… would ‘never’ be tolerated by the Germans, he said, because a majority of parliamentary seats could be secured from a minority of the popular vote.”

Coming–A European Army

On March 10, the International Herald Tribune published an article by Bernard Kouchner, France’s minister of foreign and European affairs. In his article, Kouchner outlines the goals of a European Defense Force. It is coming–but the Bible shows that ultimately, it will not be limited to just humanitarian, peaceful or “defense” purposes. The article stated:

“For months, for years, we have been deeply distressed, yet powerless, with respect to the tragedy in Darfur. Two weeks ago, despite the troubles in Chad, Europe gave itself the means to protect the victims and to rebuild their villages in eastern Chad. At the behest of France, and thanks to the efforts of our European partners, the European Union… launched its Eufor operation. This is no small achievement. I’ve just returned from Goz Beida in eastern Chad, and I will never forget the enthusiastic welcome the European soldiers received from displaced persons and refugees.

“The launch of an autonomous EU operation in Africa, led by an Irish general with a Polish deputy and bringing together troops from some 15 countries, illustrates how far we have come in building a European defense. It is now desired and supported by nations that until very recently remained skeptical. We have been working to build a European defense since the 1990s…

“No one can deny that this is a major asset for peace in the world. The approximately 15 civilian and military operations that Europe has already conducted since 2003 in the Balkans, in Africa, in the Middle East, in Afghanistan and as far away as Indonesia, largely attest to this. In each of them, the EU was guided by a single ideal: to save lives, to avert war, and to work for reconstruction and reconciliation when the international community had been unable to prevent conflict. Each time we did so with a concern for effectiveness and pragmatism, with or without direct support from the Americans.

“Our vision of relations between the EU and NATO is that they should be founded on this same pragmatism. In some cases, the EU has used its own military means, as it did in Congo in the past and is doing in Chad and the Central African Republic today. In other situations – Bosnia, for example – the EU benefited from NATO support. Now, in a growing number of crises, the EU and NATO are deployed together on the ground. That is sufficient to show that there is not competition but rather complementarity between the two organizations. How could it be otherwise when 21 of the 26 NATO allies are members of the EU, and 21 of the 27 EU partners are members of NATO?…

“The EU presidency, which France will assume on July 1, must allow us to open new perspectives in the field of security and defense, to fight against terrorism and proliferation more effectively, to reinforce our energy security, and to prepare the implementation of permanent structured cooperation open to all 27 member states, as made possible by the new treaty. We will resolutely strive toward that aim.”

Catholic Church Defines Modern “Deadly” Sins

Reuters reported on March 10:

“Thou shall not pollute the Earth. Thou shall beware genetic manipulation. Modern times bring with them modern sins. So the Vatican has told the faithful that they should be aware of ‘new’ sins such as causing environmental blight. The guidance came at the weekend when Archbishop Gianfranco Girotti, the Vatican’s number two man in the sometimes murky area of sins and penance, spoke of modern evils… The Vatican opposes stem cell research that involves destruction of embryos and has warned against the prospect of human cloning…

“Girotti also bemoaned that fewer and fewer Catholics go to confession at all. He pointed to a study… that showed that up to 60 percent of Catholic faithful in Italy stopped going to confession… 30 percent of Italian Catholics believed that there was no need for a priest to be God’s intermediary and 20 percent felt uncomfortable talking about their sins to another person.”

On March 10, the Telegraph published an article on the subject, with the headline, “Recycle or go to Hell, Warns Vatican.” With biting irony and sarcasm, the paper pointed out how “mortal” or “deadly” these sins are–according to Catholic teaching, that is:

“Failing to recycle plastic bags could find you spending eternity in Hell, the Vatican said after drawing up a list of seven deadly sins for our times… The ‘sins of yesteryear’ – sloth, envy, gluttony, greed, lust, wrath and pride – have a ‘rather individualistic dimension’ [Girotti said]

“The new seven deadly, or mortal, sins are designed to make worshippers realise that their vices have an effect on others as well. According to Roman Catholic doctrine, mortal sins are a ‘grave violation of God’s law’ and bring about ‘eternal death’ if unrepented by the act of confession. They are far more serious than venial sins, which impede a soul’s progress in the exercise of virtue and moral good…  Girotti said genetic modification, carrying out experiments on humans, polluting the environment, causing social injustice, causing poverty, becoming obscenely wealthy and taking drugs were all mortal sins.”

Let’s note a few things here. First of all, there is nothing in the Bible, delineating between “mortal” and “not-so-mortal” sins. Sin is sin, and every sin leads to eternal death, if not repented of and forgiven by God. Confession to a priest is definitely NOT a procedure endorsed by the Bible. Rather, we need to confess our sins to God and obtain forgiveness from HIM. If we have sinned against another human being, we are to go to the offended person–not a priest or a minister–and reconcile with him or her.

Finally, the Bible does NOT teach that the penalty for sin is being tortured for all eternity in an ever-burning hell. Such a hell simply does not–and will not–exist and is an invention of the human mind. Pagans taught this false concept, and the Catholic Church absorbed it from them–NOT from the Holy Scriptures.

For further information, please read our Q&A on “Confession,” as well as on “Mark 9:43-48.” You may also want to watch Norbert Link’s sermon on the topic of sin, which is posted on Google Video, titled, “Bible Study – Sin: How Do You Look At It?”

“Tsunami That Devastated Ancient World Could Return”

AFP wrote on March 9:

“‘The sea was driven back, and its waters flowed away to such an extent that the deep sea bed was laid bare and many kinds of sea creatures could be seen,’ wrote Roman historian Ammianus Marcellus, awed at a tsunami that struck the then-thriving port of Alexandria in 365 AD. ‘Huge masses of water flowed back when least expected, and now overwhelmed and killed many thousands of people… Some great ships were hurled by the fury of the waves onto the rooftops, and others were thrown up to two miles (three kilometres) from the shore.’ Ancient documents show the great waves of July 21, 365 AD claimed lives from Greece, Sicily and Alexandria in Egypt to modern-day Dubrovnik in the Adriatic… The tsunami was generated by a massive quake that occurred under the western tip of the Greek island of Crete, experts believe…

“Researchers in Britain have taken a fresh look at this event and have come up with some worrying news… The last tsunami to hit the eastern Mediterranean occurred on August 8, 1303. According to research published in 2006, a quake off Crete of about 7.8 magnitude hit Alexandria 40 minutes later with a wave nine metres (29.25 feet) high.”

The new study warns that “Repetition of such an event would have catastrophic consequences for today’s densely-populated Mediterranean coastal regions.”

Our Contaminated Drinking Water and Our Use of Drugs

The Associated Press reported on March 10:

“A vast array of pharmaceuticals — including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones — have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans… the presence of so many prescription drugs — and over-the-counter medicines… — in so much of our drinking water is heightening worries among scientists of long-term consequences to human health… In the course of a five-month inquiry, the AP discovered that drugs have been detected in the drinking water supplies of 24 major metropolitan areas — from Southern California to Northern New Jersey, from Detroit to Louisville, Ky….

“How do the drugs get into the water?

“People take pills. Their bodies absorb some of the medication, but the rest of it passes through and is flushed down the toilet. The wastewater is treated before it is discharged into reservoirs, rivers or lakes. Then, some of the water is cleansed again at drinking water treatment plants and piped to consumers. But most treatments do not remove all drug residue… The AP’s investigation also indicates that watersheds, the natural sources of most of the nation’s water supply, also are contaminated…

“Contamination is not confined to the United States. More than 100 different pharmaceuticals have been detected in lakes, rivers, reservoirs and streams throughout the world. Studies have detected pharmaceuticals in waters throughout Asia, Australia, Canada and Europe — even in Swiss lakes and the North Sea. For example, in Canada, a study of 20 Ontario drinking water treatment plants by a national research institute found nine different drugs in water samples. Japanese health officials in December called for human health impact studies after detecting prescription drugs in drinking water at seven different sites.

