On February 2, 2008, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “Behold, The Man!”

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.

Sin! What a religious-sounding word! Many hear it and think immediately of hell and damnation. To be told that we have sinned may cause us to react with anger, defiance or rejection. We may become frustrated, disillusioned, discouraged and even depressed, thinking that all is lost. But we all have sinned, and we all still sin today–not, that we should sin, but we do. We should not take sin lightly, but we should not give up in hopelessness and despair when we don’t seem to get rid of sin as quickly as we would want to.

In the Bible, sin describes many facets of human life. Both in the Old and the New Testament, the most common expression for sin conveys the thought of having missed the mark. It does not necessarily refer to deliberate, malicious conduct, but rather to a failure, many times because of neglect, to achieve the desired success. We miss the mark because we may not be diligent enough to try to find it; we may not have enough of God’s help to be successful; or we may not be THAT much interested in succeeding. In the final analysis, we miss the mark because we do not realize that we NEED God’s help to be victorious; that our own will power and strength are NOT sufficient to succeed.

If we neglect to avail ourselves of the help that God is willing to offer us, we WILL fail. Of course, we cannot expect to receive God’s help if we are unwilling to obey Him. The idea that God accepts us “just as we are,” meaning that He does not require of us to obey Him and to overcome sin, is a Satanic deception, which is aimed at diminishing or quenching any zeal or effort on our part to get rid of sin. God tells us that we MUST overcome sin, and with His help, we CAN do so.

In order to become more and more perfect in our efforts to get rid of sin, we basically need to follow three steps: We need to see and acknowledge our sin; we must hate it enough to be willing to get rid of it; and finally, we must take action, because only those who DO God’s commandments will inherit eternal life.

But–for each of these three steps, God’s INVOLVEMENT is NECESSARY. To be able to see and acknowledge sin, God must show it to us. Generally, man is incapable of seeing himself as he really is. Secondly, we can only really hate our sin and obtain a desire to get rid of it, when God gives us such strong feelings and convictions. Man does not really hate sin–but God does. So, we must develop in us the mind of God to be able to think more and more, as God thinks. And finally, in order to take action and overcome sin in our lives, we need to accept God’s help. Man, left alone, is not able to forsake the wrong and do the right, unless he avails himself of God’s strength and USES it in his fight against sin.

God is willing to forgive us all of our sins, when we repent; that is, when we forsake what is wrong and begin to do what is right. However, God does not want us to sin. We are told not to sin. This shows that we CAN get rid of sin. We CAN hit the mark–we don’t HAVE to miss it and to fail. But in order to become victorious, we NEED to have God on our side.

Do YOU keep missing the mark? If you do, cast your burdens on God. Let HIM fight your battles for you–and follow His lead when He does.

President Bush’s Final State of the Union Address

On January 28, President Bush gave his final State of the Union address. We are publishing the following excerpts:

“Most Americans think their taxes are high enough… There is only one way to eliminate this uncertainty: make the tax relief permanent. And Members of Congress should know: If any bill raising taxes reaches my desk, I will veto it…

“On matters of science and life… I call on the Congress to pass legislation that bans unethical practices such as the buying, selling, patenting, or cloning of human life…

“We must also find a sensible and humane way to deal with people here illegally. Illegal immigration is complicated, but it can be resolved. And it must be resolved in a way that upholds both our laws and our highest ideals.

“… one Army brigade combat team and one Marine Expeditionary Unit have already come home [from Iraq] and will not be replaced. In the coming months, four additional brigades and two Marine battalions will follow suit. Taken together, this means more than 20,000 of our troops are coming home. Any further drawdown of U.S. troops will be based on conditions in Iraq and the recommendations of our commanders… The mission in Iraq has been difficult and trying for our Nation. But it is in the vital interest of the United States that we succeed… By contrast, a failed Iraq would embolden extremists, strengthen Iran, and give terrorists a base from which to launch new attacks on our friends, our allies, and our homeland…

“This month in Ramallah and Jerusalem, I assured leaders from both sides that America will do, and I will do, everything we can to help them achieve a peace agreement that defines a Palestinian state by the end of this year. The time has come for a Holy Land where a democratic Israel and a democratic Palestine live side-by-side in peace…

“Iran is funding and training militia groups in Iraq, supporting Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon, and backing Hamas’ efforts to undermine peace in the Holy Land. Tehran is also developing ballistic missiles of increasing range and continues to develop its capability to enrich uranium, which could be used to create a nuclear weapon. Our message to the people of Iran is clear: We have no quarrel with you, we respect your traditions and your history, and we look forward to the day when you have your freedom. Our message to the leaders of Iran is also clear: Verifiably suspend your nuclear enrichment, so negotiations can begin… America will confront those who threaten our troops, we will stand by our allies, and we will defend our vital interests in the Persian Gulf.

“On the homefront, we will continue to take every lawful and effective measure to protect our country. This is our most solemn duty. We are grateful that there has not been another attack on our soil since September 11. This is not for a lack of desire or effort on the part of the enemy. In the past 6 years, we have stopped numerous attacks, including a plot to fly a plane into the tallest building in Los Angeles and another to blow up passenger jets bound for America over the Atlantic…

“America is leading the fight against global hunger. Today, more than half the world’s food aid comes from the United States… America is leading the fight against disease. With your help, we are working to cut by half the number of malaria-related deaths in 15 African nations. And our Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief is treating 1.4 million people… I call on you to double our initial commitment to fighting HIV/AIDS by approving an additional $30 billion over the next 5 years…

“By trusting the people, our Founders wagered that a great and noble Nation could be built on the liberty that resides in the hearts of all men and women. By trusting the people, succeeding generations transformed our fragile young democracy into the most powerful Nation on earth and a beacon of hope for millions. And so long as we continue to trust the people, our Nation will prosper, our liberty will be secure, and the State of our Union will remain strong. So tonight, with confidence in freedom’s power, and trust in the people, let us set forth to do their business…”

We are not going to comment in detail on the above-quoted excerpts, as they basically speak for themselves. However, we would like to make one notable exception, by pointing out the following:

The Bible makes it very clear that this Nation became powerful because of the MERCY OF GOD–TRUST IN THE PEOPLE HAD ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. Because of Abraham’s unconditional FAITH IN GOD AND his OBEDIENCE of THE LAW OF GOD, God promised his descendants, among other things, to become a PROSPEROUS AND POWERFUL NATION. But God also said that if Abraham’s descendants, in these modern times, were to disobey God and forsake their trust in Him, they would lose their prosperity and wealth. For further information, please read our free booklets, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America,” and “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”

No Troop Reductions in Iraq this Summer?

Following President Bush’s speech on Monday night, indicating possible troop reductions in Iraq, the Associated Press reported on Tuesday, January 29:

“The Bush administration is sending strong signals that U.S. troop reductions in Iraq will slow or stop altogether this summer, a move that would jeopardize hopes of relieving strain on the Army and Marine Corps and revive debate over an open-ended U.S. commitment in Iraq.

“The indications of a likely slowdown reflect concern by U.S. commanders that the improvement in security in Iraq since June… is tenuous and could be reversed if the extra troops come out too soon.”

USA Unprepared for an Attack?

The Associated Press wrote on January 31:

“The U.S. military isn’t ready for a catastrophic attack on the country, and National Guard forces don’t have the equipment or training they need for the job, according to a report. Even fewer Army National Guard units are combat-ready today than were nearly a year ago when the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves determined that 88 percent of the units were not prepared for the fight…

“The commission’s 400-page report concludes that the nation ‘does not have sufficient trained, ready forces available’ to respond to a chemical, biological or nuclear weapons incident, ‘an appalling gap that places the nation and its citizens at greater risk.’

“‘Right now we don’t have the forces we need, we don’t have them trained, we don’t have the equipment,’ commission Chairman Arnold Punaro said in an interview with The Associated Press. ‘Even though there is a lot going on in this area, we need to do a lot more. … There’s a lot of things in the pipeline, but in the world we live in — you’re either ready or you’re not.'”

Peace in the Middle East?

Der Spiegel Online wrote on January 29 about the situation in Gaza and blamed America and Israel for the debacle. It stated the following:

“The mass jailbreak of Gazans into Egypt revealed the bankruptcy of both Israel’s policy of collective punishment and Bush’s attempt to make Mideast peace… Of the mass breakout, the Associated Press wrote, ‘It … reminded the world that 1.5 million Gazans, many already bitterly poor, cannot remain locked up indefinitely.’ It may have reminded the world of that, but it certainly didn’t remind America… The Congress and the presidential candidates, Democratic and Republican, ignored the Gaza crisis, or weighed in with predictably pro-Israel statements. Even the most progressive candidate, Barack Obama, went out of his way to take Israel’s side…

“Yes, Israel has the right to defend itself against the Qassam rocket attacks. But it was not forced to cut off power, medicine and food to do that. It chose to impose that siege (with Bush’s obvious, if unspoken, blessing) because it hoped that by punishing the people of Gaza, they would overthrow their Hamas-led government. One need not defend Hamas to recognize that ‘sending a message’ by punishing the people who live under its rule is a textbook case of collective punishment, which is illegal under international law…

“The Gaza jailbreak represents the end of Bush’s delusional attempt to broker an Israeli-Palestinian peace. Annapolis is now dead, killed before it even started. The fatal flaw of Bush’s approach was that it assumed that dividing the Palestinians would lead to peace, when just the opposite is true…

“Collectively punishing the people of Gaza, far from causing them to rise up and throw out Hamas, as Bush and [Israel’s President] Olmert fantasized, only further radicalized them. American and Israeli intransigence and ineptitude have only succeeded in strengthening the hard-liners and weakening the moderates…

“The recent Gaza jailbreak showed that a deal is urgently necessary. The pot just boiled over. It hasn’t exploded yet, but if it does, it won’t just be the Palestinians and Israelis who get burned.”

Will “Foreigners” Control U.S. Economy?

World Net Daily wrote on January 31:

“Sovereign Wealth Funds in six Persian Gulf countries – including Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar – have now amassed $1.7 trillion, positioning them for attempts to control major banks and securities firms in the U.S…  Increasingly, U.S. investment bankers are traveling to the Middle East to meet what Business Week calls the ‘New Kings of Wall Street.’… Among U.S. companies, including many of the largest banks and financial institutions, there are many candidates that now or soon may be more than willing to receive capital infusions from foreign sources.

“… a national outrage broke out in 2006 when a Dubai company… proposed to take over operation of some 22 U.S. ports… In the closing months of last year, foreign investments announced to help major U.S. banks and financial institutions received, by comparison, almost no public outcry. Many believe that’s largely because the infusion of foreign capital was perceived by the public as necessary as troubled U.S. financial institutions scrambled to find capital required to continue [operations]…”

Economy Stimulus–Not So Fast

The Associated Press reported on January 29:

“The House, seizing a rare moment of bipartisanship to respond to the economy’s slump, overwhelmingly passed a $146 billion aid package Tuesday that would speed rebates of $600-$1,200 to most taxpayers. The plan, approved 385-35 after little debate, would send at least some rebate to anyone with at least $3,000 in income, with more going to families with children and less going to wealthier taxpayers.

“It faced a murky future in the Senate, though, where Democrats and some Republicans backed a larger package that adds billions of dollars for senior citizens and the unemployed, and shrinks the rebate to $500 for individuals and $1,000 for couples. That plan… would deliver checks even to the richest taxpayers, who are disqualified under the House-passed measure. Both versions would provide tax breaks to businesses to spur equipment and other purchases…

“Congressional leaders are aiming to send the measure to Bush by Feb. 15. But the divergent plans — and bids by Senate Democrats and Republicans to swell the package with more add-ons — could drag out that schedule.”

Reuters reported on January 31:

“The Senate Finance Committee approved a $157 billion economic stimulus package on Wednesday that offers smaller tax rebates to more people than a plan passed by the House of Representatives. The committee approved the bill as the full Senate prepared to begin debate as early as Thursday on competing versions of an economic stimulus plan lawmakers hope will encourage consumer and business spending to help stave off an election-year recession.

“President George W. Bush wants the Senate to accept the $146 billion package passed Tuesday by the House… The Finance Committee bill, approved on a vote of 14-7, would provide a flat $500 tax rebate to individuals and $1,000 for couples, plus $300 per child. The rebates also would go to about 20 million low-income retirees on Social Security who would not receive checks under the $146 billion House stimulus bill.”

In addition to this political wrangling, unanswered questions remain as to how, exactly, these proposed rebates would have to be handled by the recipients. Are they taxable income which will have to be declared on income tax returns, and for which tax will have to be paid? Or, worse yet, as some local TV newscasters have suggested, are they merely loans to be repaid to the IRS? If so, that would be a most ridiculous attempt to stir up the economy.

Also, the question has been asked where the money for the rebates is supposed to come from. One political candidate for President has suggested repeatedly that it would be borrowed from China, and that the rebate money itself would be used by most recipients to buy products made in China–thereby helping the Chinese economy, rather than the U.S. economy.

 

The American Financial Sickness

On January 28, 2008, Der Stern Online wrote in an article, titled, “Farewell to America”:

“The US mortgage crisis affects the financial world and financial experts worldwide. But even if the US financial sickness is transmitted again to the rest of the world–the days are numbered when the USA determined the economic fate of the world.”

AFP reported on January 30 that the US “economy nearly stalled in the fourth quarter with a growth rate of just 0.6 percent, capping its worst year since 2002,” and that “Fears of a recession have grown.” It added: “The fourth-quarter’s performance was much weaker — half the pace — than economists were expecting.”

Bloomberg added on January 30:

“Citigroup Inc., Merrill Lynch & Co., UBS AG and other banks may be forced to post up to $70 billion in writedowns should bond insurers lose their top credit ratings, according to Oppenheimer & Co. analyst Meredith Whitney. Citigroup, Merrill Lynch and UBS AG, which have already suffered the biggest losses from the collapse of the subprime mortgage market, according to Bloomberg data, hold 45 percent of the ‘entire market risk,’ Whitney wrote in a note to clients dated yesterday.”

