On July 7, 2007, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “The New Testament.”

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.

How strongly are we committed to the truth and God’s way of life?  We may sometimes have that feeling of quitting, having doubt or a lack of faith, and that kind of thinking could even bring us to the point of giving up.  We have to be careful that we don’t think that way. 

In the 13th chapter of Matthew, Christ talks about the parable of the sower.  In verse 19 He states, “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.”

We must be diligent in understanding the truth, and we do that by studying God’s Word and asking God for His wisdom and understanding.  Satan the devil is very eager to draw us away from God’s truth, and He loves it when we stumble. 

Instead, we are to be joyful when we hear God’s Word (verse 20).  The key is that we remain joyful and enthusiastic about God’s way of life, lest we drift away, due to various trials in our lives.  Verse 21 states, “… yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while.  For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.” 

Christ also describes a category of people who do know the truth but are still attached to the world in some way:  “Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful” (verse 22).  We cannot serve God and mammon  (Matthew 6:24).  Being caught up in the world is a huge distraction from God’s way of life, and therefore, it is impossible to bear fruit.  In verse 23 Christ states: “But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

We must also come to the realization that we, as converted Christians, were predestined to be called, and we were chosen for this life, to know God’s truth and His law.  God has called us out of this world to a potential better life that is to come in the near future.  With this understanding that we have, we must act on it, and we will be blessed far more than we can ever imagine.

Prepare for Terrorism!

Der Spiegel Online wrote on July 2:

“As British police step up the hunt for terror suspects after thwarted bomb attacks in London and Glasgow, German commentators assess the risks for all of Europe, debate how much civil liberties should be curtailed and give their verdict on Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s difficult first few days in office… Interior Minister Jacqui Smith, only days into her new job, warned of the ‘serious and sustained threat of terrorism,’ and Prime Minister Gordon Brown said that the threat would be ‘long-term and sustained’ but insisted that the country would not be cowed by the terror plot. ‘We will not yield, we will not be intimidated, and we will not allow anyone to undermine our British way of life,’ he said in a televised interview on Sunday. He added that he believed the attacks were linked with al-Qaida in some way…

“The Financial Times Deutschland writes:

“‘The attackers have succeeded in one thing: They have shocked the West, with the fact that the exact same barbaric methods that the al-Qaida network has employed in Iraq and Afghanistan, have now been exported to Great Britain and most likely elsewhere. Still, the thwarted attacks in Great Britain are not enough of a reason to give German security officials even more powers. Despite the British secret service’s much greater powers, they were still clueless about the plans for the attacks…’

“The conservative Die Welt writes:

“‘In the long run we can’t avoid (terror). Ducking down will be of little use. It would be wise to be mentally prepared for the moment of truth. And with a hint of the almost heroic calm with which the citizens of Britain react to the string of threats…

“The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes:

“‘It would be a dangerous mistake to see the attempted attacks as an exclusively British concern… German security officials recently publicized a warning, and some people accused them of alarmism and spreading panic. This charge is unjustified and foolish. It undermines the vigilance that free societies need to muster in the face of these kinds of threats. Gordon Brown has already given the most important answer: We will not allow ourselves be intimidated. We — that is not just the English, Scots and Welsh, but Europeans and all those who feel they belong to the “West.” Because that is the target of this murderous Islamism. Placation and contrite self criticism, for example because of an allegedly incorrect foreign policy, will not stop them'”…

“The financial daily Handelsblatt writes:

“‘It’s not just the British, but all of us in Europe, who have to learn to live with this threat. And there are two challenges facing us. One has to do with the question of how our legal systems should be adjusted… The second challenge is easier: to go on living our lives in the usual way. In London people were back in the discos on Friday night. In Glasgow people dragged their suitcases to the planes and flew off on their holidays. There is no other way. That is how we show the extremists just how futile their blood thirst is.'”

The Bible warns all of us that “perilous times” will come (2 Timothy 3:1), and that “The sword shall destroy outside [while there] shall be terror within” (Deuteronomy 32:25). But we also have the promise that God will protect us from the terror by night (Psalm 91:5), when we make God our refuge (verse 9). See the inspiring message on this subject in the section on “Prayer Updates and Requests.”

Interesting Assessment

The UK’s Daily Telegraph wrote on July 1:

“The floods that have devastated swathes of the country are God’s judgment on the immorality and greed of modern society, according to senior Church of England bishops. One diocesan bishop has even claimed that laws that have undermined marriage, including the introduction of pro-gay legislation, have provoked God to act by sending the storms that have left thousands of people homeless.

“While those who have been affected by the storms are innocent victims, the bishops argue controversially that the flooding is a result of Western civilisation’s decision to ignore biblical teaching.

“… Graham Dow, Bishop of Carlisle… who is a leading evangelical, said that people should heed the stories of the Bible, which described the downfall of the Roman empire as a result of its immorality. ‘We are in serious moral trouble because every type of lifestyle is now regarded as legitimate,’ he said.

“‘In the Bible, institutional power is referred to as “the beast”, which sets itself up to control people and their morals. Our government has been playing the role of God in saying that people are free to act as they want,’ he said, adding that the introduction of recent pro-gay laws highlighted its determination to undermine marriage… He urged people to respond to the latest floods by turning away from a lifestyle of greed to instead live thinking of the consequences of their actions…

“‘People no longer see natural disasters as an act of God,’ said… James Jones [Bishop of Liverpool]. ‘However, we are now reaping what we have sown…’

“… The Bishops’ warnings came as flood-hit communities were being warned to brace themselves for more torrential rain…”
 
Especially the American and British people are warned by God not to forsake His way. God prophesied that if they disobeyed Him in these end times, many curses would befall them (compare Leviticus 26:14-39; Deuteronomy 28:15-68). For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.” In order to find out HOW we are to please God and obey Him, please read our free booklet, “And Lawlessness Will Abound…“

President Bush’s Continuing Downfall

When one thinks, it could not get much worse for President Bush’s approval rate inside and outside the USA… well, it can. Bush’s comments after his recent meeting with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and his saving Libby from prison have not helped to improve his reputation one iota. What is worse, it has not helped to bring back a positive American prestige around the world. Please note the next two articles in this issue.

Bush’s Controversial Praise for Putin

The Associated Press reported on July 3:

“After hearing scathing criticism of the U.S. and its foreign policy from his Russian counterpart for months, President Bush praised President Vladimir Putin for his truthfulness and frankness… Bush’s support for Putin drew puzzlement from Russia scholars, who say the Russian president is being rewarded for behavior that the West should be discouraging.

“‘Here’s the thing, when you’re dealing with a world leader, you wonder whether or not he’s telling the truth,’ Bush told reporters Monday. ‘I’ve never had to worry about that with Vladimir Putin. Sometimes he says things I don’t want to hear, but I know he’s always telling me the truth.’

“Later, Putin seemed to equate Russia’s record on human rights and press freedom — both widely criticized — with that of the United States… Bush did not react to the evident comparison…

“Michael McFaul, an expert on Russia at Stanford University, said he welcomes talks between the two leaders, but is puzzled by how easily the White House forgave and forgot Putin’s harsh rhetoric. ‘He says all this, and for that he gets invited to a special event,’ McFaul said. ‘It’s better that they’re cooperating than when Putin threatens the United States as if we were Nazi Germany. But suddenly we’re buddies riding in the boat … I don’t get it.’

“Speaking of Putin’s comparison between Russia’s political system and that of the U.S., McFaul, an expert in how democratic societies develop, said that Putin ‘has probably rolled back democracy further than any other world leader during Bush’s presidency.’

“Sarah Mendelson, a Russia scholar with the Center for Strategic and International Relations in Washington, said she, too, was surprised by Bush’s comments that he found Putin to be honest and forthright. ‘The last thing I would expect to hear anyone say about the Putin administration is, truth, trust, comfort,’ said Mendelson…

“Western experts have criticized the Kremlin for establishing control of most of Russia’s major television stations, which now rarely air critical voices. Mendelson said the Kremlin has failed to investigate the suspicious deaths of journalists.”

President Bush’s praise for Vladimir Putin is indeed hard to understand. Putin has shown himself to be a ruthless and uncompromising advocate of totalitarian supremacy of the Russian government, brutally suppressing any opposition, with the obvious attempt to enlarge Russian hegemony over former “Soviet satellite states.”

Bush Commutes Libby’s Jail Term

AFP reported on July 3:

“US President George W. Bush commuted a 30 month jail term imposed on a former top White House aide for lying to federal investigators, sparking outrage from opposition Democrats…

“Libby, who was a trusted aide to Vice President Dick Cheney, still faces a 250,000 dollar fine and a two-year probation after being convicted in March of perjury and obstructing justice. Libby was found guilty of lying to federal investigators in a case probing whether White House officials had leaked the name of undercover CIA officer Valerie Plame. It was alleged that Plame’s cover as a CIA agent was deliberately leaked to the media and blown in July 2003 to avenge criticism of the war by her husband, ex-diplomat Joseph Wilson, after the invasion.

“Libby, 56, was found guilty of lying about conversations he had with reporters about Plame, but not of actually leaking her name. Bush’s decision came after a US judge ordered on June 14 that Libby had to go to jail… The move provoked a slew of reactions along political lines…

“Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, who brought the Libby case, disputed Bush’s view that the sentence was ‘excessive,’ stressing that Libby ‘remains convicted by a jury of serious felonies, and we will continue to seek to preserve those convictions through the appeals process.’ …

“Wilson, who angered the White House 2003 by publicly disputing the administration’s claim that Saddam Hussein had sought to buy uranium from Niger to build nuclear weapons, said Bush had ‘subverted’ US justice. ‘By commuting the sentence I think the president raises the real suspicion that he’s party to the obstruction of justice or the cover up of the original crime,’ Wilson told CNN television. Wilson, who with his wife is suing Libby and other administration officials for exposing his wife’s identity, effectively ending her career, said he still believes Vice President Cheney was behind her outing.”

According to US press releases and comments on American TV, Bush might have acted in the way he did, as he had nothing to lose. It was stated that his approval rate of the American people was so bad–without any real hope for improvement–that he might as well have done what he wanted to do. A televised press conference with Bush’s spokesman Tony Snow on Tuesday morning did not help much to calm the waves. Repeatedly confronted and pressed by outspoken journalists, Snow did little to “explain” the President’s decision, except to say that he had the power to do so. He even left open the possibility that Libby might be completely pardoned in the future–even though, according to a recent poll, about 70 percent of the American people are opposed to a full pardon.

After the recent circus surrounding Paris Hilton’s jail term, the impression–especially outside the USA–is being given more and more that there ARE different standards for special people in the American legal system. None of this will help to regain American prestige in the world.

The Price to Pay for Afghanistan and Iraq

On July 3, 2007, thefirstpost.co.uk stated the following:

“The US is considering introducing a limited military draft if it is to keep its present force levels in Iraq and Afghanistan, Pentagon advisers have warned British colleagues. Next month, US forces in Iraq will peak at around 170,000, and GIs in the new units are being told they could be on operations for at least 15 months.

“Over Memorial Day weekend, Americans have been faced by the grim statistic that in the year since the last Memorial Day, very nearly 1,000 US military have been killed in Iraq, and many more wounded. These are the worst casualty rates since the coalition invaded Iraq in March 2003…

“To mix a metaphor, both the Americans and the British seem caught in a drifting impasse now in Iraq. They cannot go forward, nor suddenly pull out, for fear of triggering a major regional war – for which all the combustible ingredients are in place. Both London and Washington face the issue of forces and equipment reaching exhaustion point by this time next year…

“The question for Britain now is whether Gordon Brown will follow the messianic policy laid down by Tony Blair, or cut loose… The question is more than intriguing. It could be vital, and a lifesaver for our forces.”

The real crux of the issue is, are our wars pleasing to God? Should we try to better the world through the means of war? The answer might surprise you. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Should You Fight in War?”

Axis of Unity Against the USA

Reuters reported on July 2:

“The presidents of Iran and Venezuela launched construction of a joint petrochemical plant [in Iran] on Monday, strengthening an ‘axis of unity’ between two oil-rich nations staunchly opposed to the United States…

“Chavez, who last week pushed two U.S. oil giants [Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips] out of his country as part of his self-styled socialist revolution, said: ‘This is the unity of the Persian Gulf and the Caribbean Sea.’ Iranian officials said a second methanol plant would be set up in Venezuela… That would help Iran to access the Latin American market, while Venezuela would get closer to buyers in India and Pakistan.”

U.S. Dollar Weakest Since 26 Years

The Associated Press reported on July 2:

“The dollar fell to a 26-year low against the British pound Monday ahead of an expected rate hike by the Bank of England later this week. The pound rose to $2.0173 — its highest level versus the dollar since June 1981 — in New York trading before retreating to $2.0165. The dollar also dropped to within a cent of its all-time low versus the euro, as rising global interest rates made the currency less attractive to investors. The 13-nation euro rose to $1.3637, just shy of its April 27 all-time high of $1.3682, before dipping back to $1.3623…
 
“The dollar has been especially weak for so many months, it’s difficult to put a finger on a single catalyst for Monday’s losses, said David Solin, a partner at Foreign Exchange Analytics in Essex, Conn… The euro climbed after German industry group VDMA reported that new orders for the country’s machinery industry rose by 18 percent in May from a year earlier. Germany is the euro zone’s largest economy… The dollar slipped against the yen… In other trading, the dollar bought 1.0562 Canadian dollars, down from 1.0626, and 1.2103 Swiss francs, dropping from 1.2219.”