“In the United States, the problem isn’t confined to surface waters. Pharmaceuticals also permeate aquifers deep underground, source of 40 percent of the nation’s water supply. Federal scientists who drew water in 24 states from aquifers near contaminant sources such as landfills and animal feed lots found minuscule levels of hormones, antibiotics and other drugs…

“Perhaps it’s because Americans have been taking drugs — and flushing them unmetabolized or unused — in growing amounts. Over the past five years, the number of U.S. prescriptions rose 12 percent to a record 3.7 billion, while nonprescription drug purchases held steady around 3.3 billion… Some drugs, including widely used cholesterol fighters, tranquilizers and anti-epileptic medications, resist modern drinking water and wastewater treatment processes… There’s evidence that adding chlorine, a common process in conventional drinking water treatment plants, makes some pharmaceuticals more toxic.

“Human waste isn’t the only source of contamination. Cattle, for example, are given ear implants that provide a slow release of trenbolone, an anabolic steroid used by some bodybuilders, which causes cattle to bulk up. But not all the trenbolone circulating in a steer is metabolized. A German study showed 10 percent of the steroid passed right through the animals. Water sampled downstream of a Nebraska feedlot had steroid levels four times as high as the water taken upstream. Male fathead minnows living in that downstream area had low testosterone levels and small heads.

“Other veterinary drugs also play a role. Pets are now treated for arthritis, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, allergies, dementia, and even obesity — sometimes with the same drugs as humans.

“Recent laboratory research has found that small amounts of medication have affected human embryonic kidney cells, human blood cells and human breast cancer cells. The cancer cells proliferated too quickly; the kidney cells grew too slowly; and the blood cells showed biological activity associated with inflammation… Also, pharmaceuticals in waterways are damaging wildlife across the nation and around the globe, research shows. Notably, male fish are being feminized, creating egg yolk proteins, a process usually restricted to females…

“’We know we are being exposed to other people’s drugs through our drinking water, and that can’t be good,’ says Dr. David Carpenter, who directs the Institute for Health and the Environment of the State University of New York at Albany.”

Commercial Cloning Continues…

The Associated Press reported on March 5:

“Alcalde, a hulking black bull, is quite the stud. He sires up to 40 calves a year, most of them top-grade fighters, even though in human terms he would be almost 80 years old and is nearing the end of his life. Victoriano del Rio, a fifth-generation breeder of fighting bulls, cringes at the thought of losing an animal with such good genes. So he is going to clone him — an unprecedented marriage of modern technology and the Spanish-speaking world’s ancient, beloved pastime…The Spaniard is not alone in the adventure. Rancher Jose Manuel Fernandez in Mexico plans to replicate Zalamero, another aging bull that achieved the rare feat of dodging death in the ring…

“Both breeders have hired ViaGen, a cloning company based in Austin, Texas, to do the job. The technique is essentially the same one used in 1996 to copy the sheep Dolly, the world’s first cloned mammal. It involves inserting the nucleus of a somatic cell from the bull — any cell that is not a sperm cell — into a cow egg cell that has been stripped of its nucleus. The egg undergoes electrical and chemical stimulation to make it divide and grow into an embryo. This is then implanted in a surrogate cow to be carried to term.

“ViaGen spokesman Ben Carlson confirmed the orders from del Rio and Fernandez, but would not comment on pregnancies or expected birth dates. Carlson said the breeders would pay standard cattle cloning prices: $17,500 for the first calf, $15,000 for the second, $12,500 for the third and $10,000 for the fourth and beyond. ViaGen has cloned about 300 mammals, including show pigs, rodeo horses and bucking broncos, since its founding in 2002.

“But this is the world’s first attempt at cloning the breed that takes on matadors in the deadly minuet of bullfighting, the breeders said… But questions abound. It’s one thing to pass on a carbon copy of a fighting or stud bull’s DNA, quite another to expect the new animal to mimic its template.”

… While Robots Replace Humans…

The Associated Press reported on March 5:

“At a university lab in a Tokyo suburb, engineering students are wiring a rubbery robot face to simulate six basic expressions: anger, fear, sadness, happiness, surprise and disgust. Hooked up to a database of words clustered by association, the robot… responds to the word ‘war’ by quivering in what looks like disgust and fear. It hears ‘love,’ and its pink lips smile… the country [of Japan] is perhaps the closest to a future… where humans and intelligent robots routinely live side by side and interact socially.

“Robots are already taken for granted in Japanese factories, so much so that they are sometimes welcomed on their first day at work with Shinto religious ceremonies. Robots make sushi. Robots plant rice and tend paddies. There are robots serving as receptionists, vacuuming office corridors, spoon-feeding the elderly. They serve tea, greet company guests and chatter away at public technology displays. Now startups are marching out robotic home helpers…

“For Japan, the robotics revolution is an imperative. With more than a fifth of the population 65 or older, the country is banking on robots to replenish the work force and care for the elderly. In the past several years, the government has funded a plethora of robotics-related efforts, including some $42 million for the first phase of a humanoid robotics project, and $10 million a year between 2006 and 2010 to develop key robot technologies. The government estimates the industry could surge from about $5.2 billion in 2006 to $26 billion in 2010 and nearly $70 billion by 2025…

“Japanese are also more accepting of robots because the native Shinto religion often blurs boundaries between the animate and inanimate… To the Japanese psyche, the idea of a humanoid robot with feelings doesn’t feel as creepy — or as threatening — as it might do in other cultures… Japan is already an industrial robot powerhouse. Over 370,000 robots worked at factories across Japan in 2005, about 40 percent of the global total and 32 robots for every 1,000 Japanese manufacturing employees… A single robot can replace about 10 employees… meaning Japan’s future million-robot army of workers could take the place of 10 million humans…

“The ‘Child-Robot with Biomimetic Body’ is designed to mimic the motions of a toddler. It responds to sounds, and sensors in its eyes can see and react to people. It wiggles, changes facial expressions, and makes gurgling sounds. The team leader… is working on artificial intelligence software that would allow the child to ‘learn’ as it progresses… the key is to make robots that look like human beings.”

The most complete summary of the Holy Days given by God and to be observed by His people is found in Leviticus 23. Carefully note how the first two verses introduce these special days:

“And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying. ‘Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: “THE FEASTS OF THE LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are MY FEASTS”’” (Leviticus 23:1-2).

In this record, we see that God revealed to Moses the specific feasts, and Moses was to, in turn, teach the nation of Israel about these observances. Earlier, as He began to intervene and deliver Israel from Egyptian captivity, God very specifically established a calendar system to be used by His nation (Compare Exodus 12:1-2). At the same time He also established the observance of the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread as recorded in chapters 12 and 13 of the book of Exodus.

In addition to establishing this unique yearly calendar, God also reminded Israel of the proper way to mark the weekly period by setting apart the seventh day—the Sabbath—as a time in which the nation of Israel was to rest, because the Sabbath was holy to the LORD (Compare Exodus 16, especially verses 23-36). This observance was also subsequently included and re-emphasized in the proclamation of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8-11).

WHY did God do this with Israel—why were they given knowledge of the Holy Days?

Part of the answer is found in Exodus 19:5-6: “‘Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’…”

This people of Israel were the descendants of Abraham, and God had chosen Abraham to serve Him for a great purpose. Note this promise given by God to Abraham: “‘In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice’” (Genesis 22:18). The “seed” refers to Jesus Christ–the Savior of mankind (compare Galatians 3:16). This far reaching commitment by God to Abraham provided the key for the rest of mankind to eventually be reconciled to God.

The assurance and knowledge of this plan of God is revealed in the Holy Days given to the nation of Israel. We have written extensively about this and much more detailed information is available on our websites—especially note the following booklets: “God’s Commanded Holy Days“; “The Meaning of God’s Spring Holy Days“; “The Meaning of God’s Fall Holy Days“; and, “The Sacrificial System and the Tabernacle in the Wilderness.”

The Bible reveals that it was to Israel that God revealed His Feasts and commanded the entire nation to observe them from that time forward. However, let us also note what is the FIRST of the “feasts of the LORD” mentioned in the summary found in Leviticus 23:

“‘Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings’” (Leviticus 23:3).

The very first—and only—pre-Moses biblical record of an observance of this particular Feast (or any of the Holy Days) is mentioned in Genesis 2:2-3: “And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.”