“Searching For Mr. Europe”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on January 28:

“Less than one year from now, the European Union will choose its first long-term president… It took years for the European Union to finally agree that it should even have a president. Now, with just 12 months to go before the 27-member bloc is set to inaugurate its first full time leader, the name-game surrounding the position has begun in earnest. And so has the backbiting.

“Until now, the bloc’s leadership was passed around on a rotating basis, with a new country taking the helm every six months. But according to the terms of the Lisbon Treaty, signed in the Portuguese capital in December and currently in the process of being ratified across the continent, the new ‘President of the European Council’ will hold office for a two-and-a-half year term.

“Tony Blair is one prominent name that has been bandied about recently. The former British prime minister is said to have a good shot, and he has powerful friends. French President Nicolas Sarkozy has thrown his support behind Blair for reasons of both personality and politics…

“But numerous Social Democrats and most Christian Democrats, along with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, aren’t as impressed. On Monday, the Daily Telegraph also reported that senior allies of current Prime Minister Gordon Brown were plotting to wreck Blair’s ambitions for the post out of concern that his appointment could reignite old divisions within his Labour Party…”

It is interesting that even though the European member states still need to ratify the Lisbon treaty, it appears to be a foregone conclusion by mainland European commentators that the treaty WILL be ratified–with the result that Europe WILL have its first long-time president within ONE YEAR.

A European Party to Defend Against “Islamisation”?

BBC News reported on January 25:

“The heads of far-right parties from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria and France said their aim was to defend Europe against ‘Islamisation’ and immigrants. At a news conference in Vienna, they said they expected to launch the party by 15 November. The move comes several months after the collapse of a far-right bloc in the European Parliament… The far-right leaders need support from seven EU parties to launch the group, but [Freedom Party leader Heinz-Christian] Strache said that the goal was to have ‘more than 10 parties as members and ideally one party from each EU country.'”

No More Mosques and Minarets in Parts of Austria

Der Spiegel Online reported on January 29:

“A far-right party in the Austrian state of Carinthia, led by the notorious right-wing politician Jörg Haider, is trying to ban the construction of mosques and minarets. They’ve presented a draft law designed to prohibit ‘unusual’ buildings that don’t fit in with traditional architecture… ‘With the help of this law, it will be de facto impossible to construct mosques or minarets in Carinthia,’ Uwe Scheuch, the minister responsible for urban planning, told journalists Saturday… Scheuch, who belongs to Haider’s right-wing Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ) party, insisted, however, that the law would not infringe on Austria’s constitutional right to freedom of religion.
 
“Officially, the law is not aimed directly at mosques and minarets, but at ‘unusual’ buildings that stand out ‘because of their unusual architecture or size (height).’… BZÖ will need the support of the conservative Austrian People’s Party if it is to get the draft law passed in the state government. That seems assured…

“The draft law reflects a growing wave of anti-Muslim sentiment in Austria, where Muslims make up around 4 percent of the population. Another Austrian state, Vorarlberg, which has the highest proportion of Muslims in Austria, is also considering a ban on minarets. Erwin Pröll, the governor of the state of Lower Austria, who belongs to the People’s Party, recently described minarets as ‘alien’ to Austrian culture in a television interview… Meanwhile, in Germany, a planned mosque in Cologne has also been causing controversy.”

Europe–A Club of “Christians”?

AFP reported on January 27:

“Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan warned the European Union against becoming a ‘club of Christians’ as he pushed Saturday for Ankara’s membership in the bloc… EU heavyweights France and Germany are both opposed to full Turkish membership, and French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been particularly vocal on the issue, arguing that the mainly Muslim country does not belong in Europe. Babacan regretted that the issue of religion had apparently become a factor in the debate on Turkey’s accession… Babacan also argued that allowing Turkey into the EU would allow the bloc to act as a bridge between the West and the Islamic world… ‘The Turkish military has been a good supporter of Turkey’s EU accession process … although it is not a black and white thing,’ he said.”

Angela Merkel Under Fire After State Vote Debacle

AFP wrote on January 28:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel faced tough questions Monday after her conservatives suffered heavy losses in a key state election… Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) lost their absolute majority and finished just one-tenth of a percentage point ahead of the Social Democrats (SPD) in Hesse, home to the business capital Frankfurt. The chancellor had vocally backed the law-and-order campaign and was sharply criticised for the drubbing her party took in Hesse Sunday. Merkel ‘must ask herself how this was possible and also take a look at herself in the search for answers,’ the top-selling Bild newspaper said. The election was Merkel’s first genuine test at the ballot box since she came to power in 2005 at the head of a fractious power-sharing government of the CDU and the SPD…

“The conservatives’ bitterly divisive campaign based on tough measures to deal with young criminals from immigrant backgrounds appeared to have seriously backfired, allowing a strong lead in the polls to vanish in just a few weeks. As expected, the CDU scored a clear victory in the neighbouring state of Lower Saxony in another election held Sunday, but turned in a weaker score than four years ago… If the conservatives lose control of Hesse, it is likely to put further strain on Merkel’s already fragile ‘grand coalition’, with each party trying to sharpen its profile on hot-button issues including taxes, health care reform and foreign policy. Federation of German Industry chief Juergen Thumann said he found the political trend troubling. ‘The shift to the left in Germany continues,’ he told business daily Handelsblatt. ‘We are watching current developments with the greatest concern.’ The CDU faces another fight to hold on to power next month when voters go to the polls in the city-state of Hamburg.”

How Hitler Came To Power 75 Years Ago–Warning Signs for Us Today!

Deutsche Welle reported on January 30:

“On Jan. 30, 1933, Hitler was named German chancellor, spelling the end to the Weimar Republic — Germany’s convulsive experiment with democracy between 1919 and 1933. The period was dubbed the ‘Weimar Republic’ by historians in honor of the city of Weimar, where a national assembly convened to write and adopt a new constitution for the German Reich following the nation’s defeat in World War I.”

Deutsche Welle interviewed Eric Weitz, chairman of the history department at the University of Minnesota. We are quoting the following excerpts:

“There was despair in abundance to be sure. Two million Germans died in World War I, 4 million were wounded, and men who came back were often severely wounded, both physically and psychologically. Women at the home front during the war, experienced four years of intense privation. And afterwards there came the post-war crisis — readjustment and hyperinflation…

“If we look at the economy and the election of 1928 just prior to the onset of the Great Depression, we can see a move back to the center politically and signs of serious economic progress… Without the Depression, the republic would at least have had a chance. It had managed to survive the hyperinflation of 1923… But it was the [Depression] that came from the United States to Germany very fast and very strongly that certainly unleashed the final blow.

“… in 1928, the Nazi party was a marginal, unimportant political group which had very little resonance beyond some very distinctive places that were already in depression before the Great Depression — agricultural areas in particular… In a depression especially, people look for solutions and the republic was not offering any to the economic crisis. From 1930 onwards, Germany was governed under a presidential dictatorship because the political system was so fragmented that the Reichstag could not assemble or function in parliamentary majority. So the chancellor from spring of 1930 onwards, Heinrich Brüning and his successors, governed largely through emergency powers proclaimed by the president, Field Marshall Paul von Hindenburg.

“But I do want to underscore the fact that the Nazis never received a majority vote in a popular, freely contested election. In the summer of 1932, they received 37.4 percent of the vote — the highest they would ever receive. It’s a significant jump to be sure but that’s not a majority and the popular phrase that one hears so often in the United States, ‘the German people elected Hitler to power or elected the Nazis to power’ — that’s wrong, it’s inaccurate, it’s untrue. THE NAZIS WERE NEVER ELECTED TO POWER. In the next election, in the [Fall] of 1932, they already lost a significant percentage of the support they had gained in the summer. The Nazi party was in disarray. At the very end, they came to power because the establishment conservative elite, a coterie of powerful men around President Hindenburg, HANDED POWER OVER to the Nazis. That alliance is what ultimately killed the republic.”

These were interesting developments pertaining to the NINTH REVIVAL of the ancient Roman Empire (see our Q&A in this Update). When we focus on the final and last resurrection of the Roman Empire, we note that something similar will happen again–although on a much broader European scale. We read in Revelation 17:12-13 that ten future leaders of European nations or groups of nations will HAND POWER OVER to a charismatic European military leader, called “the beast” in prophecy.

Germany’s “Brave” and “Humble” Self-Accusations?

The International Herald Tribune wrote on January 28:

“Most countries celebrate the best in their past. Germany unrelentingly promotes its worst… This Wednesday marks the 75th anniversary of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party taking power in Germany, which remarkably has prompted yet a new round of soul-searching… ‘Where in the world has one ever seen a nation that erects memorials to immortalize its own shame?’ said Avi Primor, the former Israeli ambassador to Germany, at an event commemorating the Holocaust and the liberation of Auschwitz on Friday in Erfurt. ‘Only the Germans had the bravery and the humility.’

“It is not just in edifices and exhibits that the effort to come to terms with this history continues unabated. The Federal Crime Office last year began an investigation into itself: trying to shine a light on the Nazi past of its founders after the end of the war. And earlier this month the federal prosecutor overturned the guilty verdict of the communist Marinus van der Lubbe, the Dutchman executed for allegedly setting the Reichstag fire, the 75th anniversary of which is Feb. 27… Germany’s relationship with its Nazi history still regularly generates controversy…”

It is within Germany’s official and publicly announced political correctness to deal repeatedly, openly and predominantly with Germany’s Nazi past–as dutifully pronounced by politicians and the mainstream press. However, many Germans (most of them were not even born yet when Nazi Germany collapsed) are growing increasingly tired of this policy which keeps wallowing in the mud of the past. And if Germany’s political scene and press are not careful, those habitual actions of commemorating the shameful past, could very soon backfire.

How Many More Monuments for Berlin?

Der Spiegel Online wrote on January 29:

“The federal government on Monday announced that two new Holocaust monuments — within walking distance of the sprawling, five-acre Jewish memorial — will soon be completed. One will be dedicated to the gay and lesbian victims of the Holocaust. And in February, construction will begin on another new monument dedicated to the Sinti and Roma, often called Gypsies, who died in the Nazi camps.”

The article continued:

“… advocates for other groups persecuted and murdered by the Nazis [including] Soviet prisoners of war… looking for memorials of their own… A group representing those imprisoned and sentenced to death for deserting the German army is also interested in a memorial. The Third Reich likewise persecuted Jehovah’s Witnesses as a group and also killed thousands of handicapped people. None of those groups have a prominent place in central Berlin.”

Will Germany Be Further Embroiled in the Afghan War?

Der Spiegel Online wrote on January 30:

“A day after NATO formerly requested that Germany send combat troops to Afghanistan and two days after Canada warned it would leave if more help didn’t come south, Germans are debating whether sending more troops means more danger… Germany will make a final decision in the coming weeks as to whether it will deploy up to 250 combat troops to the country to supplement the 3,500 German soldiers already serving there, primarily in the more peaceful north… The German media on Wednesday looked at the implications of the NATO request, which could see Germany further embroiled in Afghanistan…

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: ‘There’s no reason to panic, but there surely is reason to worry. …The arguments of the critics who are warning of the dangers of the new Afghanistan deployment are justified. The politicians should stop playing them down and allaying them. It is right to not change the German army’s basic strategy in Afghanistan and to not go on the offensive against the Taliban…’

“The conservative Die Welt writes: ‘Germany cannot turn down the request from Brussels, demanding loyalty and solidarity with the allied partner countries — the US, Canada, the Netherlands, Great Britain — who are under constant fire in Afghanistan… But there must be more truthfulness [by NATO] in the discussions concerning Germany’s deployment.’

“The left-leaning Berliner Zeitung writes… ‘”Of course, it’s easy for the Americans to point the finger at the other allies. But it’s also true that it was in no way the case that all Europeans were convinced of the usefulness of the mission to Afghanistan in the first place. (It) is far away. The overthrow of the Taliban is already six years behind us, and yet the allies are preparing themselves to stay there for many more years. The burdens have already been enormous. There’s no chance that voters are going to allow further adventures.'”

Deutsche Welle added on January 30:

“Reacting to the news that NATO planned to send more troops to his country to counter the threat of a resurgent Taliban backed by supporters of al Qaeda, [Afghan President Hamid] Karzai said training the Afghan police and army was more important than sending more foreign troops to the country.”

India’s Most Serious Outbreak of Bird Flu

Reuters reported on January 28:

“Bird flu has spread to 13 of West Bengal’s 19 districts… In neighboring Bangladesh, the disease has spread to 29 of… its 64 districts. Experts fear the H5N1 strain found in both countries could mutate into a form easily transmitted from person to person, leading to a pandemic… The World Health Organization has said it is India’s most serious outbreak of bird flu. Over 1.5 million birds have already been culled since the deadly H5N1 virus hit the state earlier this month. Another half a million chickens and ducks will be slaughtered in the next few days, officials said.”

Human Kidneys for Sale

USA Today reported on January 29:

“India is reeling from the news that a ring of doctors may have taken kidneys from hundreds of poor people and then sold them to wealthy patients from around the world…  Two weeks ago, NDTV filmed the suspected mastermind telling a reporter that he would charge 15 lakhs (about $38,000) to facilitate and perform a kidney transplant… ABC News says Indian police are holding two U.S. citizens they suspect of trying to purchase kidneys from the ring. ‘Five foreign tourists, including the two Americans, were found Saturday in what police described as a “luxury guest house,” awaiting kidneys. There was reportedly a transplant waiting list of some 40 foreigners from at least five countries,’ the network reports from Mumbai.”

Terrible Violence in Kenya

The Associated Press reported on January 28:

“Thousands of machete-wielding youths hunted down members of President Mwai Kibaki’s Kikuyu tribe Monday in western Kenya’s Rift Valley, torching homes and buses, clashing with police, and blocking roads with burning tires… The death toll has soared over 800… 255,000 people [have been] driven from their homes this month… The bloodshed has transformed this once-stable African country, pitting longtime neighbors against one another and turning tourist towns into no-go zones.”