The Tom Cruise Circus — Ongoing Persecution in Germany…

 Der Spiegel Online reported on July 3:

“You might think the city [of Berlin] would be delighted that a Hollywood superstar wanted to make a film about the German resistance, but not, it seems, if that star is Tom Cruise, a well-known Scientologist. Cruise is to star as Claus von Stauffenberg, who planned an assassination attempt on Hitler in 1944 and was executed after the plot failed. The film, ‘Valkyrie,’ is to start shooting soon, but things are not going according to plan for the star.

“The latest setback for the toothsome heartthrob is the refusal of the Berlin Police Department to allow him to shoot at one of their properties in the city. The police had ‘intensively examined the application and have come to the conclusion that the adverse effects for the services that operate on the premises would be so serious that we cannot approve the application…’

“This is the second key location to have denied the star. Cruise has already been refused permission to shoot at the Bendlerblock, a government building in central Berlin, where Stauffenberg hatched the July 20 plot and where he and several others were executed after it failed. At first the Berlin studio shooting the film dismissed earlier comments by the German Defence Ministry that it could not shoot at the location, saying it had the necessary permit. But the Finance Ministry has the final word and on Monday it confirmed that it was ‘no.'”

In an unbelievable attempt to gloss over the true reasons for the denial (that is, that Tom Cruise is a member of Scientology–a fact which has been widely reported in the German press), the magazine quoted Ministry spokesman Stefan Olbermann as insisting “‘that the decision had nothing to do with Scientology. He explained to Reuters that another film had been shot at the Bendlerblock, which is also a memorial site, and that experience had led the ministry to bar all film shoots on the site.”

However, to get the record straight, the magazine was anxious to point out:

“There is nevertheless a clear distrust of Cruise’s religious beliefs in Germany. While Scientology is accepted as a religion in the United States, in Germany it is seen as a money-making cult which puts pressure on defectors and is involved in dubious real estate deals.”

Germany’s somewhat paranoid conduct has resulted in a storm of angry criticism from abroad and within Germany itself. The magazine explained:

“The American press has reacted harshly to… Germany’s frosty welcome for one of their own. ‘We say, what better way to recall the Nazi era than by denying a man work due to his beliefs,’ commented the Philadelphia Daily News. And there has been some criticism from closer to home too. Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, the German director of the Oscar-winning film ‘The Lives of Others,’ criticized the ‘circus’ surrounding the filming permits in Berlin.

“‘Just as Stauffenberg and his accomplices were still regarded as un-German traitors of the fatherland after the war, so today the biggest star of the victorious nation is not good enough to play our hero Stauffenberg if the star’s personal beliefs don’t match the current mood in Germany,’ he writes in Tuesday’s edition of the newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. And he sees the film as a big opportunity for Germany itself, writing that Cruise playing Stauffenberg ‘would do more to improve Germany’s image than 10 soccer World Cups.'”

“Things Are Very Bad in Europe”

The Catholic News Agency (CNA) wrote on June 28:

“The president of the International Federation of Catholic Medical Associations, Dr. Jose Maria Simon, said this week med students can obtain gynecology degrees without having to perform abortions in four countries in Europe—Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece.
 
“… Simon told Europa Press that in Spain, ‘although it is difficult, it is still possible to find a place that accepts residents who don’t practice abortions.’  That is not the case in France, Switzerland, Germany or Austria, where the ‘normal’ thing is for students to be required to practice abortions.  ‘Things are very bad in Europe,’ he insisted.

“On the other hand… ‘Pregnant women in Spain receive practically no financial help.  If a pregnant immigrant who is alone shows up at a clinic she gets asked practically nothing and she is given a pass to have an abortion.  This happens and happens often,’ Simon said. [He] noted that there are more and more women who want to be seen by a doctor who follows the Magisterium of the [Catholic] Church… He pointed to a study that shows that in the United States, there are 10 times more women who would go to such a gynecologist but who can’t because they are hard to find.”

Incredible European Attack on God and the Bible

On June 8, 2007, The Committee on Culture, Science and Education of the Council of Europe filed a report, which had been drafted on May 31, 2007, in support of a proposed European law defending the evolution theory and attacking anything and everybody who dares to question that theory. The report includes incredibly hostile and accusatory language somewhat reminiscent of witchcraft trials in the Middle Ages. Please note the following excerpts, taken from the report, as published on www.assembly.coe.int.

The “summary” at the beginning of the report states the following:

“The theory of evolution is being attacked by religious fundamentalists who call for creationist theories to be taught in European schools alongside or even in place of it. From a scientific view point there is absolutely no doubt that evolution is a central theory for our understanding of the Universe and of life on Earth… The Assembly calls on education authorities in member States to promote scientific knowledge and the teaching of evolution and to oppose firmly any attempts at teaching creationism as a scientific discipline.”

Additional intolerant and ignorant statements can be found in the main text of the report, named, “draft resolution,” as follows:

“The Parliamentary Assembly is worried about the possible ill-effects of the spread of creationist theories within our education systems and about the consequences for our democracies. If we are not careful, creationism could become a threat to human rights, which are a key concern of the Council of Europe… The prime target of present-day creationists, most of whom are Christian or Muslim, is education…  The theory of evolution has nothing to do with divine revelation but is built on facts… The war on the theory of evolution and on its proponents most often originates in forms of religious extremism which are closely allied to extreme right-wing political movements. The creationist movements possess real political power… the advocates of strict creationism are out to replace democracy by theocracy… If we are not careful, the values that are the very essence of the Council of Europe will be under direct threat from creationist fundamentalists. It is part of the role of the Council’s parliamentarians to react before it is too late.”

Finally, the conclusions and admissions of the report are truly breathtaking–showing THE DEGREE OF FOOLISHNESS IN THE EYES OF GOD, and HOW FAR this sophisticated God-denying and God-defying world has strayed from true Biblical knowledge:

“… the denial of evolution is particularly harmful to children’s education… The creationists are in fact supporters of a radical return to the past, which could prove particularly harmful in the long term for all our societies… evolution pervades all medical research… the ‘scientific’ approach adopted by the creationists to put forward and support their ideas is itself a particularly dangerous instrument of mental manipulation… The truth and scientific nature of evolution remain irrefutable today… The theory of evolution constitutes a body of fundamental knowledge for the future of our democracies and cannot be arbitrarily challenged… It is important to point out that the theory of evolution has had a profound effect on science in general, philosophy, religion and many other aspects of human society (for example, agriculture).

“Evolution has also entered the field of psychology: evolutionist psychology is a field of psychology that aims to explain the mechanisms of human thought on the basis of the theory of biological evolution. It is based on the fundamental hypothesis that the brain, like all the other organs, is the result of evolution and thus constitutes an adaptation to specific environmental constraints, to which the ancestors of the Hominidae were forced to respond… There can be no doubt that [creationism] is a serious attack on human rights…  The teaching of evolution by natural selection as a fundamental scientific theory is therefore crucial to the future of our societies and our democracies…”

In spite of these repeated unspecified and generalized “assertions” in support of evolution, the SCIENTIFIC TRUTH is that the theory of evolution has NOT been proven scientifically; that is CANNOT be proven scientifically, as it is FUNDAMENTALLY flawed, and that RENOWN SCIENTISTS concur that the theory of evolution is NOT scientifically provable or even scientifically accurate. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Theory of Evolution–A Fairy Tale for Adults.” In addition, insofar as ongoing religious persecution in Europe is concerned, which we can expect to continue and grow worse, please read our free booklets, “Europe in Prophecy” and “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”

Saltwater As Clean Fuel?

On June 1, wkyc-tv.com reported the following:

“Retired TV station owner and broadcast engineer, John Kanzius, wasn’t looking for an answer to the energy crisis. He was looking for a cure for cancer. Four years ago, inspiration struck in the middle of the night. Kanzius decided to try using radio waves to kill the cancer cells… Here are the basics of John’s idea:

“Radio-waves will heat certain metals. Tiny bits of certain metal are injected into a cancer patient. Those nano-particles are attracted to the abnormalities of the cancer cells and ignore the healthy cells. The patient is then exposed to radio waves and only the bad cells heat up and die.

“But John also came across yet another extraordinary breakthrough. His machine could actually make saltwater burn. [He] discovered that his radio frequency generator could release the oxygen and hydrogen from saltwater and create an incredibly intense flame… The APV Company Laboratory in Akron has checked out John’s amazing invention. They were amazed. ‘That could be a steam engine, a steam turbine. That could be a car engine if you wanted it to be.’

“Imagine the possibilities. Saltwater as the ultimate clean fuel. A happy byproduct of one man searching for the cure for cancer.”

The Scriptural passage in question is found in 2 Peter 3:17-18, which reads:

“… beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Grace has been commonly understood as unmerited pardon–especially in connection with the forgiveness of sin. God forgives us our sins, not because we deserve to be forgiven, but because of Christ’s sacrifice. However, the Greek word for “grace” conveys a much broader concept than just the “unmerited pardoning of sins.”

Notice, in this context, Paul’s warning in Romans 6:1-2, 15: “What shall we say then? Shall we continue to sin that grace may abound? Certainly not… What then? Shall we sin because we are… under grace? Certainly not!”

We are not to “grow” in grace, by sinning, so that we can receive more and more forgiveness or unmerited pardon. Just the opposite is true. 1 Peter 4:1 tells us: “Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.”

What, then, is meant with the statement: “Grow in the grace… of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”?

The commentary of Jamieson, Fausset and Brown emphasizes that we are to “GROW” in His grace, stating, “Not only do not ‘fall from’ [verse 17], but grow onward: the true secret of not going backward. Eph. 4:15, ‘Grow up into Him, the Head, Christ.'”

The Greek word for “grace,” “charis,” is defined by Strong’s Concordance of the Bible (G 5485) as, “acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace (-ious), joy, liberality, pleasure, thank (-s, -worthy).”

According to Young’s Concordance to the Bible, the Greek word “charis” can also have the meaning of “graciousness,” and points out that the Authorized Version translates the Greek word “charis” also as “grace,” “benefit,” “favor,” liberality,” “pleasure,” and “thanks.” The Greek word “charisma” is derived from the word, “charis,” and means, “gift.”

As we have seen, one important definition of “charis,” or “grace,” then, is “favor.” We are to grow in the favor of God, by continually overcoming our own selves, the world and Satan. Even Jesus, when He was here on earth, increased or grew in favor — or grace — with God and men (compare Luke 2:52).

In addition, we read that Mary found “favor” or “grace” in the eyes of God (Luke 1:30; compare Luke 1:28); and so did David (Acts 7:45-46). We are told that the early apostles and disciples had “favor” or “grace” with all the people (Acts 2:47). Likewise, Joseph received “favor” or “grace” and “wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh” (Acts 7:10).

Barnes explains that “religion in general is often represented as ‘grace,’ since every part of it is the result of grace, or of unmerited favor; and to ‘grow in grace’ is to increase in that which constitutes true religion.”

Gill states that the meaning of growing in grace is growing in “the gifts of grace, which, under a divine blessing, may be increased by using them: gifts neglected decrease, but stirred up and used, are improved and increase.”

This explanation has merit, considering that it is through grace (“charis”), that gifts (“charisma”) are bestowed on us.

Clarke explains the passage, “to grow in the grace… of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” as follows:

“Increase in the image and favor of God; every grace and Divine influence which ye have received is a seed, a heavenly seed, which, if it be watered with the dew of heaven from above, will endlessly increase and multiply itself. He who continues to believe, love, and OBEY, will grow in grace, and continually increase in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, as his sacrifice, sanctifier, counsellor, preserver, and final Savior. The life of a Christian is a growth; he is at first [begotten] of God, and is a little child; becomes a young man, and a father in Christ. Every father was once an infant; and had he not grown, he would have never been a man. Those who content themselves with the grace they received when converted to God, are, at best, in a continual state of infancy: but we find, in the order of nature, that the infant that does not grow, and grow daily, too, is sickly and soon dies; so, in the order of grace, those who do not grow up into Jesus Christ are sickly, and will soon die, die to all sense and influence of heavenly things. There are many who boast of the grace of their conversion; persons who were never more than babes, and have long since lost even that grace, because they did not grow in it. Let him that readeth understand.”

Similar statements are made by William Barclay, in his commentary on 2 Peter. He writes:

“The Christian is a man with a developing life… The Christian must daily experience the wonder of grace, and daily grow in the gifts which grace can bring.”

A good explanation of the passage can also be found in the “Life Application Bible”:

“Peter concludes this brief letter as he began, by urging his readers to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ–to get to know him better and better. This is the most important step in refuting false teachers. No matter where we are in our spiritual journey, no matter how mature we are in our faith, the sinful world always will challenge our faith. We still have much room for growth. If every day we find some way to draw closer to Christ, we will be prepared to stand for truth in any and all circumstances.”