What is revealed is that it was God who rested, and it was God who established and set apart the weekly Sabbath for special observance. We may infer that Adam and Eve were taught about the Sabbath, as it is clearly revealed that God’s Ten Commandments were in force and the Sabbath is a part of those commandments. However, it is also evident that following the disobedience of Adam and Eve, their descendants—with only the fewest exceptions—rebelled against God and did not walk in ANY of God’s ways. That disobedience brought on the terrible global destruction of the flood as punishment.

There is no biblical evidence of any other of God’s commanded Holy Days being observed, or, for that matter, even being revealed or established, prior to Moses. After all, God’s annual Holy Days were given to the nation of ancient Israel–the “church in the wilderness”–which came into existence at the time of Moses, when God made covenants with the nation.

Let us also point out that God established the Sabbath as a “Holy Day” in conjunction with the events surrounding His creative work that culminated in the creation of man. Later, He told Israel to “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy… For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth… THEREFORE the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:8, 11). We see that the weekly Sabbath was to be kept as a MEMORIAL of God’s creation. (Later, God added another reason why Israel was to remember to observe the Sabbath, compare Deuteronomy 5:12-15).

When God first established the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread, their purpose was revealed in association with God’s separation of the people of Israel and their deliverance from the bondage of Egyptian servitude (Compare Exodus 12; Exodus 13:9). The Passover season was to be observed by Israel in memory of what God did in Egypt. Exodus 12:26-27, in referring to the Passover service, points out: “And it shall be, when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ that you shall say, ‘It is the Passover service of the LORD, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households….'” Likewise, Exodus 12:14, 17, in referring to the Days of Unleavened Bread, states: “So this day shall be to you a MEMORIAL; and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations… So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, FOR ON THIS SAME DAY I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. THEREFORE you shall observe this day…”

As the weekly Sabbath was to be kept in memory of God’s creation, so Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread were to be kept in memory of what God did in Egypt. The difference is this: While the weekly Sabbath began when God made man (remember that God made the Sabbath for man, Mark 2:27)–and was clearly revealed to be kept from the very beginning–the events surrounding the first Passover did not occur prior to Moses and Israel in Egypt. Therefore, there is no biblical evidence that individuals kept the annual Holy Days prior to Moses.

Likewise, the other Holy Days mentioned in Leviticus 23 have a specific association with events of the time when Israel came out of Egypt to possess the Promised Land God was giving them.

It is for these reasons that the Church of God has taught for many years that the ESTABLISHMENT of the annual Holy Days and their observance by God’s people began at the time of Moses–and not prior to that time. Herbert W. Armstrong, the late human leader of the Worldwide Church of God, wrote in his booklet, “Pagan Holidays or God’s Holy Days-Which?” (emphasis added):

“The Sabbath is a WEEKLY MEMORIAL OF CREATION…. Now in like manner, when God GAVE HIS CHURCH seven annual Sabbaths, God, in His wisdom, had a great purpose… The [first] day [of unleavened bread] ESTABLISHED as a Sabbath, or holy convocation forever, is the feast day, the selfsame DAY on which they WENT OUT OF EGYPT… This day is a MEMORIAL… A MEMORIAL OF DELIVERANCE FROM EGYPT, which pictures to us deliverance from sin! Observe that the days of unleavened bread are a period, having two high-day Sabbaths. And this period is ESTABLISHED forever WHILE the Israelites were still IN EGYPT.. Why did God ordain these feast days? What was His great purpose? Turn now to Exodus 13, verse 3: ‘And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt. . . .’… Verses 6, 8-10: ‘Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and the seventh day shall be a feast unto the Lord . . . This is done because of that which the Eternal did’ (a MEMORIAL) ‘and it shall be for a sign’… God’s purpose in GIVING HIS CHURCH His annual holy days was to keep His children constantly in true understanding of God’s great plan.”

That great Holy Day PLAN of God is far more encompassing in its intended meaning.

(1) For instance, Jesus Christ came into the world to become the Passover Lamb of God (John 1:29), and His sacrifice paid the penalty of sin for all who would believe and accept His offering by turning to God in humble repentance and obedience. In addressing the keeping of the first of the three seasonal feast periods—Passover and Unleavened Bread—Paul states: “Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7).

(2) In the Book of Hebrews, the significant meaning of the Sabbath is revealed in an even greater scope: “So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God” (NASB Study Bible; Hebrews 4:9). This points to a future fulfillment in a time when Jesus Christ will establish the Kingdom of God on this earth and reign for 1,000 years with the firstfruits–the saints of God and Jesus Christ–who will be the first to be resurrected to immortality (Compare Revelation 20:4-6).

(3) These firstfruits are also pictured by the keeping of the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost, as revealed in Leviticus 23:15-22. Again, we see that more than what was then revealed about this Feast occurred following the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In this context, it is important to note that Jesus Christ pointedly told His disciples to stay in Jerusalem for a dramatic and very specific purpose: “‘Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high’” (Luke 24:49).

What followed is recorded in the Book of Acts, and it involved the disciples doing exactly what they were commanded to do by Jesus—that was to stay in Jerusalem, and in doing this, they also observed the Day of Pentecost (Feast of Weeks): “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4).

In addition to the summary of the Holy Days of God described in Leviticus 23, God also describes His Feasts as three seasons within the year (Compare Exodus 23:14; 34:23). We have already seen that for the first two “times” that the Feast Days were observed, there has been additional fulfillments revealing even more about God’s plan of Salvation as contained in the outlined observance of these holy times.

(4) Other elements of God’s plan are revealed through His Fall Holy Days. Symbolically observed in accordance with God’s instructions, these Feasts point to and foreshadow awesome future occurrences that will lead to the completion of God’s great plan—that is, to increase His Family, the God “kind,” by giving eternal life to obedient men and women as sons and daughters of God and members of the spirit-composed and eternal Family of God!

Addressing the question at hand, we again need to focus on what role these Holy Days actually played in the period before Moses.

Perhaps the closest narrative that might hint at some kind of a seasonal observance is found in the account of the offerings that were brought to God by Cain and Abel, as recorded in Genesis 4. However, it would be supposition and unfounded speculation to go beyond what is written and to then try and ascribe this offering as occurring on, and in celebration of, a particular Holy Day.

This is not to say that God did not cause certain events to take place–prior to Moses–which foreshadowed the later observance of the annual Holy Days. It is even possible that some of these events occurred on days which would later be observed as annual Holy Days. It has been speculated, for example–and there exists some Jewish “tradition” to that effect–that events surrounding Lot and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, as well as Abraham’s “sacrifice” of Isaac, might have taken place during the days which would later be known and observed as Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread–but even though this might be interesting conjecture, it cannot, of course, be proven from Scripture.

The Bible simply does not clearly reveal or support the idea of people observing God’s Holy Days in times earlier than Moses—with the notable exception of the weekly Sabbath Day which was kept by Noah, Abraham and other servants of God, as part of the Ten Commandments which were in force and effect prior to Moses (Compare our free booklet, “And Lawlessness Will Abound“).

Nonetheless, there is evidence that the Holy Days have been a part of God’s intentions and PLANNED FOR even before the creation of the physical realm in which we now exist!

There are Scriptures that clearly reveal that God’s plan—a plan pictured by His Holy Days—was in place even before God created the earth! Even the sacrifice of Jesus Christ was planned for far in advance (Our booklet, “Are You Predestined to be Saved?”, provides insightful explanations about this misunderstood subject). Please note the following Scriptures:

Matthew 25:34: “Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world…”

Ephesians 1:4: “… just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love…”

1 Peter 1:20: “He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you…”

Revelation 13:8: “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

While it is obvious from the Word of God that an awesome plan of staggering proportions is being carried out by God the Father and Jesus Christ, the fact remains that only certain elements have been revealed! Also, God has revealed information as He deemed it appropriate and necessary for His purposes.

The annual Holy Days were clearly revealed in conjunction with Moses and the establishment of the nation of Israel as God’s people. We don’t read in Scripture that they were revealed or established prior to that time. But it is clear that true Christians–spiritual Israelites–are to keep all of God’s Feasts today–the weekly Sabbath AS WELL AS the annual Holy Days. As has been the case throughout man’s history, knowledge of the annual Feast Days has been lost or simply ignored. Our challenge remains to neither take away from this priceless knowledge nor to add to it, but rather to faithfully observe these very special days set aside by God.