AFP added on January 28:

“Mobs in Kenya hacked and burnt dozens of people to death on Monday as tribal violence ignited by flawed presidential elections over a month ago threatened to spiral out of control. The upsurge in violence… has undermined the latest mediation efforts, led by Kofi Annan, to try to resolve the political deadlock since President Mwai Kibaki’s disputed re-election… The European Union warned it would cut aid to Kenya unless Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga, who claims he was robbed of victory in the December 27 election, showed they were seeking a solution to the crisis.”

USA Today added on January 29:

“A gang beheaded a doctor in apparent retaliation for the slaying of an opposition lawmaker Tuesday… In western Kenya’s Rift Valley, where much of the violence is focused, thousands of machete-wielding youths from both Kikuyu and Luo tribes hunted each other down, burned homes, and clashed with police who appeared overwhelmed… Human rights groups and officials charge the violence in Kenya has become organized [‘by hidden hands’].”

AFP reported on January 30 that “Kenyan police have been given orders to shoot to kill in a bid to stem weeks of violence…”

On January 31, The Associated Press wrote:

“A police officer gunned down an opposition lawmaker in Kenya Thursday, the second such killing this week in a country that has been gripped by ethnic violence since its disputed presidential election, officials said.

“National police chief Hussein Ali said lawmaker David Too was killed in ‘a crime of passion’ involving the girlfriend of the traffic policeman arrested in the shooting. But the opposition called it an assassination, making clear they saw it as part of the country’s deepening ethnic strife.

“After the killing, thousands of people from Too’s Kalenjin ethnic group sought revenge by setting houses on fire and blocking roads with rocks on the outskirts of the western town of Kericho, near the slain lawmaker’s constituency. Other tribes fled to the police station for fear of reprisals. Similar violence broke out in other towns.”

Sodom in Brazil

AFP wrote on January 30:

“The Brazilian city of Recife is to distribute morning-after pills to women during carnival after public prosecutors on Tuesday rejected a Catholic Church lawsuit claiming the initiative promoted sex and provided ‘abortions.’ ‘The pill has no abortive effect, as the archdiocese claims, and its distribution is in no way an incentive to have sex,’ the prosecutor… told AFP. On top of its legal defeat, the church has come under fire from the Brazilian government for attempting to sway public health policy.

“‘The (Recife) mayor’s office is right and the church is wrong, again,’ Health Minister Jose Gomes Temporao said Sunday, as the issue was coming to a head. ‘The morning-after pill is used with medical guidance and is a matter of public health, not religion,’ he said, adding that he believed the church was alienating youths with its stance…  Morning-after pills must be used within 72 hours of unprotected sexual intercourse. They work by blocking fertilization. According to the newspaper Pernambuco, the archbishop at the center of the storm, Jose Cardoso Sobrinho, is not prepared to back down on the issue, and had threatened excommunication to any church-goers who use the pill.”

Man-Made Catastrophes…

The Associated Press reported on January 27:

“A large U.S. spy satellite has lost power and could hit the Earth in late February or early March, government officials said Saturday. The satellite, which no longer can be controlled, could contain hazardous materials, and it is unknown where on the planet it might come down, they said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the information is classified as secret. It was not clear how long ago the satellite lost power, or under what circumstances… The spacecraft contains hydrazine… [which is] a toxic chemical and can cause harm to anyone who contacts it.

“[John] Pike, [a defense and intelligence expert] said it’s not likely the threat from the satellite could be eliminated by shooting it down with a missile, because that would create debris that would then re-enter the atmosphere and burn up or hit the ground. Pike… estimated that the spacecraft weighs about 20,000 pounds and is the size of a small bus.”

The Associated Press added on January 30:

“The U.S. military is developing contingency plans to deal with the possibility that a large spy satellite expected to fall to Earth in late February or early March could hit North America… the size of the satellite suggests that some number of pieces will not burn up as the orbiting vehicle re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere and will hit the ground.

“…the spy satellite is designated by the military as US 193. It was launched in December 2006 but almost immediately lost power and cannot be controlled. It carried a sophisticated and secret imaging sensor but the satellite’s central computer failed shortly after launch.”

In the thirteenth chapter of the book of Revelation, two “beasts” are described. As we will see, these are symbolic descriptions of powerful world empires.

1) The First Beast (Revelation 13:1-10):

Beginning with Revelation 13:1, John sees in a vision a fantastic beast rising out of the sea, which has seven heads and ten horns, and on his head ten crowns. This reminds us of Satan’s description in Revelation 12:3 as “a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns…” Revelation 12:9 identifies the dragon as Satan the devil. This shows that Satan is giving his power to the beast (compare Revelation 13:2, 4).

The beast with the seven heads and ten horns was like a leopard, with feet of a bear and a mouth of a lion (Revelation 13:2). In the book of Daniel, chapters 2, 5, 7 and 8, we are told that, beginning with the ancient Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar, there would arise four world-ruling empires on this earth—the Babylonian Empire (Daniel 2:36), the Medo-Persian Empire under Cyrus, Xerxes and others (Daniel 5:28), the Greco-Macedonian Empire under Alexander the Great and his generals (Daniel 8:20-21), and finally, a fourth Empire (Daniel 2:33; 7:7). In Daniel 7:3-24, these four empires or kingdoms are compared with a lion, a bear, a leopard with four heads, and a terrible beast with ten horns (Daniel 7:7).

Comparing these four beasts in the book of Daniel with the one beast in Revelation 13, we can see that the beast in Revelation is a conglomeration of those four beasts in Daniel. It has seven heads, because it combines the head of the lion, the head of the bear, the four heads of the leopard, and the head of the fourth beast with ten horns. Virtually all Bible scholars confirm the historical fact that this fourth beast was the Roman Empire. It was to be divided (Daniel 2:41). This division happened in 286 A.D under Diocletian. By the fourth century, the Roman Empire had two capitals—one in Rome and one in Constantinople.

According to Daniel 7:24, ten kings were to arise out of the Roman Empire. This could either describe a simultaneous or co-existing one-time revival under the leadership of ten kings, or it could refer to ten successive revivals–one revival following the next over time. Comparing the passage in Daniel 7 with the beast in Revelation 13, and based on what actually occurred historically, we conclude that successive revivals are intended here–the beast or the Roman Empire would have ten successive resurrections or revivals. Revelation 17:8 confirms this, as the beast which is described there, and which is similar to the beast of Revelation 13, is described as one which “was, and is not, and will ascend…,” showing the successive nature of the revivals.

Revelation 13:3 explains that one of the seven heads of the beast would be mortally wounded and then be healed. This is a reference to the head of the fourth beast in the book of Daniel–the Roman Empire–which was all but destroyed, but which was subsequently healed or revived. None of the previous three empires or kingdoms in the book of Daniel were restored after they had been destroyed. They just ceased to exist. It was different, however, with the fourth beast–the Roman Empire. It would receive a deadly or mortal wound, but it would be healed.

The deadly wound refers to the fall of Rome in 476 A.D. But as we saw, that mortal wound would be healed. The ancient Roman Empire “died”–but it re-appeared again on the world scene in successive revivals.

The first three resurrections or revivals of the Roman Empire after its fall occurred under Geiseric of the Vandals; Odoacer of the Heruli; and Theodoric of the Ostrogoths. But they did not yet “heal” the deadly wound. Rather, historians refer to these three initial revivals as the “transition age” of the Roman Empire. They temporarily “revived” the Roman Empire to an extent, but they did not bring it back to its earlier power and influence. All three leaders of these first three resurrections were followers of Arianism–a religion which taught some truth, mixed with error. It held correctly that God is not a Trinity, but it denied incorrectly that Jesus Christ is God.

Arianism was later condemned by the Roman Church. Daniel 7:24 explains that a “little horn” would “subdue” three resurrections of the fourth beast–the Roman Empire. This is a reference to the Roman Church, which subdued Rome’s FIRST three resurrections under “barbarian” or “Arian” powers.

The actual “healing” of the deadly wound signifies the fourth resurrection of the ancient Roman Empire, which occurred in 554 A.D., when Justinian, who was heavily influenced by his Roman Catholic wife, defeated the Ostrogoths and marched into Rome. He united the Eastern and Western parts of the ancient Roman Empire and restored the entire Empire. Historians refer to this event as the “Imperial Restoration.”

The fifth resurrection occurred under Charlemagne in 800 A.D.; the sixth under Otto the Great in 962 A.D.; the seventh under Charles V of Hapsburg in 1530 A.D.; and the eighth under Napoleon (which lasted from 1804 A.D. until 1814 A.D., when Napoleon abdicated at the battle of Leipzig).

Following Napoleon, two more resurrections were to occur, as the fourth beast in Daniel 7 and the beast in Revelation 13 had TEN horns. The ninth resurrection happened under Mussolini and Hitler. We are observing right now the beginning of the tenth and final resurrection of the ancient Roman Empire in continental Europe (For more information of the ten successive revivals of the ancient Roman Empire, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”)

2) The Second Beast (Revelation 13:11-18)

Beginning with Revelation 13:11, John sees in vision a second beast coming up out of the earth. This second beast had two horns. It looked like a lamb (Jesus Christ is referred to as the Lamb of God throughout the New Testament, compare John 1:29), but it spoke like a dragon (Remember that Satan is identified as a dragon in Revelation 12:3, 9). This second beast is obviously a religious power which is influenced by Satan, while pretending to speak on behalf of Christ. We read in 2 Corinthians 11:15 that Satan’s “ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness.” Jesus warned that many would come in His name, admitting that He was the Christ or Savior, and deceive many through their wrong teachings (compare Matthew 24:4-5).

This deception will be magnified by the fact that the second beast will be able to perform “great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do…” (Revelation 13:13-14). We read in 2 Thessalonians 2:9-11 about the end-time representative or leader of this second beast power, as follows: “The coming of the lawless one [the man of sin or son of perdition, who will claim to be God, verses 3 and 4] is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs and lying wonders and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them [that is, He will allow it] strong delusion, that they should believe the lie…”

We read in Revelation 13:14 that the second beast will make an “image” to the first beast, which we identified as the Roman Empire. Historically, the Roman Church gradually adopted the governmental system of the Roman Empire and created for itself an “image” of the same. (An additional meaning of the end-time “image” is discussed in Norbert Link’s sermon, dated September 13, 2007, titled, “Image Which Speaks.”)

3) The Mark of the First Beast (Revelation 13:16-17)

Revelation 13:16-17 explains that the image will cause people to accept “a mark” of the first beast “on their right hand” or “on their foreheads.” Without it, they cannot buy or sell (compare Revelation 14:9). This mark of the first beast is clearly associated in Scripture with the violation of God’s Sabbath commandment (compare Exodus 31:13; Ezekiel 20:20; Isaiah 56:2; Isaiah 58:13; Amos 8: 5; Exodus 16:23, 26; Exodus 31:15). In the Bible, the “right hand” is associated with work (Psalm 90:17; 137:5). The “forehead” is the seat of thoughts (Ezekiel 3:8; 9:4; Revelation 7:3). We are told that the “little horn” would try to “change times and law” (Daniel 7: 25)—that is, God’s law regarding holy time. The Roman Church has changed the calendar in Europe which identifies Sunday as the last day of the week, rather than the 7th-Day Saturday-Sabbath. It commands that Christians are to rest on Sunday, and it did command in the past that they were to work on Saturday. We will experience something similar very soon. The “image” will influence the first beast–the final European revival of the ancient Roman Empire–to enjoin people to work on the Sabbath, while prohibiting to work on Sunday. As in the past, it will thereby “cause” the death of true Christians (compare Revelation 13:15).

It might be difficult to imagine that in this sophisticated time of reason and enlightenment, Sabbath-keeping Christians will actually be persecuted by European governments, at the instigation of a religious power, for keeping the Sabbath and refusing to work on that day. But we should not forget what happened less than 60 years ago in Europe to Jews and other “unpopular” religious groups. While at that time, the government persecuted many innocent victims, powerful religious organizations stood idly by. In the future, religion will even play an active part in the persecution. As Satan will be behind this terrible persecution yet to come, we can rest assured that it WILL happen. More importantly, God has clearly prophesied it in His Word (compare Revelation 6:9-11; 17:6; 18:24; 19:2; see also Matthew 24:9-13).

God warns us not to worship the beast and his image, and not to receive his mark on our forehead and on our hand (Revelation 14:9). If we do, we will “drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation” (Revelation 14:10). On the other hand, true Christians WILL be killed for their refusal to worship the beast and its image, and to receive the mark. But notice how Revelation 20:4, 6 describes their glorious future:

“… I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshipped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads and on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years… Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection… they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”

4) The Number of the First Beast (Revelation 13:18)

Revelation 13:17 tells us that no one will be able to buy or sell if he does not have the mark or the name of the first beast, or the number of his name. Revelation 13:18 continues that the famous “number of the beast” is the “number of a man.” We are told to “calculate” the number, which is 666. King Lateinos was the founder of Rome. In the Greek, every letter has a numerical value. The numerical value for “Lateinos” is 666. Therefore, the first beast is again clearly identified as the Roman Empire, as the number 666 identifies the founder of the Roman Empire–Lateinos.

Although the designation “beast” in Revelation 13 describes the Roman Empire, it can also refer to the representative or ruler of the final revival or resurrection of that Empire (compare Revelation 16:13; 19:20). It is likely that the numerical value of the name of that human leader–referred to as a MAN (compare again Revelation 13:18)–will also be 666.

The prophecies in the book of Revelation WILL be fulfilled. We are seeing the beginning stages of the described prophetic events unfold before our very eyes. Notice the time setting, in Revelation 1:1: “THE Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants–things which must SHORTLY take place.” Notice, too, Christ’s sayings at the very end of the book: “And behold, I am coming quickly” (Revelation 22:12). And again, in verse 20, Christ promises: “Surely I am coming quickly.”