Only if we grow in the grace of Jesus, can we properly handle the knowledge that He imparts to us. That is why we must receive and grow in both His grace and His knowledge. We are to grow in graciousness and kindness, as well as in favor with God, and we must grow in the knowledge of Who He really is, what His character is like, and how He lives. Christ is described as the “only begotten of the Father, FULL of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

But we also read that we can share in His grace (John 1:16-17)–we can all become more gracious and loving persons, willing to sacrifice our time, effort or money for the benefit and well-being of others. As James explains: “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27; compare 2 Peter 3:11, 14).

We ARE to grow in the GRACE of Jesus Christ–in His FAVOR toward us, due to an obedient lifestyle which is pleasing to Him–as well as in the acquisition of His GRACIOUSNESS; of His willingness to bestow GIFTS on others; and of Christ’s desire–which is to become our desire–to help others in need. But we also need to grow in His KNOWLEDGE so that we can know how to live a Christian life of giving and sharing, and how and when to bestow gracious favors and gifts on others.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Last week, Norbert Link video-recorded a sermon to be played at the Feast sites in the UK and the USA. It is intended to make the sermon available, on DVD, to interested scattered brethren around the world.

A new member letter has been written. In the letter, Norbert Link shows what GOD has done within and through the Church of the Eternal God during its six years of corporate existence, in collaboration with its affiliates in the UK and Canada, and encourages all of us to continue to go forward together to fulfill the great commission that God has given us.

We sent out the following announcement regarding our StandingWatch program #127:

Europe is MAD with Poland and Britain

Europe has agreed on a new treaty, resurrecting in substance its  former proposed Constitution, but only after much disagreement and hostilities. The main offenders of European unity were viewed as Poland and Britain, while the British people are upset with Tony Blair’s perceived surrender of British sovereignty to Brussels. How WILL Europe ultimately unite, and will this be good or bad news for the world?

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by Aaron Hooper (22)

As Americans, we find ourselves in such a busy world that we never see the same face twice. As a result of our high-paced, technologically advanced society, most people have lost their sense of community and compassion. This is a world where one must be cautious of being helped by a complete stranger because it is impossible to know what their motives are.

Such was the case when I helped a middle-aged woman to the gas station to fix her flat tire. She asked, “Why are you helping me?” I had not known her prior to the encounter and she could not figure out why I was so willing to help her. I explained to her that I was simply doing what I thought was right. Unfortunately, she had sustained terrible injuries as a result of domestic abuse. It was even difficult for her to walk. She had since left that person, but her outlook on people in general had forever changed.

The people of this world are subject to the many horrors that man has conceived. As a result, no one is to be trusted and the sense of community and compassion for the fellow person is all but gone.

In God’s Church, we are very fortunate to enjoy the sense of community, compassion and belonging that our society is lacking. We are very blessed in this way as not every one is so fortunate. We are also very grateful in looking forward because of the awesome Kingdom that God will establish. A loving, compassionate community in which everyone can participate and belong. A place where the rest of the world will be able to learn what God’s way of life is all about.

On June 30, 2007, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “What the Sacrifices Teach You.”

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

In the first book of Samuel, the epic story of two kings is told. God carefully chose both of these men to rule over His people.

Saul was the first king, and his credentials for office were very impressive, as we find in 1 Samuel 9:1-2:

“There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish… a Benjamite, a mighty man of power. And he had a choice and handsome son whose name was Saul. There was not a more handsome person than he among the children of Israel. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.”

At the beginning, Saul was humble and obedient to God, but the rest of Saul’s story is one of haughty disobedience and self-will. David was chosen to replace him.

Samuel was sent to the family of Jesse to anoint a new king from among his sons. God instructed Samuel: “…‘Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him [speaking of Eliab]. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart’” (1 Samuel 16:7).

David was the last of the sons of Jesse to be presented to Samuel, and even of David, we find this description: “…Now he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance” (1 Samuel 16:12, NASB). Other accounts speak of David’s musical ability, his leadership and his ability as a warrior, but these attributes and skills were not the most important in God’s view. Rather, we read God’s testimony about David, as follows:

“…‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will’” (Acts 13:22). David’s obedience to God was his most important quality.

Likewise, we see that Samuel was a faithful and obedient priest—he replaced the disobedient house of Eli. God spoke this of Samuel: “‘Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in My mind. I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed forever’” (1 Samuel 2:35).

After giving His commandments to Israel, God appeals longingly to His people:

“‘Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!’” (Deuteronomy 5:29).

That appeal from God has stood in every generation, and it is now our own challenge! Is God looking upon us, because we have a poor and contrite spirit and tremble at His word? (Compare Isaiah 66:2). Is God finding in us “such a heart”?

Reactions to European Summit

European Unification Unstoppable? 

Der Spiegel Online wrote on June 23:

“Europe can breathe a sigh of relief after a marathon night of negotiations ended in a deal. After German Chancellor Angela Merkel raised the stakes by threatening to go ahead without Poland, Warsaw was finally placated with a number of concessions and all 27 countries agreed to move forward with a new draft treaty to replace the defunct constitution… EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said the deal was vital: ‘I think now we have made a great step forward.’ He praised Merkel for a success that many had thought impossible, and presenting her with a bunch of flowers, thanked her for all she had done for Europe… British Prime Minister Tony Blair said ‘I don’t think there is anything that can derail the process now.’…

“The agreement is crucial for the EU… Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel had been determined to revive the plans to streamline the EU when Berlin took over the presidency in January… And she finally succeeded. The member states have agreed to an intergovernmental conference which will give the deal a legal framework. The treaty will then be ratified by the member states and should come into force by 2009…”

… But Many Serious Problems Remain for Europe…

Der Spiegel Online wrote on June 23:

“All of Europe’s internal divisions were revealed at the Brussels summit. Once again, selfish national interests were promoted with tricks, threats and embarrassing haggling. Nevertheless, the result is a step forward for the European Union.

“Of course, in the end there were only winners. Angela Merkel, Germany’s new superwoman, chancellor in Berlin and, as a side-line, Europe’s savior, summed up. She said, ‘everything that we wanted was achieved.’ France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy announced that it was ‘very good news for Europe and for France: Things have been taken care of.’ Of course he had played a big part in it. As had British Prime Minister Tony Blair and many others.

“Even Poland’s President Lech Kaczynski, who had continuously threatened to torpedo the European Union summit, saw himself as a winner too. The solution that had been found for the EU Council voting system was ‘more favorable for Poland than the square root’…

“… The 27-member EU club is full of internal conflicts. A large group of members would like to work even more closely together, but there is a handful of countries which want to prevent that. And to ensure that the handful doesn’t regularly block everything, they have to be regularly compensated.

“That is exactly what happened at this meeting of the EU leaders. In reality, this summit was less about finding political compromises with partners who had different opinions and concerns. Rather it was yet another brazen attempt on the part of some to use tricks and threats to achieve the maximum for their selfish national interests. Poland and Great Britain were the main offenders, but others weren’t far behind…

“The British rejected everything that could affect their national sovereignty or that could make the island nation more continental. They don’t want the euro, or traveling on the right-hand side of the road, and, above all, not too much cooperation. The message was: We are different from you, and that is how things should stay. The main thing is that the City in London continues to make money out of Europe…

“The European foreign policy chief will be appointed in 2009, though he will be called the ‘High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy’ rather than minister out of respect for Britain. The creation of the post will give the EU a single voice in the world for the first time…

“Only the citizens will not be treated any better than before. Europe, or at least the political and bureaucratic institutions, which think of themselves as Europe, doesn’t trust its own population. So that the French and the Dutch don’t notice that the new text has much of the same substance as the old constitution, which they have already killed off in referenda, the authors of the new treaty have hidden and encoded anything controversial to such an extent that no one can read the treaty or even understand it. People just have to blindly believe…”

Europe Angry With Poland

Prior to the EU Agreement, Europe looked with anger at Poland and–to a lesser degree–Britain.

Der Spiegel Online wrote on June 22:

“When Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski chose to bring up Poland’s suffering at the hands of Nazi Germany on the eve of this week’s EU summit, most of Europe was shocked. German commentators fired back on Friday… Kaczynski told Polish radio on Tuesday that his objection to a proposed new voting formula in the European Union went back to the country’s suffering under German occupation. ‘We are merely demanding what was taken from us,’ he said. ‘If Poland had not had to live through the years of 1939-45, Poland would be today looking at the demographics of a country of 66 million.’ Poland’s current population is 38 million…

“Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said it was an unfortunate statement and a distraction. ‘It’s an absurd idea to base today’s decisions on a very tragic history,’ he said. Estonia’s Prime Minister Andrus Ansip said Europe could not continue ‘living in the past.’

“Hans-Gert Pöttering, current president of the European Parliament, and a German conservative, said he found Kaczynski’s words ‘very painful.'”

Germany’s mass tabloid, Bild Online,  minced no words. It wrote on June 22:

“Are these Poles mad? What else do we have to take from the Poles? Nobody in Europe has done more for Poland than we Germans… We paid over 6 billion euros in reparation costs after the war, and we forgave them their debt in an amount of six billion deutsch marks. Without German help, Poland might not even be a EU member… But where is their thanks?…  Especially now, as Germany is in charge of the EU Parliament, Poland forsakes Angela Merkel in her fight for a united Europe. Responsible for the hatred against Germany and Europe are the Polish twins… They only know life outside Poland from TV. In Brussels, they suffer from an inferiority complex–they feel alienated, expelled, persecuted.”

Europe’s Back to Its Old “Undemocratic Tricks”

The Wall Street Journal wrote on June 25 about the European Summit as “The Summit of All Fears.” The paper pointed out:

“Europe is back, the papers and politicians tell us, thanks to a ‘Reform Treaty’ agreed in Brussels in the wee hours of Saturday morning…

“Europe is back, all right — back to its old tricks and undemocratic sleights of hand… the stillborn Constitution has been largely transposed to the new Reform Treaty, which the EU hopes to ratify in all member states by 2009.

“A few items were excised from the rejected 2004 document, such as plans for a common anthem (Beethoven’s ‘Ode to Joy’). But others persist. The planned ‘Union Minister for Foreign Affairs’ is replaced by a ‘High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,’ as if adding a few words would make it sound less threatening to national sovereignty. The new office of EU President remains a go…

“There will be enormous pressure on all EU leaders not to allow mere citizens to muck up the plan devised in Brussels. Mr. Sarkozy himself shows no inclination to hold a repeat referendum in France. He and others on the Continent will lobby Gordon Brown, who takes over as British Prime Minister this week, to follow suit and avoid putting the treaty to voters. Bowing to Brussels, Mr. Brown has indicated that he’ll ask Parliament to ratify, not British voters.”

Britain’s Surrender of Its Powers

Britain’s mass tabloid, The Sun, wrote on June 23:

“Tony Blair last night agreed to surrender swathes of British power to the EU — in a deal to keep control of foreign policy and shop-floor laws. The PM signed away Britain’s veto in 52 areas of policy in a new Brussels treaty in his last act as Premier. There will be NO referendum for voters. But Mr Blair claimed VICTORY as he safeguarded control over just four of his ‘key’ areas.”

The EU’s “Undemocratic Ruthlessness”

Britain’s Daily Mail had this to say, on June 24, about the EU Summit and Mr. Blair’s role:

“What actually happened in last Saturday’s pre-dawn diplomatic brawl in Brussels was that Mr Blair’s red lines turned into the colour of fudge and then faded from sight altogether. The supposed safeguards he secured on the core issues of foreign policy, the Charter of Fundamental Rights, economic policy and criminal justice are simply not worth the paper they are written on. For the new treaty doesn’t just extend the EU’s powers. It turns it into a constitutional freak, a bureaucratic Frankenstein’s monster without a shred of democratic legitimacy, which will destroy what remains of our powers of self-government and make Mr Blair’s apparent ‘opt-outs’ absurdly irrelevant.

“For example, the EU is now to have its own foreign minister… What’s more, member states will be forced to support that policy ‘actively and unreservedly’ – and will be barred from launching military strikes or declaring war that might be thought to damage the EU’s standing. In other words, we would be forbidden from defending our own interests and would be forced instead to do whatever the EU collectively decides…

“Just as devastatingly, Mr Blair has surrendered Britain’s power to block a European police force and public prosecutor, and the European Court of Justice will get enhanced powers to tell us how to run our justice system and determine our immigration policy…  And even worse than all of this is the outrageous provision by which this treaty can be amended in future without the need for any further treaties. So we are not merely signing away all the powers listed in this treaty; we are also surrendering our ability to thwart any future attempt by Brussels to extend its power over us yet further in any way it might decide…

“This is the EU constitution in all but name. To describe it as an ‘amending’ treaty is demonstrably untrue. It grants the EU a single legal personality whereby it can sign treaties and international agreements in its own right. It thus brings into being a totally new global entity – a superstate – which changes the legal relationship between Britain and the EU into one to which the British people have never agreed. The way it is being pushed through, moreover, takes the undemocratic ruthlessness of the EU to new depths.”