Lead Writers: Dave Harris and Norbert Link

A new StandingWatch program (#160) has been posted on StandingWatch, Google Video and You Tube. It is titled, “Was Moses on Drugs?” In the program. Norbert Link points out that according to the widely publicized “findings” of a professor at the Hebrew University, Moses was under the influence of drugs when he saw the burning bush–and so were he and all the Israelites when the Ten Commandments were pronounced from Mount Sinai. Could this be true? Why is it important that we understand? What connection, if any, is there anyhow between the Old and the New Testament? Can we be followers of the true God of the Bible without believing all of the Holy Scriptures, as written both in the Old and the New Testament?

Please remember our annual conference in California, which will begin on March 28. Please pray for the success of the conference, as well as for safety for all those who will be traveling to the conference.

On March 8, 2008, Eric Rank and Robb Harris will give split sermons, titled, “Authority” and “The Rod and Staff.”

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.

In a few weeks time, baptized members of the Church of God will be taking the Passover as instructed by Jesus (compare John 13). This is an annual event that the Church of God has kept down through the centuries. But before we take the Passover, there are many things that we have to do.

As we are reminded in Rene Messier’s new member letter, we are told to examine ourselves – not others. It is very easy to examine the faults and sins of other people but much more uncomfortable to review our own situation. This self examination, while ongoing throughout our lives, takes on extra significance as we approach the Passover (see 1 Corinthians 11:27-28). We should examine every aspect of our lives, and we should all heed the instruction given by Jesus to the lawyer in Matthew 22:34-40, to love both God and man with all of our hearts. If we have a problem with someone which might inhibit our relationship with him or her, we are told exactly what to do.

Matthew 18:15-17 is a short passage of Scripture, which deals with interpersonal relationships and conflict resolution, but pride and lack of courage can often get in the way. Nevertheless, it is the way that God instructs in sorting out a problem. The apostle Paul talks about a ministry of peace and reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). We are to “leave our gift at the altar and be reconciled” (Matthew 5:22-24). What if the other party refuses to reconcile and although he understands this admonition, he works his way around the behavior that God expects? If we have made the approach and been rebuffed, there is little we can do except to pray that God will open the mind of that person. It truly is a great sadness when this happens.

However others behave does not give us license to act in a similar fashion. Christ, when He was dying on the cross, asked His Father to “forgive them for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34). We should take exactly the same position, not because of smugness or self-righteousness, but with a humble attitude knowing that it is the way that pleases God. Reviewing and implementing all of these admonitions will ensure that we can take the Passover in a worthy manner, knowing that we have fulfilled the Biblical admonition to examine ourselves.

Latin America–At the Brink of War

The Associated Press reported on March 3:

“Ecuador on Monday broke off diplomatic ties with Colombia, and Venezuela says it will expel Colombia’s ambassador after [Colombia] conducted a strike against leftist rebels inside Ecuador.”

Reuters added on March 3:

“… a dispute across the Andean region… erupted after Colombian soldiers raided inside its southern neighbor [Venezuela] to kill a guerrilla leader… [Venezuelan President] Chavez [ordered] troops and tanks to the border with Colombia and he warned conservative [Colombian] President Alvaro Uribe that a similar strike on Venezuelan soil could lead to war. Ecuador has also sent thousands of troops to the border…”

The Daily Mail stated on March 2 that “The U.S. would almost certainly come to Colombia’s aid if oil-rich Venezuela launched an invasion.”

AFP reported on March 4:

“A crisis between three Latin American nations worsened Tuesday when Venezuela said it was closing its border with Colombia, even as frantic diplomatic talks to stave off war were about to begin.”

German Reaction to Latin American Crisis

On March 4, Der Spiegel Online quoted excerpts from several German newspapers, dealing with the crisis in Latin America. The magazine stated:

“For Europe, the conflict comes as a bit of a shock — Ecuador is a favorite [recipient] of German development aid. Commentators writing in Germany’s main papers Tuesday were full of opinions on what the conflict meant for the region’s future.

“Left-leaning Berliner Zeitung is skeptical of [Venezuelan President] Chavez’s motives. ‘Colombia has chosen to accept the risks. The chance of dealing the guerrillas a devastating blow and of killing their leader was too great to pass up. But the sovereignty of Ecuador was violated in the process, and President Correa [of Ecuador] is well within his rights to be outraged and impose sanctions. The conflict must not escalate. But when Venezuela sends tanks to its border with Colombia — which has nothing to do with this commando raid — what else could it be besides a dangerous regional escalation, the likes of which Latin America hasn’t seen in decades? Hugo Chavez is personally and ideologically close to Colombia’s guerrillas. .. Could Chavez, who is finding less and less support at home, be trying to gather Venezuelans behind him through military escapades?’

“The left-leaning Die Tageszeitung leaps to Venezuela’s defense: ‘… With the precisely planned raid in the Ecuadorean Amazon, Colombia’s right-wing leader Alvaro Uribe is consciously risking a regional escalation of the decades-long conflict. The strong reaction of his leftist neighbors Rafael Correa and Hugo Chavez to his border violation should hardly surprise him — or his powerful backers in Washington… Yesterday’s warning from the German government about escalation is hypocritical: Germany has long counted as one of the discreet, but important, supporters of the Colombian president.’

“Meanwhile, the right-leaning Die Welt has harsh words for Ecuador: ‘In the last few years relations between (Venezuela and Colombia) have gotten dramatically worse, as Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez morphed from covert sympathizer to open supporter of Colombia’s FARC terrorists… That should ring alarm bells in Berlin, especially since Ecuador is an important recipient of German and European development aid, which should be withdrawn as soon as possible. Other recent verbal lapses on the part of Venezuela’s president have been unsettling: He suggested that Colombia was essentially “the Israel of Latin America,” because, like Jerusalem, it has close ties to the US. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will welcome these words from his ally Chavez — but in Europe they should inspire watchfulness.'”

Iranian President in Iraq–“Unintended” Consequences of U.S. Invasion

The Associated Press reported on March 3:

“Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday dismissed U.S. accusations that his country is training extremists and demanded that the Americans withdraw from Iraq. Speaking in a nearly hour-long news conference at the end of an unprecedented visit to Iraq, Ahmadinejad said the U.S. allegations – that Iran is training Shiite militants who target American troops and Muslim rivals – don’t matter to the Iranians…

“Ahmadinejad is the first Iranian president to visit Iraq, and his two-day trip highlighted one of the unintended consequences for Washington after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of the Iraq that ousted Saddam Hussein from power. Under Saddam, a Sunni who once led an eight-year war against Iran, the two countries were bitter enemies, but Iraq’s new Shiite-dominated government has deep ties to Iran’s cleric-led Islamic republic.

“Ahmadinejad was warmly received by Iraqi President Jabal Talabani, a Sunni Kurd, and other Iraqi leaders. He said Tehran and Baghdad are ‘brotherly’ nations who share many beliefs and values…. After meeting Sunday with Talabani, who told the Iranian leader to call him ‘Uncle Jalal,’ Ahmadinejad drove through the U.S.-controlled Green Zone to visit Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a fellow Shiite, at his Cabinet offices… Earlier Monday, Talabani and Ahmadinejad signed seven memorandums of understanding on issues including industrial development, trade and customs.”

The World Condemns Israel

AFP wrote on March 3:

“Israel vowed on Monday to keep hitting Gaza even as troops pulled out of the Hamas-run territory after clashes that killed more than 120 Palestinians and dealt a major blow to Middle East peace talks… The bloody assault earned Israel international condemnation and caused moderate Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas to cut contacts with the Israelis, though on Monday he reiterated his willingness to seek a truce… US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice departed for the region in her latest bid to boost peace efforts which have been stalled… Rice’s deputy spokesman Tom Casey said Israel had a ‘right to defend itself’ against Hamas rocket attacks but Israel also had to ‘show appropriate consideration’ for the humanitarian situation in Gaza Strip…

“Since a dramatic escalation in violence last Wednesday, at least 121 Palestinians, including 22 children and dozens of militants, have been killed… More than 350 were wounded. Two Israeli soldiers were also killed in the clashes and one Israeli civilian died in a rocket attack launched by Gaza militants… Israel launched the operation on Saturday in a bid to stop near-daily rocket fire from Gaza, where the Islamist Hamas movement — which is sworn to Israel’s destruction — seized power in June by routing pro-Abbas forces. But as has been the case with previous Israeli operations, this one failed to halt the rocket fire… The [Israeli] army claimed all the long-range rockets fired at Israel in recent days were Iranian-made.”