Let us be awake and diligent to WATCH the development of events which will shortly come to pass.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

A new StandingWatch program (#154) was posted on StandingWatch, Google Video and YouTube. It is titled, “Bobby Fischer’s Life and Death.” In the program, Norbert Link explained that Chess genius Bobby Fischer died on January 17, 2008. His high IQ did not prevent him from adopting and promoting false ideas. At the same time, some reporters should be embarrassed about their ignorance, when resurrecting an inaccurate claim that Fischer was a member of a “sect” or “cult” in California, which allegedly taught wrong doctrines. What is the truth regarding Fischer’s association with that church, and what are some of the church’s teachings, which upset reporters?

Several video-recorded sermons were posted on Google Video:

The video recordings of Edwin Pope’s sermons, “As We Examine Ourselves,” (April 8, 2006) and “No Other Gods” (August 5, 2006), were posted on Google Video. Edwin Pope’s sermon, “Sin–A Powerful Enemy” (December 3, 2005), had already been posted previously on Google Video.

In addition, Norbert Link’s Feast of Tabernacles sermon for 2007 (September 28, 2007) was posted on Google Video, under the title, “The Mystery of God and Man.” Also, his sermon, “Pentecost and You” (May 27, 2007) was posted on Google Video as well.

Over the last few weeks in the UK, there has been an epidemic of lost data. In early December 2007, it was reported that two discs with details of 25 million child benefit claims had been lost in the mail. A leading politician stated that the missing 25 million details could be worth £1.5 billion to fraudsters. On December 17, a private contractor, working for the Driving Standards Agency, lost the personal details of 3 million people. The following day, the details of 4,000 patients went missing at the Stockport Primary Trust. And on January 18, 2008, it was revealed that the Ministry of Defense had lost details of 600,000 people. There have been quite a number of other cases, but the above examples serve to show the problems that are currently being experienced in the UK.

One of the areas that has come to the fore in recent years is the serious crime of identity fraud. This can be used, amongst other things, for bank accounts, national insurance numbers and fake passports. Confusion can abound about identity because of all of these problems.

But with God, there is no problem of fraudulent or lost data. Paul states in 1 Corinthians 2:11: “For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?” That spirit in man, which enables human beings to understand, create, plan and reason and which separates man from animals, goes back to God when man dies (Ecclesiastes 12:7). God knows each one of us, and our data is stored by man’s spirit.

Man loses data and commits identity fraud, but with God it is an entirely different story. God neither loses data nor is He fooled by people changing their identity. Through the spirit in man that God gives to us, our true and unique identities are being preserved. Those who have no belief in God rely on fellow man who makes such a mess of just about everything he touches. How grateful we should be that we can trust entirely in the great, perfect, eternal Creator God. We know that through Him, our future is secure.

Bobby Fischer Died

Bobby Fischer, arguably the best chess player in the world, who reportedly had an IQ higher than that of Albert Einstein, died last Thursday in Iceland, at the age of 64. His bizarre and odd lifestyle was marked by anti-Semitic statements–including his denial of the Holocaust (although his mother was Jewish); a claim that his father Gerhardt was German when Fischer was born in 1943 (although the German government refused to grant him German citizenship); his public praise for the September 11th terrorist attack; his incarceration in Japan for nine months (due to an American warrant for his arrest, following a 1992 exhibition rematch against Boris Spassky on a Yugoslav resort island in violation of U.S. sanctions, and for trying to leave Japan with an invalid U.S. passport); and his migration to Iceland in 2005, after obtaining the citizenship of Iceland and repudiating his U.S. citizenship.

As could be predicted, some in the secular left-liberal national and international press resurrected the false claim that Fischer was a “member” of the Worldwide Church of God, under the late Herbert W. Armstrong. The truth is, Fischer never was a baptized member, although he was temporarily loosely affiliated with the Church.

One of the more spectacular and “telling” assertions about Fischer, the Church of God and the Bible, were found on the Internet, as follows:

“Ever since he won the championship, Fischer had been drifting quietly into seclusion, finding refuge in Herbert W. Armstrong’s Worldwide Church of God in Pasadena, a fundamentalist cult that observes Saturday as the Sabbath and believes in the Second Coming. After several years of serving as what is called a coworker — Fischer hadn’t been baptized — he left the church, too.”

Whoever the author is, his ignorance of the Bible is remarkable. Apparently, he does not believe in the Biblical doctrine of Christ’s Second Coming, nor does he know anything about the Sabbath. When would anyone keep the Biblical SABBATH except on SATURDAY? Those who refer to Sunday as the SABBATH only reveal their total LACK of understanding as to when the Biblical SABBATH is to be kept. Sadly, most people today do NOT know whether or when to observe God’s SABBATH. In order for you to understand the truth on this vital and SALVATIONAL matter, please read our free booklet, “God’s Commanded Holy Days.”

America For Sale?

The New York Times reported on January 20:

“Last May, a Saudi Arabian conglomerate bought a Massachusetts plastics maker. In November, a French company established a new factory in Adrian, Mich., adding 189 automotive jobs to an area accustomed to layoffs. In December, a British company bought a New Jersey maker of cough syrup.

“For much of the world, the United States is now ON SALE at discount prices. With credit tight, unemployment growing and worries mounting about a potential recession, American business and government leaders are courting foreign money to keep the economy growing. Foreign investors are buying aggressively, taking advantage of American duress and a weak dollar to snap up what many see as bargains, while making inroads to the world’s largest market.

“Last year, foreign investors poured a record $414 billion into securing stakes in American companies, factories and other properties through private deals and purchases of publicly traded stock… That was up 90 percent from the previous year and more than double the average for the last decade. It amounted to more than one-fourth of all announced deals for the year…

“During the first two weeks of this year, foreign businesses agreed to invest another $22.6 billion for stakes in American companies — more than half the value of all announced deals. If a recession now unfolds and the dollar drops further, the pace could accelerate, economists say.”

The accuracy of an Old Testament prophecy for our time–and especially for the USA–becomes more and more obvious. Deuteronomy 28:43-44 reads: “The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower. He shall lend to you, but you shall not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail.”

For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

Black Monday–Worldwide Stock Market Crash

The webpage of “thisislondon.co.uk” wrote on January 21:

“The stock market was in meltdown today as nearly £60billion was wiped off London shares as fears of a US recession sparked a global sell-off. The bloodbath saw the Footsie plummet by 5.5 per cent, losing 323.5 points…  its biggest one-day points drop since the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001… It is also the worst start to the year for the stock market since records began in 1936… The falls followed Friday’s falls for the Dow Jones Industrial Average on Wall Street, when investors were left unimpressed by the US Government’s tax-relief plans to spur on the economy.”

The Associated Press added on January 21:

“Stocks fell sharply worldwide Monday following declines on Wall Street last week amid investor pessimism over the U.S. government’s stimulus plan to prevent a recession. U.S. markets were closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but the downbeat mood from last week’s market declines there circled through Europe, Asia and the Americas. Britain’s benchmark FTSE-100 slumped 5.5 percent… France’s CAC-40 Index tumbled 6.8 percent…  and Germany’s blue-chip DAX 30 plunged 7.2 percent…

“In Asia, India’s benchmark stock index tumbled 7.4 percent, while Hong Kong’s blue-chip Hang Seng index plummeted 5.5 percent…, its biggest percentage drop since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Canadian stocks fell as well, with the S&P/TSX composite index on the Toronto Stock Exchange down 4 percent in early afternoon trading. In Brazil, stocks plunged 6.9 percent on the main index of Sao Paulo’s Bovespa exchange.”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on January 21:

“In a sign of how badly Germany’s financial sector has been hit by subprime credit crisis, WestLB, the country’s third-largest regional bank, announced on Monday it would post a €1 billion euro ($1.47 billion) loss for 2007… it… didn’t rule out having to make further writedowns…

“Meanwhile, fears of a US recession led to sharp stock market losses on Monday with the German blue-chip DAX index falling as much as 7 percent, or more than 500 points, in hectic trading before stabilizing in late afternoon. It was the biggest daily decline since the September 11, 2001 attacks.

“‘There’s naked panic here — we’re seeing a classic crash,’ said one share trader. Analysts at JP Morgan Asset Management said investor sentiment had reached ‘panic level.’ Financial stocks were among the main losers, with Commerzbank and Deutsche Bank down around 6 percent in the wake of the WestLB loss announcement. Insurance and banking group Allianz fell 7 percent.”

Market Situation Not Much Better on Tuesday…

USA Today reported on Tuesday, January 22:

“The Bush administration and Congress moved with uncharacteristic speed Tuesday to devise a package of tax cuts and spending that could bring the economy back from the brink of recession…  it would take the Internal Revenue Service several months to send out rebate checks — probably in May or June. ‘It would be desirable if it could happen faster,’ [Peter] Orszag, [director of the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office,] said. ‘It is remarkable that the world’s leading economic power can’t get checks out the door faster than that.'”

Der Spiegel Online reported on January 22 about Germany’s reaction to the crash on Monday and the economic situation in the USA:

“Germany media commentators say the crash marks the end of a stock market party which had inflated prices and ignored the risks posed by the slowing US economy, the subprime credit crisis and surging energy prices… Business daily Handelsblatt writes: ‘Much evidence suggests that stock markets will remain turbulent in the next couple of weeks. Only really good news can haul us out of this slump in sentiment…

“Business daily Financial Times Deutschland writes: ‘The earth is quaking in the financial world and it can’t be foreseen when those tremors will be over. On the contrary… Being an exporting nation, Germany is strongly dependent on the world economy and the crisis has left deep scars in banks in this country… ‘

“Center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: ‘Financial markets had divorced themselves from the real world; share prices rose unstoppably even though risks had long been lurking everywhere. Energy and raw materials? Kept getting more expensive. America’s economic upturn? Decidedly shaky. The dollar? About to tank. Everyone who wanted to could see these dangers; everyone who was half-way sober should have been careful in the last two or three years, and especially since last summer. But the stock market sometimes resembles a wild college party: Everyone’s drinking, so everyone joins in. And everyone ends up being so drunk that the whole event gets out of control. It’s quite possible that the worst is yet to come and that the stock market crash will continue in the coming months…’

“Conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes:… ‘The financial market crisis which has spread from the banks to insurance companies is evidently far from over… Much suggests that the trend in international stock markets will continue to depend on what happens in the US…'”

Der Spiegel Online added on January 22:

“There was bad news too at the Bank of America, the second-largest American bank. The bank announced Tuesday that its fourth-quarter earnings had fallen by an enormous 95 percent. Net income at Bank of America fell to $268 million in the three months ended Dec. 31, down from $5.26 billion a year ago.”

… Or on Wednesday…

The Associated Press reported on Wednesday, January 23, 2008:

“Stocks extended their decline Wednesday, with investors uneasy after reports from big names like Apple Inc. and Motorola Inc. dashed any notion that the Federal Reserve’s emergency rate cut [an unprecedented 75-basis-point rate cut] could in short order patch up the economy… Wall Street’s latest slide occurred in tandem with a retrenchment in European markets, which fell after European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet appeared unmoved by the Federal Reserve’s decision to cut interest rates, according to Dow Jones Newswires. Some investors had hoped the ECB would signal willingness to cut rates. The Fed’s decision Tuesday to lower its federal funds rate by a steep 0.75 basis points to 3.5 percent eventually helped calm U.S. markets, but it remains clear that investors have doubts about the potency of the Fed action. Rate cuts typically take months to work their way into the economy.”

On Wednesday night, the Associated Press summarized the tumultuous day at Wall Street, as follows:

“It started with another stomach-turning drop at the open, and a loss of more than 300 points by midday. Then stocks changed course, raced higher and closed with a dramatic gain of nearly 300. This wasn’t just volatility. This was Wall Street whiplash.

“Amid tumbling housing prices, an ongoing credit crisis and growing fears of a recession, turbulence has become a hallmark of Wall Street in recent weeks. And after five straight days of pullbacks, analysts saw some positive signs in Wednesday’s trading… By day’s end, the Dow had swung 631.86 points from its low point to its high — the largest single-day turnaround in more than five years…

“Still, analysts were mindful that in recent months Wall Street has been known to soar one day and succumb the next, and that there are still many economic unknowns for the market to weather. And, given that stocks are so badly beaten down, bargain hunting played a part in Wednesday’s turnaround…

“Wall Street faces several months of uncertainty, with the bulk of fourth-quarter earnings reports still to come and economic reports likely to be disappointing. When it’s more clear companies and consumers are spending freely, investors might relax. However, with consumers burdened by debt and cutting back spending, it’s impossible to predict when that relief will come.”

… Or on Thursday…

In an unprecedented swift attempt to cope with the economic situation in the USA, President Bush and Congress announced on Thursday that a deal on an economic stimulus package had been reached. As the Associated Press reported on January 24:

“Democratic and Republican congressional leaders completed a deal Thursday with the White House on an economic stimulus package that would give most tax filers refunds… Congressional aides… said they hope the checks could go out as early as June.

“Individuals who pay income taxes would get up to $600, working couples $1,200 and those couples with children an additional $300 per child under the deal. Workers who make at least $3,000 but don’t pay taxes would get $300 rebates. The rebates would be limited to individuals whose income is $75,000 or less and working couples with incomes $150,000 or less.

“The rebate part of the plan would cost about $100 billion, aides said. The package also includes close to $50 billion in business tax cuts. The package would allow businesses to immediately write off 50 percent of purchases of plants and other capital equipment and permit small businesses to write off additional purchases of equipment…”

In spite of the announcement of a completed deal regarding the stimulus package, the financial turmoil at Wall Street continued on Thursday. The Associated Press reported on January 24:

“Wall Street sought to extend its gains Thursday, fluctuating as investors absorbed more bad news about bond insurers but received economic data that suggested the job market remains largely undented… Although investors were clearly interested in buying, there was little conviction behind the gains — the market is still searching for clues about the economy in hopes of determining if it might be bottoming or if it’s heading toward a recession… Given the market’s recent volatility, it remains less likely that even sizable gains or selloffs in stocks will hold as each session unfolds. A stunning turnaround Wednesday, while certainly a relief for many investors, illustrated the fractiousness that has settled into Wall Street in recent months…”

Preemptive Nuclear Strike by NATO?