What the EU Agreed To

Der Spiegel Online summarized on June 25, what the EU Summit agreed upon. We are setting forth the most important agreements in the light of Biblical prophecy:

“The agreement reached at the summit is to establish the framework for the EU Intergovernmental Conference which will transform Saturday’s agreement into a treaty. Later this year, EU leaders will meet once again to sign the treaty. It will take effect in 2009, in time for EU elections… The European Council (made up of heads of state or government from EU member states) is to be directed by a specially appointed president for two- and- a-half years at a time… Countries such as Great Britain can withdraw from EU resolutions on issues such as closer cooperation in the areas of justice and policing… If no agreement is reached within a period of four months, those states that so desire can take the lead — a so-called ‘two- speed’ Europe.

“… The EU foreign minister, who operates in agreement with individual governments, will be called the ‘High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,’ as requested by Britain. He is also the vice president of the European Commission…The new top diplomat will also be in charge of a new European diplomatic service.

“… For the first time, the EU treaty officially allows countries to leave the EU — something that was already possible unofficially, as shown by the case of Greenland which elected to withdraw from the European Economic Community after receiving autonomy in 1979. Countries that wish to join the EU must respect its values and commit to promoting them.

“… The Charter of Fundamental Rights is no longer part of the EU treaty. But the treaty will refer to it and will declare it as binding. An exception will be made for Britain, which has no constitution and is concerned the Charter of Fundamental Rights could effectively become a constitution imposed from outside… The EU symbols once mentioned in the European Constitution — the flag and the hymn — will not feature in the revised treaty. But they will effectively continue to exist.”

German Reactions to New EU Treaty

Der Spiegel Online reported on June 25:

“The European Union hammered out a compromise deal on a new treaty early Saturday morning in Brussels, after Poland, Britain and the Netherlands won a number of concessions. As the dust settles, many German commentators wonder if the compromise deal has left Europe even less harmonious than before…

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes:

“‘A union that needs to mobilize its last reserves, including the threat of a split, just to come to a half-way acceptable reform compromise, has a deep-seated problem… Under these circumstances, it was a respectable achievement on the part of the German EU presidency. For Europe it was a stroke of luck that Angela Merkel has a deep European conviction along with strategic skills and a remarkable courage to take risks…’

“The conservative daily Die Welt writes:

“… ‘Angela Merkel solved the almost unsolvable… But the conflict is not over. The interests of the old and new EU member states, are too different…’

“The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes:

“… ‘In Brussels the EU member states revealed, shamelessly, how much at odds with each other they are on fundamental issues and how relentlessly they pursue their own interests… In the East … there are still powerful resentments against Germany… This is particularly surprising in Poland’s case. Obviously the pro-Polish policies of German governments since (Willy) Brandt couldn’t prevent the Kaczynskis and their supporters from using labels from the Nazi era… The Brussels summit has once and for all refuted the claim that it is possible to expand and deepen the EU to the same degree’…

The Financial Times Deutschland writes:

“…’the political substance of the failed constitution has been kept — with far-reaching consequences for the EU … Germany as the most populous country, has the biggest voting weight… Europe’s fate rests on how it organizes its relationship to its immediate neighbors. That includes a lasting peace in the Balkans, [a] balanced relationship with Russia and a close link with Turkey. The EU also has to represent its interests in relation to the other powers in the world, such as the US and China. This is where the new EU foreign minister will play a central role, even if the British insist he is only to be called “high representative.”

Germany Unhappy with Poland and Britain

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 24: “The German press on Sunday slammed Poland and Britain for putting obstacles on the road to the deal reached on guidelines for a new European Union treaty at the bloc’s summit this week.

“Bild, the mass-circulation tabloid and country’s top selling newspaper, reserved its harshest criticism for neighboring Poland, calling the Kaczynski twins who hold the posts of Polish president and prime minister ‘poison dwarves.’ ‘It would have been better if this summit had failed,’ the newspaper said in an editorial, adding that the bitter dispute over Poland’s voting rights has shown that there is little hope for unity in the EU. ‘That would have prevented the creation of a Europe of two speeds and two classes. The sickening double game played by the Polish brothers Kaczynski should make it clear to any fan of Europe that this is now inevitable.’…

“‘Warsaw is on board. But the treaty should not yet be considered saved,’ Der Tagesspiegel newspaper said. It warned that the upcoming intergovernmental conference to finalize drafting the treaty and the ratification process present ‘the next obstacles.’ The Berliner Morgenpost agreed, saying that ‘disaster has been averted, for now. It is annoying to see to what extent the nationalistic, egotistical blocking tactics of Poland and Britain paid off,’ it added…

“Welt am Sonntag described the haggling that preceded the deal as ‘torture’ and said despite its eventual success the summit will be remembered mostly for Britain and Poland’s ‘egotistical’ behavior.”

Putin’s Latest Push — “The North Pole Is Ours!”

The Daily Mail reported on June 28:
 
“Russian leader Vladimir Putin has made an astonishing bid to grab a vast chunk of the Arctic, giving himself claim to its vast potential oil, gas and mineral wealth. His audacious argument that an underwater Russian ridge is linked to the North Pole is likely to lead to an international outcry. Some commentators have already observed it is further evidence of growing Russian assertiveness under its authoritarian president…
 
“A diplomatic source said that Russia was ‘seeking to secure its grip on oil and gas supplies for decades to come. Putin wants a strong Russia, and Western dependence for oil and gas supplies is a key part of his strategy. He no longer cares if his strategy upsets the West.'”

Religious Persecution in Germany and Europe

“The Brussels Journal” wrote on June 23, 2007:

“Last week, a German court sentenced a 55-year old Lutheran pastor to one year in jail for ‘Volksverhetzung’ (incitement of the people) because he compared the killing of the unborn in contemporary Germany to the holocaust. Next week, the Council of Europe is going to vote on a resolution imposing Darwinism as Europe’s official ideology. The European governments are asked to fight the expression of creationist opinions, such as young earth and intelligent design theories. According to the Council of Europe these theories are ‘undemocratic’ and ‘a threat to human rights.’

“Without legalized abortion the number of German children would increase annually by at least 150,000 – which is the number of legal abortions in birth dearth Germany. Pastor Johannes Lerle compared the killing of the unborn to the killing of the Jews in Auschwitz during the Second World War. On 14 June, a court in Erlangen ruled that, in doing so, the pastor had ‘incited the people’ because his statement was a denial of the holocaust of the Jews in Nazi-Germany. Hence, Herr Lerle was sentenced to one year in jail. Earlier, he had already spent eight months in jail for calling abortionists ‘professional killers’ – an allegation which the court ruled to be slanderous because, according to the court, the unborn are not humans.

“Other German courts convicted pro-lifers for saying that ‘in abortion clinics, life unworthy of living is being killed,’ because this terminology evoked Hitler’s euthanasia program, which used the same language. In 2005, a German pro-lifer, Günter Annen, was sentenced to 50 days in jail for saying ‘Stop unjust [rechtswidrige] abortions in [medical] practice,’ because, according to the court, the expression ‘unjust’ is understood by laymen as meaning illegal, which abortions are not.

“Volksverhetzung is a crime which the Nazis often invoked against their enemies and which contemporary Germany also uses to intimidate homeschoolers. Soon, the German authorities will be able to use the same charge against people who question Darwin’s evolution theory… According to a report of the CoE’s Parliamentary Assembly, creationists are dangerous ‘religious fundamentalists’ who propagate ‘forms of religious extremism’ and ‘could become a threat to human rights.’ The report adds that the acceptance of the science of evolutionism ‘is crucial to the future of our societies and our democracies.’

“’Creationism, born of the denial of the evolution of species through natural selection, was for a long time an almost exclusively American phenomenon,’ the report says. ‘Today creationist theories are tending to find their way into Europe and their spread is affecting quite a few Council of Europe member states. […] [T]his is liable to encourage the development of all manner of fundamentalism and extremism, synonymous with attacks of utmost virulence on human rights. The total rejection of science is definitely one of the most serious threats to human rights and civic rights. […] The war on the theory of evolution and on its proponents most often originates in forms of religious extremism which are closely allied to extreme right-wing political movements. The creationist movements possess real political power. The fact of the matter, and this has been exposed on several occasions, is that the advocates of strict creationism are out to replace democracy by theocracy. […] If we are not careful, the values that are the very essence of the Council of Europe will be under direct threat from creationist fundamentalists… While most curricula in Europe today unashamedly teach evolution as a recognised scientific theory, the same does not apply to the United States…’

“In Germany, believing abortion to be as murderous as the holocaust is a crime, and educating your own children is a crime too. In France, saying that ‘homosexual behaviour endangers the survival of humanity’ is a crime, and so is the distribution of pork soup to the poor. In Belgium, speaking out against immigration is a crime.”

… Prompting Poland to Fire Back and Anger Germans Even More

On June 27, Der Spiegel Online reported:

“In a radio interview, Poland’s prime minister issues an ominous warning about Berlin, implying that contemporary Germany is comparable to the time that saw Adolf Hitler rise to power. One day after a Polish magazine published a cover illustration showing the German Chancellor Angela Merkel breast- feeding the Kaczynski twins, Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski is again busy shouting insults at Berlin… The prime minister, however, did not elaborate on exactly what is happening in Germany…

“Germany wants to ratchet up diplomacy with Warsaw by resuming regular summit meetings between Germany, France and Poland — a proposal that came out of the EU meeting in Brussels aimed at drawing Poland deeper into the EU and also striking more conciliatory tones.

“But some observers see different motivations coming from the Kaczynskis, including the editorial writers at the Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper, who note: ‘All the prime minister cares about with his venomous and bile-filled attacks against Germany … is to help shore up his diminishing popularity in Poland.'”

No Equal Satus for Islam in Germany

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 25:

“The Central Council of Muslims in Germany (ZMD) harshly criticized the Christian churches after high-ranking German [Catholic] clergyman [and head of the German conference of bishops] Cardinal Karl Lehmann last week spoke out against Islam enjoying equal status to Christianity… Germany’s 3.2 million Muslims are not represented by a single umbrella organization, but by many smaller ones. Ronald Pofalla, general secretary of the conservative Christian Democratic Union, agreed with Lehmann that Islam should not be granted the same legal standing as Christianity. ‘Unlike Christianity, Islam is not in Europe’s cultural center and is not reflected in everyday life in the same way,’ Pofalla said in a statement.”

… And More Religious Persecution in Germany

Der Spiegel Online wrote on June 26:

“Germany’s Defense Ministry has said it will ban the Hollywood makers of a film about a plot to kill Hitler from shooting scenes at military sites in Berlin because its heartthrob star, Tom Cruise, is a Scientologist. Filming is expected to start in July on ‘Valkyrie,’ a drama about a failed plot hatched by Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg to kill Hitler using a briefcase bomb.

“Defense Ministry spokesman Harald Kammerbauer, cited by Reuters, said the filmmakers ‘will not be allowed to film at German military sites if Count Stauffenberg is played by Tom Cruise, who has publicly professed to being a member of the Scientology cult.’… According to Reuters, Cruise’s producing partner, United Artists Entertainment CEO Paula Wagner, issued a sharp rebuke, saying that the actor’s ‘personal beliefs have absolutely no bearing on the movie’s plot, themes or content.’

“… Blumenthal [the appointed so-called “cult expert” for the governing conservative Christian Democrats]… has remained undeterred in her campaign against the actor and the cult, whose beliefs are based on the science fiction writings of L. Ron Hubbard. ‘We have to present a united front against Scientology,’ she said. Blumenthal accused the organization of spreading views in the tradition of National Socialism – ‘and I find it, to say the least, odd that someone who represents this organization would be able to film at the site of a memorial to resistance against National Socialism of all places.’…

“A party spokesman for the Christian Democrats in the city of Berlin took the statement even further, telling the paper: ‘Resistance against the National Socialist dictatorship must not be abused for the PR purposes of a dangerous and totalitarian brainwashing organization like Scientology.'”

New Controversial US Travel Security Restrictions for EU Visitors

The Associated Press reported on June 25 about additional measures to be implemented soon by American airports and border patrols involving EU visitors. These measures will constitute, in the eyes of European visitors and their countries, further harassment against them by the American government. The article stated:

“Visitors from European nations traveling with visas or visa-free to the United States will soon have to give 10 digital fingerprints when entering the country, a senior U.S. Homeland Security official said Monday. Border checks could also soon include other biometric data, such as facial and eye retina scans… a pilot project at 10 major U.S. airports would be launched in late 2007, expanding the current program that calls for taking prints of two fingers and facial photographs…

“U.S. travel security restrictions have caused increased opposition in EU nations, amid demands from Brussels that Washington expand its visa-waiver program to include all 27 EU nations…

“Airports chosen for the initial pilot project include Boston Logan International, Chicago’s O’Hare, George Bush Houston Intercontinental, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, Miami International, John F. Kennedy International, Orlando International, San Francisco International and Washington Dulles International.”