Der Spiegel Online stated on March 6:

“A report sponsored by eight British-based aid agencies and human rights groups has described the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip as the worst in 40 years… The damning report on the humanitarian situation released on Thursday says that 80 percent of Gaza’s 1.5 million inhabitants are now dependent on food aid, while unemployment is close to 40 percent…. Israel’s Defense Ministry rejected the report, saying Hamas, the militant Islamist rulers in Gaza, was to blame for the hardships. It also pointed out that medicines and medical equipment were shipped into Gaza without limitations…

“On Wednesday a senior United Nations official warned that the dire conditions in Gaza would deteriorate even further if Israeli military action escalated. ‘It would be devastating,’ John Ging, director of the UN Relief and Works Agency in Gaza, told Reuters. ‘The whole infrastructure is in a state of collapse, whether it’s water, sanitation or just the medical services,’ he said. ‘If there’s a further military offensive it will again just … compound an already desperate situation.'”

Kremlin’s Tough Line Will Continue

The Associated Press reported on March 3:

“President Vladimir Putin fast-tracked the transfer of power to his newly elected protege Monday and signaled the Kremlin won’t back down from its pull-no-punches anti-U.S. foreign policy or ease up on its critics at home. President-elect Dmitry Medvedev… has stressed he will pursue Putin’s foreign and domestic agenda, and in a sign that little would change, Russia squeezed natural gas supplies to Western-leaning Ukraine, and police in Moscow manhandled opposition protesters who denounced the election as a farce… Medvedev has vowed to make Putin his prime minister, enabling the forceful leader to maintain strong influence…

“The head of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe’s vote observation mission, Andreas Gross, said balloting was not free or fair… Western nations have accused Putin of backtracking on democracy, but he has dismissed the criticism and fired back by accusing the West of meddling.”

Moscow–World Capital for Billionaires

AFP reported on March 5:

“Moscow has overtaken New York City as home to the most billionaires, according to Forbes magazine, with 74 of the super-rich elite now counting the Russian capital as their home. By contrast, 71 billionaires live in New York, according to the magazine’s annual list, which placed London in third place with 36. ‘Russia is again the dominant story in (Europe) this year. Its billionaires are just fast and fearsome. What’s fascinating is that every single one of them is self made,’ said Forbes senior editor Luisa Kroll. ‘We’re not going to get into exactly how they got it but none of them inherited it and their average age is 46,’ she added. Russia now counts a total of 87 billionaires, ousting Germany in second place but still trailing the first-placed United States, which has 469.”

Clinton Wins–What’s Next?…

The Associated Press wrote on March 5:

“But even if she wins every contest left, Clinton still would have a hard time overcoming Barack Obama’s pledged delegate lead. In fact, her task got even harder because even though she won Texas, Ohio and Rhode Island Tuesday night, she didn’t do much to close the delegate gap — and with every contest that passes, the number up for grabs drops… Even her own advisers acknowledge Obama will probably win the two other states left this month — Wyoming on Saturday and Mississippi next Tuesday. If she is able to continue turning voters against Obama in the races after that, she could plausibly clinch the nomination by persuading superdelegates to back her. It won’t be easy… With seven weeks until Pennsylvania, there’s plenty of time for the race to get even uglier.”

… While McCain Wins Republican Mantle

AFP added on March 5:

“Clinton’s comeback prolonged the longest and costliest nominating race in US history and ensured weeks or months more of bruising battle for the right to face John McCain, who clinched the Republican mantle Tuesday… McCain… capped an amazing comeback after his campaign had looked dead and buried in mid-2007, crippled by overspending and infighting that led to an exodus of top aides. But now, McCain can enjoy laying out his lines of attack for the November election while watching the Democrats fight tooth and nail.

“The Arizona senator promised to combat Islamic extremism, keep the US economy open to world trade and lower taxes if elected the successor to George W. Bush, whose blessing he was to receive at the White House on Wednesday… His victories Tuesday took McCain, a Vietnam war hero distrusted by many conservatives for his maverick stance on issues such as immigration, over the Republican finish line of 1,191 delegates. His last remaining challenger, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, bowed out and pledged fealty to the Republicans’ new standard-bearer.”

German Viewpoint on U.S. Elections

Der Spiegel Online reported on March 6:

“Like the millions of others around the world who have been closely following the US presidential primaries, Germans are troubled by the results of Tuesday’s primary votes in Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island. Like the candidates themselves, they are exhausted and were hoping for some clarity and resolution from the big day. But clarity is not to be had, and the battle between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will go on… Going by a recent poll by public broadcaster ARD, two-thirds of Germans skew Democratic in their preference for the next American president. A new survey by pollster Forsa found that a slight majority would prefer to see Obama in the White House. And that leaves Germans a bit troubled at the moment, at least going by the editorial pages…

“The left-leaning Die Tageszeitung writes: ‘March 4, 2008 might just go down in US political history as the day Republican McCain won the vote to be the 44th president of the United States… With her three victories on Tuesday, Clinton has shown that her aggressive campaign against Obama has paid off. And, so, she will stay in the race… Her absurd suggestion that they could share a ticket– with her on top — is nothing but pure cynicism and won’t fool anyone. Her desire for a mud-slinging contest is irrepressible’…

“The financial daily Handelsblatt writes: ‘After three months of election marathoning, the existence of two formidable and almost equally popular candidates has thrown the Democrats into a real predicament. For the Republicans — with their own “comeback kid” in John McCain — this is a fortunate coincidence.'”

Anti-Americanism on the Rise in Europe

Der Spiegel Online wrote on March 3:

“As credit woes endanger the world economy, they’re giving Europeans another reason to resent US influence. Anti-Americanism was already simmering because of the Iraq war, dislike for President George W. Bush, and mistrust of rampaging buyout firms. Now, Europe’s pundits and politicians are feeding public perceptions that ordinary folks will be left paying the bill for the financial missteps of big banks…

“It’s always hard to measure the practical impact of anti-Americanism on US businesses abroad. But this latest outburst could have repercussions…The atmosphere gets even more charged with actions such as the EC’s record $1.3 billion (€857 million) fine against Microsoft on Feb. 27.

“As popular European attitudes against the American and British brand of capitalism harden, governments may tilt left (it’s already happening in Germany) and economic nationalism will get a boost, as it has in France. The resulting backlash could make it harder for US firms to make acquisitions in Europe, and high-risk, high-reward financial products from Wall Street will be ferociously scrutinized. And as Europe’s Left uses anti-business sentiment to press for an advantage, it will be much harder for companies to restructure or negotiate globally competitive wages.

“In recent years, Europeans have grudgingly accepted US-style reforms as necessary to compete in the global economy… But even as economic growth surged and unemployment plummeted, many people felt the benefits went mostly to the wealthy — who critics say failed to pay their fair share of taxes. Suspicion of the rich runs deep in Europe, where labor leaders and left-leaning politicians still speak the language of class warfare. Of course, Europe’s elites are doing plenty on their own to bring the moneyed classes into disrepute. Many of the tactics that led to the subprime crisis were cooked up in London, and European banks such as UBS were among the most avid buyers of the loans. France has Jérôme Kerviel, the trader blamed for $7 billion in losses at Société Générale. And German police have been raiding the homes of people suspected of hiding assets in Liechtenstein.”

Europeans Expect U.S. Actions Regarding Weak Dollar

The EUObserver reported on March 5:

“EU finance ministers and the head of the European Commission have voiced concern over the record strength of the euro against the US dollar, in comments aimed at the US authorities rather than the monetary policy of the eurozone’s central bank. Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso admitted to journalists at a Brussels conference on Tuesday (4 March) that the rise of the common currency against the dollar is a ‘matter of concern in some sectors of our economy’… The strong euro is harmful for European exporters, particularly for French and German producers, although it also weakens the negative effect of high oil prices – which are calculated in dollars – for Europeans.