The Telegraph wrote on January 22:

“Nato must prepare to launch pre-emptive nuclear attacks to ward off the use of weapons of mass destruction by its enemies, a group of former senior military officials has warned… the authors of the blueprint for reforming Nato include Lord Peter Inge, the former British chief of the defence staff and US General John Shalikashvili, the former Nato commander in Europe and chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff…

“The authors have proposed major changes to the way Nato operates, including abandoning consensus decision making so fast action can be taken without the threat of vetoes and caveats imposed by some nations. They also called for military action without ratification by the UN in cases where ‘immediate action is needed to protect large numbers of human beings’. The report was compiled after authors were briefed by senior serving military officials who are unable to speak publicly about their concerns with Nato’s military strategy… The other three authors are Klaus Naumann, a German former military commander, Henk van den Breemen, a former Dutch military official, and Jacques Lanxade, the former French admiral and chief of defence.”

The Bible predicts nuclear war in the future, which would destroy ALL HUMAN LIFE on this planet, if Christ would not intervene to stop this madness (Matthew 24:21-22).

Israel’s Blockade of Gaza

The Jerusalem Post wrote on January 23:

“Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians crossed into Egypt from Gaza on Wednesday after gunmen destroyed about two-thirds of the Gaza-Egypt border wall. Most of the Gazans returned after stocking up on food and other basic supplies that have become scarce due to the blockade imposed on the territory by Israel. UN personnel said they estimated the number of Palestinians who entered Egypt to be 350,000. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak announced that he had ordered his troops to allow Palestinians to cross into Egypt because they were starving… Mubarak also criticized Hamas for continuing to fire missiles into Israel, saying that it was not helping the situation. He said that he had been in contact with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and helped convince him to resume fuel shipments into Gaza…

“Israel is worried about the chaos on the Gaza-Egypt border, and expects Egypt to solve the problem… The chaotic scenes came on the sixth day of a complete closure of Gaza, imposed by Israel and backed by Egypt, in response to a spike in Gaza rocket attacks on Israeli border towns. Hamas has orchestrated daily demonstrations on the Gaza-Egypt border, in an apparent attempt to appeal to Arab public opinion and pressure Egypt to open the passage.”

AFP added on January 24 that “Palestinians swarmed out of Gaza into Egypt for a second consecutive day on Thursday to stock up on supplies after militants blew open the border of the Hamas-run territory.”

“Freedom” in Turkey?

The Associated Press reported on January 20:

“A Turkish court has again blocked access to the popular video-sharing Web site YouTube because of clips allegedly insulting the country’s founding father, according to reports Sunday. It was the second time Turkey banned the site because of clips deemed disrespectful to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. It is illegal in Turkey to insult the revered figure, whose portrait still hangs in nearly all government offices nearly 70 years after his death. Users trying to access the Web site from Turkey were met with notices in English and Turkish saying it was banned under an Ankara court order issued Jan. 17.

“Last March, another court blocked access to YouTube for two days after a complaint that some clips insulted Ataturk, a war hero who founded Turkey from the ruins of the Ottoman Empire. The ban was lifted after YouTube removed the offending videos… The YouTube bans in Turkey have highlighted the country’s troubled record on free expression. Several prominent Turkish journalists and writers — including Nobel literature prize winner Orhan Pamuk — have been tried for allegedly insulting ‘Turkishness.'”

“Don’t Attack the Pope…”

AFP wrote on January 20:

“More than 100,000 people filled St Peter’s Square on Sunday in a show of support for Pope Benedict XVI after protests by scientists [prompted] him to cancel a university speech… The 80-year-old head of the Roman Catholic Church cancelled a planned speech at Rome’s La Sapienza university Thursday after dozens of professors and students protested his presence at the secular school…

“A Vatican spokesman put at 200,000 the number of pilgrims at the event — billed in the Italian media as ‘pope day’ — holding up banners with slogans such as ‘Holy Father We Love You’ and ‘Long Live Freedom of Thought.’ Tens of thousands more supporters watched video links of the event outside the Milan cathedral and in Verona, Italian media reported…

“Deputy Prime Minister Francesco Rutelli attended Sunday’s rally, as well as former justice minister Clemente Mastella, who resigned just last week to face corruption charges. University Minister Fabio Mussi raised a dissenting voice, saying the politicians’ presence at the event ‘smacked of exploitation.’…

“The incident [that is, the protest by scientists and students] ‘was a shock for most Italians, whatever their opinions on other subjects,’ said Marco Politi, a Vatican expert at the Italian daily La Repubblica. ‘In Italy, to attack the pope’s person … is to violate a taboo,’ Politi told AFP. But Paolo Flores D’Arcais, who writes for a prestigious philosophy magazine, MicroMega, said: ‘THIS IS THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN. The pope … is posing as a victim. He’s the one who decided not to go to the university, where he could have spoken.’

“Students opposed to the pope’s visit staged ‘an anti-clergy week’ during which they showed a film on Galileo, the 17th-century physicist who fell foul of Church doctrine by insisting that the Earth orbits the Sun. Galileo was convicted of heresy by the Inquisition — the predecessor of the Vatican’s doctrinal watchdog, the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, that the pope formerly headed as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.”

As we reported in the Current Events section of our last week’s Update (#327), the concern of the professors and scientists–which AFP neglected to mention in the above-quoted article–was the pope’s APPROVAL of Galileo’s trial. We quoted the Catholic press agency, VIS, as follows: “The signatories of the petition take exception to a talk given by the then Cardinal Ratzinger in 1990, and in particular to a phrase he used on that occasion to the effect that ‘in Galileo’s time the Church remained much more faithful to reason than Galileo himself. The trial against Galileo was reasonable and just.'”

No Surprise–Another Political Crisis in Italy

CNN reported on January 23:

“Recent opinion poll analysis suggests Italians have lost confidence in all state institutions: the presidency, the parliament, the government, the judiciary and, yes, you guessed it, the church. The last thing this country needs at this time is another political crisis that would result in more instability and more dissatisfaction among people here. Yet this is exactly what is happening. After less than two years in office, Prime Minister Romano Prodi is fighting for his (political) survival. He has been doing so since he won the elections by a wafer thin majority in April 2006, but last week his minister of justice resigned amid corruption allegations (which he denied). He announced that his party, which has less than two percent of national representation and holds only three out of 315 senate seats, was pulling out.”

Reuters reported on January 24:

“Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi lost a confidence vote in the Senate on Thursday and went to hand his resignation to the president, prompting opposition leader Silvio Berlusconi to demand immediate elections…  But President Giorgio Napolitano may first appoint an interim government to reform a messy electoral system, which in 2006 landed Prodi with a tiny Senate majority and an unstable nine-party coalition ranging from Catholics to communists. Analysts said the demise of the 61st government since World War Two should not hurt economic growth prospects…”

 

German Carnival On Its Way

Der Spiegel Online wrote on January 21:

“Germany’s main carnival parade this year will poke fun at England for failing to qualify for the European Football Championship in June… Much of traditionally Catholic western and southern Germany comes to a standstill during the week before Lent. The season kicks off with ‘Old Wives’ Day’ when women cut off men’s ties in a symbolic castration ritual and storm town halls… If carnival is a religion, the residents of Cologne can be classified as extremists: The inebriated revelry can make the Munich Oktoberfest look like a tea party.”

Frankenstein in the Making?

The Daily Mail reported on January 17:

“A scientist has achieved a world first… by cloning himself. In a breakthrough certain to provoke an ethical furore, Samuel Wood created embryo copies of himself by placing his skin cells in a woman’s egg. The embryos were the first to be made from cells taken from adult humans… they survived for only five days and were smaller than a pinhead… critics fear the technology could be exploited by mavericks to clone babies and accused the scientists of reducing the miracle of human life to a factory of spare parts.

“Researchers from the Californian stem cell research company Stemagen employed the same technique used to make Dolly the sheep, the world’s first cloned mammal, to create the embryos… [Wood] is working on extracting stem cells from such embryos – a process that inevitably leads to the death of the embryo.

“John Smeaton, of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, said: ‘We have got scientists wandering around in an ethical wilderness, forgetting about matters of justice relating to our fellow human beings. We have people creating human beings with the intention of destroying them. That’s appalling.’

“And the Vatican condemned the cloning of human embryos, calling it the ‘worst type of exploitation of the human being’. ‘This ranks among the most morally illicit acts, ethically speaking,’ said… Elio Sgreccia, president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, the Vatican department that helps oversee the Church’s position on bioethics issues…

“Although Dr Wood’s team is the first to create human embryos from adult cells, human embryos have been cloned before. Scientists at Newcastle University created cloned human embryos in 2005 using cells from embryos rather than adults, seen as less useful in creating potential treatments…

“The news came as it was revealed that animal-human hybrid embryos will be created in British laboratories… Mr Smeaton said: ‘It is creating a category of beings regarded as sub-human who can be used as raw material to benefit other members of the human family. How wrong can something be before a scientist understands you cannot just do it because of the perceived good for human beings.'”

Is it justified to kill unborn embryos in order to save born humans? For this hotly debated issue, please make sure to view our recent StandingWatch program (#153), titled, “Abortion–Right or Wrong?”

America–The Whole Nation Is Sick (Isaiah 1:5-6)

LifeScience reported on January 8:

“The United States places last among 19 countries in deaths that could have been prevented by access to timely and effective healthcare, a new study finds.If the United States had performed as well as the top three countries out of the 19 industrialized countries in the study, there would be about 101,000 fewer U.S. deaths in the per year, the researchers estimate. The top performers: France, Japan, and Australia…

“In 1997–98 the U.S. ranked 15th out of 19 countries on the ‘mortality amenable to health care’ measure. However, by 2002–03 the U.S. fell to last place, with 109 deaths amenable to health care for every 100,000 people. In contrast, mortality rates per 100,000 people in the leading countries were: France (64), Japan (71), and Australia (71).

“The other countries included in the study were Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom…

“In a 2006 study, infant mortality in the United States was found to be among the worst of all industrialized nations. Another study found Americans had a higher rate of sickness than the British in all categories studied.”

Even though the ancients in Old Testament times did swear, the New Testament tells us that we should not do so today.

We read Christ’s words in Matthew 5:33-37: “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.”

James adds in James 5:12: “But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No,’ lest you fall into judgment.”

We note that Jesus, when here on earth as a human being, did not swear. We read in Matthew 26:63 that the high priest attempted to have Christ swear, when he said: “I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!”

Note HOW Christ responded, in verse 64: “It is as you said.” He did not answer by saying, “I swear,” but He confirmed–or we might say, “affirmed”– the accuracy of the high priest’s statement.

It is therefore correct that a Christian is permitted by God’s Word to affirm the truth. For instance, we read that Paul used a strong “affirmation” for the accuracy of his statements in Romans 9:1-2, when he said: “I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and a continual grief in my heart.”

He even called “God as witness against his soul,” when affirming the truth of his statement in 2 Corinthians 1:23: “Moreover I call God as witness against my soul, that to spare you I came no more to Corinth.”

Paul made a similar statement in Galatians 1:20: “Now concerning the things which I write to you, indeed, before God, I do not lie.”

However, as we can clearly see, Paul did not “swear” when he made those statements. Nor do we read that he raised his right hand in connection with his statements.

We do read, however, that angels, who are mightier than man and who are allowed to swear in the New Testament, raise their right hand (or even both hands) when they swear. This shows that raising the right hand is considered as a part of the act of swearing.

We read in Revelation 10:5-6 (New Revised Standard Version): “Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and the land raised his right hand to heaven and swore by him who lives forever and ever…”

The following commentaries confirm the fact that the right hand is raised in conjunction with swearing:

The commentary of Jamieson, Fausset and Brown gives the following explanation to Revelation 10:5-6: “It was customary to lift up the hand towards heaven, appealing to the God of truth, in taking a solemn oath.”

John Gill’s “Exposition of the Entire Bible” concurs and adds the following remarks to Revelation 10:5-6: “… lifted up his hand to heaven; the Oriental versions read, ‘his right hand’; and so [do][ some copies, and the Complutensian edition… the lifting up of the hand was a gesture used in swearing… so the Jews say… ‘the right hand’, or by the right hand… ‘this is an oath”, according to [Daniel 12:7] or whether the right hand or the left, is an oath, according to [Isaiah 62:8].”

Albert Barnes writes in his “Notes on the Bible” to Revelation 10:5-6: “… Lifted up his hand to heaven–The usual attitude in taking an oath, as if one called heaven to witness.”

The Jewish Tanakh rendition adds an interesting footnote to Genesis 14:22, where Abram said, “I swear to the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth (Tanakh).” The footnote reads in regard to the word “swear”: “Lit. ‘lift up my hand.'”

Based on the foregoing, members of the Church of the Eternal God and its corporate affiliates may affirm to tell the truth, but they should not swear or raise their right hand. We would also advise against including words in an affirmation that appeal to God, such as “so help me God,” or something to that effect, as to do so could lead to a violation of the Third Commandment (“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain…”, compare Deuteronomy 5:11). It is much safer to abide by the clear instructions of Jesus and James, telling us not to swear (or affirm) by heaven or earth or Jerusalem, as all of these are in some way related to God, or not even by our own head, “nor by any other oath.”

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

A new StandingWatch program (#153) was posted on StandingWatch, Google Video and You Tube. It is titled, “Abortion–Right or Wrong?” In the program, Norbert Link asks the questions,  Is abortion always right–or is it always wrong? And if it is acceptable under certain circumstances, how old does the embryo or fetus have to be to make it right? Neither proponents of “pro choice” nor those of “pro life” seem to have the answers. Do you know the truth? Only God, in His Word, the Bible, can tell you.