Further Deterioration of German-US Relationship

Der Spiegel Online reported on June 25:

“The arrest warrants German authorities have issued against 10 CIA agents have burdened German-American relations. Now, prosecutors in Munich want the agents extradited to Germany so they can stand trial for their alleged roles in the illegal kidnapping of terror suspects… Officials in Washington have… realized that the German investigation is more than just a symbolic act…

“There is general agreement within the government in Berlin that the request should be promptly delivered to the Bush administration, which would be tantamount to an official request for the arrest of the men being sought…

“At a recent lunch in the German Embassy in Washington, Michael Hayden, the new CIA director, complained about the ‘bottomless criticism’ from Europe that the US government faces for abducting suspicious Islamists. One US diplomat calls Germany’s approach the ‘German double standard.’ On the one hand, he says, the Germans seek to benefit from information gleaned by the CIA. On the other, they are careful to keep their hands clean. According to US diplomats, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has made it clear to her German counterpart, Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, that the investigations of the agents present a serious problem.

“Even before the warrant was issued for the arrest of agent John Koenig, a representative of the US embassy in Berlin had met with German officials at the Chancellery and the Justice Ministry and lodged an official diplomatic protest…

“The German government could have put a stop to the arrest warrants in the first stage. It would simply have had to refer to Paragraph 153c of the German Code of Criminal Procedure, which states that a legal proceeding can be terminated by official decree if this is in the ‘prevailing public interest.’ But a group of senior officials meeting at the Justice Ministry rejected a government veto, arguing that any government efforts to apply the brakes on the investigation would be too difficult for the public to swallow. As a result, the cabinet decided to allow the Munich prosecutors’ petition for the issuance of international arrest warrants to stand…”

Global Distrust of President Bush and America

On June 28, The Times wrote:

“Global distrust of President Bush is mutating into an almost worldwide sentiment of anti-Americanism, according to the world’s most comprehensive poll of international opinion, published yesterday… It found ‘a broad and deepening dislike of American values and a global backlash against the spread of American ideas’ – although US technology and popular culture is still held in high regard.

“Pluralities in most countries now express distaste for notions of democracy promoted by the US, blame it for contributing to global inequality and ‘hurting the world’s environment’, while also disliking the way American businesses operate. Hostility towards the US is strongest in Muslim countries and Western Europe, where people also show little sign of being impressed by alternative world powers such as Russia and China.”

Senate Blocks Immigration Bill

The Associated Press reported on June 28:
 
“The Senate drove a stake Thursday through President Bush’s plan to legalize millions of unlawful immigrants, likely postponing major action on immigration until after the 2008 elections. After the stinging political setback, Bush sounded resigned to defeat. ‘Legal immigration is one of the top concerns of the American people, and Congress’ failure to act on it is a disappointment,’ he said after an appearance in Newport, R.I. ‘A lot of us worked hard to see if we couldn’t find common ground. It didn’t work.’ The bill’s Senate supporters fell 14 votes short of the 60 needed to limit debate and clear the way for final passage of the legislation, which critics assailed as offering amnesty to illegal immigrants. The vote was 46 to 53 in favor of limiting the debate.”

Showdown Between White House and Congress

The Associated Press reported on June 27:

“The Senate subpoenaed the White House and Vice President Dick Cheney’s office Wednesday, demanding documents and elevating the confrontation with President Bush over the administration’s warrant-free eavesdropping on Americans. Separately, the Senate Judiciary Committee also is summoning Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to discuss the program and an array of other matters that have cost a half-dozen top Justice Department officials their jobs, committee chairman Patrick Leahy announced…

“The escalation is part of the Democrats’ effort to hold the administration to account for the way it has conducted the war on terrorism since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The subpoenas extend the probe into the private sector, demanding among other things documents on any agreements that telecommunications companies made to cooperate with the surveillance program… The showdown between the White House and Congress could land in federal court… The four parties — the White House, Cheney’s office, the Justice Department and the National Security Council — have until July 18 to comply, Leahy said. He added that… he would consider pursuing contempt citations against those who refuse.”

The Associated Press added on June 28, pertaining to a related situation:

“President Bush, moving toward a constitutional showdown with Congress, asserted executive privilege Thursday and rejected lawmakers’ demands for documents that could shed light on the firings of federal prosecutors. Bush’s attorney told Congress the White House would not turn over subpoenaed documents for former presidential counsel Harriet Miers and former political director Sara Taylor… The Democratic chairmen of the two committees seeking the documents accused Bush of stonewalling and disdain for the law, and said they would press forward with enforcing the subpoenas.”

Will Tony Blair Convert to Catholicism?

The British mass-tabloid, “The Sun,” reported on June 23:
 
“TONY Blair has met privately with the Pope, fuelling speculation he might convert to Catholicism after he steps down next week. Blair… spoke with Pope Benedict for 25 minutes in the pontiff’s study. Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, head of England’s Roman Catholics, then joined the talks later.

“The Pope and the PM are said to have discussed the international situation, Europe and the Middle East. The Vatican welcomed Blair’s intention to work for Middle East peace and inter-religious dialogue after he steps down on Wednesday, but made no reference to the issue of his possible conversion. Blair is currently Anglican. His wife, Cherie, and their four children are Catholics. Cherie accompanied Blair to the Vatican and was introduced to the Pope at the end of the private talks…

“Blair’s gift to the Pope were original photographs of John Henry Newman, a 19th century Anglican leader who was one of Britain’s most illustrious converts to Catholicism. Blair is believed to have taken communion from the late Pope John Paul during a visit to the Vatican in 2003, although the Vatican has never confirmed this.”

Tony Blair New Middle East Envoy

On June 25, Der Spiegel Online reported the following:

“The Bush administration is considering appointing outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair as special envoy for the Middle East Quartet. If only they had told the Europeans… Blair is a controversial choice for the position, given his role in the Iraq war and his close relationship to Bush, and he is unpopular in much of the Middle East. Politicians in both Berlin and Brussels fear that Blair would be an unacceptable go-between for many Arabs.”

On June 28, The Telegraph added:

“As Gordon Brown, at last, inherited 10 Downing Street, Tony Blair yesterday took the first step towards life as an ex-prime minister and an international diplomat. Mr Blair overcame Russia’s reservations to be made Middle East envoy working on behalf of the US, Russia, the UN and the EU… However, reservations continued about his ability to act as an honest broker in the Middle East because of his unequivocal support for George Bush in the war in Iraq, and failing to call for a halt to the Israeli bombing of Lebanon last summer… The appointment was officially announced by the Quartet – the US, EU, UN, and Russia – after a day of diplomacy…”

Britain’s New Leaders

The Associated Press reported on June 28:

“Britain’s new leader chose his senior circle of ministers on Thursday, picking David Miliband, the youngest foreign secretary in decades and a rising star who voiced doubts over the Iraq war.

“Miliband, a 41-year-old environment chief, was confirmed as Foreign Secretary, according to a British government official who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government policy… Blair departed Wednesday to rousing applause and tears from lawmakers. He said he was sorry for the perils faced by British troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, but gave no apology for his decisions to back the United States in taking military action…

“Most closely watched will be Brown’s policy toward Iraq. British troop numbers there have rapidly fallen during 2007. Blair left his successor an option to call back more of the remaining 5,500 personnel by 2008 — an opportunity likely to be grasped by a leader with a national election to call before June 2010. Brown confirmed Wednesday the number soon will fall to 5,000.”

German Reactions to Britain’s Change in Leadership and Tony Blair’s New Role

On June 28, Der Spiegel Online reported about German press reactions to the change in Britain’s leadership, and Tony Blair’s appointment as the Middle East Quartet’s special envoy, which “has raised eyebrows around the world”:

“On the day that Blair leaves office, commentators in Germany’s main papers consider what the future holds for Blair, the UK and Europe.

“The left-leaning Süddeutsche Zeitung writes:

“‘Once a poodle, always a poodle? Tony Blair has never been able to shake off the image of being Bush’s obedient right-hand man … And who was it who has kicked off the discussion about Blair becoming the Middle East Quartet’s special envoy? George W. Bush. … No one can deny that the name Blair triggers negative reactions in the Arab-Islamic world…’

“The Financial Times Deutschland writes:

“‘The change in leadership could bring significant changes in British foreign policy, and not just in style. Blair’s avowed goal was to lead his country “into the heart of Europe.” Brown does not have this ambition: On the contrary, it was he who presented himself as the guardian of the British pound and prevented the introduction of the euro. … In view of the deep Euro-skepticism of the British, few constructive initiatives can be expected from London for the time being. Under Brown, the UK will distance itself even further from the heart of a pro-integration Europe.'”

The Mysterious Disappearance of Our Honey Bees

The Olympian.com wrote on June 25:

“The decline in honey bee populations in the United States and elsewhere signals a major environmental imbalance that could have far-reaching implications for our agricultural food supply… Many believe our increasing use of chemical pesticides and herbicides, which bees ingest during their daily pollination rounds, are largely to blame. Commercial beehives also are subjected to direct chemical fumigation at regular intervals to ward off destructive mites. Another leading suspect is genetically modified crops, which might generate pollen with compromised nutritional value.

“It might be that the build-up of synthetic chemicals and genetically modified crop pollen has reached a ‘tipping point,’ stressing bee populations to the point of collapse. Lending credence to this theory is that organic bee colonies, where chemicals and genetically modified crops are avoided, are not experiencing the same kind of catastrophic collapses, according to the nonprofit Organic Consumers Association.”

Bird Flu Returns to Germany

Der Spiegel Online reported on June 25:

“In the first cases to emerge in a year, officials in the Bavarian city of Nuremberg have reported deadly outbreaks of the H5N1 strain of bird flu… On Sunday, the city reported having found eight dead swans in addition to a duck and a goose which had fallen victim to the disease. All of the dead waterfowl were confirmed to have been infected with the deadly H5N1 virus in the first cases of the disease to be reported in Germany this year.”

Terrible Weather Conditions in the UK

The BBC wrote on June 27:

“Thousands of people have been forced to leave their homes amid severe flooding across England and Wales that is now believed to have claimed four lives. Hundreds of families in Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Shropshire have been moved to safety… About 900 people are using emergency shelters in Sheffield, and about 700 have left villages near Rotherham, South Yorkshire, amid fears the nearby Ulley dam could collapse… Prime Minister Tony Blair expressed his sympathy to the families of the dead and those displaced by what he described as an ‘extraordinary and very serious event.’…

“The Environment Agency labelled current weather conditions ‘phenomenal.’ The agency’s flood expert, Phil Rothwell, said: ‘We’ve had a sixth of the annual rainfall in 12 hours. Climate change experts tell us that this is the sort of thing we need to expect for the future.’  Of the 21 severe flood warnings in place, 13 are in north-east England, seven in the east of the country and one in the Midlands.”…

… And in the USA

On June 27, Inside Bay Area.com filed this report about the wild fire in the Lake Tahoe area:

“Firefighters battling the northernmost edge of the Angora fire ravaging the South Lake Tahoe area lost control of a back burn Tuesday afternoon… The Tahoe Basin’s worst fire in a century… ignited a scene of chaos as panicked residents waded through smoke while rushing home to meet loved ones, retrieve precious items or rescue pets… Hundreds of residents… were forced to fight or flee the fire, and fleeing became difficult as cars and trucks jammed Tahoe Keys Drive…
“The fire has consumed more than 2,700 acres of forest studded with homes and vacation cabins. It has taken 200 homes and 75 commercial buildings…”

The Associated Press reported on June 28 about rains and flooding in Texas:

“Constant downpours that have claimed 11 lives in the past 10 days are giving Texans in the central hill country little chance to recover. ‘This is the worst I’ve ever seen it in my lifetime,’ said Mayor Raymond Whitman… The downpour and winds were so treacherous early Wednesday that helicopters were forced to halt efforts to rescue people from rooftops… Whitman Branch Creek in Marble Falls, typically 2-3 feet wide, expanded to at least 100 feet. Several nearby buildings were flooded and several vehicles were swept down the creek. The odor of gas and diesel fuel was heavy in the air…

“Rains drenched North Texas as well, causing some creeks and rivers to overflow. About 30 homes were destroyed… It’s the wettest year on record in Austin, where more than 30 inches of rain have fallen since January. Dallas-Fort Worth, Waco and Wichita Falls also have received near record amounts.”

Ethnic Cleansing of Assyrian Christians in Iraq

The Easternstar News Agency (ESNA) wrote on June 22:

“The Vatican and its representatives try to stop the historical opportunity our nation has in establishing the Nineveh plains administrative area for the protection of the Christian Assyrians in Iraq. Ethnic cleansing is about to be completed in Iraq in front of the eyes of the west. This ruthless slaughter of Christian Assyrians is carried out without the government in Baghdad or the American troops attempting to stop it.