“While keeping firm on the importance of the independence of the European Central Bank (ECB) and its monetary decisions, Mr [Jean-Claude] Juncker, [the Luxembourg leader and the eurogroup chief,] suggested that Europe expects US authorities to act towards boosting the dollar, as earlier suggested by US Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson. ‘As we have done before, we have noted comments made by the US authorities who have reaffirmed that a strong dollar is in the interest of the US economy,’ said Mr Juncker.”

On March 6, The Associated Press added:

“The dollar’s plunge continued unabated Thursday, striking record lows after the European Central Bank kept its benchmark rate on hold and the U.S. released another batch of dour economic reports. The euro fetched a record $1.5370 in European morning trading before falling back to $1.5360. The European currency closed at $1.5262 Wednesday. Meanwhile, the British pound broke through $2 again after the Bank of England also decided to keep its key refinancing rate unchanged at 5.25 percent… The latest record for the euro drew a new round of criticism in Europe, particularly from trade unions worried about exports to the U.S… European Union businesses said they were starting to feel the pinch, too, notably from U.S.-based buyers who pay for goods from Europe.”

Airbus Over Boeing to Replace U.S. Air Force Tankers

CNN reported on March 1, 2008:

“The U.S. Air Force on Friday announced one of the largest military acquisition programs in U.S. history, saying the service had chosen Northrop Grumman over Boeing to replace its aging air refueling tanker fleet… The announcement was a surprise to many in the business industry who expected Boeing [a U.S. company] to be favored over the company, which will use a European company’s airframe, Airbus, for the tanker. The $40 billion deal to start replacing 179 tankers — known as the KC-45A program — will expand to over $100 billion to replace the entire fleet of almost 500 planes.

“… one lawmaker called the decision to award the contract to Northrop Grumman a blow to the American defense industry and an economic boon for European countries. ‘These are the same European governments who are unwilling to support us in the global war on terror and over the last few months refused to provide even an additional 100 soldiers apiece for Afghanistan operations,’ said Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-California. ‘Instead, we have to send 3,200 additional U.S. Marines to Afghanistan while they take $35 billion in American taxpayer contracts.’

“The contract to replace the aging fleet of air refueling tankers was mired in corruption and political wrangling for years. In 2004, Congress, led by Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, banned the Air Force from working out a lease and purchase deal with Boeing after a federal investigation uncovered improprieties at the highest levels of the Air Force procurement process. Critics also complained that Boeing was awarded the contract without competition and that the deal was a bailout for the 767 program, which was facing slumping sales.

“Congress forced the Air Force to start a new contract bidding plan that allowed Airbus to compete for the contract. Pentagon officials said the losing company could protest and ask the Government Accountability Office to investigate the decision, which would delay the program again.”

Britain to Ratify Lisbon Treaty

The EUObserver wrote on March 6:

“The UK’s parliament has rejected a call for referendum on the new EU’s Lisbon treaty, a move representing a victory for Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown which has argued in the face of bitter opposition that there should not be a public poll… The Lisbon treaty was signed by EU leaders in December 2007 and it must be ratified by all the bloc’s member states before taking into force. Most countries have opted for a parliamentary ratification, with only Ireland due to hold a referendum on the issue, probably in June… Britain is now expected to ratify the treaty by the summer. So far, five countries have given the green light to the document: Hungary, Slovenia, Malta, France, and Romania.”

Joerg Haider vs. “Islamization” in Austria…

DPA (German Press Agency) reported on March 4:

“Austrian rightist Joerg Haider on Tuesday demanded measures against creeping Islamization of the country, including bans of headscarves and the construction of mosques.

“‘We must not tolerate any longer that radical Islamists mock the rule of law in our country and ignore our values and dominant culture,’ said Haider, who led the right-wing Freedom Party (FP) to become Austria’s second strongest party and now is governor of the southern Austrian province Carinthia. Haider demanded that immigrants must adapt to the ‘Leitkultur,’ a term which translates as dominant, or defining culture.

“‘Those who live here, have to adapt to our dominant culture and accept the rule of law. Who cannot or does not want to do this, has no place here,’ Austria’s formerly dominating right-wing figure said in a press release. Following the refusal of a female defendant in an Islamist terrorism trial to remove her burka as required by Austrian law, Haider suggested a headscarf-ban ‘following the Dutch example.’ The Netherlands’ general ban on cloaking was an example worth following, Haider said, as it was a way to ban wearing Muslim headscarves or burkas in accordance with the Dutch constitution, Haider said.

“The former FP-leader and founder of a Alliance for Austria’s Future, a rivalling rightist party, also suggested extending a ban on the construction of mosques, introduced in the southern province of Carinthia last month, to all of Austria.”

… While Harvard Supports U.S. “Islamization”

The Associated Press reported on March 4:

“In a test of Harvard’s famed open-mindedness, the university has banned men from one of its gyms for a few hours a week to accommodate Muslim women who say it offends their sense of modesty to exercise in front of the opposite sex. The policy is already unpopular with many on campus, including some women who consider it sexist… The trial policy went into effect Feb. 4, about a month after a group of six Muslim women, with the support of the Harvard College Women’s Center, asked the university for the special hours, spokesman Robert Mitchell said.

“‘We get special requests from religious groups all the time and we try to honor them whenever possible,’ he said, noting that the school has designated spaces for Muslim and Hindu students to pray. No men are allowed in the gym between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Mondays, and between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Even the staff during those times is all women.

“The special hours allow the Muslim women, who adhere to traditional dress codes by covering their hair and most of their skin while in public, to dress more appropriately for exercising, said Susan Marine, director of the women’s center. ‘It’s a pretty big breach of their moral and religious code for a man to see them with their hair uncovered and it’s just not possible for them to be in a mixed environment,’ she said.”

… And the Pope Is to Host a Summit With Muslims

AFP wrote on March 5:

“Pope Benedict XVI will host a ground-breaking ‘summit’ of Catholic and Muslim leaders in November, the Vatican said Wednesday. The ‘Catholic-Muslim Forum’ from November 4 to 6, will bring together 24 dignitaries from each faith on the theme of ‘love God, love your neighbour,’ it said… The statement was signed by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, head of the Vatican council for dialogue between religions, and Sheikh Hakim Mourad, who led a delegation of Muslim officials in talks in the Vatican on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Vatican Secretary of State… has underlined the pontiff’s ‘complete willingness’ to meet with Muslim leaders ‘to see what unites us, without minimising or ignoring our differences.'”

The World’s Insane Military Spending

BBC News reported on March 4

“The Beijing government has announced a 17.6% rise in its defence budget, meaning it will spend about 417.8bn yuan ($59bn; £30bn) over the next year… In a report released just before Beijing announced its budget, the US Defense Department estimated China’s military spending in 2007 at between $97bn and $139bn – more than double the figure given by Beijing…

“Not including the cost of the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, US President George W Bush recently asked for a budget of $515bn for the next fiscal year. According to recent figures, the US spends more than 4% of its GDP on defence…

“In cash terms, the UK government admits to being the next biggest spender on defence, setting aside $64.7bn for the next year. This accounts for 2.5% of the GDP.

“Beijing’s official figures put its spending about on a par with France – although if the Pentagon’s figures are correct, China has the second-biggest defence budget in the world…

“The BBC’s world affairs correspondent… says the US is determined to maintain its position as a major Pacific power, while Beijing seems equally determined to assert what it sees as its rightful place on the world stage. He says both sides know that China has the greatest potential of any country to challenge US military power in the long term. It is a fluid and edgy regional strategic dynamic that also sucks in the other big Asian powers – like Russia, Japan and India…”

The sad lesson of history is that man’s weapons WILL BE USED. And the Bible confirms that another all-encompassing WORLD WAR IS A CERTAINTY. Man’s greed and lust for power, inspired by the god of this present age–Satan the devil (2 Corinthians 4:4)–will bring this world to the brink of utter destruction. And then–but not before then–Jesus Christ WILL intervene and save mankind from total annihilation (Matthew 24:21-22, 30-31). Then HE and “the saints” will rule (Revelation 20:4, Daniel 7:27)–replacing Satan and incompetent human world leaders and power-hungry politicians with faithful and true godly leadership, DESTROYING all weapons and establishing PEACE on this earth (Isaiah 2:1-4)–something this world has not experienced for about 6,000 years.