The video recordings of Norbert Link’s sermons, “Tabernacle in the Wilderness, Part 1,” and “Interpersonal Relationships,” were posted on Google Video.

by John Amorelli

Recently, we had an ice storm with strong winds and heavy rainfall. My wife Louise and I heard a big “boom” outside during internet church services. It sounded like an explosion! We were both startled and didn’t know where the noise came from. We didn’t go outside to see what it was, due to the fact that it was night time, and we live in a dense 3-acre wooded area. The next day, I went outside to inspect the surroundings to see if the noise had come from our property. To my surprise, there was a big oak tree down on the ground, not far from the house!!! Apparently, the strong winds and rain had blown down the tree. The severe weather literally had torn the tree from its roots! The tree trunk was still intact. It was an amazing sight to recognize that this big tree had such a hard fall!

This made me think of my spiritual life. “Am I like this big oak tree?” I asked myself. Sometimes I think of myself as that big oak tree before its fall–being “spiritually” big and strong. The wind and the rain tested the strength of that tree and its root system. But, the severe weather was too much for that big tree to handle. Hence, the Big Fall!

No matter how spiritually big and strong I think I am, I know I am nothing without God and His Spirit. God must strengthen my foundation, enabling me to fight against the “severe weather” of this world. I never thought that big tree would fall! When tough trials come, I need to stay close to God and His way of life, because when I THINK I stand tall, I could have the BIG FALL!

On January 19, 2008, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “Interpersonal Relationships.”

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.

One of the defining hallmarks of a Christian has to be his willingness to rise again after falling. As we walk the path of righteousness, there will be obstacles along the way. There is a good chance that, no matter how diligent we are, we will fall. This is not the end of the world. As much as we try to steady ourselves, we eventually will go down. The key is to get back up.

Proverbs 24:16 states, “For a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again….” The Christian has a duty to get back up. We are not allowed to wallow in pity or any other self deprecating behavior, but rather pull ourselves up by the bootstraps and move on.

This is made all the easier by the fact that we have a loving Father who will rescue us in our time of need. In Job 5:19 we find a complementary Scripture, “He shall deliver you in six troubles, Yes, in seven no evil shall touch you.” So, for all seven times that we fall into trouble, God will be there for us. All we need to do is avail ourselves of this option.

David explained: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all” (Psalms 34:19). Brethren and co-workers in Christ, let us continue to seek God while He may be found–in the good times and the bad; when we are up and when we are down. The biggest mistake that we can make may not be the one that caused us to fall, but the one that kept us from getting back up.

Is the USA Losing Economic World Dominance?

The Financial Times wrote on January 15:

“The US looks poised to lose its mantle as the world’s dominant financial market because of a rapid rise in the depth and maturity of markets in Europe, a study suggests. The change may have occurred already, not least because US markets are beset by credit woes, according to research by McKinsey Global Institute, a think-tank affiliated to the consultancy. ‘We think the differential growth rates are so significant that it is quite likely Europe has overtaken the US,’ said Diana Farrell, author of the report… In previous decades, most US policymakers and bankers assumed their domestic markets were the largest and most sophisticated in the world, and sought to export their model of financial capitalism to other parts of the globe. But the credit crisis has dented confidence in the health of America’s financial institutions and its model of finance. Meanwhile, since the launch of the single currency in 1999, European markets have been steadily growing in liquidity and size.”

“The US Is Headed Into a Recession”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on January 16:

“Fears continued to grow on Wednesday that the growing financial flu in the United States caused by the subprime mortgage crisis is spreading across the Atlantic. On Tuesday, investor Hypo Real Estate saw its market value drop by a massive €2 billion, or nearly a third, one of the biggest drops ever recorded of a firm listed in the DAX index of leading German firms… Meanwhile, conviction seems to be growing that the US is headed into a recession and that the effects could put the brakes on Germany’s recent economic boom. Last week Goldman Sachs said the US would go into a recession in 2008, but Merrill Lynch claims it has already arrived.”

US Inflation Rate Worst in 17 Years

The Associated Press reported on January 16:

“Higher costs for energy and food last year pushed inflation up by the largest amount in 17 years, even though prices generally remained tame outside of those two areas. Meanwhile, industrial output was flat in December, more evidence of a significant slowdown in the economy… Consumers felt the pain when they filled up their gas tanks or shopped for groceries…

“In a second report, the Federal Reserve said that output at the nation’s factories, mines and utilities showed no growth in December, adding to a string of weak economic reports showing that the economy was slowing at the end of last year.

“That weakness has shown up in the biggest one-month jump in unemployment since the 2001 terrorist attacks and billions of dollars in losses at many of the country’s biggest financial institutions. Citigroup Inc. reported Tuesday it had suffered a $10 billion loss for the last three months of 2007, reflecting bad bets on investments backed by subprime mortgages.

“The Dow Jones industrial average plunged by 277 points on Tuesday and fell even further on Wednesday as Intel reported weak earnings for the fourth quarter. The Dow was down by 26 points in late morning trading… The rising risk of a recession has prompted politicians to consider stimulus packages to give the economy a jump-start to either prevent a recession or at least mitigate its fallout… Workers’ wages failed to keep up with the higher inflation. Average weekly earnings, after adjusting for inflation, dropped by 0.9 percent in 2007, the biggest setback since a 1.5 percent fall in 2005.”

In addition, AFP reported on January 17 that “US financial services giant Merrill Lynch reported Thursday a 2007 net loss of 7.8 billion dollars amid heavy losses in financial products linked to the mortgage sector crunch.”

Bush Administration Supports “Reasonable” Gun Restrictions

On January 14, WorldNetDaily reported the following:

“Since ‘unrestricted’ private ownership of guns clearly threatens the public safety, the 2nd Amendment can be interpreted to allow a variety of gun restrictions, according to the Bush administration. The argument was delivered by U.S. Solicitor General Paul D. Clement in a brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court in the ongoing arguments over the legality of a District of Columbia ban on handguns in homes, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times. Clement suggested that gun rights are limited and subject to ‘reasonable regulation’ and said all federal limits on guns should be upheld.

“‘Given the unquestionable threat to public safety that unrestricted private firearm possession would entail, various categories of firearm-related regulation are permitted by the 2nd Amendment,’ he wrote in the brief, the Times reported. He noted especially the federal ban on machine guns and those many other ‘particularly dangerous types of firearms,’ and endorsed restrictions on gun ownership by felons, those subject to restraining orders, drug users and ‘mental defectives.’ His arguments came in the closely watched Washington, D.C., ban that would prevent residents from keeping handguns in their homes for self-defense…

“The [second] 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.’ Clement is the Bush administration’s chief lawyer before the court, and submitted the arguments in the case that is to determine whether the D.C. limit is constitutional.

“He said the 2nd Amendment ‘protects an individual right to possess firearms, including for private purposes unrelated to militia operations,’ and noted the D.C. ban probably goes too far… He said the failing in the D.C. law is that it totally bans handguns in the homes of private citizens… The Justice Department long had endorsed gun controls until Attorney General John Ashcroft in 2001 switched the department’s position to support individual gun rights, the Times said.”

Bad Arab Reviews for President Bush in the Mideast

Time reported on January 16:

“The disparaging of President Bush’s eight-day tour of the Middle East by America’s staunchest opponents in the region was hardly unexpected. Iran’s foreign minister claimed it was designed to give Israel a green light ‘to perpetrate new crimes’ against Palestinians. Lebanon’s most senior Shi’ite cleric accused Bush of ‘war crimes.’ A prominent jihadist web site called the President ‘this criminal, butcher and murderer of our blood.’

“But Bush was also harshly criticized — albeit in more circumspect language — in countries with close ties to Washington, including some from the very countries that rolled out the red carpet for the visiting President. Commenting on the two main purposes of the tour, even the most liberal Arab press questioned the sincerity of Bush’s efforts to establish a Palestinian state and criticized his campaign to pressure Iran over its nuclear program… Perhaps the unkindest cut of all was an editorial in the Saudi Gazette, comparing back-to-back visits by Western leaders to Riyadh this week. ‘It would be difficult to argue that French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s visit to the Kingdom was not in almost every way a success,’ the paper said, adding, with an unmistakable swipe at Bush: ‘It’s refreshing to see a Western leader come to the Kingdom speaking of peace rather than just issuing warnings on the state of affairs in the region.’

“Bush’s efforts to rally an Arab coalition to isolate Iran in the Gulf seemed to fall flat. Only days after he visited Kuwait, liberated in 1991 by a coalition led by the President’s father, Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Mohammed Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah was standing beside Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki in Tehran, declaring: ‘My country knows who is our friend and who is our enemy, and Iran is our friend.’

“Seldom has an American President’s visit left the region so underwhelmed, confirming Bush’s huge unpopularity on the street and his sagging credibility among Arab leaders he counts as allies…

“Bush received his warmest welcome in Saudi Arabia, where King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud accorded him an honor reserved for special friends by inviting him to his horse farm outside Riyadh. But the Saudis didn’t hesitate when it came to publicly disagreeing with Bush’s views on various Middle East matters. Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, standing beside Secretary of State Condeleezza Rice, pointedly declined to endorse her call for more Arab gestures toward Israel or her relatively rosy assessment of political reconciliation in Iraq. After Bush jawboned the Saudis about increasing oil production to bring down oil prices, the Saudi oil minister shot back, ‘We will raise production when the market justifies it.’

“For Arabs, the biggest bone of contention, as it has been so often in the past, was Bush’s handling of the Palestinian issue… ‘We ought to be celebrating President George Bush’s declaration that a Palestinian state is “long overdue,”‘ said the Arab News in Jidda. ‘It is impossible to feel any excitement about Bush’s words, because no Palestinian, no Arab believes he will, or can, deliver. We have the Bush record with its damning testimony of failure and disaster. That is the reason for the skepticism and the cynicism.'”

Sarkozy Under Fire

Reuters reported on January 18:

“President Nicolas Sarkozy’s increasingly frequent and positive references to God and faith have drawn fire from critics who accuse him of violating France’s separation of church and state. Sarkozy, a taboo-breaker whose whirlwind love life has distracted the media for weeks, broke with traditional presidential reserve about religion to stress France’s Christian roots in a speech in a Rome basilica just before Christmas.
 
“In Riyadh on Monday, he hailed Islam as ‘one of the greatest and most beautiful civilisations the world has known’ and described his Saudi hosts as rulers who ‘appeal to the basic values of Islam to combat the fundamentalism that negates them’. His praise for a kingdom that enforces and propagates a strict version of Islam, during a visit aimed at securing lucrative export contracts, was the last straw for his critics…

“The twice-divorced president defines himself as a ‘cultural Catholic’, an infrequent churchgoer who says he values the moral and social role that religion can play in society.”

“Europe Is Becoming a Platform for Terrorists”

Reuters reported on January 16:

“Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said on Wednesday that one of the biggest threats to U.S. security may now come from within Europe. In an interview with BBC radio, Chertoff said that American authorities were becoming increasingly aware of a real risk of Europe becoming a ‘platform for terrorists’… Chertoff’s comments came after reports that British intelligence services are investigating an Islamist Web site which said that a branch of al Qaeda had been established in Britain. Security experts fear a posting on the site, urging young Muslim men to rise up against what it called infidels such as Prime Minister Gordon Brown and former Prime Minister Tony Blair, may be genuine.

“Chertoff said that while Washington had no plans to suspend a visa waiver program that allows most Europeans who travel to the United States as tourists to do so without a visa, authorities would like to step up advance checks on travelers. ‘We do want to elevate some of the security measures in the program,’ he said, proposing an advance travel authorization system which would require potential visitors to register online their intention to travel to America to allow authorities to clear them in advance.

“Chertoff also said that the absence of any attacks in the United States since September 11, 2001 had created ‘a certain sense of complacency’ which needed to be dispelled. ‘When I lift my eyes and look around the world and I look at what happens in Britain and Germany and Spain and Bali and Pakistan, I don’t see terrorism going away, I see an al Qaeda that’s emboldened,’ he said.”

Tony Blair–the New European President?

On January 12, the EUObserver wrote the following about speculations that Tony Blair might become the European President  in 2009:

“Even before the Lisbon Treaty was signed, speculation was rife as to who would be the first European president as proposed in the new document. Now it is signed and sealed, one man heads the list of potential candidates. The role, outlined in the treaty signed by the 27 member states at the end of last year, will replace the current system whereby each country assumes the rotating presidency for six months. The job, a two-and-a-half-year term, will be up for grabs in 2009 if the bloc’s 27 member states can keep to their timetable and individually ratify the treaty over the next year. It now appears that former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has taken an early lead…

“[French President] Sarkozy has made no secret of his admiration for Blair and was the first and most vocal advocate of his potential presidency. ‘He is a very remarkable man. He is the most European of Britons … it would be intelligent to think of him,’ Sarkozy said last year. The French president is not alone in thinking Blair would be a good candidate…

“Blair’s supporters also trumpet his close ties with the United States, which could help improve transatlantic relations, and his high international profile… One of Blair’s strongest skills is his public persona and his ability to work with diplomats of all levels and nations. The European president would also have to be a strong character to help define the job from that of the EU ‘High Representative’ for foreign affairs, a post also introduced in the treaty, and the European Commission president’s role. Blair has never had a problem with showing those around him who’s boss, with maybe the exception of the President of the United States.

“Blair’s close relationship with the United States, which his supporters say would be advantageous in the European president’s post, is also held up by those against him as a reason why he would not be the ideal candidate. Blair looked across the Atlantic instead of the English Channel when Iraq slipped towards war and many on the continent have not forgotten on which post Blair nailed his colors.

“While speculation grows, the man himself is said to be concentrating fully on his current job as the international community’s Middle East envoy without a thought for the position of European president. Anyone who has followed Blair’s career will find that very difficult to believe.”

It might be interesting to review Mr. Blair’s ancestry.