“The Christian Assyrians have been the ones worst affected among all the ethnic groups in Iraq despite the relatively small size of the community. The inferno in Iraq has evolved into a systematic mass murder [of] the Christian Assyrians…

“The Vatican, with… Pope Benedict XVI, has taken a treacherous position towards the proposal to establish an Assyrian administrative area and has thereby taken a position against the Assyrian nation’s survival. The Vatican’s ‘official’ reason…  is that Assyrians do not want to move from other parts of Iraq… Either the Vatican has not realised the fact that the Assyrians are being oppressed, assaulted, driven out, kidnapped and murdered on a daily basis or it has deliberately chosen to ignore this fact. The last six months the Vatican has carried out a very intense lobby activity both to divide Assyrians on the question of administrative rights and to persuade the western world not to support the proposal about establishing an administrative area…

“It is obvious that the Vatican’s decision is taken without any regards towards the future of the Assyrians in Iraq. The Vatican seeks to divide the unity that has begun between different churches in Iraq. The Vatican has earlier, through the Pope’s well-known embarrassing statement about Islam in [the year of] 2006, put the Christian Assyrians in a very dangerous situation. Churches in the Middle East were set on fire and Christian Assyrians were murdered as a direct consequence of the Pope’s clumsy statement…

“The Vatican has only one aim with their dangerous and fatal policy; to increase their territory and to extend their specific interpretation of Christianity, irrespective of the consequences for an entire nation’s survival!…

“The Vatican’s foundation should be the Bible. The message in the Bible is intended for the vulnerable, the weak ones and the ones who are being oppressed and who suffer from injustice.  Where can one find the Bible’s message of justice and brotherhood in the acts of the Vatican?… For the Assyrians in Iraq, and the ones in exile, it is all about survival. For the Vatican, it is about extending its power. It seems there are no limits to what the Vatican can think of doing to expand its territory, even if it means an entire nation becomes obliterated… Assyrians prefer to live in an ‘Assyrian ghetto’ in the Nineveh plains rather than being slaughtered in the streets of Baghdad.”

In writing to the Christians living in Colosse, a city in western Turkey, Paul addressed the unique revelation that they, as converted Christians, had received the Holy Spirit—that is, that Jesus Christ was living within them through the Holy Spirit–and this fact was their assurance of the hope for eternal life.

In verses 24 and 25 of Colossians 1, Paul speaks of the Church of God by calling it the “body” of Christ. He also addresses the fact that he, Paul, had become a minister of the word of God. In this context, he continues addressing these faithful brethren:

“…the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ IN you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works IN me mightily” (Colossians 1:26-29).

Even as Paul reminds these Gentile converts of the fact that Christ was in them, he likewise speaks of Christ working in him “mightily” to accomplish his assigned ministry.

We see, then, that Jesus Christ is spoken of as somehow being IN His Church in all of its aspects–it is emphasized that He is somehow living IN His converted disciples, individually and collectively.

Let us ask again–How does He accomplish this?

Jesus spoke of this shortly before His death. In preparing His disciples for the traumatic events surrounding His arrest and execution, Jesus made this statement:

“‘I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you’” (John 14:18).

In the previous verses we find the answer as to how Jesus would “come” to His disciples. As usual, we are quoting from the New King James Bible, but please take careful note of our comments immediately following the quote:

“‘And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for he dwells with you and will be IN you’” (John 14:16-17).

The pronouns translated as “He” and “Him” in these verses are more accurately understood in modern English by using the Neuter form of “it”—and so with “whom”. The idea that the Holy Spirit is a person is a false teaching and one of the tragic deceptions adopted by the majority of professing “Christian” churches. For an in-depth study of this subject, please refer to our booklet, “Is God A Trinity?”

Please note Jesus’ statements 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.’ “

Here we see the astounding fact revealed that both the Father and Jesus Christ would live IN those that love Jesus and keep what He has commanded! They will live in them–making their home with them–through the Holy Spirit, which emanates from both the Father and the Son. Earlier, Jesus had spoken of something that would accompany the indwelling of the Spirit of truth and this occurrence would define a new kind of relationship between the Family of God and mankind: “‘At that day you will know that I am IN My Father, and you IN Me, and I IN you’” (John 14:20).

In the prayer of Jesus that is recorded in John 17, He very specifically addresses the emerging way in which both He and the Father would now begin to associate with those who were no longer of this world—those who would keep the Word of God:

“‘I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one as You, Father, are IN Me, and I IN You; THAT THEY ALSO MAY BE ONE IN US, that the world may believe that You sent Me’” (John 17:20-21).

Continuing in verses 22-23: “‘And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one; I IN them, and You IN Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.’”

Jesus concludes His prayer with these words: “‘And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be IN them, and I IN them’” (John 17:26).

In this series of statements from Christ, He speaks of “glory” and “love” being in His disciples, and He asks that they might have the same kind of unifying relationship that He has with the Father.

Paul reminded the Corinthian church of the vital fact that God had placed His Spirit in them, when he stated: “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16). He adds: “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit [which] is IN you, [which] you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

We also find this illuminating explanation from Paul, in which he explains that we have BOTH the Spirit of the Father and the Spirit of Christ:

“But you are not in the flesh but IN the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells IN you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is IN you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells IN you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit [which] dwells IN you” (Romans 8:9-11).

As mentioned, the Holy Spirit emanates from both the Father and the Son, Jesus Christ. The Father and the Son are Spirit BEINGS–GOD beings–composed of Spirit. Technically, the Holy Spirit emanates from both Spirit beings, but it is still “ONE” Spirit, in that both the Father and the Son are “ONE”–they have the SAME character, and they are totally UNITED (“one”) in purpose and will power.

Paul appeals to the Christians in Ephesus “…to keep the unity of the Spirit” (Compare Ephesians 4:1-3). Next, he declares: “There is one body [but there are many members of that body] and one Spirit [emanating from both the Father and the Son, and living in each member of the body], just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and IN you all (Verses 4-6).

Paul boldly proclaimed: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13); and: “I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth IN me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20, Authorized Version). For a fuller explanation of this verse and the fact that the faith OF Christ resides in converted Christians, through the Holy Spirit, please refer to our Update #299, June 22, 2007, in the Q&A—titled, “Faith of Christ?”

The Bible very clearly reveals that Jesus Christ lives in converted men and women through the Holy Spirit—the one Spirit that is from the Father, and the same Spirit that is Christ’s Spirit.

The fact that Jesus does guide His Church in such an intimate fashion and that this relationship is described in such inseparable terms is absolutely crucial for those who call themselves “Christian.” We have this challenge:

“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is IN you?—unless indeed you are disqualified” (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Our booklets, “Jesus Christ—A Great Mystery!” and “God Is A Family,” offer broader examinations of the astonishing truths about the Father, Jesus Christ and the glorious future that is in store for mankind. The promise is that each man and woman will be given their opportunity to turn to God and to allow Jesus Christ to become their Savior—to live IN them!

Lead Writers: Dave Harris and Norbert Link

We sent out the following announcement regarding our new StandingWatch program #126:

Why Do You Live?

Do you know why you were born, and what will happen to you when you die?

– Are you the product of time and chance–the end result of an evolutionary process which began with a cell or a mollusk?
– When you die, will you go to heaven, hell, purgatory or limbo?
– Will you enter a cycle of reincarnations?
– Do you care to know the TRUTH?

View it now on Google

Norbert Link’s recent video-recorded sermon, “Why The Sacrifices?”, has been posted on Google Video.

Please continue to pray for success for our ongoing Internet ad campaign in Britain, the USA and Canada. Early responses are quite encouraging.

On June 23, 2007, Bill Grams will give the sermon, titled, “Encouragement.”

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.

“Blessed are you when they revile you and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” These words of Jesus, as recorded in Matthew 5:11-12, stand in stark contrast to the following warning: “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets” (Luke 6:26).

Humanly speaking, we love it when we are well spoken of, and we don’t like it when people hate us, exclude us, revile us and “cast out” our names “as evil” (compare Luke 6:22). But if we shrink back from standing up boldly for the truth, so that we can be accepted by others, then Christ will have no pleasure in us. If we deny Him–through our words or our conduct–for fear that others may ridicule or even persecute us, then Christ will deny us (Matthew 10:33).

Don’t be surprised when you are the victim of malicious lies. Paul was, as he said in Romans 3:8: “… And why not say, ‘Let us do evil that good may come’?–as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just.”

As a true Christian, you can expect to be lied about. And you can expect that some may believe those lies. This might include misrepresentations from some of your friends or relatives. It might include business associates or even members of your church. Paul spoke about “evil reports” which were circulated about him, and that he was even accused of being a “deceiver” (2 Corinthians 6:8).

But, without perhaps realizing it, a person who lies about you and who may call you a deceiver has himself become a tool in Satan’s hands–that evil being who is the arch-deceiver and the accuser of the brethren, accusing them day and night (Revelation 12:9-10). It is therefore no surprise when his ministers, perhaps claiming to be servants of Christ, accuse true Christians (2 Corinthians 11:15). They act in this way so that they–or their self-invented “cause”–may appear “righteous” in the eyes of man; but their “end will be according to their works” (same verse).

Sometimes I wonder whether such evil workers of iniquity have “no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans 3:18). I ask myself, don’t they know that they will have to answer to God, in His due time? Do they even care? And then I have to remind myself: Don’t be surprised! It’s prophesied to happen. Christ said: “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you… but all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me” (John 15:20-21).

I have been lied about many times–as I am sure that you have been. And it is never easy to hear vicious rumors about yourself–knowing them to be absolute falsehoods and misrepresentations; KNOWING that these “evil things” have been “invented” by evil minds (compare Romans 1:30). Still, we ARE told NOT to hate such evil workers of iniquities–even though we surely are to HATE with all our being WHAT they are doing–but to “give place” to the wrath of God. We are to “bless those who persecute” us (Romans 12:14), always remembering the truthful saying of God: “‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord” (Romans 12:19).

I’m not saying that this is easy. I’m sometimes surprised how difficult it may be. Especially when malicious and vicious lies are being spread about us which are totally untrue–and when others believe those lies, even though they should know better. No, it is not easy to bless in such situations, rather than to curse (Romans 12:14), but this is what we are commanded to do. And we are to even rejoice in persecutions, knowing that God blesses us in such situations. Peter tells us: “If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified” (1 Peter 4:14).

And so, we know that God will bring to light, in His due time, the true motives of everyone, and we are confident that God will praise the wrongfully accused (compare 1 Corinthians 4:5).

Don’t be surprised when persecution comes. But be certain that you are found in the role of the wrongfully accused–and never in the role of the wrongful accuser. After all, it IS a serious and “fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31).

“Bush’s European Disaster”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on June 14 about “Bush’s European Disaster.” The article stated:

“The president’s trip was a pageant of disdain, delusion and provocation masquerading as a respite from his troubles at home… High officials of European governments describe U.S. influence as squandered and swiftly eroding… the country’s moral authority nil. Lethal power vacuums are emerging from Lebanon to Pakistan, and Europeans are incapable on their own of quelling the fires that burn far closer to them than to the United States through their growing Muslim populations and proximity to the Middle East… Even worse than Bush, from their perspective, would be another Republican president who continued Bush policies and also appointed neoconservatives. That would toll, if not the end of days, then the decline and fall of the Western alliance except in name only, and an even more rapid acceleration of chaos in the world order.

“… No president has had a more disastrous European trip since President Reagan placed a wreath on the graves of SS officers in the Bitburg cemetery. Yet Reagan’s mistake was unintentional and symbolic, a temporary and superficial setback, doing no real damage to U.S. foreign relations, while Bush’s blunders not only reinforced counterproductive policies but also created a new one with Russia that has the potential of profoundly undermining U.S. national security interests for years to come…

“Bush quite deliberately upset German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s proposal for climate change at the G8… He also deprived Blair of a last achievement [who] has sacrificed his career to Bush’s fiasco…

“In Iraq, Bush’s policy is now to arm all sides in the sectarian civil war between Shiites and Sunnis. He claims to be devoted to nation building, which he previously dismissed, while he presides over a mass exodus of 2 million Iraqis, upholds law and order while holding tens of thousands of prisoners without due process…”

U.S. Missile Defense System in Poland?

Der Spiegel Online wrote on June 15:

“Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates made clear Thursday that the United States would not alter plans to deploy parts of a missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic, despite an unexpected proposal by President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia to use a radar base in Azerbaijan instead. During a session of defense ministers here, Mr. Gates also effectively secured NATO’s endorsement for an American plan to build the missile defense bases in Central Europe…”

Can Evolution and Creation Coexist?

USA Today wrote on June 12:

“During a televised debate among GOP presidential candidates last month in California, Sen. John McCain of Arizona was asked whether he believes in evolution. McCain first answered with one word: ‘Yes.’ Then he quickly added: ‘I believe in evolution. But I also believe, when I hike the Grand Canyon and see it at sunset, that the hand of God is there also.’… [A] recent USA TODAY/Gallup Poll suggests McCain’s attempt to have it both ways is not an uncommon view. One-quarter of Americans think evolution… and creationism… are both likely explanations…

“Whatever the reason, three of the GOP presidential wannabes standing with McCain that day gave a much different answer. Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas and Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado answered with a show of hands when a reporter asked, ‘Is there anybody on the stage that does not agree, believe in evolution?’… Many Americans think the theories of divine creation and evolution can coexist.”

In spite of majority opinions, the simple truth is that Evolution and Biblical Teaching CANNOT co-exist. For the reasons, please read our free booklet, “The Theory of Evolution–a Fairy Tale for Adults?” Please also watch our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Why Do You Live?”