How Foolish–Jewish Professor Claims Moses Was On Drugs

Did you think you have heard it all? Then be prepared for another surprise. A Jewish professor postulated that Moses was “on drugs” when he saw the burning bush or when he heard God speak to him on Mount Sinai. One wonders how absolutely “foolish” some “educated” minds of this world have become (compare 1 Corinthians 1:20; 3:19). Read it for yourself.

AFP reported on March 4:

“High on Mount Sinai, Moses was on psychedelic drugs when he heard God deliver the Ten Commandments, an Israeli researcher claimed in a study published this week. Such mind-altering substances formed an integral part of the religious rites of Israelites in biblical times, Benny Shanon, a professor of cognitive psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem wrote in the Time and Mind journal of philosophy.

“‘As far Moses on Mount Sinai is concerned, it was either a supernatural cosmic event, which I don’t believe, or a legend, which I don’t believe either, or finally, and this is very probable, an event that joined Moses and the people of Israel under the effect of narcotics,’ Shanon told Israeli public radio on Tuesday. Moses was probably also on drugs when he saw the ‘burning bush,’ suggested Shanon, who said he himself has dabbled with such substances…

“He mentioned his own experience when he used ayahuasca, a powerful psychotropic plant, during a religious ceremony in Brazil’s Amazon forest in 1991. ‘I experienced visions that had spiritual-religious connotations,’ Shanon said. He said the psychedelic effects of ayahuasca were comparable to those produced by concoctions based on bark of the acacia tree, that is frequently mentioned in the Bible.”

Let us ask this facetious question: Are we sure that the professor was not on drugs when he came to his conclusions regarding Moses? The sad part is, some may even believe his nonsense.

At the time of Jesus, some did not believe Moses, even though they claimed that they did. It is therefore no surprise that some Jews today disbelieve the inspired account of Moses, as recorded in Scripture. Notice Christ’s challenging words to the Jews at His time: “Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you–Moses, in whom you trust. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words? (John 5:45-47).

Here is the conclusion of the matter, as God inspired Paul to write: “What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God. For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar” (Romans 3:1-4).

Spielberg’s Fascination with the Occult, Ghosts and UFOs

TechCrunch, a Weblog founded in June of 2005, reported the following on March 4:

“Hollywood super producer Steven Spielberg is preparing to launch a new social network, we’ve heard from multiple sources. The focus will be on users who’ve had or who are interested in sharing paranormal and extraterrestrial experiences. The new social network may also have original video content investigating alleged ghost and UFO stories.

“Spielberg has always had a love for ghost and UFO stories. His movies include Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Poltergeist (1982), E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Casper (1995), Men in Black (1997), The Haunting (1999), War of the Worlds (2005) and the upcoming Interstellar (2009). His first movie, at 16, was a 140-minute science fiction adventure called Firelight (which later inspired Close Encounters). Add to those titles a score of other sci-fi movies.

“Spielberg has apparently had at least one paranormal experience himself. There are stories of him staying in a hotel called Excelsior House and being so frightened by ghosts that he fled the room and moved 20 miles away. We’ve also heard anecdotes about Spielberg seeing the ghost of a dead relative repeatedly as a child. Whether based in reality or the product of an exceptional imagination, these experiences may have had an impact on his life’s work and this upcoming social network.”

Helpless Against Vultures

An interesting article was published on March 5 by LocalNews.com:

“Residents in a Polk County community [in Florida] are demanding help in getting rid of vultures that are ripping shingles off rooftops and chewing rubber linings of car doors and windows. City officials said little can be done about the hundreds of black and turkey vultures because they are federally protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. City Attorney Sean Parker said vultures have additional protection under a bird-sanctuary ordinance adopted by Bartow in the 1950s. Officials said scaring off the vultures could be considered a violation and could result in fees of up to $500 a day.”

No Public Cussing in March

The Associated Press reported on March 6 about South Pasadena:

“This community on the edge of Los Angeles has become a cuss-free zone. So if you’re headed to South Pasadena this week, be sure to turn down the volume on that Snoop Dogg CD, and, if the little old lady from Pasadena cuts you off in traffic, don’t even think about flipping her the bird. Not that police will slap cuffs on you… in light of the proclamation passed Wednesday by the City Council. But you could be shamed into better behavior by the unsettling glares of residents who take their reputation for civility seriously… The proclamation will be in effect until Friday, and then the first week of every March hereafter… what’s different about the latest push to stop saying in public [objectionable] words… is that it was proposed by a 14-year-old boy.”

This particular passage has caused great confusion for many readers, and has prompted some Christians to adopt wrong and unbiblical teachings.

This is what Jesus said in Mark 9:43-48:

“If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched–where ‘Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.’ And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched–where ‘Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.’ And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire–where ‘Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.'”

This passage raises numerous areas, requiring clarification:

(1) What “life” is Christ referring to?
(2) Are we to literally cut off our hands and feet and pluck out our eyes when they “cause” us to sin?
(3) What is the fire that shall never be quenched?; and
(4) Why do their worms not die?

Let’s review these questions one at a time.

(1) “Enter into Life”

Christ is referring here to ETERNAL life, equating it in Mark 9:47 with entering the KINGDOM OF GOD. We find similar phraseology in Matthew 19:16-30. There, a rich man asked Christ how to enter “ETERNAL life” (Matthew 19:16). Christ answered in verse 17: “… if you want to enter into LIFE [obviously referring to ETERNAL life–that was the question of the rich man], keep the commandments.”

When the rich man revealed his unwillingness to keep ALL of God’s commandments, including the one against idolatry, Christ said, “… it is hard for a rich man to enter the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN” (verse 23), identifying it later as the KINGDOM OF GOD (verse 24). And finally, in verse 29, He emphasized that He was speaking of inheriting ETERNAL LIFE. He showed thereby that “entering into life” means, inheriting ETERNAL life in the Kingdom of God.

What did He mean, when He said that we should cut off our hands and feet and pluck out our eyes, if they cause us to sin, and that it is better to enter into life maimed, lame and blind, than to “go to hell”?

(2) Cut Off Your Hand and Feet and Pluck Out Your Eye

We have to state very emphatically that Christ did NOT mean this in a literal way. If it were to be understood literally, then no Christian would enter life with two feet, two eyes or two hands, as ALL Christians have sinned and still sin, and not only once (compare Romans 7:15-16, 24; 1 John 1:8-10). We should also note that sin originates in the mind (James 1:14-15). Even a maimed, lame or blind person can and does still sin. The Lamsa Bible explains that the expressions “plucking out your right eye” and “cutting off your right hand” (compare Matthew 5:29, 30) are Aramaic idioms, meaning “stop envying” [with your eyes] and “stop stealing” [with your hands]. [Likewise, the Lamsa Bible explains that the phrase “turn your cheek,” as used in Matthew 5:39, is another Aramaic idiom, meaning, “Do not start a quarrel or a fight.”]

The Nelson Study Bible adds: “Cut it off should be taken figuratively; it means to take whatever drastic action is necessary to avoid sin.”

The Broadman Bible Commentary points out: “… if what you desire to do, or the places you long to frequent, or the things you are greedy to possess… would entice you into a path departing from the way [of life]… whatever sacrifice is necessary must be made. This is no command for mutilation of the body. But there cannot be two masters in life; either you ‘deny yourself’ and accept a new master (‘follow me’) or you lose your [eternal] life.”

What Christ was referring to was the need to cease using our members in the practice of sinful conduct. For example, He warns His disciples not to look at a married woman with evil thoughts, as this constitutes adultery in the eyes of God. Coveting our neighbor’s possessions already constitutes using our hands in committing theft in the eyes of God, and hating our fellow man already constitutes murder in God’s eyes–using our feet to walk on an evil path. We read in Colossians 3:5, 8, that we have to put to death our “members,” which are then described as including fornication, evil desire, covetousness, anger, malice and lying. Paul says in Romans 6:13, not to “present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but… as instruments of righteousness to God.”

James warns us that our tongue is a little member which must be controlled (James 3:5), lest it causes irreparable harm. And finally, he states in James 4:1 that “wars and fights come from… your desires for pleasure that war in your members.”