The Wickipedia Encyclopedia reports:

“Blair was born at the Queen Mary Maternity Home in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 6 May 1953, the second son of Leo and Hazel Blair [her maiden name was Corscadden]. Leo Blair, the illegitimate son of two English actors, had been adopted by a Glasgow shipyard worker named James Blair and his wife Mary as a baby. Hazel Corscadden was the daughter of George Corscadden, a butcher and Orangeman who had moved to Glasgow in 1916 but returned to (and died in) Ballyshannon in 1923, where his wife Sarah Margaret [her maiden name was Lipsett] gave birth to Blair’s mother Hazel above her family’s grocery shop. The Lipsett family in Donegal supposedly originated with a German Jewish immigrant to Ireland prior to the 18th century…”

Joerg Haider Back in the News

The Associated Press reported on January 14 (The article was re-published in The Moscow Times on January 16):

“Austrian right-wing politician Joerg Haider called on Saturday for an immediate moratorium on granting asylum to immigrants from Chechnya, blaming some already in the alpine country for violence and sex crimes. In a harshly worded statement, Haider — the former leader of the far-right Freedom Party — accused the Austrian government of carelessness in approving roughly 70 percent of all applications for asylum sought by people fleeing Chechnya.

“Haider accused Chechen asylum seekers of ‘excessive violence’ in the southern province of Carinthia, where he is governor, and blamed Chechens for a rise in rapes and other sexual assaults in the province of Upper Austria. Chechens, Haider said, have ‘a heightened potential for violence’ and should not be readily admitted into Austria… Haider said it was ‘incomprehensible’ that Austria granted asylum to more than 2,000 Chechens last year. At the same time, he said, neighboring nations such as Slovenia did not approve a single application.

“He said more Chechens were reaching Austria and applying for permission to stay now that European Union border controls have been dismantled along the country’s borders with relative EU newcomer nations Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia and the Czech Republic. Haider, who founded the somewhat more moderate Alliance for the Future of Austria in 2005, is best known for mocking Jews and praising some of Hitler’s policies while he was at the helm of the Freedom Party.”

Islam’s Teaching About Jesus Christ

AFP reported on January 13:

“A director who shares the ideas of Iran’s hardline president has produced what he says is the first film giving an Islamic view of Jesus Christ, in a bid to show the ‘common ground’ between Muslims and Christians. Nader Talebzadeh sees his movie, ‘Jesus, the Spirit of God,’ as an Islamic answer to Western productions like Mel Gibson’s 2004 blockbuster ‘The Passion of the Christ,’ which he praised as admirable but quite simply ‘wrong’… Islam sees Jesus as a prophet, not the [Son] of God, and does not believe he was crucified… The film, funded by state broadcasting, faded off the billboards but is far from dead, about to be recycled in a major 20 episode spin-off to be broadcast over state-run national television this year…

“[In the] movie, God saves Jesus, depicted as a fair-complexioned man with long hair and a beard, from crucifixion and takes him straight to heaven. ‘It is frankly said in the Koran that the person who was crucified was not Jesus’ but Judas, one of the 12 Apostles and the one the Bible holds betrayed Jesus to the Romans [Talebzadeh said]…

“In [the] film, it is Judas who is crucified. Islam sees Jesus as one of five great prophets — others being Noah, Moses and Abraham — sent to earth to announce the coming of Mohammed, the final prophet who spread the religion of Islam… Shiite Muslims, the majority in Iran, believe Jesus will accompany the Imam Mahdi when he reappears in a future apocalypse to save the world.

“… the TV version of [the] film will [allegedly] further explore the links between Jesus and the Mahdi — whose return Ahmadinejad has said his government, which came to power in 2005, is working to hasten.”

Austrian Politician Attacks Muhammad and Islam

Der Spiegel Online reported on January 14:

“Susanne Winter, a right-wing politician with the FPÖ party running for a city council seat in the city of Graz, blasted Muslims on Sunday, saying that ‘in today’s system’ the Prophet Muhammad would be considered a ‘child molester,’ apparently referring to his marriage to a six-year-old child. She also said that it is time for Islam to be ‘thrown back where it came from, behind the Mediterranean.’… she also claimed that Muhammad wrote the Koran in ‘epileptic fits.’

“In an interview with the daily Österreich published on Monday, Winter continued the onslaught saying that child abuse is ‘widespread’ among Muslim men and that Graz is facing a ‘tsunami of Muslim immigration.’ In 20 or 30 years, she warned, half of Austria’s population would be Muslim.

“Her comments have resulted in a storm of protest in Austria, with politicians and commentators of all stripes taking Winter and her party to task. Austrian prosecutors are also looking into the possibility of filing charges against the 50-year-old politician for incitement…

“But despite the strong reaction generated by Winter, such rhetoric is hardly foreign to political campaigns in Austria. Her party was brought to international prominence by Jörg Haider, the notoriously right-leaning politician who found success in the 1990s and earlier this decade with a mixture of xenophobia and nationalism. He has since moved on, but his rhetoric has remained the same. Campaigning recently for his new group, the Association for Austria’s Future (BZÖ), he said, ‘We are still allowed to say Gruss Gott,’ — the traditional Austrian greeting — ‘and don’t have to praise Allah.’…”

The Austrian Press Agency, NetWorld, reported on January 15 that Winter allegedly received death threats from a radical Islamic group, which is reportedly operating in Serbia. The group claims that Winter must be killed, and that every Muslim is entitled to kill Winter. In addition, a video surfaced on the Internet, which was later withdrawn by the Internet provider as inappropriate, showing a picture of the September 11th attack on New York, with an accompanying text, stating that something similar could also happen in Austria, and that Winter would be responsible.

NetWorld continued to state on January 16 that even several Habsburg emperors could be viewed as “child molesters”–if one was to follow Winter’s rationale. It was pointed out that in 1483, French Emperor Charles VIII married three-year-old Margaret of Austria, a daughter of Emperor Maxilimian. Further, in 1649, 14-year-old Maria Anna of Austria was married to her uncle, Spain’s King Philip of Spain; and in 1666, 15-year-old Margarita Teresa married her uncle, Emperor Leopold I.

German Head of Catholic Church Resigns

Deutsche Welle reported on January 16:

“Cardinal Karl Lehmann, the head of Germany’s Catholic Church, has announced that he will vacate his post on Feb. 18 [after having led the country’s bishops for over 20 years]. The sometimes controversial, but respected bishop is known to have had health problems last year… Considered to be a relatively liberal Catholic theologian, the cardinal… became deputy head of German bishops in 1985 and was appointed chairman in 1987. He has held that post longer than any other bishop.

“He is viewed as a moral authority in Germany, and became a symbol for the Catholic Church in the country. But he has not always appealed to everyone… Lehmann upset many Muslims last year, when he spoke out against Islam enjoying equal status to Christianity in Europe.”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on January 15 that Lehmann is one of the few church leaders who was not afraid to oppose Rome, and that his resignation signifies a loss for German Catholics. The magazine reported that he observed with concern the growth of the Catholic Church’s “Roman centralism.”

Church Trial Against Galileo “Reasonable and Just”?

VIS reported on January 16:

“The Pope will not make the visit he was scheduled to make tomorrow, 17 January, to Rome’s ‘La Sapienza’ University for the inauguration of the academic year, according to a communique released yesterday evening by the Holy See Press Office… The ‘events’ to which the note refers include a petition to the rector signed by 67 professors asking for the invitation to Benedict XVI to be withdrawn, and protests by groups of students who yesterday occupied the rector’s office to demand the right to demonstrate within the university campus on the day of the Pope’s visit.

“The signatories of the petition take exception to a talk given by the then Cardinal Ratzinger in 1990, and in particular to a phrase he used on that occasion to the effect that ‘in Galileo’s time the Church remained much more faithful to reason than Galileo himself. The trial against Galileo was reasonable and just.’ The future Pope’s remarks, a quote from a work by the philosopher of science Paul Feyerabend, were made in the context of a talk on the crisis of confidence in science, in which he used the example of changing attitudes towards the case of Galileo.”

Closer Ties Between China and Taiwan?

The Associated Press reported on January 12:

“Taiwan’s opposition Nationalist Party, which supports closer ties with mainland China, won a landslide victory in parliamentary elections Saturday in a major upset for President Chen Shui-bian. The opposition victory is a massive blow to Chen’s government, whose hard-line policies were aimed at formalizing de facto independence for Taiwan. Chen, who has been president for eight years, must step down after the presidential elections on March 22… A major election issue was the economy, political observers said. Salaries have remained stagnant and unemployment is high in one of the world’s top 20 economies, while the prices of consumer goods have soared — at the same time as China has enjoyed an economic boom.

“The Nationalists have promised to boost the economy by allowing Chinese tourists to visit the island and arranging direct flights between Taiwan and China… Initiatives that the Nationalists have stalled in recent years have [included] a multibillion-dollar sale of American weapons to the island. It could also see a thawing of the island’s often frosty relationship with China, with the Nationalists not dismissing the notion of possible reunification with the mainland — an issue of serious dispute since the unresolved civil war of the 1940s. China refuses to recognize Taiwan’s de facto independence from the mainland. Beijing’s attitude towards Taiwan has also been the source of tension with Washington for several decades.”

Cloned Animal Meat Safe for Consumption?

AFP reported on January 16:

“The US food safety authority on Tuesday approved meat and milk from cloned animals, clearing the way for them one day to appear on store shelves despite opposition on ethical and health grounds. ‘Meat and milk from clones of cattle, swine, and goats, and the offspring of clones from any species traditionally consumed as food, are as safe to eat as food from conventionally bred animals,’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) official Randall Lutter told a news conference. Lutter said his agency would not require food made from cloned animals or their offspring to be specially labeled, but producers could apply for the right to label their foods ‘clone-free.’ The FDA however said it did not have enough information to rule on whether cloned sheep and other cloned animals were safe to eat…

“The European Commission has vowed to consult consumers before giving its own ruling in May. The European Food Safety Authority said meat and milk from healthy cattle and pig clones is probably safe for humans to eat…

“US senators last month passed a farm bill that included a measure requiring the FDA to delay its ruling until further studies are carried out. One of the sponsors of that measure, Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski, accused the FDA of acting ‘recklessly’ on Tuesday. ‘Just because something was created in a lab, doesn’t mean we should have to eat it,’ she said in a statement… It will still be years before meat and milk from clones appears in US stores, reports say. The animals involved, clones of the highest quality beasts, are too valuable to slaughter or milk and better used for breeding.”

Ethics Violation of Cloned Food

The EUObserver reported on January 17:

“The European Commission’s advisory group [EGE] charged with consideration of ethics in science and technology has concluded that at present the production of cloned food cannot be justified. The [EGE] said Thursday (17 January) that due to the level of suffering of the mothers into which a cloned embryo is placed and the health problems of the animal clones themselves, the group ‘has doubts as to whether cloning animals for food supply is ethically justified.’

“Cloned animals are faced with a wide range of health problems, with a high death rate and a high incidence of disease. Clones commonly suffer from premature ageing; enlarged tongues; squashed faces; intestinal blockages; immune deficiencies; diabetes; heart, lung and liver damage; kidney failure; and brain abnormalities. Surrogate mothers are also burdened with significant suffering and a high death rate…”

First Human-Animal Embryo

Times on Line reported on January 17:

“Experiments to create Britain’s first embryos that merge human and animal material will begin within months after a Government watchdog today approved two research teams to carry out the controversial work. Scientists… will now inject human DNA into empty eggs from cows, to create embryos known as cytoplasmic hybrids…

“The experiments are intended to provide insights into diseases such as Parkinson’s and spinal muscular atrophy by producing stem cells containing genetic defects that contribute to these conditions. These will be used as cell models for investigating new approaches to treatment and for improving understanding of how embryonic stem cells develop. They will not be used in therapy, and it is illegal to implant them into the womb.”

Here Come the Human Clones…

The Associated Press reported in January 17:

“Scientists in California say they have produced embryos that are clones of two men, a potential step toward developing scientifically valuable stem cells.

“The new report documents embryos made with ordinary skin cells. But it’s not the first time human cloned embryos have been made. In 2005, for example, scientists in Britain reported using embryonic stem cells to produce a cloned embryo. It matured enough to produce stem cells, but none were extracted. Stem cells weren’t produced by the new embryos either, and because of that, experts reacted coolly to the research… Korean scientist Hwang Woo-suk claimed a few years ago that he’d created such cell lines, but that turned out to be a fraud…

“Scientists say stem cells from cloned embryos could provide a valuable tool for studying diseases, screening drugs and, perhaps someday, creating transplant material to treat conditions like diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. But critics raise objections. The process ‘involves creating human lives in the laboratory solely to destroy them for alleged benefit to others,’ said Richard Doerflinger, spokesman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops… Other objections to cloning include concerns about health risks and exploitation if large numbers of women are asked to provide eggs.”

Jury Duty–Be Prepared At All Times

The San Diego Union Tribune wrote on January 12 about the jury selection process in St. Johnbury, Vermont. The article stated: “Faced with a shrunken jury pool, a judge resorted to some sidewalk justice in hopes of [filling] it out. [The Judge who was] discouraged when a 34-person pool of potential jurors for a sex case was reduced to 20 people, sent sheriff’s deputies into the street Wednesday to summon people to join them. Caledonia County uniformed deputies stopped people in front of the post office, asking if they lived in the county. Those who did and were 18 or older were given a summons to report to the courthouse.”

A member wrote us the following note: “I had this happen to me in Palacios Texas years ago, when I went to the post office to mail something.  Thankfully I was able to talk the sheriff out of it on the spot, as it turned out I had a dentist appointment at the time the court date was set!”

Another piece of disturbing news was reported from Colorado. 9News.com stated on January 17:

“They roamed the streets of Greeley Wednesday morning with stacks of paper and an eye out for people they could summon to emergency jury duty. Weld County and District Court staff handed subpoenas to more than 50 unsuspecting people, telling them they had to report for jury duty Wednesday morning because many of those summoned by mail did not show. Some of the people were just walking around town… [Court administrators] say this is the third time in the last two months they’ve had to take such extreme action.  Before December, they believe it had not happened in 15 years. Judges and administrators will be meeting to discuss what to do with all those no-shows.”