Kurt Waldheim Died

The Washington Post wrote on June 15:

“Kurt Waldheim, 88, a seemingly low-key diplomat who became secretary general of the United Nations and president of his native Austria only to be barred from the United States on suspicion of involvement in Nazi war crimes, died June 14 at a Vienna hospital… When Mr. Waldheim was put on the Justice Department’s ‘watch list’ of prohibited people in 1987, it was the first time in U.S. history that the head of a friendly country had been branded an undesirable alien suspected of war crimes with the German army in World War II. He remained on the list for the rest of his life…

“The facts about what he did during the war years were never clearly established, and there was no clear-cut proof that he participated in killings or other war crimes. But there was strong evidence that he concealed his role as a lieutenant between 1942 and 1945 with Nazi Army units involved in atrocities against Yugoslav partisans and lied about his whereabouts during that period. Although Mr. Waldheim was never tried, public disclosures in the mid-1980s included a secret 1948 finding by the U.N. War Crimes Commission that there was sufficient evidence to prosecute him on charges of ‘murder’ and ‘putting hostages to death.’

“In a corollary development, the validity of which was never established, a former Yugoslav intelligence officer said that the Soviet Union might have used the information to enlist Mr. Waldheim as a Soviet agent after the war when he was serving in Austria’s diplomatic service. There also was speculation that he… had worked secretly for the United States in exchange for the CIA concealing his background.”

The European Summit–Success or Flop?

On June 21, 2007, Der Spiegel Online published an article, titled, “Europe Divided on How to Unite.”

It was pointed out:

“EU diplomats are now faced with reaching agreement on 15 outstanding objections to the so-called ‘draft mandate,’ an 11-page blueprint presented by Germany to the 27 member states on Tuesday. The European leaders are meeting in Brussels on Thursday and Friday to try to hammer out a final deal on how to make the bloc work more effectively… The amount of unresolved issues, means that diplomats are expecting the meeting to go on well into the early hours of Saturday and one thing people can agree on is that a deal is far from guaranteed….

“The Poles have been using particularly emotional rhetoric in advance of the summit. Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski told Polish radio on Tuesday that his objection to the proposed new voting formula went back to the country’s suffering in World War II. According to Thursday’s Financial Times, he said: ‘If Poland had not had to live through the years of 1939-45, Poland would be today looking at the demographics of a country of 66 million.’ Poland’s current population is 38 million… Later Kaczynski told Reuters: ‘We realize we cannot stop the process (of reform) … that would be too risky for the future.’ He said there was a 50-50 chance of the summit reaching an agreement.

“Now the UK seems to be stepping into its old role as the main Euro spoilsport. Britain fears that a legally binding Charter could take precedence over its Common Law — unlike the other EU member states, Great Britain does not have a written constitution.”

The article continued:

“… the British and Polish attempts to water down the treaty have enraged other countries. Spain is insisting on the establishment of the role of European foreign minister, and the Spanish press reports that the Madrid government is threatening to use its veto on this point. And Luxembourg is also fuming at the Euro-skeptic saber-rattling in advance of the summit. Speaking on Germany’s ZDF channel on Wednesday, Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker warned that if the summit failed then the EU could split into a two-speed bloc, with some European states further integrating ‘without the others.'”

And THAT is, according to Biblical prophecy, what might ultimately happen.

The Media Campaign Against or For the EU Summit

On June 15, the British tabloid, “The Sun,” started a media campaign against Tony Blair and Angela Merkel, in preparation for the EU Summit on Thursday. By way of background, “The Sun” used to be a conservative newspaper in the 1990’s, but it subsequently became a Tony Blair supporter for years. However, things changed again. “The Sun” is not known for in-depth analysis like the Daily Telegraph or the Times.  But they do have the finger on the pulse and seem to carry quite a bit of clout. The campaign shows the concern many have in Britain that Germany will control the Summit and that British sovereignty will be surrendered. Whether or not the statements in the article are completely correct, the campaign initiated by “The Sun” is remarkable. The tabloid wrote:

“The treaty will mean a giant giveaway of UK power. Our voting power will be slashed by 30 per cent — making it impossible to block barmy EU rules… Germany is pushing hard for a new treaty which includes many of the measures in the hated EU constitution. Its leader Angela Merkel has admitted the treaty will be virtually a carbon copy of the constitution… Chancellor Merkel wrote to EU leaders saying she wanted ‘to use different terminology without changing the legal substance’ of the rejected constitution.”

On June 16, Der Spiegel Online reported about a perceived British “anti German/anti-European media campaign,” directed primarily at Angela Merkel and Tony Blair. The magazine reacted in kind–with an anti-British piece, alleging that Britain has been “stubbornly” refusing to participate in any European integration for more than 20 years, and that Britain will continue with its “negative approach” toward European unification.

The British media campaign might not have been without consequences for Mr. Blair. Der Spiegel Online reported on June 19:

“Two days before the crucial summit on the EU treaty to replace the stalled constitution, British Prime Minister Tony Blair is digging in his heels. Britain, he says, will not give up any sovereignty. But he may be making life difficult for his successor… Britain continues to say that it is willing to block any treaty that smacks too much of a constitution and that transfers too much power to Brussels… Britain has a whole list of key areas that it will not compromise on… Blair… has his eye on the Eurosceptic press and the opposition Conservatives… The influential mass-circulation Sun newspaper last week launched a ‘seven days to save Britain’ campaign and urged Blair to stop a ‘surrender of British power to Brussels.’…

“With Blair leaving office next Wednesday, his successor Gordon Brown will have the frustrating experience of not being part of the extremely important negotiations in Europe, ones that will affect his future government. If Britain agrees to a deal this week, it will give Brown an influential position in Europe but give the Conservatives a gift in election campaigns and probably alienate the largely Eurosceptic press. But if the UK blocks the agreement, he will take over with Britain having annoyed leaders across Europe.”

Britain and Perhaps Poland Oppose EU Treaty

Der Spiegel Online wrote on June 20:

“Most EU summits are dull affairs, but the week leading up to Thursday’s meeting on a new EU treaty has been a rollercoaster ride. After no small amount of saber-rattling, Poland finally looks like coming round — but now Britain has come up with a whole list of objections…

“With just one day to go until the leaders of the European Union gather in Brussels, it seems no one has any idea if the summit is going to be a resounding success or a huge flop. Germany, as current EU president, is attempting to revive parts of the aborted European constitution to create a new treaty, but has run up against Polish and British objections to the new agreement.

“Germany presented its draft mandate of the treaty on Tuesday to the 27 member countries, and now EU diplomats are trying to iron out the final sticking points before the leaders meet in Brussels Thursday and Friday. All 27 member states have to agree to a new treaty, and if Poland or Britain block the deal, it could plunge the EU into a prolonged crisis…

“On Tuesday a furious Jose Manuel Barroso lashed out at the two countries for their stance in the run up to the talks. The EU Commission president warned the countries that if they killed the deal, they would face isolation and could expect less generosity from Brussels in the future.”

Will Merkel Pull It Off?

The Times wrote on June 16:

“When Angela Merkel won her G8 breakthrough by knocking male heads together, the fawning Bild Zeitung dubbed her ‘Miss World’. With record 70 per cent approval ratings it seemed as if the German Chancellor could do no wrong.

“Now Ms Merkel faces an even tougher challenge to earn her tabloid laurels: in the next few days she has to come up with the outlines of a deal on the European constitution. If she fails, the continent could be heading for a two or multiple-speed Europe, an end of the old idea of political integration. The Miss World title would be forfeit.

“So, it is High Noon for Europe… The Chancellor should not be underestimated: she may pull it off… Time and again this canny 53-year-old politician… has outwitted some of the shrewdest strategic heads in Europe. It has been a remarkable transformation that has baffled her male colleagues in the Christian Democratic party… the real change has come from the engine room: a hard-nosed chief of staff, Beate Baumann, and a group of shrewd women advisers drawn from a network that secretly pulls many of the strings in Berlin… Out goes Thatcherite handbagging, in comes a more Machiavellian approach, using inside intelligence to play off one obstructive male against another…

“Slowly, she worked out how to spin a silky web of deadlines committing leaders to a ‘process’ rather than a hard and fast deal. That was her approach to the G8 summit in Heiligendamm and it worked; the same rules are being applied for the EU summit… It is often gay men who get the better of her — including Guido Westerwelle, the talented leader of the Free Democrats… Now, [he is] preparing himself for a future centre-right government…”

European Arms Sales Contracts

The Associated Press reported on June 19:

“Spain has agreed to end its opt-out from the European Union’s year-old code of conduct on arms sales… The director of the European Defense Agency said the decision… showed the success of the new system which has led to more than 200 defense contracts worth about 10 billion euros ($13.4 billion)… The entry of Spain and Hungary [last month] means 24 of the 27 EU nations are taking part. Romania and Bulgaria, which joined the EU at the beginning of this year are considering joining up, but Denmark decided in the early 1990s not to participate in the EU’s defense and security policy.”

Strong Support of European Citizens for EU Constitution

The International Herald Tribune wrote on June 20:

“Two out of three European Union citizens support the idea of a constitution, an EU survey showed Wednesday on the eve of crucial summit talks on forging a new treaty for the expanded bloc. Two years after French and Dutch voters rejected the draft constitution, 68 percent of French citizens and 55 percent in the Netherlands support some sort of constitution.

“In Poland, the country seen as a major stumbling bloc to consensus during the two-day EU summit, backing for a constitution rose 5 points from last fall, to 69 percent. [In] Britain, which also balks at some of the proposals for a new EU treaty to replace the constitution, support has historically been lukewarm, and it stood at 43 percent, lowest among the 27 EU member states.

“The overall rate of support for a constitution — 66 percent — was a 3-point increase compared to the rate from fall of last year. Support for EU membership is at its highest since 1994, with 57 percent backing in the EU, a 4-point hike since last fall. It was highest in the Netherlands at 77 percent and lowest in Austria at 36 percent.”

G4 Talks Collapse

Reuters reported on June 21:

“Talks between trade powers to salvage global trade talks collapsed on Thursday, throwing the future of the World Trade Organisation’s struggling round deeper into doubt. Ministers from the United States and the European Union (EU), representing rich nation interests, and Brazil and India, for the developing world, were quick to blame the other side for the failure. Without an agreement between the four powers at their meeting in Potsdam [Germany], diplomats and trade officials had warned that it would be difficult for the full 150-member state WTO to strike a deal as hoped by the end of July.”

Egypt Invites Leaders to Monday’s Peace Summit

The Associated Press reported on June 21:

“Closing ranks against Hamas, Egypt’s president invited Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian leaders to a peace summit, officials said Thursday, the biggest show of support yet by moderate Arab states for beleaguered Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The meeting will take place Monday in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh…

“Despite the talk about peace, however, the Hamas takeover has dealt a setback to statehood efforts, with the Islamic militants in charge of Gaza and Abbas in charge of the West Bank. Gaza militants fired nine rockets at the Israeli town of Sderot on Wednesday, slightly injuring one person. Hours earlier, Israeli troops backed by tanks and armored vehicles fatally shot four militants.”

Horrible Conditions in Ethiopia

On June 17, The International Herald Tribune published the following article about Ethiopia’s inhuman treatment of its own people. How long will the West stand idly by before responding to this “push” towards and “attack” on democratic freedoms, which are strongly advocated by Western societies? The article stated:

“This is the Ogaden, a corner of Ethiopia that the urbane officials in Addis Ababa, the capital, would rather outsiders never see. It is the epicenter of a separatist war in which impoverished nomads are fighting one of the biggest armies in Africa. What goes on here seems to be starkly different from the carefully-constructed image that Ethiopia – a country that America increasingly relies on to fight militant Islam in the Horn of Africa – tries to project.

“In village after village, people said they had been brutalized by government troops. They described a widespread and longstanding reign of terror, with Ethiopian soldiers gang-raping women, burning down huts and killing civilians at will. It is the same military that the American government helps train and equip – and provides with prized intelligence. The two nations have been allies for years, but recently they have grown especially close, teaming up last winter to oust an Islamic movement that controlled much of Somalia and rid the region of a potential terrorist threat.

“The Bush administration, particularly the military, considers Ethiopia its best bet in the Horn of Africa – which, with Sudan, Somalia and Eritrea, is fast becoming intensely violent, virulently anti-American and an incubator for terrorism. But an emerging concern for American officials is the way the Ethiopian military operates inside its own borders, especially in war zones like the Ogaden.

“… the State Department, the European Parliament, and many human rights groups, mostly outside of Ethiopia, have cited thousands of cases of torture, arbitrary detention and extrajudicial killings – enough to raise questions in Congress about American support of the Ethiopian government. ‘This is a country that is abusing its own people and has no respect for democracy,’ said Representative Donald Payne, chairman of the House subcommittee on Africa and global health. ‘We’ve not only looked the other way but we’ve pushed them to intrude in other sovereign nations,’ he added, referring to the satellite images and other strategic help the American military gave Ethiopia in December, when thousands of Ethiopian troops poured into Somalia and overthrew the Islamist regime.