Jesus was using certain members of our bodies (foot, hand and eye) to illustrate the principle that a Christian must strive to eradicate sin in his life–even if it means, breaking a sinful HABIT which may be as painful to overcome as perhaps losing a foot, a hand or an eye. But Christ said it is better to forgo the passing pleasures of sin (compare Hebrews 11:25)–even if it “hurts”–than to be cast into hell fire.

What did Christ mean when He talked about “hell fire that shall never be quenched”?

(3) Unquenchable Hell Fire

The Greek for “hell” in the phrase “hell fire” is “Gehenna.” Gehenna, which designates the valley of Hinnom, is located outside Jerusalem. Trash, animal carcasses and even the dead bodies of criminals were thrown into that fire to be burned up. Jesus applied the concept of that Gehenna fire to the fire awaiting the wicked to destroy them. That fire is referred to in many places as the “lake of fire” or the second or final death (compare Revelation 20:14). The wicked will be thrown into that “hell fire” to be burned up and destroyed–they will not be tortured for ever and ever. The act of their extinction will occur with sudden finality, and the wicked will quickly perish with only a brief comprehension of their empty fate!

The Nelson Study Bible states: “The imagery of hell (frequently called gehenna) comes from a garbage dump outside the walls of Jerusalem. Jesus’ hearers were familiar with the smoldering fires that always burned there.”

For further information on the concept of “hell” or “Gehenna,” please read our free booklets, “Do You Have an Immortal Soul?” and “God’s Commanded Holy Days,” as well as our Update #194, “Do the Wicked Go to Hell?”, Update #195, “Revelation 14:11”; and Update #196, “Revelation 20:11.”

But why did Christ say that the fire would not be quenched? Does this “hell fire” burn forever?

Note that Jesus does not say that the fire will burn forever, and that it will never go out. He said that it would not and could not be “quenched”–that is, nobody would (be able to) put it out as long as there was fuel to keep it burning. Once there is no more fuel, it will cease to burn.

The same terminology is used throughout the Bible for fire–or God’s wrath burning like a fire–but this does not mean that that fire or the wrath of God will burn forever. It burns as long as there is reason or “fuel” to burn. Note Jeremiah 4:4: “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, And take away the foreskins of your hearts, You men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Lest My fury come forth like fire, And burn so that no one can quench it, Because of the evil of your doings.” Compare, too, Jeremiah 21:12 and Amos 5:6.

But we also read that God’s wrath, even though no one can quench it, will not “burn” forever. Psalm 30:5 says: “For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life.” And Micah 7:18 adds: “He does NOT retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy.”

God uses the same terminology of “unquenchable fire” for the ancient destruction of Jerusalem at the time of Jeremiah. We read God’s words in Jeremiah 17:27: “But if you will not heed Me to hallow the Sabbath day, such as not carrying a burden when entering the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.”

We read that this prophecy came to pass in the days of King Zedekiah of Judah, when King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, destroyed Jerusalem under his captain Nebuzaradan. We read in 2 Kings 25:9 that he “burned the house of the LORD and the king’s house; all the houses of Jerusalem, that is, all the houses of the great, he burned with fire.”

But that fire is not burning any more today. Jerusalem was rebuilt. It existed at the time of Jesus. The fire was never quenched, that is, deliberately put out, but it went out on its own when there was no longer any fuel to keep it burning.

The same is true for the Gehenna fire–the lake of fire. We read that it will ultimately engulf and burn up the surface of the entire earth–we are told that “both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10). In fact, even the “heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat” (verse 12). But after that, God will create “new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (verse 13). At that time, there will be no more burning lake of fire, because nothing will exist anymore which needs to be burned. Revelation 21:4 tells us that at that time, there will be “no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain.”

For more information on the new heavens and the new earth, please read our free booklet, “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World.”

The Gehenna fire will apparently be burning throughout the time of the Millennium, the Great White Throne Judgment and the Third and Final Resurrection to “damnation” or “the final destruction” of the wicked. Why does Jesus say that during that time, the worms of the wicked will not die?

(4) Their Worms Won’t Die

Again, Christ uses language pertaining to the fire of Hinnom, which was burning outside Jerusalem, to illustrate a point. When some animal or body of dead criminals caught on the ledges below the rim, it would be devoured by “worms” or maggots. However, the maggots would not live forever–they would develop into flies. Those flies would deposit new eggs, and maggots would hatch from these eggs, eat the flesh, continue in the larval form for a few days, go through a metamorphosis and emerge as flies. Nothing would exterminate the maggots–as nothing or no one would extinguish or quench the fire. But without fuel to burn or without flies to deposit new eggs, the fire would go out and maggots would cease to develop. Technically, Christ’s point is well taken, as maggots in fact did not die–they developed into flies–which would ultimately die. But His spiritual application is much more telling: The fate of the unrepentant wicked is inescapable. As no one quenched the fire or prevented maggots from developing into flies, so no one can change the fate of the unrepentant sinner.

Jesus quoted from a future prophecy in Isaiah 66:24, which says: “And they shall go forth and look Upon the CORPSES of the men who have transgressed against Me. For their worm does not die, And their fire is not quenched. They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.” Please note that the “worms” or maggots are those developing on the corpses of dead people–they are NOT the dead people themselves.

The Broadman Bible Commentary agrees, stating as follows: “Hell with its unquenchable fire is ‘Gehenna’… Gehenna historically was a valley at the western edge of Jerusalem. Used at one time by worshippers of Molech as a place where their sons or daughters were offered in sacrifice, the valley was defiled during King Josiah’s religious reformation… Since that time it had been used as a dump for all kinds of refuse. Therefore it was correctly described as a place where maggots continually fed and multiplied (‘their worm does not die’) and where fire was always smoldering (‘the fire is not quenched.’).”

In conclusion, Christ’s statement in Mark 9:43-48 is a warning to all of us. He cautions us to be very careful about how we live–and to break any sinful habits which we might have–even if that process hurts and is painful. If we are neglectful in our efforts to overcome sin, we might end up in the lake of fire. We are told in Hebrews 2:1-3: “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we NEGLECT so great a salvation.” Again, we read in Hebrews 4:11: “Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.” And finally, note this warning in Hebrews 10:26-27: “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and FIERY indignation which will DEVOUR the adversaries.”

Therefore, as we are admonished to do, “… be even more diligent to make your call and election SURE… for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the EVERLASTING KINGDOM of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:10-11).

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

A new StandingWatch program (#159) has been posted on Standing Watch, Google Video and YouTube. It is titled, “What’s Wrong With Our Presidential Elections?” In the program, Norbert Link points out that millions of dollars are being spent to support a candidate who is “uniquely qualified” to become the next U.S. President, while other candidates are not–so we are told. What is being missed in all this hype of Presidential election campaigns and debates? What is going on in the world, while Americans are glued to their TV sets to absorb every last bit of information evolving around the Presidential elections? Most importantly, how does God feel about all of this?

This week, we sent out a new member letter together with our new booklet, “The Sacrificial System and the Tabernacle in the Wilderness.” In the member letter, Rene Messier encourages all of us to examine ourselves thoroughly at this time of year, and he discusses potential areas for individual self-evaluation.

by Simon Akl

Recently, in one of my Health Science classes on Epidemiology, I was shocked by some of the statements made by my teacher. We were discussing how religious-based lifestyles can promote better health.  The concept of clean and unclean foods given in the Bible came up.  The teacher explained that there were clear health benefits from abstaining from unclean foods.  He explained why pork and other sea creatures were bad for our health and were known to promote certain diseases.  However, he ended by saying that such health hazards were now outdated and no longer needed to be followed.  Later in the discussion, I was even more surprised when he stated how in the past the Catholic Church had modified their teachings in order to incorporate more predominantly pagan celebrations.  I could not believe how aware he was of this information and yet continued to follow their false teachings and customs. 

On a different occasion, in a conversation with my school secretary, she also stated how so many teachings had been changed by the Catholic Church.  She knew about their pagan roots, yet chose to still follow them.  Even when the truth is plain and clear, people still find ways to be deceived by Satan and his evil works.  Though it is sad to see others being deceived, it helps me to realize how truly blessed I am to be a part of God’s calling, and how thankful I ought to be to have been given the ability to resist Satan and his deception.