The Associated Press added in its article on January 17, which was posted on The Denver Post:

“With only 39 out of 200 people [summoned] for jury duty showing up Wednesday, court officials with emergency jury duty subpoenas headed to the street to randomly pick 50 people to serve on juries. Witnesses told television stations that administrators approached people walking on the sidewalk, at a grocery store and even a nearby gym, where people in their workout clothes headed to court under a threat of a contempt of court citation… Failing to show up for jury duty after getting a summons… could result in a contempt of court citation.”

We have already written about this subject in two previous Updates (Update #157 and #187). We explained that it has long been understood and taught by God’s Church that Christ’s message to the seven churches has at least a three-fold application. First, it relates to seven literal churches or church congregations in Asia Minor at the time of John. Then, it describes the history of the Church in seven distinct prophetic “Church eras” from the time of John until Christ’s return. And finally, it points out character traits of spiritual strength and weakness of God’s people throughout the existence of the New Testament Church. Christ’s message to the seven churches, although in some respects directed foremost to individual congregations and/or Church eras (Revelation 2:6, 10, 14-15, 20-23; 3:3, 10, 20) is, in its overall sense, meant for all Christians at all times (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:5-6, 12-13, 21-22).

Regarding the understanding that Christ’s message ALSO includes seven church ERAS, please note the following interesting comments by Baptist minister, Dr. Lehman Strauss, “The Book of the Revelation,” copyright 1964, 1972, pages 33, 34, 45:

“… each church individually, and the seven churches combined, set forth prophetic anticipation. I see in them seven ages or stages in the life of the Church on earth, commencing with Pentecost… There is a prophetic picture of seven periods of the Church’s history on earth… The Laodicean letter, being the last of the seven, anticipates prophetically the end of the Church Age, that period immediately preceding the return of Christ… Our materialistic, inflationary times might well mark the end of the present age…”

In this Q&A, we are going to provide some additional information on Christ’s message to the seven churches. We will mainly emphasize the historical relevance and the application of Christ’s message to individual Christians. Although we will briefly mention the identity of the Church ERAS, please make sure to review again our previous Updates, #157 and #187, which address that aspect in much more detail.

In all of Christ’s messages to the seven churches, He emphasizes the fact that He knows their works. But this does not mean that He approves, in each case, of the particular works in question. After all, we can do good or bad works, and everyone will be judged “according to his work” (Revelation 22:12).

(1) Message to Ephesus (compare Revelation 2:1-7)

The city of Ephesus was the commercial center of Asia. Its temple of Diana was one of the “seven wonders” of the ancient world. At first, the Church brethren did not follow “false apostles” (compare Revelation 2:2: “… you cannot bear those who are evil.”). Strauss comments on page 36: “They were intolerant of sin. Today it makes little difference what people are like morally or spiritually, just so we get them into our church and on the membership roll to swell the number. The church at Ephesus was not concerned with the quantity of persons that were added, but rather with the quality.”

Nevertheless, they subsequently did tolerate false teachers such as the “Nicolaitans,” a sect believed by many to have advocated licentiousness as the proper way of life (Revelation 2:6). They had become weary and had lost their first love for Christ and His truth and were not as zealous anymore to resist error. That this could happen was partially due to constant persecution from the Romans under Emperor Domitian (whose statute was found in Ephesus and who called himself “god”) and the fact that they were meeting in their homes, or everywhere else they could—scattered congregations with their own pastorship, but without central leadership (compare Halley’s Bible Handbook, p. 701).

Historically, the New Testament Church was founded in Jerusalem and transferred later to the city of Pella, around 69 A.D. When Paul traveled to Europe, Ephesus became a second Headquarters. According to tradition, Paul and John died here.

(2) Message to Smyrna (compare Revelation 2:8-11)

Smyrna means “bitter.” And so, Christ addressed the Smyrna church as one finding itself in the midst of bitter sorrow and suffering.

Christ encouraged the church to “be faithful until death” (Revelation 2:10). The Greek word for faithful in this case signifies conviction–including the persuasion that with Christ, everything is possible, and there is never a compelling reason to give up.

Although Smyrna was a splendid city, the members themselves were poor (compare Revelation 2:9). Polycarp, the disciple of John, became later the leader of the Church in Smyrna, who refused, in 155 A.D., to renounce Christ and was martyred as a consequence. The persecution mentioned in Revelation 2:10 could refer to ten separate attempts to wipe out Christianity prompted by the edicts of ten different Roman rulers (Strauss, page 43). Or, it might refer to the persecution under Trajan which hit Smyrna extra hard. Historically, a ten year persecution against the Church (“ten” signifies in the Bible a period of testing and judgment) occurred under Diocletian and Galerius from 303 to 313 A.D. Subsequently, in 325 A.D., the observance of Passover was prohibited by Emperor Constantine, and in 365 A.D., Sabbath observance was outlawed as well. God’s true Church was forced to flee “into the wilderness” of little recognition in this world for about 1,260 years, to be able to observe God’s laws (Revelation 12:6).

Strauss makes the following comments regarding Constantine and the Catholic Church, on pages 55 and 56:

“Constantine… declared himself a Christian and Christianity to be the religion of the state. Christian leaders were invited to witness the wholesale baptism of whole regiments of soldiers in Constantine’s army. When later almost four hundred bishops met, Constantine was carried on a golden throne and he presided over the council as the recognized head of the church… Today the world is ready to accept the Roman Pope and be subject to him. The Roman Catholic Church claims to be of divine origin, but its ‘deeds’ and ‘doctrine’s are hated by Christ.”

(3) Message to Pergamos (Revelation 2:12-17)

A great altar of Zeus or Jupiter overlooked Pergamos. This town was also the seat of emperor worship. Christians refusing to worship pagan gods or the emperor would often times be killed (compare Revelation 2:13). In addition, Pergamos was a center of healing associated with the temple of Asclepius (or Esculapius) who was worshipped in the form of a serpent (one of the designations of Satan, compare Revelation 12:9).

Christ chided the Church at Pergamos for holding the doctrine of Balaam (Revelation 2:14; compare Jude 10-14; 2 Peter 2:15).

Notice these interesting comments by Strauss, pages 53-54: “Balaam conceived an evil scheme that was to produce the downfall of God’s people. When he concluded that he could not curse them, he proposed to corrupt them. He suggested that the Moabite girls should seduce the men of Israel by inviting them to participate in their idolatrous and immoral feasts. In this evil perpetration he succeeded (Numbers 25:1-3; cf. 31:16), and through this unholy alliance, this unequal yoke, this mixed marriage, Israel fell. Balaam had followed Satan’s old line. When the devil failed to wipe out the godly line through murder (Genesis 4), he resorted to mixture (Genesis 6). This was Balaamism, and it was this evil principle that came into the assembly at Pergamos.”

The Pergamos-era began about 650 A.D. under Constantine of Mananoli. He led hundreds of thousands of Christians who became known as “Paulicians.” A large portion of those were killed, as one author put it, “by hanging, fire and sword.”

(4) Message to Thyatira (compare Revelation 2:18-29)

The city of Thyatira was a commercial center and famous for its temple of Artemis or Diana. A mysterious figure, Jezebel, is
mentioned. Whether a literal woman, a symbolic reference to a great false church (compare Revelation 17) or a reference to the wife of ancient king Ahab, the thought conveyed here is that some in the Church of God had begun to engage in pagan worship of the sun god Baal and his “mother-wife”–the moon goddess Astarte or Isthar (compare 2 Kings 9:22)–including the observance of Sunday and Christmas and Easter celebrations, a doctrine or teaching referred to as the “depths of Satan” (Revelation 2: 24).

Strauss offers this interesting interpretation, on pages 66-67: “Even though the Bible is clear that a woman is in subjection to the man and that a woman is never to usurp authority over the man (1 Timothy 2:1-12), Romanism has reversed this order and millions of Roman Catholic men worship an image of Mary and offer prayers to her… The Jezebel of the last 1,500 years has not changed. Rome never does change. But this Babylon of prophecy will meet with divine judgment when the sovereign Head of the Church comes back to earth again…”

The Thyatira-era began around 1100 with Peter of Bruys in France. He would later become known as Peter Valdez or Peter Waldo, leader of the Waldensians. In the 12th century, Waldensians were known in about 22 European countries. In 1309, they appeared in the Netherlands, and a few years later, Waldensian leaders Walter the Lollard and his brother Raymond preached the gospel in Great Britain. In 1315, records report of 80,000 Waldensians in Bohemia. By 1539, their number had reached 800,000 in Europe.

(5) Message to Sardis (compare Revelation 3:1-6)

The city of Sardis had once been extremely wealthy under the legendary king Croesus. It was still famous in Roman times. Apparently many in Sardis converted to Christianity, but only few remained faithful. Most were, and would be, asleep (compare 1 Thessalonians 5:2).

Christ says in Revelation 3:4 that Sardis had “a few” which had not defiled their garments. Strauss writes, on page 74: “The sad contrast between the ‘many’ and the ‘few’ marks the twofold division of the human race. All men travel on one or the other of these two roads. Those who travel with the crowd and stand for nothing might find a certain feeling of security in doing what the majority do. But it is a false security. The fact that so many persons are doing the same thing does not make it right.”

Historically, the Sardis era began in 1664 when Stephen Mumford was sent by the Church of God in England to Newport, Rhode Island, to establish the mother church of the Church of God in the United States. In about 1860, the Church of God separated from the Adventist movement. Commencing in 1890, Spanish speaking congregations in Chile and Argentina began to keep God’s annual Holy Days.

(6) Message to Philadelphia (compare Revelation 3:7-13)

Philadelphia was a small town. The brethren had “little strength” (Revelation 3:8); they were humble and content in the midst of a corrupt society. This is the only Church with which Jesus does not find any fault. Christ, who has the key of David (Revelation 3:7; compare Isaiah 22: 20-22), promised them to keep them from persecution (Revelation 3:10), and to give them an open door (Revelation 3:8; compare 1 Corinthians 16:9).

Christ said to the church at Philadelphia (Revelation 3:8) that He knew their works, and He approved of them. Strauss explains correctly on page 91 that we “are saved by faith and not by works, but we are saved to work, and for our works we shall be rewarded (Ephesians 2:8-10).”

The Philadelphia ERA began in 1933 with Herbert W. Armstrong’s ministry which would increase in strength and power to become a worldwide work, well recognized by kings, presidents, heads of governments, and influential personalities in the fields of humanity, science and art. At the time of his death in 1986, Mr. Armstrong wondered in a prayer in the presence of the Advisory Counsel of Elders whether he was passing the baton to the Laodicea era. Subsequent events have answered this question in the affirmative.

(7) Message to Laodicea (compare Revelation 3:14-22)

Laodicea was a very prosperous city near Colossae. Christ alluded to this prosperity (compare Revelation 3:17), also by referring to fine wool and eye-salve, two of the town’s products (Revelation 3:18). The city was a banking center as well, and its water supply was channeled from hot springs some distance away, reaching the town “luke-warm” (Revelation 3:16).

Christ said in Revelation 3:15-16 that He wished the Laodiceans were either cold or hot, but that He will spew them out of His mouth, because they were lukewarm. Strauss explains, on pages 97 and 98: “This the Lord is saying to those at Laodicea that if, instead of being lukewarm, they were so cold as to feel the bitterness and severity of that coldness, they would flee to the true warmth of refuge. If we are really cold, and admit to the fact, our confession will lead to the removal of our sin… The Greek word for ‘hot’ … means ‘boiling hot’… the members in the church at Laodicea were not boiling hot; they were not ardent Christians. They had no enthusiasm, no emotion, no zeal, no urgency. It is possible to have a large measure of doctrinal correctness without the fire of spiritual fervor and affection…”

While all the other messages were directed to the angel [either a spirit being or a human church leader] of a particular city, this message is directed to the angel of the “Laodiceans,” [not Laodicea!], showing perhaps the “individuality” of the people. Halley (pp. 707-708) remarks, “Strange picture. A Church of Christ, with Christ Himself on the outside, asking to be let in to one of His own churches.” Eerdman’s Handbook to the Bible concurs, stating on p. 650, “The worst case of all seven is a church so self-satisfied as to be totally blind to its true condition. It is so far from what it should be that Jesus stands outside, knocking for admittance to the lives of individuals who call themselves Christians.”

The message to the Laodiceans should serve as a strong warning for us today who are living in the “Laodicea era.” Rather than keeping the doors of our hearts closed, denying entrance to Christ who stands outside knocking, refusing to follow Him and DO what He says, we should obey His command and embrace His promise to His true followers, as recorded in John 14:23: “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”

History reveals, as does God’s infallible Word, that Jesus did indeed build His Church (compare Matthew 16:18); that commencing with the Day of Pentecost, as recorded in Acts 2, God separated individuals whom He called and to whom He gave His Holy Spirit; that throughout some two thousand years of subsequent history, the Church of God has existed–even though its identity has been often overshadowed by false churches; and that even now, in a time when Satan has caused a scattering of God’s people, Jesus Christ still works and rules as the living Head of the Church of God.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

A new StandingWatch program (#152) was posted on StandingWatch, Google Video and You Tube. It is titled, “No–You Are NOT Born Again!” In the program, Norbert Link points out that many well-meaning Christians are convinced that they are born again. But none of them are–if you believe the words of Jesus Christ. He told Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews, in the book of John, chapter 3, that in order to be born again–in order to be able to see and enter the Kingdom of God–you must BE Spirit. But no Christian alive today IS a Spirit being; therefore, he could NOT have been born again! Why then is there so much confusion about the born-again concept?

The following video recording of Norbert Link’s recent sermon was posted on Google Video:

Bible Study — Do You Know the Year of Christ’s Return?