“According to Georgette Gagnon, deputy director for the Africa division of Human Rights Watch, Ethiopia is one of the most repressive countries in Africa. ‘What the Ethiopian security forces are doing,’ she said, ‘may amount to crimes against humanity.’ Human Rights Watch issued a report in 2005 that described a rampage by government troops against members of the Anuak minority tribe in western Ethiopia, in which soldiers ransacked homes, beat villagers to death with iron bars and in one case, according to a witness, tied up a prisoner and ran over him with a military truck.

“After the report came out, the researcher who wrote it was banned by the Ethiopian government from returning to the country. Similarly, three New York Times journalists who visited the Ogaden to cover this story were imprisoned for five days and had all their equipment confiscated before being released without charges… with the opposition poised to win a record-number of seats in Parliament, the government cracked down brutally, opening fire on demonstrators, rounding up tens of thousands of opposition supporters and students and leveling charges of treason and even attempted genocide against top opposition leaders, including the man elected mayor of Addis Ababa. Many opposition members are now in jail or in exile. The rest seem demoralized…”

Some Never Seem To Learn

AFP reported on June 18:

“Tony Blair on Monday strongly defended intervening in Iraq for the final time as prime minister before parliament’s top scrutiny body. In a robust farewell performance, Blair insisted ordinary Muslims craved democracy, saying that Islamist terrorists rather than the West were their worst enemy. He warned that the West would be making a ‘fundamental mistake’ if it gave up defending democracy when threatened with terrorism and slapped down those blaming coalition failures for the sectarian unrest since the March 2003 US-led invasion to topple dictator Saddam Hussein. And Blair, who steps down next week, admitted that he felt a heavy responsibility for the death toll in Iraq… Blair steps down on June 27 after a decade in power, leaving a legacy clouded by his decision to support US President George W. Bush in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.”

Britain Under Attack

AFP reported on June 19:

“Muslim radicals burned an effigy of Queen Elizabeth Tuesday as Pakistan summoned the British ambassador over Salman Rushdie’s knighthood and Iranian hardliners turned their fury on the monarch. Anger has mounted in the neighbouring Islamic republics since the British monarch gave the 59-year-old author of ‘The Satanic Verses’ the title of Sir Salman for services to literature at the weekend.

“The row has thrown Rushdie back in the eye of the storm, 18 years after he was sentenced to death by Iran’s revolutionary founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini for blasphemy in a fatwa that has never been revoked… Religious Affairs Minister Ijaz-ul-Haq on Monday said the award for Rushdie justified suicide attacks, prompting outrage in Britain, although he later withdrew the remark.

“Pakistan’s senate on Tuesday condemned the ‘blatant disregard for the sentiments of the Muslims by the British government.’… Legislators in North West Frontier Province bordering Afghanistan, which is ruled by an alliance of hardline Islamists, called for Pakistan to sever diplomatic ties with London.”

Full Unity Among All “Christians”

On June 16, VIS published the following article:

“… the Pope and… Chrysostomos II, signed a Joint declaration… In the declaration, Benedict XVI and the archbishop of New Justiniana and All Cyprus declare their ‘sincere and firm desire, in obedience to the will of Our Lord Jesus Christ, to intensify the search for full unity among all Christians. … We wish the Catholic and Orthodox faithful of Cyprus to live fraternally and in full solidarity…

“… during their meeting they… considered ‘the situation in the Middle East, where war and contrasts between peoples risk spreading, with disastrous consequences… Our Churches intend to play a role of pacification in justice and in solidarity and, in order for this to come about, it is our desire to promote fraternal relations between all Christians and faithful dialogue between the various religions that are present and operate in the region.’

“After making a call for all those who raise their hands ‘against their brothers’ to lay down their arms, the joint declaration calls for ‘every effort to be made to ensure that human rights are always defended, in all countries.’ Of these, ‘the primary right is that of freedom of religion. Not to respect it constitutes a grave offence to the dignity of man. … And hence, to profane, destroy or plunder the places of worship of any religion is an act against humanity and the civilization of peoples.’

“‘At a time of growing secularization and relativism, Catholics and Orthodox in Europe are called to offer renewed witness on ethical values,’ write the Pope and Chrysostomos II. Referring to the European Union, they highlight how ‘it cannot be limited to merely economic cooperation, it needs solid cultural foundations, shared ethical positions and openness to the religious dimension. It is necessary to revive the Christian roots of Europe, which have made its civilization great over the centuries, and to recognize that the Western and Eastern Christian tradition have, in this sense, a joint task to accomplish.’

“The Pope and the archbishop of New Justiniana and All Cyprus indicate that ‘the rich heritage of faith and the solid Christian tradition of our lands must encourage Catholic and Orthodox to a renewed determination to announce the Gospel in our time, in order to be faithful to our Christian vocation and to respond to the needs of today’s world.'”

The Bible teaches both. Unfortunately, many modern English translations–including the New King James Bible–have clouded the meaning by falsely rendering certain Scriptural passages.

It is of course true that we must have faith in Christ–including in His name, identity, role and function, His message, and His Sacrifice (Acts 3:16; 20:21; 24:24; John 3:14-15; 5:24; 11:24; 12:46). Before we receive the Holy Spirit, which God only gives us after repentance, belief, proper adult baptism and the laying on of hands through God’s true ministers–our faith IN Christ is the ONLY kind of faith we can have. But even this is not a “dead” faith, but a “living” faith–it is that kind of faith which manifests itself through works of OBEDIENCE (James 2:14, 17, 22, 26; Romans 1:5; 16:26; Acts 6:7). John 3:36 reads, correctly translated: “He who believes IN the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not OBEY the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (compare Revised Standard Version, “RSV”). In fact, without living, obedient faith in God the Father and Jesus Christ, we cannot even receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:32).

Once we receive God’s Holy Spirit, and with it a “measure of faith” (Romans 12:3), Jesus Christ’s living FAITH resides in us. As we allow Christ to lead and direct our lives more and more, we also allow His faith in us to become more and more powerful. Not that Christ’s perfect and boundless faith needs to grow or become more effective, but WE grow to the extent that we allow Him and His faith in us to motivate us and lead us. Remember that Jesus could not do many miracles because of the lack of faith of the people (compare Mark 6:5-6; Matthew 13:58). It is through Christ’s faith in us that we can become more and more obedient and perfect. But if we refuse to take advantage of and use Christ’s faith in us, we will not grow toward perfection.

For proof that Christ’s faith must live in us, notice Galatians 2:16, 20. Please note that the New King James Bible, as well as most other modern translations, including the New International Version, the RSV and the Living Bible, incorrectly use the words “faith IN Christ,” rendering the passage as follows:

“… knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith IN Jesus Christ, even we have believed IN Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith IN Christ and not by the works of the law… I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith IN the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (New King James Bible).

This false rendition is very damaging, as it totally clouds the biblical truth that we must have the faith OF Christ in us, and it is the faith OF Christ which justifies us. It is the living Jesus Christ, dwelling in us through the Holy Spirit, who makes us perfect through HIS faith–OUR faith IN Christ, even though necessary, could NEVER accomplish this.

Notice how the Authorized Version renders the passage of Galatians 2:16:

“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith OF Jesus Christ, even we have believed IN Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith OF Christ… “

The Englishman’s Greek New Testament, an interlinear literal translation (“Interlinear”), clarifies that the literal Greek renders the phrase in verse 16 as “faith OF Christ,” NOT “faith IN Christ.” The Greek words for “Jesus Christ” or for “Christ,” are in the Genitive, meaning that the translation must be, “faith OF Jesus Christ” and “faith OF Christ.” On the other hand, in the phrase, “we have believed IN Jesus Christ,” the Greek words for “Jesus Christ” are NOT in the Genitive, showing that in that case, the rendering of belief IN Jesus Christ is correct. We first must believe IN Christ, in order to obtain the faith OF Christ.

The Authorized Version renders Verse 20 as follows:

“… and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith OF the Son of God…”

In this case, the original Greek is a little bit more complicated. Literally translated, it says, according to “Interlinear”: “.. yet I live, no longer I, but lives in me Christ; but which I now live in flesh, in faith I live, that of the Son of God.” Some say that the rendering should be, “in faith I live, IN that of the Son of God,” adding the word “IN” to imply that we live through OUR faith IN the faith OF Christ. But the word “IN” is not in the original. It is more compelling, from the context and the structure of the sentence, to state that we live in faith WHICH IS the faith of the Son of God. Notice again the literal rendering, word for word: “in faith I live, THAT OF the Son of God.”

Additional passages also show that we must have the faith OF Christ, LIVING in us, in order to inherit eternal life.

Note, for example, Galatians 3:22, which is rendered incorrectly in the New King James Bible and other modern translations, but which has been translated correctly by the Authorized Version:

“But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith OF Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.”

In the Greek, the words “Jesus Christ” are in the Genitive, mandating the translation, “faith OF Jesus Christ.”

Ephesians 3:12 reads, in the Authorized Version (note that many modern translations, including the New King James Bible, again mistranslates this passage): “In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith OF HIM.” The Greek word for “HIM” is in the Genitive, so that the translation “OF HIM” is correct.

It is Christ, through His Spirit, who dwells in our hearts through faith (compare Ephesians 3:16-17). He is the author and finisher of faith (compare Hebrews 12:2, but please note that the word “our” in “our faith” was added by the translator and is not in the original).

Another passage, which has been mistranslated in most modern versions, including the New King James Bible, but which has been accurately rendered in the Authorized Version, is Philippians 3:9:

“And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is THROUGH THE FAITH OF CHRIST, the righteousness which is of God by faith.”

Again, the Greek word for “Christ” is in the Genitive, mandating the translation, “faith OF Christ.”

Notice that the New King James Bible translates James 2:1 correctly, as follows: “My brethren, do not hold the faith OF our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.” This rendering is correct, as the Greek words for “Lord Jesus Christ” are in the Genitive.

Notice also Revelation 2:13. Christ says to the church in Pergamos: “I know your works.. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny MY FAITH…”

Notice, too, Revelation 14:12: “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith OF Jesus.” In this instance, the New King James Bible and the RSV render the passage correctly–while other modern renditions mistranslate this passage as well. But as in the passages mentioned above, the Greek word for “Jesus” is in the Genitive, so that “OF Jesus” is the only possible rendering.

Those, then, who KEEP God’s commandments AND the faith OF Jesus Christ, which dwells in them, will be saved. It is absolutely necessary that Christ’s faith dwells in us and motivates us to endure, persevere, and continue in our godly walk to inherit the Kingdom of God and eternal life.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Booklets

Our 25th booklet, “The Meaning of God’s Fall Holy Days,” has been finalized and is ready to be sent to the printer.

StandingWatch programs

This week, we sent out an announcement regarding our new StandingWatch program #125

Unsuccessful G-8 Summit

Even though the press and politicians have described the G-8 Summit in Germany as a success, in fact, it was not. No binding agreements were reached–only the expression of a “desire” to perhaps do something together in the future. But German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has emerged as THE world leader. She is even called now “Miss World.” Why is this remarkable in view of end-time events?

View it now on Google.

A new StandingWatch program was recorded this week, titled, “Why Do You Live?”, and will be posted shortly.

One of the most successful StandingWatch programs so far has been the one on “American Hiroshima,” which received in excess of 2,000 views on Google, followed by “Iran’s Frightening Intensions” (over 1,000 views) and “What’s in Store for America” (840 views). These numbers do not include viewers of our StandingWatch Website.

Video Sermons

We also continue to post video-recorded sermons on Google Video. Norbert Link’s recent video presentation, “Bible Study–Christian Suffering” has been viewed over 1,130 times.

Internet Ad Campaign

We have started an Internet ad campaign in Great Britain, offering Mr. McNair’s booklet, “America and Britain in Prophecy.” So far, we have received 76 requests for the booklet.

We have also just begun an Internet ad campaign in the USA, offering our booklet, “Mysteries of the Bible,” and will soon begin a similar Internet ad campaign for the same booklet in Canada. After running the ad for about a day or two, we have already received ten requests.

Your ongoing prayers for the success of our efforts to preach the gospel and to feed the flock are truly appreciated.

by Michael Link

For the past couple of months I had to learn a great deal of patience.  I have been constantly faced with situations where I had to make the right decisions, but ultimately would come to the conclusion that I need to put things into God’s hands. 

Lately, we have heard prayer requests for those in the Church who have been struggling in their quest for a job or a better job.  I am also one who would fit that category.  For example, assuming that the current job I have would bring forth fruit by now, including a few freelance jobs on the side, I had and still do have many questions in my mind as to what the purpose of all of this may be. I was hoping for greater things to happen by now.   I had a plan when certain things would be accomplished.  However, were my plans in conjunction with God’s plan for me?  Do I have enough patience as God has for me? 

I started thinking about that a lot more and came to the realization that God does have a plan for me, and He knows exactly when things are to come to pass for my sake.  I also know that I have a part to do as well.  I have kept my options open in terms of finding another job, and I have all the confidence that God will lead me in the right direction.  Most importantly, I have to have continuous faith and confidence that God’s plan for me will come to pass, and if I continue to have patience, it will come.